The Stogie Guys

It’s been too long since the StogieGuys.com team published a new list of Gold Star Smokes. As you might recall, this special designation celebrates cigars that we feel are worthy of strong recommendations. They don’t necessarily have to be five stogie-rated—just commendable smokes we turn to time and again.

Co-Founder & Editor in Chief Patrick A

The Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve typically sells for $12 per cigar, but when my local shop put the torpedo (6.1 x 52) on sale for $9.50, I grabbed up a sizeable stash. This wonderful cigar, which debuted about a year ago, has a flavor of spice, cream, earthiness, and sweetness that hits my palate in all the right ways. Expertly balanced and more complex than most realize, this is a fine cigar with excellent construction. It’s too bad only 10,000 torpedos were produced.

Co-Founder & Publisher Patrick S

As soon as I smoked Babyface, the Tatuaje Monsters version of “The Face,” I wished I had bought more than the two boxes of the Little Monsters I purchased, plus the one I was gifted before mine arrived (each Little Monsters box has two Babyfaces). The robusto-sized cigar features tremendous creaminess, graham cracker, and dark chocolate. The finish is deliciously clean and the cigar has excellent construction. I would buy two boxes in a second if this cigar was available by the box for its pro-rated price of $7.50 per cigar.

Tampa Bureau Chief George E

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When I reviewed the new Seleção Robusto last month, I mentioned that Dona Flor, a top brand in Brazil for years, was once a darling of StogieGuys.com.

The company’s blends earned high praise from my colleagues and I back in 2006 and 2007. The Alonso Menendez Robusto was no exception. That smoke might have been my favorite Dona Flor at the time. I remember it as a rough-looking specimen made of mata fina tobacco with a quick burn, good construction, and an aromatic profile of coffee and milk chocolate—a flavor that I’d sometimes describe as “moist chocolate cake.” But my access to the Alonso Menendez Robusto was cut off for years as legal issues halted Dona Flor’s brief distribution to the U.S.

Then, on June 5 of this year, I received a press release proclaiming Dona Flor’s re-introduction to the American market. I quickly scoured the text in hopes of seeing the Alonso Menendez name. No such luck. But there was a new blend that looked and sounded a lot like my old friend. Called the Dona Flor Puro Mata Fina Robusto, it too is made from 100% mata fina tobacco. Save for the updated band, it also looks like the Alonso Menendez Robusto, with a coarse, textured wrapper, a loose packing of tobacco, and a similar cap. And the Puro Mata Fina Robusto is even sold in the same size (5 x 52). The retail price will run around $8.

Before setting fire to the foot, the pre-light aroma of the Puro Mata Fina Robusto does remind me of Alonso Menendez. It’s a potent fragrance of sweet chocolate. The cap clips easily to reveal a predictably airy draw with some sweetness on the lips.

Now the Puro Mata Fina Robusto is a fast-burning cigar, so that means a few things. First, the cigar takes less time to smoke than your average robusto. Second, the burn is perfectly even and requires no touch-ups along the way. Third, each puff gives off tons of smoke. And fourth, I’d typically expect a cigar with such rapid combustion to taste hot and harsh.

Thankfully, though, the flavor is anything but. At the outset the profile is cool, dry, and cedary with notes of allspice, leather, and pine nut. There’s also a fair amount of dark chocolate bitterness present—a contrast to the sweet chocolate that’s so pervasive in the Alonso Menendez. As it progresses, the bitterness and the woodiness ramp up significantly, and charred notes dominate the final third.

Since I started working on this review, I’ve learned that the Puro Mata Fina Robusto is not simply the reincarnation of the Alonso Menendez. Dona Flor aims to eventually reintroduce Alonso Menendez to the U.S. market, but that probably won’t happen for at least another year. In the meantime, the Puro Mata Fina Robusto is a decidedly different cigar, one that’s worthy of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

At Cigarnival, I made a point of asking various cigar makers what they had planned for the upcoming IPCPR Trade Show. When I posed the question to Brad Mayo of Jameson Cigars, he pointed at a box he had displayed on his table.

Thinking it was the Santos de Miami, which was released at last year’s show, I had overlooked that this cigar was different and new. Brad explained that one of his many experiments was set for release at the show: a non-pressed version of his Santos de Miami blend.

The difference, he explained, is more than just the shape (which, in addition to shedding the extremely sharp box-press, loses the pigtail cap). The round parejo shape’s blend is stronger, he said, because it contains more filler because the box-pressed shape has to be rolled looser in order to be so sharply pressed.

According to Jameson’s website, Santos de Miami is “inspired by the spirit of Miami, particularly Calle Ocho. [It] features all Dominican grown tobaccos with a Havana corojo wrapper, criollo ’98 binder, and corojo and criollo fillers.” The original box-pressed line comes in two sizes: Haven (6 x 54) and Alma (5 x 46). Brad gave me two of the new non-pressed cigars, apparently in the same Haven size.

It’s a well constructed cigar, with just a bit of shine on the corojo wrapper, which is framed by the sharp-looking art deco-style band. The firm construction produces a stiff but not difficult draw and a sturdy ash that holds for an inch and a half. I was worried about possible draw issues since the cigar is so tightly packed, but they never came.

Once lit, the cigar produces charred oak and unsweetened chocolate flavors. It’s medium- to full-bodied with just a hint of spice. As it evolves, there’s a bit of molasses and clove added to the dry coffee and nutty core. It has a unique, very clean, almost minty finish.

It’s been a long time since I had the original Santos de Miami, but I definitely agree that the shape change creates a slightly different flavor profile. The cigar changes only a little from start to finish, but it’s a very tasty, if not overly complex. Assuming this is the same packaging as the original (boxes of 10 for $80), it’s a fair price for a good cigar. With enjoyable flavors and excellent construction the Santos de Miami Haven Parejo earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I often get asked to recommend a cheap blend that’s tasty enough to be enjoyable yet mild enough for a beginner. One of the first cigars that always comes to mind is the Oliva Serie G.

Now just because this Cameroon-wrapped smoke has a price and flavor profile that makes it approachable for infrequent smokers, that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed by seasoned cigar veterans, too. I (obviously) smoke pretty damn regularly, and for years I’ve kept a stash of Serie Gs in my collection. Why? Because sometimes I want a milder smoke to accompany my morning coffee, and sometimes I crave that Cameroon sweetness. It also doesn’t hurt to save a little money from time to time.

When I reach for a Serie G, I’m usually choosing a smaller size like the Robusto (4.5 x 50), Special G (3.75 x 48), or even the Cigarillo (4 x 38). These are fine morning or mid-afternoon vitolas that won’t take up a ton of time. Every so often, though, I’ll fire up a Churchill, which is the largest Serie G at seven inches long with a ring gauge of 50. It retails for $4 to $6, depending on where and how many you’re buying.

This box-pressed smoke boasts the standard Serie G recipe, including a Cuban-seed Habano binder and Nicaraguan Habano long-filler tobaccos. The Cameroon wrapper is yellowish and pale with a fair amount of veins and various watermark splotches. You won’t find a ton of oils on the wrinkled exterior leaf, but the foot yields a wonderful pre-light aroma of hay and caramel.

After setting fire to the foot, a cool, mild profile emerges that’s dry and a little flat. There isn’t much spice to speak of. Instead, the taste can best be described as toasty and airy. Once the first inch is complete, some of the flavors that I associate with the smaller Serie G vitolas start to enter the equation. These include cream, butter, almond, sweetness, and warm tobacco. The spice intensifies slightly in the final third but I don’t think the Churchill ever ventures out of the mild spectrum.

In terms of physical properties, this cigar performs at the standard I’ve come to expect from Oliva. The burn is straight and requires no touch-ups. The white, finely layered ash holds firm off the foot. And the draw is smooth and easy from light to nub.

Oliva is an excellent manufacturer whose low-key marketing approach often causes the brand to go relatively unnoticed. But if you’re looking for a mild Cameroon smoke, I don’t think you can do much better than the Serie G at this price point. That said, I maintain that the Serie G is much more enjoyable and interesting in its smaller sizes. The Churchill takes a while to get going and, once it does, it doesn’t really hold my attention for the duration of the smoke. That’s why it doesn’t earn a rating higher than 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.”

By nature I’m a fan of the “A” vitola. There’s something completely unapologetic about a cigar that’s designed to last at least two hours, and I appreciate that. The new Viaje Roman Candle is no exception. With its fuse-like cap and patriotic red tissue paper, this Nicaraguan puro is  a perfect fit for the celebratory summer season. It’s medium- to full-bodied and full of spice and earth. Construction is flawless throughout the almost three hours it takes to smoke. There’s nothing wrong with this cigar, and I wouldn’t recommend against spending two or more hours smoking one, but  for such a long cigar it lacks the complexity to keep me fully engaged. It’s the perfect cigar for the golf course, or for when your thoughts are more focused elsewhere—which might be precisely what the cigar was designed for.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I like cigar boxes. Especially when they’re filled with cigars. But to be honest, 20 or 25 sticks are more than I often want.

It’s not that I (usually) buy boxes of cigars that I don’t thoroughly enjoy or that I quickly grow bored with them. No, the fact is that I rarely smoke more than one cigar a day. Factor in the occasional off day, trips to a shop where I’ll purchase a cigar to enjoy there, and the general variety of smoking, and a box of 20 could easily take me a couple of years to finish.

What generally happens is I’ll end up with a box from which I’ve smoked down to the last six or eight, and I’ll transfer them to another container. Then, likely as not, I’ll sort of lose track of them. If I were more organized, I’d call it aging.

That’s why I applaud what seems to be a growing trend for cigar makers to market their wares in boxes of ten. This seems to be particularly true of special editions and limited releases.

For example, when Nestor Miranda teamed up with the Garcias to create the excellent Grand Reserve Torpedo, they sold the 10,000-stick run in boxes of 10. I’ve read that the recently announced successor will also come in boxes of ten.

Jameson Cigar Co. is another maker that’s into tens. Its two sizes of Santos de Miami come in divided boxes of ten.

When Don Pepin unveiled his 2011 Limited Edition he struck close, packaging 12 of the 6.5-inch Toros in his characteristic heavy, thick boxes.

Among the newest releases in a ten-pack is Tatuaje’s Little Monsters. Of course, with the popularity of that series, Pete Johnson could probably release them in boxes of 100 and still quickly sell out.

You might say I’m making far too big a deal of this, and if I only want ten cigars I should simply purchase singles. That’s true. But a box not only keeps the cigars together; it protects them and shows you what’s in your humidor.

Besides, as I said, I like cigar boxes.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

We’re one month away from 80th annual International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Trade Show, the convention where cigar makers from around the world gather to showcase their products, debut new creations, and interact with retailers.

As usual, StogieGuys.com will be covering the event to keep you abreast of the new smokes that will soon be hitting a tobacconist near you. Before we do that, though, I wanted to share three thoughts about what I’d like to see at this year’s trade show. After all, one month before the biggest cigar event of the year is an appropriate time to reflect on the state of the industry.

More Limited Editions

Many cigar makers, particularly those who don’t grow their own tobacco, have only enough tobacco to make a small run without sacrificing quality and consistency. So limited releases can be some of the best (if rare) cigars available. For that reason, I welcome more limited cigars, as long as they’re limited for a good reason and not just a marketing gimmick. Besides, if the FDA does end up regulating premium cigars, the disastrous, ill-conceived government approval process will likely be so costly that cigar makers will be forced to focus on large runs that they think would have mass appeal. I hope this doesn’t happen but, for this reason, I’d like to have the opportunity to collect more limited editions before the politicians and bureaucrats ruin everything. And if they get their way, you can bet they will.

More Support for Cigar Rights

Speaking of FDA regulation, you and I owe a lot of thanks to Cigar Rights of America (CRA), IPCPR, and all groups, individuals, and businesses who are fighting for the right to enjoy a cigar. Tobacco taxes, smoking bans, and harmful regulations will continue to pile up if they are not met with resistance. Recognizing this, many cigar makers have generously donated much time and money to the cause, and I hope this continues—especially at this critical juncture. Don’t forget that you can do your part as well. Make sure to support CRA and tell your friends and family to do the same. What happens over the next year at the federal level will have massive implications on the industry for years to come.

Focus on Comparative Advantages

Every year at the trade show it seems like every cigar maker has a handful of new lines to introduce. What’s new is sexy, and I understand this from a business standpoint. But we’re at the point where the market is saturated with new lines and blends. I can’t keep track of them all. And a lot of them, frankly, are duds that get forgotten before the summer’s even over. How many new cigars from last year’s IPCPR do you remember offhand? That’s what I thought. For this reason, I applaud those cigar makers who focus on a few lines and do them well year after year. Introduce a new blend when you’ve got something truly unique or when you’ve acquired an excellent crop of tobacco that you’ve never had before. Otherwise, focus on quality control and the blends you do best. This strategy may not be sexy, but I’d have to imagine it will yield good results in terms of revenue and reputation.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys