The Stogie Guys

The original Illusione Singulare 2010 known as “Phantom” is one of my favorite cigars of all time, a cigar I bought four boxes of before the the 1,000-box run was exhausted. I remarkably still have half a box left. If ever I’m pressed to give my hypothetical “desert island cigar” (a single cigar that would be the only one you’d smoke for the rest of your life), Phantom is always in consideration.

That makes the 2011 and 2012 Illusione Singulare cigars some of my most anticipated smokes of the year. Both were shipped to stores last week together in boxes of 15, selling for $170 (around $11 per cigar). Boxes apparently randomly have eight of one blend and seven of the other. The two blends can be easily identified because the 2012 comes wrapped in tissue paper and the 2011 doesn’t.

More obviously, the 2012 features a San Andreas maduro wrapper, while the 2011 features a natural corojo wrapper that looks more similar to the original 2010 version. Both have a similar combination of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Notably, these are the first Illusione cigars to be made in Nicaragua at the TABSA factory operated by Eduardo Fernández, who also owns the Honduran Raices Cubanas  factory where all the previous Illusione cigars have been made.

The Singulare 2012 (along with the 2011) is a toro (6 x 52). The San Andreas wrapper is dark brown, nearly completely vein-free, and it has just a touch of oils, but not much sheen. It’s a well-made cigar with a bit of give and an effortless open draw.

The cigar features a combination of dry chocolate, roasted flavors (peanut and pecan), slight cedar, and some black pepper. Towards the second half, it develops a mouth-watering tannic edge, similar to the original Phantom, and the pepper ramps up too.

It’s balanced, medium-bodied, and produces voluminous, dense smoke that coats the entire palate. The burn on each of the three cigars I smoked was perfectly even and the ash held for at least an inch.

I’ve only had one of the 2011 version but, based on that limited sample, I think the 2012 is the standout of the new Singulare 2011/2012 releases. In fact, based solely on this cigar, I already ordered a second box.

The initial 2010 “Phantom” was a cigar that got better and better with age. (In fact, if I reviewed it again today, I’m sure it would earn a perfect rating.) I suspect this cigar might benefit similarly. Still, it’s already an excellent, balanced, complex, and interesting cigar. I just hope it’s not two more years before we get to try the next “annual” Singulare cigar. That’s enough to earn the Illusione Singulare 2012 four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

While this year’s industry trade show is still a little more than a week away, General Cigar’s (arguably) most important new release of 2012 has already been on the market since April.

Chances are you’ve already heard of Partagas 1845, read reviews of the four-vitola line, or even smoked a Partagas 1845 yourself. Today I bring you my take on the Robusto, courtesy of several samples that were mailed to me by the folks at General Cigar.

To construct Partagas 1845, Jhonys Diaz, Francisco Rodriguez, Yuri Guillen, and Benji Menendez reportedly went through 50 different blends before arriving at the final recipe. They settled on an Ecuadorian Habano viso wrapper, a Connecticut Habano binder that took nine years to develop, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic—some of which were aged in rum barrels.

The result is a dark, firm-feeling line of four sizes that retail for $6-8 apiece: Corona Extra (4.5 x 46), Gigante (6 x 60), Double Corona (7.25 x 54), and Robusto (5.5 x 49). The Robusto is a bumpy smoke with a fair amount of veins and a nice triple cap. The foot has a moist, earthy aroma. Once clipped, the pre-light draw displays moderate resistance.

After establishing an even light and taking some time to let the profile sink in, I find notes of sweet tobacco, cherry, leather, and earth at the outset. Each puff yields ample smoke. There’s hardly any spice at all, but the finish weighs heavy on the back of the throat.

Later, a charred steak flavor creeps in and a spice starts to hit the lips that reminds me of Montreal steak seasoning. Not too bad, albeit a little dry. The aforementioned sweetness does a nice job of rounding off the salt and the spice. Leather becomes more prominent at the midway point. Char is more pronounced in the final act.

With outstanding physical properties—including an even burn line and a solid gray ash—the Partagas 1845 Robusto is a nice smoke and a fair value for $6.50 (not including taxes). Those of you who enjoy char-centric cigars, earth, and leather will be pleased with this new blend. Personally, I would prefer some creaminess and a little more sweetness to render the taste more balanced and less dry. In my book this cigar is worthy of three 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.”

If there ever was a dark, menacing-looking cigar, the AF1 from Gary Griffith’s Emilio Cigars is it. This line is made by—and named for—cigar maker A.J. Fernandez. It is produced in Estelí of Nicaraguan tobaccos wrapped in a jet-black San Andreas maduro wrapper. The result is a full-bodied, spicy smoke with notes of raisin, espresso, caramel, and cream. The Toro (6 x 50) sells for around $7 to $8, and I think that’s a fair price for the balance and complexity you get from this slow-burning cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Difficult to find and made in small quantities, Hoooker’s House Bourbon is a classic bourbon with a twist. As explained on Prohibition Spirits’ website: “After spending time in a Kentucky Rick House, the bourbon was double barreled and additionally aged in neutral pinot noir barrels here in the Sonoma, California.”

The bourbon is named after General Joseph Hooker, a civil war general who, according to some stories, is the reason that prostitutes are now called “hookers.” The General was known to improve soldier morale with the help of some ladies of the night. Hooker was a Sonoma, California, resident who (in addition to being a ladies’ man) was known as a big fan of whiskeys, hence this distinctly American spirit that bears his name.

Made with a mash bill of 54% corn and 46% rye, the result is an almost ruby-colored spirit that is massively affected by the pinot noir barrels it is finished in before being bottled. The nose is rich with toffee, cassis, and a hint of spice.

On the palate, Hooker’s reveals deep viscous flavors. Cherry, toffee, clove, and cinnamon are all apparent in the rich, balanced spirit.

I was pleased to find that while the wine cask finishing adds an interesting element to the bourbon, it doesn’t overwhelm the underlying bourbon. The finish continues with some of the wine notes, along with muted oak and more clove.

It’s a fantastically delicate, yet interesting bourbon. It’s very unique, subtle, and smooth, and a welcome addition to my liquor cabinet.

Like so many fine bourbons, it goes well with a fine cigar. I think it benefits from being paired with a balanced, full-bodied cigar. The Casa Magna Domus Magnus went great, as did the Sentidos Maduro (a boutique Nicaraguan smoke made at the Raices Cubanas factory and sold at my local Cigar Connection shop).

I picked up my bottle for $44 online, but it’s not easy to find. Still, I think it’s well worth seeking out. It’s not a classic or traditional bourbon, but it’s interesting and different, and an excellent pairing with a fine cigar.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Viaje, the undisputed king of releasing tons of different cigars in difficult-to-find quantities, released four different cigars recently. I’ve already given my opinion of the Summerfest and Roman Candle, and the remaining releases are the C4 and the TNT.

Today I take a look at the TNT, a toro (6.25 x 54) with a fuse-like pigtail cap that comes in large boxes of 75 that look like a crate of dynamite. Last year only 50 crates of 75 were produced (3,750 total cigars) but Viaje tells me this year they expanded that to 125 crates of 75 cigars each (9,375 total). If you can find one, will cost you just over $10 per cigar.

The TNT is notable for it’s long, fuse-like pigtail cap and closed foot. The wrapper (Nicaraguan corojo ’99) features a bit of tooth and not many oils. It surrounds Nicaraguan binder and filler, and is made at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras.

Once the closed foot burned off (I even pulled it off to avoid the flaky ash it produced for the first few draws), I found a medium- to full-bodied smoke. It featured a unique, crunchy, toasty flavor that (after some serious cigar memory searching) reminds me of the Tesa Gran Cru.

Also apparent are earth, spice, and bittersweet chocolate. It only changes a bit from start to finish, but it’s interesting and well-balanced, with a long, clean finish.

I smoked four TNTs for this review, and I wish I had picked up a few more. It’s not the spicy, powerful bomb the name implies, but I enjoyed every minute of the 90-minute smoke, which has good construction that produces abundant, voluminous smoke.

This may be my favorite Viaje cigar, and it’s certainly my favorite of the many explosive-themed Viajes (TNT, MoAB, C4, Firecracker, WMD, etc…). Well-constructed and flavorful with balance and a unique edge, it earns four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–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.”

It had been a few years since I last smoked a Dominican-made Montecristo White. My memory was that it’s solidly-made, mild, and creamy, and this CRA Edition, which comes in the latest CRA Sampler, met those expectations. This cigar is exceptionally well made (easy draw, razor-sharp burn, and solid ash) and features a mild-bodied combination with straw, cream, honey, and cedar notes. While this cigar doesn’t fit my profile, there’s no denying that it’s a well-made and well-balanced mild cigar—a safe choice for an occasional smoker.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credits: 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.”

As a big fan of the original My Father series, I was surprisingly disappointed by the Le Bijou 1922 blend when I first tried it. I recently decided to give the line another try with hopes that I’d have a better experience. As I remember, the construction is outstanding and the Petit Robusto (4.5 x 50) is also no slouch when it comes to appearance, with a lovely Ecuadorian Habano oscuro wrapper. But the flavor falls a little flat as notes of earth and pepper fail to develop into something more complex. While the Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto isn’t necessarily a bad cigar, I can think of better ways to spend $7-8.

Verdict = Sell.

–Patrick A

photo credits: Stogie Guys