The Stogie Guys

As we’ve done since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Tampa, known as “Cigar City,” will lose another stogie factory this summer, albeit one that produces machine-made sticks. Tobacco giant Altadis recently announced plans to close the plant, which employs nearly 500 workers and makes Hav-A-Tampa cigars. An Altadis official told the St. Petersburg Times that the SCHIP tax hike had been particularly hard on the business. The cigars will continue to be produced at a company plant in Puerto Rico. Late last year, Altadis closed a smaller facility in Selma, Alabama.

2) As some Golden Staters dread local laws that criminalize outdoor smoking in parks, dining areas, and other “public” spaces, Solona Beach this week joined the list of cities in San Diego County that ban “patio smoking.” The move, according to one politician, “is part of a city-wide ‘Go Green’ effort.” In related news, California was recently ranked an abysmal 47th in a Mercatus Center at George Mason University study that ranks the 50 states by personal and economic freedom.

3) Inside the Industry: CAO Cigars is giving away a custom-made motorcycle made by Sucker Punch Sally’s here. Only nine months after its purcase of Camacho Cigars, Davidoff has agreed to purchase Cusano, maker of the Cusano and Cuvée lines. Oliva is introducing the new White Label Connecticut Reserve.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the HC Series by Xikar. Cigar Inspector inspects the Ramón Allones Specially Selected. Stogie Fresh checks out the Los Blancos Criollo. Keepers of the Flame lights up a Zino Platinum Scepter. Matt torches a Cohiba Siglo I. Velvet Cigar tries a Hemingway Short Story Maduro.

5) Deal of the Week: Like Rocky Patel Cigars? Then you’ll love this “Limited Edition Rocky Patel Sampler.” It includes ten of the best smokes that made Rocky into an industry superstar, including the Decade, Vintage 1992 and 1990, Olde World Reserve, and more—all for under $50. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

When I checked out the Series Gran Cru No. 2 back in April, I said I was ready to add Tesa to my short list of favorite boutiques. Today’s review reaffirms that decision in a big way.

Located in a shop on the Near North Side of the Windy City, Tesa cigars are “meticulously blended by Chicago area resident Chris Kelly and crafted in the Tesa Cigar factory in Estelí.” Their flagship house blend, Vintage Especial, features a Connecticut shade wrapper with Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. Only 80,000 sticks of each vitola are made annually.

The Rothchild vitola (no, that’s not a typo; Tesa omits the “s”) is a classically sized robusto with five inch by 50 ring gauge dimensions. Like the eight other blends in the Tabacalera Tesa lineup, it comes dressed in nothing but its birthday suit—a move that some enthusiasts find annoying but one that I’ve always admired.

Why? Because naked cigars suggest two things about their manufacturers: (1) they likely care more about tobacco than marketing and (2) they have confidence in the reputation and appearance of their creations to move their products.

With a gorgeous, seamless, and nearly vein-free wrapper, I think Tesa made a smart move by not dressing up the Vintage Especial. The four samples in my humidor were attractive enough on their own merits to grab my attention and prompt this review.

The first few puffs are salty with little else going on. But as soon as the thick, shiny mascara starts to wind its way down the cigar, I am immediately reminded of two fantastic stogies: the Davidoff Grand Cru and the PG Gourmet. The thick, superbly balanced smoke yields a delicious flavor of oak, cream, buttery nuts, and sweet hay. Mild and harmonious.

With phenomenal physical properties that include a straight-edge burn, a sturdy ash, and the slightest resistance in draw, the Tesa Vintage Especial Rothchild is an absolute treasure. It encompasses everything I love about great Connecticut shade smokes—balance and intricate subtleties that reward attentive smokers.

As with the Series Gran Cru, however, this cigar’s singular drawback is its limited availability and relatively high cost. As far as I can tell, the only way to get your hands on one of these is to either visit the shop in person or purchase it from Tesa’s online store for $13.95 per single.

I hope you don’t let those barriers discourage you from seeking one out, particularly if you’re the kind of smoker who can appreciate milder creations. I certainly am. And for all the reasons listed above, I’m pleased to award the Tesa Vintage Especial Rothchild our highest rating of five stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As far as I’m concerned, the centerpieces of La Flor Dominicana’s extended lineup have to be the Coronado and the Double Ligero (the latter of which is especially tasty in the Chisel format). The company, operating out of the Dominican Republic and holding an office in Miami, has several other fine blends—including the Premium Line, LG Diez, and Reserva Especial—but those are the two that immediately come to mind when I think of La Flor.

Maybe that’s why I had been subconsciously avoiding the regular old Ligero blend before I embarked upon this review. Or maybe I was simply confused by the fact that this line includes two different varieties (three if you count the Double Ligero under the Ligero umbrella, as some do): an Ecuadorian Sumatra-wrapped “Ligero” and an Oscuro sun-grown “Cabinet.” According to one online retailer, both include an “extensively aged blend of Dominican ligero tobaccos to create a peppery, full-flavored smoke.”

I sampled two Ligero L-500 Cabinets for this review, a vitola that sells for around $5-7 apiece and measures five and ¾ inches by 60 ring gauge. Smaller sizes, specifically the L-250 and L-300, have scored ratings of 90 in Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider in recent years.

On the color scale, the L-500’s clean wrapper ranks between a natural and a maduro leaf. And that’s about how it smells pre-light, too—deeper and richer than a natural but not as sweet or chocolaty as a maduro.

Given the wrapper type and the use of ligero tobacco—leaves known for their strength and peppery taste—it comes as no surprise that this cigar hits the ground running. After establishing a thorough light, which takes some work, and after the gray ash starts to build solidly and evenly off the wide foot, the initial flavor includes lots of black pepper, earth, and spice.

The finish at this point is better-rounded than you’d expect. Still, the taste is as advertised: medium- to full-bodied and fairly powerful.

Either the profile mellows after the first few inches or my taste buds simply grow accustomed to the flavor. Regardless, I notice a significant decrease in spice. But don’t let that fool you; this stick still packs plenty of that ligero punch that many seasoned cigar veterans crave.

And that leads to my main complaint: the LFD Ligero L-500 Cabinet is too one-dimensional to earn a spot in my regular rotation. Although I’m guessing many of you may disagree, I just can’t find anything that exciting here. Maybe more balance—some sweetness or subtlety perhaps—would win me over.

For now, I’ll hang onto this for occasions that call for a cigar with plenty of flavor that doesn’t necessarily merit my full attention. An evening barbeque, perhaps. I’ll save the Coronados and Double Ligero Chisels as after-dinner companions. Slightly disappointed by what you get for the price, I give the La Flor Dominicana Ligero L-500 Cabinet three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Anti-smoking politicians in DC made another power grab yesterday, this time as the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill that would grant the FDA authority over the production and marketing of tobacco. The move all but guarantees President Obama, a supporter of the legislation, will have a chance to sign the bill into law. We have been following this measure since last July, warning that it may result in nicotine controls and substantially limited advertising of cigars in magazines and on websites.

2) Today, dubbed “National Nestor Miranda Cigar Day” by Miami Cigar & Co., is your chance to try a new limited edition Special Selection 20 Aniversario for free. All you have to do is buy any cigar at one of 500 Nestor Miranda Special Selection authorized dealers, and you’ll be given either a Habano Rosado or a Habano Oscuro. Both four and a half stogie-rated cigars normally retail for $9 apiece. Click here to locate a participating retailer near you.

3) Inside the Industry: EO Brands—maker of the 601, Cubao, and Mi Barrio lines—has announced its next cigar, to be introduced at this year’s IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans in August, will be called the “Murcielago.” In an effort to make some its most sought-after smokes more affordable, Padrón is releasing its 1926 blend in boxes of ten just in time for Father’s Day.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a Rocky Patel Sping Collection. Keepers of the Flame lights up a Rocky Patel Decade. Cigar Jack smokes the Canimoa Maduro. A Cigar Smoker sparks the Oliva Series V. Velvet Cigar tries the La Flor Dominicana Connecticut. Stogie Fresh torches up a Flor de Gonzalez 15 Anniversario. Las VegASH reviews the Drew Estate Natural Dirt.

5) Deal of the Week: This “Baker’s Dozen Sampler” features 13 cigars for just $30. Included are such top blends as the CAO Brazilia, Rocky Patel 1992, Gurkha Warrior, CAO Gold Maduro, and Toraño Exodus Silver, plus smokes from Padrón, Fuente, Macanudo, Punch, Hoyo, and more. Get yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: FDA.gov

An email from the Stogie Guys’ founders about preparations to cover the annual International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association convention this summer evoked two reactions: wistful regret that I won’t be there and utter amazement at how fast another year has passed.

Even with the economic woes still rippling through the country, cigar exhibitors in New Orleans will, no doubt, unleash a batch of new cigars. And I haven’t yet begun to whittle down my wish list of earlier smokes. The coming sticks will surely entice me to add more names and put me further and further behind on smoking them. Only a smoker who lights up far more frequently than I could hope to keep up.

I may, however, be able to make some progress soon. For the past several months, the weather here in Florida has been so pleasant. I’ve done nearly all my smoking outside my home, reducing the stock of cigars in my humidor. But with the temperatures rising, I’m likely to be visiting local shops more frequently to revel in indoor air-conditioned smoking. So I will have a chance to try some of the smokes I’ve been wanting to light up.

For example, I have yet to smoke a Casa Magna, the low-priced stick Cigar Aficionado raved about. There are also new Tatuajes that sound tasty, new La Gloria Cubanas (and new sticks to come from that brand’s founder), a host of new Padillas that promise good things, and My Father from Pepin’s factory. That’s really just the top of the list.

Any you’d care to recommend?

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Desflorado tobacco, from what I understand, is difficult and laborious to grow, which is why sticks that use this finicky leaf are relatively expensive and hard to come by. Our friends at Cuban Crafters, however, have come out with an affordable lineup of cigars that make use of this rich tobacco.

The process of cultivating desflorado tobacco requires a watchful eye and arduous attention to detail. By definition, the buds on these plants are cut off before they flower to give the tobacco “an extra rich and smooth taste.” Then the best leaves are hand selected from the tops of each plant to create the Connecticut desflorado wrapper for this line, a project that was four years in the making.

You can tell this cigar is different right out of the box. With a dark complexion and a reddish-yellow hue, it certainly doesn’t look like it comes from the Connecticut lineage. But, thanks to its neat cap and a clean appearance, it does look like it was rolled with care.

I sampled four or five Toros for this review, and I think this is a smart vitola for the blend. Its slender, six inch by 48 ring gauge physique allows more of the wrapper—the highlight of the blend—and a little less of the Cuban-seed long-filler from the Cupido tobacco fields to shine through in each puff.

Not surprisingly, the Cuban Crafters Cubano Claro doesn’t taste like your average Connecticut, either. It starts with a peppery flavor of olive, clove, onion, and bread, and the wrapper adds a bit of spicy tingle on the lips. Well-balanced, if not slightly dry.

A creamier backdrop of nuts and milk chocolate shifts to the forefront after the first few inches, making the overall taste slightly milder. Seasoned cigar veterans who normally steer clear of Connecticut stogies should take note that there’s still a lot of flavor going on, even when this cigar is at its mildest.

Like many other Cuban Crafters cigars, this blend features excellent construction, including a very even burn, a solid white ash that holds well, and an effortless draw that produces thick smoke.

The Toro sells for $6.30 apiece when bought by the box of 20. I think that’s more than a fair price, especially considering the quality of this cigar and the fact that it’s packaged in vintage cedar humidor boxes.

So, if you’re looking for something a little different, the new Cuban Crafters Cubano Claro Toro should be high on your wish list. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Over a year ago, Don Pepin Garcia and Ernesto Padilla announced they would no longer be collaborating to make Padilla cigars. The partnership had produced some of Padilla’s most popular and highly acclaimed smokes, including the Padilla Miami, the Padilla 1948, and 1932.

All three cigars were blended by Pepin and produced at his Miami or Nicaragua factory, but are now are made completely by Padilla. After the split, Padilla moved forward with a plan to open a small cigar factory in Miami’s Little Havana. But despite the separation—which came about because Pepin was focusing on his many other clients, including Tatuaje, 601, San Cristobal, and Pepin’s own Don Pepin Garcia brand—many of the Pepin-made Padilla cigars are still popping up.

The handful of Padilla 1932s that I sampled for this review are from the Pepin-era. This series of photos demonstrates the differences, of which the most notable is the font used in the word Padilla: in the Pepin-era smoke, Padilla is in bold capitals; the newer band features Padilla in script. Given the timing of the split, I can conclude that my Pepin-made 1932s have at least one year of age.

Underneath the ornate band, the Padilla 1932 features a nearly flawless, deep brown Nicaraguan corojo wrapper that surrounds Nicaraguan criollo binder and Nicaraguan Cuban-seed filler. The seven inch by 50 ring gauge Churchill is firm to the touch, and has a well-made triple cap. Pre-light, the foot gives off an aroma of earth.

Once lit, I was greeted by a complex smoke of licorice, spicy cedar, roasted cashews, and bittersweet chocolate. The full-bodied taste is complex and balanced with a long, dry finish. As it progressed to the midway point, it became slightly milder, developing a bit of toffee sweetness. Some of Pepin’s characteristic peppery spice also came to the forefront. The construction was also impressive: no touch-ups were needed, the draw was deliberate but not difficult, and the ash held admirably.

The 1932 is fuller-flavored than the Padilla Miami and more complex than the 1968 blend. Once the toffee and pepper kicked in in the second half, it particularly reminded me of a combination of two of my favorite smokes: the Coronado by La Flor and the Pepin-made EO Cubao.

The cigar was created as a tribute by Ernesto Padilla to his late father, Heberto Padilla, a well-known Cuban writer and poet who was placed under house arrest by the Castro regime for “subversive” writings. Heberto was born in 1932, and it’s an impressive tribute.

At around $12 per cigar, it’s priced appropriately for the reliably complex, balanced, and, most of all, enjoyable flavors it provides. All of which earns the Padilla 1932 Churchill a rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys