The Stogie Guys

President Obama this week named Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as his choice to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She was picked after the president’s original nominee, former Senator Tom Daschle, withdrew his nomination after it was revealed that he failed to pay over $120,00 in taxes.

Sebelius has a record for pushing both smoking bans and tobacco tax hikes and, while neither has gone into effect yet in Kansas, her attempts to impose a draconian statewide smoking ban are ongoing. The proposed smoking ban would include all bars and restaurants, and also restrict smoking outside near doors, windows, or “air intakes.”

In an editorial interview with the Wichita Eagle, Sebelius praised smoking bans and tobacco taxes, saying they “absolutely cost nothing.” She clearly fails to recognize the heavy burden of tobacco taxes, especially on lower income citizens, and she also ignores the infringements on personal choice and property rights that result from smoking bans. She called tobacco taxes “win-win” in the same interview and criticized efforts to add exemptions to the proposed smoking ban.

Statements like those have drawn fire from cigar choice advocates like Chris McCalla, legislative director of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association. “Based on impartial data generated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve Bank has found that significant employment declines result from forced smoking bans, especially in bars and restaurants,” he said. “That means businesses die, workers lose their jobs, and the state and nation lose federal, state, and local tax revenues.”

McCalla went on to say that the constitutional rights of business owners are at stake when governments impose smoking bans on private property. “The marketplace has been very effective deciding which businesses elect to allow smoking or not. That’s as it should be: up to the individual business owner. For government to control private businesses is depriving citizens of the rights given to them by the U.S. Constitution.”

If confirmed as secretary of Health and Human Services, Sebelius would be in a position to oversee national health policy and impose her anti-tobacco positions on the entire country.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Spanish for “Free Cuba,” the Cuba Libre brand signifies Nestor Plasencia’s hope of one day returning to a homeland that embraces liberty. Like so many of today’s best cigar makers, he fled Cuba after the Castro regime took over his family’s thriving tobacco operation and confiscated their factories and fields.

With five generations of Cuban tobacco cultivation as a compass, Nestor reestablished the family business in Nicaragua to make use of the fertile Eselí and Jalapa Valley regions. Today his successful factories turn out many Rocky Patel blends, some Gurkha lines, and the Alec Bradley Maxx.

Cuba Libre, Nestor’s take on a value brand, is appropriately made from 100 percent Cuban-seed tobacco. The filler and Nicaraguan binder are covered by a smooth yet veiny wrapper with a reddish hue and a wrinkled complexion.

This cigar is by no means unattractive—the sharp box-press adds character and the red, gold, and blue band is appealing—but something about the appearance compels me to mentally liken it to a typical house brand. Maybe it’s the haphazardly applied cap. Or maybe it’s the prevalence of soft spots from head to foot.

Notwithstanding the Unico’s torpedo-like frame, and despite the fact that I only clipped a bit of tobacco off the top, the pre- and post-light draw is easy. Too easy, if you ask me. The flavors from this six and ¼ inch by 54 ring gauge cigar seemed to be watered down by each airy puff.

When I could sort through the taste in the voluminous tufts of smoke, I found mild- to medium-bodied flavors of earth, leather, and traces of pepper. Some acidic or sweet notes would have helped balance out the predominantly dry profile.

Aside from the hollowed-out draw, the physical properties were excellent—especially considering the price range. Boxes of 20 Unicos go for $75-90, and you can find singles for less than $3 apiece in various online samplers.

That’s ultimately why this cigar makes a decent golf course or barbeque companion: It offers good construction and consistent flavors for little cost. It just doesn’t have enough complexity or personality to be the main event.

Cuba Libre has a compelling story but, in the end, I am neither disappointed nor impressed with the Unico. It earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Passing along pointers to novice cigar smokers is one of our major goals at StogieGuys.com. So, with that in mind, here are a few more tips to help you enjoy this beloved hobby even more.

No stubbing! Absolutely, positively, do not put your premium cigar out as you would a cigarette. It will release a mass of foul odors and unpleasant smoke. Always, repeat, always, let cigars die peacefully on their own. Premium cigars are pure tobacco and, unlike cigarettes or most machine-made cigars, will not burn on their own.

Carrying a torch. Some torch lighters are incredibly hot, particularly multi-jet and tabletop models. Occasionally, I’ll fire one up and think I should be wearing a welder’s helmet. Ponder for a moment what all that heat is doing to the cigar. It’s burning it nearly like the surface of the sun. Now, there’s nothing wrong with torch lighters. Just be careful and use the farthest reaches of the flame to ignite your cigar. You just want to light it, not charbroil it.

White ash. You’ll undoubtedly hear it said that a white ash is the sign of a good cigar. Well, tobacco people tell me that isn’t true. The color of the ash, they say, is mainly just a reflection of the minerals, salts, and chemical compounds absorbed by the tobacco from its soil. Some Cuban cigars, though by no means all, have very white ashes and that may be the origin of this belief.

–George E

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.

As Darryl Lieser told us, the name for this Isla de Cuba blend “was conceived as something that was fun, edgy, and reminiscent of the good times.” And that’s pretty much the way this five and a half inch by 50 ring gauge perfecto smokes. Expect top-notch construction and flavors of leather, nut, and cocoa. With a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper and binder, as well as a four-country filler blend, this slow-burning $6 smoke is a great way to spend 90 minutes.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Even Cuban cigars aren’t immune to today’s global recession. This week Habanos, S.A. reported a 3 percent drop in 2008 sales to $390 million. A Habanos official said the downturn reflects falling demand for luxury items amid overall economic anxieties and warned that 2009 could be a “very complicated” year for manufacturers.

2) New Mexico politicians are pushing a bill that would expand their statewide smoking ban to cars with children present. Fines for violators would range from $100-300—the same amount the state tickets business owners for allowing their patrons to light up indoors.

3) Inside the Industry: Daily Cigar Deal was launched on Monday, a new website offering “an incredible deal” on different cigars every day. Montecristos were provided to all the participants in the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament. Along with Cuban cigars, premium non-Cubans were also down in 2008, although the decline was mostly due to decreased Dominican imports as Nicaraguan and Honduran numbers were up.

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame reviews the Cruzado Dantes. Cigar Jack looks at the Punch Election. Stogie Review lights up a Rocky Patel Winter Collection. Matt fires up a Cuban Hoyo. Cigar Spy smokes an Oliva Master Blend.

5) Deal of the Week: This Cuban Blender Sampler features five cigars each from two former top Cuban blenders: Don Pepin and Avelina Lara. Included are five Don Pepin Garcia Blue Labels and five Graycliff 1966 PGs, all for just under $40. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

The year was 1991. Operation Desert Storm began, the Soviet Union officially came to an end, Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to their first NBA title, and the two Belicoso Finos I smoked for this review were completed and boxed.

It won’t surprise you, given the fact that I was eight years old at the time, to learn that I didn’t age this delicacy myself. As my colleague and I wrote in our review of a 1992 Gourmet No. 2, PG offers specially aged cigars in limited quantities at their headquarters in McLean, Virginia. So, unfortunately, you won’t be able to track down this stick even at the limited B&Ms that carry PG products.

That’s a shame because an 18-year-old cigar (the tobacco is certainly a few years older) that was created by an industry traditionalist and pioneer is a real treat. It also serves as a testament to the patience, quality, and care PG prides itself on to make cigars that look, taste, and feel like pre-Castro Cubans.

The first thing I noticed about this Dominican is the unique cap atop the Ecuador-grown Connecticut shade wrapper. I also couldn’t help admiring the matured Colorado-colored leaf; its dry wrinkles have the look of an antique map.

The initial taste is more aggressive than you’d anticipate, especially given the subtle prelight notes of wood, straw, and a touch of honey. The medium-bodied profile includes flavors of tobacco, steak, cereals, and onion, as well as a unique aftertaste that’s difficult to describe but similar to a Davidoff Gran Cru.

While I could tell you about all the other flavors I identified—including roasted nuts, ginger, and some floral notes—that wouldn’t do this masterpiece justice. You’ll have to make a trip to McLean to try this seriously aged cigar and experience its complexity and balance for yourself.

With laudable construction, this cigar’s only drawback is its $14.50 price tag. But that only amounts to a little over 80 cents per year since it was boxed—not a bad deal considering the value it affords in taste. That’s why, for the 1991 edition of the Paul Garmirian Gourmet Belicoso Fino, I’m fully confident in imparting a rare rating of five stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As a big fan of the regular Camacho Corojo line, I was excited to review a cigar from one of the Honduras-based company’s ultra premium blends. Unfortunately, my recent experience with three sticks from the Diploma line—a “monster cigar comprised of the finest authentic corojo crop”—left me disappointed.

Also the name of a vitola in the blend, the Diploma features corojo binder and filler tobaccos and, in this case, comes wrapped with a dark and oily maduro wrapper. It’s a classically sized robusto at five inches with a 50 ring gauge, and the three I smoked for this review were very similar across-the-board.

Prelight I found a rich tobacco aroma with a little hint of cocoa. The cigar feels overly soft and spongy from top to bottom and the bunch of tobacco at the foot looks loose. Not exactly what you expect from an $8 cigar.

It lights easily and the initial burn is razor sharp. The draw is too easy for my taste, sort of like drawing air through a straw with no resistance at all. The taste offers up lots of leather with a hint of cocoa on the finish.

At about the one inch mark, the burn starts to go ragged and eventually demands a correction from the torch. Then, at about the halfway point, the leather and cocoa fade and are replaced by woodiness and spice that remain until the end.

All three Diplomas suffered from the same construction and burn flaws and overall the experience was underwhelming. While the flavors were enjoyable they weren’t overly complex, and once the burn problems started they continued through the majority of the smoke. I expect better construction and a little more complexity from the flavors for the money. For that, this high-end offering from Camacho earns only two stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys