The 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.”

Exclusive to the online boutique New Havana Cigars, this box-pressed smoke features the same blend as the Tatuaje Brown label (with the Sumatra “Capa Especial” wrapper) in a size that’s nearly identical to the Havana Cazadores. It’s more full-bodied than the Tatuaje 7th Capa Especial, with pepper, espresso, and wood, and it falls between medium- and full-bodied. While the the cigar was a bit spongy to the touch, the construction didn’t seem to suffer at all. These sold out in just days, but if you’re fortunate enough to have the opportunity to smoke one, you should jump at the chance.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

ROME ― Back in June, I wrote that a “cigar vacation” can be two different things. It can be a trip to a cigar-producing country like Honduras, Nicaragua, or the Dominican Republic, where you learn about the artisan craft of handmade cigars, visit factories and fields, and learn about premium tobacco in its native environment.

Conversely, a cigar vacation can be a trip to anyplace—cigar-producing or not—where you simply allow ample time to enjoy cigars in outstanding settings. That’s what I did when I traveled to St. Thomas. And that’s also what I’m doing as I write this from Italy.

When you think of cigars and Italy, CAO’s Italia line may come to mind. That blend has a bit of Italian-grown tobacco in the filler (and is otherwise mostly Honduran). Notwithstanding this anomaly, premium tobacco from Italy is quite rare. In the hours I’ve spent driving between Rome, Sorrento, and other locales in this country, I’ve seen plenty of vineyards and fields of olive trees, but I have yet to come across a single tobacco plant.

Still, I would argue Italy is a wonderful destination for a cigar vacation. The culture here in October is very outside-oriented, meaning all of the action is in piazzas, outdoor cafés, on balconies, at open-air markets, parks, and at seaside sidewalks. So even though an unfortunate smoking ban is in effect for indoor spaces, you’ll want to be outside anyways. That’s where you get the best views and the most entertainment.

Smoking is widely accepted outside. I’ve spent afternoons sitting at a sidewalk café with a glass of wine or a cappuccino, people-watching and enjoying a fine cigar. Space may be at a premium in Rome, Sorrento, or Naples, and the tables may be packed in tight, but the locales don’t seem to mind cigar smoke. They’re all too busy puffing away at cigarettes to notice.

Another reason Italy is a great cigar locale: The food is amazing, and nothing follows a great meal like a great smoke. The best cure for a belly full of cheeses and meats is a long stroll and a good smoke. You can’t argue with that.

I’m not sure I’ll ever be back in Italy. It’s crazy expensive, and there are so many other places I’d like to visit in the world. For the short time I’m here, though, I’m going to enjoy every moment and enjoy the premium cigars I brought along. And in my book that definitely qualifies as a cigar vacation.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Several years ago, I picked up a five-pack of cigars from La Aurora. The small white box, fashionably adorned with lions, contained one Robusto from each of the five Preferidos blends: Connecticut, Ecuador, Cameroon, Corojo, and Maduro.

The Preferidos series debuted in 1998 to honor Eduardo León Jimenes, the man who founded La Aurora in 1903. Initially, all Preferidos cigars were perfectos. About five years ago, though, La Aurora began to offer Preferidos in standard parejo shapes.

Since trying each of the Preferidos Robustos in the five-pack, I later bought several more to be able to write reviews. I reviewed the Cameroon in January, and now it’s on to the Connecticut, a golden-colored smoke with a shade-grown wrapper, a Dominican piloto binder, and filler from Brazil, Cameroon, and the Dominican.

The Connecticut Robusto has a dry, clean wrapper with a nice cap at the head and a tight cross-section of tobacco at the foot. The pre-light notes are classic Connecticut: sweet hay with a touch of almond.

Once lit, the cigar has a surprisingly spicy kick that reminds me of ginger. In the foreground of the profile is a hearty dose of dry oak. Some meaty flavors come and go, but there’s little of the traditional Connecticut taste, which usually includes nuts and cream.

Towards the midway point, the spice fades a bit, the oak becomes more dominant, and some of the flavors I had been anticipating—including almond—emerge. But the dry woodsy flavor remains an unwavering centerpiece.

Throughout the smoke, the physical properties exemplify the high standard that I’ve come to expect from La Aurora. The burn line is near perfect, the gray ash holds strong, and the draw is smooth.

The three Connecticut Robustos I bought for this review cost about $10 apiece at my local tobacconist. Notwithstanding this cigar’s outstanding construction, I simply don’t think it’s worth that price. I don’t mind that it doesn’t taste like other Connecticuts on the market but, at this price level, I expect more balance and a little less dryness and meatiness. Since you can spend $10 or less on many finer cigars—including cigars made by La Aurora—I’m giving the Preferidos Connecticut Robusto two and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

My 2009 article on pumpkin beers laid out the case for pumpkin beers as an excellent accompaniment to a fine cigar as the leaves change and the weather turns crisp.

Frankly, if these beers were available year-round, I’m not sure I’d enjoy them so much. But because they are available for a little over a month a year, just as fall is beginning, I have really grown to look forward to their appearance on my beer store’s shelves. Looking back, my favorite of the seven beers I wrote about continues to be Shipyard’s Pumpkin Head:

Shipyard Pumpkinhead: This Maine brew is actually a “malt beverage with pumpkin spice added” according to the label, but don’t let that fool you. The copper-colored beverage has the aroma of sweet pumpkin pie.

That may be partially because it was the first pumpkin beer I tried many years ago, while attending college in Maine (where Shippyard is brewed). For whatever reason, it holds a special place in my beer universe, which is why I was eager to try a second pumpkin beer from Shipyard: Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin (part of “Pugsley’s Signature Series”).

The beer pours a bright orange, slightly cloudy color. The nose consists of faint pumpkin; it’s far more raw pumpkin than pumpkin pie and clean for a beer that boasts a 9% ABV.

The flavors are a nice combination of nutmeg, hops, malt, cinnamon, and raw pumpkin. It’s well-balanced considering the high alcohol content.

A 22-ounce bomber of the Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin sells for around $10. At that price, I’d rather pick up a six-pack of their Pumpkinhead which, while lower in alcohol, has more pronounced pumpkin pie flavors.

Still, this beer is further evidence of my contention that pumpkin beers make for an excellent pairing with a good cigar. For this beer, a mild- or medium-bodied smoke goes great. I’d suggest the La Gloria Cubana Retro Especiale or the Alec Bradley Family Blend.

We’ve now looked at eight different pumpkin beers, but there are countless others. Let us know your favorites to pair with a cigar in the comments.

–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.”

Ever since Sam Leccia’s departure from Oliva, the brands he was primarily responsible for—Cain and Nub—have been in search of an identity. This Cain F Lancero, introduced as part of the Studio Tobac portfolio, is part of that move. It’s a full-bodied smoke with plenty of spice that’s clearly geared towards the full-bodied cigar smoker. It’s a sneaky strong Nicaraguan puro, with heavy bread and leather flavors. The construction was excellent, which is always particularly appreciated in the hard-to-produce Lancero size.

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.”

I was a big fan of the 2010 version of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s Short Run cigar, enough to secure a box before they sold out. So I was  excited to try the 2011 edition. It’s a medium-bodied smoke with woody notes, pleasant cafe au lait flavors, and a slight sourness. Construction was good up until the end when the wrapper fell apart on me. The 2011 Short Run is not a bad cigar, but the obvious comparison is to the 2010 Short Run, which I found to be a superior cigar.

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.” The following is a Guest Quick Smoke, submitted by a StogieGuys.com reader. If you’d like to submit your own, please contact us.

The Partagas Serie D No. 5 was released as a limited edition in 2008 and, format-wise, it’s basically a shorter version of the bestselling Serie D No. 4. Rumor has it that it will be available as a regular release this year (although I haven’t seen it in B&Ms yet). Flavor-wise, however, it’s definitely a different blend. In 2009, I found it rather rough, whereas Patrick S was more than satisfied, giving it 4.5 stogies. Today, I am happy to report that the flavors on my samples have settled down a bit and, even though the cigar obviously has more room for aging, the Serie D No. 5 is ready to be enjoyed. Give it a try if you can.

Verdict = Buy.

–Submitted by Denis, a.k.a. Cigar Inspector

photo credit: Stogie Guys