The 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 cigar is another entry in the lower price Nicaraguan puro sweepstakes. Called a Robusto Grande with a 54 ring gauge and measuring a shade over 5 inches in length, it runs about $5 per stick. The cigar has some strength and isn’t particularly complex, with predominantly woody flavors and lots of smoke. The name, if you’re curious, honors master blender Arsenio Ramos. Worth a try, but I’d be surprised if it makes a lasting impression.

Verdict = Hold.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

StogieGuys.com is taking the rest of the week off as Patrick A and Patrick S travel from Chicago and Washington, respectively, to visit the fine folks at Drew Estate in Estelí, Nicaragua. We’ll return to our daily coverage of the world of cigars on Saturday, May 26. In the meantime, feel free to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as we participate in Drew Estate’s Cigar Safari. And be sure to come back to StogieGuys.com next week as we share exciting content from our smoke-filled adventure.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Drew Estate Blog

Buying cigars with serious age can be difficult. Fortunately for me, I live near the McLean Cigars PG Boutique, home base of Paul Garmirian Cigars, a company that takes seriously their commitment never to rush cigars to market.

And while all of their cigars are aged for years before they are sold, at their shop they have an even more special collection of cigars that have been aged for well over a decade, including many from the first years of PG Cigars, which was founded in 1991.

On my last trip to McLean, I selected a four-pack of Petit Bouquet-sized PG’s from the original PG release in 1991. The four -pack slide box ran me $44, or $11 each, a lot for a short cigar (4.5 x 38) were it not for the over two decades of age on these Connecticut-wrapped Dominicans.

To get some details on the cigar, I emailed Kevork Garmirian of PG and also asked him for more details about PG’s aging process and philosophy “So many wonderful things can happen to cigars as they rest,” he told me. “It’s good to know when a particular filler or wrapper was grown, but what’s even more interesting is the balance with other tobaccos, their age, and how long it has been since the cigar was rolled.”

“We get a lot of compliments on our PGs and I think that has a lot to do with our ‘staggered’ ordering and aging process,” he continued. “We order cigars about 3 years in advance. With the exception of our Limited Edition that we’ll release in a few months, the cigars that I receive in 2012 will age in our U.S. warehouse for a 2015 release.”

Despite over 20 years of age (Kevork tells me the tobacco is from the late 80s) the little Petit Bouquet shows some rich flavors. Cedar is dominant, but there’s also hints of honey, hay, oak, cereal, and clove-like spice. It’s perfectly balanced and mild- to medium-bodied.

One word of advice: Be careful removing the cellophane, as years of oils have nearly fused the cigar to the protective plastic wrapper on some of the samples I smoked. So long as I successfully removed the cigar from its wrapper, I found construction to be flawless.

Ultimately, the Petit Bouquet isn’t my favorite PG cigar (my preferred profile is more full-bodied, like the 15th Anniversary), or even my favorite aged PG (the larger Belicoso Fino, also from 1991, has more depth) but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an enjoyable smoke and a great experience. I’d even say that for providing almost a full hour of enjoyment, the cigar is a good value at $11. Depth of flavor, value, flawless construction, and a unique experience earn this 21-year-old Paul Garmirian Petit Bouquet a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select bourbon has been on the market for 15 years. It is known for having a relatively high percentage of rye in its recipe, as well as for having very little sour in each batch to enable the mash to remain crisp.

This spring, Woodford Reserve released its Double Oaked expression. Like Distiller’s Select, it is made at the Woodford Reserve Distillery, a National Historic Landmark that dates back to 1812 when it was called the Labrot & Graham Distillery. The operation is credited with improving such vital bourbon processes as sour-mash fermentation, pot still distillation, and barrel maturation.

Double Oaked is essentially the same bourbon as Distiller’s Select. But after Distiller’s Select is fermented, distilled, and aged in new, charred, white oak barrels, the bourbon that’s designated for Double Oaked bottles is re-barreled in heavily toasted oak barrels at 110-proof for another 6-12 moths—essentially doubling the spirit’s exposure to oak. The final product is 90.4-proof.

“The re-barreling of mature Woodford Reserve…allows the spirit to extract an additional amount of soft, sweet oak character without the aggressive charred notes obtained from typical bourbon barrels,” says Chris Morris, Woodford Reserve’s master distiller. “This unique practice has created bourbon that is rich in honey, chocolate, marzipan, and spiced apple character.”

Double Oaked is a dark amber in the bottle and slightly lighter in the glass. Its aroma is oaky and buttery with faint cinnamon and brown sugar. Once sipped, the flavor reminds me of dry wood, vanilla, apple, candied walnuts, and honey. The complexity is more pronounced than Distiller’s Select, and the smoothness and drinkability of the spirit makes it easy to appreciate the nuances of the taste.

Double Oaked would no doubt be a treat for any cigar/bourbon enthusiast, especially since the flavor pairs so well with a balanced yet full-bodied cigar like the Tesa 312. For me, though, it will have to be an occasional indulgence because the price is often $50 or more per bottle. In fact, the bottle I purchased for this review cost me $66 here in Chicago.

If you’re looking for an everyday bourbon, I’d recommend Distiller’s Select or one of the many other fine bourbons that are available for around $30. If you’re looking for something special, though, Double Oaked is a fine choice that won’t disappoint.

–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.”

Flor de las Antillas, the latest highly anticipated release from My Father Cigars, has made it to cigar shop shelves. I grabbed the large 6.5-inch Toro—one of four vitolas—as soon as I could and was not disappointed. The wrapper was darker and oilier than most photos I’ve seen of pre-release sticks. It is not as strong as the stereotypical Pepin Nicaraguan puro, but it is every bit as flavorful, with a little pepper, bread, cedar, and graham cracker smoothly mixed. I was every bit as pleased as I hoped I would be, and I can’t wait to smoke more.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

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 is one of 15 exclusive cigars I received from Tatuaje when I signed up for Pete Johnson’s Saints & Sinners club for $150. Said to be similar to the Verocu, it combines Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos with a Habano Ecuador wrapper. The result is a smooth, medium-bodied smoke with spice, cream, and black licorice. The Proto 4 is a memorable cigar and my favorite among the other Protos I’ve smoked to date.

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) Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) are trying to ban flavored cigars at the national level, but officials in Miami-Dade County aren’t content to wait on that bill to move through the legislative process. This week commissioners voted 12-1 to preliminarily approve a measure that would criminalize flavored cigars completely in the south Florida county, which is home to 2.5 million residents. The supposed intent of the restriction would be to cut back on underage smoking, but it is already illegal for minors to purchase tobacco. While this law would not impact the legality of handmade premium cigars, defenders of cigar rights should keep an eye on the movement to restrict the sale of flavored cigars.

2) To mark the launch of the new Hoyo de Monterrey website, General Cigar is hosting a “Box a Day Giveaway.” From now through July 31, you can visit the website to enter to win a box of Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros cigars. Winners will be announced every Monday on the website, as well as on Hoyo’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.

3) Inside the Industry: Davidoff’s Puro d’Oro line is getting a makeover, dropping the simple gold foot band for a band that more closely resembles other Davidoff cigars. Nestor Miranda and Miami Cigar & Co. have announced that a 2012 edition of their Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve will debut at the IPCPR Trade Show in August, featuring a stronger blend with Nicaraguan fillers and a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Brief smokes a Swag Lavish Robusto. Cigar Explorer explores an E Doble by Erik Espinoza. Cigar Fan fires up a La Casita Criolla. Stogie Review reviews a Padilla Studio Tobac Special Edition Figuardo. Cigar Inspector inspects a Fuente Opus X Fuente Fuente 2001. Tiki Bar kicks back with a My Father Flor de Las Antillas.

5) Deal of the Week: Smoke Inn is taking pre-orders on the new Arturo Fuente Polaris. The cigar is a first from Fuente, a micro-blend, with only 550 boxes made. Boxes of 10 are just $89 and if you order now you get a free Fuente T-shirt.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Wikipedia