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.”

Sometimes you find a cigar in your humidor and you’re just not sure how it got there or where it came from. This Falto Terruño Hermanos, made in the Dominican Republic at La Aurora’s Santiago factory, is one of those mysterious cigars. The well-constructed robusto consists of a Dominican Corojo wrapper and binder around Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Cameroon filler. It features an interesting combination of chalky and woody flavors with a decent amount of red pepper spice, especially at the start, and a bit of sourness that fades in and out. It’s definitely dominated by the the distinctive Dominican Corojo flavor, so if that’s up your alley you’ll want to give it a try.

Verdict = Hold.

–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.”

If you appreciate cigars for their aesthetic beauty as well as their flavor and smoking characteristics, you’ll agree the Belle Encre (5.4 x 42) is a sight to behold. This perfecto in the Tatuaje 10th Anniversary line has a unique shape, a gorgeous, milk chocolate-colored Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, and a super oily—almost velvety—texture. It’s a cigar that begs to be smoked. And when you do light it up, it doesn’t disappoint. The profile is balanced and complex with notes of woody spice, black pepper, warm tobacco, and a little creamy sweetness. This classic-tasting smoke is one of my all-time favorites from Tatuaje.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In April the FDA took a big step towards regulating cigars in a way that could be devastating to the handmade cigar industry, and initiated a public comment period that will run until August 8. With time running out to submit your comment, here are a few tips to use when you register your comment here.

Don’t Lose Sight of the Goal

The point here is to protect cigars, not just vent anger at the FDA. If your comment includes lots of words in ALL CAPS, multiple exclamation marks, or frequent references to nazis and fascism, it may make you feel better when you hit submit, but it will probably be more easily dismissed by the bureaucrats at the FDA. Unfortunately, the FDA has already been granted the authority to regulate cigars, so the only questions now are if it will use that authority, and, if so, what form the regulations will take and what exemptions the FDA may create.

Don’t Bury the Lede

I doubt I’m going to single-handedly disillusion any readers about our government here, but odds are your comment won’t individually get a careful, thorough consideration. Rather, the FDA uses the comment period to hear from prominent stakeholders and to generally gauge the opinions of those who take the time to comment. So be clear upfront about your position. And feel free to repeat it at the end.

Emphasize the Key Points

Cigar Rights of America has a helpful list of message themes here. You should definitely read the whole thing and feel free to borrow from it while writing your comment. (There are no extra points for originality.) To their excellent points, I would add two additional ones. First, there is no reason for treating flavored or infused cigars differently from non-flavored premium, handmade cigars (for more on that point check out this piece I wrote a few weeks ago). Second, given the FDA’s limited budget and the fact that it has only ruled on 34 of thousands of outstanding new tobacco products waiting for approval, the agency’s resources would be better off focusing on products other than handmade cigars. Of course, most of all, be sure to point out that you are a responsible adult who smokes in moderation.

Pause Before You Hit Submit

Proofreading is important. A comment full of spelling or grammatical errors or, worse yet, sentences that don’t make sense, will undercut your message. As someone who edits quite a bit of writing, I can tell you it’s always tougher to edit and proof your own writing, so don’t hesitate to ask a friend to look it over.

Don’t Wait Until Tomorrow

A rhetorical masterpiece complete with citations to relevant scientific research is great if you can pull it off, but lets not kid ourselves: This is in large part a numbers game. A short, to-the-point comment is infinitely more helpful than the long, in-depth comment you never get around to actually submitting. To that end, if you know someone who would be willing to submit a comment but probably doesn’t have the time to write it up, send them a comment they can use along with the link where they can submit it.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This is a new offering from Crux, a boutique brand created by two Minnesota tobacco retailers. Like other Crux cigars, the Passport vitolas feature small ring gauges, modern marketing, and low production figures.

I received two sample Lanceros from Crux, which plans to begin shipping the line at the end of June, along with a Corona (5.5 x 44) and a Toro (6 x 48).

“Only 100 boxes of each size will be released on the first shipment and 500 boxes of each on subsequent shipments,” says to Jeff Haugen, co-owner of both the Crux brand and the Tobacco Grove shop in Minnesota. They’ll follow up in August with 500 boxes each of two additional sizes.

The cigars are rolled at the Plasencia cigar factory in Danli, Honduras, with a blend that Haugen lists as a 2009 Habano Ecuador wrapper, Habano Viso Estelí binder, and Nicaraguan filler. The MSRP is $6.99, and they come in 20-count boxes.

Crux describes Passport’s strength at the low end of full, but I’d consider it more in the medium range.

Construction was fine on both samples, with lots of smoke production and a good draw. As can often be the case with thin ring-gauge cigars, a few relights were necessary as the byproduct of trying to smoke even slower than usual.

The most prominent flavor, for me, was cocoa and a bit of pepper. There was also an earthiness and a touch of leather. I did experience some harshness at a couple of points, particularly in one of the samples, but that may work itself out through the resting process before the line is released.

The company’s website lists only four retailers in three states, so finding your Passport may not be easy. But Crux is the kind of company it’s easy to root for, and I’d urge you to pick up any of their cigars if you spot them.

For me, this Lancero rates three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With José Blanco’s CyB and the forthcoming Joya Red, the focus of Joya de Nicaragua of late has been on cigars with more balance and less power. But the oldest cigar maker in Nicaragua built its reputation on bold, full-bodied blends, and those blends are still the cornerstone of the Joya de Nicaragua portfolio.

Antaño Dark Corojo is the line that first comes to mind when I think of Joya de Nicaragua. It was the first Joya I ever smoked and, for a while, it shaped my notion of what a Nicaraguan cigar should be. When I was just getting into cigars, I remember having a Joya on my lunch break after a light meal. I was not terribly productive for the rest of the afternoon.

These days I know better. I tend to save my Dark Corojos for the evenings, usually after a large meal and paired with a sipping rum. For me, this is the best way to enjoy what Joya calls “the embodiment of the Nicaraguan power cigar.”

The Antaño Dark Corojo is a Nicaragua puro with a mottled, oily Corojo Oscuro wrapper. It comes in six sizes: Azarosa (4.5 x 52), La Pesadilla (4.75 x 60), Peligroso (5 x 44), El Martillo (5.5 x 54), La Niveladora (6 x 52), and Poderoso (6 x 54). I smoked several in the El Martillo format for this review.

After removing the foot band, I take note of pre-light aromas of raisin, cocoa, and caramel before lighting up the cigar with a couple wooden matches. The initial flavor is heavy-handed with spice, espresso, and dark chocolate. The texture is thick and leathery. Smoking through the nose helps reveal some raisin, charred steak, and black cherry.

Make no bones about it, this is a very full-bodied cigar. At times, El Martillo’s complementary sweetness makes it seem less aggressive. But the power is sure to eventually sneak up on you—especially when you stand up after having been seated for a while.

Throughout the experience, the El Martillo’s physical properties are good, including a straight burn, a solid white ash that holds very firm off the foot, and good smoke production. My only complaint is the draw, which is too tight for my liking. Perhaps of late I’ve been smoking too many loose-drawing cigars from Drew Estate.

If you’re looking for a full-bodied cleanup hitter with ample power that won’t break the bank, look no further. The Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Dark Corojo El Martillo has all the flavor and boldness you could ask for, and it runs about $8 for a single. I always keep some on hand, and I award it 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.”

The Liga Privada T52 from Drew Estate has been a staple in my humidor for a couple years now. Those of you who smoke it regularly know why. It consistently delivers expert construction with bold, full-bodied flavors of spice, coffee, leather, and black pepper. And the unique stalk-cut “American Habano” Connecticut wrapper is always mouth-watering. The Robusto (5 x 54) may be expensive at around $12, but it delivers time and again.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.”

I’ll admit, I hadn’t realized this Cigar International smoke was no longer made by the Garcias until I was sent a sample by its new maker, G.R. Tabacaleras Co., which is run by Goerge Rico. (Then again, the 5 Vegas website still has the old version listed.) Now made completely in Miami (the old version had only one size made in Miami, while the rest were produced in Nicaragua) this is a traditional Toro (6 x 50) featuring a slightly mottled Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with Nicaraguan filler. It’s medium-bodied and nicely balanced with cocoa and coffee. The draw is a touch loose, but overall I have no complaints about the construction. With a price around $5 by the box, it’s a good value on a well-made cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys