The 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.

Over the summer I renewed my Cigar Rights of America membership by buying a ten-cigar sampler that included this special Tatuaje Black Toro. Since the size can only be purchased as part of the CRA sampler, I hadn’t smoked one since I reviewed one six years ago. The cigar features the same flavors I’ve come to expect from the Black Label  line, including leather, bread, and subtle spice. But it’s a good bit stronger than the recent Petit Lancero and Corona Gorda sizes I’ve smoked. Although not my favorite size for this blend, it’s still an excellent, well-made cigar and, especially since you have to join Cigar Rights of America to get one, it is easy to recommend.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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.”

The Belicoso (6 x 52) from Drew Estate’s T52 line never disappoints. A hallmark of consistency, this cigar delivers superb construction with a rich, ultra-oily profile of leather, coffee, black pepper, cocoa, and that trademark Liga Privada sweet creamy grassiness (many of you know what I’m talking about; the ability to accurately describe the sensation escapes me). While it may not be inexpensive—keep in mind the stalk-cut “American Habano” Connecticut wrapper is costly to produce—I think you’ll agree you need to treat yourself to a T52 every now and then.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This is the crazy season of bourbon. Super-hard-to-find, rare, limited editions are being released in very small quantities, and buyers are going to ridiculous lengths to get them. Some want to drink them, others are looking to profit off a secondary market where a rare bottle purchased one day can sell for many times the retail price a few days later.

Here’s an example: Two days ago a bottle of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon I had ordered arrived at my local liquor store. But because it was listed in their online inventory, by the time I had picked it up the store manager said he had received dozens of calls for the bottle. Just two years ago I bought three bottles for the same price with no fuss at all and I could have (and probably should have) bought many more.

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep bourbon is certainly a product of that craziness. The 17 year Wild Turkey is the oldest ever released by Wild Turkey, and Wild Turkey knows that such a rare bourbon can command a price; in this case, $150 for a 750 ml. bottle. Albeit rare, that high price (even in this overheated bourbon market) has meant that a month after the release you can still find Master’s Keep on some shelves if you want one.

The story of how this bourbon came to be is a complicated one. Long story short, after being distilled in 1996, the barrels spent only a short period of time in Wild Turkey’s warehouses before they were moved to brick warehouses nearby. In 2003, they were moved again to different brick warehouse before finally being moved back into traditional wood and metal Wild Turkey rickhouses in 2010.

The time in brick warehouses, where bourbon tends to age more slowly, has had a considerable impact on the bourbon. For one thing, rather that increasing in proof over time, Master’s Keep decreased in proof over time, to 43.4% ABV (86.8-proof).

The result is a bourbon with a truly fantastic nose. It’s a rich combination of mulling spices, apple, pear, tree sap, and pie crust. On the plate there is caramel, clove spice, burnt sugar, and oak. The finish features lots of dry oak.

It’s a unique and delicate bourbon that deserves an equally subtle cigar. A few recommendations: Illusione Singulare LE 2014 Anunnaki, Paul Garmirian Gourmet, and the Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda.

Ultimately, however, when it comes to price I have trouble spending $150 on Master’s Keep. It’s not that it isn’t good. It is. And it’s surely unique and tasty. But anticlimactically, the nose is the aspect of the bourbon that stands out the most. I would highly recommend trying to find some in a bar before shelling out for a full bottle.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Believe it or not, the partnership between jewelry maker Matt Booth and Camacho is about six years old. Seems like only a few years since it was announced Camacho would be making cigars sold under Booth’s Room 101 brand, which is named after the torture room in George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

This summer, Booth was showing off a new line at the Davidoff display at the IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans (Camacho was acquired by Davidoff in 2008). Called Johnny Tobacconaut, the blend humorously implies the tobacco was harvested from outer space, as the black and copper boxes depict a space cadet with a backpack full of tobacco and a shovel.

“One small puff for man, one giant cascade of flavor for mankind is what our dear friend and comrade in arms Johnny Tobacconaut seeks to deliver unto you,” reads the marketing copy. “Unsheathe this smoke wagon of funkadelic flavor and afford yourself a micro escape from your day. The mini vacation you are about to embark upon, should you choose to accept it, will bring you one step closer to becoming that gentleman or gentle-lady of leisure we all know is within you.”

In reality, the leaves are from Nicaragua and the cigars are manufactured by Davidoff in Danlí, Honduras. Three sizes are available in the pricy $12 to $15 range: Fileroid (4.5 x 52), Ranflatic, (6.5 x 50), and Chingonova (8 x 60). (Ranflatic is incorrectly listed as 5.5 inches long just about everywhere.) All are perfectos. Total production is limited to 3,500 boxes of 20, or 70,000 individual cigars—though Booth says he’d make this a permanent line if it sells well.

Ranflatic is a handsome, oily specimen with thin veins and pre-light notes of dark chocolate and dried apricot. Only the slightest snip of the narrowed cap is necessary to open an easy cold draw. Once lit, a simple, familiar, medium-bodied profile emerges with flavors reminiscent of black coffee, black pepper, leather, warm tobacco, and back-of-the-throat spice.

As it progresses, Ranflatic adds a little cream, some cinnamon, and hints of salted nuts. There are few changes otherwise, aside from a dose of bitterness here and there. Throughout, the combustion qualities perform very well, including a trouble-free burn line, sturdy gray ash, and impressive smoke production.

After smoking two Ranflatics, I’ve come to the conclusion the blend—while enjoyable—is somewhat lacking in pop, complexity, or any distinguishing uniqueness that would help justify the considerable price. Maybe the blend just doesn’t strike the right chord with my palate. That’s ultimately why I’m settling on a score of two and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The VegaFina brand made by tobacco giant Altadis usually takes a backseat to the more prominent names in the Altadis portfolio, including Montecristo, H. Upmann, and Romeo y Julieta. It’s positioned as more of a value play and marketed with the tagline, “Every day is the perfect time to enjoy a masterpiece.”

In January, VegaFina joined the growing list of brands that have launched line extensions with “Nicaragua” in the name, all of which are clearly aiming to cash in on the popularity of the Central American country that’s known for its strong, rich tobaccos.

Called simply VegaFina Nicaragua, the new series is an “impeccably blended and hand-rolled” cigar with “100% Nicaraguan” tobaccos from “the unique regions of Estelí and Jalapa.” The recipe includes a Habana 2000 wrapper, a Seco binder from Jalapa, and a mixture of Seco, Ligero, and Viso tobaccos.

Three sizes are available: Corona (5.75 x 42), Robusto (5 x 50), and Gran Toro (6 x 52). Each retails for $5.50-6.25 and is made at Altadis’ Tabacalera de García in the Dominican Republic.

The first time I took a Gran Toro out of its cellophane and held the cigar in person, I was taken aback by the color of the wrapper. Perhaps more dramatically than any other cigar I can recall, VegaFina Nicaragua is severely mottled (my picture doesn’t do this justice). There are dark streaks all over the dry surface, giving the Gran Toro an almost zebra-like appearance. I’m not saying this is an indictment of the cigar’s quality, mind you; but I also wouldn’t expect Altadis to include this wrapper on one of its flagship brands.

Once the Gran Toro is lit, delicate pre-light notes of sweet hay and grass give way to a medium-bodied profile of cream, cedar spice, paper, and café au lait. Given the blend’s name and makeup, I was expecting something bolder, spicier, and stronger. That said, the flavor is well-rounded and nuanced, and the texture strikes a surprisingly sophisticated tone.

As the Gran Toro progresses, it becomes clear the central theme is the interplay between the sweet creaminess and the spicy cedar—just the sort of cigar that pairs well with a light sipping rum. Throughout, as is to be expected from Altadis, construction is top-notch with a smooth draw, straight burn line, abundant smoke production, and solid white ash.

Seasoned cigar veterans who stray away from the likes of Altadis and General Cigar will be missing a value-priced smoke that sports great texture, balance, and complexity. Put simply, VegaFina Nicaragua is a good cigar for the money. The Gran Toro is worthy of an admirable rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

First Smoke is a new series of Quick Smoke reviews, each evaluating a single pre-release cigar. Like the Quick Smokes we publish each Saturday and Sunday, each First Smoke is not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

According to Jason Wood of Miami Cigar & Co. (La Aurora’s partner and distributor), after the last year’s release of Untamed—La Aurora’s strongest cigar to date—a few people started asking for an even more full-bodied smoke from the esteemed Dominican producer that’s better known for more subtle smokes. So master blender Manuel Inoa went to work on a “more extreme” blend. The result is Untamed Extreme, which comes in three sizes: Robusto, Toro, and an oversized Behemoth (7 x 60).

The cigar features dark charred oak flavors, earth, and woody spice. There’s a slight sourness, but overall it’s a truly full-bodied smoke with a big nicotine kick to boot. Construction is excellent. I’ll admit I prefer the more classic profile from La Aurora (the serially overlooked Fernando León Family Reserve, for example), but ultimately the Untamed Extreme delivers what it promises: full flavor, full body, and full strength. If that’s what you’re looking for you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Our Spirits articles always conclude by listing a few cigars we think would pair well with the spirit in question. StogieGuys.com is, after all, a cigar-focused website.

But I can’t recall ever seeing recommended cigar pairings on the website of the spirit itself. That is until I came across Plantation Barbados Grande Reserve 5 from France-based Cognac Ferrand. Here’s what you’ll find on the Plantation website: “For cigars amateurs (sic), Plantation Grande Reserve 5 years goes very well with the Ashton Cabinet Selection No. 7, a cigar made with a light Connecticut shade wrapper that has a light, woody flavor and plenty of cream. It seeks out the vanilla in the rum.”

While having a recommended cigar pairing on its website is unique and somewhat helpful, that isn’t what drew me to Plantation Barbados Grande Reserve 5 in the first place. Rather, I was intrigued by the rum’s reputation as a low-cost sipping spirit that packs a ton of value and flavor into an inexpensive bottle. I paid just over $20 for a 750 ml. bottle (compared with Plantation’s flagship rum, XO 20th Anniversary, which is $45).

By way of quick background, Cognac Ferrand is primarily a producer of cognac. For years, it sold its prized cognac casks to rum producers in the Caribbean who would use the containers to age their spirits. “During these exchanges, [company founder Alexandre] Gabriel had the opportunity to discover some very old batches of rum with extraordinary richness and a diversity of aroma and flavor,” reads the Cognac Ferrand website. “Available in tiny quantities, the rums were intended either for the personal consumption of the distillery’s cellar master or used to give style to industrial rum blends. Quite naturally, Cognac Ferrand decided to bottle these special rums as a series of vintages.”

Each vintage is named for its locale of origin: Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Trinidad, and St. Lucia. The 80-proof Grande Reserve 5 is a blend of rums from Barbados that’s aged for five years in bourbon casks in the Caribbean then refined in old French oak casks at Château de Bonbonnet in France. It is presented in a stout bottle covered in a decorative netting made from palm fibers.

In the bottle and glass the rum has a light, honey-colored tint with good clarity. The nose is easy on alcohol and heavy on fruit with hints of banana, coconut, papaya, and tangerine. Butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel are also present. Once sipped, the balanced, well-rounded flavor coats the palate with banana, toffee, orange, vanilla, and nuts. The finish has a prolonged, somewhat earthy spice.

Is this one of the finest rums in the world? No. But it might be one of the best values. The taste, presentation, and complexity are far superior than what the price and young age suggest. That means you can use Plantation Barbados Grande Reserve 5 in cocktails guilt-free, and you can also sip it neat. I prefer the latter.

As for cigar pairings, take Plantation’s advice and stick with mild- to medium-bodied smokes wrapped in Connecticut shade or Ecuadorian wrappers. Anything bolder will only overpower the spirit. I’ve found the Herrera Estelí Toro Especial works well.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys