The 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.”

I consider myself lucky to live only short drive away from Paul Garmirian’s boutique in McLean, Virginia, which not only carries every PG line, but also has an excellent selection of aged PG cigars rolled in the 1990s. Those well-aged cigars can be outstanding, but I still think the finest offering in the PG humidor may be the 15th Anniversary blend. The cigar features the musty, woody notes normally associated with Davidoff-made cigars, but also added complexity from grass, cocoa, spice, and chalk. It’s a layered, complex, medium- to full-bodied smoke. Construction is just what you would expect from a cigar that will cost you around $16. It’s the kind of cigar that is well worth seeking out.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It’s hard to think of a cigar company that has had the success in just over ten years that Tatuaje has enjoyed. Tatuaje has released numerous cigars that have had both commercial and critical success.

That makes the personal cigar blend of Tatuaje brand owner Pete Johnson worthy of extra consideration, which is what his Black Label blend is. The cigar was first released for sale in 2007 in a Corona Gorda size that came in ceramic jars.

I’ve been fortunate enough to smoke quite a few of those original Tatuaje Black cigars (which my colleague gave our highest rating). While (regrettably) I didn’t buy any when they were first available, I’ve been given more than a few over the years from someone who bought multiple jars.

Those cigars were outstanding and one of my personal all-time favorites. But all cigars change a little bit over time due to some uncontrollable variables. And Don José “Pepin” Garcia-made cigars, including Tatueje Black, have also changed slightly due to the lawsuit and falling out between Pepin and his former partner Eduardo Fernandez, owner of Aganorsa S.A. and partner in El Rey del Los Habanos. (Blends had to be tweaked when access to Aganorsa tobacco stopped.)

That hasn’t stopped Tatuaje, or Pepin (who makes Tatuaje for Johnson), from putting out excellent cigars. Nor has it prevented the Tatuaje Black from being reissued in 2011. In recent years a variety of sizes have been released, including this Robusto, which is offered in three-packs at Tatuaje events.

Currently, a Tatuaje Black Petit Lancero is a limited, though regular, release. A new Corona Gorda, this time in a melamine jar, was released last year to celebrate Tatuaje’s tenth anniversary, though you’ll still find that available at some retailers. The Black Label, according to reports, is a Nicaraguan puro with a Criollo wrapper.

The well-constructed Robusto features powdery medium-bodied flavors. Bread, oak, and sweet cinnamon dominate with underlying maple syrup notes. It’s superbly balanced, but the sweetness sets it apart, providing an extra layer of richness that resonates beyond the more traditional layering of earth, leather, and spice.

It has been a while since I smoked the original Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda, so it’s hard to compare the two, except to say (at least in my recollection) the original was superior to this Robusto. I did smoke both the Petit Lancero and Corona Gorda for comparison while working on this review, and I can confidently say I found the Robusto the best of the bunch. (A colleague rated the new Corona Gorda highly last year, although I probably wouldn’t have given it quite so high of a score.)

The Robusto, on the other hand, seems to be the best of the bunch when it comes to the recent-era Tatuaje Blacks. Given that it raises the already high bar, the Tatuaje Black Robusto earns a 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 S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

After realizing I had one stick left of each of the two cigars I blended in May 2012, I decided this week—almost exactly three years after the Cigar Safari trip—would be a fitting time to fire them up. This little experiment, after all, offers a somewhat unique opportunity to see how time impacts a cigar.

I say “unique” because it isn’t often I smoke a cigar right after it’s rolled, log its impressions, wait three years, then smoke another sample that was rolled on the same day by the same person with the same tobaccos. But that’s the case here. Virtually the only variable is age. In addition, I get to do the same experiment twice: once with a milder Connecticut Ecuador-wrapped cigar made at Joya de Nicaragua (see my article from Monday), and once with a bolder Brazilian Mata Fina Oscuro-wrapped cigar made at Drew Estate.

As a reminder, please note I did not grow, cultivate, ferment, or actually roll any of my cigars. All the hard work was done by the fine folks at Joya de Nicaragua and Drew Estate, respectively. My role simply consisted of some educated guessing, a little trial-and-error, and selecting a wrapper, a binder, and a filler blend from available tobaccos.

Here’s what I had to say about the Drew Estate blend back in 2012:

Drew Estate Blend
Wrapper: Brazilian mata fina oscuro
Binder: Habano Ecuador
Filler: Estelí Seco (33%), Jalapa Ligero (33%), Brazilian Mata Fina (33%)
Size: 5.25 x 42

My objective here was to get a medium-bodied smoke that’s low on spice but big on dark chocolate flavors—something that would pair nicely with a glass of red wine. That’s why I loaded it up with Mata Fina, a tobacco that’s typically sweet and chocolaty. In my blend, though, the Habano Ecuador binder and Seco and Ligero fillers unexpectedly shine though. The result is a profile devoid of chocolate or any sweetness. Instead, the flavor packs dry spice, leather, and oak. I like this cigar, and it is getting a little better each month, but it isn’t at all what I had intended.

Much like the Joya de Nicaragua blend, I smoked through nine of the ten samples of this Drew Estate-made cigar pretty quickly. In fact, I’d wager I (somewhat carelessly) smoked all nine before the end of 2012. So, when I recently lit the tenth and final cigar, I didn’t really know what to expect from a smoke that’s been off my radar for two and a half years.

What I found was a dry, familiar profile of oak, leather, and spice. This trio of flavors was punctuated by significant cayenne heat on the tip of the tongue, especially in the aftertaste. While the cayenne seemed new, a pair of unfortunate traits were consistent with my earlier samples of the blend: an occasional (but brash) bitterness, and a shortage of sweetness to balance out the spice.

Looking back, instead of writing “I like this cigar,” I should have conceded that this blend not only misses its intended mark, but it’s also incomplete, unbalanced, and slightly abrasive. Three years of age have not yielded the improvements the cigar desperately needed.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In the spring of 2012 I journeyed to Estelí, Nicaragua, to participate in Drew Estate’s unforgettable Cigar Safari adventure.

There, in addition to touring the factories where some of the world’s best cigars are made, I got the awesome opportunity to blend two cigars: one at Joya de Nicaragua, and the other at Drew Estate. I chronicled both creations in an article that was published on September 10, 2012. The roll date on both cigars was May 24, 2012. Somewhat miraculously, I have one cigar left from each blend—both of which are just begging to be smoked. So I thought I’d revisit the two cigars to see how almost exactly three years of age have changed them.

Today I’ll examine the Joya de Nicaragua Blend, and later on this week I’ll revisit the Drew Estate Blend. As a reminder, please note I did not grow, cultivate, ferment, or actually roll any of my cigars. All the hard work was done by the fine folks at Joya de Nicaragua and Drew Estate, respectively. My role consisted of selecting a wrapper, a binder, and a filler blend from available tobaccos.

Here’s what I had to say about the Joya de Nicaragua blend back in 2012:

Joya de Nicaragua Blend
Wrapper: Connecticut Ecuador
Binder: Habano Volado
Filler: Condega Seco (30%), Estelí Viso (40%), Condega Ligero (30%)
Size: 5.5 x 48

My objective with this cigar was to produce a mild, creamy smoke that would be excellent with a morning cup of coffee. I couldn’t be more pleased with the result. This beautiful, golden cigar burns like a champ and yields a nice flavor of cream, butter, almond, and just a bit of spice. I got ten of these from Joya de Nicaragua and I’ve almost completely blazed through the entire stash. I may have to fly back down to Nicaragua to see if I can get more. While Joya de Nicaragua isn’t known for making mild smokes, this one turned out wonderfully.

I felt a little queasy setting a wooden match to the foot of this cigar, knowing it was the end of the samples from the first cigar I ever blended—and assuming I’ll never be able to smoke this exact concoction ever again.

Despite the nostalgia, my expectations were rather low. Right out of the gate, this was already a pretty mild creation. I expected three years of time to have mellowed it further, perhaps rendering it papery or (worse) utterly flavorless.

Instead, I was pleased to find a smooth, buttery profile that was mild- to medium-bodied with notes of almond, white pepper, and sweet hay. Perfect construction. And, yes, it still pairs really well with a cup of black coffee.

Again, in case it sounds like I’m tooting my own horn, the wonderful qualities of this cigar are completely a testament to the fine folks at Joya de Nicaragua, not my own (somewhat) educated guesses coupled with some trial and error. Joya sourced and cared for the tobacco, and Joya rolled the samples. I’m just thankful for the experience and opportunity to learn.

–Patrick A

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 third variation of the San Cristobal brand, Revelation features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The Mystic is a corona size (5.6 x 48), and it’s an excellent representation of the blend. The Sumatran wrapper imparts a distinctive sweetness that is especially apparent in the pre-light draw. Once lit, the cigar sports a medium- to full-bodied profile with rich, powdery flavors with cedar spice, cinnamon, earth, and dried fruit. The construction is flawless despite the cigar seeming a little under-filled. I like the original San Cristobal better, but there’s nothing about the Revelation that I wouldn’t 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.”

Mayimbe has been around for nearly two years, yet I’ve never really given this premium-priced line from A.J. Fernandez the attention it deserves—either in terms of print or my own smoking rotation. That’s going to have to change. This blend, which sports a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper around tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras, is complex, full-bodied, and highly satisfying. The Robusto (5 x 56) displays flavors of coffee, cocoa, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon. Construction is exquisite. While the $14-15 range is a lot to ask for a Robusto, this cigar really delivers.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I’ve had a handful of Gurkha Cellar Reserve Prisoners tucked away in one of my humidors for over three years now. While they seem to leer at me every time I come across them, I’ve been avoiding working on a review. Why? For one, Gurkha is—at best—a hit-or-miss brand for me. Also, this huge smoke (7 x 54) seems like a major time commitment for a blend that, frankly, I’m not all that excited to sample. So, try as I might go into every cigar review with an open mind, I feel I need to be upfront about my hesitations.

Some of you may recall the Gurkha Cellar Reserve line was introduced in the summer of 2011. “The vintage Cellar Reserve uses the finest quality 15-year-old aged tobacco, comprised of an oily Criollo ’98 wrapper, that combines an aged Dominican Olor binder with a 15-year-old Dominican filler,” reads the Gurkha website. “Housed in unique wooden boxes that aesthetically evoke a maturing wine barrel, the Cellar Reserve is a delicious medium- to full-bodied cigar that is full of flavor and complexity.”

In addition to the Prisoner (an interesting name for a vitola that’s sure to suck up a lot of time), there are four other sizes: Koi (4 x 58), Solara (5 x 58), Hedonism (6 x 58), and Kraken (6 x 60). Back in 2011 and 2012, the Prisoner’s MSRP was about $10-11 apiece, and it was only sold at brick-and-mortar tobacconists. These days you can find them online for $8-9 when bought by the box of 20.

The first thing that strikes you about the Prisoner—aside from the daunting size—is the large, unique band that sports a three-sentence description of the cigar. Also included on the band is a batch number, quantity, and blend strength (mine says 97.6%, and I have no idea what that means). In addition, Gurkha includes the phrase “Dominican Puro” on the label, despite reports there are Nicaraguan filler tobaccos in the blend.

Beneath the band is a Criollo ’98 leaf with an intricate roadmap of veins, some thin others on the thick side. The feel is firm throughout, and the foot shows a cross-section tightly packed tobaccos. The cold draw has just a little resistance, and the pre-light notes remind me of leather, wet leaves, and sawdust.

At the outset, the Cellar Reserve Prisoner tastes of baking spices, oak, and brown sugar. The texture is bready and the resting smoke is highly aromatic and sweet. The first transition is characterized by overwhelming sweetness (the cigar almost tastes infused). Then, after about an inch of smoking, vanilla, leather, and a meaty bitterness take center stage. From there until the nub, the flavors change only at the margin. Construction—save for a few torch touch-ups here and there—is commendable.

Call it a self-fulfilling prophecy if you must, but I find it hard to smoke the aptly-named Prisoner. It’s a constant struggle between intense sweetness and meaty sourness, and there’s a severe shortage of completely or subtlety, especially for a two-hour behemoth. I rate the Gurkha Cellar Reserve Prisoner one and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys