The Stogie Guys

It’s been a few months since the StogieGuys.com team published a new list of Gold Star Smokes. As you might recall, this special designation celebrates cigars that we feel are worthy of strong recommendations. They don’t necessarily have to be five stogie-rated—just commendable smokes we turn to time and again.

Co-Founder & Editor in Chief Patrick A

One smoke that I can’t recommend enough is the new Entubar by Berger & Argenti. If you’re the kind of cigar enthusiast who enjoys balanced, traditional-tasting tobacco and brilliant combustion qualities, you can’t afford to pass up this outstanding experience.

Co-Founder & Publisher Patrick S

Frankly, I’d be shocked if the new CAO La Traviata isn’t featured in Cigar Aficionado‘s top 25 list. It certainly makes my list of top cigars in 2009. This Ecuadorian habano-wrapped stick is medium-bodied and thick with leather, cedar, and roasted flavors. Best of all, in these tight economic times, all of the La Traviata’s three vitolas are available for less than $6 apiece.

Tampa Bureau Chief George E

I suggest you pick up one of Pete Johnson’s Cabaiguans. They’re pricey, but I find them terrific medium-strength smokes. The Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut shade wrapper mixes with the Nicaraguan filler to create a thick, rich experience.

Contributing Reviewer Patrick M

In 2009 I probably smoked at least two boxes of the Tatuaje Havana VI Angeles. With consistently great construction and combustion, this corona-sized cigar is a great value at about $5 per stick when purchased by the box. Featuring flavors of leather, earth, and cedar with a good amount of peppery spice, the Angeles has good complexity and balance. For all of these reasons this cigar will continue to be in heavy rotation for me and I suggest you try one or a dozen for yourself.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

While Scotch gets most of the glory, we’ve made no secret of the fact that Irish whiskey can be an equally exciting spirit. But unlike the Jameson blends we’ve praised before, Michael Collins is a single malt whiskey, an attribute more commonly associated with Scotch.

Still, with a name like Michael Collins, there’s no mistaking that this spirit comes from the Emerald Isle. Collins was an leader in the fight for Irish independence from Great Britain. Known affectionately by the Irish (but not necessarily by the English) as “The Big Fella,” he was later assassinated in 1922 at the age of 31 by factions in Ireland who opposed the treaty of independence he signed with the British.

Collins’ image emblazons the tall tapered bottle and, if he happened to be a smooth yet bold character, his spirit would certainly be captured within. This single malt is a most exemplary whiskey, as evidenced by the Double Gold it won at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. (Note: A blended Michael Collins Irish Whiskey is also available, although it doesn’t seem to be as widely available.)

The first thing that strikes me about Michael Collins is its bright bronze hue, which, while dark, isn’t at all cloudy. After pouring a few fingers in a glass, you’re greeted with a nose of peat, citrus, honey, and oak. The oak is imparted from the 8-12 years that the whiskey is aged in oak barrels.

When I enjoyed it neat I found flavors of peat, a hint of spice, and a toffee-like sweetness. It’s a warm, balanced combination that is very smooth. The finish is long with a bit of vanilla bean.

For those who can’t handle a bit of heat on the tongue, though, Michael Collins also does well with an ice cube or two. But drinking it on the rocks will spoil  some of the subtleties this whiskey has to offer.

Either way, this $35-40 spirit goes great with a cigar. I found medium- to full-bodied smokes to be the best paring. The Paul Garmirian Soiree, San Cristobal, and EO 601 Red all went very well. If you’d prefer something from that certain island south of Miami, light up a Hoyo de Monterey Epicure Especial, Hoyo No. 2, or Montecriso Petit Edmundo, pour a bit of Michael Collins Single Malt, and enjoy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Legendary cigar maker Avelino Lara died yesterday due to complications from thyroid cancer. Once Fidel Castro’s personal roller, Lara was famous for his creations at the El Laguito Factory outside of Havana, where he crafted some of of the most famous Cuban cigars, including the Cohiba brand.

Born in Havana on March 20, 1921, Lara worked in the cigar business all his life. He trained and mastered the art of a torcedor at a young age. After decades of working in the Cuban cigar industry, including having a hand in some of the best-known blends ever created, Lara retired in 1996, in part because he was unhappy with government interference in cigar making.

Lara couldn’t keep away from cigars for long. He eventually moved to Nassau to roll cigars at Graycliff Restaurant. His cigars soon became a success, and Lara then teamed up with Enrico Garzaroli to create and distribute Graycliff Cigars.

“With Avelino we had the idea of creating a cigar to sell in the restaurant to fuel my passion of finding the perfect cigar to complement our 5-star dining experience,” said Enrico Garzaroli, chairman and founder of the Graycliff Cigar Company. “With him we created the award winning Graycliff Original blend, beating some of Avelino’s former Cuban cigar creations in blind tastings. He had a passion for his art that no one can replicate.”

Although Lara retired from Graycliff a few years ago and returned to his native Havana, he was still involved with the company product line, sampling new cigar blends and suggesting modifications.

“Avelino will be sorely missed. Even though he was no longer present in the rolling room each day, the torcedores continue to refer to his passion, knowledge, and his constant testing of their skills,” said Paolo Garzaroli, president and co-founder of Graycliff. “I will personally miss his dedication to our company, his drive for perfection, and his many wisdoms which he shared with me.” Lara’s son, Abel, continues to make cigars for Graycliff.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Graycliff

Two months after the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show in New Orleans, the industry remains focused on the newest additions to the market. But many of us still have some catching up to do. The Mi Dominicana, introduced at last year’s IPCPR event in Las Vegas, is one blend that, until recently, never made it into my humidor.

Mi Dominicana is the first Dominican puro made by tobacco giant Altadis. It is crafted by José Seijas, general manager of Tabacalera de Garcia, Ltd.—one of the biggest cigar factories in the world—and the man behind the Dominican versions of Montecristo, H. Upmann, and Romeo y Julieta.

Born in Santo Domingo, Seijas created this eight-vitola blend to honor his Dominican heritage. “Everything that is beautiful about the Dominican Republic has gone into this cigar,” he says on Altadis’ website. “Mi Dominicana is my personal tribute to our nation and our people…[It] truly captures the pride of my country.”

That pride is evident in the Corona’s promising appearance. This five and a half inch by 44 ring gauge cigar includes a carefully applied cap, a firm feel, and a toothy, oily wrapper. The sole aesthetic drawback is the network of thick veins that crisscross the cigar’s surface.

Pre-light, sweet floral notes shine though. A cold taste reveals honey on the lips and a slightly stiff draw, then the first lighted puff produces notes of sage, coconut, almond, and toast. The profile is fairly balanced and medium-bodied, and the aftertaste reminds me of yellow cake.

These flavors remain largely unaltered at the midway point. The only change, unfortunately, is a bitterness on the finish. That, and I find myself growing a bit bored of the once interesting taste—a boredom that carries through to the end of this 90-minute smoke.

While the flavor is neither completely dull nor utterly inspiring, Mi Dominicana’s physical properties are above average. The draw opens nicely, the white ash behaves well, and the burn only requires minimal touch-ups to stay even. These characteristics were apparent in both Corona’s that I smoked for this review.

Still, for a cigar that commands a price tag of about $7-8 apiece, José Seijas’ Mi Dominicana falls a bit short. I was left hoping for more from a highly anticipated blend that is intended to espouse the attributes of a great tobacco-growing nation. Ultimately, the Corona earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Even harder to find than most of Enrico Garzaroli’s Graycliff Cigars, the Double Espresso is a limited edition, one-size extension of the Espresso line.

The four and a half inch by 54 ring gauge cigar features double the ligero found in the regular Espresso line. And like most of Garzaroli’s cigars, the it isn’t cheap, with a suggested retain price of $15 per stick.

The Double Espresso sports a milk chocolate-colored Costa Rican wrapper with a filler that is a mixture of Cuban-seed corojo and Ecuadorian ligero. It is slightly spongy, which I have found to be common for most Graycliffs.

Overall, the appearance is a little rugged with a cap that is less than perfect and a couple of knots in the wrapper near the head.

For a short cigar, it packs quite a punch in the taste department with a well-balanced core of coffee, chocolate, and spice. As a coffee lover I find the aroma of this stogie quite intoxicating, reminding me of a cup of nice French vanilla.

With its voluminous creamy smoke, this cigar really hits its stride about an inch in when the saltiness fades and the sweetness is amps up a bit. It is quite the treat with an even burn and fantastic balance.

Unfortunately, given the hefty price tag, an ash that was quite flaky, and some appearance issues, I can only give the Graycliff Double Espresso three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Information on the Diez Small Batch No. 2 (6.25 x 54) is almost as tough to come by as the cigar itself. La Flor Dominicana’s website doesn’t appear to have been updated recently as it lists only the Small Batch No. 1.

 This cigar is flawlessly constructed with a perfect triple cap and minimal veins. The wrapper has a slight tooth that gives the cigar a rough feel. Pre-light, the aroma is predominantly of leather with a hint of sweet tobacco. The triple cap clips off effortlessly and the draw confirms the leather smell and sweetness.

The foot lights easily and the draw, as expected in such a wide cigar, is easy with just the right amount of resistance. On the first puff a large volume of creamy smoke coats my palate and tastes predominately of cedar with leather notes in the background.

About an inch in, the cedar fades slightly and the taste of red pepper emerges along with some roasted nut flavors. The overall effect is more balanced than spicy.

As the cigar progress, the burn is razor-sharp and the nice ash is solid, light, and gray. I start to notice some cinnamon and caramel notes at about the halfway mark.

All of these flavors—from red pepper and cinnamon to caramel and roasted nuts—fade in and out for the remainder of the cigar. A hint of spice enters the equation in the final third but never becomes dominant. The burn is excellent and requires no maintenance during the two-hour smoke.

The one constant flavor element in this cigar is that there is always some sort of sweetness present, either from the cedar, caramel, or red pepper. And while the core flavor is of cedar, fortunately no single flavor overpowers the others.

That makes the Litto Gomez Diez Small Batch No. 2, which retails for about $16 apiece, an exceptionally complex and well-balanced cigar. For its wonderful construction, complexity, and poise, it earns five out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five stogie-rated cigars can be found here.]

–Patrick M

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.

This Nicaraguan puro stands out just after you light it up. The volume of smoke that pours from this nice looking, oily stick is absolutely astounding. One of a handful of offerings from Esteban Carreras, it is a pleasant and engaging cigar that produces tastes of coffee, cocoa, and even a bit of chocolate in a medium- to full-bodied format. The Toro (6 x 50) sells for about $8.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E