The Stogie Guys

Like my colleagues, I’m an unabashed fan of Paul Gamirian’s cigars. I can’t think of one I’ve smoked I didn’t find to be excellent, and I’d heartily agree with Patrick A’s five-stogie review of the Symphony 20th. That cigar would be on my desert island list.

But until recently I’d not only never smoked anything from the PG Artisan’s Passion line, I‘d never seen them. And even though Patrick S reviewed it in 2011, I wanted to sing its praises as well.

This three-cigar line stands out for quite a few reasons. Perhaps most noticeable is the price. The short robusto is $7.60 and each of the others rises by 60 cents. For a manufacturer who specializes in finely crafted, aged cigars blended from top-grade tobaccos, that’s a good price.

Another noticeable factor is a powerful, full-bodied smoke that’s composed of all Dominican tobaccos, still unusual this many years after the introduction of Opus X.

The 52-ring gauge cigar starts with pepper that recedes quickly, overtaken by a pleasant taste of grass and hay. It produces tons of smoke from the start and burns evenly from beginning to end.

At the halfway point of the six-inch stick, there’s a terrific mix of spice and sweetness that carries through for another inch or so. The blend is incredibly smooth and the finish is great.

If you’re lucky enough to find this cigar, light it up. I think you’ll agree that it earns four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I think it was Woody Allen who said 80 percent of life is showing up. Well, I got part of my percent the other day when I won a box of Di Fazio Picoso Torpedos from The Cigar Station last month for what I believe was the electronic equivalent of showing. I registered at the site, which plays music, interviews, and other cigar-related material.

I’ve smoked a couple, and they’re nice cigars—spicy, well-made, and smooth. Di Fazio  is a relatively new company, starting operations in 2008 with headquarters in Miami. The Picoso is made in Honduras, and I wrote a Quick Smoke on the Churchill last year.

I thought I should share my good fortune, so we’ve cooked up another contest to give StogieGuys.com readers a chance to win a Picoso five-pack. The goal of this contest is to support the backbone of our hobby: the cigar shop. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post that includes this sentence:

“I will buy a cigar in person at a cigar shop the next time I get a chance.”

For most of us, that’s a pretty simple promise. Some of you, though, live a long way from a B&M. That’s OK. We trust you. If you say you’ll do it, you’ll do it, whether it’s tomorrow or two years from now. You’re all on the honor system.

Here’s the fine print: Please enter only once. Include an email address so we can contact you to get your mailing address if you win. (If you’re concerned about spammers, feel free to wrinkle it up by spelling “@” or writing .com as “.cXX”. Just don’t make it so clever that we can’t figure it out.) The winner will be chosen at random in a week, and the judges’ decision is final. The rest of the fine print can be read here.

Since Di Fazio was kind enough to supply the cigar, I’d recommend you purchase one from their lines if the shop you visit carries them. But whatever you buy, enjoy it. And tell ’em StogieGuys.com sent you.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

A few weeks back I reviewed the new Viaje Skull and Bones FOAB (Father of All Bombs), and shortly after took a look at the 2012 MOAB (Mother of All Bombs). Today I review the third (and final) variation from the 2012 class of Viaje Skull and Bones: the “Red” Skull and Bones WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction).

The short, stout cigar is just 3.75 inches long with a ring gauge of 54. Only 7,500 cigars were made, coming in 300 boxes of 25 and selling for $9 each (around $225 per box). Fortunately, I picked up a five-pack just as they were released because they sold out days later.

The blend is 100% Nicaraguan tobacco with a criollo wrapper around unspecified Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The cigar is firm to the touch and the wrapper has a bit of sheen and a few veins.

Once lit, I found a full-bodied cigar with bready and warm tobacco favors. Surprisingly—for a “nuclear” cigar with a “be warned” notice—it was not spicy at all, and frankly not even overly full-bodied. In the second half of the short smoke, it revealed a slight sourness.

Ultimately, it tastes a little young, making me wonder if more time might bring out more subtleties in this blend. On the positive side, the hour-long smoke demonstrated excellent construction from start to finish with an even burn, solid ash, and perfect draw.

Making the obvious comparison to Viaje’s other Skull and Bones releases, it’s easy to conclude that this is my least favorite of this year’s batch. It’s not a bad cigar, but it is underwhelming, especially for the steep price considering the small size. It’s also, somewhat surprisingly (given the nuclear vs. non-nuclear designations), not as full-bodied as the MOAB or FOAB.

When I lit up my first 2012 WMD, I expected a nuclear bomb of flavor, but instead got a fairly nondescript, though full-bodied and full-flavored smoke. Maybe it’s a victim of its own hype, but the Viaje Skull and Bones WMD 2012 is a classic case of good but not great, earning it a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This year’s industry trade show is still months away, but that doesn’t mean new cigars aren’t debuting in the interim. Case in point is Inferno, made by Oliva.

Inferno is available from Famous Smoke Shop, an online retailer based in Pennsylvania. “Inferno cigars are one of the newest additions to Oliva’s stable of fine Nicaraguan cigars,” reads the Famous website. “Despite its potency, the smoke is velvety smooth with a complexity that will delight you even more than the affordable price.”

The price certainly is attractive, with the Robusto (5 x 50) sold for $4.50 for a single or $72 for a box of 20. The other two sizes in the blend—Churchill (7 x 50) and Toro (6 x 50)—are similarly priced.

I sampled three Robustos for this review, each provided to me free of charge by Famous Smoke Shop. The Robusto is a handsome smoke with a dark, reddish Nicaraguan Habano wrapper. You won’t find any soft spots, or any difficulties with draw, but you will encounter some harmless lumps and a few dark splotches. A nice aroma of dark chocolate emanates off the foot. For what it’s worth, the fire-themed red and gold band makes no mention of Oliva.

Quickly showcasing its filler tobaccos of Nicaraguan ligero, the Inferno Robusto kicks off with a full-bodied blast of heavy-handed espresso and black pepper spice. After a few puffs, though, it settles into medium-bodied mode, pulling back the reins on the espresso and pepper. What’s left is a muted core of cocoa sweetness and coffee.

At the midway point and into the final third, I start to appreciate the resting smoke more as I grow a little less interested in the Robusto’s actual taste. I guess that’s bound to happen. A cigar like this isn’t oozing with complexity or displaying a harmonious balance that begs to be appreciated. Instead, it’s delivering an honest profile at a fair price.

I think most of us are expecting (or hoping) for exactly that when we buy a box of cigars and the per-cigar price is less than $4. Here you get a nice golf course stick with excellent construction that won’t blow you away, but also won’t disappoint. That’s what makes the Oliva Inferno Robusto worthy of three stogies out of five.

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

–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.”

Back when the Liga Privada No. 9 was just hitting the market, I received a few of these “pre-release samples” dated 2007 as a throw-in when I bought a box at a Liga event at my local tobacconist. Now with around five years of age on it, I decided to light up my last remaining one to see how time has changed the cigar. It is well-balanced with milk chocolate, slight spice, and bready flavors. Not nearly as full-bodied as a more recently rolled Liga No. 9, it’s a very good smoke, but I definitely prefer a more recent vintage.

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.”

Boutique manufacturer Viaje has made quite a name for itself in the cigar world with limited run smokes and sharp marketing. The Oro is a Nicaraguan puro with a double binder and a Corojo ’99 wrapper. I smoked the Delicado, a 6-inch stick with a ring gauge of 50. I found it a well-made, enjoyable smoke, though not as full-bodied or complex as advertised. At around $8, it’s not one I’d reach for over and over, but a nice selection every once in awhile.

Verdict = Hold.

–George E

photo credit: N/A

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) A ban on outdoor tobacco advertising, instituted by officials in Worcester, Massachusetts, was declared unconstitutional this week by a federal judge. “In his decision, [U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock] said the city has no legitimate interest in prohibiting ‘non-misleading advertising’ to adults to prevent them from making decisions of which the city disapproves,” reported CSNews.com. “The judge also ruled that the city failed to show that the outdoor advertising regulations are more extensive than necessary to advance its substantial interest in preventing underage tobacco use.… Worcester City Solicitor David Moore said city officials were disappointed by the ruling, but hadn’t yet decided whether they would appeal the case.”

2) From now until the end of June, everyday cigar enthusiasts have the opportunity to help select the next new CAO blend. The “Last Stick Standing” promotion makes three-pack tins available at select cigar shops, each comprised of three different blends that have been in development (and each one named “C”, “A”, or “O”). After sampling each, CAO fans can vote here to decide which cigar will be released later this year, or in early 2013.

3) Inside the Industry: Rocky Patel is introducing a Candela version of the Edge blend in a toro size. La Aurora is launching a Salomon  (7.25 x 52, the same size that was used for the Puro Vintage 2003) to its 107 line that will begin shipping next month and will retail for around $12 and come in boxes of 8.

4) Around the Blogs: Tiki Bar kicks back with a RoMa Craft Intemperance EC XVII Faith. Cigar Brief smokes the Punch Rare Corojo and Rare Corojo Limited. Cigar Brief fires up a Room 101 San Andreas. Cigar Fan lights up a Padilla Artemis. Nice Tight Ash checks out the La Traviata Luminoso. Stogie Review reviews a Quesada Q D’Etat Molotov.

5) Deal of the Week: Famous Smoke is offering offering some valuable coupon deals on it’s wide selection of cigars. Click here and enter coupon code “SAV15IMPRD” at checkout to save $15 on orders of $100 or more, or click here and enter coupon code “FRSHPIMPRD” to get free shipping on orders $50 or more.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Google Maps