The Stogie Guys

To put it simply, this is a terrific book.

Whether you’re interested in history, cigars, preservation, tobacciana, or rural life, you’ll find yourself enchanted and enlightened as you move through this oversize volume just published by Schiffer Publishing for $24.99.

It will also likely sadden you a bit as you learn that these architectural treasures are rapidly vanishing from the landscape. Dale and Darcy Cahill, a pair of enthusiastic writers and photographers who have devoted themselves to documenting the sheds, estimate that more than 1,000 have been destroyed since their first volume on the subject was published in 2009.

This book uses a geographical theme to explore the sheds in words and roughly 250 photographs selected from about 7,000 frames. Beginning in Vermont and traveling the Connecticut River Valley south to Portland, Connecticut, the Cahills take readers on a marvelous journey.

In the book’s preface, cigar industry giant Carlito Fuente writes that “the tobacco barn stands tall, proud, and beautiful.” The Cahills describe it this way: “Whether standing inside or outside of a shed, a tobacco shed’s repetitive lines engage the eye” and the buildings themselves “evoke a sense of timelessness.”

In addition to the structures, Tobacco Sheds provides fascinating introductions to people such as Mrs. Prout in South Windsor, Connecticut, who is said to be “the first person to roll a cigar in the United States,” and artist Erika H. Zekos, who lit a tobacco shed from inside as a public art project in 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Amherst, Massachusetts.

With the growing popularity of tourism to the cigar centers of Latin America, it seems an appropriate time to remember the reach and importance of cigar tobacco in the United States beyond Florida. And to do it not only with annual events, but by recognizing true artifacts.

This book is certainly a good way to do that. You should also check the Cahills’ website for other tobacco shed artwork, as well as their first book, Tobacco Sheds of the Connecticut River Valley. And StogieGuys.com will have more on the subject as well, with a interview of the Cahills and a contest you won’t want to miss.

–George E

photo credit: TobaccoSheds.com

With José Blanco’s CyB and the forthcoming Joya Red, the focus of Joya de Nicaragua of late has been on cigars with more balance and less power. But the oldest cigar maker in Nicaragua built its reputation on bold, full-bodied blends, and those blends are still the cornerstone of the Joya de Nicaragua portfolio.

Antaño Dark Corojo is the line that first comes to mind when I think of Joya de Nicaragua. It was the first Joya I ever smoked and, for a while, it shaped my notion of what a Nicaraguan cigar should be. When I was just getting into cigars, I remember having a Joya on my lunch break after a light meal. I was not terribly productive for the rest of the afternoon.

These days I know better. I tend to save my Dark Corojos for the evenings, usually after a large meal and paired with a sipping rum. For me, this is the best way to enjoy what Joya calls “the embodiment of the Nicaraguan power cigar.”

The Antaño Dark Corojo is a Nicaragua puro with a mottled, oily Corojo Oscuro wrapper. It comes in six sizes: Azarosa (4.5 x 52), La Pesadilla (4.75 x 60), Peligroso (5 x 44), El Martillo (5.5 x 54), La Niveladora (6 x 52), and Poderoso (6 x 54). I smoked several in the El Martillo format for this review.

After removing the foot band, I take note of pre-light aromas of raisin, cocoa, and caramel before lighting up the cigar with a couple wooden matches. The initial flavor is heavy-handed with spice, espresso, and dark chocolate. The texture is thick and leathery. Smoking through the nose helps reveal some raisin, charred steak, and black cherry.

Make no bones about it, this is a very full-bodied cigar. At times, El Martillo’s complementary sweetness makes it seem less aggressive. But the power is sure to eventually sneak up on you—especially when you stand up after having been seated for a while.

Throughout the experience, the El Martillo’s physical properties are good, including a straight burn, a solid white ash that holds very firm off the foot, and good smoke production. My only complaint is the draw, which is too tight for my liking. Perhaps of late I’ve been smoking too many loose-drawing cigars from Drew Estate.

If you’re looking for a full-bodied cleanup hitter with ample power that won’t break the bank, look no further. The Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Dark Corojo El Martillo has all the flavor and boldness you could ask for, and it runs about $8 for a single. I always keep some on hand, and I award it 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.”

The Liga Privada T52 from Drew Estate has been a staple in my humidor for a couple years now. Those of you who smoke it regularly know why. It consistently delivers expert construction with bold, full-bodied flavors of spice, coffee, leather, and black pepper. And the unique stalk-cut “American Habano” Connecticut wrapper is always mouth-watering. The Robusto (5 x 54) may be expensive at around $12, but it delivers time and again.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.”

I’ll admit, I hadn’t realized this Cigar International smoke was no longer made by the Garcias until I was sent a sample by its new maker, G.R. Tabacaleras Co., which is run by Goerge Rico. (Then again, the 5 Vegas website still has the old version listed.) Now made completely in Miami (the old version had only one size made in Miami, while the rest were produced in Nicaragua) this is a traditional Toro (6 x 50) featuring a slightly mottled Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with Nicaraguan filler. It’s medium-bodied and nicely balanced with cocoa and coffee. The draw is a touch loose, but overall I have no complaints about the construction. With a price around $5 by the box, it’s a good value on a well-made cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) The latest decision in the long legal battle over the Cohiba trademark in the United States is a win for Cubatobaco. Since 1997 the Cuban national tobacco company has been attempting to have the Cohiba trademark, now owned by General Cigar, cancelled. The latest decision, by the Federal Circuit Court in DC, will let the Cuban company proceed with its attempt to have General Cigar’s Cohiba trademark cancelled and to obtain the valuable trademark, and opens the door to even more litigation. The ongoing legal battle involves two of the largest players in the American cigar market since General Cigar is the current owner and the Cuban cigar distribution company Habanos is partially owned by the parent company of Altadis USA.

2) Camacho Cigars is introducing its first Nicaraguan puro. The BG Meyer Standard Issue is the company’s first cigar linked to writer/director Rob Weiss, a member of Camacho’s “Board of the Bold,”  known for his work on the series Entourage. According to Camacho, BG Meyer is “a medium to full intensity smoke featuring five different tobaccos that have aged for up to 8 years. Available in five popular formats… and will retail from $8 to $10.”

3) Inside the Industry: Last week Joya de Nicaragua announced its latest cigar line, Joya Red. Since the announcement last week, the company announced that, due to a conflict with the name Cardinal, Joya de Nicaragua has changed the vitola name to of the 5.5-inch vitola to Cañonazo. While Joya’s statement doesn’t say who the conflict is with, it almost certainly is E.P. Carrillo, who has a line of cigars called Cardinal.

4) Deal of the Week: The Stogie Guys Sampler at Corona Cigar Co. was recently updated. Just $30 gets you 7 cigars, including an Undercrown and the limited Avo Lounge cigar.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Few cigar companies have undergone as much change in recent years as Nat Sherman. Moving its flagship shop at an impressive new location, hiring flamboyant executive Michael Herklots, bringing new and unexpected cigar lines to market. All contributed to a new image for the New York-centric brand that had often come to be associated more with colorful high-end cigarettes than with premium cigars.

The 1930 Collection, a six-vitola line introduced last year, is a big part of the maker. Using a Dominican wrapper and binder, with long-filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, it boasts a strength level—upper medium—beyond my image of most Nat Shermans.

For this review, I received three Gran Robustos (5.25 x 54) from the company. The stick has an MSRP of $11. Each vitola in the 1930 line comes packaged 24 to a box, except for the Super Lancero (8 x 38), which is in boxes of 10.

The Corojo wrapper makes quite a first impression with a rich and oily appearance. The cigars, rolled at Manuel Quesada’s Dominican factory, are rock hard to the touch but that is, fortunately, no indication of looming problems. Draw and construction are excellent.

The 1930 offers a satisfying smoking experience, an enjoyable cigar that should appeal to nearly any enthusiast. It is not overly complex, though there is some shift in the second half when the spice ramps up a bit. Generally, though, the flavor profile is dark and rich, with leather, coffee beans, and spice.

If the price seems a little steep, bear in mind that the Gran Robusto is quite a bit larger than your typical robusto. Other attractive attributes are tremendous smoke production throughout and a slow, cool burn that results in a lengthy smoke.

I suggest you give the 1930 Collection a try, especially if it has been a while since you smoked a Nat Sherman. It will hold up as an after-dinner cigar or enliven an afternoon. I rate this cigar four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Recently, I’ve been writing up plenty of rye whiskeys (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) in order to put together a Rye Guide along the lines of our A-Z Guide to Bourbon. As you can see, I’ve covered quite a few ryes, but I recently noticed one glaring omission: Sazerac Rye.

Sazerac, along with Rittenhouse and Bulleit, are three affordable rye whiskies ($20-30) that are staples at my bar. Unlike Sazerac 18 or the highly sought-after Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, standard-issue Sazerac Rye (sometimes called “Baby Saz”) is distilled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery and aged six years before being bottled at 90-proof. Another member of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye, is essentially a barrel-proof limited release of Baby Saz.

Sazerac (along with Handy) is reportedly made with a mashbill of 51% rye, 39% corn, and 10% malted barley. It features  a bright amber color and with a nose brimming with fresh, floral notes and hints of licorice. On the palate Sazerac shows a nicely balanced combination of buttered popcorn, toffee, and clove with bit of pepper. The finish has caramel and baking spices.

Is Sazerac Rye going to blow your mind with its amazing-ness? Probably not. But it’s very enjoyable and an obvious standout value at $25 a bottle. It’s a versatile rye that’s plenty good enough to be sipped straight (as I recommend), but you wouldn’t be heart-broken if your buddy throws a bunch of ice cubes in it or decided to mix it into a Manhattan.

Naturally, it goes great with a fine cigar. I’d recommend a balanced, medium-bodied smoke. Specific recommendations include the Arturo Fuente King T Rosado Sun Grown, Illusione Epernay Le Matin, or the Tatuaje Black.

If you’re a rye fan who hasn’t tried Sazerac Rye, you’re missing out. There are very few better ways to spend $25 on a whiskey of any kind.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys