The Stogie Guys

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) This isn’t exactly the use for smoking jackets we imagined, but kudos to the owner of this French café for creativity. To combat France’s unjust smoking ban, which went into effect on January 1, he has a number of fleece jackets – technically vests – on hand for his customers so they don’t freeze when they’re forced to go outside for a smoke.

2) As in France, the good people of Alaska are being forced out into the cold by a tyrannical smoking ban. Anti-tobacco advocates say they passed the law out of health concerns, but are they going to apologize when when someone catches pneumonia and dies, as happened in Toronto last winter?

3) Around the Blogs: Cigar Inspector inspects the Carlos Toraño Exodus Silver. Stogie Review reviews the Partagas 160. Keepers of the Flame lights up an EO 601 Green Label. Cigar Monkey smokes the Carlos Toraño Signature.

4) Deal of the Week: Once again our deal of the week is a fantastic sampler from Tinderbox.com. You’ll get ten sticks from big name cigar makers like Cohiba, Montecristo, H. Upmann, and Arturo Fuente for just $29.99! Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: AFP

Before I lit this heavy Nicaraguan puro, I passed the wrapper beneath my nose. I swear it smelled like a chocolate after-dinner mint, something I can’t recall ever encountering in other Padróns or elsewhere. It was a pleasant aroma and set the stage for a pleasant smoke.

This Padrón line gets little attention. Heck, the company’s own website doesn’t even seem to list the 6000 torpedo – which I think is one of the best cigars you can buy – much less the newer 7000.

I happened to pick up some 5000s a few months ago when an area shop had a going-out-of-business sale. I think they were 40 percent off the $6 price, and I got the eight or ten that were left. They’ve been in my humidor for several months.

One thing that tends to set Padrón maduros apart from other maduros is that they aren’t very dark. Sometimes, in fact, it can be difficult to tell them from their natural-wrapped brothers.

This five and ½ inch by 56 ring gauge stick is no exception. But it has the typical maduro sweetness and warm coffee flavors, as well as some wood and leather – the hallmarks of Padrón cigars.

Padróns also invariably produce thick, white smoke and burn precisely. About the only negative I found was a dryness that developed in the final third.

If your Padrón smoking experiences haven’t included this line, you should change that. Soon. I’m giving the Padrón 5000 Maduro four out of five stogies.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Since its announced release at the RTDA Annual Convention and Trade Show last July, the new America line from CAO has made quite an impression on the online cigar community. At this point, virtually everyone has reviewed the five inch by 56 ring gauge Potomac vitola.

The Stogie Review and Cigar Jack both enjoyed the stick, but agreed that the flavor isn’t as full as the hype. The Velvet Cigar was also impressed, Leafy Times wrote it is “the best CAO ever,” and Cigar Command predicted that “this will be a hit for CAO.”

The Monument is a torpedo-shaped 6 and ¼ inches with a 54 ring gauge. With dual Connecticut Broadleaf maduro and Connecticut Shade wrappers, it retails in the $7 to $8.50 range.

The first thing that strikes us about CAO’s only barber pole is its flashy appearance, which is on the verge of uber-patriotic. The star-spangled double bands seem to trumpet our national anthem.

The foot lights easily and kicks off with a burst of heavy roasted nuts and leather flavors. The taste eases into complexity with notes of burnt toffee, and black pepper and saffron spices tingle the tongue.

With a Brazilian binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, Italy, the Dominican Republic, and – you guessed it – America, this is a well-constructed cigar. The burn is either straight or self-correcting, the draw is fairly clear, and the ash holds firm for up to two inches.

When it’s all said and done, this is an excellent, well-balanced smoke with a noble taste and a unique look. It may not be the full-bodied powerhouse it’s advertised to be, but the Monument boasts a delicious smoothness that’s easy to get used to.

So, not unlike our many colleagues in the online cigar community, we’re endorsing CAO America with a rating of four and ½ out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Here at StogieGuys.com, we’ll be taking New Years Eve and New Years Day off to enjoy some fine cigars and stiff beverages. We encourage our readers to (safely) do the same.

But before you do, remember that today is your last chance to enter our College Football Bowl Contest. The winner gets three outstanding sticks, including a pricey, highly rated Graycliff Grand Cru. To be eligible to win, you’ll need to have your entry in before the clock strikes midnight.

We’ll meet you back here on January 2 to kickoff another great year of news, reviews, commentaries, and tips from the world of cigars. Until then, happy 2008!

–The Stogie Guys

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.

I’ve had this robusto-sized (4.75″ x 52) cigar aging for well over a year. The sungrown wrapper was nearly flawless with a fair amount of oil. Flavor-wise, I found earthy chocolate flavors not unlike the Toraño Signature series, with some additional pepper and coffee flavors. With virtually perfect construction, I can heartily recommend this cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

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

Like so many brands that got their start during the cigar boom, Don Elias is on its way out. So now you can pick up five inch by 50 ring gauge robustos that used to cost $4 for under $1.50. Not bad for a mild, well-built stick with creamy notes of hay, but beware the frailty of the wrapper when clipping the head or removing the band.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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) Starting on January 1, Illinois will become the 22^nd state to violate property rights in private bars, restaurants, and other workplaces with an oppressive smoking ban. This interesting article from the Chicago Tribune describes how Mario’s Taco House transformed itself into a tobacco store to capitalize on an exemption. The owners look forward to operating “One of the few remaining places in Chicago where you can smoke & coffee is under a buck.”

2) Keep your eyes open for the new Winston Churchill cigar line from Davidoff. Cigar Aficionado reports the sticks will sport Ecuadorian sun-grown wrappers and binder and filler tobaccos from Peru, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.

3) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack smokes a San Cristobal. Velvet Cigar puffs a Adam y Eva. Cigar Beat tries the Bock y Ca. Stogie Review reviews the Upmann Cabinet Selección Robusto.

4) Deal of the Week: Instead of just another deal, this week we wanted to remind you about the great gear available in the Stogie Guys store.  You can even grab a stylish golf shirt (pictured above) for a very economical $19.99.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys