The Stogie Guys

The IPCPR Trade Show’s first full day was yesterday. By now, information about many of the new cigars expected to hit retailers’ shelves in 2017 has already been released and widely reported. From what I’ve learned so far, here are five new cigars I’m most looking forward to trying. (Of note: This list does not include any cigars of which I’ve already smoked pre-release samples.)

Winston Churchill the Late Hour — Davidoff of Geneva

In my experience, Davidoff doesn’t make a lot duds. When they put the Davidoff name on a cigar, it carries a lot of weight with me. (Not to mention the Churchill name, which might be the historial figure most associated with premium cigars.) I very much enjoyed the original Winston Churchill cigar, in addition to the revamped Davidoff-branded blend, so consider me interested in this new cigar with filler aged in single malt scotch casks.

Undercrown Sun Grown — Drew Estate

I’m not a huge fan of Mexican San Andrés-wrapped cigars, which makes my enjoyment of the original Undercrown something of a rarity. The later Undercrown Shade is a very well-made cigar too, but the new Sun Grown blend sounds particularly inviting. The combination of an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and a Habano stalk-cut binder with Nicaraguan filler has excellent potential.

Todos Las Dias — Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust

I haven’t yet had a Steve Saka cigar I didn’t enjoy. True, I may not have loved Sobremesa as much as its many sky-high reviews, but it’s still undoubtedly a very fine cigar. And, for my taste, Mi Querida was the best Broadleaf cigar introduced last year, and I think Umbagog is one of the best values on the market. With that pedigree, I’m looking forward to trying Todos Las Dias, Saka’s new Nicaraguan puro made at Joya de Nicaragua.

Navetta — Fratello Cigars

By delivering on an excellent combination of value, branding (one of the best bands around), and flavor, I’ve really come to appreciate Omar de Frias’ Fratello Cigars. Navetta features an Oscuro Habano wrapper and plays into Frias’ NASA roots.

1932 Millisime — Padilla Cigars

Even though I smoked my last one over five years ago, the original 1932 Padilla (made by Don José “Pepin” Garcia at El Rey de los Habanos) rates among my all-time favorite cigars. That means my ears always perk up when a new Padilla 1932 is introduced. The price of the Millisime ($47) is more that a little off-putting, but I’ll admit I’m intrigued to try it, even if I’m only smoking one before buying a second.

What new cigars are you most interested in trying?

–Patrick S

photo credit: Padilla Cigars

Aimed at producing “memorable, complex cigar blends that move the senses and reward discriminating palates,” the California-based Ventura Cigar Co. first got on my radar in 2013 with the release of two less-than-traditional cigar lines: the uniquely presented Psyko Seven and Project 805, which sports an exclusive tobacco called Andullo.

Since, Ventura has added a series called Archetype, a collection of five different blends that are “inspired by the work of psychologist Dr. Carl Jung and mythographer Joseph Campbell who defined ‘archetypes’ as the constantly repeating characters who occur in the dreams of all people and the myths of all cultures.” Three of the cigars—Dreamstate, Sage Advice, and Strange Passage—are made at Davidoff’s Occidental Cigar Factory in the Dominican Republic; the other two—Initiation and Axis Mundi—are crafted at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Initiation is billed as “an adventure in the art of nuanced flavor with a blend of Habano tobaccos that opens up with heavenly aromas, floral notes, white sage, and orange zest that intensifies throughout the smoke.” It sports an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around binder and filler Habano tobaccos from Nicaragua. Four sizes are available: Churchill, Corona, Robusto, and Toro.

The Corona (5 x 46) retails for about $10. It comes complete with a well-executed cap and sour, musty pre-light notes at the foot. Beneath the metallic double bands of silver, black, and red is a pale, dry wrapper leaf that’s devoid of any large veins. The cigar feels very firm and both the foot and clipped cap exhibit a cross-section of tightly packed tobaccos; not surprisingly, the cold draw is not as smooth as I would have liked.

After setting an even light, the draw loosens a bit, though it’s still a little stiff. Despite this, the smoke production does not suffer in the slightest. Like many Drew Estate-made cigars, the Initiation Corona smokes like a chimney.

At the outset, that smoke is characterized by flavors of dry oak, almond, white pepper, and citrus. Some background floral notes linger, as do hints of tea and salted sunflower seeds. Throughout, the profile wavers from delightful and complex at one end of the spectrum, to bland and papery at the other (most times it’s somewhere between the two extremes). I found this to be true across all three samples I smoked for this review—which, in full disclosure, were provided free of charge to StogieGuys.com.

Aside from the tight yet shockingly non-problematic draw, the Archetype Initiation Corona exhibits solid combustion qualities, including a straight burn line and a solid white ash.

All in all, this is one of those cigars I would hope would improve with some age. I can’t say for sure if it will but, to me at least, it tastes a bit green. While there are undoubtedly some wonderful flavors here, there are also patches of blandness. That’s ultimately why I’m settling on a score of three 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.”

The Fuente Hemingway is a classic blend that may have introduced more cigar smokers to Cameroon wrappers than any other cigar. I hadn’t smoked one in at least a year, but for whatever reason I decided to pick one up recently. I’m glad I did. Made with a Cameroon wrapper and Dominican tobaccos, the perfecto (4.5 x 49) demonstrated cream and coffee flavors with notes of cinnamon, black pepper, and cedar. Flawless construction and a reasonable price (around $6) make this an easy recommendation for seasoned smokers and newbies alike.

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 line extension from Jochy Blanco’s La Galera is made at Tabacalera Palma and celebrates his family history in the cigar industry. It sports a Habano Ecuador wrapper with a Dominican Criollo ’98 binder and Dominican Piloto Cubano and Criollo ’98 filler. It begins a bit harsh with a spicy finish. But the good news is it smoothes out after a quarter of an inch or so. Construction and performance are excellent. This isn’t a complex smoke, but if you’re looking for an everyday, low-priced cigar—I’ve seen this robusto (5 x 50) online for under $5—this is one to check out.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: La Galera

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 538th in the series.

1) Drew Estate this week issued a flurry of pre-IPCPR Trade Show announcements, the foremost being the introduction of the new Undercrown Sun Grown line. The new cigar features an Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed wrapper around a Connecticut stalk-cut sun-grown Habano binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, including one leaf of “extensively aged Ligero from the Nueva Segovia region along the border of Honduras… selected to enhance the strength of the blend.” Undercrown Sun Grown comes in six traditional sizes, plus Drew Estate’s Flying Pig vitola, with suggested retail prices ranging from $8.20 to $12.72. Undercrown Sun Grown joins the original Undercrown line (released in 2010) and Undercrown Shade (released in 2015).

2) Late Wednesday, news broke that Matt Booth was returning to the cigar industry, only six months after his “retirement” earlier this year. First, a collaboration called Hit and Run with Robert Caldwell was announced. That cigar uses an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Indonesian binder, and Dominican filler. Later, a second collaboration with Caldwell and A.J. Fernandez was announced called The Truth. That cigar, made at Fernandez’s Estelí factory, is a Nicaraguan puro.

3) Joya de Nicaragua, which is distributed by Drew Estate, also announced a new cigar and some packaging changes. The Antaño series of cigars is expanding with a new line called Antaño Gran Reserva. “The main alteration [from the Antaño 1970 line] that comes with the Antaño Gran Reserva is that we have added fillers that have been aged for up to five years,” said Juan Ignacio Martínez, executive president of Joya de Nicaragua (Antaño 1970 is a Nicaraguan puro featuring a Habano Criollo wrapper). Antaño Gran Reserva will be introduced in three sizes—Belicoso (6 x 54), Gran Cónsul (4.75 x 60), and a box-pressed Robusto Grande (5.5 x 52)—and will begin shipping in August. It joins Antaño 1970 (introduced over 15 years ago) and Antaño Dark Corojo (introduced in 2007) as a member of the Antaño family. Also announced is a facelift for the Antaño Dark Corojo, “To align the Antaño family and its look, we have updated the packaging of the Antaño Dark Corojo to match the other brands in the Antaño family,” said Ignacio.

4) Inside the Industry: Crowned Heads announced a new Four Kicks Maduro, using a Connecticut Habano Maduro wrapper around the same binder and filler as the original Four Kicks. La Flor Dominicna is set to debut La Volcada, which features a Mexican maduro wrapper, Ecuadorian Corojo binder, and Dominican filler. Crux introduced Crux Epicure, a Nicaraguan puro initially announced last year, and is adding a Corona Gorda size to the three originally planned vitolas.

5) From the Archives: With so many new cigars being announced this time of year, it is worth taking a step back to consider which new cigars are worth your hard-earned dollars. In this commentary from two years ago, we offer some advice about figuring out which new cigars are most likely to appeal to you.

6) Deal of the Week: For today only, here are 100 deals including cigars from Ashton, Punch, Oliva, My Father, Rocky Patel, Crowned Heads, Davidoff, Drew Estate, Tatuaje, Cohiba, 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 credits: Drew Estate / Joya de Nicaragua

Earlier this year I reviewed the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial TAA 2017, noting it reminded me “to revisit the regular offerings in the Jamie Garcia Reserva Especial line.” It also inspired me to pick up the new Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2017 at a recent My Father Cigars store event. The new cigar was released in May and carries a hefty price tag of $17.

The Limited Edition cigar first appeared in 2011. That release came in boxes of 16, whereby 15 had a Broadleaf wrapper and one had an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. This year, only 3,000 boxes of 16 are being made, a slight decrease from the 2011 release. (The ribbon helps differentiate this release from the 2017 release.)

The 2017 release is all made with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper (no experimental wrapper single this time) in a toro (6.5 x 52) format. The recipe sports Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, including reportedly two leaves of strong, flavorful, but hard-to-grow Pelo de Oro from the the Garcia’s Nicaraguan farms.

The cigar features many of the oak and chocolate notes of the regular Jamie Garcia line with considerably more intensity and strength. It is highly complex and full-bodied. Initial dark chocolate and minty spice notes quickly turn to sharp black pepper and barrel char. There are also roasted notes and coffee bean, although the interplay between wood, cocoa, and spice dominates the two-hour smoke.

While one of the two cigars I smoked had an unfortunately tight draw for the first quarter, it soon opened up and a sturdy, monotone, light gray ash developed that held for two full inches before I tapped it off. Besides that self-correcting issue, construction is excellent.

This is a significant step up in complexity, flavor, and strength from the regular line, and even from the Especial TAA 2017. Fans of Connecticut Broadleaf cigars will want to seek this one out, even if the price means it will probably be only an occasional indulgence. That’s why the Jamie Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2017 earns 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

In March 2009, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo ended his nine-year tenure with General Cigar to establish his own family-owned boutique. He wasted no time in that endeavor. With a factory in Santiago and a work-in-progress website, the EPC Cigar Co. was up and running in time to debut its first blend at the IPCPR Trade Show that August.

Few in the industry doubted he would be successful in his new venture. That Perez-Carrillo has done well on his own over the past eight years is no surprise to anyone. One industry insider described him to StogieGuys.com as the tobacco world’s “mad genius.” And Alan Rubin of Alec Bradley calls him “the original rebel.”

Say what you will about Cigar Aficionado and its annual Top 25 list, but it must have been incredibly gratifying for Carrillo to see his Selección Oscuro Piramides Royal (6 x 52) capture the number four spot in 2016. I’m sure the publicity didn’t hurt sales, either.

In addition to Piramides Royal, there are three other vitolas in the line: Robusto Gordo (5 x 54), Small Churchill (5.5 x 50), and Especial No. 6 (6 x 52). All are made at the Tabacalera La Alianza factory in the Dominican Republic with a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, an Ecuadorian binder, and loosely packed filler tobaccos from Nicaragua.

I recently picked up a 5-pack in the Especial No. 6 size for $41.50, which comes to $8.30 per cigar. Out of the cellophane, this cigar oozes pungent pre-light notes of cocoa and dried fruit, especially at the foot. The exterior is toothy and oily with only a few noticeable veins across its lumpy, rustic surface. The ornate, regal band of red, gold, and black is a nice improvement upon the design from the 2015 launch (you can see an example of the old band here; some of these are likely still on the market).

At the outset, the Especial No. 6 exhibits dry wood, black pepper spice, cayenne heat, and plenty of Nicaraguan zing. It’s full-bodied and zesty with a leathery texture from the get-go. Then, after about half an inch, the profile mellows considerably—now it’s decidedly medium-bodied—and the flavor transitions to milk chocolate, cherry, raisin, marshmallow, and coffee. This is how the cigar remains until the end, with no increase in intensity at the finale.

Across the five samples I smoked for this review, four had near-perfect burn lines and one required a touch-up or two along the way to stay even. All had smooth draws and abundant smoke production. The resting smoke has loads of mouth-watering sweetness.

The Selección Oscuro Especial No. 6 is a solid addition to the impressive E.P. Carrillo portfolio. Aside from the first half-inch, this toro boasts less strength than you might expect and instead rewards you with balance, subtlety, cool smoke, and a delightful interplay between gentle spice and sweetness. For that, it earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys