The Stogie Guys

VegaFina is a brand made by tobacco giant Altadis that usually takes a backseat to the more prominent names in the Altadis portfolio, including Montecristo, H. Upmann, and Romeo y Julieta. The Sumum Edición Especial 2010 aims to change that.

Released last month in the U.S.—it is already among the most popular Dominican cigars in Europe—Sumum is a 2010 vintage that’s made at Tabacalera de Garcia. It is crafted “with the best premium tobaccos, hand-selected for their unique characteristics and aged with care, for a one-of-a-kind smoke with distinct body, toasty aroma, and rich flavors,” according to the Altadis website.

The Sumum (Latin for “summit”) recipe calls for a dark, two-year-old Ecuadorian wrapper, a three-year-old Dominican binder, and a three-year-old filler blend of Nicaraguan, Peruvian, and Dominican tobaccos. It is sold in only one size (5 x 54) for $6.75.

The Sumum Edición Especial 2010 is an incredibly attractive cigar with an oily wrapper, a finely constructed triple cap, and a firm feel from head to foot. The pre-light aroma smells of syrup and musty earth. After cutting, I find a moderate draw that imparts some sweetness on the lips. A profile of coffee, citrus, cream, and roasted nuts emerges after establishing an even light. There’s also a fair amount of raisin present, an all-too-rare flavor that’s usually reserved for the likes of Fuentes and Padróns. The texture of the smoke is thick and silky and the aftertaste has a dry, woodsy spice.

Into the midway point and beyond, the aforementioned core flavors are complemented by notes of French vanilla and caramel. There’s plenty of complexity in the mix—enough, in my opinion, to merit a higher price, which makes the Sumum Edición Especial 2010 an excellent buy. All the while the physical properties are good, including a solid white ash and a mostly straight burn.

Altadis is a large company, and that tends to make its sticks less favorable among seasoned cigar veterans in contrast to many of the smaller, more fashionable boutique outfits. Perhaps justifiably so. But I’ll go out on a limb and say the Sumum Edición Especial 2010 is one of the finest smokes I’ve had from Altadis in a long time, especially when you consider its affordable price. I can only feel remorse for those who pass up on this outstanding creation, one that’s worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Winter is a season for short cigars. Unless you have an indoor cigar sanctuary to call your own, smoking bans likely force you outside to enjoy premium tobacco. And no one wants to stand out in the cold for hours on end.

As spring approaches here in Chicago, we start to get warmer days from time to time. And on rare nights when I can sit comfortably outside, this time of year I find myself reaching for larger smokes that have been patiently resting in hibernation—not many of which are larger than the Intensa Tabacon.

This hefty cigar weighs in at six inches long with a ring gauge of 60. It is one of four sizes available in the Intensa series, the others being Gran Robusto (5.24 x 54), Toro (6 x 50), and Belicoso (6.25 x 54). They are all the result of a partnership between Casa Fernandez and the Corona Cigar Co. to “create a cigar that would not only be a full-bodied powerhouse, but a cigar with rich, decadent flavors.” Arsenio Ramos is said to have blended this line using nothing but Angosura tobacco from Nicaragua. It features a reddish ’99 corojo wrapper with a maduro binder and filler comprised of corojo viso and corojo ligero leaves.

I was weary of lighting up such a huge cigar that is intended to “push the limits of the palate” and reportedly “had our entire tasting panel reeling,” according to the Corona Cigar Co. website. A smoke of this size is a time commitment, and I’ve never understood the concept of power for power’s sake. So it was with some trepidation that I clipped the Tabacon’s pigtailed cap and set an even light on the foot.

I was surprised when the initial flavor was balanced and anything but overpowering. The profile consisted of dry wood, nuts, and creamy notes with a somewhat spicy aftertaste. I was even more surprised when there was hardly any increase in boldness towards the midway point. In the final third, I started to feel the strength of the cigar as all of the flavors started to intensify and the nicotine kick ratcheted up to the next level. At no point, however, did I feel like the Intensa Tabacon had the boldness that’s advertised. That’s a good thing, in my book.

With excellent physical properties—including a straight burn and a smooth draw—this two-hour smoke is better and more balanced than I was expecting. It may not have loads of complexity or nuance, but the per-cigar cost of $6 to $7.40 is a fair price given the amount of tobacco and the time it takes to plow though the Intensa Tabacon. That earns it a fair rating 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.”

On the recommendation of Intemperance (and CroMagnon) co-owner Skip Martin, I lit this Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped short perfecto (5 x 50) up in the morning with a cup of coffee. (I defied his suggesting that I do it with a New York Times and went with the Wall Street Journal instead.) It’s a medium-bodied cigar with plenty of cedar, roasted notes, and hints of spice and cream. Well-constructed with decent balance, for seasoned full-bodied cigar smokers, it’s a good first smoke of the day. But that doesn’t mean it would be out of place after dinner with a stronger drink.

Verdict = Buy

–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 has been about two years since this cigar was part of my regular rotation. Always nice to reconnect with old favorites, I lit one up the other day and was reminded why I once enjoyed the Toro (6 x 48) so frequently. Its Connecticut desflorado wrapper contributes to a bright profile of olive, onion, bread, and creamy cashew. With excellent construction, this consistent performer is worthy of its price tag of just over $6 when you buy by the box.

Verdict = Buy

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Though you might not know it, Tatuaje creator Pete Johnson is a cigar distributor as well as a brand owner. And he doesn’t just distribute his own cigars, which are made in Miami and Nicaragua, but also those from a small cigar factory in the Dominican Republic.

Para Ti is the project of Pete Johnson’s friend, Fred Schrader, maker of some of the most highly-regarded Napa Valley wines. A cigar enthusiast in addition to a vinter, Schrader has created two cigars at his small factory, both distributed exclusively by Pete Johnson’s Havana Cellars.

Says Pete of Para Ti: “I’m only doing the distribution, but it’s a trip for me because it’s a completely different country for me to be working with. This is their blend, I OK’ed it; I told them I’d be happy to sell it because the product is good. I don’t know a lot about the factory except that it’s called Para Ti and it’s very small. This is a way for me to help out a friend in the industry, but also, people have asked me to do this before and I never really wanted to do it and this one just seemed to fit right.”

With Johnson handling distribution, Schrader has created two cigars. Extremely hard to find, limited, and expensive ($25 each) is the Schrader Hispaniola Sparky Doco-Est MMIX, named after Schrader’s most exclusive wine. His other cigar, the subject of this review, is the Para Ti, a Dominican puro available in four sizes: Hermosos (4.5 x 52), Perlas (5 x 40), Prominentes (6 x 60) and Canonazos (6 x 48).

To evaluate the Para Ti, I smoked four of the toro-sized Canonazos, which retail for around $8 each. The cigar has as rough, rustic appearance with a medium brown wrapper that has both an oily sheen and many veins. It is firmly constructed, and produces an even burn and sturdy ash.

Para Ti (“for you” in Spanish) starts with forward and simple woody notes, but soon develops into a more complex medium-bodied cigar. It has a strong flavor of roast cashew that combines with dried fruit for a flavorful, balanced blend. Towards the final third it becomes more woody. It has a clean flavor profile with a soft finish.

Considering that I knew little about this Dominican before I smoked it, I found it to be an impressive creation. It’s one of those rare cigars where after smoking one, you’d consider lighting up another almost immediately. With bold, balanced favors and good construction, it earns a most impressive rating of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Say hello to the latest StogieGuys.com winner, Carl Lindstrom. He’s a retired Illinois resident and Florida snowbird who enjoys a variety of cigars with what may be the simplest, and best, method of evaluation: “I either like it or I don’t.”

Lindstrom was randomly selected from among those who commented on a January 2 post urging cigar enthusiasts to contact U.S. representatives and Senators to protect premium cigars from Food & Drug Administration regulation. His prize was a pair of Montecristo New York Connoisseur Edition cigars I’d received from Altadis. I must say I was flabbergasted when I saw his address. For when Lindstrom and his wife escape the cold northern clime, they can be found less than an hour north of me.

And that’s not the only close connection. His local shop in Spring Hill is one I’ve visited and written about, Serafin de Cuba, run by Arnold Serafin. (I also reviewed Arnold’s cigars here.)

Commenting on the Montecristo New York, Lindstrom said he found it a little strong, but that it smoked nice and slow. He summed it up as “a very nice cigar.”

Lindstrom, who goes online by his old high school nickname of Swede, sold Chevys for 32 years and worked five more as a grade school custodian before retiring. Like many of us back then, he started smoking cigarettes as a teenager, tried cigars and a pipe along the way, then quit in 1993. He returned to cigars about four years ago and said it took awhile to abandon the habit of smoking them like cigarettes.

Among his favorites are Nick’s Sticks by Perdomo, the Oliva Serie O, and cigars from E.P. Carrillo. “And when I’m in Florida, the Serafin de Cuba Connecticut Robusto,” he added.

As I wrote before, the contest offered us all a chance to be winners. And that’s certainly true for me. I now have another smoking buddy up the road, and I plan to see if we can get together at Arnold’s shop for a smoke before he flees the coming summer heat.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As we reported in early February, Eddie Ortega, co-founder of EO Brands along with Erik Espinosa, announced he was leaving EO to start his own outfit called Ortega Cigars. The news came 20 months after Rocky Patel bought a 50% share in EO Brands.

The blends in the EO Brands portfolio—including 601, Cubao, Murcielago, and Mi Barrio—are all made at Don Pepin Garcia’s My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua. So it comes as no surprise that the first line from the Ortega Cigar Company is also made by Pepin at My Father Cigars. Called “Serie D,” the blend boasts a Mexican maduro leaf from the San Andreas Valley surrounding Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. “We are using some fillers from Jalapa and Estelí that are crazy good and help create a profile that is full-bodied with lots of spice, flavor, and aroma,” Ortega told us via email. “I know the consumer will love this one.”

Serie D is available in five sizes that are just starting to hit select retailers: No. 6 (4.5 x 48), No. 7 (5 x 46), No. 8 (5.5 x 50), No. 10 (6 x 52), and No. 12 (5 x 52). The No. 12 is a dark, oily stick with a firm feel, a slight box press, and pre-light notes of sweet cocoa. It retails for about $7 apiece.

The initial taste is very dry with a burning wood characteristic. It is not nearly as sweet or as chocolaty as you might expect. Instead, the defining trait of the Serie D is its chalky, mouth-coating texture—one that isn’t dissimilar to the Murcielago. Another unique attribute is a sour mustiness on the finish. Throughout the syrupy smoke, flavors of dark chocolate, black coffee, and fig come and go. But the chalky, woodsy core remains consistent from light to nub.

The dark, rich aromas of the cigar are just as enjoyable as the taste. I smoked the No. 12 in my den, allowing the thick smoke to hang heavy in the air. This added to the experience, as did the excellent physical properties. While Eddie Ortega has acknowledged some draw inconsistencies in the first shipment of these cigars, I found no issues in the samples I smoked for this review.

Distribution of Ortega Cigars is done in-house and, for now, is not widespread. Ortega says he is in talks with distributors to bring his cigars to more areas of the country. If you find the Serie D at a shop near you, be sure to pick up a few sticks to try for yourself. The No. 12 is priced appropriately and worthy of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys