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.”

Nat Cicco, a company best known for its value-oriented “Rejects” lines, openly invites you to compare this large (6.25 x 56) cigar to the ultra-expensive Cuban known as the Cohiba Behike, one of the most hyped, expensive, and rare specimens on the market. Let me settle the score by saying there really isn’t any comparison. The Behike is beautifully balanced with tons of depth and complexity, albeit at an exorbitant price; the Nat Cicco HHB 56 is a nice smoke that’s, quite bluntly, overpriced at $14. Now that isn’t to say I don’t enjoy the flavors of the HHB 56. Its Ecuadorian wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and fillers produce a mild- to medium-bodied experience that’s creamy, nutty, and well-constructed. In terms of return on investment, though, I’d say it should be priced at more like $7, $10 tops.

Verdict = Sell.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

This review, my third for regular Crowned Heads lines (see my reviews of Four Kicks and Headley Grange here and here), focuses on the most unusual. The cigar is definitely different, one that didn’t particularly impress at first puff but came back stronger with each additional smoke.

The HR46 is a comfortably sized smoke (6 x 46) that retails for about $9. From beginning to end, it is markedly different from other Crowned Heads creations.

Most notable immediately is the rugged, thick texture of the Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. Not Backwoods rough, but far from Davidoff smooth. Covering Nicaraguan filler and an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, the strength is medium and the flavor is full.

The cigars are rolled in Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s Dominican factory, and construction, in every aspect, is excellent. The burn is slow and produces lots of smoke.

The J.D. Howard—which takes its name from the pseudonym employed by outlaw Jesse James when he lived in Nashville, home base to Crowned Heads—starts off with notes of wood and leather. Later, those fade, as they get overtaken by a little spice and a bit of bitterness. In the final third, I picked up more of the leather again, with the not-unpleasant bitter taste remaining.

It’s a different cigar, and initially I wasn’t pleased. But by the time I was halfway down the first J.D. Howard, my opinion was changing. Smoking a few more, I grew to like it quite a bit.

This isn’t a cigar I’m likely to smoke on a regular basis, but one that I will certainly pick up on occasion. If you like experimenting, I highly recommend trying one of J.D. Howard’s five sizes. Maybe you’ll decide it’s for you right off the bat. If not, though, don’t be shy about giving it a second or third chance. Like me, you might be surprised.

I give it three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I’m a long-time Xikar enthusiast, having bought my first cutter at a local shop nearly a decade ago. It’s a Xi2 Malachite Green model with the German Solingen blades. I’ve cut hundreds of cigars with it, including the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial I’m enjoying as I type.

The blades appear every bit as sharp as they were the first time I used it. But lately I had begun to notice that the clipping action wasn’t as smooth as before. I wiped it down, blew in it, tapped it gently on my palm. Nothing seemed to have an effect. The stickiness was more of a mild annoyance than a real impediment, and I would promptly forget after I’d used it.

The other day, though, I remembered it for some reason as I was sitting at my computer. I looked on Xikar’s site and found the contact form. I knew that with Xikar’s warranty they would make it right, but I wanted first to be sure that if I sent it in I could get my cutter back and not risk receiving a replacement for my old friend.

Within a day, I heard back from a Xikar employee. She attached a form for returning the Xi and said I should note clearly that I wanted the cutter returned rather than replaced should repair be impossible.

The next part of her email, however, was what really got my attention. She suggested that a bit of do-it-yourself maintenance might solve the problem:

“We recommend that you periodically clean and lubricate the locking/opening mechanism on XI cutters and knives. Simply place a couple of drops of a quality graphite lubricant (such as Tuf Glide or Lock Ease) in the mechanism, and operate the unit for deep penetration. Wipe away excess lubricant when finished. The locking mechanism of XI cutters can be accessed through the hole that appears above the release button when the cutter is open.” (I have to confess that if I’d been just a bit sharper myself I could have checked the FAQ page on the site and found the helpful hint.)

I dug out a little squeeze bottle of Lock Ease I’ve had forever and applied a couple of drops as directed, then wiped it off and set it aside for a while to allow the graphite odor to dissipate.

Bingo! When I picked it up and pushed the button the wings virtually flew open. They closed just as smoothly. My old Xikar is as good as new.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Keep an eye on the Tesa Cigar Company, the boutique manufacturer with a lounge in Chicago and production facilities in Estelí, Nicaragua. While I’ve been writing about the outfit since 2009, Tesa may be on the verge of becoming much more prevalent in the near future.

For years, Chris Kelly has been the most talented cigar blender you’ve never heard of. (If you don’t believe me, read the many Tesa reviews in our archive, or visit the Tesa online store, place an order, and try his blends for yourself.) Now he’s expanding Tesa’s distribution. And he’s also offering up new cigars that are priced to broaden Tesa’s base beyond its core lines, which typically run in excess of $10 per smoke.

First among the new value smokes was the Picadura King Connecticut, which I reviewed back in March. It is made with a Connecticut shade wrapper and Nicaraguan long-filler mixed with short-filler scraps (called picadura). The result is a fantastic smoke with notes of oak, hay, cream, and roasted nuts, and it has similarities to the exquisite Tesa Vintage Especial—yet, at $4-5 apiece, it’s a fraction of the price.

Picadura King now also comes in a Habano variety. It features a moderately veined Habano Ecuador wrapper that’s dry and a little rustic around a Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 binder and a mixture of long- and short-filler from Nicaragua. Both sizes (5 x 44 and 5.5 x 48) come with closed feet and bands with the Tesa Cigar Company’s new “TC” logo.

The Picadura King Habano has an unassuming appearance and pre-light notes of earth and mustiness that aren’t exactly inspirational. Couple these attributes with a $6 price and you might not expect much from this cigar. But you’d be wrong. The numerous samples I smoked for this review have led me to agree with Tesa’s website that Picadura King “has truly elevated the world of bundles,” and the brand is “setting new standards for the art of mixed fill blends.”

From the start, the cigar is silky, balanced, and a little spicy. Sweet cream, leather, and espresso all contribute to the core of the well-rounded, medium-bodied profile. The resting smoke is particularly sweet, and the finish is short yet satisfying. Throughout, the construction qualities are impeccable, and I find zero issues resulting from the use of mixed filler, or anything else for that matter.

I don’t think either Picadura King variety is going to supplant or surpass the depth and complexity offered by Tesa’s hallmark blends, like Cabinet 312 or Vintage Especial. But I absolutely love what the Picadura King Habano brings to the table for such a reasonable price. For that reason, I consider this one of the best new cigars of 2013, and I bestow it with a stellar rating of four 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.”

We haven’t heard much from the Tiant Cigar Group of late, but when I came across this El Tiante Habano Rosado I felt it was time to revisit this Pepin-made cigar created for the legendary Cuban pitcher Luis Tiant.  The Robusto (5 x 50) has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler, a classic Pepin combination. The result is classic Pepin too: medium- to full-bodied with spice, woodiness, earth, and hints of clove. It’s well-constructed and nicely balanced. Not particularly unique, but a good cigar nevertheless.

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 Recluse blend is the first release from Iconic Leaf, a Florida-based company that launched in 2012. While the Toro (6.25 x 50) impressed me when I first reviewed it, I managed to hang onto one specimen for a little over a year. I fired it up recently and didn’t find age had altered the cigar much—but that isn’t necessary a bad thing since I liked it to begin with. Today, as before, the Brazilian, Dominican, and Cameroonian tobaccos produce a balanced flavor that’s cool and airy with notes of leather, chocolate, creamy nut, and baking spices. And the consutrction is impeccable, particularly the ultra-easy draw that gives off a generous supply of aromatic smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Dunhill certainly isn’t the sexiest brand on the market today. Owned by British American Tobacco and made and distributed by General Cigar Co., you could argue Dunhill is somewhat neglected by the online cigar community, gets lost in General’s portfolio of more visible brands, and hasn’t quite lived up to its rich legacy.

That legacy pre-dates the communist takeover of Cuba, when the Dunhill shop in London had exclusive marketing and distribution agreements with various Cuban cigar makers, including Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, and Partagas. You can read more about Dunhill’s fascinating history—and its relationship with King George VI and Sir Winston Churchill—in my colleague’s previous review of the Aged Reserva Especial 2003 Robusto Grande.

Since then, Dunhill has bounced around with cigars by Toraño and Altadis, finally settling under the General Cigar umbrella with three lines: Dunhill Aged Reserva Especiale, Dunhill Aged, and Dunhill Signed Range. The latter “is made in Nicaragua with only the best aged tobaccos from its mother country as well as the Dominican Republic and Cameroon,” according to the General Cigar website. “The Signed Range is an aristocratic, medium- to full-bodied cigar that consistently delivers a superior taste, rich in complex, silky flavor.”

Six vitolas are available in the Signed Range lineup: Churchill, Toro, Torpedo, Corona, Robusto, and Petit Corona. The Toro (6 x 50) costs about $200 for a box of 25 or about $9 for a single. It’s a handsome smoke with minimal veins, a nice cap, a consistently firm feel, and a fair amount of oils on its clean surface. Only the slightest pre-light notes of milk chocolate can be found at the foot.

Once underway, a toasty, balanced profile emerges with notes of coffee, chocolate, and oak most apparent. The defining characteristic, however, has to be the red pepper spice that lingers on the aftertaste, particularly on the sides and the tip of the tongue. While the strength is more medium-bodied than full, this spicy finish lends an assertiveness to the Toro—making it, in my opinion, a wonderful cigar to pair with bourbon or your favorite sipping rum.

As the Dunhill Signed Range progresses, a myriad of flavors come and go, including sweet cream, damp earth, and charred steak. The texture is savory and the resting smoke is bready. All the while the physical properties are outstanding. The draw is smooth with each easy puff yielding ample tufts of smoke. The gray ash resists the urge to fall off prematurely. And the burn line is just about as straight as they come.

Dunhill may never be the talk of the town, but cigar enthusiasts who overlook the brand are only doing themselves a disservice. The Signed Range Toro is a very good smoke that delivers on the expectations set by its price range, even if its profile and body are a little more muted than the bold cigars that seem to be favored by most seasoned cigar vets these days. As a morning or mid-afternoon treat, I’ve concluded it’s worthy of an admirable rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys