The Stogie Guys

Coming to a shelf near you is Bulleit 10, an older expression of Bulleit. I’ve always found the original Bulleit to be a tasty, spicy spirit that provides good value, while the company’s rye is one of my favorite presentations of the popular “LDI” 95% rye recipe.

Needless to say, I was pleased to try a pre-release sample offered by Bulleit’s marketing people. Bulleit 10 (featuring a white label) is made at Four Roses Distillery, maker to some of my other go-to bourbons. It sells for $45 per bottle, a significant increase from original (orange label) which can be found for around $25.

While the original doesn’t have a formal age statement except for being “straight Kentucky bourbon” (which denotes an age of at least four years unless otherwise specified), it generally contains bourbon aged between five and eight years. The whiskey in the Bulleit 10 bottle is at least 10 years old and, possibly (or at least theoretically), a bit older.

Light amber in color, it isn’t any darker in color than the younger Bulleit, which is a bit surprising given the extra age. However, on the nose the extra years become apparent with vanilla, oak, dried fruit, and floral notes.

The Bulleit 10 features dry spice, toast, marzipan, and dried fruit flavors. It’s definitely got a bit more complexity than the regular orange label version, but it maintains its spicy core. The finish is long, with still more woody spice and burnt vanilla.

All that wood and spice begs for a similarly bold cigar. Earthy and full-bodied cigars like the La Aroma Mi Amor or Padrón Family Reserve No. 45 Maduro are my recommendations.

This is a very nice bourbon and certainly even better than the already good original Bulleit, although people will have to decide for themselves if it’s really worth paying nearly twice as much. Still, it’s definitely a welcome addition to the ever-increasing number of quality bourbons on the market. It competes well with similarly-priced bourbons and is notable for its complex woodiness and spice.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Bulleit

I’ve seen it time and again in cigar shops, cigar bars, or at other cigar-friendly locales: misinformed smokers who hastily tap, smash, or smear their cigars in an ashtray after almost every puff. They know not the damage they cause.

Cigar smoking is all about taste, relaxation, and enjoyment. So while I’m all for the “to each his own” mentality, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the danger of over-ashing.

First, let’s remember that smoking a cigar is a lot like cooking dinner. You need the right amount of time and the right temperature to achieve the optimal flavor. In order to properly “cook” tobacco (i.e., in order to properly caramelize its sugars), I’m told the target is 494˚F at the foot.

No need to crack out that thermometer, though. Smoking cigars is more of an art than a science. Just remember that taking time between puffs and allowing the ash to build up will help maintain the proper temperature. You want cool, flavorful smoke. Over-ashing may increase a cigar’s heat and harshness by exposing the foot to excess oxygen.

Now I’m aware that some occasions call for more frequent ashing than is otherwise optimal. For instance, if you’re wearing new pants and don’t want to run the risk of a lapful. Or if you’re indoors and want to avoid spillage. Or if you’re trying a new stick and aren’t sure of its ash threshold.

No occasion, however, calls for the sort of over-ashing that I often observe. Likewise, it’s hard to imagine a scenario that merits stubbing out a finished premium cigar like a cigarette. Doing so results in a mass of foul odors and unpleasant smoke. An artisan craft like a handmade cigar deserves a respectful death—extinguishing in the ashtray peacefully on its own.

All this said, I’ve never considered myself one of those cigar enthusiasts who obsesses over achieving ashes of great length. Ashes that were featured by Nub in an ad campaign several years ago (pictured) are too intense for my liking. Cigars, after all, aren’t about competition. But any smoking method that produces the intended flavor profile and enhances enjoyment is worth practicing and promulgating.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Nub Cigar

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.”

Made at the prolific Raices Cubanas factory with oversight and blending assistance from Alec Bradley’s Alan Rubin, El Diario is a full-bodied blend with a Honduran wrapper, double binders, and filler from Honduras and Nicaragua. KB is short for “Kill Bill,” because of how full-bodied La Palina founder Bill Paley found the cigar. It’s not the most full-bodied cigar you’ll smoke, but it’s no lightweight; lots of dark chocolate, earth, and spice. At $35 for a four-pack, it’s pretty expensive for such a small cigar (4.25 x 40), but it’s also plenty tasty.

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.”

If you’re the kind of cigar enthusiast who enjoys tons and tons of smoke production with each puff (I’m looking at you, Drew Estate fans), make sure to try the V32 Khilla Corona (4.9 x 50). It’s made by Berger & Argenti in the painstaking entubado fashion, which yields excellent combustion and enormous volumes of smoke. A Nicaraguan puro, it has a dark Jalapa wrapper around tobaccos from the Estelí, Condega, Jalapa, and Jinotega regions. Flavors of nougat, espresso, chocolate, and cedar abound. The cost is about $11 for a single, and it’s worth every penny. You can’t miss this smoke, what with its attention-grabbing bands and fuse-like core of ligero filler that extends beyond the foot.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

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) Cigars Direct, an online retailer based in Tampa, scored big when it brokered the sale of a 1,600-pound cigar to an undisclosed buyer outside the U.S. for $185,000. The 19-foot-long Gran Habano #5 El Gigante was owned by a Miami collector, according to the Tampa Tribune. The ring gauge is about 2,160 (3 feet) and 16,000 wrapper leaves were used, according to the paper. The headline: “How big is your humidor?” The buyer reportedly also bought 100 other high-end cigars costing $750 apiece.

2) We’re pleased to announce Chris G. of Pleasanton, California, as the winner of our latest giveaway. Chris’ entry was chosen by Ron “Jaws” Jaworski himself. He won two tickets to Jaws’ Super Bowl Cigar Party ($1,000 value), an event that took place last night at the Bourbon Vieux on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. We hope you had a great time, Chris!

3) Inside the Industry: Ortega Cigars has released its first three “Wild Bunch” cigars. Cusano Founder Mike Chiusano, now reunited with his brother at C&C Cigars, recently rolled out his new Loose Cannon line in two blends, one with an Indonesian Sumatra wrapper and one with a Dominican Habano wrapper.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan fires up an Avo Heritage. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Nicaraguan Cigar Co. Condega Maduro. Cigar Brief smokes Headley Grange. Stogie Review reviews a Dunhill Aged 2003. Cigar Inspector inspects La Gloria Cubana Torpedo.

5) Deal of the Week:  The Annual Cigar Family Charitable Foundation cigar pack supports the children of the Dominican Republic. This special and very limited $50 gift pack includes one special edition each of the Fuente Fuente Opus X Figurado and Julius Caesar by Diamond Crown Figurado.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Cigars Direct

Haven’t heard of J. Grotto? Don’t feel bad. Until recently, I knew nothing about the line made by the Rhode Island-based Ocean State Cigars.

Fortunately, the company doesn’t make its cigars in the Ocean State, but at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, one of the hottest and most prolific factories around. Raices also rolls cigars for Illusione, Alec Bradley, Viaje, and a number of other brands.

The J. Grotto Reserve has Honduran ligero and Nicaraguan Jalapa filler surrounded by a Honduran Criollo ’98 binder and a Criollo ’99 wrapper. The Lancero (7.5 x 41) is a new addition to a line that also includes a Gran Corona (5.6 X 46), Gran Robusto (5 X 52), Gran Toro (6 x 52), and Gordo (6 x 60).

According to a press release from the company, production of the limited release Lancero was delayed three months due to demand-driven production delays at Raices Cubanas. Even when the delay was overcome, only 1,000 total cigars were made with 100 boxes of 10 being reserved for stores hosting J. Grotto events. (I received three cigars to sample directly from Ocean State.)

It’s a good-looking Lancero with a reddish wrapper that features a bit of oil. It’s a bit spongy but, when it comes to the lancero size, this doesn’t bother me; an overly tight draw is a far more common problem on long, thin vitolas.

Once lit, I find a flavor profile dominated by clove and nutmeg. There’s also earth and roast cashew, with just a hint of cedary spice on the finish, the only spice the cigar demonstrates. Construction is excellent, with no ill effects from the seemingly loose draw.

The cigar is medium-bodied and mostly balanced, though it adds some grittiness towards the final third. It’s smooth, flavorful, and highly enjoyable. The smoothness comes, I suspect, from the fact that the cigar is made of tobacco that has been aged three full years.

At $7.95 per cigar, this is an impressive smoke worth seeking out, even if finding it may be difficult (retailers that do get it will only be getting four boxes each). With smooth, medium-bodied flavors and excellent construction, the J. Grotto Reserve Lancero Limitado earns an impressive four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Most of us are all too familiar with the many cigar-related gadgets on the market. From cigar holders for the golf course to unique and expensive lighters, cutters, and humidor accessories, the manufacturers and retailers of these products would have us believe that no cigar enthusiast is complete without gadgets. Nothing could be further from the truth.

But I’m willing to consider utilitarian products that I can envision being helpful on a routine basis—especially if they’re inexpensive. The new Screwpop Cigar Punch falls into this category. I’ve been using one for the past couple of weeks (provided to me by Screwpop, in the interest of full disclosure), and I’ve found it to be a decent addition to my keychain.

The Screwpop Cigar Punch is a bottle opener/punch cutter that securely clamps around a keychain (or pretty much anything else—like a clip on a golf bag, a belt loop, or the eyelet of a zipper). It has a rust-resistant body comprised of aluminum so, while it will add bulk to your keychain, it certainly won’t weigh you down.

As a bottle opener, it works perfectly. To reveal the cigar punch, simply unscrew the aluminum cap. The punch itself is sharp and functions just as you’d expect. I’ve tried it on a number of cigars of varying size and wrapper type and found no problems. Just like any other punch, though, you wouldn’t want to use it on torpedos.

My only concern with the product is the possibility of losing the screw cap that protects the punch. Once separated, there’s nowhere to affix the cap as you’re punching the cigar. Obviously, if you were to lose the cap, you may not want to keep Screwpop on your keychain or elsewhere since the sharp cutter will be exposed. Accidents happen.

That said, I can recommend this product to cigar enthusiasts who prefer punch cuts and also have an affinity for beer. And at only $7.95 from Cigars International, you won’t have to break the bank to give it a try.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys