The Stogie Guys

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) In response to the looming threat of regulation, Cigar Rights of America (CRA) has formed the Connecticut-Massachusetts Tobacco Growers Association—a group aimed at protecting American farmers who would be adversely impacted by FDA oversight of hand-made cigars. “We have written about and proclaimed extensively the impact federal regulation of cigars could have on more than 350,000 jobs in Latin America,” wrote CRA Executive Director Glynn Loope. “Now it’s time to discuss the American farmer.” Connecticut Shade and Connecticut Broadleaf are among the most in-demand tobaccos for premium cigars. The FDA threat “brings into question the impact federal regulatory authority… could have on a valley that spans both Connecticut and Massachusetts and happens to produce some of the world’s most sought-after cigar leaf,” says Loope.

2) Cigar Place, an online cigar retailer and a StogieGuys.com supporter, launched a notable sweepstakes this week. The grand prize is “a year worth of cigars” in the form of a $1,500 gift certificate to the site. Two runner-up winners will receive a boxes of Gran Habano cigars. Check out the contest here. You can enter through April 5, but registering earlier gives you more opportunities to win.

3) Inside the Industry: Punch Rare Corojo is returning to stores this month with updated packaging but the same blend. In addition to Rare Corojo’s traditional seven sizes, this year Punch is adding a limited edition Rare Salomones size in boxes of 10 with a price of $7.99 per cigar. You can enter to win a box of the new size here.

4) Deal of the Week: This sampler features five excellent cigars for just $26. Included are the Sheffield HR500, Liga Privada Undercrown Gran Toro, Hex Figurado, CAO Concert Stage, and the Gurkha Red Witch Toro.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Back in May, Abe Flores of Pinar del Rio Cigars (PDR) issued an announcement that, going forward, PDR would be managing the sales and distribution of the El Primer Mundo (EPM) brand throughout the U.S. and international markets. “This is a great opportunity for the EPM brand,” said Sean Williams, head of the Atlanta-based EPM. “Abe and I have… some good synergies with our overlap on sales reps and key accounts. This move will just make things a lot more efficient for our reps and our retailers.”

The EPM lines now sold and distributed by PDR include Liga Miami; the Black, Blue, and Red Labels; Epifania; and La Hermandad. The latter, which translates to “brotherhood,” has been made by Abe Flores at his factory in the Dominican Republic since its inception in 2012. (It should be noted that Flores’ factory also produces cigars for other brands outside the PDR-EPM fold, including Gurkha and La Palina).

The La Hermandad recipe boasts a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It is marketed as full-bodied and available in three sizes in the $8-10 price range: Caballito (5 x 50), Embajador (5 x 52), and Consejero (6 x 60).

Upon examination of the Caballito, all you can see without removing the large black foot band is the dark color of the exterior leaf, a sizable vein or two, and a wrinkled cap. After removing the band, the character of the cigar is more apparent. It’s firm, oily, and a little rough around the edges (Brazilian tobacco is built for flavor, not for looks). The pre-light notes are earthy and musty. The cold draw is smooth.

As advertised, La Hermandad Caballito’s taste starts with a full-bodied bang. Espresso bean, black pepper, charred wood, and red pepper spice are the dominant flavors. The texture is bready and a little chalky. I don’t detect much sweetness on the palate, but the resting smoke has a creamy aroma that’s slightly sweet. A hint of peanut seems to come and go throughout, and the cigar tends to settle down a bit in the middle third—only to ramp up in strength once again towards the end.

The samples I smoked for this review exhibited exquisite construction. If and when you fire up a Caballito, expect a straight burn line, easy draw, voluminous tufts of rich smoke, and an ash that holds firm at the foot. I find that establishing an even burn at the outset means you don’t have to touch your lighter again until the nub.

Over time, I’d be interested to see if this smoke develops more complexity. It seems like it would have good aging potential. Right now, though, I’d say $8 is a very fair price for this flavorful, consistent, well-built cigar. That’s ultimately why the El Primer Mundo La Hermandad Caballito earns a solid rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With the holidays cutting into the budget for discretionary spending, it seems a good time to consider some enjoyable cigars that can help you stretch your dollars. Here are three I’ve enjoyed and found consistent through several smokes.

Red Witch: This three-vitola line from Gurkha’s East India Trading Co. is a box-pressed bargain. I prefer the Toro (6 x 54) that runs about $5. It’s a slow-burning, tasty treat with an Ecuadorian Rosado wrapper, Dominican binder, and Nicaraguan filler. It starts with a peppery blast, downshifts to a medium-strength earthy flavor, and picks up some spice in the final half.

Asylum 13: At $5, the Robusto (5 x 50) in this Nicaraguan puro line from Christian Eiroa is a natural for anyone who enjoys a strong, spicy cigar. It’s also more complex than you have a right to expect at that price. And if you’re a fan of big ring gauges, Asylum 13 has you covered with a 6 x 60 and a 7 x 70 at $6 and $7, respectively.

Partagas 1845: A line extension of General Cigar’s standard Partagas cigars, the 1845 sports tobacco from several countries including filler aged in rum barrels and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper in place of the standard Partagas Cameroon. The Double Corona (7.25 x 54) is under $5, with the Robusto (5.5 x 49) even less. As you’d expect from the cigar giant, these are consistent with first-rate construction. A tasty, medium-strength stick that will likely surprise you if you haven’t had one.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Further moves to regulate premium cigars under the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) may be delayed due to the partial U.S. government shutdown. According to the Heartland Institute, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Chicago that seeks to promote free market solutions to policy problems, “almost half of the federal agency’s staff has been furloughed, including those working on tobacco issues.” Meanwhile, the need to distinguish premium cigars from other tobacco products is only becoming clearer as the emergence of e-cigarettes may complicate matters from a regulatory standpoint. Currently, a majority of state attorneys general are asking the FDA to regulate advertising of e-cigarettes, which are combustion-free devices often used for smoking cessation purposes.

2) Altadis announced this week it is releasing the first-ever Romeo y Julieta that’s a Nicaraguan puro. Called “RyJ by Romeo y Julieta,” the blend includes a proprietary Nicaraguan wrapper around double binders from Estelí and Jalapa. Three sizes will retail in the $8-9 range: Toro (6 x 52), Piramide (6.1 x 54), and Bully Grande (5 x 54).

3) Inside the Industry: According to data distributed by the Cigar Association of America, U.S. imports of cigars through May were up 10% compared to 2012. The biggest percentage increase among the three major cigar-producing countries (Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua) came from Nicaragua (up almost 20%) but all three increased imports.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Tarzona Revolution 305. Stogie Fresh fires up a Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros. Cigar Fan lights up the La Gloria Cubana Serie R Estelí. Cigar Inspector inspects the Liga Privada No. 9. Halfwheel checks out the Tatuaje Grand Chasseur TAA 2013.

5) Deal of the Week: Hard to beat 30 cigars for $60, but the catch is you don’t know exactly what cigars you’ll get. While you don’t know the exact cigars, the following brands are represented: Padilla, La Traviata, HC by Xikar, Camacho, Onyx, Gurkha, La Aurora, Guillermo León, El Tiante, Toraño, Perdomo, El Baton, Anoranzas, Martin Family, Quesada, A. Turrent, and Rocky Patel.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Before the IPCPR Trade Show show I asked 26 questions. Here are the answers:

Will the biggest ring gauge offered for sale be 70, 80, or larger?

RoMaCraft’s “Femur” is 500 ring gauge but, in the physically smoke-able category, I saw plenty of 70 ring gauge sticks, including the new My Uzi (7 x 70) and Gurkha Pure Evil Goliath.

What percentage of new exhibitors from last year is still around?

Hard to say. I didn’t notice any specifically. If I don’t realize they’re gone then that’s probably symptomatic of why they aren’t back.

Will anyone actually be kicked out under IPCPR’s “crackdown” on retailers bringing consumers?

Didn’t see any. Does that mean it’s a success?

Which booth will have the best food?

None. Very poor food selection this year, so we’ll give a nod to Miami Cigar which, while food-less, did have some La Aurora Rum, which is delicious.

Will Mike Ditka be there?

Yes, briefly before he left to play golf in another state.

Who will have the most outrageous booth?

Fantasia Tobacco Hookah Company, the perennial favorites, brought a two-story booth with more neon lights and leggy models than the rest of the show combined.

Will the bad guy from Judge Dread be there to promote his new cigar?

Spotted in the hallway… I think.

Eleven new lines from General Cigar: over or under?

Over. In fact Foundry seemed to have this covered all by itself.

Will Altadis USA’s new strategy of creating modern spinoffs of classic brands work?

It certainly seems to be working better than whatever they were doing before.

Who will be the most under-dressed attendee at Davidoff’s black tie dinner?

The guy in the jeans and Tommy Bahama shirt. A tuxedo T-shirt would have been better.

Will Wayne Newton be there again?

Nope.

Which booth will be completely empty and abandoned?

American Express… complete no-show.

What crazy artwork will Drew Estate feature in their booth this year?

Hard hats.

How many respected cigar blogs aren’t coming because IPCPR makes them pay to attend?

Two that I know of.

Will the Cigar Press party run out of beer?

Didn’t seem to but I left early to play craps.

Biggest booth: General Cigar, Davidoff, Altadis, or Drew Estate?

Close call. General Cigar wins the tiebreaker with a golf simulator and a Lamborghini.

2.5 cars on the show floor: over or under?

Over.

More bikini-clad ladies: cigar companies or hookah companies?

Hookahs by a mile.

Which C-list celebrity will unexpectedly appear?

Rob Weiss, member of the “Board of the Bold” maybe? Although his appearance wasn’t all that unexpected.

Does winning a “best booth” award actually impact sales?

Like a lot of people, I left before the winners were announced, which suggests it doesn’t.

Will there be any other cigars that use fire-cured tobacco besides Drew Estate’s MUWAT KFC and Leccia Black?

Not yet, but I’d expect some in the next 12 months.

How many online media members of the IPCPR are there anyway?

Don’t know, but some were given exhibitor badges, some “media” badges, and some “online media” badges.

Will the giant hookah (~40 feet high) be back?

Yes, but it looked smaller since the booth is now two stories high.

How many people will tell me how much better Las Vegas is for IPCPR than Orlando?

A lot. Everyday. Some people more than once.

Which trademarks from our trademark quiz will actually be put to use?

Rocky Patel, Oliva, and Altadis certainly did. Miami Cigar’s “Kilo” is only weeks away but it wasn’t shown at the show.

24 cigars that I’ll smoke while in Las Vegas for 73 hours: over or under?

Surprise of the show: Under by quite a bit. It’s hard to take notes, photos, and update Instagram all while smoking a cigar.

–Patrick S

photo credit: N/A

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) It’s the last day of May, and that means we’re set to reveal the the winners of the seven fantastic prizes we’re giving away to celebrate the seventh anniversary of StogieGuys.com. In case you missed the announcements, the prizes are epic, and they come courtesy of some of our favorite cigar makers, including CAO, Dante, Drew Estate, La Palina, Paul Garmirian, Prometheus, and Tesa. If you’re one of the 2,400+ who registered for this contest, keep an eye on your email in the coming days. We’ll be using our free email newsletter to announce the seven randomly chosen winners in short order. Best of luck to you all.

2) In our most recent sidebar survey, we found 42% of StogieGuys.com readers resolved to try more new cigars, 26% resolved to smoke better cigars, 26% resolved to smoke more cigars, and 6% resolved to smoke fewer cigars. To participate in our current survey, please do so in the sidebar to the right. And if you have an idea for a future survey, please contact us.

3) In honor of Memorial Day, Fox News ran a story about the oldest living U.S. veteran: Richard Arvine Overton, a Texan who served in World War II and is 107 years young. His secret to longevity? Up to 12 cigars per day and whiskey in his morning coffee.

4) Inside the Industry: Gurkha Cigars announced the release of The Rogue, the third release in its East India Trading Company line, made with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, and filler from Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican. Davidoff is releasing the new golf-inspired Davidoff Masters Edition Club House Toro, a limited release of just 7,000 boxes of 10 with individual cigars selling for $22 each.

5) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Tatuaje TAA 2012. Robby Ras reviews the CyB Lancero. Stogie Fresh rates La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet Chisel. Cigar Inspector inspects a Davidoff Puro d’Oro.

6) Deal of the Week: This “Around the World Sampler” features five cigars for $5 a stick. It includes such popular cigars as the Oliva Master Blend 3, Four Kicks, Alec Bradley Family Blend, and CAO Brazilia Lambada.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys