The Stogie Guys

It’s been six weeks since I reviewed a pre-release Medina 1959 Robusto, a creamy smoke with undertones of spice and plenty of mild complexity. And since this week marks the limited edition blend’s launch on Cuban Crafters’ website, I thought it appropriate to celebrate with an examination of another vitola.

For those of you who don’t remember, Medina 1959 was created to be the Miami-based boutique manufacturer’s crown jewel. To me that says a lot, especially since Cuban Crafters already makes plenty of excellent, under-priced sticks, including Cupido, J.L. Salazar, Don Kiki (Brown and White), La Carolina, and Cameroon.

The idea behind the premium line is to create a pre-Castro stogie (hence 1959) made by masters who have cigar experience in Cuba. The five vitolas, therefore, will be handmade in Miami by Cuban expatriates under the supervision of Manuel Medina, formerly of the H. Upmann and Davidoff factories in Cuba. “All the rollers are Cuban-born cigar makers that came over, some very recently,” says Alberto Noguera, Cuban Crafters’ national sales director. “There are a few that worked for Medina in the H. Upmann factory in Cuba.”

Like the Robusto, the beautiful 6.5 inch by 54 ring gauge Torpedo features a smooth, virtually vein-free Cuban-seed Sumatra wrapper and Cuban-seed habano long-filler. While there was some question about what Cuban Crafters means by “extremely aged tobacco” in my last review, this time I know more details: The wrapper is aged for five years, and the binder and filler for six.

After clipping through the neat, sharply pointed cap, prelight hints of sweet hay and field grass come into focus. The Torpedo starts milder and creamier than the Robusto, developing the same toast and cream profile but with a more diluted onion spice. Balanced by a dry oak flavor, a butterscotch sweetness joins in after the first third.

The rest of the cigar slides from mild- to medium-bodied for the remainder of the 100-minute experience. That enjoyable foray is complemented by superior physical properties that can match any stick on the market.

After smoking six Torpedos for this review, I can confidently say this vitola is just as soothing and delicately delicious as the Robusto. Fans of milder tobacco should not let the $9.20 per cigar MSRP impede them from at least trying the Cuban Crafters Medina 1959 Torpedo. I give it 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 take on a single cigar.

This huge 7 inch by 60 ring gauge stick features the same good looks as the Double Corona I reviewed well over a year ago. The taste is similar too, with full-flavored warm toffee and leather. The burn is occasionally erratic, but overall construction is not an issue. Ultimately, while not as good as the double corona—which I rated a perfect five stogies—this is still a fantastic cigar at $8, even if the girth is uncomfortably large.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: 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.

“Hemingway cigars are extremely difficult to make, so our production is very small,” says Carlos Fuente Jr. Maybe that’s why I haven’t had too many six inch by 47 ring gauge Signature Naturals. But, on the rare occasions I do, I thoroughly enjoy the sweet, dry, and woody taste the Cameroon wrapper and Dominican binder and filler tobaccos offer. That satisfying flavor, coupled with excellent construction, makes this selection worth the $6.50-9 per stick price.

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 snippets of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Edie Adams, perhaps best known as the longtime spokeswoman for Muriel Cigars, died at 81 yesterday. While we can’t recommend the Altadis-owned, machine-made sticks she peddled for nearly 20 years, we can certainly suggest you check out one of her old commercials.

2) After Atlantic City officials announced they would postpone a city-wide smoking ban for one year due to economic concerns, the draconian law went into effect anyways on Wednesday. Apparently, much to the dismay of those who depend on tourism revenue, “procedural delays” kept the city council from approving the ban’s suspension. Now everything is in the hands of Mayor Scott Evans.

3) Inside the Industry: Padrón plans to offer new five-cigar samplers for under $30, each including one 1964 Anniversary Series. EO Cigars’ second release of Mi Barrio has been pushed back to November.

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame lights up a Don Pepin Cuban Classic. Cigar Jack smokes an Alec Bradley Trilogy Native Cameroon. Stogie Review reviews an El Rico Habano Maduro. Cigar Command fires up an Oliva Serie O Maduro.

5) Deal of the Week: This “Triple Play Sampler” includes fifteen cigars from three big names: Gurkha, Alec Bradley, and EO Brands (made by Don Pepin). Included are five of the fantastic 601 cigars (at least one of each of the four lines), all for just $45 ($3 per stick). Get yours here.

– The Stogie Guys

photo credit: NNDB

This cigar was a gift, so I can’t tell you how old it was or even where it was purchased. I determined it was a No. 3 by measuring the length (a little over 5.5 inches) and the ring gauge (46)—slightly longer and slimmer than the 4 and 1/2 stogie-rated Romeo y Julieta No. 4.

Cosmetically, the cigar wasn’t much. It was a pleasant light brown color, but the wrapper was a little loose and there were several small veins visible along the fairly lumpy body. Neither the wrapper nor the filler at the foot revealed much aroma.

But this corona gorda shines where it matters. From the first puff, the thick, creamy smoke exploded with flavors. I picked up floral notes, citrus, and cocoa almost immediately.

The mellow blend continued to evolve and shift throughout, with a brief sharp bitterness about halfway through, followed by a little cedar and then hay in the final third.

It also performed well, with a straight burn and a good draw. I also greatly enjoyed the size, which is comfortable and easy to smoke.

Checking a couple of international websites, this cigar seems to retail for about $12 for a single and a little less per stick for a box of 25. Of course, the figures vary widely among countries, with some, such as Canada, levying extremely high taxes.

I can only wish I had more of these to smoke. It was a pleasure from beginning to end, which is why I give the Romeo y Julieta Exhibición No. 3 four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Here’s another installment in our on-going efforts to pass along some tips and suggestions to those who are new to cigar smoking.

Slow. While it might not be as famous as the single word of advice in The Graduate—“plastics”—our word is much more important for cigar smokers to remember. Taking your time is important in just about every aspect of enjoying a cigar. Don’t rush the light; burning the tobacco can create harshness from the start. Draw slowly and evenly. If you put the cigar to your lips too often you can overheat it and adversely affect the flavors. Frankly, it’s pretty difficult to smoke too slowly.

Drawback. If you notice a difficult draw, you might try biting down gently on the head. Often this will loosen the tobacco enough to improve the flow of the smoke. Just be careful; you’re not trying to crack an ice cube. A little pressure is all that’s required. Too much and you could crack the wrapper.

Breakout. Sometimes I think I could be happy choosing all my sticks from the powerhouses put out by Pepin Garcia. But then I’ll pick up a tasty mild cigar such as the honey-hued Ybor City Handmade or a delicate Cameroon wrapped Fuente Hemingway and realize the joy of variety. Of course, you should smoke what you like. Just remember, there’s a lot out there and you might like more than you realize.

Name that cigar. Don’t be concerned if you’re having trouble remembering the definitions for all the names of different cigar sizes and shapes. The truth is there’s no standardization. While there are some generally accepted guidelines, manufacturers play fast and loose. For example, a robusto is usually 5 inches long with a 50 ring gauge. But flip through any cigar catalog and you’ll encounter cigar after cigar labeled robusto with different measurements. Heck, sometimes the industry can’t even agree on what the name is. A Rothschild—created in the 1800s and named, as I understand it, for a member of the British banking family that uses this spelling—shows up often without the “s” or ending with an “e” and other variations.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

Continuing the cigar industry trend towards consolidation, the Oettinger Davidoff Group acquired Camacho Cigars on October 1. The deal was announced today, but monetary terms have not been disclosed at this time.

Davidoff will acquire all of Camacho’s brands plus its Honduran facilities, including Camacho’s factory in Danli, Honduras, and its tobacco-growing estates in the Jamastran Valley. According to a press release, Davidoff will keep Camacho’s 534 employees in Honduras and its 27 U.S.-based employees.

Camacho Cigars’ portfolio of ten brands includes Camacho, Baccarat ”The Game,” La Fontana, Legend-Ario, National Brand, Repeater, Deluxe, Don Macho, Don Felo, and Nude Bundles. We have extensively reviewed Camacho’s cigars, including the Candela Monarca, Corojo Churchill, Coyolar Puro Torpedo, Select Robusto, and the Triple Maduro Figurado.

Oettinger Davidoff produced 30.8 million cigars in 2007 and has 3,344 employees worldwide. Its brands include Davidoff, Zino, AVO, Griffin’s, Private Stock, and Winston Churchill.

Dr. Reto Cina, CEO of the Oettinger Davidoff Group, described the aquisition: “With the addition of Camacho Cigars and Mr. Christian Eiroa, the Oettinger Davidoff Group has successfully united two families with a passion for cigars as a Premium Product and the ambition to strive unceasingly for the highest quality standards.”

Analysis

This deal makes sense on many levels for Davidoff. They acquire a solid and growing brand in Camacho which can be sold to the non-U.S. market (where Oettinger Davidoff is a market leader), including duty-free shops where 22% of Davidoff’s cigars are sold.

The deal also diversifies Davidoff’s cigar portfolio in two important ways. First, many of Camacho’s cigars are priced downmarket of Davidoff’s super-premium Davidoff, AVO, and Zino brands, giving the company a wider range of cigars at a more diverse range of pricepoints.

Additionally, the move diversifies Davidoff’s cigar production, meaning a hurricane or other natural disaster cannot wipe out the company’s entire growing capacity (currently based in the Dominican Republic). The larger market share may also increase Davidoff’s access to the best tobacco, which is becoming increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain.

On a larger scale, this acquisition continues a trend of industry consolidation. In addition to cigar makers buying other cigar makers, a big trend has been vertical consolidation where companies make acquisitions to control not only tobacco production and cigar making, but also distribution and retail sales. Faced with increasing tobacco taxes and smoking bans, plus possible FDA regulation that may require increased compliance costs, companies are combining to become leaner and more efficient.

–Patrick S

Photo Credit: Miami Herald