The Stogie Guys

Pitchers are often advised to “mix it up.” Without some variations in speed and movement, pitches will become virtually routine to even a mediocre major league hitter, no matter the velocity or break. I have much the same feelings toward smoking cigars.

A heavy-duty La Flor Dominicana Ligero is a different experience when you smoke it after a diet of CAO Golds and Ashton Classics than it is when it caps a week filled with sticks like Cain and El Cobre.

I was struck by this recently after purchasing a box of one of my favorites, Pete Johnson’s Havana VI torpedoes, the Aristas. They’re great cigars and I’ve liked each one I’ve smoked. But after cracking open the box and smoking them for a week or so straight, I felt something missing. I went to other cigars for a few days before selecting another of the Aristas. And, as you no doubt expect, I found that experience more enjoyable.

Now, I know there are cigar smokers out there who light up the same cigar time after time. Virtually any retailer can tell you about customers who come back regularly and pick up a box of, say, Montecristo or Davidoff Aniversario. If they’re out of stock, the smoker will grumble and refuse to try something else.

And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. After all, if there’s one golden rule of cigar smoking it’s that you should smoke what you like, whether it’s a Black & Mild or La Palina. My aim is just to put another possibility out there, a suggestion that I believe could enhance smoking enjoyment.

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If you haven’t heard of CroMagnon Cigars, you can be forgiven since this brand hasn’t been around long. You also probably aren’t on Twitter where brand owner Skip Martin, @ChiefHava/@HavaCigarShop/@CroMagnonCigar, has been Tweeting about it non-stop since earlier this year.

Martin owned the popular Hava Cigar shop in Galveston, Texas, until Hurricane Ike wiped out the store, and a lot of the rest of Galveston, in 2008. Now re-opened as an online storefront (at least for now), it features exclusively CroMagnon cigars and other cigars by Adrian’s Costa Rican (Martin’s co-creator on the CroMagnon).

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[Editors’ Note: In celebration of the five-year anniversary of StogieGuys.com, we’re updating and re-publishing some of our oldest articles, many of which focused on cigar basics. Our hope is to encourage a discussion among readers and reacquaint the community with important cigar fundamentals.]

I know it’s a cliché but, let’s face it, there just aren’t enough hours in a day. Especially if you’re a cigar enthusiast. Between work, commutes, showers, errands, friends and family, chores, three square meals, taxes, and all the other responsibilities us grown-ups shoulder, how exactly is a human supposed to set aside an hour (well, more reasonably, 90 minutes or more) to enjoy some premium tobacco?

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You may have noticed that, over the last week, I’ve been somewhat missing in action. I have a good excuse (or, rather, excuses).

For one, aside from playing a little golf and saying goodbye to many great friends and coworkers, my wife and I recently packed up our apartment in Virginia, loaded up our belongings, and drove them to our new home in Chicago. On Friday we closed on our condo (our first home purchase). On Saturday and Sunday we unloaded and began the unpacking process. Today is my first day at my new job.

As exciting and wonderful as all these changes are, I’ve been incredibly busy. I look forward to getting settled in, establishing a new routine, and maybe even taking a few moments to celebrate some big milestones in my life—including my first wedding anniversary, which passed on May 15 with little time for fanfare.

I also look forward to enjoying a few nice cigars. (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.”

My exposure to the Cuban version of the Trinidad brand has been severely lacking, but I’ve remedied that lately with a few Robusto Extras. This vitola, which measures six inches long and comes complete with a pigtail cap, is a joy to smoke. Creamy notes are abundant and complemented by traces of cocoa and mint. Notably, though many Cubans seem to be plagued by inconsistent construction these days, this cigar always seems to burn well.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.”

The Cameroon Cabinet line is not La Flor Dominicana’s most acclaimed line, but it might be its best. With a Cameroon wrapper, Dominican binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, the Cameroon Cabinet No. 1 is a medium- to full-bodied smoke with immaculate balance. This corona (6.5 x 44) features classic Cameroon sweetness along with cocoa bean, leather, and cream. As it progresses, some cedary spice reveals itself. With an even burn and solid ash, it’s a most enjoyable and complex cigar.

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) Following this year’s IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas, the show will move to Orlando in 2012. Jeff Borysiewicz, IPCPR Board Member and owner of Orlando’s Corona Cigar Company, confirmed the move for StogieGuys.com. The posh downtown Corona Cigar location, featuring an unparalleled collection of vintage whiskey and pre-embargo Cuban cigars will undoubtedly be one of the after-hour hot spots while the trade show is in town.

2) The two events we reported on last week aren’t the only demonstrations going on next week to protest the outdoor smoking ban going into effect next week in New York City. NYC CLASH (Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment) is holding a “Smoke in the Park” gathering in Brighton Beach (on the Boardwalk at Brighton and 6th Street) on May 28th at 2pm. Smokers of all kinds wanting to show their anger at this unjust law are welcome to join. In their press release, NYC CLASH says: “We smoked at these outdoor locations before May 23rd and we’ll damn well smoke there after May 23rd. When a law is just so wrong and enacted on the whim of the biased with the power to do so who cannot be reasoned with then it calls for civil disobedience.”

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