The Stogie Guys

A quick look through our reviews archive and you’ll see that Paul Garmirian cigars have been a favorite of ours. And personally, living only 15 minutes from their home shop, I appreciate my ready access to all their blends (including cigars with nearly 20 years of age), which in many areas are tough to find.

So I was excited to learn earlier this year that PG was coming out with a new blend called Artisan’s Passion. The blend is a “sister cigar” to PG’s Artisan’s Selection cigar, and like the Artisan’s Selection it aims to provide the PG experience in a more value-conscious offering.

Unlike the mild Artisan’s Selection, Artisan’s Passion is a more full-bodied line, which fits in with PG’s two previous releases: the Symphony 20th and the 15th Anniversary blends. Unlike those cigars (which command as much as $20 each), this sells in the $7-9 range.

The cigar comes in three sizes: a Short Robusto (4.5 x 52), a Super Robusto (5 x 54),  and a Toro (6 x 52). I smoked three Toros for this review. Each features a rough but oily wrapper of Dominican origin. Interestingly, a version with an Ecuadorian wrapper was also tested, but ultimately this Dominican wrapper won out.

The cigar is dominated by leather and wood and accompanied by a mustiness that many who smoke cigars made by Davidoff master Henke Kelner will recognize. Artisan’s Passion is not as complex as the PG Symphony 20, but the flavors are similar with peppery spice and oak.

It’s full-bodied as advertised, though the strength fades slightly at the end. Construction is good, with an easy draw, solid ash, and even burn.

For those looking for an introduction to PG cigars, but have been scared off by the often double digit prices, the PG Artisan’s Passion is well worth a try. Just don’t think this is as good as it gets for PG cigars. Both the Symphony 20 and the 15th Anniversary offer similar flavor profiles to but with more complexity, nuance, and balance.

Despite not quite measuring up to those extraordinary though higher-priced blends, there is a lot to like about this new addition to the Paul Garmirian portfolio. That’s why the Artisan’s Passion Toro earns a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Longtime readers may recall my two previous articles on two other Angostura rums: 1919 and 1824. Both are wonderful, but there are some important differences. The former costs around $35 and has a sweet and spicy profile, while the latter runs in the $50-60 range, is more full-flavored, and carries the title of Angostura’s flagship rum.

Like 1919 and 1824, the Seven Year Old is made by the same Trinidad & Tobago-based company that’s better known for its highly concentrated food and beverage flavorings than its rum. Angostura’s beginnings can be traced back to 1824 when a surgeon general in Simón Bolívar’s Venezuelan army sought to improve the appetite and digestive well-being of the soldiers. It wasn’t until 1947 that Angostura began to ferment, distill, age, blend, and bottle rum in Laventille, Trinidad. According to the company’s history, today Angostura produces over 600,000 cases of rum each year, most of which is shipped to America, Great Britain, and other islands in the Caribbean.

The Seven Year Old is made from rums aged 7-10 years in American oak bourbon barrels, filtered through charcoal, and then blended and returned to barrels to allow the various light and dark rums to marry. It is less expensive than its 1919 and 1824 brethren, costing about $22 per 750 ml. bottle (40% alcohol by volume).

The nose of this spirit reminds me of rich caramel, banana, and butterscotch. It has very little alcohol tinge and carries a light copper hue in the glass. The lightness of the Seven Year Old is also apparent in the taste. Each sip begins with a muted introduction that slowly builds into a warm, tingly finish. Flavors include smoke, butter, and chocolate. Leaning toward the mild range of rums, this Angostura is creamy and lacking in spice.

Truth be told, I remain unconvinced that this is a suitable sipping rum. It’s much more serviceable mixed in a rum cocktail. I don’t dislike the Angostura Seven Year Old, but I’d much rather pay the additional $13 for a bottle of 1919 since to get what is—in my opinion—a much finer rum.

That said, don’t let my lack of enthusiasm dissuade you from trying this spirit for yourself. If you don’t care for it, you aren’t out too much money; conversely, if you find it surprisingly good, you’ll have a rum that meets your needs and is easy on the pocketbook. Either way, be sure to pair the Angostura Seven Year Old with a mild- to medium-bodied cigar that won’t drown out its soft profile.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Antonio Lam launched Reinado in the summer of 2010, a line of Nicaraguan puros that’s aged up to five years. “What makes this cigar very special is the fact that it’s got a unique fermentation process being employed, making the flavors extremely rich and smooth for a Nicaraguan puro yet letting a nice spice run right through it,” Lam told me.

Reinado, Spanish for “reign,” is gaining traction at tobacconists across the country as more and more cigar enthusiasts become exposed to the brand through mainstream cigar publications and the online community. I’ve been a fan since last October. That’s when I reviewed the Torpedo, a great smoke with notes of leather, espresso, and cherry.

So when Lam told me he was introducing a new size to the Reinado lineup—a Habanito that measures 4 inches long with a ring gauge of 38—I was more than interested to give it a try. Like the Torpedo, the Habanito has an oily Habano rosado wrapper and a classic-looking maroon and gold band.

Lam tells me he created the Habanito for two reasons. “I wanted to have a shorter smoke for cigar enthusiasts that do not have the time to finish a long smoke,” he says. “Secondly, I wanted to have the Reinado blend in a more compact, concentrated format where the flavors and spices could take center stage.”

The spices definitely take center stage from the outset, driving a taste that’s reminiscent of cayenne pepper and allspice. As these sensations tend to hit the tip of the tongue, the rest of the palate experiences flavors more in tune with the aforementioned Torpedo, including cherry and espresso. The profile becomes more rounded as the Habanito progresses. Conscientious smokers will notice the additions of leather and floral hints in the final third.

Throughout the short—yet slow-burning—smoke, the construction is excellent. I noticed even burns, moderate draws, and solid, finely layered ashes across the samples I smoked for this review.

Lam tells me he’s thinking about making the Habanito with a Connecticut wrapper in the near future. “The combination may be incredible,” he says. I’d enjoy trying that, too. For now, though, I can’t help but sing the praises of the Reinado Habanito, an excellent way to get tons of spicy, balanced flavors in a short format. For bringing a big taste right from the starting line and not overstaying its welcome, this cigar is worthy 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.”

Friday was my birthday, which seemed like a good reason to light up this well-constructed limited edition Cohiba. It had the quintessential characteristics of a Cuban cigar—sweet cocoa and earth—but in a more intense variety than any Habano I’ve smoked recently. It reminded me of a more focused version of the Montecristo Sublime. Though the $30 price tag is daunting, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar. It has continued to develop since I the last time I smoked it, and age has only improved this tasty smoke.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Not long ago I, like most people I suspect, identified Prometheus with two things: high-end cigar accessories and limited Fuente smokes (first the God of Fire line then Angelenos). But in 2010, Prometheus introduced its first cigar line not made by the Fuentes, called Sencillo.

The first Sencillo (Spanish for “simple”) was the Platinum, made by Christian Eiroa of Camacho Cigars in Honduras. Prometheus founder Keith Park tells me that blend came about when he asked Eiroa to replicate a particular cigar he had given Park back in 2008.

Next came the Sencillo Black, which features filler from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico (San Andreas) surrounded by Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It’s made by the prolific Nestor Plasencia Jr. in Nicaragua and comes in five sizes, including the 5.75-inch by 52-ring gauge Double Robusto that is the subject of this review.

The dark Habano Colorado wrapper is oily with a few veins, and the cigar has a nice firm feel that foreshadows excellent construction. It retails for around $8 per cigar. A pre-light draw reveals rich cherry notes with some earth.

The cigar’s dominant flavors are leather and earth. It’s a full-bodied smoke with enough balance to let you appreciate secondary flavors that include cocoa, black pepper, and sweet cinnamon.

Construction is superb, with a solid ash and an even burn that produces an abundence of smoke that coats the palate. The powdery smoke makes for a lingering finish and the cigar mellows slightly in the final third as it settles into a medium to full body.

It’s an enjoyable smoke, and my favorite Plasencia-made cigar since at least the original Casa Magna. With interesting, solid construction, ample complexity, and a fair price, the Sencillo Black Double Robusto earns a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

[Editor’s Note: “Cigar Face-Off” is a new feature where we compare and contrast cigars that share at least one important attribute. Please let us know what you think about the new feature in the comments below, and feel free to suggest two cigars for a future Face-Off.]

Pete Johnson and Don Pepin Garcia continue their buzz-heavy collaboration with the recent release of the über-potent Fausto and the intriguing La Casita Criolla U.S. broadleaf puro.

Fausto FT 150 Toro

I found the strength to live up to the hype. Even so, it snuck up on me the first time because the blend is very smooth with the sort of deep, rich flavors common to Tatuajes. Kicking off with heavy pepper, there were also some hay notes that I tend to associate more with Connecticut than Nicaragua, which is the home for the filler and binder. Perhaps they came from the Ecuadorian Habano maduro wrapper.

About one third of the way down the six-inch stick, the pepper lightened up a bit, allowing some dark fruit to come through. And in the final third, there was a thick woody component. With a 50-ring gauge the Toro is a comfortable smoke. At about $8.50 a stick, it’s slow burning treat.

La Casita Criolla HCBC Corona Gorda

This is a cigar about which I expect most smokers will have a strong opinion. It certainly stands out, from the rough, thick wrapper to the dark, gray ash. Not to mention the taste, which I found to be earthy, somewhat sharp, and occasionally harsh.

I’ve only smoked a couple and don’t know if I’ll go back for more. At around $7 for the Corona Gorda (5.6 x 46), the price is reasonable.

Conclusion

These two new releases are a result of Tatuaje’s willingness to experiment and create new tastes and experiences for smokers. I think that’s great.

Of course, every cigar isn’t going to please everyone. But you’ll be missing out if you don’t give these a try. I preferred the Fausto, though its power will probably make it an occasional choice. La Casita was more unusual, and I thought it lacked the depth and nuance of most Tatuaje smokes.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Haven’t heard of Corner Creek? Neither had I until I came across it on sale for $29 at my local spirit store. With an attractive bottle and a reasonable price, I decided to take this 88-proof bourbon for a spin.

The product is described on its website: “A selection of the distillery’s finest barrels. Smoothed to perfection with pure Kentucky limestone water. Full-bodied, but without any harshness.”

Further information on the brand wasn’t easy to find, but eventually I was able to determine that Corner Creek is made by an elusive Bardstown, Kentucky, outfit called Kentucky Bourbon Distillers Ltd. Some of the other bourbons they make include Jefferson’s Reserve, Noah’s Mill, Rowan’s Creek, Pure Kentucky, and Kentucky Vintage.

But enough of the background. The bourbon, which uses wheat and rye, in addition to the required corn, is ultimately what I was interested in. It’s a slightly hazy amber color with an inviting nose of vanilla, toffee, and cherry notes.

Once I tasted Corner Creek I found nut, rye, and lots of oak. Dryness is the most pervasive element to the flavor profile and that continues in the finish, which includes some pine. You can definitively taste the rye in the blend.

photo credit: Stogie Guys