The Stogie Guys

In a business imbued with tradition, things certainly can change quickly in the cigar world. For the latest example, look at Mexican tobacco.

Not long ago, you’d be hard pressed to find a cigar blender or manufacturer outside Mexico who would openly admit to having that country’s tobacco, much less using it in a premium cigar. Outside New York, someone lighting up a Te-Amo seemed a rarity.

Now, you’ll find “Mexico” proudly displayed on cigars and touted in ads. Exhibit A: the band on Pepin Garcia’s latest La Reloba: “Selección Mexico.”

In fact, Pepin’s widening use of Mexican tobacco may be a large part of its growing acceptance, especially the heavy San Andreas wrapper leaves that can be rolled natural or fermented further to produce a maduro. One of the first non-Mexican cigars I recall announcing its Mexican component was the Pepin-blended Murcielago from EO Brands in 2009.

Among top-of-the-line sticks said to include Mexican tobacco is the Avo Limited Edition 2010. Although Avo’s site doesn’t disclose the components, several retailers list a Mexican Sumatra binder.

We shouldn’t be surprised. Among cigar trends in recent years, such as large ring gauges and powerful smokes, the expanded experimentation with tobacco grown in different countries is among the strongest. Brazil and Costa Rica have quickly moved from exotic to nearly commonplace. There’s even a line using Louisiana pipe tobacco specialty perique leaves in cigars.

Mexico itself is getting in on the act, with the country’s leading tobacco family, the Turrents, releasing and promoting new blends. Perhaps the image of foul-tasting Mexican cigars has begun to fade. After all, it’s been over a decade since the country changed its tariffs on the importation of tobacco, making it feasible for blenders there to create something other than a Mexican puro.

I applaud all the experimentation and greater disclosure of ingredients. And even though I usually don’t like Mexican tobacco, I’m occasionally pleasantly surprised. If blenders weren’t willing to take a chance with new tobaccos—and ignore sometimes long-standing opinions—smokers wouldn’t get a chance to enjoy new and different cigars.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

[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.]

Properly lighting a cigar is a bit more complicated than simply striking a match. But taking the time to establish an even, straight burn—and getting in the habit of doing so regularly—will pay dividends in better performing cigars and fewer touch-ups.

It’s well-documented that butane lighters, due to their resistance to wind and consistent flames, make great ignition tools. Some cigar enthusiasts spend hundreds of dollars on a shiny lighter made of a precious metal that may or may not perform well over the years (or may or may not get lost between the car seats). If that’s the route you want to take, I think you’ll find many of options. I, on the other hand, have several single-flame lighters (one in the car, one in the golf bag, one at home, one at work, etc.), each of which cost me between $4 and $30. A few are very reliable and effective, and a few others are less consistent. Most importantly, all are easily replaceable.

Whether you’re using a $4 lighter or a $400 lighter, the process of establishing a good burn is pretty much the same. After cutting the head and examining the cold draw, take the foot, hold it at a 45 degree angle over the flame, and slowly rotate the stogie so the entire face of the foot begins to darken. Take note of the aroma.

Next, place the stogie in your mouth and hold the flame about an inch from the foot. Rotate the cigar as you draw in air. When you release the air pressure from the draw, a flame will shoot up from the foot of the cigar, and smoke will release.

Finally, take the cigar out of your mouth and gently blow air directly onto the foot. This will help the flame spread across the entire surface of the filler tobacco (and also enable you to check your work). Repeat as necessary.

These simple steps can be followed whether you’re using a butane torch or, as is my preference in non-windy locales, wooden matches. It is inadvisable to light cigars with paper matches, stoves, candles, or lighters that use lighter fluid.

Whatever your ignition tool, be sure to keep this in mind: You’re lighting a cigar, not welding iron. There’s no need to rush the lighting process (the ritual is meant to be enjoyed), and overhearing or charring the foot is a great way to ruin an otherwise fine smoke. So take your time and keep the flame at a safe distance.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

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 classic H. Upmann pyramid is the slighty milder predecessor to the iconic Montecristo No. 2. It’s a surprisingly well-constructed Cuban with an extremely sturdy ash and even burn.  Unfortunately, I found the flavors to be extremely mild, bordering on dull. There’s a touch of cedar with a roast nut and honey notes, but there’s also an unpleasant sawdust flavor. Only a few weeks ago I smoked another H. Upmann No. 2 out of the very same box and found it to be a considerably more refined, but this one was a dud—perhaps an unfortunate victim of Cuba’s inconsistency.

Verdict = Sell.

–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.”

The Excalibur Dark Knight No. 1 (5.75 x 54) features a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper around Dominican filler tobaccos, several prominent veins, and a rough texture. It displays a nice balance between sweet and salty notes with predominant flavors of chocolate, espresso, cedar, and cashew. The Dark Knight kept my interest for a full two hours. At $6.50 apiece, it’s a solid buy.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick M

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) Lawmakers in Macon are gearing up to tighten smoking regulations in the Georgia city. Despite a state law that limits smoking in most workplaces, the proposed ordinance—which faces a vote on April 19—would criminalize smoking in “bars and nightclubs, any hotel rooms, health care facilities, and almost every other indoor location except private houses,” according to the Macon Telegraph. “No less authority than the Federal Reserve Bank…is on record showing that smoking bans cost jobs and hurt businesses while putting them at a disadvantage to other competing businesses,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR, in a press release.

2) In commemoration of Smoke Inn’s 15th anniversary, Padrón has created the new 1964 Anniversary SI-15 (6 x 60), which is made exclusively for the Florida-based retailer. Today marks the cigar’s national debut. If you can’t make it to the West Palm Beach location of Smoke Inn to try the cigar and meet the Padrón family, you can pre-order the SI-15 online.

3) Inside the Industry: May 6 has been declared the second annual National Nestor Miranda Cigar Day, an occasion when all authorized Nestor Miranda Collection retailers will be giving away cigars to visitors at no charge. Ted’s Handmade cigars is introducing “Hopz,” the first handmade cigar aromatically seasoned with beer hops and designed to be paired with a flavorful ale.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie lights up a vintage Davidoff Dom Pérignon. Stogie Review reviews an Illusione 4/2g Slam. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Monte Pascoal. Cigar Fan fires up a Padilla Miami Maduro Edición Limitada. Velvet Cigar questions the marketing practices behind some online exclusive cigars.

5) Deal of the Week: Taxes may be due Monday, but Cuban Crafters is trying to give you a break with some Tax Day Specials. Pick up a box of 25 Cupido Criollo Dobles for just $55, or a box of 25 Cabinet Selections for $60.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: IPCPR

It’s so predictable it’s almost inevitable: After a few years of sustained success, cigar makers begin introducing limited edition cigars, usually annual releases. Dion Giolito’s Illusione brand is no exception.

But I’m not complaining. As I’ve written before, limited edition smokes can be the great because cigar makers need not worry about a long-term tobacco supply. Instead, small batches of top quality tobacco can be turned into a limited run.

Singulare will be an annual release from Illusione and the toro-sized (6 x 50) 2010 “Phantom” was the first such annual edition.  At the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show last August, Dion Giolito told us his plan was a different blend and size every year.

The Nicaraguan puro comes in boxes of 15 and sells for around $12 a stick. Being a limited run cigar, only 1,000 boxes were made. Before writing up this review, I smoked my way through most of a box that I was able to pick up for $150.

The Phantom features a velvety brown wrapper with a nice bit of sheen. Pre-light, the it imparts a tannic flavor on the lips.

Despite being a Nicaraguan puro, there’s much of that Nicaraguan zing. Instead, I got plenty of honey and graham cracker. A complex flavor profile, there’s also a touch of cedary spice, an earthy sweetness, and a certain chewiness that’s hard to pinpoint.

As the cigar evolves it becomes more medium- to full-bodied, yet the finish becomes shorter. Dion told us the Phantom was “the mildest cigar that he makes,” but I didn’t find that to be the case.

While the Singulare 2010 has many similarities to the Epernay (a medium-bodied smoke that I would classify as Illusione’s “mildest” smoke), I found a tanic edge to the Phantom that the Epernay lacked. More Burgundy subtlety than Bordeaux boldness, the excellence in this limited smoke comes out only when you focus on the complexities.

Those complexities have made the Phantom a staple in my humidor, at least until the 1,000-box run is exhausted. And it doesn’t hurt that at $12 each, it’s reasonably priced compared to many other limited smokes. That combination earns the Illusione Singulare 2010 Phantom LE a rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The summer is quickly approaching, and that means warmer temperatures and higher levels of humidity. For cigar smokers, these conditions present several challenges, each of which is best addressed through prevention.

The first challenge, and arguably the most sinister foe of premium tobacco, is common mold. This white, black, green, and/or blue substance is a fuzzy, smelly cigar-killer. If left untreated, mold can spread through direct contact—or even airborne spores—to ruin your treasured smokes and damage the lining of your humidor. Once you’ve got mold, there are a few measures you can take to minimize the damage. But you’re much better off preventing a mold outbreak from occurring in the first place. To keep your guard up, maintain 65% relative humidity in your humidor and allow your smokes to breathe every so often.

Another menacing tobacco enemy that’s more prevalent in the summer is the tobacco beetle. Most cigar enthusiasts shudder at the mere thought of these nasty little critters. If activated by warmth, these loathsome creatures undergo the larva, pupa, and beetle stages over the course of 10 to 12 weeks. After that, they’re beetles for about 14 days, and your humidor becomes their all-you-can-eat buffet. Trust me when I say that prevention is the best policy.

Beetle prevention can take a number of forms. The simplest method is to keep the temperature inside your humidor to 65 degrees. This strategy is effective because beetle eggs—which are harmless and (sadly) present on most tobacco leaves when they’re harvested—won’t hatch without temperatures of around 75 degrees.

Another way to prevent beetle outbreaks is to freeze your stash of cigars (thereby killing the eggs before they have a chance to hatch). Some cigar enthusiasts freeze every single new cigar they get before adding it to their humidor. For those of us who consider this practice overkill, try freezing only high-risk cigars (such as ones that were shipped during the hot summer months).

In either case, follow these steps: Put the cigars in Ziploc freezer bags, seal the bags tightly with as little air as possible inside, place them in a refrigerator for one day, move them to a freezer for three days, place them back in the refrigerator for one day, and then leave them at room temperature for one day. This process of slowly freezing cigars will minimize the stress imposed on the tobacco leaves.

Whether you’re working to prevent mold or beetles, please know that your efforts are only as effective as your equipment. The onset of summer—and all the heat and humidity that comes with the season—is a good time to upgrade your thermometer and hygrometer if need be.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr