The Stogie Guys

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) Hurray for the Germans who recently rejected a total ban on smoking. Europe’s largest cigar market continues to be more tolerant of smokers than its continental neighbors. Maybe that’s because smoking bans remind Germans of the Nazis, who were ardent anti-smoking zealots.

2) Every month Smoke Magazine holds two drawings. One winner gets a box of AVO cigars made by Davidoff while the other gets cigars to review for an upcoming issue of Smoke. You’ll notice that their site lists winners every month, and that last September’s winner of the cigars for review was a certain “Patrick Semmens of Arlington, VA” who just happens to also be a founder of StogieGuys.com. Sign up here so you too can be a winner.

3) Speaking of Smoke Magazine, they only recently got their fall issue online (why it took so long we have no idea). Anyhow, check out this interview with Rocky Patel, who’s cigars have fared very well here at StogieGuys.com.

4) Here’s something we never thought would exist: cigar-flavored maple syrup. Made with the very strong (four stogie-rated) Joya de Nicaragua Antaño, the creator recommends using it to make the distinguished old fashioned cocktail. At StogieGuys.com we appreciate the old fashioned too. We just prefer our cigar next to, rather than in, our glass!

5) Finally, here’s another fantastic deal for you. This web-only special includes a dozen cigars including top notch brands like La Gloria Cubana, La Perla Habana, Hoyo de Monterrey, CAO, Punch, and Onyx. And they also throw in a case and hat, all for under 30 bucks.

Use this link for the special deal: Ultimate Cigar Sampler

–The Stogie Guys

Tags: cigars

As we’ve said before…Tis’ the season for gift giving!

So your Stogie Guys each came up with a few items that we really want this year. (Screw peace on Earth!) Feel free to tell us what you want in the comments section.

Patrick A:

Padrón Millennium 1964 Series – As my December 11 review details, I enjoyed the Padrón Serie 1926 No. 6 immensely. And since I haven’t had the opportunity to try anything from the Millennium 1964 Series, perhaps nothing would be finer than to find a few of those sticks under the tree.

Montecristo Golf Set – Had I been especially good this year, I might have asked Santa to bring me this Montecristo golf club set. The clubs I have now are great (except when I’m swinging them), but wouldn’t three woods, nine irons, a mallet-style putter, and a sleek bag sporting the famous Montecristo logo look badass on the links?

Rocky Patel Java – I’ve had my eye on this box of 12 Javas for some time. A quick glance at our archived reviews page shows Rockey Patel cigars have tested well at StogieGuys.com, and I’d sure love to try a few more.

Patrick S:

Davidoff 12 Cigar Sampler – What few Davidoffs I’ve had I really, really enjoyed. But usually the price leads me to spend my cigar budget elsewhere. Hence, this would make a perfect gift. With 12 different cigars from Davidoff’s many fantastic blends, this super sampler would let me try all that the legendary brand has to offer.

CAO’s Brazilia vs. Italia: Artistry of Champions – Since CAO’s Brazilia line is one of my favorites, I was pretty intrigued when the company put this very unusual set of figuardos out. But I was left with one important question: Can you really smoke those 96 ring gauge trumpets? I’d sure like to find out!

The Companero – This nifty accessory is literally all you need to enjoy a good party: a combination cigar case, flask, torch, and double cutter.

George E:

La Flor Dominicana Ligero Mysterio – A cigar I’m eager to smoke, but one with a price tag that’s pretty intimidating. I’m also the kind of guy who’d probably want to wait for some “special occasion” to light it up, rather than smoking it when I bought it. But as a gift, that would be special enough to warrant immediate smoking.

Michael Schwab Commemorative Mug for Peet’s 40th Anniversary – I like to drink coffee when I’m smoking. This mug is an attractive way to savor the java.

Arturo Fuente Sun Grown Double Chateau – Just the sight of that shiny black band at the foot is enough to guarantee smoking pleasure. These consistent, rich beauties are always enjoyable. And when you can’t find the Mysterio, these are likely to be available.

JR Gift Card – Sooner or later, I’ll be driving up I-95 in North Carolina. What better way to spend a few minutes than winding through the towels, remaindered books, NASCAR paraphernalia, and all the other trinkets they wouldn’t take at South Of The Border to the humidor room? A fabulous opportunity to try singles that you might otherwise not see, to check out bargains, and to simply enjoy yourself.

–The Stogie Guys

Tags: cigars

It’s probably safe to say that most cigar enthusiasts are weary of, and perhaps turned off by, the so-called “house brands” of many large stogie companies. Whether it’s the ultra-low prices, the cheesy packaging, or their gimmicky sales pitches – let’s face it – these sticks frequently get a bad rap.

And often deservingly so. But wouldn’t it be nice to cut through all the crap to find at least one cheap major house brand that’s very smokable? Well, you may not have to look any further than the Corojo Cubano Robusto by Thompson Cigar.

No, we’re not pulling your leg. And we’re certainly not going to tell you that one of these sticks is comparable in taste or physical attributes to a well-constructed premium cigar. But, honestly, this really isn’t a bad smoke.

The five inches by 50 ring gauge Robustos are composed of Dominican binders and fillers, wrapped in rich and rugged Honduran Corojo leaves. The shiny, metallic-looking gold and red bands are a nice contrast to the wrapper, albeit a tad hokey. Despite a couple large veins, we couldn’t find any serious physical defects on our sticks.

Once lit, the cigar produced an earthy taste with heavy notes of leather, coffee, and a little mocha. The second and finishing phases yielded more spice and graham. This is certainly not what you’d call a complex stogie, but it has a fairly enjoyable flavor.

We noticed even burns throughout the hour-plus smoke with a draw that put up some, but not too much, resistance. The only drawback on construction is that the ash would not hold firmly off the foot, even for an inch or so. (Patrick A found this out the hard way when a pile of gray flakes ended up on his lap.)

If you go into this smoke with high expectations, you’re going to be disappointed. But at 98 cents apiece (when you buy 50), that’s probably not going to be a problem. If you’re looking for a very cheap way to beef up your humidor stock with satisfactory golf course grade smokes, however, the Thompson Cubano Corojo Robusto wouldn’t be a bad choice. Taking into account the extraordinary value of this cigar, we give it three and 1/2 out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A and Patrick S

Following success in New York, Washington, London, and Jakarta, General Cigar recently opened another Club Macanudo lounge in the cigar city of Miami. The 2,500 square foot space is located in the private Havana Club at Miami City Club.

According to General Cigar, owner of the Macanudo brand, the club’s December 15 opening was a star-studded event that included musical performances by Jon Secada and Arturo Sandoval. Many recording artisits were also in attendance, and famed record producer Scott Storch’s birthday was celebrated in the Macanudo Club lounge.

In a press release, Cooper Gardiner, vice president of marketing for General Cigar, said, “The Club Macanudo lounge at the Havana Club represents a golden opportunity. Not only is the lounge a luxurious embodiment of the Macanudo brand, it also affords us an opportunity to share the Club Macanudo experience with cigar connoisseurs in South Florida.” As the closest city in the United States to Cuba, and a city with a large Cuban population, Miami has had a long and rich association with cigars.

The Havana Club at the Miami City Club is a members-only establishment located on the 55th floor of the Wachovia Financial Center, the jewel of the Miami skyline. The 15,000-square-foot Club boasts a 360-degree view of Miami and its surrounding waters.

Membership to the Club is limited to 800 members who have access to the club’s private humidor, 24-hour concierge service, conference room, and business center, along with other perks. Havana Club members will also enjoy membership to the Downtown Athletic Club, as well as reciprocal memberships to more than 150 clubs worldwide, including the other Club Macanudo locations. As a private club, Club Macanudo is not affected by Florida’s draconian anti-smoking laws.

The Havana Club at the Miami City Club will carry an array of General Cigar’s premium offerings including Macanudo Vintage and Macanudo Gold Label, Partagas 160 and Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas, Cohiba XV, and La Gloria Cubana Reserva Figurados.

General Cigar also tells StogieGuys.com that they are discussing the creation of a special La Gloria Cubana line that would be available exclusively at the Club.

For reviews of General Cigar’s offerings, visit the Stogie Reviews Archive.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the new and improved StogieGuys.com. As you can undoubtedly see, we (well, actually, Semmens) were hard at work this weekend renovating your go-to website for daily cigar news, reviews, and commentary on the average guys’ search for the next great smoke.

The most noticeable of the changes is the new look. While we decided to keep many features from the old design, I think you’ll agree that the new style is sharper, more up-to-date, and – hopefully – more user friendly.

You’ll also notice we added a “Categories” section to our sidebar that allows readers to browse past articles by topic. So if you’re in the mood for some cigar tips, Friday Samplers, stogie reviews, news, or our off-the-beaten-path commentary, this feature should make your life a lot easier.

Bear in mind, however, that the process of switching over from Blogger software to WordPress is not yet 100 percent complete. Every single post we’ve published since establishing StogieGuys.com in May 2006 needs to be individually re-formatted for the new website. So some things – like pictures and category tags – will require extra work. Please excuse these technical inevitabilities; we hope to have each and every one corrected by the end of the week.

That said, I think you’ll find many of the old features that you’ve come to know and love in their old places. For instance, you can still access our Archived Reviews Page, browse our “Hot Topics,” and visit our ever-important “Recommended Retailers” (who made this website renovation possible) from the sidebar.

Most importantly, I hope you will keep in mind that we made these improvements for you, our readers. If there’s anything we can do to make your stay at StogieGuys.com more enjoyable, please let us know.

–Patrick A

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) Cigar Aficionado recently announced the 2007 dates for its popular Big Smoke events, including stops in Las Vegas, Chicago, and New York. Also, after the success of the inaugural Cigar Artisans event, we have been told that it will also be back for another run in 2007. Stay tuned to StogieGuys.com for dates. (For our coverage of the 2006 Cigar Artisans event, click here.)

2) This tip probably seems obvious to most readers, but for those new to the world of cigars, and possibly others, it may not be. Take a few minutes to sign up for email offers with Internet retailers. Lately, more of them seem to be featuring daily, as well as weekly, specials and you might save quite a bit on your favorite smoke. And don’t stick to just the big sellers. Sometimes small online shops will have big bargains. If you haven’t yet become acquainted with Internet cigar sellers, you can find a massive list at this site.

3) Our article on the Taliban smoking ban prompted a post over at Reason Magazine where one reader quipped: “Joke all you want, but studies have shown that smoking is the second leading cause of death among suicide bombers.” He was (we hope) joking, but just the same, it isn’t hard to imagine the very same words coming out of a anti-smoking zealot’s mouth.

4) We’re always on the lookout for great deals for you, our loyal readers, and we’re pretty excited about what we found this week. For under $30 you can get 12 handmade cigars, including premium brands like Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Romeo y Julieta, Macanudo, Onyx, Hoyo de Monterrey, La Perla Habana, Punch, Torano, and C.A.O. (say that five times fast). And to top it off an aluminum travel case and a hat are included. Order quickly and you can have it in time for Christmas! (To get this offer click the image above or click here.)

–The Stogie Guys

Loyal readers may recall a September post in which we reported Tabacalera Perdomo released a new blend called La Tradicion Perdomo Reserve Limited Golf Edition (that’s a mouthful, isn’t it?). The line – which is offered in eight sizes ranging from “Putter” to “Double Eagle” to “Hole in One” – is a creative marketing strategy aimed at taking advantage of the perfect, age-old pairing of cigars and golf.

Last night I finally had the opportunity to try the “Iron,” a five inches by 54 ring gauge Robusto with a suggested retail price of $6.55 apiece.

This stick has a creamy, five-year-old Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper that sports few imperfections and an attractive, yet relatively large, green and gold band. I had been admiring it in my humidor over the past few months.

Before lighting, I noticed sweet aromas of honey and tea. After slicing the cap with my double guillotine cutter, which unfortunately produced a less-than-clean cut, I took note of the easy draw through the Nicaraguan filler.

Once lit, the sweet flavors I previously detected had all but disappeared, leaving dry, earthy notes on the palate. The sensation might best be described as tasting a clove-flavored saltlick.

Don’t get me wrong; this isn’t a bad tasting stogie. A stranger in the pub actually asked me what I was smoking because it smelled “terrific.” I just think it’s a bit too dry for my liking.

Which brings me to an important point: For a line of cigars that’s supposed to be paired with an athletic activity in which drinks aren’t always readily available, it’s way too salty. I’d save it for the clubhouse. (For more StogieGuys.com tips on cigars and golf, please click here.)

With a firm white ash that holds strong, an easy draw, and a fairly even burn (that did require a few touch-ups with my lighter), my “Iron” tested fine on construction.

Overall, I don’t think you’ll be utterly disappointed by the La Tradicion Perdomo Reserve Limited Golf Edition Robusto, but – then again – you won’t be too impressed either. I give it three and ½ out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A