The 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) This week we celebrate the one year anniversary of StogieGuys.com, which officially launched May 15, 2006. We were considering a one-year retrospective article, but we figured we already did that with our year in review wrap-up in December. So to celebrate we’re just asking that our readers toast us with a fine cigar and a stiff drink sometime this weekend. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

2) Last week’s sampler noted that socialist filmmaker Michael Moore was in some trouble for an unauthorized trip to Cuba. That trip has now blossomed into a feud between Moore and unannounced Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson, who has been known to enjoy a Cuban cigar or two. In the latest shot in their argument over Cuban healthcare, civil rights, and cigars, former Senator Thompson released this video where he puffs on an unlit cigar while lecturing Moore.

3) It isn’t exactly Biggie and Tupac, but Tatuaje is pitting East Coast against West Coast with its next cigar release. Due out in late June, the Zona del Este is being released exclusively in the East while the Lado Occidental is only available on the Left Coast.

4) Congratulations to Draper’s Cigars! The DC cigar store is celebrating its 120th anniversary. Kinda puts our one year anniversary to shame.

5) Deal of the Week: Tinderbox has come up with a fantastic 10 cigar sampler for Father’s Day, but we wouldn’t be offended if you bought one for yourself. For under $20 you get two Rocky Patel Sun Growns, two Partagas Blacks, two La Auroras, two Tinder Box La Reservas, a CAO MX2, and a CAO Gold. These have a tendency to sell out so pick yours up here ASAP.

–The Stogie Guys

In February I published a Quick Smoke on an excellent cigar from Cuban Crafters, a purveyor of boutique tobacco that’s made in small batches from Cuban seed. Since then, I’ve made no secret of my affinity for their Cameroon Robusto and Don Kiki stogies, and their national sales director even graciously agreed to participate in one of our Ask a Cigar Insider articles not too long ago.

With all this in mind, I thought it was about time to try one of Cuban Crafters’ finest creations: the Cabinet Selection Toro.

Up front, this cigar makes a good first impression. Its Ecuadorian Habano wrapper is dark and enticing, though not without its fair share of veins and splotches. A white metallic band serves as a bold contrast to the leaf. Box-pressed, the six inch by 52 ring gauge stick is topped off with a curly head cap – a salute to its Cuban heritage.

Right out of the cellophane, you can just tell this is going to be a powerhouse. As the foot is toasted, the sun-grown Habano seed filler and the Habano 2000 binder combine to produce a rich, aromatic smoke that sets the tone.

Not surprisingly, from the first puff these cigars exude full flavors of chocolate and leather. A fairly substantial spice kicks in shortly thereafter, and – in my opinion – thankfully never fades.

Like other noteworthy cigars, many of which cost up to three times as much, the Cabinet Selection balances these knockout flavors with a subtle sweetness. The taste is even on the palate and by no means harsh.

While the draw and ash are up to par, however, the only downside comes in the physical properties department. The burn requires some surveillance to stay even, and the stogie has a tendency to extinguish itself when left unattended for five minutes or more.

Overall, though, I am very impressed – a judgment that’s based on not one, but five, of these Toros. At under $4 a pop, they pack an outstanding flavor profile into a memorable, slow-burning smoke.

Not to be overlooked, I’m giving the Cuban Crafters Cabinet Selection Toro four out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

La Flor Dominicana has created a string of hits with its full flavored cigars – from the Litto Gomez and the Coronado by La Flor to the Double Liegro. However, instead of exploring another of the brand’s many full-bodied blends, I turn my attention to one of its milder cigars.

The La Flor Dominicana Tubo No. 100 features a lovely, medium brown Ecuadorian wrapper with a few large light-colored veins. Beneath this lies a Dominican binder and filler.

Pre-light this six and 1/2 inch by 49 ring gauge cigar has a crisp, light vegetable flavor that almost reminded me of celery.

After lighting the La Flor 100 I found the similar flavors with just a touch of peppery spice that completely disappeared after only a few puffs. Then I was left with a balanced and grassy, but relatively unflavored, mild smoke.

On the plus side, the burn was razor sharp with a thin line of shiny black sheen. Firm draw. The only negative to the cigar’s otherwise excellent construction is that the band was put on with far too much glue and, even after it was removed, two large splotches of glue stained the otherwise handsome wrapper.

A little after the halfway mark, a hint of spice returned that was accompanied by a little vanilla and some unpleasant bitterness. At $7-8 per stick, this is a pricey stogie – particularly for the uneventful flavor profile.

Ultimately, I was disappointed by this smoke. It didn’t live up to the La Flor Dominicana reputation, and it lacked the complexity I’ve enjoyed from so many of the brand’s cigars.

Despite nearly flawless construction and an attractive appearance, the La Flor Dominicana Tubo 100’s lack of flavor earn it only two and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

After poking fun at the futility of fancy cigar gadgets and even recommending wooden matches over expensive butane torches, I couldn’t help but bring the following story to your attention.

A rare cigar cutter sold for an astonishing $60,500 on Sunday at an auction in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The item was part of the Jim Cate collection, an estate consisting of antiques and advertising items he acquired from a museum/penny store in Idaho.

Dubbed “the mother of all cigar-tip cutters,” the piece features a Marshall Fey Slot Machine Book that gets set into motion each time a stogie is placed into the top to be clipped.

In this fashion, the device is not only a cigar cutter; it’s also a trade stimulator. Popular in saloons in the late nineteenth century, trade stimulators were miniature gambling devices that were legal because instead of offering money, they bestowed chewing gum, stamps, and – you guessed it – cigars upon winners.

Often set beside a cash register or near check-out counters, these machines encouraged (or “stimulated”) customers to take their chance and spend some of their spare change before leaving. After inserting a coin, a handle was depressed or cranked to set into motion a roulette wheel, playing cards, or dice. When the machine stopped, the patron read his “winnings” on the dial; these were dispensed by the clerk rather than spilling out of the machine itself.

The device sold at auction requires a cigar head, not a coin, spin a roulette wheel. According to Showtime Auction Services, only two other cigar cutter/trade stimulators are known to exist.

No word yet on whether any gum, stamps, or cigars were included in the steep sale price.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars

A few months ago, I wrote favorably about a Romeo y Julieta Reserve Maduro Robusto I enjoyed. Several readers, including Stogie Guy compatriot Patrick A, asked whether I’d noticed the salty taste that he commonly encountered with dark Romeos. I hadn’t, and vowed to smoke them again with that in mind.

Well, a few weeks ago I got a five-pack of the No. 4 — a five inch by 44 ring gauge vitola — on CBid for $15. And when I lit one up the other day I immediately grasped all the talk about saltiness. That wasn’t the only unpleasant taste, either. With a stick this thin, I was conscious of the danger of overheating it by smoking too quickly. But even with a slow approach, the first third or so was bitter with a charred aftertaste.

I was truly disappointed. Then, something unusual happened — unusual, at least, in my experience. The entire stogie changed for the better.

For the final two thirds of the Reserve Maduro, I was no longer smoking a bitter cigar, but a smooth, creamy stick with all the subtleties and complexities of its multi-country composition.

I got an occasional touch of sweetness from the Connecticut Broadleaf blackened Maduro wrapper. The Nicaraguan binder and the filler blend of tobaccos from Nicaragua, Peru, and the Dominican Republic burned perfectly and combined for a satisfying smoke.

My plan is to leave the remaining Romeos in my humidor for at least several months. I’ve got my fingers crossed that the good part will overtake the bad — and not vice versa.

This one was hard to rate, since it was like smoking two different sticks. Even though I enjoyed the final two-thirds, due to the poor beginning, I can’t give the Romeo y Julieta Maduro No. 4 more than three out of five stogies.

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

–George E

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

This cigar is on nearly everyone’s list of best bargain smokes. It had been a while since I smoked one of these, but I’ve enjoyed many over the past few years. This time, though, was a disappointment. The wrapper displayed a couple of ugly bumps, the cap unraveled a bit when cut, and the foot was difficult to light. An initial bitterness soon leveled off and the thick smoke was generally smooth, with some spicy undertones. General Cigar’s website lists it at $3.25, but I paid only $2.49 for the 4 ½ inch by 50 ring gauge stick. At that price, it remains a better bargain than a smoke.

Verdict = Hold.

–George E

Tags: cigars

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 here.

The Punch Champion at 4 1/2 inches by 60 ring gauge is a cigar that will not disappoint any smoker. It’s wrapped in an Ecuadorian Sumatran Wrapper with a Connecticut Binder and Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan fillers. This cigar is one for the ages, especially at its valuable price point. A box of 25 can be found online for about $65. Not bad at all. The smoke was really rich and creamy and had hints of sweetness as well. Burn started off uneven, but self-corrected and was good throughout. Draw is superb considering the size and shape, and after I finished this “bowling pin” shaped smoke, it left me wanting more. I would definitely recommend this cigar to anyone, and I am sure you will have a new favorite after you try this.

Verdict= Buy.

–Jeremy Daniels blogs about cigars at The Cigar Corner