The Stogie Guys

As soon as you slide one of these out of the cellophane, rich aromas of milk chocolate and cinnamon permeate the air. The sensation is almost like taking a whiff of a candy bar. “What enormous potential this cigar has,” I remember thinking to myself before smoking my first Power by Felipe Gregorio.

Advertised as sweet and light, the line is a three-nation blend. The wrapper is Costa Rican, the binder Nicaraguan, and the filler a mixture of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos.

The Special R vitola measures five inches with a 52 ring gauge. It earned an impressive rating of 91 in the March 27 issue of Cigar Insider. Oily and attractive – albeit a bit rustic – the two sticks I smoked for this review seemed slightly box-pressed and a little flat.

Given the heavy pre-light aromas and the line’s confident name, the initial taste is much lighter than you’d expect. The smoke is airy and mild, but I also notice a zesty cinnamon aftertaste. That spice gets stronger and more pronounced the quicker you smoke.

A sweetness begins to fade in and out after the first inch, but it isn’t the chocolate I detected before. It’s accompanied by a woody, smoky cedar flavor. This trend fails to build down the home stretch, rendering the Power unexpectedly subtle and soft.

The physical properties are decent on all counts. The burn requires some early touch-ups to get things off on the right foot, but it takes care of itself from there. The white, flakey ash holds fairly well, and the draw is almost too easy.

I’ve seen 26-count boxes of Special Rs go for as little as $153, but most sell for as much as $9 to $10 apiece. That’s a little steep, in my opinion, for a cigar that’s no doubt fine but probably not excellent.

So, for subtle flavors that don’t live up to the expectations of its pre-light aromas (or its name), I give the Felipe Gregorio Power Special R three out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

You would hard-pressed to find a list of today’s top cigars that didn’t include the Cohiba Siglo VI. This thick Cuban toro (also known as a canonazo) features generous six inch by 52 ring gauge proportions.

Prior to the three I smoked for this review, my last Siglo VI was on New Year’s Eve a few years ago in Barcelona. That cigar was the most expensive I’ve ever purchased – over 50 US dollars – a function of a bad exchange rate and the inflated prices of a fancy hotel bar.

While never inexpensive (if someone offers you a great deal on one of these be very wary…Cuban deals that are too good to be true usually are), fortunately the Siglo VI is can normally be had for far less than $50 each. Packs of three, presented in cedar-lined aluminum tubes, can be found online for about $75, and boxes of ten or 25 cost around $220 and $480, respectively.

For this review I sampled the Siglo VI that’s presented in an ornate gold and black aluminum tube. Inside I found a wrapper with a beautiful caramel brown color. These particular sticks have a bit of age on them as evidenced by a fine layer of plume.

Pre-light I found an aroma of cedar, barnyard, and a subtle fruit taste that reminds me of cognac. The cigar is firm to the touch and the wrapper has only a few small veins.

After lighting up the canonaza I find a full-flavored smoke with earth, subtle spice, and plenty of cedar. While similar to the flavors found in the Cohiba Robusto or the other Siglo vitolas, the Siglo VI is more full-flavored.

It is also is more complex than the Cohiba Robusto. In addition to the initial flavors, I found that underneath the Siglo VI has deep coffee, earth, Burgundian fruit, and even some creaminess creating a remarkably complex, yet smooth, flavor profile.

The construction was equally impressive. The draw was firm and the solid gray ash was sturdy. On occasion the burn became a little uneven, but never to a distracting level.

This Cuban certainly lives up to its reputation as one of the best cigars in the world. Accordingly, the Cohiba Siglo VI earns an impressive rating of five out of five stogies.

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

–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.

Ashton’s consistently rate high at StogieGuys.com. And why not? Their lines present consistently high-quality cigars. Ashton Classics, with Connecticut Shade wrappers and a Dominican blend of fillers, are touted as “a consistently pleasurable smoke for all cigar lovers.” That gets no argument from me. The 8-9-8 is a six and 1/2 inch stick with a 44 ring gauge for which I paid $7.25. The burn and draw were perfect and the mild to medium flavors were a rich mix of sweetness, hay, and light spice. A classic, indeed.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Ashton

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a selection of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Camacho Cigars announced yesterday the release of a new line: the Camacho Corojo 10th Anniversary, a celebration of a decade of growing “the world’s only authentic corojo tobacco.” The blend will be offered in four sizes, sell in the $10.50 to $12.75 range, and hit retailers on March 28.

2) Don’t forget to RSVP for our upcoming DC Stogie Guys Smoke Out on Sunday, March 9 at 4pm. The event will feature free cigars plus giveaways all provided by Cuban Crafters. RSVP here.

3) Havana’s tenth annual Habanos Festival – a showcase of Cuban distributors, specialists, and enthusiasts – kicks off on Monday and runs through the rest of the week. New cigars are expected to be introduced, including the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial and the H. Upmann Magnum 50.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a Nub 460. Velvet Cigar smokes a King Conch Maduro. Cigar Inspector inspects a Fuente Cuban Classic. Stogie Fresh smokes a Tatuaje Reserva J21. Cigar Jack lights up a Bobalu Wedge.

5) Deal of the Week: Presidents Day may have come and gone, but at least for the moment this “Presidents Day Sampler” is still available. The sampler features 20 cigars including five of the 4 1/2 stogie-rated 601 Green by Don Pepin Garcia and five of the Rocky Patel Edge, all for just $59.99. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Camacho

If my six years of Español serve me correctly, la prueba translates into English as “the quiz.” Well, boys and girls, this is one quiz you don’t want to take.

La Prueba is produced in the lush San Andreas Valley of Mexico by the Turrnet family, makers of Te-Amo and suppliers to such well-known outfits as Macanudo. Like so many cigars, it is said that the 178-year-old brand was once the favorite of Winston Churchill. The current incarnation of La Prueba must be much different than the sticks he enjoyed.

Today’s Robusto measures five and ¼ inches with a 50 ring gauge and is sold exclusively through Thompson for $49.00 for a box of 20 ($2.45 apiece). Its building blocks include a Mexican binder, second priming filler tobaccos, and a three-year-old Connecticut Shade wrapper with a few large veins. The whole thing is a little too soft and doughy to the touch.

Establishing an even burn is vexing, particularly since some parts of the foot want to burn quickly and others slowly. But once you even things out with your matches or torch it takes care of itself.

The flavor starts surprisingly rough with a salty bitterness that’s akin to burnt popcorn. Not terribly appetizing. After an inch or so, it settles down to a super mild level and stays that way for the remainder of the disappointing smoke. Barely discernable, what little flavor I can pick up resembles paper with a biting spice aftertaste.

Contributing to the mild taste is a very loose draw that produces tons of airy smoke with each tiny puff. The ash will hold firm at times and drop off unexpectedly and prematurely at others.

Unless you’re merely looking for something to chew on while you mow the grass or clean out the garage, I would stay away from this cigar. I understand it’s a value stick at a low cost, but there are many far superior smokes in this price range. That’s why I’m giving the La Prueba Natural Robusto only two out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Yesterday Fidel Castro announced that he would be stepping down after five decades as president of Cuba. This significant event gives us a rare moment to soberly re-examine the Cuban embargo that has kept Americans from legally obtaining Cuban cigars for so many years.

Soon after Castro came into power, it became clear that he was a brutal thug who had no intention of respecting the rights of Cubans. In response to his embrace of communism and his government cozying up to the Soviet Union, JFK imposed a complete trade embargo and travel ban. (Just before signing the ban, he hypocritically stocked up on the very Cuban cigars he was about to criminalize – in this case, the Petit Upmann.)

At the time, it was thought that the embargo would prevent Americans from supporting Castro’s regime, but 45 years of evidence suggests we should rethink that logic. Certainly, Fidel was a dictator who headed up an oppressive government. Providing Castro an excuse for scapegoating the U.S. for the problems of Cuba, however, likely allowed him to hold onto power longer than otherwise would have been possible.

There are many brutal dictatorships around the world, but for some reason the U.S. government only imposes an embargo and travel ban on Cuba. In fact, other communist countries like China and Vietnam have become increasingly capitalist and liberal as we have traded with them.

With Fidel Castro stepping down, a new chapter begins in the long and complicated history between the U.S. and our island neighbor. Raúl Castro, Fidel’s brother and successor, will not instantly end the despotic regime, but there are indications that he is more open to market reforms and is considered more pragmatic.

While it may be wishful thinking, we should hope that Fidel’s exit will lead to serious discussion about, and the eventual ending of, the sanctions and travel ban against Cuba. And maybe in the near future we can all smoke some fine Cuban cigars to celebrate the end of the embargo.

–Patrick S

photo credit: AFP

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this cigar is the prelight aroma. It is sweet, thick, and alluring. The first impression is of a cigar worthy of commemorating a tenth anniversary. However, as looks can be deceiving, so can olfaction.

This five inch by 50 ring gauge, double-banded cigar was released to celebrate Rocky Patel’s decade run with Indian Tabac, his first brand. I smoked quite a few Indian Tabacs in years past, and the ITC didn’t fit at all with what I remember of them. Not that that really matters. Purely on its own, I thought the ITC was just an average cigar.

The draw was too easy and, as you might expect from that, the ash was flaky.

The smoke was wonderfully thick. The burn was somewhat erratic but never required a touch-up.

Where it suffered most, though, was taste. Not bad, just not particularly interesting or memorable. A medium strength cigar, it had a white wood taste at times and a fairly flat tobacco taste at other times. About halfway, it got very dry and added harshness in the final third.

This stick was a gift, but I think I’ve seen them for around $6. I believe it is a Nicaraguan puro, but I couldn’t find any information about it on the Rocky Patel web pages and there doesn’t seem to be an Indian Tabac site.

I’ll give this stick three out of five stogies on the StogieGuys.com scale.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys