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 “Just For Retailers” cigar was created by the same people behind Casa Frenandez, who also produce (on contract for others) such lines as Illusione, Viaje, and Alec Bradley Tempus in their Honduran Raices Cubana factory. The Titan (6 x 60, $8) features a Connecticut wrapper around what we can only assume is Aganorsa Nicaraguan tobacco. The profile is of cream, cedar, and sweet graham notes, but hardly any spice. Not a bad smoke, but the JFR Connecticut isn’t as good as the other JFR blends (Corojo and Maduro).

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.”

I recall this line as one of the leaders in full strength cigars when it came out in 2003. The complex blend, with its smoothness, pepper, and pop, simply blew me away. It was my favorite smoke for quite awhile, even as it changed a bit through the years. Somehow, though, I got away from it and hadn’t had one in a long, long time until recently. All I could do was wonder why I waited. I smoked several sizes, and enjoyed the robusto-sized Duma most. This Miami Cigar & Co. stick gets little notice and isn’t always easy to find. Whether, like me, you haven’t had one lately, or have never tried one, I urge you to light it up.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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 generosity of the cigar community knows no bounds, and that charitable spirit is in fine display in the wake of the deadliest tornado season in 50 years. The Montecristo Relief Organization, established in 1999 by Altadis after devastating hurricanes swept through the Caribbean, is donating $25,000 in vital aid to the victims of last month’s tornado in Joplin, Missouri. It is also matching the first $75,000 donated by Altadis employees, vendors, and customers. If you’d like to contribute, you can send a check to: Montecristo Relief Organization, Joplin Tornado Relief, c/o Altadis U.S.A., PO Box 407179, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 33340.

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This started out to be about a cigar, but, like so many things involving the Internet, it evolved into something else altogether. What began as a simple search to get information on a cigar given to me about which I knew nothing led, instead, to a site I can only describe as a masterwork of cigar scholarship.

The website is called Zen & the Art of the Cigar. I had read reviews there numerous times, but failed to really explore the site. It was only after the incredible information that turned up as I was searching for the Gurkha European Selection Habano 2000 that I began to grasp what was there.

Interestingly, it has something in common with a Zen koan because, while I can describe it simply, that would utterly belie its complexity. What am I talking about? Well, you could say it‘s a list of all the Gurkha cigars, comprising, as I write this, 93 blends. But in reality there’s so much in addition to the basics. You’ll learn about wrappers, strength, vitolas and what’s an Internet exclusive. And more. Jamie Sprenkel is the man behind the site and the list, as well as others he has compiled and made available under the Manufacturer Spotlight link at the top of his site.

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Like many cigar enthusiasts, I was enamored with the quality and value exhibited by the 777 Corojo when it was introduced in 2009 by Jesus Fuego. That cigar encouraged me to delve deeper into Fuego’s relatively young brand.

J. Fuego by the Miami-based Tabacos S.A. company, as it is called, was launched in 2006 with the help of the Plasencia family. Prior setting off on his own, Fuego had gained industry fame through his instrumental role in developing Rocky Patel’s Vintage ’90 and ’92 lines. Now, his own lineup of creations includes the Natural, Gran Reserva, Origen, Delirium, 777 Corojo, 777 Maduro, and 777 Zero blends.

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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.”

Caucus is exclusive to the DC-based Georgetown Tobacco shop. According to Georgetown’s website, its name was chosen to honor the efforts of Rocky Patel and others in the cigar industry who came to Washington to help reduce the SCHIP (State Childrens Health Insurance Program) tax hike, effectively limiting the tax from $3 to 40 cents per cigar. The Toro (6 x 50), fittingly made by Rocky Patel, sells for around $7 when bought by the box. It features a Sumatran oscuro wrapper, Nicaraguan habano binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua. It’s a medium- to full-bodied smoke with strong, sweet cedary notes with earth and pepper. With excellent construction, it’s well worth picking up the next time you’re at Georgetown Tobacco.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

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) A bill is moving its way through the Nevada legislature that would decriminalize smoking in bars that serve food and are only open to patrons over the age of 21. Its supporters cite a 17% drop in revenue and a 10% drop in employment at taverns since the state’s so-called “Clean Indoor Air Act” went into effect in 2006. Cigar Rights of America issued an email news alert this week calling for Nevada cigar enthusiasts to contact their state representatives and encourage them to “restore some freedom, improve the local economy, and send a message to other states considering similar legislation.”

2) Jose Oliva, CEO of the Oliva Cigar Co., won a primary election on Tuesday, securing the Republican nomination for Florida’s House District 110. “Technically, the race on Tuesday was a special primary election,” reports the Miami Herald. “But the results are considered a de facto victory because there is no Democrat on the ballot in the general election on June 28.” Oliva is a “founding sponsor” of Cigar Rights of America and an advocate of lower taxes, smaller government, and business-friendly policies.

3) Graycliff has appointed the Toraño Family Cigar Company as its official distributor in the U.S. “After many years of doing our own distribution, we decided that it was best if we partnered with Toraño to handle that part of our business, so we could focus on the production side,” said Paolo Garzaroli, president of Graycliff, in a press release. “We chose Toraño for the similarity in our family values and because our respective cigar brands will complement each other very well.”

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