The Stogie Guys

Yesterday, Patrick A wrote about the cigars he blended while attending Cigar Safari. Today I’m looking at my creations. Like my colleague, I blended two cigars: one at Joya de Nicaragua, and the other at Drew Estate. Unlike my previous experiences blending cigars, these cigars were rolled by experienced cigar makers, which is nice since the other blends I created (at La Aurora and General Cigar’s Dominican factories) were rolled mostly by me, meaning it was had to know whether the blend or just the rolling was sub-standard.

For both cigars I had one shared goal—to create a balanced cigar—along with flavor profiles I was seeking to create. In both cases, the cigars turned out smokeable, though they certainly aren’t better than the professional blends coming from either factory.

Joya de Nicaragua Blend
Wrapper: Habano criollo
Binder: Ecuador Connecticut
Filler: Jalapa seco (25%), Estelí viso (25%), Jalapa viso (25%), Estelí ligero (25%)
Size: 5.5 x 48

Here my goal was a medium-bodied cigar with plenty of balance and only a little spice. And while it isn’t the most harmonious cigar I’ve ever tried, I think I mostly hit those goals, though I don’t really know if it ended up like the “sample” I rolled myself. It’s leathery, earthy, and oaky, all of which makes it downright pleasant to smoke. If I was grading the half dozen or so samples I’ve smoked, I’d probably give it 3.5 stogies out of five (also known as a cigar I’d actually spend money on if it was reasonably priced) which probably says more about the relatively fool-proof options we were given than my own blending skills.

Drew Estate Blend
Wrapper: Brazilian mata fina oscuro
Binder: Habano Ecuador
Filler: Estelí seco (15%), Estelí viso (15%), Jalapa criollo (30%), mata fina (40%)
Size: 6 x 46

Interestingly, though completely unplanned, my colleague and I ended up selecting fairly similar blends from the plethora of options provided by Drew Estate. Like him, I’m a big fan of Brazilian mata fina tobacco, so both our cigars ended up featuring a mata fina wrapper and significant amounts of mata fina filler. While not as balanced as I thought it might turn out, this has become much better in the almost four months since I first smoked it fresh a few days after it was rolled. Still, the large percentage of mata fina overwhelms the blend and unfortunately does so not with the dark chocolate I hoped for, but with a slight sourness that permeates the entire cigar. While I thought this might be the better of the two smokes, it turned out that the Joya de Nicaragua blend was superior in almost every way.

In previous blending seminars, I found a common mistake was to use too much ligero tobacco, which often creates a strong but unbalanced smoke. I successfully avoided that pitfall, but that didn’t necessarily mean the results were fantastic. Most of all, the experience reminded me why the great cigars we enjoy, and even take for granted, are the result of many, often dozens, of blends.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As you may remember from all of our coverage in late May, this spring I journeyed to Estelí, Nicaragua, to participate in Drew Estate’s unforgettable Cigar Safari adventure.

There, in addition to getting to tour the factories where some of the world’s best cigars are made, I got the awesome opportunity to blend two cigars: one at Joya de Nicaragua, and the other at Drew Estate. Today I’d like to present my work to you, now that I’ve had ample time to allow the cigars to rest and to smoke a fair number of my samples.

I’d like to point out two things about both cigars before getting into the details. First, I did not grow, cultivate, ferment, or actually roll any of the cigars. All the hard work was done by the fine folks at Joya de Nicaragua and Drew Estate, respectively. My role consisted of walking into a room full of tobacco and selecting a wrapper, a binder, and a filler blend from available tobaccos. As such, the process was fairly idiot-proof—almost anyone could have turned out a decent-tasting smoke since either factory has wonderful tobacco to work with.

Second, while most folks presented with this opportunity might try to produce a cigar tailored for their palate, I set out with a specific goal for each cigar, and then tried to select a blend that would hit the mark. As you’ll see below, for one of these cigars I think I succeeded; for the other, not so much (but I’m not complaining about the result).

Joya de Nicaragua Blend
Wrapper: Connecticut Ecuador
Binder: Habano volado
Filler: Condega seco (30%), Estelí viso (40%), Condega ligero (30%)
Size: 5.5 x 48

My objective with this cigar was to produce a mild, creamy smoke that would be excellent with a morning cup of coffee. I couldn’t be more pleased with the result. This beautiful, golden cigar burns like a champ and yields a nice flavor of cream, butter, almond, and just a bit of spice. I got ten of these from Joya de Nicaragua and I’ve almost completely blazed through the entire stash. I may have to fly back down to Nicaragua to see if I can get more. While Joya de Nicaragua isn’t known for making mild smokes, this one turned out wonderfully.

Drew Estate Blend
Wrapper: Brazilian mata fina oscuro
Binder: Habano Ecuador
Filler: Estelí seco (33%), Jalapa ligero (33%), Brazilian mata fina (33%)
Size: 5.25 x 42

My objective here was to get a medium-bodied smoke that’s low on spice but big on dark chocolate flavors—something that would pair nicely with a glass of red wine. That’s why I loaded it up with mata fina, a tobacco that’s typically sweet and chocolaty. In my blend, though, the Habano Ecuador binder and seco and ligero fillers unexpectedly shine though. The result is a profile devoid of chocolate or any sweetness. Instead, the flavor packs dry spice, leather, and oak. I like this cigar, and it is getting better each month, but it isn’t at all what I had intended.

Regardless of either result, blending these cigars was one of the most rewarding and educational cigar experiences I’ve ever had. Thanks again to everyone at Drew Estate and Joya de Nicaragua for the opportunity. Until my next visit, I won’t quit my day job.

–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.”

This new Toro (6 x 54) has a soft box-press and will be hitting shelves later this month. It features a pale brown criollo ’98 wrapper from the San Andeas region in Mexico that surrounds a Dominican binder and Nicaraguan filler. The cigar produces pleasant mild to medium cafe au lait flavors with excellent balance and some spice that builds. Construction is excellent. A fine, well-made cigar, though it hardly wowed me.

Verdict = Hold.

–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.”

Joya de Nicaragua is (deservedly) getting a lot of attention these days for its newest release, Cuenca y Blanco. But I recently sat down with the Peligroso size (5 x 44) of the older Antaño Dark Corojo blend. This Nicaraguan puro boasts a dark, oily wrapper, excellent combustion qualities, and a bold, rich flavor of espresso, dark chocolate, and spice. It’s a wonderful smoke that’s full-bodied yet smooth and never harsh. What’s more, the Peligroso is a great value at around $5-6 for a single.

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) The spread of government-imposed smoking bans is not limited to only North America and Europe. In Lebanon, smoking was criminalized in restaurants and bars starting on Monday. “Restaurant owners and employees have staged a sit-in to protest the new smoking ban in closed public places,” according to the Washington Post. “A recent study showed about half of Lebanon’s adults are smokers,” though most choose cigarettes or water pipes over cigars. Nonetheless, the issue of smoking freedom is expected to become a more prevalent discussion at the global level over the coming years, especially as the populations of emerging market economies start to amass the disposable income required to smoke cigars.

2) An interesting article in the New York Times this week profiled Ana Pérez, a Cuban-born 26-year-old based in New Jersey who works part-time as a cigar roller. “She is one of eight young and attractive cigar-rolling women employed by a company called Cigar Dolls (website here), which is based in Miami,” reads the article. “Though its roots are in Cuba, cigar rolling is big business in New York, Florida, and many places around the world where Cubans have popularized the craft at Cuban restaurants, weddings, and other events.”

3) Inside the Industry: Avo is adding a “Special Toro” to its Heritage line, although it will only be available in limited quantities. The cigar will be 6 inches long with a 60 ring-gauge, a first for the Heritage blend, and will sell for just under $10. Like the other four Heritage sizes, the Special Toro will use Dominican ligero, Dominican seco, and Peruvian seco fillers, along with a Dominican San Vicente binder and a Cuban-seed wrapper from Ecuador.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan fires up an Aging Room M356. Nice Tight Ash checks out a Bonita Smoke Shop Time Warp. Cigar Brief smokes a La Perla Habana Black Pearl. Stogie Review reviews a Herederos de Robaina. Cigar Inspector inspects a Fuente Fuente Opus X. A Cigar Smoker smokes the Hoyo de Tradición.

5) Deal of the Week: Here’s a deal literally created just for Stogie Guys readers. The “Stogie Guys Cigar Sampler”—offered by longtime supporter Corona Cigar—contains seven cigars for just $29.95 (plus free shipping on your entire order). The sampler includes limited edition cigars from Avo and Davidoff, plus cigars from by Rocky Patel, J.C. Newman, Casa Fernandez, and two Corona “house” blends. Pick yours up here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

In this segment of Random Thoughts from the Humidor, I pontificate on the upcoming football season, Lance Armstrong, and observe the latest from Puro PAC.

Football and Cigars

Baseball is still my favorite sport to watch with a cigar (the pace of the game and the long season is perfect for relaxing with a cigar), but football is a close second. Finding a cigar shop with your game on television is a goldmine, while watching the Sunday night game (which streams for free online) isn’t bad either on a crisp fall night on my balcony. My favorite Super Bowl viewing experience was at Shelly’s Backroom, although that had more to do with the fact that my Giants beat the undefeated Patriots that year.

Lance the Dope(r)

Following years of allegations that Lance Armstrong cheated his way to his historic victories in the Tour de France, the U.S. Anti-Doping Association has stripped him of all seven of his Tour de France titles. Lance claims the government agency lacks the power to do this and claims it is all a political attack against him, but has dropped all his legal challenges to the agency’s actions. Meanwhile, Armstrong continues to push for the government to control the lives of adults who choose to use tobacco and relentlessly attacks those who oppose his efforts. Does he see the irony (or hypocrisy) of complaining when the government supposedly overreaches against him for putting a foreign substance in his body, while at the same time pushing the government to interfere even more into the lives of millions of others who choose a different (and legal) substance? I doubt it.

Puro PAC Supports Cigar Bill Co-Sponsors (And Some Who Aren’t)

Puro PAC, the “Super PAC” created to fight for Cigar Rights in Washington, has been busy raising money and supporting candidates (so far the PAC hasn’t reported any independent expenditures). According to the most recent reports, all of the money is going to incumbents (though recipient Shelly Berkley (D-NV), a cosponsor of H.R. 1639, is currently challenging Republican Dean Heller for his Senate seat). Roughly two-thirds of the money has gone to Republicans. Of the 46 recipients of Puro PAC contributions, all but seven are co-sponsors of either the Senate or House versions of the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Preservation Act. Those who aren’t include Speaker John Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey (who apparently raises money at cigar events but also voted for FDA regulation of tobacco to begin with and led the charge to raise the SCHIP tax), and non-cosponsoring Representatives Leonard Boswell (D-IA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), and noted cigar smoker Gerry Connolly (D-VA).

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I’m never quite sure whether it’s God or the devil in the details, but there’s little doubt that such attention makes a big difference.

This hit home for me the other day when I was smoking at a local shop. I’d walked back to the counter to use a lighter to correct an errant burn.

“Do you want some matches?” the clerk asked. I said yes, and she handed me a box decorated with colorful Drew Estate regalia. The first thing I noticed was that the matches were a bit longer than the usual “penny” size. That’s a nice touch for a cigar smoker, who generally needs a longer-lasting flame than someone lighting a cigarette or tossing a match on fluid-soaked charcoal briquettes.

What really made an impression, though, was the way they ignited and burned. The head went up immediately, requiring little pressure, which greatly reduced the likelihood of the matchstick breaking. And the head burned smoothly, fully, and evenly.

OK, I probably sound like I’m going overboard. But I couldn’t help but think that the matches were a reflection of the way Drew Estate approaches its business. Careful attention to everything and making sure all that’s done is done right, whether every customer will notice or not.

I had a similar experience with Aging Room cigars. The bands on the M-356 and Quattro sticks I’ve smoked were applied without glue all the way to the end. There’s a little bit left out and easy to grab for removing the band.

That’s been the case for the six or eight of these cigars I’ve smoked, and maybe I’m jumping to a conclusion. But I know that for someone who likes to remove the bands from his cigars and is often struggling to get them loose without tearing the wrapper, this is great.

So even though I can’t answer the question with which I started, I can say this: The best companies create the best impressions when nothing escapes their attention. And when it’s a cigar maker, there’s added pleasure for those consuming their products.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr