The Stogie Guys

Recently, Jeff and Sara Mouttet, owners of Riverside Cigar Shop and Lounge in Jeffersonville, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, sent us a couple of samples of their new House Blend.

I always find the story of a new cigar intriguing, so I posed some questions about this venture to Jeff via email. And, indeed, it turns out to be an interesting story.

Stogie Guys: Your website shows a very extensive selection of top boutique cigars. What made you decide you needed to add your own line?

Jeff Mouttet: There were several factors that led us to the decision, but first and foremost, we always wanted our own blend and always planned on doing one as soon as the time was right. Additionally, we’ve made good friends with many outstanding boutique cigar makers (Skip Martin and Mike Rosales, Sean Williams, Gary Griffith, Chris Kelly, Enrique Sanchez, Noel Rojas, Sam Leccia, etc.) and we wanted to work with them to do something for us. Lastly, it’s a good business move. We’ve been fortunate to build a loyal clientele over the last three years, and it’s surprising how many people ask if we have our own cigars. Well, now we do.

SG: Walk us briefly through the process of going from idea to cigars on the shelf.

JM: It’s kind of funny, because I had Manny Iriarte design the band over two years ago, but the cigar just now happened. Noel Rojas came through the store on a trip through the area and House of Emilio asked if we minded if he stopped by for a night and did a quick rolling demonstration and, being up for most anything, we said yes. So during the course of the night, after everybody raved about how good Noel’s cigars were, Noel and I sat down and talked numbers, blends, volumes, etc., and we decided right then and there to go ahead and do it. As far as the process, I leaned pretty heavily on Noel’s expertise. I’m a cigar smoker—have been for 30 years—but I’m no blender. Not even close. Maybe one day, but at this point, we left most of that to Noel, and I’ve got to say, I’m glad we did, because he did a fantastic job.

SG: Did you have a specific profile in mind from the start, or did you explore a variety of blends until you found one you liked?

JM: We did have a specific strength profile in mind, not so much a flavor profile. We tried several blends, and ended up with the Ecuador Habano with Nica filler and binder.

SG: What has been the most difficult part? The biggest surprise?

JM: Waiting, shipping, customs, and “Central American Time” have been the most difficult parts of the equation. Well, those, and getting the bands to Nicaragua. The biggest surprise has been the reception of the cigar. We’ve sold nearly 1,500 cigars (all we had made for the first run) in a little less than a month, and that’s just on-premise sales.

SG: Do you have a plan to produce more cigars, maybe distribute them, or will this be it?

JM: Our goal over the next 2 years is to introduce at least two more cigars to the market. We’ve talked to both RoMa Craft and Tesa Cigars about an ongoing manufacturing relationship and both are receptive to the idea. Ideally, we’d like to have “house blends,” or Riverside exclusive blends, make up around 30-40% of our boutique line sales. Distribution is a little trickier if we keep the Riverside name on the cigars, but that may be something we address in the future. I know I would have trouble justifying somebody else’s store name in my humidor, so let’s just say we’re sensitive to that issue. At the same time, I think the quality of the cigars we’re making merits distribution, so we’ll explore that when it looks more feasible.

SG: Are you doing any mail-order or telephone sales for those outside your area who want to try the Riverside House Blend?

JM: Yes. You can call 812-284-6198 or email me at jeff@riversidecigars.com and we’ll be glad to ship. Given all the recent credit card issues we can only take Visa over the phone, but we do have a PayPal account for the store, too, so we have a couple of ways you can pay.

–George E

photo credit: Riverside Cigar Shop

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 corona-sized Dirty Rat is one those cigars that I really enjoy yet don’t actually smoke too often. A large part of that is the very limited availability of this cigar, and the fact that when a store does get them in, they’re likely gone very quickly. The cigar bellows smoke as it imparts a complex blend of creamy earth, chocolate, and cinnamon and clove spice. It’s balanced, perfectly made, full-bodied, and complex, and certainly worth seeking out. It’s probably second only to the Velvet Rat as my favorite in Drew Etate’s Único Serie.

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.”

Fred Rewey, founder of the Orlando-based Nomad Cigar Co., will tell you that blending the Connecticut Fuerte line has been one of the toughest challenges in his company’s two-year history. That’s because his approach to the line was to create a standout smoke, not just another Connecticut on the shelf. The result is a four-vitola line that boasts a clean Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, an Ecuadorian Habano binder, and a filler blend from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The Toro (6 x 52), which sells for about $8, has near-perfect construction. Flavors range from cinnamon and white pepper to cream and roasted nuts. I think Rewey’s hard work is paying off.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

There was a time when I stressed over keeping my cigars at a perfect humidity. These days, I’m not so fussy about monitoring my humidors on a day-to-day basis.

When you first get into cigars, you read often that 70/70 (humidity/temperature) is the ideal way to store your cigars. Soon, though, you probably realize that a slightly lower humidity (62-65%) is better, especially if you are storing cigars for long-term aging.

We’ve covered the fundamentals of proper humidity before, but as the outside temperature gets hotter it’s a good time to recap. Anywhere from 62-70% is generally fine. (You can even go all out and build your own temperature-controlled humidor.)

It’s often a matter of personal preference if you like your cigars a little drier. On the low end of that range, your cigars are certain to burn easily, but possibly a bit quick and hot.

Of course, the first step in proper humidity is making sure your hygrometer is properly calibrated, especially for the inexpensive spring-loaded hygrometers that come with most humidors. For that you want to to use the salt calibration test.

Eventually, though, you might get to the stage where you don’t even need a hygrometer. I now keep most of my cigars in humidors without one, since I can tell by feel, and by how my cigars are smoking, when it’s time to add a little more distilled water or humidor solution.

I’ve gotten to the point where I’m really only concerned about keeping a select few cigars at their ideal humidity. Over time I’ve found certain cigars smoke better at slightly higher or lower humidity levels. Thick broadleaf wrappers, in particular, tend to benefit from a slightly higher humidity. This is especially true of Liga Privada, which will produce smoke like a chimney at almost any humidity. (Sometimes I’ll leave a 70% or 72% Boveda pack in a box with these cigars within my larger humidor.)

Other cigars, I may pull out of the humidor a few hours before smoking to let the humidity drop a bit before lighting it up. Cigars with a closed foot, which is becoming more common, tend to hold moisture more easily than a traditional foot so they may benefit from this. The same goes for cigars with a particularly firm draw.

Ultimately, it’s a case of trial and error, and you may want to experiment a bit. Tweaking the humidity won’t make a bad cigar good, but it might just make a favorite of yours a little bit better, so give it a try.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Since returning from my latest visit to Nicaragua, I’ve shared a number of photos with you, including this article focused on Drew Estate’s expansion and quality control, and this article about “DE2.” Today I provide some of my favorite photos from the trip that weren’t included in either of those two pieces.

The grounds of Drew Estate’s Estelí facility are handsomely decorated and well-appointed. Included with the vegetation and sweeping views is a Liga Privada swimming pool, a shaded canopy for dining, and a clubhouse equipped with a poker table and comfortable furniture.

Since the last time I visited, Jesse Flores and his team in Subculture Studios have updated the massive mural that adorns the back wall of the factory. The work is characterized by hot air balloons that highlight various Drew Estate brands.

Walking the tobacco fields is a surreal experience. The whole notion of “seed to smoke” cannot be fully appreciated without visiting the sunny fields where the seeds are planted, grown, and cultivated.

This was my first visit to a curing barn, the place where cultivated tobacco is hung to dry. Tobacco growers don’t ship their leaves green, and these barns are integral to that process.

I hadn’t been to the Joya de Nicaragua factory since 2012. Much had changed since my last visit. For starters, the facility had undergone a renovation—both inside and out. In addition, José Blanco, instead of recently joining the company, had already left to launch a new cigar brand out of the Dominican Republic.

Drew Estate is enormous. Joya de Nicaragua is big (and steeped in tradition). Nica Sueño, the factory of Skip Martin’s RoMa Craft Tobac, is much, much smaller than either. It was interesting to visit this tiny yet formidable operation after touring larger factories.

More of my photos from this trip can be viewed here.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A path to prominence in the cigar business can follow any of a number of routes. Consider for a minute the divergent ways that big players—people like Rocky Patel, Don Pepín García, Ernesto-Perez Carrillo, Dion Giolito, Sam Lecia, just to name a few—earned their reputations.

A.J. Fernandez rode a wave of catalog/online sales to cigar stardom. With Mayimbe, Spanish for “big shot,” he’s making another move.

This high-dollar cigar is a big ring gauge line (all 56) to compete with the likes of top Tatuajes and Fuentes. To my taste, Fernandez succeeded. He created a cigar with power and flavor that stands apart from most others in the humidor.

Mayimbe is described as a limited edition, packaged in boxes of 10 with a run of 2,500 boxes in each of four vitolas. The five-inch Robusto runs a bit over $14 per stick. Rolled at Fernandez’s Nicaraguan factory, the cigar features a Pennsylvania broadleaf wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and a Jamastran Honduran filler blended with Nicaraguan tobaccos and what’s called “AJF Privatio,” which I assume is a strain grown on the Ferandez farm.

The line sports a very large band as well as a foot wrap with the AJF logo. I’ve smoked two, supplied by the manufacturer in a sampler that included other Fernandez cigars.

Mayimbe is a tasty, complex cigar that’s up on the strength scale. The primary flavors are cedar and pepper, which ebb and flow throughout the length of the stick. Along the way, I also get some leather, which I often associate with Honduran tobacco, an interesting floral note, and an occasional nuttiness. This is a cigar that commands—and repays—careful attention. With its extra two inches, I can’t help but wonder what the fat Churchill would be like.

Construction and burn are excellent, as is smoke production. Strength is in the medium- to full-bodied range with a nice finish.

If you’re a Fernandez fan from his catalog productions like Man O’War or his widely available San Lotano smokes, you may find Mayimbe a bit of a surprise. For those who’ve never tried a Fernandez stick, Mayimbe could be a fine introduction. It earns a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys