The Stogie Guys

Yes, I admit it. I’m a little obsessed over HR 1639, the bill to bar the Food & Drug Administration from regulating premium, hand-rolled cigars. Frankly, though, I cannot understand why every cigar smoker isn’t.

I believe enactment of this legislation would offer extraordinary protection for cigars smokers and the cigar industry. By recognizing a specific category for premium cigars, it would make it easy to exclude them from future tobacco taxes and restrictions.

The good news is the bill is tantalizingly close to the support it needs for passage in the House of Representatives. But now is not the time to let up. Soon, the solons will be off for the summer and for campaigning. Little will transpire on Capitol Hill.

The bill has just over 180 supporters, but, alas, Guam’s representative has no vote, and David Wu resigned after signing on. I’ve recently spent time analyzing the list of cosponsors and discovered some interesting data. What’s most interesting is I think it can help push the bill to enactment. And maybe it’ll inspire more readers to get in touch with their representatives and urge them to get on board.

• As you’d expect, Florida has the most supporters. Still, only 18 of its 25 representatives are signed up. Next up, Pennsylvania, undoubtedly second only to Florida for cigar shops and retail sales, and Texas, are tied with 13. Again, that leaves quite a few who aren’t on board in both states.

• Surprisingly, the state most identified with tobacco, Virginia, has under 50% signed up, with 5 of its 11 representatives sponsoring the bill. Granted, most of the state’s tobacco connection involves cigarettes, but General Cigar Co.’s headquarters are in Richmond. And Connecticut, home of the eponymous high-quality wrapper, has but 2 of 5 representatives as cosponsors.

• Five states, admittedly all small, have seen all their representatives endorse HR1639: Arkansas (4), West Virginia (3), Kansas (4), Hawaii (2), and New Hampshire (2).

• Three times that many states have no representatives on the list. They’re generally concentrated in New England and the West: Massachusetts (10), Rhode Island (2), Vermont (1), Maine (2), New Mexico (3), Montana (1), Idaho (2), Utah (3), Oregon (5), Washington (9), Wyoming (1), Alaska (1), North Dakota (1), South Dakota (1), and Delaware (1).

• While Republicans outnumber Democrats among supporters by about 3 to 1, the bill has strong bipartisan support. Just consider those states that are fully signed up: Arkansas has 3 Republicans and 1 Democrat; West Virginia, a Democrat and 2 Republicans; Kansas, 4 Republicans; Hawaii, 2 Democrats; and New Hampshire, 2 Republicans. And it isn’t just the parties. Supporters include every point along the ideological spectrum, something well worth pointing out to anyone who isn’t a supporter.

So, how can all this help? First, I hope you’re inspired by how close to passage this legislation is. Then, you can see how just a little more pressure applied at the proper points could push HR1639 across the finish line.

If you’re a cigar smoker who hasn’t taken action, be sure to write, email, or telephone your representative if he or she isn’t a supporter.

If you own a smoke shop and there are representatives in your area who haven’t signed on (I counted more than two dozen Massachusetts shops that are IPCPR members and 15 in Oregon, for example) invite them to your shop for an event where they can meet constituents, enjoy a cigar, and learn firsthand why this bill is so vital.

You can find all the information you need about the bill’s cosponsors here and how to make contact here. Let’s get this bill passed. Then I can go back to obsessing over other important things, like humidity levels in the humidor.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Dominican-made Romeo y Julieta brand has been a longtime staple in the portfolio of industry giant Altadis. But over the years, even as the brand grew to ten blends of varying strength, Romeo y Julieta always seemed to be associated with the milder spectrum.

The newest Romeo y Julieta blend, called simply Romeo, aims to change that. “A manly cigar, bold and robust, Romeo is an awesome smoke, rich in complex flavor sensations,” reads a marketing pamphlet from Altadis. “It is, quite likely, the finest Romeo y Julieta ever.”

Romeo is certainly the most modern-looking, sporting a unique band that breaks from the traditional motifs of its predecessors. The line’s sleek, curved boxes are definitely not traditional. And Romeo also adopts the contemporary mantra of “big and bold” with large ring gauges and a recipe of tobaccos that’s evidently built for power.

That recipe includes a dark Ecuadorian Habano-seed wrapper, a Dominican olor binder, and Dominican filler tobaccos of the piloto and olor varieties. The line is comprised of four vitolas that are crafted at the Tabacalera de Garcia in the Dominican Republic: Churchill (7 x 56), Toro (6 x 54), Robusto (5 x 54), and Piramide (6.1 x 52). I sampled three Toros for this review, each—in the interest of full disclosure—provided to me free of charge by Altadis.

The Toro is a clean-looking smoke with a hearty weight and a firm feel from head to toe. The foot confirms a tight cross-section of tobaccos. The pre-light aroma is musty and earthy and the draw is moderate.

After setting an even light, the introductory taste is bold yet stale. By this I mean there’s tons of strength from the smoke but very little in terms of identifiable flavor beyond pure heat. My strategy on cigars like this is to let them rest un-puffed for a few minutes to see if they settle into a more enjoyable profile as the foot cools.

Fortunately, the Romeo Toro does. Before crossing the half-inch mark, tastes of leather, dry wood, and espresso become dominant with a bit of nougat on the finish to add sweetness and balance. The resting smoke is quite sweet. Later, at the midway point, I find the body settles back toward the medium spectrum and some nutty notes take precedence over the leather. The final third features a reprise of power. All the while the construction is near perfect.

Altadis has made a considerable effort to get samples of Romeo in the hands of many internet reviewers, so I expect you’ll see much written about this cigar in the weeks to come. It will be interesting to read all the reviews. From my perspective, this is a fine smoke that will do well on the golf course. I would recommend picking up a Romeo as the blend hits the shelves of a tobacconist near you. I think cigar enthusiasts who typically stray away from Altadis smokes will be pleasantly surprised by the Toro, which is 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

I didn’t know what to think when Camacho announced a partnership with jewelery maker Matt Booth in 2009. Camacho would be making cigars to be sold under Booth’s Room 101 brand, named after the torture room in George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Four years later, I’ve enjoyed quite a few of the Camacho-made Room 101 cigars, particularly the Conjura and Namakubi. I found this latest Room 101 San Andrés the way I find many cigars, by simply walking into my local cigar shop and asking, “What’s new?” The answer on this particular day was the Room 101 San Andrés, which was released last month.

By my count, San Andrés is the fifth Room 101 blend, created by Room 101-creator Matt Booth and Camacho Cigars. It’s the third regular release joining the original Room 101 and the Connecticut-wrapped Namakubi, while the OSOK (One Shot One Kill) and the Conjura are limited releases. The result is a more affordable cigar that comes in five sizes selling in the wallet-friendly $5-7 range.

For this review I lit up three of the corona-sized 213s (5.5 x 44) which cost me just under $6 each. The cigar features a San Andrés wrapper grown by the Turrent family in Mexico. The largely vein-free, milk-chocolate wrapper surrounds a Honduran Corojo binder and Corojo and Criollo filler from Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

It’s a serious departure from Room 101’s previous releases, but very pleasant with chewy peanut butter, cocoa, and a slightly spicy cedar core. As the cigar evolves, coffee becomes apparent and more spice comes forward towards the second half of this hour-long smoke.

With perfect construction and a reasonable price tag, the 213 is a very enjoyable medium- to full-bodied cigar. That combination earns this Room 101 San Andrés vitola an impressive rating of four 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.”

I can’t say I’d read much about the PIO Cigar Company when I lit up this sharply-pressed $8 offering. The wrapper is dark brown with multiple jet-black splotches, which takes away from an otherwise very attractive cigar. An easy draw reveals cedary wood and roasted nut flavors. The wrapper also imparts a slight spice on the lips. The cigar’s medium- to full-bodied flavors don’t vary much from start to finish, yet the construction is excellent and the flavor is enjoyable. Best of all, the Resurrection Robusto makes me want to try more offerings from PIO.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It’s hard to think of a cigar maker currently on as long of a streak of widely-praised cigars as Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. Ever since founding the EPC Cigar Co., Ernesto has seemingly produced hit after hit.

The Short Run is no exception. So far, the line has resulted in one release per year, although when it was first introduced we were told there might be two Short Run releases per year. The concept is pretty simple: Make a limited run of a blend utilizing tobacco that isn’t available in enough quantities to become a full blend.

The original Short Run, introduced in 2010, featured an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper around Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. The 2011 edition featured an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around similar binder and filler tobaccos. Personally, I preferred the original 2010 edition, but I’ve talked to plenty of people who preferred the 2011 Shot Run.

The 2012 edition is a slightly different animal. It features the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper from the New Wave Connecticut around binder and filler tobaccos from the Core Line Maduro (Ecuadorian binder with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler). Unlike the others, in theory they should be able to continue making this cigar (if EPC choses to), since all the components come from regular production lines.

The Short Run 2012 comes in three sizes: Exquisitos (4.9 x 50,) Invictos (5.9 x 52), and the Reinados—which apparently also going by the name Nitidos—(6.25 x 60). The cost ranges from $6.30 to $8.60 with only 1,000 boxes of 24 of each vitola made. I smoked three Invictos for this review. The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper is slightly splotchy, but it has a bit of oily shine. The cigar is well-constructed. It is firm with an even burn, easy draw, and sturdy ash.

The flavors are perfectly balanced. The profile has lots of cedar, graham spice, and hints of straw, cream, and honey. There’s not much variation from start to finish, but the flavors are pleasant. The cigar is very similar to the original regular New Wave Connecticut, which isn’t a bad thing. But it punches up the body just a bit from medium-bodied to medium-full and adds some extra complexity.

It’s a cigar Connecticut fans will love and non-fans will like. The balanced flavors and solid construction earn the Short Run 2012 Invictos a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Abe Flores reinvented Pinar del Rio Cigars (PDR) in 2010 by re-blending his standard lines, dropping his prices by 10%, and introducing some new creations. Prior to this company re-launch, many cigar enthusiasts had not even heard of PDR. After, PDR grew a solid base of loyal fans who appreciated the value and craftsmanship of Flores’ offerings.

I fall into the camp of folks who became PDR fans once I was properly exposed to the company. Smokes like the Cubano Especial Capa Natural, Sun Grown, and Selección have been regular visitors to my humidors for a couple years. And I’m also enjoying newer offerings, like Small Batch Reserve—both Habano and Maduro.

But my exposure to the PDR portfolio has not been comprehensive. The Clasico Exclusivo line, for example, has somehow flown under my radar since it was released about three years ago. This blend has an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, a Dominican criollo ’98 binder, and a filler blend of tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It is available in nine sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Corona (5.25 x 44), Corona Gorda (6 x 46), Toro (6 x 52), Torpedo (6.5 x 52), Churchill (7 x 50), Lancero (7.25 x 38), Magnum (5 x 60), and Double Magnum (6 x 60).

The Robusto retails for around $5 per single or $90 for a box of 20. Underneath its double bands and yellow ribbon is a silky wrapper with minimal veins and seams that are barely noticeable. The exterior leaf gives off hardly any aroma but, at the foot, the exposed filler tobaccos smell of sweet hay and honey.

After clipping the cap to reveal an even draw and toasting the foot, the initial flavor is peppery and a bit more intense than traditional Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped cigars. Dry spice is concentrated on the tip of the tongue, on the lips, and on the finish. Notes of oak and grass are evident if you smoke through the nose.

As flavors of nuts and cream come to the fore, it becomes clear that this smoke has outstanding physical properties. Light up the Clasico Exclusivo Robusto and, like me, you’ll surely be admiring its perfect burn line, sturdy gray ash, and smooth draw. These attributes aren’t to be overlooked. It’s a lot easier to find a $10 cigar with poor construction than it is to find a $5 cigar with excellent construction.

In the end, while the taste isn’t remarkably complex or astonishingly unique, this Pinar del Rio creation is a fine choice if you’re looking for a morning coffee companion. It goes equally well with a glass of wine in the evening. It seems to forgo my least favorite characteristics of mild smokes—a chemically aftertaste or a papery finish—while exhibiting the best traits of the breed—light on cost and oozing with creamy nuttiness. You can’t complain with that. And I also don’t think you’ll object to my 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.”

Named for George A. Rico of Gran Habano Cigars, the G.A.R. White Label is built with an Ecuadorian corojo wrapper, an Ecuadorian Connecticut binder, and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. It is marketed as a “full-bodied, full-flavored treat” that’s a “tasty powerhouse.” The Robusto Grande (5.5 x 52) emits thick, textured smoke with notes of black coffee, cocoa powder, leather, and a bit of spice on the finish. Construction is good, except for a sandy ash that’s prone to falling off prematurely. For the average asking price of around $6, this vitola is a good buy as an after-dinner smoke with a serving (or two) of bourbon.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys