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) Last Tuesday we told you the Illinois State Senate passed a bill to ban smoking statewide in the Land of Lincoln. As the Chicago Tribune reports, on May 2 that bill was approved by the House – effectively prohibiting smoking in all bars and restaurants starting next year. Chalk another one up for the fascists.

2) From the Windy City to the Big Apple: The Manhattan Supreme Court yesterday rejected the city’s bid to close a cigar bar in accordance with New York’s smoking ban. The bar was operating legally because it was established prior to the draconian law. In order to circumvent the Constitution’s guarantee of ex post facto, the city’s Department of Health was straining to find technicalities to close the business. The judge rightfully found these attempts to be “arbitrary and capricious.”

3) La Flor Dominicana maker Litto Gomez has been coming up with some fantastic cigars lately, including the five stogie-rated Coronado by La Flor. In this video from Cigar Aficionado, Gomez explains how he creates his highly rated blends.

4) Deal of the Week: Here is a deal we’ve run before, but it is good enough to merit  another look. The Powerhouse S-2 sampler by Thompson sports our favorites like the CAO Brazilia, Punch, La Gloria Cubana, Hoyo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagas, and the Torano Exodus Gold. In all, the deal includes 12 quality cigars, a hat, and a very useful travel case – all for just $29.95. To grab yours, click here.

–The Stogie Guys

Henry Clay was one of America’s original statesmen. Clay served in Congress as a representative and senator for Kentucky. He also served as secretary of state under John Quincy Adams, and ran for president five times between 1824 and 1848. Best of all, he happens to have a cigar named after him.

This Dominican-made robusto features Dominican binder and filler tobaccos surrounded by a very rough Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. The cigar is a little spongy to the touch and the sun grown wrapper was chewy in my mouth – typical of many broadleafs.

The Henry Clay Rothchilde is a classic five inch by 50 ring gauge robusto size. Prelight there is a noticeable toffee flavor.

Once lit, I found a highly aromatic cigar with flavorful smoke that reminded me of a strong cup of English breakfast tea. The cigar had a medium, balanced flavor with some subtle peppery spice, particularly as it progressed past the midway point.

The Henry Clay Rothchilde burned evenly throughout and had a lovely white ash, but it suffered from a severely firm draw. This difficulty caused the cigar to repeatedly go out prematurely.

Overall, it’s not hard to see why these cigars have a reportedly strong following despite relatively little promotion, especially compared to other Altadis cigars. And at only about three dollars per stick (less if purchased by the box), it is a sophisticated smoke for the price.

With abundant flavor, but formidable construction issues, the Henry Clay Rothchilde earns a respectable rating of three and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

Truth be told, I’m not much of an art guy. Sure, I’ve spent an afternoon or two at the Art Institute of Chicago or the National Portrait Gallery, but those trips were mostly against my will. My idea of “culture” is a cold beer (or seven) and a hot dog (or three) at the ballpark.

So if I’m going to appreciate art, why shouldn’t it be related to one of my core interests? Like cigars, for instance.

I don’t know about you, but when I think about stogies, art generally does not come to mind. But with their decorative bands and aesthetically-pleasing boxes, maybe it should. Here are a couple examples of art that every Stogie Guy can appreciate.

Casanova Cigar Carvings

Brad Casanova of Casanova Cigar Carvings wrote us awhile back drawing our attention to his beautiful work. A master woodworker, Brad wanted his first personal carving to be both attractive and meaningful – so he chose to recreate the highly-detailed Fuente Opus X cigar label (seen below).

Impressed? Yeah, we were too. I encourage you to check out Brad’s “continuously growing collection of cigar art” at his blog. His work includes a CAO carving that was signed by Cano himself.

The Museum of the Southwest

If you’ve never had a reason to journey to the vast wasteland that is western Texas, here’s your chance. The Museum of the Southwest in Midland is holding an auction on May 8 that will feature 70 cigar boxes by “prominent” artists like Jesus Moroles, Glenna Goodacre, and Woody Gwyn (no, I’ve never heard of any of these people either). The picture to the right depicts one of the boxes that will be auctioned.

The event – which celebrates the history of the cigar in the U.S. – will include a cocktail buffet and a cigar bar. Tickets are $75 apiece. Sadly, the chances of anyone from the Stogie Guys staff attending are slim to nil.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars

Editors note: This is the first article in our new series on adult beverages to enjoy with your cigar. Each Stogie Spirits tip will examine a different cocktail or beverage. For an overview of drinks to enjoy with your cigar, read our Choose Your Booze tip.

May first means not only has spring arrived, but warmer weather is here to stay. And it also means that the Kentucky Derby is just around the corner.

The Derby is the opening race of the Triple Crown series, and an event with a drink all of its own: the Mint Julep.

The Mint Julep is made with 3 to 5 ounces of bourbon, 1 ounce mint-infused simple syrup (or simply some sugar), fresh mint leaves, and a generous amount of shaved or pulverized ice. According to Wall Street Journal cocktail columnist Eric Felton (now that’s a sweet gig!) the proper Julep is made in the following way:

“Muddle 1⁄2 oz of syrup with mint leaves in bottom of a Julep cup. Rub entire inside of cup with the syrupy leaves. Pack the cup to over the rim with ice. Pour the other half ounce of syrup over the ice, followed by the bourbon. Garnish with a leafy sprig of mint. Drink – slowly, that’s a lot of bourbon – through a straw.”

An alternative way of making the Julep was described by legendary singer Bob Dylan during his Theme Time Radio Hour show:

“First up, you take four mint sprigs, two and a half ounces of bourbon. I’d put three. A table spoon of powder sugar, and a table spoon of water. You put the mint leaves, powder sugar, and water in a Collins glass. You fill the glass with shaved, or crushed ice, and then add bourbon. Top that off with more ice. And…I’d like to garnish that with a mint sprig. Serve it with a straw. Two or three of those, and anything sounds good.”

No matter how you make this delightful beverage, with all its mint and sugar it might not seem like a perfect match for a cigar. Yet with a plentiful amount of bourbon, the Julep is a great change of pace from the traditional bourbon – straight up or on the rocks. If you order a Julep at a bar, it is likely to made with Jim Beam. Early Times is the official bourbon (technically it’s a Kentucky whiskey) of the Kentucky Derby, but I would suggest springing for something better like Evan Williams Vintage Single Barrel.

As for your stogie, pair the Julep with a mild- to medium-bodied smoke with just a little spice such as a Fuente Chateau Maduro, Romeo y Julieta Vintage III, or a Toraño Exodus.

For the perfect Mint Julep experience, one should be at the horse track with a sawbuck on your horse to win. There’s nothing better than returning to the betting window with a Julep in one hand and a cigar in your mouth to collect you winnings.

–Patrick S

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m not a huge fan of cigars with Connecticut Shade wrappers. I usually find them to have heavy chemical and nicotine flavors.

For instance, in spite of a whopping 91 rating from Cigar Insider, I gave the Cusano 18 Double Connecticut a substandard two out of five stogies, and said that “the stick tasted more like it was engineered in a beaker than grown from soil.”

On the other hand, I’ve also made no secret of my soft spot for Rocky Patel stogies. They usually live up to the much-deserved hype, and the Vintage 1992 is one of my all-time favorites.

So I wondered how I would like a cigar with a Connecticut Shade wrapper that’s manufactured by Rocky. I picked up a Rocky Patel Connecticut Robusto for about $4 to find out.

This is a light and smooth ochre-colored stogie with Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos. At five inches with a 50 ring gauge, it sports the classic Robusto size.

Upon lighting, my Connecticut Shade fears were immediately realized. An unpleasant chemical aftertaste overshadowed the creamy grass and hay flavors during the first few puffs.

Fortunately, that unsavory finish faded into the middle of the cigar, and that’s really when this smoke was most enjoyable. The aftertaste came back to haunt me after I smoked past the band (which, on this cigar, I wouldn’t recommend).

Like most Rockys, the physical properties of the Connecticut are admirable. An even burn and a clear draw produced a firm, gray ash.

From what I’ve heard, many people like this stogie as an early morning smoke. With mild flavors and good construction, it’s easy to see why. If you like Connecticut Shade cigars, this is probably right up your alley.

But I’m still not convinced. Call me crazy, but I want to enjoy – not dread – the aftertaste of my smokes. All things considered, I can’t give the Rocky Patel Connecticut Robusto a rating any better than three out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

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.

For $3.75, this was an extraordinary cigar. It would have been extraordinary at twice the price. A medium-bodied smoke, the seven inch by 50 ring gauge stick had all of the sweetness, coffee, and dark chocolate tastes associated with a fine maduro wrapper. Construction was excellent, as seen by the straight slow burn and smooth draw. Even after removing the band it never got hot or bitter. More than once I simply held the cigar up and thought that any maduro fan seeking a bargain stick need look no further. By the box of 25, some Internet prices run to just a shade over $3.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.

At $108 for a box of 20, the Amante Toro Natural from TinderBox.com is significantly pricier than your average, run-of-the-mill boutique smoke. Then again, this smooth and flavorful five and ½ inch by 52 ring gauge stogie is better than your average, run-of-the-mill boutique smoke. Now normally I’m not a huge fan of Connecticut Shade wrappers, but Amante has a fine blend of Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Dominican filler tobaccos to back it up with a creamy, almost caramel-like taste that’s just short of exceptional. With solid physical properties, I have no qualms about highly recommending this as a great mild smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars