The Stogie Guys

After creating a huge hit with his Vintage series, Rocky Patel followed up that success with the Edge line. The unbanded cigars (though last year it was announced that a band around the foot would be introduced – as pictured) came in a rustic wooden cabinet of 100 that featured a prominently displayed warning: “Professional Smokers Only. Smoke While Sitting Down.”

This review is of the smallest cigar of the line – the 5 inches by 48 ring gauge “Missile” figurado. The line also features Toro and Torpedo sized cigars, both measuring 6 inches by 52. The Missile is usually available for about five dollars or less per stick when bought individually.

This particular stogie features a rough corojo wrapper with an oily sheen and a few bumpy veins. Pre-light, earthy chocolate notes were apparent. Overall I think the classic “naked” look is nice and, while I haven’t yet seen the new “banded” edge in person, I’m inclined to think that change is unwarranted and possibly even a negative.

Given the reputation and marketing campaign trumpeting the edge’s full flavor, I chose a strong drink to accompany this cigar – a Dewar’s White Label Scotch on the rocks.

Upon lighting the cigar honey, spice, and earth flavors came through strong and clear. Additionally, a bit of cream was noticeable. The ligero tobacco was prominent, but I would still classify this as a well-balanced smoke.

The draw was a bit firm and the smoke was not particularly dense, but the burn was perfectly even and the packed ash was a salt-and-pepper gray.

Further into the cigar the honey and cream faded and some distinctly black pepper spice came through. Additionally, some muted herbal notes revealed themselves. At this point I would describe the cigar as having a “quintessential corojo” flavor profile.

Overall the cigar was enjoyable, but not quite as strong as advertised. This particular smoke seemed more medium- to full-flavored, surprising given that the Rocky Patel website says that the Edge “will leave the seasoned smoker weak in the knees.”

In the end the Rocky Patel Missile Corojo was tasty if not overpowering. Still it did warrant a stiff drink as accompaniment – I’d leave beer in the fridge for this one. (For a really “weak in the knees smoke” I would recommend the Joya De Nicuragua 1970.) Corojo lovers will be very pleased by the combination of above-average construction, balanced flavors, and favorable price, all of which earn this cigar three and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

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

1) Well, it’s finally here. No, I’m not talking about the New Year…I’m talking about Washington’s fascist smoking ban. Passed one year ago by the DC Council, all bars and nightclubs were indefinitely coerced into prohibiting smoking starting January 2, 2007. As Washingtonians, the founding Stogie Guys are particularly saddened by this news. Fortunately, though, there are places in this country that still hold freedom of choice dear. So we’ll be doing exactly what the DC business owners feared – taking our business to Virginia.

2) Blended in the style of a flavorful yet mild Cuban, the highly anticipated Tatuaje Havana VI line finally hit stores this week. Pete Johnson created the Nicaraguan puro for Tatuaje, one of the hottest boutique brands in the U.S. While we haven’t gotten our hands on any of these sticks yet, we’re hearing good things. You can look up a local retailer here.

3) With the harshest days of winter on the horizon, we thought this would be a great time to point out that your humidors may require some special attention in order to function properly until spring. As such, we highly recommend you perform the salt calibration test and check out Stogie Review’s tips on “Winterizing Your Humidor.”

–The Stogie Guys

Tags: cigars

Since May we’ve been keeping you up to speed on Altadis’ war against fake cigar trafficking and the ensuing controversy.

As you will recall, the Florida-based cigar manufacturer – which holds the exclusive trademarks to the famed Montecristo, H. Upmann, and Romeo y Julieta brands – has been funding undercover Miami-Dade police investigations into fake stogie rings.

Well, while StogieGuys.com was on its holiday break, one of Altadis’ targets received his punishment. Juan Penton, a 43-year-old carpenter from Hialeah, was sentenced to five months of house arrest, five years probation, and a $7,500 fine for selling $3,000 worth of counterfeit Cuban cigars.

Altadis holds the rights to some of the most famous “Cuban” brands because its parent company, based in Spain, bought them from Cuba’s exiled cigar-baron families decades after Castro’s revolution in 1959. As such, the prosecution pitted Penton against the giant cigar company that funded part of the criminal investigation.

Throughout the trial the defense countered by accusing Altadis of manipulating police work, which included an undercover buy of 60 wooden boxes of Dominican stogies in boxes stamped “Made in Cuba.”

While counterfeiting cigars is certainly a deplorable business, let’s not forget that fake Cubans wouldn’t be in such high demand without our government-imposed, hypocritical embargo on Cuban goods. Even so, something about a large company funding police work that it stands to benefit from doesn’t sit quite right.

Well, until this whole mess is sorted out, it wouldn’t hurt to revisit our May post on how to spot a fake.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars

After you slip a Toraño 1916 Cameroon from the cellophane wrapper and peel the cedar sleeve away, take a moment to enjoy the cigar’s aroma. The fragrance is a wonderful earthy, woody mix certain to make your mouth water and set the tone for what is to follow.

The 1916 has the spice often associated with Cameroon tobacco, an abundance of smoke common to Toraño blends and a satisfying, slow-burning smoothness from start to finish. Along the way, there are touches of sweetness and a bit of pepper. It isn’t a particularly complex cigar that demands attention. Rather, it’s the type I think of as a fine companion for relaxing activities such as watching a bowl game on TV, reading, or listening to music.

I got a five pack of Robustos (five and ½ inches by 52 ring gauge) on CigarBid for $17, a little more than the rate they go for by the box of 25 – and more than you can sometimes find a fiver for on the Internet. So far, I’ve had two of them. They were remarkably consistent in everything except appearance. The first was rough with crinkles at the cap and a small crack in the wrapper about halfway down. But the clip went fine, and while there was a small burn problem at the wrapper tear, it quickly corrected itself. The second stick looked – and smoked – fine from top to bottom.

One aspect you might want to consider is what, if anything, you drink with these. The finish is a little dry. Between the two, I sipped coffee, a citrus-based soft drink, and water. I enjoyed the cigar most with the water.

I was curious about the origin of the wrapper so I called Toraño in Miami. There, a spokesman told me it is not from Central Africa but is grown in Nicaragua. The Havana seed binder is grown there as well, while the filler is a mixture of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos.

While I wouldn’t want a steady diet of 1916s, I would recommend adding some to your humidor. I’d bet you will find numerous occasions when that Cameroon spice and smooth smoke are a great fit for what you’re planning.

On the Stogie Guys scale, I give the Toraño 1916 Cameroon Robusto three and ½ out of five stogies.

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

–George E

StogieGuys.com will be taking a few days off for the holidays so we can relax, recharge, and have a few cigars. Our hiatus will conclude on January 3, 2007 when we will resume posting daily content.

But before our little break begins, we figured a quick look at the first year of StogieGuys.com was in order. Here are a few of our favorite posts from 2006:

– On May 15 we officially launched www.StogieGuys.com with this article.

– On May 16 we introduced our readers to La Rosa Cubana, which makes handmade cigars in the heart of New York City.

– On May 25 we told you about our experience smoking cigars with best selling author P.J. O’Rourke.

– On June 1, in one of many Stogie Tips, we described the proper way to cut a cigar.

– On June 5 we documented the first of many casualties of the Washington, DC smoking ban.

– On June 15 we told the sad story of how anti-smoking zealots managed to take the cigar our of Winston Churchill’s mouth.

– On June 30 we described how, despite thousands of empty seats, the Washington Nationals rebuffed our proposal (backed by JR Cigars) for a Cigar Night at RFK Stadium.

– On July 5 we gave you some tips for smoking cigars on the golf course.

– On July 14 we introduced the first of our many weekly Friday Samplers.

– On August 10 we reviewed our first Cuban cigar, the Cohiba Siglo V.

– On August 23 we gave some suggestions for selecting a drink to enjoy with your cigar.

– On September 7 we announced a contest to win two tickets to Cigar Artisans 2006. The winner, George Edmonson, later joined StogieGuys.com as the Tampa Bureau Chief.

– On September 20 we filed an exclusive report on what cigars the New York Mets chose to celebrate their National League East Title.

– On September 26 we gave some suggestions to cigar producers for displaying names and other vital information with their cigars.

– On October 2 George Edmonson filed his report on Cigar Artisans 2006.

– On October 5 we told you about some crazy guys that run marathons while smoking cigars.

– On October 11 we gave some advice on how to avoid the pitfalls that came from the mid-90s cigar boom.

– On October 26 we told you about the sad news that nearly half of Americans support tobacco prohibition.

– On Halloween we gave you some suggestions for cigar-friendly costumes.

– On Election Night we provided live results for the many anti-smoking initiatives on ballots around the country. The next day we wrapped up the results.

– On November 21 we explained that trying to restrict the freedom to smoke isn’t a liberal or conservative thing…It’s an anti-smoking thing.

– On November 28 we gave some tips for giving the gift of cigars.

– On December 4 we told you about the Stogie Guys’ adventures in Ybor City.

– On December 11 we gave just the third perfect five out of five rating to the Padrón Serie 1926 No. 6.

– On December 18 we unveiled the new look of the StogieGuys.com website.

– On December 21 we told you what we really want for Christmas this year.

Looking back, it certainly has been quite a year. We look forward to providing you with more news, reviews, commentary, and tips in 2007.

–The Stogie Guys

Tags: cigars

Not long ago, Total Wine & More opened a new store not far from me. Now I don’t care much about wine, but the “& More” part is a winner. This chain – at least the shops near me – has excellent cigar prices and a good selection of mainline brands.

Checking out the cigars, I noticed two boxes of Saint Luis Rey Rothschilds (five inches by 54 ring gauge) side-by-side: natural and maduro. I seemed to recollect smoking a few in the past and finding them agreeable. And at $1.99 apiece, how could I resist? I picked up one of each, thinking it would be interesting to compare the experience of each wrapper.

I started with the maduro. It was thick and felt tight to the touch. I clipped it and the band popped off easily. That was about the last easy part of the smoke. It was difficult to get lit evenly, and even more difficult to draw.

Within a quarter of an inch, I was operating with my tool of choice, a paperclip, to try to open it up. That seemed to work for a while, but I was soon sucking hard again just to draw any smoke. So, back to the paper clip. Several more times. In between those operations, I was tending to the burn.

The taste? I hardly had time to notice. It began with a touch of spice, then a bit of toast, but by the first inch they were replaced more or less by harshness and a bitter finish. By the time I put it down, it had become virtually tasteless.

Now, it’s possible the problems were my fault. But I put the two cigars in my box nearly a month ago, and my humidity is in the 65 percent range, so I find it difficult to believe there was too much moisture. We’ll see how the natural performs when I review it in a future article.

Overall, I think my memory of the Saint Luis Rey failed me, as did this cigar itself. I’m afraid I can only give this one out of five stogies.

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

–George E

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

We’re taking the day off to celebrate with friends, family and good cigars. We strongly suggest you do the same.

–The Stogie Guys