The Stogie Guys

Sometimes you see something and you have to try it. Such was the case during a recent visit to the local spirits store. I hadn’t planned on picking up any scotch, but decided to check out the scotch section to see if anything new had arrived.

When I saw a Talisker I hadn’t seen before, I knew I would be picking it up. Talisker, from the Isle of Skye, has long been a favorite of mine with it’s distinctive smokey and peaty flavors.

Talisker 1996 is a unique expression of the Talisker Single Malt. Distilled in 1996, after its normal aging it is finished in an Amroso sherry cask. Not inexpensive, though not extremely pricey by scotch standards, it sells for $80.

The scotch is a deep chestnut brown color. The nose is peaty with tar and fruit notes.

As is characteristic of Talisker, peaty and smokey flavors dominate. But underneath is an added sweet element, with rich dried fruit and toffee. The finish is long and spicy with a hint of chocolate.

All in all, this distinctive single malt is a new favorite of mine. With it’s double cask aging, it simultaneously has the classic salt water peat flavors I’ve come to expect and enjoy from Talisker coupled with a hint of sweetness that reminds me of a fine bourbon.

Not surprisingly, the Talisker Distillers Edition 1996 makes for an excellent pairing with a fine cigar. The rich but balanced flavors go well with a diverse group of premium smokes. Mild- to medium-bodied cigars like the Cuban H. Upmann No. 2 or the Berger & Argenti Entubar Natural work well. So do refined, full-bodied smokes like the Paul Garmirian Symphony Connoisseur or Tatuaje La Verite.

If you’re a fan of full, peaty scotches like Talisker or Laphroaig, I highly recommend picking up the Talisker Distillers Edition 1996, pouring yourself a few fingers neat, and lighting up your favorite cigar.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Miami-based Berger & Argenti company was established in 2009 as a partnership between brothers Michael and Albert Argenti and Enrique Berger. The outfit’s first lines included Exile Wired, Clasico, and Entubar.

The latter, Berger & Argenti’s flagship blend, made quite an impression on me when I reviewed it after returning from the 2009 IPCPR Trade Show. It had balance, complexity, and interesting flavors. It also had outstanding construction, due in no small part to the “entubar” process, which involves creating delicate “scrolls” of filler tobacco to ensure “chambers” of air flow.

The newer Entubar Quad Maduro—so named for its “cuadrado” press and maduro wrapper—was introduced at the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show. This line makes use of the same painstaking “entubar” procedure but employs a new, bolder blend of tobaccos. Included are Nicaraguan (viso and ligero) and Dominican (seco) filler leaves, a Nicaraguan binder, and a Jalapa-grown maduro wrapper that has been “aged eight years in seasoned oak barrels,” according to a press release.

Like the original Entubar, the Quad Maduro has a “channel” of ligero tobacco that extends a quarter inch beyond the foot, which creates “a startlingly unique ‘fuse like’ appearance that assures a superior draw, flawless conical burn with a long white ash, and a myriad of complex flavors channeled directly onto the palate.” A band around the bottom advises enthusiasts to “thoroughly toast entire cigar foot before smoking.”

It’s easy enough to establish an even light on the Double Corona (7.63 x 54). Once set, the dark cigar produces a full-bodied taste of earth and peppery spice. The profile then settles to include less heft, less spice, and flavors of nuts, leather, cream, and dark chocolate. Quite enjoyable with a chalky texture.

At the midway point and beyond, the Double Corona is decidedly medium-bodied. The flavors never really seem to change all that much, they just moderately intensify and retreat (depending on how quickly you smoke the cigar). Construction, as expected, is superb throughout the two-hour experience, with a near-perfect burn, a solid ash, and an easy draw that yields bountiful smoke.

Quad Maduro comes packaged in cedar boxes of 20 cigars and is available in three other sizes sizes: Corona Macho (4.63 x 48), Robusto (5.38 x 54), and Torpedo (6.88 x 56). The Double Corona retails for $12 apiece. This price point, in my opinion, is an accurate reflection of the quality of the tobacco and the labor-intensive “entubar” process. For its harmonious flavor, beautiful aroma, and notable combustion properties, the Entubar Quad Maduro Double Corona deserves four and a half 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.”

This box-pressed torpedo (6 x 54) has a Costa Rican wrapper around Honduran binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. The natural version of this Nestor Plasencia creation, which features a Habana 2000 wrapper, was a favorite of mine nearly a decade ago. The torpedo is constructed well with a sturdy ash and an easy draw, though the burn needs a few touch-ups. The flavors are straight-forward black coffee and roasted notes, with some slight bitterness. All in all, the Magic Mountain Maduro is an average smoke with a reasonable $3 price tag.

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.”

The Punch Gran Puro Rancho (5.5 x 54) is a Honduran puro. The wrapper and binder leaves are sun-grown and the cigar is constructed well. It burns medium- to full-bodied in strength with core flavors of cinnamon, pepper spice, and an earthy sweetness. While not extraordinary, it is a fine selection for the golf course.

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) As usual, a number of tax hike and smoking ban proposals threaten to damage cigar rights in a variety of states. In Indiana, the Senate needs to reject the statewide smoking ban that has been adopted by the House. In South Carolina, versions of a statewide ban are under consideration by both legislative bodies. In Texas, lawmakers continue to pave the way for a statewide ban through backroom negotiations. In Nebraska, a new bill would boost cigar excise taxes. And in Kentucky, politicians are aiming for a statewide ban and higher cigar taxes. Be sure to contact your state representatives if you live in any of these states, and be sure to check the CRA and IPCPR websites often for legislative  action alerts, petitions, and ways to stand up for your cigar rights.

2) General Cigar is introducing a new blend called the Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary. The cigar (5 x 50) features a proprietary Connecticut corojo wrapper around a Connecticut broadleaf binder and long-filler tobaccos from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. It will sell for around $6.50.

3) Inside the Industry: The Rocky Patel Decade Edición Limitada is now available in select locations. La Aurora has announced Para Japón, a special blend that will debut later this month and benefit relief efforts in Japan.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Monte Pascoal. A Cigar Smoker fires up the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Smoke Inn exclusive. Smoking Stogie lights up the San Lotano Habano. Over on YourCigarRatings.com, the Liga Privada T-52 breaks into the top ten.

5) Deal of the Week: Citizen Cigar is featuring 10-15% off all Nicarguan smokes. Included in the sale are cigars from Drew Estate, CAO, Oliva, Don Pepin Garcia, and even Padrón. A full list of discounted cigars can be found here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Cigar Rights of America

If you were to judge a cigar solely on its ability to win the game of cigar shop one-upmanship, then it would be hard to beat the Mercer Pinar del Rio Custom Cuban Sublimes.  You know, that never-ending competition to have the most impressive answer to the question of “what have you been smoking lately?”

Sure, the other guy may be able to say he’s smoking that vintage limited edition Cuban but, if you’re smoking the Mercer Pinar del Rio, you’ve probably still got him beat. After all, your cigar is a custom-rolled Cuban with an impressive story.

Offered exclusively by Mercer Cigars (La Casa del Habano) in Merida, Mexico, the Mercer PdR Custom Cubans are reportedly made completely from tobacco from Pinar del Rio’s most prominent cigar family (an apparent reference to Robaina family). The cigars are made exclusively for Mercer in three sizes (Canonazos (5.9 x 52), Piramides (6.5 x 52), and Sublimes (6.75 x 54)) and notably are shipped from inside the U.S. un-banded.

For this review, I smoked two of the Sublimes (and I also sampled one Canonazos). The large cigar has some serious heft in the hand and in the mouth. The Colorado brown wrapper has plenty of oil and the excellent construction is accented by a closed foot.

The cigar is well-balanced with quintessential Cuban sweet earth notes, in combination with coffee, toast, nutmeg, and dry cedar. The long finish shows some red and black pepper spice.

It’s an extremely harmonious smoke that’s firmly in the medium- to full-bodied range, though it trends towards the fuller end in the final third. While all around I am very impressed with this Cuban, the earthy sweetness of the cigar’s flavors really strike me.

The Sublimes smokes for a full two hours with a notably solid white ash. And, unlike many Cubans I’ve smoked, there are no burn or draw issues. That, coupled with complex, earthy sweetness, an excellent draw, and a not unreasonable price of around $15 each, makes this a fantastic cigar. That’s why the Mercer Pinar del Rio Custom Cuban Sublimes earns a most impressive 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

Spring is finally here. At least officially, as of March 20. I guess some of us are still dealing with cooler temperatures or even snow. But the promise of warmer weather is closer than ever. Cue “Here Comes the Sun” on your iPod.

And that means good things for those of us who are lucky enough to be cigar enthusiasts. We can finally open the windows, dust off our tiki torches, and comfortably smoke cigars where cigars were meant to be smoked: outside. Soon, we’ll all be freed from the indoor smoke-friendly sanctuaries in which we’ve been hiding since the fall. That is, of course, if you’re lucky enough to have access to an all-too-rare indoor cigar haven.

I’ve been hiding in my den, which is equipped with plenty of books, more than plenty of cigars, and easy access to cold libations. My wife “allows” me to smoke in there as long as the outside temp is below 50 degrees. For that I’m very grateful.

I’m not, after all, one of these guys with an air-tight, separately ventilated room, an expensive exhaust system, and a password-protected vault door. When I smoke a cigar in the den, you can smell it throughout our home. But I like that smell. And my wife is cool enough to put up with it.

As much as I love the den, though, and as much as I enjoy such cigar-friendly locales as CXIII Rex and Shelly’s, I’m really looking forward to getting back outside. Whether it’s having a cocktail on my patio, playing a round of golf, or firing up the barbecue, outside is the place to be for this cigar fan.

Warmer temperatures aren’t the only reason spring is a great time to be a cigar smoker. This season is also a perfect chance to catch up on cigars that were released at last year’s IPCPR Trade Show. The next convention, after all, is just a few months away, and many cigar makers will start issuing press releases about their new products before you know it. It’ll be like hearing Christmas carols before Thanksgiving (a major no-no in my book).

Before you grow envious of all the new stuff you can’t buy yet, take stock in those cigars you may have missed from the 2010 convention, or reacquaint yourself with some of your favorites. Personally, I think last year’s trade show was top-notch in terms of new cigar releases. Smokes like the Avo Heritage, J. Fuego Origen, Toraño Single Region, and Guillermo León will pair nicely with the warmer temperatures and the increasing levels of sunshine.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr