The Stogie Guys

You have to hand it to the Cuban government. For a communist regime ostensibly dedicated to the tradition of Marxism-Leninism, they sure let their state-run cigar company embrace capitalism and profit maximization.

The Añejados line, introduced in 2015, is a profit-seeking solution to the common complaint that Cuban cigars are frequently under-aged. Rather than address the issue across the board by better aging tobacco before cigars are rolled, Habanos created the limited Añejados line to feature cigars aged at least five years after they are rolled, then priced accordingly.

This Montecristo Churchill was the second variety introduced in the line (after a Romeo y Julieta Pirámide) in 2015. I bought two while in France last month where they cost around $22 U.S. apiece.

Both of my Montecristo Churchill Añejados exhibited good construction. Wrapped in a medium brown wrapper with a little shine, the Churchill (7 x 47) is firm to the touch. As it progresses, the draw gets a bit on the tight side, although it’s not overly problematic. The ash is notably sturdy, with one cigar holding for a full two inches before I decided not to tempt fate any further.

Pre-light, flavors are graham cracker and sawdust. Once lit, the profile starts with musty bread with cinnamon notes, soon followed by a cacophony of flavors both good and bad.

Most prevalent is a traditional combination of cedar and oak with leather and coffee notes. There are also Davidoff-esque mushroom notes and a metallic finish that hits the tip of the tongue. It’s a complex and sometimes discordant flavor profile.

Needles to say, there’s a lot going on throughout the two-hour smoke. Perhaps some of this is the result of over-humidification (Paris cigar shops tend to keep their humidity levels too high), but two months in my humidor didn’t result in much change.

Instead of aging tobacco more in bales prior to rolling, the Añejado series is aged for at least five years in cedar bins after rolling. I suspect that strategy benefits the cigar’s construction, though I wish more of the aging would take place prior to rolling where it could be better targeted to the specific type of tobacco.

Price is a serious drawback to this cigar, which doesn’t taste under-aged but does feature an unusual mixture of flavors. That combination earns the Montecristo Churchill Añejado a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–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.”

When this line was released in 2010, it constituted a major advancement for Rocky Patel among many smokers who previously hadn’t given his cigars much consideration. Clearly a premium smoke, this box-pressed blend of Nicaraguan binder and filler under an Ecuadorian wrapper is rich with a little spice and notes of dark coffee bean and chocolate. While I prefer Rocky’s Twentieth Anniversary, I highly recommend the silver-banded Fifteenth.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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.”

Like many of today’s baseball-bat sized smokes, this immense stick gets a bit tiresome unless you have something else to distract you. The tobaccos are all from Nicaragua, with the wrapper receiving additional aging in bourbon barrels, which may account for the slightly funky finish in the first third. The flavors are OK, but nothing special: a little wood, a little leather, mostly straight tobacco. And no real changes along the way. Burn, draw, and smoke production are fine. I’d recommend a smaller vitola, but there really aren’t any. Each of the four others in the line has a ring gauge of 54. At $8-9, the Gordo is reasonably priced, but, for me, there is nothing to make we want to pick up another.

Verdict = Hold.

–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 547th in the series.

1) Philip Morris International will provide $80 million annually over 12 years, beginning in 2018, to fund the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, an organization which aims to eliminate smoking worldwide. According to a statement issued Wednesday, the organization will focus on four main areas: (1) supporting research into harm reduction and building research capacity through academic centers, (2) building consensus around which interventions can best reduce harm and deaths from smoking and increase smoking cessation, (3) measuring and reporting on global progress towards smoking harm reduction, and (4) identifying alternative crops and livelihoods for tobacco farmers as the global demand for tobacco declines. “While the new foundation appears to be a rare example of a consumer-goods company supporting efforts to undermine sales of its own products, its creation was greeted with skepticism by one anti-smoking organization,” reports Bloomberg. In addition, “More than three million smokers have switched to Philip Morris’s IQOS, which heats rather than burns tobacco. The Marlboro maker has applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval to market the device as a product that may reduce the risk of smoking-related diseases.”

2) Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a twelve-bill spending package that includes a provision prohibiting the FDA from enforcing regulations against premium cigars. The omnibus appropriations package passed the House with a 211-198 vote and will now move to the Senate for consideration. Congress has until December 8th to pass spending legislation and fund the federal government. IPCPR President Ken Neumann commented on the development: “This is a monumental step for the industry and for IPCPR’s retailers. For many years, we’ve been pushing the ball forward in our efforts to roll back the FDA’s oversized and ill-suited regulatory regime on premium cigars.”

3) Starting January 1, smoking will no longer be permitted anywhere at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. Nebraska joins over 1,700 other colleges and universities—including all of its Big Ten peers—that have already implemented campus-wide smoke-free policies. In addition to cigars, the ban covers cigarettes, hookahs, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and synthetic smoking products, and it extends to all university areas, including parking lots, garages, buildings, and university vehicles.  The campus is home to over 25,000 students.

4) Inside the Industry: With so many cigar companies headquartered in Florida, the industry braced for damages caused by Hurricane Irma. Fortunately, the damage seems to have been manageable. Although numerous companies faced disruptions and power outages, no substantial damages have been reported.

5) From the Archives: Fancy lighters are great, but sometimes simplicity is even better. As we wrote over decade ago, unless you’re facing significant winds, wooden matches are frequently the best way to light your cigar.

6) Deal of the Week: For today only, here are 100 deals, including cigars from Ashton, Oliva, Tatuaje, Rocky Patel, Davidoff, Drew Estate, and more. Free shipping is included on any purchase. If you really want to stock up, add promo code “GBP20D” at checkout to knock $20 off an order of $150 or more.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Although only introduced in 2010 (a baby compared to bourbons that have been on the market for decades), Angel’s Envy has quickly established itself as a premium bourbon. Available for around $50, with a sweetness imparted from port-barrel finishing, it is a solid bourbon that is well-suited to those who are starting to explore the variety and quality of bourbon in the $30 to $50 range. (It also makes an excellent gifting bourbon given it’s attractive bottle.)

Since 2012, Angel’s Envy has also offered a limited edition Cask Strength annual release. Like the regular offering, Cask Strength is aged traditionally in new charred oak casks then placed in port barrels for finishing to impart extra flavors.

Unlike the standard variety, the Cask Strength isn’t proofed down, meaning each year the proof is different. The 2017 version is 124.5-proof (62.25% ABV), which is hearty though slightly lower than recent editions.

The bourbon is a deep copper color. The nose is an eye-opening combination of leather, black tea, charred oak, and dried cherries. The palate features more charred barrel, dried herbs, spiced almonds, and hints of orange peel, banana, and clove.

Over the years, Angel’s Envy Cask Strength has become increasingly spicy and more wood dominant. Whether that’s the result of more barrel time or something else entirely is impossible to say since the age isn’t disclosed. But if wood is your style then the 2017 version will hit the spot. Personally, in terms of bourbon I actually have a chance to find at retail prices, this is one of the best every year.

Speaking of price, Angel’s Envy Cask Strength 2017 sells for $199. It’s a lot by some measures, and hardly the best value in bourbon, but it isn’t outrageous. In fact, at a time when many limited edition bourbons sell on the gray market for many multiples of their suggested retail price, it is the rare limited release bourbon that neither lingers on shelves nor is frequently resold for more than retail price. I suppose that’s the market’s way of saying it is priced appropriately.

For cigar pairings, Angel’s Envy Cask Strength 2017’s spice and wood necessitate a full-flavored smoke. I’d go with a full-bodied Nicaraguan cigar like the Curivari Buenaventura, Tatuaje Broadleaf Collection, or Illusione Garagiste.

– Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

There was a time when the cigars in the EO Brands portfolio—particularly 601 Blue, 601 Red, and 601 Green—were mainstays in my humidors. Back then, Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega were still in a partnership, and the 601 line was produced by none other than Don José “Pepin” Garcia at My Father Cigars.

In 2010, Rocky Patel bought a 50% stake in EO Brands, which also owned Cubao, Murcielago, and Mi Barrio. Then, in early 2012, Eddie Ortega announced he was leaving the company to start his own outfit called Ortega Cigars.

Today, Erik Espinosa operates Espinosa Premium Cigars, which he runs independently out of his La Zona Factory in Estelí. Included in his portfolio is a reincarnation of of the 601 Green, which was always the boldest, most full-bodied blend in the series. It is made with a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos.

Tronco (5 x 52) sells in the $7 to $9 range. The band of green and gold is familiar yet dissimilar to the more metallic rings that graced the surfaces of the old Pepin-made 601 Greens. Beneath is a dark, oily, toothy wrapper with thin veins and tight seams. The feel is moderately firm yet the foot exhibits a cross-section of somewhat loosely packed tobaccos. The well-executed cap clips cleanly to reveal an extra-smooth cold draw that leaves a faint sweetness on the lips.

Once an even light is established, pre-light notes of dried apricot and hay transition to a medium- to full-bodied profile of cereals, warm tobacco, black pepper spice, and espresso. The texture is a bit chalky and the flavor is rich and bold. Before the first quarter inch, background notes of roasted peanut and salted caramel join in to add balance. As the Tronco approaches its midway point, the intensity of the flavors—and the nicotine kick—ramps up enough to merit an upgrade to full-bodied status. A taste of cayenne heat enters the equation. The home stretch is best characterized by an abundant burst of black pepper and espresso.

The physical properties are pretty solid from light to nub, including an easy draw, bountiful smoke production, and a well-behaved ash. The burn line does require a couple touch-ups to stay even, however.

I can’t in good faith compare this 601 Green to those that were made by Pepin years ago for several reasons. For one, I haven’t had a Pepin-made Green in years, and I don’t trust my memory (plus, even if I could recall the flavor accurately, my tastes have likely changed). Second, this is a completely different cigar that deserves to be judged on its own. Speaking of which, my assessment is Tronco is a well-made, bold, powerful cigar that has a lot to offer for seasoned cigar enthusiasts who are seeking ample strength and Nicaraguan spice. In my book, it earns three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–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 gritty-looking cigar is loaded with flavor and packs a punch from start to finish. Part of a special Tatuaje creation introduced last year, this Pete Johnson blend features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. My colleagues have already reviewed a few of the ten Broadleaf Collection sizes. This vitola (5.5 x 50) is a treat with a pleasant mix of wood, pepper, and sweetness.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys