The Stogie Guys

In the latest issue of our “Random Thoughts from the Humidor” series, we ponder humidor maintenance, cleanliness, advertising, and blind reviews:

When I say OCD, I mean it in a good way. Lots of cigar smokers worry about summertime temperatures increasing the chances of a beetle attack. But you’re more likely to see your sticks ruined in the winter from extremely low humidity drying them out beyond repair. Even if you have mild winters, humidity levels will be low and the heat will drive them down even further. Check the hygrometer in your humidor frequently—every couple of days isn’t too often—and add distilled water when necessary.

Brush, brush, brush. I’m no dentist, but I’ve been told by more than one that smoking can lead to an increase of tartar and its associated problems. So, it’s always a good idea to brush as soon as practical after smoking. I don’t know how much it will lessen the buildup, but, hey, it couldn’t hurt. Any dental professionals out there feel free to weigh in.

Cleanliness is at least next to freshness. Whether you smoke inside or out, get rid of the ashes and butts when you’re done. Huge ashtrays are great, but no excuse for collecting tobacco detritus. It creates that unpleasant barroom-at-4 a.m. odor far more than the smoke.

Just wondering. Why are there cigar ads these days in nearly every magazine that aims at an upscale audience except Wine Spectator, the larger sibling of Cigar Aficionado? Aren’t fine wine and premium cigars considered one of the ultimate pairings?

I’m not sure I see the point. I’m always intrigued by cigar reviewing that’s done blind. But does anyone ever smoke that way? Knowing at least a little about the cigar you’re smoking is part of the experience—whether picking up a stick you’ve never heard of or laying out big bucks for a highly regarded limited edition.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As 2010 draws to a close, I reflect back on the year that was and some of our favorite, and most important, stories. They’re listed below in chronological order.

The biggest news of January was when Swedish Match and the Scandinavian Tobacco Group merged to bring their many brands under one roof. The deal united General Cigar, CAO, and Toraño.

On January 21, we were the first to report that a new cigar club was opening in Alexandria, Virginia. CXIII Rex has since opened and is now one of the best cigar venues in the country.

President Obama held a townhall on January 28 to discuss the restoration of American jobs. The event took place in Tampa—ground zero the devastation caused by the SCHIP tobacco tax increase.

In February, politicians in Santa Cruz, California, passed one of the most oppressive smoking bans in the country.

The global economic downturn took its toll on so-called “luxury goods.” Cigars were no exception. In late February, it was reported that Cuban cigar sales fell 8% in 2009 to $360 million.

After they won gold at the Olympics, the Canadian women’s hockey team took to the ice with to celebrate with beer, champagne, and cigars. The International Olympic Committee’s executive director later scolded the athletes.

On March 22, the Paul Garmirian Symphony 20th Connoisseur became the first cigar of 2010 to earn a rating of five stogies out of five.

Alejandro Robaina, a “roving ambassador for Cuban cigars” for the last two decades, passed away at the age of 91 on April 17.

On May 27, we gave you a behind-the-scenes tour of La Aurora’s factory in the Dominican Republic.

For the World Health Organization, May 31 wasn’t Memorial Day; it was World No Tobacco Day.

The Church of Scientology paid about $7 million to buy what was once the world’s largest cigar factory, built in 1886 by the man who founded Ybor City.

On June 7, the Padilla Series ’68 Robusto became the second cigar to earn a perfect rating in 2010.

StogieGuys.com reported live from the 2010 Cigar Expo, publishing video interviews with many of the world’s most influential cigar makers.

Wisconsin became the 28th state to enact a smoking ban.

Toraño Cigars took control of its own distribution back from a seven-month-old conglomerate that housed it under the same roof as General Cigar and CAO. The company also adopted a new name, a new look, and launched new blends.

On July 21, we unveiled cigar trademark secrets.

We reported live from the IPCPR Trade Show.

On September 14, the El Centurion Emperadores became the third cigar to earn a rating of five stogies out of five in 2010.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed banning smoking in huge swaths of government-controlled outdoor spaces, including Times Square.

Cuba announced plans to lay off over one million public sector employees and decriminalize certain forms of private enterprise.

When the Reds clinched the National League Central Division and celebrated with cigars in their locker room, the Cincinnati Department of Health decided to investigate the baseball club for violations of Ohio state law.

On October 13, we examined the dirty details of smoking data.

As the Food & Drug Administration moves to expand its oversight to include cigars, the agency announced new graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging.

Tim Ozgener, president of CAO, announced in mid-November that he is leaving the premium cigar business and the company he inherited from his father.

Three months after the IPCPR Trade Show, StogieGuys.com announced our favorite new releases of the year.

U.S. Customs officials seized 30,000 Cuban cigars when the illegal smokes arrived at O’Hare airport in December, the biggest raid seen at the Customs and Border Protection’s Chicago field office.

There you have it: our review of the world of cigars in 2010. A brand new year is just around the corner. Who knows what 2011 will bring us?

–Patrick A

photo credit: various

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

To be honest, I knew nothing about Cuba Caiman before smoking this Doble Corona (7.5 x 49). According to their website, the cigar features an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, a Honduran binder, and filler from Mexico, Nicaragua, and Honduras. It includes an interesting combination of toasty notes and a marshmallow sweetness, but also suffers from some less enjoyable sawdust flavors. The medium-bodied smoke is well-constructed with an easy draw, even burn, and sturdy ash.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In August, StogieGuys.com traveled to New Orleans to report live from the 78th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show—the premier industry convention where cigar makers from around the world showcase their products and debut their new creations.

Dozens and dozens of reviews were published after the trade show concluded as the online cigar community and the mainstream cigar media scrambled to satiate readers’ appetites for information on the newest market entrants. True, over sixty percent of the reviews StogieGuys.com published in the last three months have been of 2010 IPCPR debuts. The dust is finally starting to settle. As it does, we reflect on the trade show and reveal our favorite new releases to date. They are listed below in no particular order.

J. Fuego Origen: While several limited edition Origen vitolas were leaked to the market over the last two years, the full Origen lineup wasn’t officially introduced until this summer. It boasts 100% Cuban-seed corojo tobaccos with a Costa Rican binder, a two-country filler blend from Honduras and Nicaragua, and a toothy Brazilian wrapper. The blend yields excellent combustion qualities and flavors of coffee beans, nuts, dry wood, and sweet caramel. The Lancero ($6-7 apiece) is particularly enjoyable.

La Aurora Guillermo León: This line just keeps getting better the more you smoke it. The blend’s namesake, La Aurora Vice President Guillermo León, says he “wanted something with deep complexity yet also a stronger smoke than most of our offerings.” The result is a dual binder, Ecuadorian habano-wrapped treasure that burns well and sells in the $7-10 range. Flavors range from milk chocolate and spice to earth and syrup. Be on the lookout for this cigar as it starts hitting tobacconist shelves nationwide.

Toraño Single Region Serie Jalapa: To construct this unique offering, the Toraño Family Cigar Company applied a vintner’s approach to cigars, using tobaccos grown on one carefully selected farm. The intention, according to a press release, is to have the blend’s flavor and aroma reflect the influence of a single region’s soil, weather, and topography. The experiment produced a reddish, well-built cigar with a medium-bodied profile of tea, leather, toffee, cream, and nuts. The Single Region’s three traditional sizes sell for less than $7.

San Lotano Habano: A.J. Fernandez’s first solo, nationally distributed project is San Lotano, a revived Cuban brand that’s available in three versions: Connecticut, Maduro, and Habano. The latter is the best, displaying a complex array of flavors like cedar, roast coffee, leather, and caramel. Its Brazilian, Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican tobaccos burn well. The San Lotano Habano may be best in the Toro format, which sells for $8.

While the StogieGuys.com team has sampled many of this year’s new releases, we haven’t yet had the time to thoroughly examine everything that debuted at the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show. So please feel free to let us know if we’ve missed one of your favorites. Meanwhile, check back tomorrow as my colleague reveals the second half of our favorite 2010 releases.

–Patrick A

photo credit: IPCPR

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Before A.J. Fernandez created his first solo release, San Lotano, he blended cigars for a host of cigar makers. He also created Diesel and Man O’ War for online and mail-order giant Cigars International. Ruination was the full-bodied followup to the original Man O’ War, made with an Ecuadorian habano ligero wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan and Honduran filler. The Belicoso (5.7 x 56) features an impressive depth of flavor, including chewy nut, coffee, cream, leather, earth, and vanilla. It’s a full-bodied smoke with just a hint of black pepper on the finish. Available for around $6-7, the well-constructed Man O’ War is highly recommended for fans of strong, flavorful cigars.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Among the new brands that debuted at this summer’s IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans is Reinado. It’s not crafted like your typical Nicaraguan puro.

Created by Antonio Lam, Reinado is a blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos aged up to five years. “What makes this cigar very special is the fact that it’s got a unique fermentation process being employed, making the flavors extremely rich and smooth for a Nicaraguan puro yet letting a nice spice run right through it,” says Lam.

Reinado, Spanish for “reign,” is still a young company, but Lam is happy with his brand’s reception. “We’re in the early stages and the initial response has been excellent, from online reviewers to in-store customers at events.”

As you might imagine, Lam is hard at work expanding the number of Reinado retailers and trying to achieve more widespread recognition of his cigars. His attractive, easy-to-navigate website and solid grasp of social networking media will help. He’s also counting on the online cigar community.

Eager to try Reinado for myself, I smoked a handful of Torpedos (6.1 x 52) for this review. This vitola, one of three in the Reinado portfolio, features an oily Habano rosado wrapper with few veins and virtually invisible seams. The pre-light aroma is bold and woody.

After establishing an even burn, a full-bodied profile of leather, espresso, and cherry quickly emerges. Rarely do cigars smoke with such strength right out of the gate. The Torpedo, however, sports an unapologetically intrepid flavor from the get-go, one that’s more refined than harsh. Its balance includes a sweet aftertaste and a floral-smelling resting smoke.

Consistent from light to nub, the cigar neither mellows nor intensifies. All the while the construction is outstanding. Expect a straight burn, a clear draw, and a solid ash.

Would I smoke the Reinado Torpedo every day? No. After the occasional heavy meal, though, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better selection if you’re craving something bold and brawny. That’s why this $9 cigar earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If you thought of Avo as a predominantly mild brand, up until two years ago you’d be right. But recently Avo has taken on a more full-bodied edge, first with its 2009 and 2010 Limited Editions, and now with the Avo Heritage.

Introduced at the IPCPR Trade Show in August, the Avo Heritage is a four-size line with a Churchill (6.75 x 48), a Toro (6 x 50), a Short Robusto (4 x 56), and the Robusto (4.9 x 50) that is the subject of this review. Each costs $7-9 (this Robusto ran me $8 at a local Virginia shop).

The blend features Dominican binder and filler tobaccos with the same Ecuadorian sungrown wrapper that Avo featured in its 2009 “Compañero” Limited Edition. It is a dark, oily stick with a few prominent veins. A pre-light draw reveals musty notes and some spicy leather on the lips.

Once lit, the flavor is full-bodied with an intriguing mix of tastes. Leather, cinnamon, mustiness, peppery spice, cream, and cocoa are all evident.

Towards the final third, bready flavors are introduced as the peppery spice fades. What was once a full-bodied smoke loses a bit of its power but adds finesse as the profile takes on more rounded, balanced characteristics.

It’s very enjoyable smoke with commendable combustion qualities. Only one of my samples required a slight touch-up for an uneven burn. With an abundance of complexity, strength, and finesse, the AVO Heritage Robusto shines as one of the best new cigars of 2010 and earns an impressive 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