The 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.

A select Cameroon wrapper and Tabacalera Esteli Cuban seed tobacco combine to create a unique smoking experience. These five inch by 52 ring gauge boutique cigars boast rich woody flavors, complemented by subtle sweet notes. Construction is admirable. Made in small batches, I’d be hard-pressed to find a cheaper cigar that received so much attention during its production. I’d highly recommend clicking here to pick up six Cuban Crafters Cameroon stogies for under $20.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars

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

1) In Tuesday’s review, George noted that he wouldn’t be spending the two hours necessary to smoke a Gurkha “CBid Exclusive” Ancient Warrior again. But since he still has one remaining, he figures he’ll just give it away free to a reader. Here’s how you can claim it:

Be the first to correctly answer this question in the comments of today’s article: What stunt did Braves great Lew Burdette, who just died, pull on his 1959 Topps baseball card?

To win you must leave a valid email (one entry per person), live in the continental 48 states, and agree to write a guest “Quick Smoke” review for the site. The winner will be contacted by George to get a shipping address.

2) Yesterday was George Washington’s birthday, and while he is best known as a great general and our nation’s first President, here are two facts you might not know about Washington: He was America’s number one producer of whiskey in colonial America, and he also grew cigar tobacco at his Mt. Vernon estate. Cigars and whiskey…our kind of guy!

3) New Product Watch: Two new cigars are due to hit the U.S. market in the coming months. Altadis is bringing its VegaFina line (the top selling non-Cuban cigar in Spain) to America. Meanwhile, the Don Lino line is returning to its Honduran roots with a Nestor Miranda-made cigar due to hit the U.S. this summer.

4) As if instituting a state-wide smoking ban wasn’t enough, commenter Jerry from Stogie Review adds that the anti-tobacco activists in the Maryland state government are also increasing the tobacco tax by 25 percent. That said, we’d like to invite all the Maryland cigar smokers to join their DC friends over here in Northern Virginia, where – at least for the moment – you can still light up without being hassled by anti-smoking jack booted thugs.

–The Stogie Guys

When the Ashton Virgin Sun Grow (VSG) line was released in 1999, it was instantly hailed as a success. Cigar Insider even went so far as to say that “connoisseurs are seeking out the Ashton Virgin Sun Grown with a fervor not seen in the industry for years…”

This particular seven inch by 49 ring gauge “Sorcerer” puts the Ashton VSG’s rich flavors in a classic double corona size. The stogie has a rustic, deep brown wrapper and a slight box press. The press – which isn’t as extreme as a Maria Mancini or a Padrón 1926 (a cigar that the Ashton VSG is often compared to) – lets the cigar sit comfortably in your hand.

Prior to being lit, the cigar had rich roasted mocha notes with a fantastic aroma of vanilla flavors. The band’s classic white, black, and gold give it an almost royal appearance.

Fortunately, when lit, the flavors remained just as impressive. Almost immediately rich earth and mocha flavors were apparent. Over time that was complimented by deep roasted notes.

Overall, the Ashton VSG offers dark, luscious flavors without sacrificing its smooth balance, everything you would expect from a cigar developed for Ashton by Carlos Fuente.

The construction was also notable despite a tight draw. And while initially the burn was a bit temperamental, it quickly evened out until it was straight as a razor by the midway point.

Earlier in the review I mentioned that the Ashton VSG line was often compared to the Padron Anniversary line. I must say that the comparison has merit, as both cigars are known for pairing full flavor with smoothness in a way that is uncommon, even for the best handmade cigars in the $8 and up price range.

While the Ashton VSG Sorcerer doesn’t receive the ultra-rare five stogie rating that the Padrón 1926 does, it still earns a very impressive four and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

When Maryland Senate Minority Leader David Brinkley – a politician who’s against the proposed statewide smoking ban – was asked if the law would finally come to fruition this year, he simply quipped, “It’ll happen.” The Republican from Frederick even went so far as to say “it’s inevitable.”

The dubiously-titled Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 would place the entire (OK, it’s not that big, but it’s still a state) Old Line State in the freedom-squelching ranks of sixteen other states, not to mention over 250 local governments, who have already adopted fascist smoking bans.

Five Maryland counties – Howard, Charles, Prince George’s, Montgomery, and Talbot, for those of you keeping score at home – currently have their own bans in place. And the Baltimore City Council is currently considering a city-wide ban, which they may vote on by the end of this month.

This is the third time Annapolis has tried to pass through a statewide ban. While nothing is certain, those in favor of controlling the actions of consenting adults and violating the property rights of business owners are not-so-cautiously optimistic.

Will this bill pass? “Absolutely,” says Delegate Barbara Frush.

It’s enough to make freedom-oriented citizens like myself sick. Fortunately, as a Virginian, I try not to spend too much time north of the Potomac River as it is. (Maybe just an evening game at Camden Yards every once and a while.)

Sadly, even if the ban does not pass this year, a quick look at the overly intrusive policies of Maryland’s government suggest it will sooner or later.

My advice to Marylanders? For now, smoke ‘em while you’ve got ‘em. Once the ban passes, I’ll be happy to have a drink and a cigar with you in The Commonwealth.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars

A few months ago I won a five-pack of Gurkha Ancient Warriors on Cigarbid. To be honest, I hadn’t really paid much attention to the picture, description, or dimensions of the stogies. I just figured they were Gurkha Ancient Warriors.

Then the package arrived. The sticks were so large I checked the return address to make sure they hadn’t been sent from Hillerich & Bradsby. The purple band was offset by a wrapper at the foot that ran more than three inches up the 7.5 inch cigar. Glancing at all the printing on it, I was surprised there wasn’t a second page.

After identifying K. Hansotia & Co. as the manufacturer and noting “A Century Of Tradition,” the label announced that this was a “Special Edition / Private Stock / Limited Vintage / Brazilian Blend / Ancient Warrior.” Try writing that on your next order form.

Well, I began to wonder just what these 50 ring gauge behemoths were. I looked up the Ancient Warrior on Gurkha’s site and there was no resemblance. Then I put in a call to the Beach Cigar Group in Miami that’s listed on Gurkha’s site as the contact. I didn’t know if that was the name of the actual manufacturer or the wholesaler or distributor or what, but I figured they could tell me about the cigar. And maybe they could. But after leaving a bazillion unreturned voice-mail messages, I gave up.

I sent an email to SteveR at CBid asking about the sticks. He replied almost at once. This Ancient Warrior, he wrote, is “very different from the one you will find on the Gurkha web site…made exclusively for us.”

He said the blend is Cuban-seed Brazilian tobacco with a Brazilian maduro wrapper. The “regular” Ancient Warrior has a Nicaraguan binder and Dominican and Honduran filler, according to Gurkha’s site.

OK, so then I knew what I had. Now I should move along or this review will end up almost as long as the cigar.

The prelight aroma was light and pleasant; touched by flame, it was even nicer. The smoke was silky and smooth. From start to finish, there were many tastes: a little pepper, some leather, hay, cedar, caramel, vanilla.

But, let’s face it, smoking a cigar that long can seem more like a job than a pleasure. When I clipped the head, I halfway expected it to reveal rings instead of tobacco.

On the other hand, of the four I’ve smoked, one was plugged beyond repair, but the other three burned fine. Remarkably fine, I’d say, for a stick that size. They didn’t get hot and the draw was OK throughout.

I paid $15 for the five-pack and, since it was one of two orders, the shipping made for a pretty low total.

Rating the cigar is difficult because of all the considerations. But I think you’d have trouble finding a better bargain if you like a cigar that looks like Bobby Abreu should take it to the on-deck circle.

As for me, I can’t see spending that much time smoking one cigar again, so I finally came down to a rating of three out of five stogies.

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

–George E

Tags: cigars

Check this week’s Friday Sampler for a chance to win George’s final Gurkha “CBid” Warrior.

We usually only post Quick Smokes on Saturdays and Sundays, but – since it’s President’s Day and we have the day off – today feels like the weekend to us. So here’s another brief take on a single cigar.

Emulating the Padrón Anniversary line is no small task, but TNT Cigars does a respectable job with their Gran Corona Maduro alternative. This six inch by 46 ring gauge stogie is a surprisingly mild Nicaraguan puro. While it doesn’t have anywhere near the flavor of the real thing, the construction is pleasingly similar: easy draw, perfect burn, strong ash. Even better, you can get one of these sticks for $1.30 apiece when you buy in bulk (about one tenth the price of the real deal).

Verdict = Buy.

–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.

This torpedo features a leathery, almost obscuro, wrapper that seperated from the binder a bit soon after being lit. For such a dark wrapper, the flavors were suprisingly sweet and the strength was medium-mild. It’s got potential, but didn’t quite hit the spot.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars