The Stogie Guys

Well, it’s official. After 35 long days, 43 carefully picked entries, and 5 grueling NCAA games, we finally have a winner for the Stogie Guys College Football Bowl Contest. Congratulations are in order to Bradley Davis of Crestview, Florida, who was the only contestant to pick all five Bowl Championship Series games correctly.

But, as you know, we’re sending more than congratulations Bradley’s way. We’re sending him three fine cigars: a La Aroma de Cuba; a Bahia Gold; and a pricey, four stogie-rated Graycliff Grand Cru.

Bradley told us yesterday that he’s been smoking for about two years and his favorites include the Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra and anything by Don Pepin Garcia. On his victory, Bradley wrote, “I went with my heart on a couple of games instead of who I thought would win.”

From all of us at StogieGuys.com, thank you to all the contestants and to CigarsDirect.com for sponsoring the contest. Bradley may have had the upper hand this time with his picks of LSU, Kansas, West Virginia, Georgia, and USC, but maybe the next Stogie Guys cigar giveaway will end up in your favor.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Reuters

I discovered a couple of these in my humidor last week when I was pondering which cigar to review next. I knew I picked them up at the Big Smoke in Las Vegas, but I had virtually no knowledge of brand or the series.

When internet searches only turned up information about the Natural or Maduro lines, and when I found La Caya’s website to be less than informative, I wrote to the company and received a prompt and polite reply.

I learned that the building blocks of the Cameroon series include an African Cameroon wrapper; a creamy 1999 Dominican olor binder from the San Victor region; and filler tobaccos composed of Dominican-grown Cuban seed criollo and piloto cubano (2005 and 2006 crops) and 2006 Nicaraguan viso from Estelí.

The five inch by 54 ring gauge robusto is a beautiful stick with highly detailed gold and yellow double bands. The handsome cedar sleeve slides off easily to reveal a seamless, fallow-tinted wrapper with a few large veins.

Like most Cameroon-wrapped sticks, this one starts with a harmonious spicy sweetness. The smoke is voluminous and flavorful with notes of tea, clove, and pine. All of this barely changed as I burned from foot to head, but – with such a savory taste – that’s hardly a criticism.

I am also happy to report that the burn is outstandingly straight, the sandy ash hangs tight for over two inches (I only tapped the ashtray twice), and the draw is easy.

I wanted to resist the temptation, but this cigar begs a comparison to what is commonly considered to be the seminal Cameroon: the H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon. While the flavor profiles aren’t quite the same, I think La Caya can stand up to H. Upmann any day. It doesn’t quite have the spice, but it’s smoother, earthier, and better constructed.

So, if you’re into Cameroons, you definitely need to give La Caya a try; if you’re not, this cigar serves as a great reminder of how fantastic Cameroons can be. At $5.50 for a single, I am heartily recommending the La Caya Cameroon Robusto with a rating of four and ½ out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Cigar Aficionado has released its top ten cigars of 2007. StogieGuys.com readers will see many familiar names, and perhaps some you aren’t so familiar with.

All ten received a score of 92 or higher (out of a possible 100). Of note is a revamped Dunhill brand, new lines from CAO and Cohiba, and the relatively unknown brand called Illusione. Here’s the list, with special attention given to the top five:

10. Dunhill Signed Range Toro (Nicaragua)
9. CAO Vision Prana (Dominican Republic)
8. Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Maduro Epicure (Honduras)
7. Illusione CG4 (Honduras)
6. Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos (Cuba)

5. Ashton Virgin Sun Grown Torpedo – This line has also fared well here at StogieGuys.com, scoring an impressive four and 1/2 rating. It has a tremendous, full, earthy flavors. Personally, I think the Churchill-sized Sorcerer is a better vitola than the torpedo, but you can’t go wrong with any of the VSGs.

4. Oliva Serie V Torpedo – This new cigar received a lot of praise. It is the same excellent quality that you’ve come to expect from Oliva, but in a more powerful format. Particularly of note in this line is the seven inch by 38 ring gauge Lancero size.

3. Montecristo No. 2 (Cuba) – The Montecristo No. 2 is perhaps the single most famous cigar in the world, and for good reason. I recently enjoyed one and found the same delicate, yet medium-full flavored, combination of wood, earth, and spice (not unlike the Montecristo Petit Edmundo). This cigar has been wowing smokers for years, and in all likelihood it will continue to for many more.

2. Fuente Fuente OpusX PerfecXion No. 2 – OpusX has been one of America’s most sought after cigars since its introduction in 1995. Like the previous three selections, this is a torpedo of generous proportions. Its balanced, full-flavored spiciness make this the Fuente flagship.

1. Padrón Serie 1926 No. 9 – This Nicaraguan puro’s smaller brother, the No. 6, scored a rare five out of five rating here at StogieGuys.com way back in December 2006. The No. 9 (rated 97 by CA) has a thick ring gauge of 56, a 5 and 1/4 inch length, and interestingly is the only non-torpedo in the top five. Like the No. 6, the Padrón Serie 1926 No. 9 is a perfectly balanced cigar with tons of earth and chocolate, but not a hint of harshness.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Cigar Aficionado

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

This five inch by 50 ring gauge beauty is tightly packed with smooth, creamy notes of butter and hay. It’s not all mild, though, as spicy and nutty flavors add depth. With a Connecticut shade wrapper and aged Dominican tobaccos, the draw is firm, the ash is pretty stable, and the burn is spot-on. Expect to pay anywhere from $6 to $8, and expect to be impressed.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.

This handsome cigar (5.0625” x 38) comes with the signature gold Por Larrañaga band and is wrapped in a reddish cedar sleeve. After lighting I found a very faint flavor of cream with a hint of cedar. I actually wondered if maybe I’d made a mistake in buying this famously-mild cigar. A half inch or so later, though, all my doubts were gone. The flavor evolved into a soft, well-blended mix of caramel, cedar, tea, and smoke. This profile lasted throughout the 45-minute cigar, with the sweeter flavors most notable during the middle part of the smoke, and the final few puffs leaning more toward a dry, woody taste. There were occasional bouts of bitterness but I chalk these up to my being too eager to eek out every last bit of flavor from this beautiful cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by B. Brown from Providence, Rhode Island

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) This isn’t exactly the use for smoking jackets we imagined, but kudos to the owner of this French café for creativity. To combat France’s unjust smoking ban, which went into effect on January 1, he has a number of fleece jackets – technically vests – on hand for his customers so they don’t freeze when they’re forced to go outside for a smoke.

2) As in France, the good people of Alaska are being forced out into the cold by a tyrannical smoking ban. Anti-tobacco advocates say they passed the law out of health concerns, but are they going to apologize when when someone catches pneumonia and dies, as happened in Toronto last winter?

3) Around the Blogs: Cigar Inspector inspects the Carlos Toraño Exodus Silver. Stogie Review reviews the Partagas 160. Keepers of the Flame lights up an EO 601 Green Label. Cigar Monkey smokes the Carlos Toraño Signature.

4) Deal of the Week: Once again our deal of the week is a fantastic sampler from Tinderbox.com. You’ll get ten sticks from big name cigar makers like Cohiba, Montecristo, H. Upmann, and Arturo Fuente for just $29.99! Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: AFP

Before I lit this heavy Nicaraguan puro, I passed the wrapper beneath my nose. I swear it smelled like a chocolate after-dinner mint, something I can’t recall ever encountering in other Padróns or elsewhere. It was a pleasant aroma and set the stage for a pleasant smoke.

This Padrón line gets little attention. Heck, the company’s own website doesn’t even seem to list the 6000 torpedo – which I think is one of the best cigars you can buy – much less the newer 7000.

I happened to pick up some 5000s a few months ago when an area shop had a going-out-of-business sale. I think they were 40 percent off the $6 price, and I got the eight or ten that were left. They’ve been in my humidor for several months.

One thing that tends to set Padrón maduros apart from other maduros is that they aren’t very dark. Sometimes, in fact, it can be difficult to tell them from their natural-wrapped brothers.

This five and ½ inch by 56 ring gauge stick is no exception. But it has the typical maduro sweetness and warm coffee flavors, as well as some wood and leather – the hallmarks of Padrón cigars.

Padróns also invariably produce thick, white smoke and burn precisely. About the only negative I found was a dryness that developed in the final third.

If your Padrón smoking experiences haven’t included this line, you should change that. Soon. I’m giving the Padrón 5000 Maduro four out of five stogies.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys