The Stogie Guys

For a dramatic moment, even though it didn’t compare to Dr. Frankenstein throwing a switch to bring his monster to life, I couldn’t help but hope for similar results when I lifted a Cuesta-Rey Centro Fino Sun Grown #60 from my humidor.

One of an extremely dry four-pack I bought for $5 or so about ten months ago, I’d been resting them to see how much life would return to the six inch by 50 ring gauge sticks. For the first couple of months, I kept them in a partially closed Ziploc bag with a water pillow-style humidification pack with the humidity level a notch or two above 70. Since then, they’ve been in with the rest of the singles.

As you may know, advice on restoring dried cigars is about as prevalent on the web as offers to get rich working with Nigerian officials. Nearly all the cigar methods focus on restoring moisture in one way or another.

When I bought these, I certainly knew what I was getting. The clerk went out of his way to warn me before that the cigars had gotten very dry. I just figured that for the price I’d see what happened. These cigars, which I’ve enjoyed many times, normally run about $45 for a properly humidified box of ten.

I wasn’t expecting much from this experiment. I’ve come to believe that while it is possible to get a measure of moisture back in a dry cigar, the loss of at least some essential oils is certain to adversely affect the flavor. As if to illustrate the point of irreversible change, when I removed the two bands their patterns were still clearly visible on the wrapper.

In all honesty, though, the cigar wasn’t bad. It had characteristics you’d anticipate: loose draw, fairly fast burn, and relatively dry smoke and finish. But it also retained a fair amount of taste, highlighted by cedar and leather. A harshness I don’t associate with this usually mild cigar was evident in the beginning, but it did not linger.

I plan to not smoke the three remaining sticks for at least six more months, maybe longer. I don’t know how much they’re likely to improve, but already I believe they are the best $1.25 cigars I’ve had.

–George E

photo credit: Video Detective

The Cuban Cohiba Robusto is one of the six original Cohibas known as the Línea Clásica. The Línea Clásica (Classic Line) consists of the six vitolas: the Panetela, Corona Especial, and Lancero, which were introduced in 1982; followed by the Exquisito, Espléndido, and Robusto, which debuted in 1989. The Siglo line, of which we gave the Siglo V a five stogie rating, was introduced later in 1992.

Except for the fact that the Cuban Cohiba Robusto is also a traditional robusto shape (four and 7/8 inches with a 50 ring gauge), the it bears little similarity to the Dominican Cohiba Robusto made by General Cigar. General Cigar and Habanos SA have been feuding over the rights to the name Cohiba for well over a decade.

This cigar has a smooth, shiny caramel brown wrapper with only a few prominent veins, all wrapped in the traditional black and gold Cohiba band. It retails for $12-15. (Check if yours is a fake with this tip.)

After clipping the head and lighting the foot, I find a quick burst of bitter. The unpleasant flavor is strong and overwhelming. The burn also begins poorly, as it is quite uneven.

Fortunately, the sub-par start quickly turns around. After about a half inch the bitterness departed and was replaced with a smooth, cedary medium-bodied flavor. At almost the same time the burn corrected itself and, for the rest of the smoke, the ash was firm and solid and the burn was even.

As the cigar progressed, I found a complex mix of honey, earth, and a pepper spice that meandered in and out. By the time I got to the end, I was so thoroughly enjoying the cigar I had almost forgotten about the bitter start.

In fact, were it not for that bitter and unpleasant beginning, this cigar would rank up there with the Siglo V or other top-rated sticks. But unfortunately I can’t write that start off as a fluke, as I experienced it with the multiple Robustos I smoked for this review.

But despite the initial performance, this is still a fine cigar. It earns an impressive rating of four out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

By now, regular readers know what huge fans we are of Cuban Crafters. And why shouldn’t we be? With excellent, affordable lines such as La Carolina, Cabinet Selection, Don Kiki (both Brown and White), and Cameroon, we’ve come to love the quality, attention to detail, and value this Nicaraguan boutique cigar operation offers.

The J.L. Salazar y Hermanos Reserva Especial series is no exception. I don’t want to spoil the ending or anything, but I really enjoyed the six Robustos I smoked for this review. And I’m not alone: Patrick S and a StogieGuys.com reader have already made public their affinity for this line.

The history of J.L. Salazar y Hermanos dates back to 1810 when the Salazar family began producing highly regarded puros in the Pinar del Rio region of Cuba. Today, J.L. and his brothers carry on that proud tradition in Nicaragua with a special blend of Cuban-seed tobaccos. Reserva Especial consists of an Ecuadorian wrapper, a habano 2000 binder, and fillers from Estelí.

Not unlike their ancestors’ cigars in Cuba, today’s blend has received a fair amount of praise. Smoke Magazine consistently rates these box-pressed beauties above 9 (the Torpedo vitola recently earned a 9.4), and many bloggers have been quick to commend the stick’s rich flavor.

The Robusto measures five and ½ inches with a 52 ring gauge and retails at $87.50 for a carefully presented cedar box of 25 ($3.50 apiece). You’d expect a cigar at that price to have some aesthetic imperfections, but this one doesn’t. The wrapper is dark, silky, and nearly flawless.

The J.L. Salazar y Hermanos experience starts with a dry, woody taste that transitions into notes of nuts, spice, and pepper. The second phase welcomes a chocolate sweetness and an espresso-like flavor, and the final third is bigger and bolder with tastes of cocoa bean, bittersweet chocolate, and burnt clove. Very interesting and complex.

All of the Robustos I smoked were consistent in construction: a smooth, loose draw that yields plenty of smoke; a white, layered ash that holds moderately well; and a clean, sharp burn that starts straight but requires several touch-ups down the stretch.

When you get right down to it, this is a fine, complex cigar with medium to full flavors that can impress even seasoned cigar veterans. Bang for the buck is very high, so I have no qualms about giving the J.L. Salazar y Hermanos Reserva Especial Robusto four out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. To purchase this cigar from a StogieGuys.com affiliate, click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar. The following is a Guest Quick Smoke, submitted by a StogieGuys.com reader. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us.

The Camaroon wrapper was smooth and just about perfect. This Gurkha Special Edition (6.5″ x 54) was nice and creamy from start to finish. It had a very delicate balance of woodiness and floral scents. The underlying taste of cedar was less than the Gurkha Ancient Warrior, but every bit as enjoyable. It produced a clean gray ash and burned even. I like the draw of a thicker cigar and found this one to be right up my alley, producing lots of smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by Toby from Uniontown, PA

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

Old Henry is a house brand from Holt’s made by cigar blender extraordinaire Don Pepin Garcia. This five inch by 50 ring gauge Nicaraguan puro features a flawless chocolate brown wrapper with a grizzled bulldog on the band. Inside is medium to full flavors of chocolate, earth, and leather. Like most Pepin cigars it is flavorful yet well-balanced.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a selection of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Cigar Aficionado reported this week that imports of premium stogies exceeded 300 million in 2007, “a number that was thought unreachable in the early days of the 1990s cigar boom.” The Dominican Republic and Honduras are still the largest suppliers to the U.S., but Nicaragua is gaining speed with shipments up 22 percent.

2) CAO President Tim Ozgener recently posted another interesting video on YouTube. This one goes into great detail about the Gold series, a mild cigar that Tim describes as “my father’s favorite blend.”

3) Tired of lighting up in the garage or huddling around a space heater on the deck during winter? Well, there’s a 117 sq. ft. prefabricated structure that will certainly make you the envy of all your smoking buddies. It’s insulated, pre-wired (think HDTV), and can “tuck into any area,” according to the manufacturer. The complete Kithaus is $44,900. Or get the base model for only $29,500. Neither price includes shipping, taxes, or installation.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the H. Upmann Signature. Cigar Jack lights up a La Gloria Cubana. Velvet Cigar smokes the Omar Ortez Original. Cigar Inspector inspects a Macanudo Maduro. Matt smokes a Tatujae Reserva SW.

5) Deal of the Week: Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, which makes this sampler a perfect choice. You get ten smokes including a Cohiba, a Macanudo, and two Punch cigars, plus you get a box of fine chocolates for your sweetie. All fthis or just $39.99. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Cigar Aficionado

We had 67 entries in our second annual Stogie Guys Super Bowl Contest, but there could only be two winners. Congratulations are in order to Matt and Dennis, who both picked the New York Giants to win by three. (Four people correctly picked the Giants by three, but Matt and Dennis won because their projection of 45 total points scored put them closer than the other two entries.)

The two lucky winners will receive six cigars from eGars.com. Each will get the Honduran Classic Sampler and the Punch Rothschild Sampler, which contain the following smokes:

• Sancho Panza Caballero – 6.5 x 45
• Excalibur Prensado Oscuro – 6.125 x 48
• Punch Rare Corojo Double Corona – 6.75 x 48
• Punch Rothschild EMS – 4.5 x 50
• Punch Rothschild MM – 4.5 x 50
• Punch Rare Corojo Rothschild – 4.5 x 50

We’ve yet to catch up with Matt, but Dennis did tell us a little about his Super Bowl day. After smoking a Tatuaje Series P and a Carlos Toraño Signature, he watched the game at home with his family where they “pigged out” and had a great time.

When we asked Dennis if he was Giants fan, he responded quite definitively: “Hell No! Please don’t ask me that ever again. I’m a Redskins fan for life! [The pick] was strictly strategy.” Dennis also said that he only started smoking cigars this year, but he already has good taste – citing the Padron 2000 and the Toraño Signature as two of his favorites.

Congratulations again to Dennis and Matt, and a special thanks to eGars.com for sponsoring the contest.

Please note that eGars.com is also running a special deal just for StogieGuys.com readers. Enter “SGVIP” as a promo code when you checkout and receive ten percent off your first order!

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: AP