The Stogie Guys

In this segment of Random Thoughts from the Humidor, I voice my contemplations about babies, head colds, and going in on cigar purchases with friends.

Six Weeks Old

My son is six weeks old today. He has truly been a blessing, and it’s amazing how I’ve only known him for 42 days yet I couldn’t imagine life without him. That said, before he was born I remember selfishly wondering how his arrival would change the amount of time I like to spend smoking, writing, and reading about cigars. So far so good. I certainly have less time for my cigar endeavors, and the opportunity cost of this time has definitely gone up. But I’ve been able to keep a reasonable pace—even if jaunting off to Nicaragua this year is out of the question. Still, I wonder how other cigar enthusiasts who are fathers handle these considerations. To what lengths do they go to keep their children from being around tobacco? How honest are they with their children about their cigar smoking? What have they learned that I may be able to benefit from?

Sudafed Blues

For the past few days I’ve been battling what’s probably nothing more than the common cold. Annoyingly, the sickness hit right around a few key cigar-smoking opportunities that I had been looking forward to. I chose to pass them up. This got me thinking about this article I wrote almost exactly three years ago. The gist? Back then I concluded that head colds rendered cigar smoking completely pointless given my inability to taste or smell clearly. I stand by that conclusion after trying to smoke a Flor de Las Antillas yesterday. All I could sense was spice and heat. I got no nuance, balance, or interesting flavors. Needless to say I’m looking forward to ending this cold and celebrating with something nice.

Buying Boxes with Friends

Sometimes there’s no room in the budget for a box purchase. But splitting a box among friends is entirely within reason. While I know this is nothing new, I just started splitting boxes recently—particularly with smokes that are either very expensive or only sold in large-count boxes (30-40 cigars). The benefits are plentiful. On one hand, I get more variety and less per-purchase pain in the wallet. I also get to pay lower per-unit costs since cigars by the box are generally cheaper than singles. On the other, I get to compare tasting notes with friends and have great conversations. If you haven’t already adopted this practice, I’d highly recommend splitting a box purchase or two. And remember you don’t necessarily have to buy boxes online. Keep an eye out for discounts on boxes at your local tobacconist.

–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 well-made Nicaraguan cigar from Edgar “One Shot One Kill” Hoill is a collaboration with Christian Eiroa of Camacho. It’s a short pyramide size that’s 4.5 inches long with a ring gauge of 54 at its widest point. The smoke features dry earth, tea (especially at the beginning), coffee bean, and even a little grassiness. Mild- to medium-bodied with good construction, it’s well worth considering.

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.”

Before lighting it up yesterday, I believe this cigar had been resting in my humidor since the summer of 2010, when it was introduced. Corcovado (4.25 x 60) is a stout cigar with a fair burn line and an effortless draw. Like the other Brazilia vitolas, this dark, Brazilian-wrapped smoke packs a full-bodied punch with plenty of peppery spice and notes of bitter dark chocolate and roasted nut. Two-and-a-half years of rest mellowed it some and rounded off the edges, making for a very enjoyable experience.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Disappointed is about the only word I can use to describe my feelings about Oliva’s 2012 version of its limited release maduro. I didn’t find a bad cigar, more like Gertrude Stein’s reaction upon returning to her Oakland home.

Start with the pre-light aroma. It was barely noticeable. Move to the opening puffs, where there was a bite and a sharp finish for much of the first third. Then the remaining four inches or so: not much of anything in the way of taste. None of the typical maduro tobacco sweetness or characteristic coffee, cocoa, or chocolate. Nothing else really apparent, either.

My disappointment comes not so much from the stick not making much of an impression. No, it’s more because I’d read and heard so much positive reaction from smokers whose opinions I respect. I’d be less than honest if I didn’t confess that it does make me wonder about my own reactions.

Construction was flawless in the three I smoked. The six-inch, 50 ring gauge smoke retails for about $9.50 and comes in boxes of 10. The Oliva web site appears hopelessly out of date, apparently describing the 2009 version. According to most reports, the 2012 sports the popular Mexican San Andrés wrapper and Nicaraguan filler and binder, as has been the case for several years, with 50,000 sticks rolled.

Two things I can point to for my lack of enthusiasm are that wrapper and maduros in general. It’s been years since I smoked maduros with any regularity and rarely find them more than passable. The same holds for that Mexican wrapper; it’s a rare smoke that utilizes it and suits my taste.

All that being said, I would urge you to consider your own tastes in thinking about purchasing the Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial 2012. For me, though, I can only award it three stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In this latest segment of Random Thoughts from the Humidor, I ponder custom torch improvements, patio smoking at one of the country’s most desirable locales, and impending cigar industry price increases.

Jetlite Mods, Start Your Engines!

As any loyal StogieGuys.com reader knows, we’re fans of the Ronson Jetlite, a cheap, reliable butane torch. But just about anything can be improved, even this simple device. First, though, a disclaimer. I am simply noting this possibility. I’m in no way suggesting or recommending you do any of these things to your Jetlite. I’m sure it voids whatever warranty might exist, and it undoubtedly will render the lighter unsafe. So, make no mistake, if there’s a problem or accident, you’re on your own. That said, there’s a YouTube video that will explain step-by-step how you can modify your Jetlite. The procedures will make it easier to light and provide greater flame control. If you want to check it out, the video is here.

A Winner in Las Vegas

Good news for patrons of famed Casa Fuente: The shop expects the currently closed patio to soon be open again for smokers. A manager at the high-end Las Vegas shop told me they anticipate having the situation resolved without going to court. The patio was closed earlier this year, after a complaint reportedly from another tenant at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Smoking has continued inside Casa Fuente, but, as visitors know, that can get crowded. Casa Fuente, which became an instant international destination for cigar lovers when it opened in 2005, experienced a similar temporary patio blackout once before. That problem, too, was resolved.

Got to Pay to Play

Look for some cigar prices to go up later this year. Cigar news site Halfwheel has reported that some manufacturers have recently notified retailers of increases, and it seems likely others will follow. Higher production and transportation costs are hitting many cigar makers, and some will undoubtedly pass those along to consumers.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Namakubi Ecuador is the latest release from Camacho’s Room 101. It is a combination of two previous releases: OSOK (One Shot One Kill) and the original Namakubi.

The filler is Honduran and Dominican (the same as the Namakubi), while the wrapper and binder—Ecuador Habano and Honduran corojo, respectively—come from the OSOK. (Though OSOK conspicuously isn’t mentioned by name in Camacho’s press release for the cigar. I’ve heard that trademark will stay with Edgar Hoille, who now makes his cigars separate from the Camacho umbrella.)

The line comes in four sizes: three figuardos and one small parejo dubbed the Papi Chulo that debuted in the Namakubi line. The cigar has the same samuri-inspired packaging as the Namakubi, including paper tubes for the larger three sizes.

For this review, I smoked four of the Ranfla size, a 5.5-inch mini diadema that has a 30 ring gauge at the head, 50 in the middle, and 19 at the tapered foot. The cigars sell for $50 for a 5-pack or $90 for a box of 10 at Emerson’s.

Pre-light the draw shows some woody spice and clove. Once lit, I found roast coffee beans and burnt toast flavors along with oak and slight floral notes.

The cigar starts out medium-bodied but pretty quickly ramps up to medium- to full-bodied. The flavors really hit the front and roof of your mouth, and the interplay between the Ecuador wrapper and Honduran tobacco is evident.

Fans of Honduran tobacco should definitely seek out this new cigar. Others might find the dominating woodiness lacks balance.

Either way, it’s a welcome addition with admirable construction and a flavor combination not replicated by anything else on the market. That earns the Room 101 Namakubi Ecuador Ranfla three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Since the company was established last year, Iconic Leaf has erred on the side of secrecy. At its inception, the identities of its principals were left a mystery, and we were only told the operation was founded by  two “well-respected legends in the cigar industry” who have “chosen to keep their identities private in a pursuit to make the very best premium boutique cigars that can be found anywhere in the world without the influence of their names.”

Iconic Leaf’s tradition of secrecy continues with its recent announcement of Recluse Draconian, a new blend that will debut at this summer’s industry trade show in Las Vegas. It follows last year’s release, Recluse. While we know the Draconian wrapper is Ecuadorian maduro and the filler will be a mix of four tobaccos—Brazilian hybrid, Piloto Cubano, Dominican, and an exclusive ligero—the binder is not being revealed.

The sizes/formats will also remain undisclosed until July. This creates intrigue because three will be in a “Sidewinder” shape “that has never been done before in the cigar industry.” Iconic Leaf fans will recall Recluse was likewise rolled out in an inventive format called “Kanu,” which has a head-turning kayak-like shape.

For now, Draconian is being offered to five retailers in three pre-release parejo formats: Robusto, Toro, and 6 x 60. I received two Robustos from Iconic Leaf for this review. The size has an oily exterior that’s textured with tooth and mapped with thin veins. Pre-light, notes of caramel, leather, and red pepper are apparent off the foot. The draw is clear, as one would expect since Draconian is handmade in the entubado fashion by Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas.

Now I always approach pre-release reviews with some trepidation because, even if the blend stays the same, time may change the way the tobacco smokes before the full release. What’s more, I don’t even know the specs of the anticipated Sidewinder vitolas, much less how their formats will alter the Draconian experience. So I would take the ensuing analysis with a grain of salt.

That said, based on the samples I smoked several days after receiving them in the mail, I think Draconian will be a cigar you’ll at least want to take for a test drive. The Robusto has a bold intro with lots of ligero spice, dry wood, espresso, and earth. The texture is thick and moist with a heavy smoke that coats the palate. The smoke production is excellent—an outcome of the entubado technique.

The flavor settles into the midway point with less spice and some cocoa sweetness and nutty creaminess. Still, it’s firmly medium- to full-bodied with a solid nicotine kick. All the while the construction is solid, save for the gray ash being a little flakier than I’d prefer.

I’ll be very interested to see how the blend develops with time, as well as how it performs in the Sidewinder format (whatever that format is). Judging the Robusto as it is now, I’d award it a solid rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys