The Stogie Guys

As we reported in our last Friday Sampler, the Davidoff-owned Camacho brand is essentially reinventing itself. Camacho’s reputation for full-bodied smokes is being embraced like never before, including new scorpion-themed packaging and claims like “bold is back with a vengeance.” And the Camacho portfolio is being narrowed down from 11 blends to 6.

Most of the blends that made the cut—Corojo, Corojo Maduro, Connecticut, Criollo, Triple Maduro, and Diploma—are getting more than just a marketing makeover. They’re getting completely re-blended and re-introduced at next month’s IPCPR Trade Show in Las Vegas.

Since it came out in 2009, I’ve been a fan of the Camacho Connecticut. So I was pleased to learn it is one of two lines (along with the Triple Maduro) to not get a re-blend. Looks like all I’ll have to get used to is the new look. Hopefully the price point won’t increase.

Just in case, I picked up a handful of Camacho Connecticut Toros (6 x 50) at my local shop for $6 apiece. Like the Monarca, it has a dry, pale Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper around a Honduran binder and Honduran and Dominican long-filler tobaccos. Hardly any veins are visible. The pre-light notes remind me of sawdust and hay.

One reason I always liked the Camacho Connecticut is it brings more to the table than just classic Connecticut flavors—and it does so with a little gusto. The Toro is no exception. At the outset, a zesty profile of spice, oak, and black pepper sets a bolder tone that you might expect from a typical Connecticut smoke. Then, just when you start second-guessing the makeup of the blend, more traditional tastes emerge, including cream and roasted nut. The finish witnesses a reprise of spice.

Throughout, construction doesn’t pose any issues. Every time the burn line starts to waver, it self-corrects before I reach for a wooden match to execute a touch-up. The gray ash holds firmly off the foot. The draw is smooth. And the smoke production is excellent.

The powers that be at Davidoff and Camacho made a smart decision when they opted to leave the Connecticut blend as-is. The Toro is tasty, affordable, interesting, and an excellent companion to a cup of coffee. For that, it earns a commendable rating of 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.”

This cigar (5 x 60) has been sitting in my humidor for a few years, probably since around the time my colleague wrote a full review. It features Nicaraguan viso and ligero, along with Dominican piloto cubano and olor, wrapped in a Brazilian arapiraca leaf. The cigar has a loose, easy draw. It’s slightly lumpy but still has excellent combustion. The flavors are leather, earth, coffee, and a hint of syrup-like sweetness. While I’ve never been a huge fan of this thick of a cigar, the Marco V Platinum is a well-made, pleasant smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Big changes are afoot at Camacho Cigars, a Florida-based cigar manufacturer known for producing full-bodied cigars that has been owned by the Davidoff Group since 2008. For starters, the brand is embracing its reputation for strength with a new scorpion logo and distributing marketing materials that trumpet “bold is back with a vengeance” and “the world’s leader in bold cigars.” It is also revealing new branding that’s a major departure from Camacho’s older, more traditional look. It has hired Mike Ditka, Matt Booth of Room 101 Cigars (Room 101 has always been made by Camacho), and screenwriter Rob Weiss to be on the “Board of the Bold.” And it is narrowing its portfolio of 11 blends down to 6—Corojo, Corojo Maduro, Connecticut, Criollo, Triple Maduro, and Diploma—most of which will be entirely re-blended. We hear some prices may also drop as part of the reboot. This reinvention will be celebrated at a national release party in Dallas on June 20, and the new cigars will go on sale following the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show.

2) Hendrik Kelner, Jr., son of Henke Kelner of Davidoff fame, is releasing his own brand called Smoking Jacket Cigars. This inaugural release is the first cigar created in Kelner, Jr.’s newly opened Kelner Boutique Factory in Santiago. The cigar is a blend of Dominican, Brazilian, Peruvian, and Nicaraguan tobaccos and will be available in 4 sizes for $7-10 apiece.

3) Inside the Industry: Kristoff is introducing a new line of four blends called the Galerones Series, all of which will be made at Abe Flores’ factory in Tamboril. While still available from some online sellers, Cubao (now distributed by Espinosa Cigars), which has not been made since 2010, will be relaunched with slightly changed packaging. Miami Cigar is debuting the My Father Cigars-made Casa Miranda Chapter Two.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan fires up a Guayacon Torpedo. Stogie Review reviews the Fuente Don Carlos Lancero. Doc Stogie lights up the Quesada Selección España. Halfwheel smokes the Fonseca Singature Series TAA. Robby Ras checks out the 7-20-4 Lancero. Cigar Inspector inspects the Casa Magna Colorado Corona.

5) Deal of the Week: Because of the forthcoming changes detailed above, now is an excellent time to stock up on discount original blend Camacho cigars. Corona Cigar Co. is featuring 42-45% off a large selection of Camacho boxes (plus you get a Camacho hat and free shipping on your entire order). Get your cigars here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Camacho

Even for Fuente, this 2012 release is loaded with bells and whistles, like a brilliant red aluminum tube and a cloth foot band. You sense it’s something special before you light up. And when you do, there’s no doubt.

From the first rich puffs to the finger-burning last, the cigar is a powerful pleasure. The 7-inch King T line is normally encased in a Connecticut shade wrapper (check out a review here). But this line uses a sun-grown rosado wrapper. Maybe it’s true, as has been written, that this was a mistake at the factory that was allowed to go forward. But with the sterling Fuente reputation for quality, I find it hard to believe.

Whatever the reason, the result is a stunning cigar, worthy of its $10-plus price tag. The 49-ring gauge is comfortable, it burns slowly (I enjoyed one through an admittedly unusually fast baseball game) and the smoke volume is excellent. Cedar is predominant throughout, not a surprise considering the tube is lined with a Spanish cedar sheet that’s handy for lighting.

I found it to be a strong cigar, a bit more so than its royal-named siblings and others in the Chateau Fuente line. The strength, however, doesn’t come with any harshness or unpleasant bite. Surprisingly, the finish is rather light.

With the tube, the extra band, and the fairly high-dollar price, you might think of this King T as a special occasion cigar. There’s no question it can fill that role with ease. Limit it to such appearances, though, and you’ll deny yourself a treat that you undoubtedly deserve more often.

Considering what this cigar delivers, it is worthy of a rare five-stogie rating.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five-stogie rated cigars can be found here.]

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I visited Drew Estate’s operations in Estelí in May 2012, Willy Herrera was the tall, soft-spoken individual who was anything but the center of attention. At the time, he was still new to Drew Estate, fresh off his tenure as master blender at El Titan de Bronze in Miami’s Little Havana. He was nice enough to hang around the Cigar Safari crew for much of the trip, but he seemed content to let Jonathan Drew and Steve Saka do most of the talking.

I couldn’t personally make it to this year’s Cigar Safari (though my colleague did attend). I imagine Willy was a little more in the spotlight this time around. After all, now his inaugural blend for Drew Estate—Herrera Estelí—is on the market, and by every measure I can find, it seems to be a resounding success. The online cigar community has overwhelmingly embraced it, and even the mainstream media is starting to give it the attention it deserves. Cigar Aficionado recently awarded the Piramide Fino a score of 93.

So it will come as no surprise that I’m a big fan of the blend. True, Drew Estate is an advertiser with StogieGuys.com. And true, Drew Estate did provide samples of the Short Corona to me to make this review possible. But anyone who dismisses my praise of the cigar on these grounds (neither impacts my review, of course) is doing himself a disservice. I highly suggest you seek out Herrera Estelí. I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes it to my list of the top smokes of 2013.

When you do locate the cigar, the Short Corona (4.9 x 46) will be a good choice. One of five vitolas, this blend of Ecuadoran, Honduran, and Nicaraguan tobaccos has a clean, golden wrapper, a gorgeous cap, a moderately firm feel, and pre-light notes of hay and molasses. A simple punch cut clears the way for a smooth draw.

Right off the bat, it’s easy to see how Herrera Estelí is a departure from other Drew Estate creations like Liga Privada No. 9, T52, and Undercrown. While there’s plenty of flavor, the spice and body are toned down significantly. Syrup, creamy nut, dry wood, and white pepper characterize the profile. At no point do I grow bored. In fact, this is one of those cigars you’ll smoke and then consider lighting up another right away. I don’t get that feeling too often.

Construction is predictably excellent, as is to be expected from La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate. The burn line is straight with a thick, black mascara, the white ash holds firm, and the entubado rolling technique results in an easy draw and thick smoke with each puff.

We recently reported that a maduro variation of the Herrera Estelí is in the works at Drew Estate. That will be something to keep an eye out for, and we’ll provide more details as they become available. For now, this “Cubanesque” Short Corona is a wonderful buy for the going rate of $8, and it’s definitely worthy of a rare 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

Every year, cigar companies create many new lines. (You could argue there are too many new cigars and not enough attention to older lines.) The plethora of new cigars means cigar makers register a lot of trademarks in order to protect their brand names once they are released.

Those same trademark registrations give us a hint of what new blends companies may be releasing, especially with the IPCPR Trade Show taking place next month. Of course, many will never turn into anything, but others will become flagship brands. Take a look at this 2010 article about trademark registrations and you’ll see Drew Estate’s Undercrown and Alec Bradley’s American Classic long before the cigars ever were released.

Some trademarks are pretty obvious as to who the owner is. For example, “Flor de Antillas Sun Grown” or “Prohibition by Rocky Patel.” Others are seemingly random.

So to have a little fun, here’s a quick eight-question quiz to see if you can guess who registered which trademark. You’ll find the answers on the last page.

In the comments, let us know which trademark names you are most excited about possibly becoming a new cigar.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With serious coffee drinkers, it isn’t just what you drink. It’s how you prepare what you drink.

These days, there are two big trends in the world of coffee preparation. For the majority, it’s single-serve pods. For the connoisseur, it’s pour-over. Of course, it doesn’t stop there.

While nothing could seem simpler than pour-over preparation, you won’t be surprised to learn that even such a rudimentary system offers numerous options. These can range from the plain, inexpensive Melitta to the elegant and pricey Chemex.

And chic coffee bars, like Stumptown out of Portland and Chicago’s Intelligentsia, now make individual cup preparation part of their shops.

You’ll find a good guide to seven methods—though Melitta is omitted—at Prima Coffee Equipment’s blog. Another excellent instruction site, Brew Methods, collects guidance from many sources, including 17 on pour-over alone.

Recently, the website Lifehacker asked its readers to nominate the best coffeemaker and then reported on the top five vote-getters. Interestingly, the French press method came in first, followed by AeroPress and none of the uber-trendy Japanese manufacturers, such as Hario, or Kalita made the cut. You’ll also find quite a few other articles and reviews on coffee and coffee-making at Lifehacker.

An in-depth drip-off was done a couple of years ago by Serious Eats, which compared ceramic cones.

So, go as deep into the subject as you like. Just don’t forget to enjoy the end result.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys