The Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

I’ve had many good experiences with Arganese cigars over the years. In this particular case, however, and with this particular Robusto (5 x 50), I was left disappointed. Its blend of a Nicaraguan wrapper, Dominican binder, and Dominican filler tobaccos produced a dry, unbalanced papery taste with a salty harshness. Construction was admirable—especially for a $4-5 stick—but I didn’t enjoy much else.

Verdict = Sell.

–Patrick A

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. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) In a move that could prove disastrous for Washington tobacconists, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty plans to criminalize the sale of single cigars in the nation’s capital. His justification is to curb marijuana blunt consumption. But, as the proposed law is currently written, it doesn’t discriminate between premium cigars and cheap, machine-made sticks that are normally purchased at convenience stores and gas stations. “The bottom line is that this is bad legislation that won’t do what it is intended to do—stop the use of marijuana,” said Legislative Director Chris McCalla in an IPCPR press release. “The only thing it will do is irreparable harm to owners of cigar stores, their employees, and loyal customers who enjoy premium cigars.” A public hearing on the bill is scheduled for September 29.

2) Inside the Industry: Shipments of the new Padrón Family Reserve 45 Years are popping up at B&Ms across the country. Usually issued in the fall, this year’s lineup of Edición Limitada cigars from Cuba are on sale early.

3) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame lights up a Lempira Fuerte. Stogie Fresh tries a Hemingway Short Story. Stogie Review reviews the Padrón 45  Years. Cigar Spy investigates a Don Lino Africa. Cigar Inspector sparks a CAO Brazilia.

4) Deal of the Week: This “Blue Gold Sampler” features two outstanding cigars: Don Pepin Garcia’s Blue line (toro) and the Trinidad Maduro (Churchill). For just $50 you get five of each plus free shipping for your entire order. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

There I was, enjoying a relaxing Labor Day weekend of golf, cigars, barbecue and camaraderie, when I read an editorial so horrible, so anti-tobacco and anti-freedom, that it required a response. The New York Times took to it’s hallowed pages to write “Big Tobacco Strikes Back,” an editorial against a lawsuit filed by tobacco companies seeking to challenge new restrictions on advertising created by the recent bill that subjects tobacco to the jurisdiction of the FDA.

The title itself speaks to the problems with the article. “Big Tobacco” may not be a mom and pop operation, but those entrepreneurs are up against something far bigger—the federal government. So if it’s “Big Tobacco,” who are they striking back against? “Colossal Government”?

And then there’s the issue of who is actually suing to advance their free speech rights. While you wouldn’t know it from the editorial, the “tobacco companies” at issue don’t include the largest cigarette company in the world, Altria.

Altria, with its 40% plus market share in cigarettes, was a key supporter of the FDA regulation bill. The company knows that the bill’s advertising restrictions will protect its dominant market share. Those restrictions includes bans on sponsorships for sporting events, bans on ads using anything other than black text on a white background, and a ban on advertising products as “light” or safer, even if truthful.

The Times, and the anti-smoking lobbyists who no doubt inform its opinion, take the position that advertising of tobacco products can be banned if children might be exposed to it. Never mind that the ads target adults; it would be virtually impossible to advertise to adults without some exposure by children. Perhaps even worse, their opposition to tobacco companies informing consumers of how to reduce the harms caused by smoking leaves smokers in the dark about ways to reduce risks. (As to any false claims that cigarette companies might make, surely there are enough trial lawyers looking for a payday to ensure that companies don’t lie about their products.)

The editorial’s view isn’t compatible with the Constitution’s protections of free speech, enshrined in the First Amendment. After all, a corporation is just a group of shareholders who all have the right to tell their fellow citizens about their legal product. Which is why the editorial amounts to nothing more than a screed against companies attempting to assert their guaranteed constitutional rights.

Which brings me to cigars. While we cigar enthusiasts aren’t always pleased with cigarette companies, we should support this effort to overturn the FDA’s free speech ban. It isn’t just a hypothetical that cigars will be the next target. They already are.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Amazon

Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all consider Cain to be first son of Adam and Eve. But this biblical figure, regarded by many as “from the wicked one,” is better remembered as the murderer of his brother, Abel, and more generally as the embodiment of evil.

So given its high-powered makeup, “Cain” seemed a fitting name for Nub creator Sam Leccia’s new brand. It is, after all, a “straight ligero” blend. And ligero is recognized as the most full-flavored of leaves due to their concentration of nutrients and direct exposure to sunlight at the top of the tobacco plant.

As Leccia told us at last month’s IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans, Cain is 82 percent—not 100 percent—ligero because any cigar comprised entirely of ligero leaves would inherently suffer from serious combustion deficiencies. Both the Maduro- and Habano-wrapped versions of this blend incorporate three different ligero tobaccos grown in the Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa regions of Nicaragua.

The six inch by 50 ring gauge Habano Toro could be easily mistaken for a cigar with a more traditional proportion of ligero, seco, and viso tobaccos. It has an oily, clean-looking wrapper, a fairly solid feel, and pre-light fragrances of sweet cocoa and spice.

While Cain certainly doesn’t look like the progenitor of annihilation, appearances can be deceiving. The first few puffs are remarkably bold and densely packed with notes of peppercorn and dry wood. A background of leather and light sugar, though, adds depth.

To its credit, Cain turns out to be much more than just a heavy-handed bomb of strength and intensity. The Habano Toro is surprisingly smooth and complex, especially as it progresses past the midway point. This is likely the result of the triple fermentation process that Leccia employs to reduce the natural harshness of ligero tobacco.

So what we have here is a bit of a paradox. Leccia presumably created this straight ligero blend to satisfy the palates of enthusiasts of full-bodied cigars, yet he actively took steps to somewhat dilute the edge of ligero tobacco. The result is a blend that’s big on taste but not as explosive as some other sticks on the market (say, the 601 Green).

But I like this cigar for what it is—a rich $6-8 stick with more nuance and smoothness than meets the eye. I also like the fact that Leccia and Oliva include a 12-page pamphlet on Cain’s makeup, fermentation, and flavor in each 24-count box. Making such information readily available is sadly an industry rarity. So despite its occasional construction flaws and some bitter notes, the Cain Habano Toro earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Partagas  Serie D No. 4 is one of the best regarded cigars in the world, and with good reason. That robusto (4.8 x 50) features a powerful combination of cedar and spice. It’s a classic representation of the fuller-bodied “new school” Cubans.

With that pedigree, it should come as no surprise that Habanos S.A. sought to capitalize on the Serie D No. 4 fame with a limited edition smoke. For the 2008 Edición Limitada, it introduced the slightly shorter Partagas Serie D No. 5, attempting to provide the flavor of the No. 4 in the trendy short robusto (4.3 x 50) format.

This double-banded Cuban features tobacco aged at least two years. The wrapper is oily, but it also has a number of large, unsightly veins. The cigar is relatively firm to the touch, and features a notably squared-off cap that requires a precise cut so as not to expose too much filler.

After a few puffs I was concerned that this was simply an overpriced dud. Fortunately, the vegetal flavors quickly faded, making way for a full-bodied, earthy smoke with black pepper. Later notes of cinnamon, clove, and leather emerged to provide new depth, although the leather sometimes fades into an unpleasant bitterness.

Construction is superb. Unlike many Cubans I’ve smoked lately, the burn is straight and requires no touch-ups.

Those combustion qualities make the complex, balanced flavors of the Partagas Serie D No. 5 easy to enjoy. A little tougher to enjoy is the price, which runs $15-20 per cigar.

Despite the price and occasional bitterness, this fireplug provides a lively 45-60 minutes of bold, intermingled flavors. That’s why the Partagas Serie D No. 5 LE 2008 earns 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

Today presents a perfect opportunity to kick back, relax, and enjoy a fine stogie or four. We at StogieGuys.com are taking our own advice, interrupting our daily coverage of cigar news, reviews, commentaries, and tips to do what we do best—smoke. After all, you wouldn’t want us to be hypocritical, would you?

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

The Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Criollo Churchill is a big cigar (7 x 54) with a big band and a big taste—but a not-so-big price tag. I paid $7 for this nicely complex smoke with Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Enjoying a couple of these lately, coming on the heels of another good Perdomo experience, has increased my interest in exploring more of this Miami-based manufacturer’s lines. If you haven’t smoked many Perdomos, this is a good place to start. You’ll find a smooth blend of spice, leather, cedar, and coffee.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E