The Stogie Guys

Cuban cigars are famous all around the world. The best known brands such as Montecristo and Cohiba (which received a rare 5 stogie rating for the Siglo V) are also some of the most expensive cigars sold, and they cost even more in the United States where the embargo on Cuba makes them contraband (and a high percentage of “Cuban” cigars are fake).

So that’s why we were fascinated by a story on Cuban cigars from the opposite end of the market. Long before the embargo, President Woodrow Wilson’s V.P. Thomas R. Marshall once remarked, “What this country needs is a good five cent cigar.”

Now according to this article, Cuba has answered the call with a local cigar that costs just one Cuban Peso (or approximately four cents). But that begs the question, are these deeply discounted Cubans any good?

Writer John O’Doherty enlisted two experienced two cigar merchants (Edward Sahakian of Davidoff and Paul Bielby of JJ Fox & Robert Lewis) to find out:

Reloba was by far the most prevalent of the brands available in the peso shops. They cost one Cuban peso each, about 2p. As with all hand-rolled cigars, one end has been sealed with tobacco leaf. Sahakian snips off this end with a small cigar-cutter, lights it and takes a slow, deliberate puff. “It’s not that bad,” he says, pleasantly surprised after I tell him the price. “But it’s a bit harsh.”

Bielby is more enthusiastic about the Reloba but is concerned with the way the cigar was rolled. A poorly packed cigar creates an uneven burn. Sure enough, as Sahakian and Bielby smoke their Relobas, the embers on one side race up the cigar, leaving the other side almost unburnt.

Both agree that the cigar was recently rolled and with fresh tobacco, and consequently not as mellow as a cigar that has been laid down for a few years. “There are many similarities between champagne and cigars,” says Sahakian. “They both need time to mature. From about seven to 15 years old, after they have mellowed, they will be at their best.”

For more on cheap Cuban cigars, read the rest of this Financial Times article.

–Patrick S

In the past we’ve noted the similarities between the anti-smoking policies of Hitler and the Nazis and today’s anti-smoking zealots.

Now we read reports that another of America’s mortal enemies, the Taliban that supported Osama Bin Laden’s terrorist attacks, is also a distinctly fascist when it comes to smoking.

This report from The Scotsman notes that a ban on smoking is rule 18 of the 30 rules recently handed down by the Taliban’s “highest leader”:

18. Mujahideen should refrain from smoking cigarettes.

And while cigarette smoking is a no-no, killing a teacher isn’t a problem – provided that the proper warnings are given:

25. Anyone who works as a teacher for the current puppet regime must receive a warning. If he nevertheless refuses to give up his job, he must be beaten. If the teacher still continues to instruct contrary to the principles of Islam, the district commander or a group leader must kill him.

Just so we’re clear: Killing a teacher – mandatory (after warning and beating). Smoking cigarettes – absolutely forbidden!

Now obviously we know that the smoke-hating terrorists are maniacal (that’s why they’re terrorists), but their anti-tobacco policy does raise one question: If terrorists want to ban smoking, does that mean that when we ban smoking the terrorists win?

–Patrick S

I found myself at Shelly’s Back Room again this Friday and – with great company and cause for celebration – I decided to finally break out a special treat from my humidor that I somehow managed to keep my hands off of since June.

The Padrón Serie 1926 No. 6 is a beautiful Nicaraguan puro with an individually-numbered double band. The dark maduro wrapper on this four and ¾ inches by 50 ring gauge cigar had a few prominent veins, but no real defects. Most remarkably, the box-pressed stogie is packed extremely tight and rock hard to the touch, yet the pre-light draw was easy and true.

After snipping the cap with my double guillotine cutter, I noticed an earthy aroma of rich roasted coffee. Once lit, those flavors were balanced by another taste that reminded me of moist chocolate cake and, towards the end of the smoke, the flavor profile intensified with some spicy notes that were neither too subtle nor too harsh. This is truly a complex cigar.

And why shouldn’t it be? The 1926 line – which hit retailers in 2002 – is a celebration of Jose O. Padrón’s birth year, a praiseworthy cigar that lives up to its founder’s reputation.

Aside from taste, this stogie also earns high marks for its physical characteristics. Despite a firmness that would rival a lead pipe, the draw was extremely easy and each puff produced a ton of smoke. The burn was fairly even, but admittedly required a few minor touch-ups with my torch. And the gray ash held strong off the foot.

At about $12 apiece retail, this is not an everyday cigar. But special occasions call for special stogies, and this terrific smoke certainly qualifies for any celebration. For a complex taste that renders it worth every penny, I give the Padrón Serie 1926 No. 6 a rare five out of five stogies.

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

–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) If there’s one universal feeling among cigar smokers, it’s anger at butane torch lighters that are too often expensive, unreliable, or quickly broken. Well, here’s the solution: the Ronson JetLite for under $3 at Wal-Mat. George E has had his for several months and it’s working just fine. Most Wal-Mart stores stock them at the register that displays goodies like cigars, cigarettes, and – you guessed it – lighters.

2) Yesterday’s item on the possibility of a smoking ban in Baltimore sparked some nasty words about the city once called “a nest of pirates.” But it also prompted Jerry from the Stogie Review to alert us to this fantastic commentary from the Baltimore Sun: “Smoking bans are dangerous to a free society’s health.” We couldn’t agree more!

3) We thought long and hard about keeping this to ourselves, but we just couldn’t leave our readers in the dark. Thompson Cigar has teamed up with International Wine Cellars to bring you a contest where you can win $2,500 worth of cigars and $2,500 worth of wine! Click here to enter, and, if you win, just remember who told you. Our finders fee is a modest 10 percent.

4) Finally, if our tips on giving the gift of cigars didn’t help you complete your holiday shopping, here’s a few more ideas (and shameless plugs): We’ve got some great items in our Stogie Guys Store, and Stogie Guys Gear never goes out of style. Also, please consider selecting an item from one of our affiliates. They’ve got wine, coffee, and – naturally – cigars. Best of all, a portion of each sale allows us to improve StogieGuys.com.

[Editors Note: Apologies for the tardiness of this Friday Sampler. We’ve been having problems with our web publishing software, but they have now been resolved.]

–The Stogie Guys

They’re dropping like flies. The question is not if another major city will fall to a fascist smoking ban, but which will fall first. For what it’s worth, my money is on Baltimore.

If you have a great memory, you may recall a July 19 post on cigar etiquette in which I briefly recounted a drunken evening smoking stogies at various Baltimore bars. Well, according to the Baltimore Examiner, I may have to get back up to the Charm City very soon if I ever want to do that again.

While the highly anticipated vote on the citywide smoking ban was delayed at Monday night’s council meeting, both sides continue to maneuver to tally votes and win support. And though advocates and opponents argue they have the upper hand, many believe the fate of the smoking bill could come down to the support of a yet-to-be-selected council member. “If Stephanie Rawlings Blake becomes City Council president, as it appears, then the person who replaces her on the Council could be the deciding vote,” City Council Member Robert Curran said.

Now I know I just asked Stogie Guys Nation to make some phone calls to Ohio’s Department of Health to give those bureaucrats hell for their upcoming statewide smoking ban, but I can’t resist asking you to pick up the phone again – especially if you reside in Baltimore. Since this ban is currently teetering on the fence, a flood of phone calls to the Baltimore City Council may actually tip policy in our favor.

Anyways, I just think it’s worth a shot. Many Baltimore business owners, like Ron Furman, worry that if the ban passes they “will be looking at losing 30 to 40 percent of business” because “a lot of our customers are cigar smokers and cigarette smokers.”

He’s probably right. Would-be customers like me will be less willing to make the trip up to Baltimore from Washington (and other locales) if the city government votes to outlaw free choice.

–Patrick A

The Montecristo Vintage 93 Club Cabinet line is hard to find. I haven’t come across any in recent trips to cigar shops, and in a quick spot check of major online retailers, JR Cigars seems to be the only game in town. There, the robusto-sized (5 inches by 50 ring gauge) No. 30 sells for $130 for a box of 25 – over five dollars per stick when purchased in bulk.

At first glance the 1996 Connecticut Valley wrapper was a bit veinier than one might expect from Montecristo, but overall this was a fine looking cigar. Held next to a traditional brown band Montecristo, the Vintage 93 wrapper was slightly darker with more of an oily shine.

Like many Montecristo smokes, this cigar felt very solid and dense in my hand. After clipping the cigar with a double guillotine, I used two wooden matches to give it a proper light (the first match toasted the edges and the second turned the foot glowing orange).

I immediately noticed that the stogie produced dense smoke. And while a deliberate puff was necessary, the draw was firm, but not at all a hindrance to enjoying the cigar.

Straight away, smooth nutty and creamy flavors came through in this medium bodied smoke. Initially there were also subtle hints of spice and black pepper.

Overall the cigar had good balance, and after the initial third of the cigar, the pepper flavors faded away as mocha notes became apparent.

This smooth complexity and balance, coupled with flawless construction throughout, earns the Montecristo Vintage 93 Club Cabinet No. 30 an impressive rating of four out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

Sure, the Buckeye State might be home to the best team in college football (at least for now), but do Ohioans have the right to light up indoors? According to the power-hungry state legislators in Columbus, not after 12:01 AM on Thursday.

That’s when the fascist statewide smoking ban on bars, restaurants, and almost every other business goes into effect, criminalizing business owners who choose to offer smoke-friendly environments to their customers and the adult smokers who consciously frequent such locales.

But before you stop reading this out of frustration or sheer helplessness, you should know that this time there’s something you can do. The following simple action may not stop the law from hitting Ohioans like a hurricane of oppression, but it will infuriate the Columbus bureaucrats who thrust their “values” on the populace – and that’s a start.

Take a few minutes to call 866-559-OHIO. That’s the toll-free “Complaint Hotline” the state initiated to allow nosey Ohioans to report smoking ban violations. Even though the ban is not yet in effect, the hotline is up and running and will immediately connect you to a lovely Ohio Department of Health bureaucrat. They even take out of state calls! Trust me.

Instead of reporting a ban violation, I suggest you let the state government have a piece of your mind for squelching free choice and imposing their anti-smoking “ideals” on the citizenry. Now that’s a complaint.

If you don’t know how to put your feelings into words, feel free to take a few lines from this post.

It’s worth pointing out that Ohio officials established the hotline because they’re not quite sure how to enforce the ban. That’s government efficiency for you.

So let’s make the Columbus bureaucrats pay for their fascist powergrab by flooding the Ohio Department of Health with some serious “complaints” over the next few days. We may not make any real difference in public policy, but we can piss off the government workers who live off our tax dollars.

–Patrick A