The Stogie Guys

J. Grotto, a Rhode Island-based cigar brand, makes two lanceros. Two years ago I wrote about the J. Grotto Reserve Lancero. Today I examine the newer J. Grotto Silk Lancero. (The company has four lines, oldest to newest: J. Grotto, J. Grotto Reserve, J. Grotto Silk, and J. Grotto Anniversary Maduro.)

Paul Joyal, the man behind J. Grotto and Ocean State Cigars, says he came up with the name Silk after seeing the wrapper, and its hard not to see why. The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, reportedly aged three years, is smooth, almost vein-free, and medium brown with a lot of sheen.

Beneath the wrapper are double binders—Indonesian and Criollo ’98 tobaccos—that surround filler sourced from Trojes in Honduras and Jalapa in Nicaragua. I smoked four of the Lanceros (7.5 x 40), which come in boxes of 10 and have a suggested retail price of $7.99.

Off the bat, the J. Grotto Silk Lancero features a mild- to medium-bodied combination of cream and cedar, along with hints of wood and pepper spice. As it develops, the flavors intensify, but the basic formula (cedar and cream with a slight spice) remains dominant.

I waited a while to smoke these because they seemed very soft to the touch when hey first arrived. Ultimately, that didn’t change much after a few months, but it didn’t impact the construction, which was flawless with a razor-straight burn—an impressive achievement given the notably finicky lancero size.

I’ve never seen the J. Grotto Silk Lancero, or even any J. Grotto cigars for sale at a cigar shop I’ve visited, and I suspect that’s true for many readers of this review, too. That’s a shame. The J. Grotto Silk Lancero is an impressive, well-constructed smoke that sells for a reasonable price. Those characteristics earn it a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The premium cigar industry’s annual trade show is just around the corner, and that means we’ll all soon be bombarded with a bevy of new releases, marketing hype, and dozens of cigars claiming to be the next best thing. Earlier this week, my colleague penned a thoughtful piece about keeping things in perspective this time of year. For me, it was a reminder to revisit some old favorites before the mad rush to sample and size-up the many new blends.

That same colleague also recently reviewed the Churchill vitola from La Aurora 1495, a blend that’s been around seemingly forever. It prompted me to dig through my stash, where I was pleased to discover a five-pack of 1495 Robustos that had been aging for at least a year (probably more like three to four years). In the spirit of revisiting old favorites, I decided a review was in order.

By way of background, La Aurora 1495 commemorates the founding of the city of Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic (no, the oldest cigar maker on the island hasn’t been crafting cigars for 520 years—more like 112 years). “Made from six different types of tobacco, Aurora 1495 is ideal for connoisseurs who prefer a medium- to full-bodied smoke that combines a variety of aromas and offers a flavor of incredible complexity and richness,” according to La Aurora’s website. It boasts an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper around a Dominican Corojo binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, Peru, and the Dominican Republic.

The 1495 Robusto (5 x 50) can be found for about $3-4 when bought by the box of 25, or about $5 when bought as a single. Despite those prices, in no way does this cigar look cheap once out of the cellophane. The dark, mottled, sun-grown wrapper has a tremendous oily sheen and great texture. The feel is consistently firm, and the pre-light notes remind me of raisin and cocoa.

The flavor starts with black pepper, leather, and tea, buoyed by a core of natural tobacco and a medium dose of Ligero strength with some spice on the aftertaste. Smoke production is slightly above average. After an inch, the spice calms a bit to make way for oak and a creamy sweetness, both of which add balance. At times some bitterness creeps in. The finale witnesses a return to spice.

The physical properties are befitting a cigar from La Aurora. Expect an even burn, solid gray ash, and smooth draw. I found these characteristics to be consistent across all of my samples.

La Aurora’s 1495 Robusto isn’t going to blow anyone away, but it offers a well-balanced, classic profile with medium strength and enough changes along the way to hold your interest. Keep it in mind if you’re looking for a respectable, cost-effective smoke. It earns three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–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.”

In August 2013—about a month before this RoMa Craft creation was launched as an exclusive for Blue Havana, a Chicago tobacconist—I published a glowing review of Abbadon. In December 2014, I found myself buying a 12-pack. I’m glad I did. Six months of age haven’t changed the cigar much, and that’s OK with me. Abbadon (6.25 x 52, $8.15) still packs a good punch, and it brings a lot of complexity to the table. The Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, coupled with a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, yields a supremely enjoyable taste of coffee, roasted nuts, leather, and a touch of sweetness. There’s probably good aging potential here, but I’m probably not patient enough to find out for sure.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Orphan Barrel Series is an easy target for some bourbon aficionados to turn their nose up at. First there was the claim, or at least the implication, that these whiskeys were lost and found (Here’s a hint: No company big or small just loses hundreds or even thousands of barrels, especially since they are responsible for taxes on them). Then there are some strange or even goofy names: Lost Prophet, Rhetoric, Old Blowhard.

And yet, despite those fair criticisms, I think Diageo (who owns the Orphan Barrel line, along with George Dickel, Bulleit, and I.W. Harper) is doing the bourbon world a great service with these old bourbons. In a time when extra-aged bourbon is in very high demand, they’ve released 15- to 26-year-old bourbons that, with a little work, can actually be found at retail prices.

For example, Rhetoric and Barterhouse are 20-year-old straight bourbons selling for under $100, notable at a time when most similarly aged whiskey costs at least twice that (more like $800+ or some drop-everything-and-head-to-Vegas luck for Pappy Van Winkle 20). The newest and youngest of the 5-bourbon line (at least for now) is Forged Oak, a 15-year-old straight bourbon which sells for $65-75 a bottle.

Diageo doesn’t currently own and operate a full-scale Kentucky distillery (though that’s changing), but we know Forged Oak was distilled at the New Bernheim Distillery, which Diageo’s corporate predecessor sold to Heaven Hill (maker of Evan Williams and Elijah Craig) later. At some point, the aging bourbon was then transferred to the aging houses at the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery, where the rickhouses remain the site of lots of aging bourbon, although the facility is no longer running new whiskey off its famed stills.

The 90.5-proof Forged Oak has a deep copper color. The nose is classic with caramel, dry spice, and a hint of orange. On the palate, it’s light clove, wood (not in overwhelming amounts), roast nuts, and light caramel. The finish is long with winter spices.

In many ways Forge Oak is a very classic bourbon. It features the oak you’d expect from an older bourbon but it’s tempered and balanced. I’d particularly recommend it to Elijah Craig 12 fans who want to see what a bit of extra age can do to a bourbon’s flavors (no coincidence as they come from the same distillery).

Pair it with a spicy cigar like the Arturo Fuente Opus X Perfecxion No.2, Litto Gomez Diez Small Batch No. 2, Ramón Allones Specially Selected (Cuban), or My Father El Hijo.

Once you’ve hit the highlights of the sub-$30 bourbons, this is the next step in age (and price). I’ve tasted all the Orphan Barrel bourbons and, despite being the least expensive, Forged Oak is, in my opinion, second only to the limited release 22-year-old Lost Prophet.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With the cold of winter and heat of summer, sometimes the ideal cigar is one that doesn’t last much more than 30 minutes. Because of this, I find I’m always in search of a good, reasonably priced little cigar.

In that search, the relatively new L’Atelier Travailleurs seemed like a promising new addition to the little cigar category. In particular because the full-size L’Atelier blend, on which the Travailleurs is based, is a cigar I enjoy. (The blend uses an Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus wrapper over Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos.)

The challenge, however, seems to be taking a full-sized blend and miniaturizing it without losing complexity and nuance. It sounds simple enough, but experience suggests it isn’t, at least not while keeping the cigar affordable enough to peak consumers’ interest.

Introduced at last summer’s trade show, the Travailleurs, along with mini (4.5 x 38) versions of the Surrogates (Animal Cracker), El Suelo, and Trocadéro, started shipping earlier this year. All the L’Atelier brand minis come in five soft-packs and have a recommended price of $14.50 per pack ($2.90 per cigar).

No cutting of the cap is needed as it comes pre-cut. Once lit, I find medium-bodied smoke. There are doughy bread and hay flavors, hints of graham cracker, cream, and leather notes, and a persistent dry sawdust finish. There’s little variation beyond that profile, but the result is a consistent, tasty smoke for 30-40 minutes. The cigar is a little soft to the touch, but that isn’t to the detriment of construction. The burn is even and the draw isn’t too tight (a common problem for small cigars).

While my quest for the perfect mini cigar may not be over, this new offering is a welcome addition. The L’Atelier Travailleurs is a straight-forward but tasty, well-constructed, medium-bodied little smoke offered at a very reasonable price, and that earns it a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Perdomo is one of those brands that takes a straightforward, traditional approach to cigar making, marketing, and branding. While there’s nothing wrong with the company’s classic style, Perdomo never quite seems to grab the limelight—at least to me, anyways.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that I’m just now getting around to smoking the 20th Anniversary Sun Grown, which debuted back in the summer of 2012 (there’s also a 20th Anniversary Maduro). This Nicaraguan puro includes high-priming tobaccos from Perdomo’s farms in Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa. The Cuban-seed wrapper is aged 6 years, then an additional 14 months in bourbon barrels.

Six vitolas are available: Robusto (5 x 56), Epicure (6 x 56), Gordo (6 x 60), Torpedo (6.5 x 54), Corona Grande (6.5 x 48), and Churchill (7 x 56). The latter retails for about $9 and comes complete with a soft box-press, only thin veins, moderate oils, and faint pre-light notes of hay and cream. The cold draw has just the right level of resistance.

Once lit, you’re immediately hit with a rich sun-grown sweetness and some notes of wood and dried fruit, particularly apricot. The undertones are straight natural tobacco, and the texture is bready. In the background, you’ll find hints of coffee, sweet cream, and peanut. The resting smoke is incredibly sweet. Spice is present—as you’d expect from a Nicaraguan puro—but the black pepper is definitely not as dominant as you’d think.

I’ve plowed through a five-pack of Churchills over the past couple weeks. This is one of those flavor profiles that really grows on you. While all of my samples were consistent in terms of flavor, I found the last to be much more enjoyable than the first. In other words, the 20th Anniversary Sun Grown blend is like an album you need to listen to a few times before you really start to appreciate.

Construction-wise, I have no complaints. The burn line may require a touch-up along the way but, for the most part, the Churchill smokes evenly and slowly. The ash holds firm off the foot. The smoke production is above average.

I haven’t yet tried any of the other Sun Grown vitolas. You can bet I will, especially since my only real complaint is the large Churchill format tends to overstay its welcome a bit—particularly since there are few flavor changes along the way. I’d wager the Robusto or Corona Grande would be more up my alley.

That said, this is an interesting, satisfying, sweet specimen, and a good value at about $9. It earns three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–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.”

As Don Pepin was bursting onto the cigar scene nearly a decade ago, I remember smoking quite a few Cuban Classics known  simply as the Black Line. Billed as Pepin’s most full-flavored cigar at the time, it was also the Pepin cigar most likely to be had for sale and frequently available for around $4. Though I haven’t smoked many lately, I did recently light up this toro. Hardly the full-bodied cigar I remembered, (makes you wonder: Has the cigar changed, or something else?) it’s more medium-bodied with hay, salted butter, mild earth, and wood spice. Still, it’s a enjoyable cigar and if you find one on sale it’s unlikely to disappoint.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys