The Stogie Guys

Like most of you, I imagine, I’ve found myself in a reflective mood at this time of year. The cigar topic that has drawn much of my attention is reviews. Specially, what might make them more worthwhile for you, our readers.

Here at StogieGuys.com, we smoke cigars because we love them. And we write about them because we enjoy sharing our experiences—good, bad, or indifferent. While each of us has different tastes and preferences, as well as styles, there are a few basics we adhere to when composing full reviews.

For example, you’ll generally find information about the price, size, tobacco, and aspects of performance and strength. Sometimes it isn’t possible to do it all, though, when, say, we have a pre-release stick for which the price isn’t yet set, or when the maker doesn’t identify the tobacco used in the blend.

What I am wondering is whether there are other things you believe are important in helping you decide whether to try a certain cigar for the first time or pass it by. Or elements you’d like to see addressed at greater length. I also wonder if our attempts to describe a cigar’s flavor or aroma are helpful, or if they’re only marginally useful given the subjectivity of taste and the difficulty of describing flavor.

I began to think about some of these things as I was working on a review of a Surrogates cigar. It produces a lot of smoke, and I realized that characteristic is, for me, very important. I simply don’t find a cigar with thin, light smoke nearly as enjoyable, regardless of the flavors. On the other hand, as a frequent outdoor smoker, I care little about a cigar’s room aroma.

So, if you’re in a reflective mood as well, consider giving some thought to cigar reviews and let us know what you like to see in them. I can’t guarantee we’ll always be able to deliver (I, for example, rarely drink alcohol, so I’m not really good at recommending pairings, so I’d suggest you rely on our resident spirits expert, Patrick S, for them).

But I can promise you we’ll certainly give serious thought to your replies.

–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.”

After noticing that our recently published list of the best cigars we reviewed in 2013 had two smokes made by RoMa Craft Tobac (Abaddon and Ouroboros), I resolved to better acquaint myself with the company, which is headed by Skip Martin. I could hardly think of a better place to start than the Intemperance BA XXI blend. The vitola called “The Breach of the Peace” (5 x 56) boasts a complex combination of dry wood, espresso, leather, and cocoa, all grounded in a thick, rich texture. Its recipe includes a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper around an Indonesian binder, as well as filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. At $7, this bold, cool-smoking Robusto Extra is easy to recommend. I look forward to sampling more from RoMa Craft in 2014.

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.”

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) It is no longer legal to smoke in Boston’s outdoor parks. The city’s Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously in favor of the regulation, which impacts all 251 public parks in Boston. “The ban makes it illegal to smoke cigarettes, marijuana, or any other material on properties controlled by the Parks and Recreation Department,” reports Boston Magazine. “Breaking the new law, which goes into effect immediately, is punishable by a $250 fine, and will be enforced by park rangers and officers from the Police Department.” The law was first proposed by Mayor Tom Menino who, despite a complete lack of evidence that outdoor secondhand smoke is harmful, says it is “necessary to maintain the health and safety of our public parks.”

2) Aside from Boston, a host of other smoking bans took effect yesterday, including a near-complete ban for the affluent community of Coronado, California. “In addition to banning smoking on most public property—including all public streets, highways, alleys, sidewalks, and parking lots—the ordinance bans smoking on public or private property within 25 feet of an enclosed building,” reports the NBC affiliate in San Diego. “It also bans smoking on private property that is open to the general public for an event, for recreational purposes, or if the private property is serving as a service area such as an ATM, ticket line, or parking stand.” A first offense will be met with a $100 fine.

3) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan examines the San Cristobal Elegancia Pyramid. Stogie Review tries the Asylum 13 Sixty. Stogie Fresh reviews the EH Cultura. Nice Tight Ash lists the best cigars of 2013. Cigar Inspector checks out La Aroma de Cuba Robusto.

4) Deal of the Week: Our friends at Emerson’s Cigars have a great deal on tap for you Drew Estate/Joya de Nicaragua fans out there. For just under $160, you get a box of 21 CyB Lonsdale Clubs, an Undercrown Toro 6-pack, and an Undercrown hat. If, like us, you love these blends, this is a hard deal to pass up. Check out the details here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

In case you haven’t noticed, bourbon is having a bit of a renaissance right now. Look no further than Pappy Van Winkle, which regularly commands ten times the price it did just a few years ago. And the trend isn’t limited to old, rare, or established whiskeys. Dozens of small operations have popped up to produce so-called “artisanal” bourbon.

Some aren’t much more than a marketing story and some bourbon they bought from someone else, but others are making their own bourbon their own way. Garrison Brothers is the latter, with an emphasis on their own way. The company produces bourbon in Hye, Texas, which it releases in very small batches.

The fall 2013 release consists of just 24,000 bottles. Its recipe includes Texas Panhandle corn from the 2009 harvest, and it was distilled in 2010. My bottle was 3 of 37, which makes clear that Garrison Brothers uses small barrels (some say this accelerates the aging process). That would also explain the color, which is a surprisingly deep mahogany for such a youthful spirit.

It’s bottled at 47% ABV, or 94-proof. The nose is very basic: raw corn and oak along with some clove and green apple. On the palate it’s a surprisingly complex combination of cinnamon, dry cocoa, fudge, and cornbread. The finish is short with corn and clove.

The nose is a awfully intimidating and raw. But don’t let that fool you. There’s more finesse than you might think, especially given its youthfulness. Garrison Brothers suggests dropping an ice cube into this bourbon; I enjoyed it neat.

Seventy dollars (that’s what the suggested retail price is on the website) is an awful lot for a bourbon that has to display it’s age because it hasn’t reached its fourth year, which is the year it can be legally called “straight bourbon whiskey” without an age statement. But let’s face it: Comparing this to, for example, a $25, 9-year-old Kentucky bourbon would be pretty useless. It’s apples to oranges (or maybe eggplant).

I was pleased and surprised by this bourbon. It’s plenty unique and interesting. While it reminds me from time to time that it’s young, it also lets you forget that fact and just enjoy its complexity. Pair it with a spicy Honduran or Nicaraguan cigar like Camacho, Illusione (Rothchilds particularly), or something from Pepin (My Father, San Cristobal, or Tatuaje).

It’s not the type of bourbon I’d recommend to beginners. But as you branch out beyond the classics you’ll probably start to try some of the new, micro-disilleried whiskies being made in America. Most are just overpriced, rushed, and undistinguished. Garrison Brothers, however, is proof that this different style of American bourbon can be rewarding in its own unique way.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With this being the last day of 2013, now is a good time to reflect, as well as look ahead. To that end, it’s common for my colleagues and I at StogieGuys.com to take a look at the cigars we awarded top ratings to. In other words, the cigars that received the heralded five stogies out of five rating in the past year.

This year there were but two, and, coincidentally, both reviewed by me:

— Arturo Fuente King T Rosado Sun Grown: “From the first rich puffs to the finger-burning last, the cigar is a powerful pleasure.”

— La Flor Dominicana Limitado V: “A terrific cigar with more changes than a Rockette in the Christmas show.”

In addition to the two cigars that received our highest rating in 2013, fifteen came close, earning the impressive rating of 4.5 stogies:

— Abaddon (Blue Havana Exclusive): “One of the more interesting cigars I’ve smoked this year.”

— Curivari El Gran Rey Belicoso: “I can see why this small manufacturer has gained such a large reputation.”

— Dante Canto VI Asmodeus: “While Dante puts itself in some pretty exclusive company with that price, it’s not out of its league.”

— Drew Estate Herrera Estelí Short Corona: “Cubanesque and a wonderful buy.”

— Drew Estate Liga Privada Único Serie UF-13 Dark: “Dark flavors with charred oak and lots of powdery earth.”

— J. Grotto Reserve Lancero Limitado: “An impressive smoke worth seeking out, even if finding it may be difficult.”

— Joya de Nicaragua Cuatro Cinco: “It’s traditional in flavor yet somehow also unique, powerful, and nuanced.”

— La Musa Mοῦσα Toro: “The quality, subtlety, and balance of the blend cannot be denied.”

— Ouroboros (Blue Havana Exclusive): “A dense, leathery flavor with pepper spice, coffee bean, earth, and traces of bitterness.”

— Reinado Grand Empire Reserve Elegidos: “Unique, flavorful, and spirited.”

— Sencillo Platinum Pirámide: “It makes you want to fire up another as soon as you’re done with the first.”

— Swag Elite: “It’s nicely balanced and smooth. And the flavors are diverse.”

— Tatuaje The Mummy: “A creamy profile of peanut, white pepper, clove, and dry cinnamon.”

— Tesa Picadura King Connecticut Robusto: “Mild, harmonious, and well-balanced with an interesting interplay between sweetness and spice.”

— Tesa Picadura King Habano 5.5 x 48: “I absolutely love what the Picadura King Habano brings to the table for such a reasonable price.”

As a matter of perspective, two is by far the fewest five-stogie ratings in a calendar year since StogieGuys.com’s mid-2006 founding, and I was surprised. I know I smoked a lot of excellent cigars in 2013. And I’m sure my colleagues would agree.

But the more I thought about it, the more sense I think it makes. I believe the ratings are a reflection of the fact that there are more terrific cigars available now than ever before. Not only do high-quality boutique brands continue to proliferate, the industry giants are experimenting and creating smokes far beyond their regular high-production lines. And it’s easier for more smokers to get more cigars. Cigars that once were nearly impossible to find are available at more and more tobacco shops as well as online, with several specialty sellers offering extraordinary selections. So, it takes more for a cigar to truly stand out from its peers.

At least, that’s the way it seems to me. I know I smoked a lot of excellent cigars this year. I’m looking forward to smoking even more in 2014.

You’ll find our complete list of five-stogie rated smokes here, as well as our complete archive of reviews here. Take a look, and let us know what you think. And, finally, keep in mind the above cigars are simply the best smokes we reviewed this year, not necessarily our take on the best cigars to come out in 2013.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

Back in May, Abe Flores of Pinar del Rio Cigars (PDR) issued an announcement that, going forward, PDR would be managing the sales and distribution of the El Primer Mundo (EPM) brand throughout the U.S. and international markets. “This is a great opportunity for the EPM brand,” said Sean Williams, head of the Atlanta-based EPM. “Abe and I have… some good synergies with our overlap on sales reps and key accounts. This move will just make things a lot more efficient for our reps and our retailers.”

The EPM lines now sold and distributed by PDR include Liga Miami; the Black, Blue, and Red Labels; Epifania; and La Hermandad. The latter, which translates to “brotherhood,” has been made by Abe Flores at his factory in the Dominican Republic since its inception in 2012. (It should be noted that Flores’ factory also produces cigars for other brands outside the PDR-EPM fold, including Gurkha and La Palina).

The La Hermandad recipe boasts a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It is marketed as full-bodied and available in three sizes in the $8-10 price range: Caballito (5 x 50), Embajador (5 x 52), and Consejero (6 x 60).

Upon examination of the Caballito, all you can see without removing the large black foot band is the dark color of the exterior leaf, a sizable vein or two, and a wrinkled cap. After removing the band, the character of the cigar is more apparent. It’s firm, oily, and a little rough around the edges (Brazilian tobacco is built for flavor, not for looks). The pre-light notes are earthy and musty. The cold draw is smooth.

As advertised, La Hermandad Caballito’s taste starts with a full-bodied bang. Espresso bean, black pepper, charred wood, and red pepper spice are the dominant flavors. The texture is bready and a little chalky. I don’t detect much sweetness on the palate, but the resting smoke has a creamy aroma that’s slightly sweet. A hint of peanut seems to come and go throughout, and the cigar tends to settle down a bit in the middle third—only to ramp up in strength once again towards the end.

The samples I smoked for this review exhibited exquisite construction. If and when you fire up a Caballito, expect a straight burn line, easy draw, voluminous tufts of rich smoke, and an ash that holds firm at the foot. I find that establishing an even burn at the outset means you don’t have to touch your lighter again until the nub.

Over time, I’d be interested to see if this smoke develops more complexity. It seems like it would have good aging potential. Right now, though, I’d say $8 is a very fair price for this flavorful, consistent, well-built cigar. That’s ultimately why the El Primer Mundo La Hermandad Caballito earns a solid rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys