The Stogie Guys

Those who remember their Spanish Conquistador history (I don’t) know that El Dorado is a mythical city of gold. Despite it’s fictional appearance in the 1998 movie The Mask of Zorro and in the latest (and embarrassingly bad) Indiana Jones flick, centuries of searching could not locate El Dorado.

Yet apparently these seekers were looking in the wrong place, because I struck gold with this rum from Guyana, the small South American country wedged between Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname, and the Caribbean Sea. It’s a 15-year-old blend, which makes it the second youngest of El Dorado siblings. (Patrick A sampled the 12 Year here, and there are also 21 and 25 Year versions.) The 15 Year expression can be found for around $35.

Like blended scotch whiskey, El Dorado’s age actually refers to the youngest rum in the blend, which includes rum that is actually quite a bit older than that, having rested in used bourbon barrels for up to 25 years. The rums that make up the El Dorado blends come from a variety of different style stills, some that have been making rum for hundreds of years. Not exactly golden, 15-plus years has imparted a deep mahogany color on El Dorado. The nose has vanilla, coffee, smoke, and sharp citrus.

My first sip overwhelmingly reminds me of pure black strap molasses, that crude oil-like stuff that would sit for years unused in the back of my mother’s kitchen cabinet. But that’s just the first layer to this rum. Below lurks a complex combination of toasted almonds, calvados brandy, oak, and vanilla. It’s a lot of power up front, that quickly fades into a complex, balanced spirit. The finish is woody with some lingering grapefruit flavors that remind me of the rum’s tropical origins.

This is an excellent rum, with all the characteristics—sweetness, balance, and a hint of tropical citrus—that make fine aged rum my spirit of choice in the summer (as opposed to the winter, when bourbon and scotch is preferred).

El Dorado 15 Year Old is a worthy addition to any rum lover’s liquor cabinet. It goes very well with a medium-bodied Cameroon-wrapped cigar, like the Fuente Hemingway or re-blended La Aurora Cameroon.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

About six years ago, the Bolivar Gold Medal was brought back to life by a cigar shop in Cologne, Germany. Prior to that tobacconist commissioning several thousand boxes, this special release had been long discontinued.

Today the Gold Medal is back in regular production. And, while I can only confirm my hunch via anecdotal evidence, it seems to be experiencing a revival among cigar smokers who are paying more attention to the Cuban Bolivar brand due to the success of the Royal Corona—an excellent smoke that earned a five-stogie rating in September 2008. (more…)

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.”

Introduced at the 2010 industry trade show, this is a Connecticut-wrapped version of the popular Maxx line. It features filler from Nicaragua, Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico, surrounded by a Costa Rican binder and an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. It’s a solid cigar that is constructed well, with a perfectly straight burn and a sturdy ash. The flavor is straightforward Connecticut: dry, woody, and a little grassy. Not bad, but nothing special. I expected more complexity from a blend that contains tobacco from six different countries.

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.”

Cleverly named with the Spanish word for spicy, this cigar is a full-strength smoke that lives up to its name, especially in the first third. The manufacturer was new to me, though it has been around since 2008. Unfortunately, the company’s website is a prime example of style over substance and provided virtually no useful information about its cigars. Apparently, this is a Honduran puro. It’s not the most refined smoke, but reasonably priced and well worth a try if you like spicy cigars.

Verdict = Buy.

–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) Officials in Alexandria, a central Louisiana city with a smoking ban that predates the statewide ban that went into effect in 2007, are hoping to make it even tougher to light up. Their aim is to adopt a stricter ban that also criminalizes smoking in bars and gaming establishments. “Statewide, the only places you cannot smoke are restaurants. For several years now, a small group of prohibitionists have consistently failed in their efforts to expand the state’s smoking ban to include bars,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association. “Extending the smoking ban in this Central Louisiana city could have a negative economic impact throughout the state…”

2) Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was caught with a cigar in his mouth at Salzburg Airport in his native Austria. Smoking at airports in Austria is illegal, but a spokesperson for the facility suggested no charges would be filed. Meanwhile, an anti-tobacco group vowed to file a lawsuit against Schwarzenegger.

3) Inside the Industry: Two new cigars from Prometheus (in addition to the what we reported on in our IPCPR preview) include the Angelenos JM and the Sencillo Black. Angelenos JM is a new 5.5-inch, 54 ring cigar created in conjunction with actor Joe Mantegna with a portion of sales going to charity. Sencillo Black is made by Plasencia in Nicaragua. Black comes in five sizes and features a Nicaraguan wrapper and binder with filler from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico. (more…)

If you’ve been smoking awhile, your humidor likely resembles the way mine looked until a few weeks ago: lots of cigars you enjoy regularly, some special sticks you’re saving for a special occasion, and a fair number that—let’s face it—you’ll probably never smoke. Recognition that my “never gonna smoke” category was stacking up coincided with the realization that I hadn’t donated a bunch of cigars to U.S. overseas troops for awhile.

For this shipment, I settled on the Kandahar Koughers, a group that has gotten much well-deserved publicity for its efforts. The group’s motto pretty much sums it up: smoking sub adversarius valatudo (Smoking Under Adverse Conditions). You can find out more on Facebook or by Googling the name. Here’s the Koughers’ mailing address:

MAJ Nathan Winn/Randy Sauers
C/O Kandahar Koughers
KAF RCC, BLDG 232
APO AE 09355

Mailing cigars really couldn’t be simpler. Just use a free USPS flat rate Priority Mail box and fill out a brief customs form. Even the postage is a bargain; it‘s the same to an APO box as it is for domestic shipping. Delivery will take a bit longer, though, so be sure you provide adequate humidification to keep the sticks from drying out. (more…)

From time to time I browse my local liquor store (which, unfortunately, is a state-run Virginia store) in search of something new or exciting to try. The bourbon and rum sections are my favorite, and the last time I dropped by I was pleased to find the Elijah Craig 18 Year Old bourbon sitting there, on “sale” for $43.

The standard Elijah Craig was always a dependable good bourbon, and so I had high expectations for it’s most rare expression, the 18-year-old, single barrel variety. Made at the Heaven Hill Distillery, this bourbon is crafted side-by-side with another favorite of mine: Evan Williams Single Barrel.

The Elijah Craig 18 is a slightly cloudy amber-colored bourbon. The nose is distinctly sweet, with toffee, nut, and caramel. The flavors are that of a well-aged bourbon: oak and char from extensive aging combined with vanilla, butter, oak, corn, and smoke. It’s a very intense flavor, but there’s only a hint of spice on the finish and an overall smoothness that’s very enjoyable.

It’s the type of bourbon that can hold up well when paired with a full-flavored cigar. I smoked one of the new Tatuaje Faustos with it and found an enjoyable pairing. Also recommended would be the EO 601 Green, Fuente Opus X, Roman Allones Specialy Selected and PG 20th Symphony. (more…)