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.”

Six months ago I bought a five-pack of J.D. Howard Reserve HR52s (6 x 52), finding them, at the time, to be neither enamoring nor enchanting. Half a year may not be ample time to change a cigar, but I nonetheless decided to fire up the last stick from the pack to see how it had developed. This time around, the Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and Nicaraguan filler combined to yield a profile that’s slightly more subdued. The creamy nutiness is more apparent, and the sour, meaty notes are a little less pronounced. The J.D. Howard Reserve HR52 is definitely better with some modest age, but I still think the $10 price tag is high for what this toro brings to the table.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Discerning cigar smokers still flinch at memories of the cigar boom of the mid ’90s. From 1993 to 1997, annual handmade cigar imports skyrocketed from under 100 million to well over 400 million.

The result wasn’t good for consumers. Many established manufacturers couldn’t ramp up production while still meeting quality standards, and lesser quality “Don Nobody” brands flooded the market.

Good cigars were suddenly difficult or sometimes impossible to find, while poor and mediocre cigars were being sold for high prices. From the perspective of consumers for whom cigar smoking was more than a fad, the bursting of this cigar bubble was a good thing, even if it took a few years for things to stabilize.

For the industry, the boom wasn’t so bad. First off, they sold a lot of cigars in the peak of the boom, and the smart ones had enough foresight to be ready to weather the coming bust.

The longer-term benefits to the industry were the lessons learned. Cigar makers are rightfully weary of sacrificing quality for quantity, even as total handmade cigar production has crept up towards mid-boom numbers.

So, at some point, the question has to be asked: Are handmade cigars approaching another bubble that’s about to burst? There are good reasons to think not, but maybe some warning signs too. First off, the growth has been far more steady this time. Also, you don’t hear as much from industry types about a coming end to boom times, which I’m told was seen by many as almost inevitable during the mid ’90s, even if the exact timing or speed of the collapse were largely unanticipated. The counter is that it’s hardly unusual for bursting bubbles to not be anticipated by most people in them, otherwise people wouldn’t lose so much money in those bubbles.

One of the things that worries me is the ever-increasing price of new cigars, especially the increasing number of cigars sold by companies that aren’t themselves cigar makers. Many of these cigars are of good quality, but they don’t always offer particularly good value for smokers, in part because they have to buy their cigars before they sell them to retailers.

Then there are the pending potential shocks to the established cigar industry. FDA regulation has the potential to wipe out numerous brands introduced in the past few years. Other possible market-shattering events include the full end of the Cuban Embargo, or a natural disaster striking a major growing region.

I don’t want to bum anyone out here, but cautious optimism is usually a more intelligent outlook than unrestrained exuberance. While a collapse like the cigar industry saw after the peak of the ’90s cigar boom seems unlikely, industries don’t usually grow forever.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It’s easy to root for a guy like Noel Rojas. Three years ago, when he moved to Nicaragua from Miami, he made cigars out of his house—with the garage serving as tobacco storage, the dining room reserved for sorting, and a bedroom repurposed as an aging room.

Today, Rojas’ company, called Guayacan, is part of the House of Emilio, which also includes 1502, Bodega, Epicurean, Ezra Zion, and Nomad Cigar Co. His core line is simply called Guayacan, which sports an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. He also makes a Mexican San Andrés-wrapped Guayacan Maduro—as well as a few cigars for other brands—out of his newly constructed Tabacalera Aromas de Jalapa factory in Estelí.

Last summer Rojas added Sabor de Estelí to the Guayacan portfolo. Spanish for “flavor of Estelí,” the line comes in two variations: an oval-shaped Habano and a box-pressed Maduro. Each, as you would expect, features Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, with the former wrapped in Ecuadorian Habano and the latter in a Mexican San Andrés leaf.

Sabor de Estelí Habano is offered in four sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 52), Gordo (6 x 60), and Corona (6.5 x 42). The Robusto retails for about $8 and has a highly textured wrapper with plenty of tooth and moderate oils. The feel is a little spongy and the cold draw is smooth. Pre-light, the foot exhibits rich notes of dark chocolate, mole sauce, and damp earth. I find the highly traditional, colorful band to be attractive and a nice complement to the dark wrapper.

From the outset, the Robusto produces a spicy, dense flavor with notes ranging from cayenne, black pepper, and cedar, all balanced by some sweetness and a bready component that reminds me of flour tortilla. The texture is leathery, and the finish is a heavy dose of dark roasted coffee bean. At times, I also pick up cream, peanut, and cocoa. I’d classify the body as medium to medium-full.

The samples I smoked for this review, provided to me free of charge by Emilio Cigars, burned beautifully. I ran into no problems with the burn line, draw, smoke production, or ash.

Over time, I hypothesize the Sabor de Estelí Habano Robusto might mellow out. Personally, though, I love the spice-forward flavor this cigar brings to the table now, and I’m not sure I’d want to sacrifice any of that kick. Teeming with taste and abundant in complexity, the Robusto leaves me wanting more by the time I reach the nub—and that’s one of the better compliments I can pay a cigar. I will be buying more for my own personal enjoyment, and I award this excellent smoke four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If La Aurora was an actor, this creation would be playing against type. Long identified with prototypical Dominican cigars, the enduring manufacturer offers up something different from band to blend.

So far, this effort to tap into the growing market for stronger cigars has met with much success since its debut at last year’s IPCPR Trade Show. Many bloggers have praised Untamed, and Dominican Cigar Review chose it 2014’s Cigar of the Year.

And it’s difficult to overstate the significance of the line when the company itself touts it in a press release as “a step towards the future.”

What’s different? Well, for starters, the cigar’s filler has none of the typical Seco leaves—milder tobacco from the middle of the plant—and an abundance of stronger Dominican Ligero. The binder is Dominican and the dark wrapper is U.S. Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro.

On the cosmetic level, La Aurora’s usually stately lion has been transformed into a toothy, ferocious beast dominating the distressed-style box and the cigar’s large band.

The line comes in five sizes, with the Robusto (5 x 50) the smallest. I was sent three samples for review. Checking online, a single Robusto appears to retail for about $7.50.

Untamed offers a pleasant, sweet, fruity pre-light aroma from the wrapper. I worried that the burn might be a problem because of the thick wrapper and blend makeup, but the three I smoked performed perfectly. Both draw and smoke production were excellent.

My disappointment came with a harshness I experienced from the beginning. It was aggressive, particularly so in the first half, often nearly overwhelming the prominent deep espresso flavors and pepper. I didn’t find a lot of the sweetness often associated with Maduro wrappers, though there was more in the final third.

I think this cigar could age well, with humidor time perhaps smoothing out the harshness and allowing the other flavors to come to the fore.

When a major manufacturer such as La Aurora tries something new, it’s always a good idea to give it a try. I’d urge anyone who likes stronger cigars to pick up a couple and form your own impression. I give the Untamed a respectable three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Most of us think of a sucker punch as an unannounced or unexpected attack, usually a closed fist to the face. “Sucker Punch” is not a bad name for a cigar, especially for one loaded with Ligero and bearing the name of a brand with a longstanding reputation for full flavor.

Sucker Punch debuted in June 2014, made by General Cigar exclusively for Famous Smoke Shop. (Full disclosure: Famous sent me a sampler pack of Sucker Punch cigars to make this review possible. As always, the samples Famous provided in no way impact my assessment of the cigar.)

The Sucker Punch blend includes an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper around a Cameroon binder and Nicaraguan Ligero long-filler. It is crafted by Augustin Garcia Lainez, Central American Tobacco Operations Manager for General Cigar. “[Augustin] divides his time between Honduras and Nicaragua,” reads the General Cigar website. “He was instrumental in creating Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado in Cedros, CAO OSA, and CAO Concert, and continues to work diligently to ensure the quality of cigars for all brands under the GCC Central American portfolio.”

There are four Sucker Punch sizes, all of which sell in the affordable $5.57 to $6.80 price range: Critical Condition (7 x 52), King Hit (6 x 54), Lights Out (5 x 52), and Smash Face (6.1 x 60). I smoked a five-pack of King Hits for this review. This thick toro has a clean, pale exterior leaf, pre-light notes of honey and hay, and an interesting band of blue, gold, and red that features a female boxer.

The cold draw is easy and airy with the wrapper imparting a slight sweetness on the lips. After setting an even light, this translates to above average smoke production. The initial profile is similar to what you’d expect from a Connecticut-wrapped smoke, albeit with a little more kick: butter, nut, oak, and sweet cream.

After the first inch, the Ligero starts to make its presence known, imparting notes of black pepper and transitioning from medium-bodied to medium-full. The result is not necessarily heavy, rich, or dense (as I suspect this cigar would taste with almost any other wrapper type). Instead, it smokes like an amplified version of a typical Connecticut. It’s like a bold, full-flavored stick that still leaves room for subtlety. Then the final third is a huge dose of nicotine and spice—the sort of experience you don’t want on an empty stomach.

True to General Cigar form, the physical properties are outstanding. The gray ash holds well off the foot, the burn line stays straight from light to nub, and the draw is smooth.

I give the Sucker Punch King Hit bonus points for being a truly unique Connecticut that’s affordable, full-flavored, and definitely not boring. Save this as an after-dinner companion with your favorite bourbon or scotch. In my book it earns four 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.”

The Four Kicks Piramide (6.25 x 52) from Crowned Heads is a study in spice. Not so much your common black, peppery spice. But cinnamon, cedar, and baking spices. Other admirable traits of this affordable, Ecuadorian Habano-wrapped smoke include notes of sweetness for balance, excellent construction, and a medium-bodied profile that’s simultaneously approachable and satisfying. I paid about $8 for this cigar at a local shop, and it was worth every penny.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When you mix straight bourbon whiskey with straight rye whiskey, what do you get? When High West Whiskey out of Park City, Utah, wanted to sell its concoction, they called it “Bourye,” a portmanteau of bourbon and rye.

A quick note on terms for American whiskey: Bourye has no legal meaning. Federal regulations have strict definitions about what certain terms mean, so although a combination of straight bourbon whiskeys can still be straight bourbon (and multiple straight ryes still can be called straight rye), a combination of straight rye and straight bourbon cannot be called straight whiskey, even if it is (as High West calls says on the bottle) “a blend of straight whiskies.”

The original Bourye, first released in 2009, combined 10-year-old bourbon, 12-year rye, and 16-year rye (a tweaked Bourye was just released in the past few months). Son of Bourye, as you might expect, is a younger version.

In Son of Bourye, High West takes a five-year-old bourbon (at least five years, the label says), and mingles it with a five-year rye whiskey (the percentage of each isn’t disclosed). Both spirits are sourced from the Lawrenceburg, Indiana, distillery that provides spirits for many whiskey companies that bottle bourbon, and especially rye, that they don’t distill themselves.

Son of Bourye is bottled at 92-proof. It isn’t easy to find, but is not impossible to locate above retail, which is usually between $45 and $50.

The nose is pleasant, although not particularly distinctive with caramel and hints of pine and citrus. On the palate, some of the interplay between the rye and bourbon comes out with honey, oak, and mint spice. Floral notes, clove, and cinnamon also hit the palate. The finish lingers nicely with dried fruit and wood spice.

There are enough subtleties in Son of Bourye that a full-bodied smoke would overpower it. Instead, try a mild or medium cigar like Cabaiguan, Illusione Epernay, or a Cuban Montecristo.

Ultimately, there is a lot to like about Son of Bourye. The blend of straight bourbon and straight rye is a fairly new category of spirits which has emerged as whiskey companies look to provide a new, unique product to a booming market. When compared to other bourbon/rye combinations (like Jefferson’s Chef’s Collaboration, Wild Turkey Forgiven, and the original Bourye) High West’s Son of Bourye measures up quite favorably in terms of the value it provides.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys