The Stogie Guys

Collaborations are nothing new in the cigar industry. In fact, some very large brands are the result of collaborations between a brand owner and an otherwise unaffiliated factory. While the La Gloria Cubana Colecction Reserva is also a collaboration (between La Gloria Cubana and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.’s Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.), it’s hardly the first time Perez-Carrillo has been associated with La Gloria Cubana.

The non-Cuban version of La Gloria Cubana was made for years by Perez-Carrillo, who gained prominence as one of the original boutique cigar makers in the 1990s. In 1999, the brand, along with El Credito Cigar Co., was sold to General Cigar’s parent company.

Perez-Carrillo stayed with General for another decade until he left to start his own family-controlled company and established the Tabacalera La Alianza S.A. factory in Santiago’s Zona Franca. La Alianza is just minutes away from the General Cigar Dominicana factory, also in Zona Franca, which is the current home of La Gloria Cubana. (General Cigar has La Gloria Cubana cigars made in a separate El Credito area inside the facility to keep some production techniques distinct from other brands.)

Colección Reserva isn’t even the first collaboration between General Cigar and Perez-Carrillo in recent years. That would be the limited edition Re+United from a few years back. And the commercial relationship goes back even further than that. (I recall seeing EPC boxes being made at the General Cigar box factory back in 2011.)

La Gloria Cubana Colección Reserva is made at La Alianza, as opposed to General Cigar Dominicana (where Re+United was produced). It is distributed by General Cigar which, by most accounts, is the largest importer of handmade cigars in the United States.

The cigar has an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It is packaged in 20-count boxes in 3 sizes: the Robusto I smoked (5 x 54), a Torpedo (6 x 54), and a Churchill-sized Presidente (7.5 x 54).

The Robusto features woodsy notes along with with leather and salted roast cashew. There’s a slight red pepper spice that lingers on the inside of your lips and also some nice sweetness (berries and dates), especially in the middle third of the cigar.

It’s a medium- to full-bodied smoke with a lingering tannic finish. Nicely textured smoke coats the palate like a fine powder.

The Robusto has a relatively loose draw and spongy feel, but construction doesn’t suffer any ill effects. The ash holds firm for at least a full inch and the burn is straight on all three samples I smoked.

In addition to enjoyable flavors and solid construction, the price ($7.59) makes this an impressive offering. If the same cigar were made for Crowned Heads (also a La Alianza customer) would it not have earned more buzz?

No matter the answer, if this is the future of collaboration in the cigar industry, sign me up. Full, complex flavors, good construction, and a fair price earn La Gloria Cubana Colección Reserva Robusto a rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

One of the more interesting, unique rums on the market is Smoked Rum from Stolen Spirits, “the world’s first smoked rum.” It is “the result of an artisanal approach fueled by the desire to reinvent the rum category.” It also doesn’t taste like any other rum you’ve had.

An 84-proof (42% alcohol by volume) 750 ml. bottle sells for about $30. Since Stolen Smoked Rum is basically in a category of its own, I figure it’s best to hear the background straight from the horse’s mouth:

“We start with a column-distilled rum from Trinidad, made from locally sourced sugar cane and molasses. The rum is then aged for up to two years in used American oak whiskey barrels. Capturing the essence of a fresh brewed cup of joe, we infuse the rum using re-fractionated Colombian Arabica coffee, wholly distilled from same-day roasted beans. The warm, roasted flavor is complemented by the creamy sweetness and velvety texture of premium Madagascan vanilla beans and Moroccan fenugreek. The rum is rounded off with notes of American hardwood, acquired through a smoking process called pyrolysis—the burning of hardwood in the absence of oxygen.”

The result is a deep copper-colored spirit with an attention-grabbing nose of charred firewood, molasses, barbecue sauce, milk chocolate, butterscotch, and candied pecans.

Once sipped neat, a smoky mesquite flavor is instantly recognizable and pretty damn dominant. When they say “smoked,” they mean it; this rum has all the subtlety of a massive bonfire. Some of the background notes remind me of barbeque chips, caramel corn, coffee, vanilla, oak, and char.

The finish is medium in length, warm, and sharply focused on the tip of the tongue. The most pronounced notes include cayenne heat, coffee, and molasses.

I would agree with those who have claimed Stolen Smoked Rum tastes more like a smoky coffee liqueur than a rum. And in that regard it’s likely a divisive, love-it-or-hate-it spirit. For me, it’s more appetizing and better-balanced when mixed with Diet Coke—as opposed to enjoying it neat. Fortunately, the affordable price point doesn’t preclude mixing.

Whatever the serving style, conventional wisdom would suggest pairing this spirit with a full-bodied smoke. But I’m going to suggest the opposite approach. In my experience, you’re better off going with a creamy, milder cigar to help offset the heavy-handed flavors of smoke, barbecue, and coffee. I had good experiences with Undercrown Shade, Pinar del Rio 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Natural, and Artisan’s Selection.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This Honduran-made Robusto (5 x 52) features a Nicaraguan Corojo Shade wrapper, “Habano and Nicaragua” binder, and Habano, Nicaraguan Cubita, Colombia, and Costa Rican filler tobaccos. The well-constructed cigar (very form to the touch, but with an excellent draw) features a slightly greenish-tan wrapper and retails for around $9. It creates a balanced combination of coffee, cedar, cream, and some slight pepper spice. Gran Habano’s marketing materials call this a full-bodied cigar, but I found it to be more medium. I also found it to be enjoyable.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This cigar from Jochy Blanco’s Tabacalera Palma is a budget-priced smoke that punches far above its weight. With a smooth Ecuadorian wrapper and Dominican filler, this robusto-sized  (5.25 x 50) treat delivers flavors of hay, cream, citrus, and an occasional bit of cedar. Strength is mild, as you’d expect, and performance is first-rate. At about $5 a stick, La Galera Connecticut is a definite addition to almost any smoker’s to-try list, especially if you enjoy a cigar with a cup of coffee.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post our sampling of cigar news and other items of interest from the week. Below is our latest, which is the 570th in the series.

1) Yesterday, Alec Bradley announced the release of Medalist, an affordable, mild cigar line that will begin shipping globally in April. “With Medalist, we are looking to remind people of our company’s past,” said Alec Bradley founder Alan Rubin, who started selling mild cigars in the mid-nineties but has since been focused on medium- to full-bodied cigars. “We are also asking milder cigar smokers who have shied away from us to give us a chance.” Medalist sports a shade-grown Honduran wrapper, Honduran binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua. Four vitolas will be available, each presented in ten-count boxes: Robusto (5 x 52, $6), Toro (6 x 54, $6.50), Churchill (7 x 50, $7), and Gordo (6 x 60, $7).

2) J.C. Newman, the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in America, announced this week major changes to its marketing structure. Cristal Blackwell-Lastra (pictured), formerly the vice president of sales, has been promoted to vice president of sales and marketing, where she will be responsible for “setting the strategic sales and marketing direction for J.C. Newman’s international sales network and promotional program.” In addition, Kara Guagliardo and Monica Foster have been promoted to co-directors of marketing, where they “will work to develop and execute all marketing strategies while also managing the company’s communications and media program.” Guagliardo and Foster will report to Lastra. “The new structure will enhance the synergy between sales and marketing toward a more focused vision of J.C. Newman Cigar Company to our retailers and consumers,” said Lastra in a press release. “This is a pivotal new chapter for our company, comprised of a capable and creative team ready to take us to the next level and beyond.” J.C. Newman’s handmade cigar portfolio includes Diamond Crown, Maximus, and Julius Caeser (made by Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic), as well as Brick House, Perla del Mar, El Baton, and Quorum (made at Newman’s El Reloj factory in Tampa).

3) Davidoff is launching its newest Vault release today, the Limited Edition Gusto Toro. Vault selections include what Davidoff describes as “factory reserves, vintage classics, and private and rare collections.” The Gusto (6 x 52), a creation from Eladio Diaz, features an Ecuadorian Sumata wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano 2000 binder, and filler from the Dominican Republic. It will be sold in bundles of 10 for $320.

4) Inside the Industry: Altadis will unveil next week the latest in the seemingly never-ending expansion of its Romeo y Julieta line. This one is the Romeo San Andrés, a collaboration between Rafael Nodal and A.J. Fernandez. In addition to the Mexican wrapper, it features a Nicaraguan binder and filler from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The cigar will be available in four sizes packaged in boxes of 20.

5) From the Archives: Wedding season (and bachelor party season) is around the corner. If, as the best man or resident cigar expert, you are responsible for purchasing cigars for the event, we have a few pieces of advice.

6) Deal of the Week: Fancy humidors can be great, but when it comes to functionality and value you’d be hard-pressed to beat an acrylic jar like this one, which is currently on sale for $12.50 (with free Amazon Prime shipping).

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Alec Bradley / J.C. Newman

We’ve reviewed a handful of the original line of Illusione cigars, now known as the Original Documents, but never the lancero-sized Holy Lance (hl). While the Original Documents natural-wrapped Illusione line has come to designate the debut of Illusione, hl, plus the corona-sized mk, were added to the line in 2008.

Illusione brand owner Dion Giolito has been well known (and occasionally criticized) for the use of spiritual and/or conspiratorial themes for the names of his cigars. Holy Lance (7.5 x 40) is no exception, as Dion explained back in 2009:

The Holy Lance. My Lancero, the lance. Get it? Constantine was the first Christian emperor to lead Rome. It was fabled that he had possession of the very spear that punctured the side of Jesus while on the cross. He was said to carry this relic into battle and, it was said that it helped him win his many battles. It is an artisan blend and the mildest of all my cigars.

The cigar uses a blend of Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 and Corojo ’99 tobaccos finished with a triple-A grade Corojo Rosado wrapper. Whether intentional or not, the wrappers of the cigars I smoked were more reddish than other vitolas from the Illusione line. Each of the three samples I smoked were aged over three years.

The cigars produced an abundance of medium-bodied flavors with toast, cedar, oak, leather, and almond milk. There are hints of white and green pepper spice, especially on the finish. All in all, it’s a balanced symphony of complex, authentically Nicaraguan flavors, which is perhaps not surprising considering Giolito says his inspiration for the blend is the Joya de Nicaragua cigars of the pre-Sandanista era.

Construction on my Holy Lance was flawless, with excellent combustion and a firm, yet not overly tight, draw, which sometimes can be a challenge to create in the slender lancero format. The even ash held for a full inch at a time.

I consider this to be one of the finest lanceros in production today, and these aged cigars showed that they lose nothing after a few years, and might have gained some added complexity. Though not the first Illusione cigar to earn our highest rating, the Holy Lance is the first from Illusione’s original blend to earn five stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five-stogie rated cigars can be found here.]

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Generally speaking, I rarely prefer cigars with thick ring gauges. That’s nothing new. This penchant for thinner vitolas seems to square with my peers in cigar media as much as it flies in the face of cigar consumers as a whole. (I’ve heard more than one cigar maker lament about making smokes with ring gauges of 60 or more, yet they soldier on because those sizes sell.)

The winter months only reinforce this preference as I seek smaller, thinner cigars that will concentrate considerable flavor into a shorter format—thereby limiting my exposure to the unforgiving elements. It therefore stands to reason that I would gravitate toward Vanity (5.5 x 37), the panatela in RoMa Craft Tobac’s Intemperance BA XXI. This line, after all, is one of my absolute favorites in terms of consistency, flavor, and bang-for-the-buck.

In case you’re unfamiliar, Intemperance BA XXI features a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper (hence “BA”) around an Indonesian binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. (There’s also a companion Intemperance EC XVIII line that’s wrapped in an Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf.) My favorite cigar in the BA XXI blend is the A.W.S. IV, a lonsdale (6.5 x 44) that costs $7. If I were stranded on a desert island and only allowed to take a couple different types of cigars, this would undoubtedly be one of them.

Vanity is thinner and a full inch shorter. It retails for about $7. The beautiful wrapper is dark and mottled with moderate oils, tight seams, and a network of fairly thin veins. The pre-light notes remind me of dark chocolate and molasses. Notably, the binder/filler protrudes slightly from the foot which, cigar maker Skip Martin says, gives the consumer the brief chance to sample the blend without the wrapper before it quickly changes.

To be honest, I’m not sure I’m able to discern the difference in flavor when the fire finds the wrapper, perhaps because I should be trying harder to only light the binder/filler. Either way, I would describe the introductory flavor as a combination of chocolaty sweetness with hints of oak, peanut, black pepper spice, and a little leather.

Towards the midway point, the body, spice, and intensity ramp up a notch. All the while, this change is expertly balanced by a sweet creaminess and a chewy, marshmallow-like texture that reminds me of nougat. There are few changes in the final third, save for an increase in intensity and cayenne heat.

Construction is superb from light to nub, as you would expect from the craftsmen and craftswomen of Nica Sueño, RoMa Craft’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. (If you ever have the chance, by the way, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Nica Sueño; you’ll be amazed at the mastery, care, and attention to detail in this small space.) Vanity is blessed with a straight burn, solid gray ash, and a smooth draw.

While Vanity is an awesome cigar for any time of year, I especially appreciate it during the cold months here in Chicago. It’s rare to find such flavor, balance, complexity, and consistency in such a small format. I still consider the A.W.S. IV the pinnacle vitola in this terrific blend, but Vanity is up there. It earns a rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys