The 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 Goldie series from La Palina, launched in 2012, is adding its third size. Called the Laguito Especial, the fan-capped vitola will measure seven inches long with a ring gauge of 40 and be presented in boxes of 10. Only 2,500 boxes will be made, and they’ll start hitting stores in late May. Crafted at El Titan de Bronze in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, each Goldie cigar is rolled by Maria Sierra. “Maria is one of the first women trained to roll cigars in Cuba,” according to a La Palina press release. “Her historic 32-year career at Villa El Laguito began July 22, 1967. Maria is a 95-rated, category-9 roller trained by Fidel Castro’s personal roller… as well as Avelino Lara, the creator of the legendary Cohiba blend.”

2) A.J. Fernandez’s popular San Lotano line is launchig a new regular production blend called The Bull. Wrapped in a cedar sleeve marked with an image similar to the University of Texas’ Longhorns logo, the recipe includes Nicaraguan tobacco from Fernandez’s plantations with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The Bull is intended to be medium- to full-bodied and will be available in three sizes—Robusto, Toro, and Torpedo—with prices under the $10 mark.

3) Tatuaje is now shipping the Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda size (originally released in 2007) packaged in jars of 19, with 10,000 jars being made. Also being released (likely in far more limited quantities) is the Tatuaje Belle Encre Reserva, which is the 10th Anniversary perfecto size of the Tatuaje Brown label blend, but with a broadleaf maduro wrapper.

4) Inside the Industry: This week, to meet demand from consumers and retailers, Espinosa Premium Cigars started shipping its La Zona Connecticut and Habano blends in 20-count boxes. Until now, La Zona has only been available in 80-count crates or 20-count bundles. Made in Estelí, La Zona comes in two sizes—Robusto ($4.40) and Super Toro ($4.80)—with two different wrapper varieties: Connecticut Shade or Nicaraguan Habano.

5) 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: La Palina

I’m in the middle of a series of Cigar Spirits articles about rye, with the intention being a guide to rye along the lines of our A-Z Guide to Bourbon (part 1 and part 2). Today I’m tackling two ryes from Wild Turkey: the standard 81-proof variety, and the Russell’s Reserve Small Batch 6-Year-Old Rye.

Russell’s Reserve Small Batch 6-Year Rye ($30-38) is named after Jimmy Russell (and his son Eddie), the longtime master distiller at Wild Turkey. According to the back of the bottle, it “has a crisp, lively taste that they believe to be the perfect 6-year-old rye.” The $25 81-proof standard Wild Turkey Rye is the most basic version of the Wild Turkey rye recipe, which has a mash bill of 23% corn, 65% rye, and 12% malt barley.

The two represent the two easiest-to-find rye whiskeys made by Wild Turkey. Wild Turkey also sells a 101-proof rye, but it’s limited in quantity, available only in certain states, and reportedly only comes in 1-liter bottles. Along with the 101 Rye, they make for an interesting case study in the difference age and proof can make.

Wild Turkey Rye 81 is a light golden color with a muted nose of floral and oak notes. On the palate it has buttery smoothness with hints of wood spice, pine, and honey. The finish is soft and short. Overall, it suffers from its diluted low-proof nature, but nevertheless is a pleasant, easy-drinking, value-priced rye.

The 90-proof Russell’s Reserve Small Batch Rye has a darker copper color and an inviting nose with baking spices and wood. On the palate it’s a rounded combination of oily intensity, floral notes, and spice with hints of dried fruit. The finish is long and spicy. It’s miles more complex and interesting than it’s 81-proof cousin, a fine ribeye steak to the regular Wild Turkey 81’s burger.

Both are solid pairings for a cigar, but Russell’s Reserve can stand up to a wide variety of mild, medium, or full-bodied cigars, while the standard variety is likely to be overwhelmed by a cigar that’s full-bodied. Both are good rye whiskeys, but the Small Batch variety is particularly noteworthy as a classic rye to enjoy neat.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I doubt it would be controversial at this point to say that the Pepín family will go down as one of the greatest and most important cigar families the industry has had. Don Pepín García has his huge legacy, which was followed by his son’s fantastic cigars, and now with La Dueña, his daughter Janny is releasing her first cigar. To add to all of that tobacco star-power, the blending for this cigar was done by Pete Johnson, of Tatuaje fame.

This blend is a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper billed as medium-full strength, with Nicaraguan origins. I smoked the “Petite Lancero” vitola (6 x 42) for this review. The construction was immaculate, and the wrapper had a great color to it. Personally, I think that a 42 ring gauge is a bit much for a lancero, but that’s not really a negative.

The aroma off of this cigar is great, with a nice core tobacco aroma complimented by a subtle sweetness in the background. The cigar lights really well, with that typical Pepín spice kicking off the experience. Quickly into the cigar, though, a ton of flavors emerge.

The smoke is very smooth, almost syrupy in its consistency, and earth, leather, black pepper, and a natural tobacco sweetness dominate the first half. Once this cigar hits the mid-point the pepper dies down a lot, and a leathery core takes over, with earth and cocoa notes making slight reappearances until the nub.

While I am writing this review to let everyone know how much I enjoyed this cigar, I’d like to take a quick moment to make another secondary point. When I first tried this cigar a while back (right upon its release), I was actually really disappointed and I gave away three of the five cigars I purchased. I am not sure why, and I don’t know if I ran into a bad batch, or if this cigar needs a little age on it, but the argument I’m making here is this: Do yourself a favor, and re-visit cigars.

We all know that tobacco is a fickle product, and everything from weather, storage, your complimentary drink or meal, or whatever is on your palate, etc. can affect how a certain cigar tastes to you at a particular time. If I would not have given up my preconceptions that this cigar was bad, I would have missed out on a smoke that I think is truly great, and a cigar that I am now considering purchasing a box of.

Anyway, with that small rant out of the way, the La Dueña Petite Lancero is a great addition to an already fantastic line-up of smokes related to the Pepín /Johnson portfolio. This cigar deserves a very respectable rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Joey J

photo credit: Stogie Guys

“Don’t be caught smoking just any kind of cigar.” That’s the marketing pitch for The Kind, a new micro-batch that has been crafted exclusively for three Buffalo-area retailers.

The Kind was launched on February 28 by Nice Ash Cigars, Cigars at Your Price, and Egars. For now, it’s a house blend, though it’s one of those house blends that doesn’t require you to be at the house to get your hands on one; it can be bought online. The brand owner, Rob Roth, has plans to eventually distribute it to tobacconists throughout New York State (he sits on the Board of Directors for the New York Tobacco Association).

The blend includes a Jalapa-grown Corojo wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It is fashioned in Estelí by Omar Ortez, known for his Omar Ortez Originals and the Warlock line. Each of the five sizes—Petit (4.5 x 46), Robusto (5.1 x 52), Toro (5.75 x 56), Gordo (6 x 60), and Churchill (7 x 54)—is sharply box-pressed with a closed foot and a pigtail cap. Prices range from about $6.50 to $8 per cigar.

I smoked several in the Petit format for this review. It is an attractive, golden-colored smoke with very thin veins and a firm packing of tobacco. Only faint notes of honey are apparent off the wrapper. The cap clips easily to reveal an effortless draw.

Roth calls The Kind “the perfect combination of strength and flavor” and says that it’s “full-bodied but only medium strength.” He also claims, despite the Nicaraguan spice, “it’s sweeter than most people would expect.” In my experience, the Petit is a flavor rush of dry wood and spice at the outset. Cedar, spice, and that familiar Nicaraguan zing take center stage. The intensity of the spice can be controlled by your puffing frequency, though I think most would agree the spice is the defining characteristic.

As the cigar progresses, it becomes a little mellower, with the majority of the spice being relegated to the long aftertaste. Buttery notes of cream and nut join in. A sweetness adds balance. Still, there’s lots of body with little nicotine kick. This is how the Petit remains until the end. Construction is solid with a straight burn, firm ash, smooth draw, and tons of smoke production.

Enthusiasts who crave spice and are generally fans of Nicaraguan cigars would do well to give The Kind a shot—especially since you can order online without having to commit to a full box purchase (five-packs and single sticks are available). I’m awarding The Kind Petit a respectable rating of 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.”

When 7-20-4 debuted (technically relaunched after a nearly 50-year hiatus) in 2009, it struck a chord with it’s throwback packaging and unique blend. The cigar has a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper, a Colombian binder, and filler from Nicaragua, Mexico, and Honduras. I recently picked up a Robusto to see how it compares to the other sizes in the line. The Robusto is dominated by woody notes, combined with molasses, cinnamon, and clove. Medium- to full-bodied with excellent construction and a reasonable $6-7 cost, it’s easy to recommend.

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) In response to the looming threat of regulation, Cigar Rights of America (CRA) has formed the Connecticut-Massachusetts Tobacco Growers Association—a group aimed at protecting American farmers who would be adversely impacted by FDA oversight of hand-made cigars. “We have written about and proclaimed extensively the impact federal regulation of cigars could have on more than 350,000 jobs in Latin America,” wrote CRA Executive Director Glynn Loope. “Now it’s time to discuss the American farmer.” Connecticut Shade and Connecticut Broadleaf are among the most in-demand tobaccos for premium cigars. The FDA threat “brings into question the impact federal regulatory authority… could have on a valley that spans both Connecticut and Massachusetts and happens to produce some of the world’s most sought-after cigar leaf,” says Loope.

2) Cigar Place, an online cigar retailer and a StogieGuys.com supporter, launched a notable sweepstakes this week. The grand prize is “a year worth of cigars” in the form of a $1,500 gift certificate to the site. Two runner-up winners will receive a boxes of Gran Habano cigars. Check out the contest here. You can enter through April 5, but registering earlier gives you more opportunities to win.

3) Inside the Industry: Punch Rare Corojo is returning to stores this month with updated packaging but the same blend. In addition to Rare Corojo’s traditional seven sizes, this year Punch is adding a limited edition Rare Salomones size in boxes of 10 with a price of $7.99 per cigar. You can enter to win a box of the new size here.

4) Deal of the Week: This sampler features five excellent cigars for just $26. Included are the Sheffield HR500, Liga Privada Undercrown Gran Toro, Hex Figurado, CAO Concert Stage, and the Gurkha Red Witch Toro.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

When he was running for president in 2008, Senator Obama promised not to raise “any taxes” on families making less than $250,000. Fifteen days after being sworn into office, he broke that pledge by signing the SCHIP bill that included a major increase in federal tobacco taxes.

Now, five years into his presidency, Obama (himself a longtime cigarette smoker) has proposed raising taxes further. His proposed budget for fiscal year 2015 includes a 94% increase in tobacco taxes.

For cigarettes, the federal rate would jump from $1.01 to $1.95 per pack, up from 39 cents per pack in 2008. The new excise tax rates would then be increased annually to account for inflation. The rate on cigars, which is a percentage of sales as opposed to a per-unit tax, would increase proportionally, presumably with the tax cap jumping from 40 cents per cigar to upwards of 75 cents.

According to an IPCPR statement, in FY2015 the proposed tax hike is estimated to raise $78.217 million over 10 years, which the budget says would be used to fund pre-K education.

Analysis

Fortunately, this budget has pretty much zero chance of passing in its current form. As the IPCPR notes in its statement, “IPCPR does not expect this proposal to be approved by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, but it does demonstrate that the entire suite of tobacco products is going to be on the table when legislators are searching for revenue to fund unrelated programs.”

And that is exactly the key takeaway. President Obama has repeatedly promised that tax hikes wouldn’t impact anyone not in the highest income percentiles. But, like so many areas, there’s an unwritten asterisk when it comes to tobacco.

Tobacco taxes disproportionately impact lower income income Americans, and that doesn’t include the lower income people in other countries who would lose their jobs as consumption is reduced by the high prices of increasingly climbing taxes. Yet, even a president who says he only wants to target the wealthiest Americans with higher taxes feels free to target those with lower incomes if they smoke.

Ultimately, the key point is that cigar smokers (and other tobacco users) need to make it clear to their elected officials that they are taxed enough already. If something (whether it be pre-K education or anything else) is worth paying more taxes for, then they should seek to pay for it out of taxes that impact everyone, not taxes targeted at a minority that already pays more their than their fare share.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Lisa Jack