The Stogie Guys

Yesterday, my colleague reviewed the J.P.G. Little Havana Overruns Corona, a budget-priced cigar by super-blender Jose Pepin Garcia made for retailer Holt’s. Today, I look at a cigar with a similar pedigree and value-oriented price: L’Atelier Trocadéro Cambon.

L’Atelier is a new company headed by Pete Johnson of Tatuaje fame. While Tatuaje (and all of Pete’s other brands up until this summer) fall under the “Pete Johnson Havana Cellars” umbrella, L’Atelier is a new company, with a new lineup of cigars at various price points ranging from the Behike-esque L’Atelier to the value-priced Trocadéro and El Suelo.

Trocadéro’s biggest selling point is it’s price, which is around $3 per cigar when bought by the 20-count bundle, and only fifty cents or so more individually. The cigar is blended by Jaime Garcia for Pete Johnson and made at Garcia’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. It features an Ecuadorian Habano rosado wrapper, a Connecticut broadleaf binder, and Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos.

Trocadéro comes in three sizes:  Honore (5.75 x 56), Montaigne (6.25 x 60), and Cambon (5.25 x 52). I smoked three of the Cambon format for this review, each from a five-pack I purchased online for $16.

The cigar is medium-bodied with simplistic damp earth and roasted nut flavors. Towards the end, there’s some coffee and cinnamon notes, but the damp flavor holds the cigar back. Construction is excellent, and shows none of the pitfalls that $3 cigars sometimes suffer from. The burn was even, the ash stable, and the draw easy.

So is this the magical cigar that costs $3 but tastes like a cigar two or three times the price? Unfortunately not. In fact, when it comes to $3-4 budget cigars made by the Garcias, I prefer Ambos Mundos, Tatuaje Serie P, or Benchmade. Ultimately the L’Atelier Trocadéro is what it says it is: a medium-bodied, value-priced, well-made cigar that’s pleasant enough, but hardly complex or distinguished. That earns the L’Atelier Trocadéro Cambon a rating of three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This bargain basement bundle cigar from Holt’s Cigar Co. is sometimes the subject of speculation on cigar forums. Its origins offer a lot for those drawn to intrigue.

First, they’re produced by Jose “Pepin” Garcia (the J.P.G. in the title), the master blender behind quite a few of Holt’s/Ashton big name cigars, such as La Aroma de Cuba and San Cristobal. Second, the Overruns are said to be rolled “in the heart of Little Havana” where Pepin established his reputation—this despite the fact that Don Pepin’s operation moved from Miami to Doral, Florida, sometime back.) And finally, the Overruns name lends itself to the belief that the cigars are somehow related to one of Garcia’s high-priced, more famous cigars.

Sorry, but I’m not buying it.

I picked up a bundle of the 5.5-inch, 44-ring gauge Coronas for $44.95 out of curiosity. And they turned out to be about what I’d expect for such an inexpensive cigar from a quality shop. That is a well-made, relatively OK stick that tastes to me like it is composed of lower quality, less finely prepared tobaccos.

I found a little of Don Pepin’s signature pepper, but the degree of harshness is far more than you’ll experience in any of his high-quality productions. It’s the kind of cigar I would smoke but would never miss if I didn’t ever light it up again.

If you’re looking for a cigar to hand out to semi-smoking friends at poker games or on the golf course, use as a yard ‘gar, or light up as a fishing companion, this is not a bad choice. If you think you’ve discovered some Tatuajes or Blue Labels going for under $3 apiece, I think you’ll be disappointed.

This cigar rates three stogies out of five.

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

–George

photo credit: Holt’s Cigar Co.

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.”

Recently introduced, this new Nicaraguan puro is made for 262 Cigars at Plasencia’s factory in Estelí. According to a press release, the cigar features “a wrapper from the Jalapa Valley, a double binder of both Jalapa and Estelí tobaccos, and a rare combination of Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa seco, viso, and ligero for the filler.” The resulting cigar costs about $8 and  is earthy with coffee, chocolate, and roasted flavors. It’s full-bodied and well-made.

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.”

Early this year, my colleague gave the Toro in this line a sterling four-stogie rating. The 5-inch, 50-ring gauge Robusto is right there with it. Blended by Don Pepin Garcia, this smoke has some of his familiar touches, such as spice and pepper. But it’s no one-dimensional cigar; the array of flavors and changes create a terrific smoke. El Tiante cigars aren’t available everywhere, so don’t miss the chance to try one when you get it.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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) Russia, the largest country in the world in terms of landmass, is moving forward with plans to ban advertising of tobacco products and outlaw smoking in most public places, including restaurants and cafes. “We have to move towards civilization, like the rest of the world,” said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the main proponent of the legislation. According to the Associated Press, 40% of Russian adults smoke, and “smoking rates have shot up in the past two decades, fueled by extremely low prices for cigarettes…”

2) Tonight is the debut of the Liga Privada Único Serie Velvet Rat, a new cigar from Drew Estate that measures 6.25 inches long with a ring gauge of 46 and a price tag of $14. Only 40 pre-release bundles of 10 will be sold this evening at Tesa, a Chicago retailer that has been a longtime supporter of Jonathan Drew. The Velvet Rat will be available on a larger scale in 2013. Patrick A will be at Tesa this evening to (hopefully) purchase a few Velvet Rats.

3) Inside the Industry: As part of its Punch tailgaiting promotion, Punch is giving away one six-pack of cigars every day. Following up on Tatuaje Anarchy, a Smoke Inn exclusive, the “Tatuaje Apocalypse” will be released in early December. Riverside Cigars in Indiana is hosting the national launch for the new 262 The Revere cigar line today.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a Fernando León Family Reserve. Half Wheel revisits the Para Japón by La Aurora. Cigar Inspector inspects the Fuente Chateau Fuente. Cigar Coop smokes Freedom by Rocky Patel.

5) Deal of the Week: Corona Cigar (home of the Stogie Guys sampler) is offering a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Sampler” with 11 (or 13, depending on how you count them) cigars for just $40. Included are five Don Pepin JJ Maduros and five Cuban Classics, plus a Corona Cigar Dos Capas Culebra.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

If you’re concerned about the tyranny of the majority—and cigar smokers should be since we are the minority—then there is no greater danger than the referendum, that popularity contest that bypasses the legislative process for a quick “yea” or “nay” headcount.

We don’t have anything like it at the national level (be thankful for that), but state and local governments often employ referendums to enact policies. California is a national leader in policy-by-referendum (and also a leader in individual liberty abuses). Some of you will recall when, in early June, Californians headed to the polls to vote on Prop. 29, a measure that would have increased already-high cigar taxes in the Golden State by a whopping 73%, crushed cigar shops statewide, and paved the way for similar tax hikes in other states. While that measure was ultimately defeated by a razor-thin margin, the referendum threat looms large for cigar smokers in California and beyond.

That threat is very real right now in North Dakota and Missouri, two states that are taking advantage of the upcoming election to enable their citizens to vote away cigar rights. In North Dakota, a statewide smoking ban with no exemption for cigar shops is at stake. The outlook is bleak, according to the NBC affiliate in Bismarck, which is projecting a solid 62% to 35% split in favor of the law that would criminalize indoor smoking in virtually all “public” places. “CRA will be spreading the word through shop owners like Todd Pryor of Great Plains Smoke Shop that this referendum is an affront to small business, property rights, and the patrons his shop serves,” said J. Glynn Loope of Cigar Rights of America.

Meanwhile, in Missouri, Prop. B will increase the state tax on cigars by 15% if passed. We’re told the increased revenue will be earmarked for education and smoking cessation programs, but critics point to the ability of politicians to re-appropriate the funds. “CRA stands with state legislators like Missouri State Senator Jim Lembke of St. Louis, who opposes the tobacco tax increase,” said Loope.

In an “Action Alert” email, Loope re-emphasizes the threat of tyranny of the majority: “If you’re in Missouri or North Dakota, rally your cigar brethren for the November 6 election to defeat these measures…Both referendums need to be soundly defeated, but it is a very challenging task. It’s simple math, which is why our opponents like referendums. There are more of them than us.”

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

This addition to the line that introduced many smokers to Oliva comes after years of rumors. There’s a lot to live up to for a stick that bears the name of the 19th century patriarch of the storied tobacco family, in addition to that of the highly regarded Serie V moniker.

Melanio does the job. It’s a fairly strong cigar that’s both tasty and smooth, combining an Ecuadorian-grown Sumatra-seed wrapper with a mix of Nicaraguan filler in a Nicaraguan binder. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better constructed cigar, from the sharp burn to the excellent draw. Two standout components are massive smoke production and a fine, lingering finish to treat the palate.

Another job the Melanio accomplished was to get me smoking an Oliva again after a long, long layoff. I like and have smoked many of its offerings, but it’s been a while. Much of the company’s focus and attention seems to have gone into other projects, such Nub and Cain, and I think that’s helped divert me as well.

One criticism I have for the Melanio is Oliva’s decision not to use cellophane. The wrapper is delicate and seems to be easily banged up. In fact, selecting a stick from the boxes of ten, featured for the five Melanio vitolas, can be a challenge.

Perhaps reflecting the trend toward larger ring gauges, the rectangular-pressed Churchill is a 50 rather than the more traditional 48, though it is the standard seven inches in length.

I found this size a good showcase for the Melanio’s offerings. I probably shouldn’t say this because I don’t really have enough experience to make a competent observation but, hey, we’re all friends, right? This cigar struck me as a great, old-fashioned smoke, one your grandfather would have enjoyed and you will, too.

At around $12, this cigar is higher-priced than many Olivas. I think you’ll find it worth the extra money. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys