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.”

Since he stormed back on the scene in 2009, E.P. Carrillo (who brought La Gloria Cubana to fame in the 1990s) has been on a role. His 2010 Limited Edition cigar was such a hit, he brought it back in the form of the Elencos line which features the same blend as the popular 2010 limited release. The full bodied smoke features rich buttery flavors with sweet earth and a touch of cinnamon spice. Complex and full of flavor with excellent construction this thick six inch by 54 RG toro is worth picking up.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Viaje is a brand I’ve never fully gotten acquainted with. Maybe that’s because none of my regular shops seem to carry it, or because buying this brand is a significant investment (especially by the box), or because with, so many limited releases, it’s difficult enough to keep track of Viahe, let alone track it down.

Still, there’s a lot going for Viaje, not the least of which is a small but growing group of loyal fans. Further, Viaje is made by the same people behind Casa Fernandez, who, addition to their own cigars, make such highly regarded smokes as Illusione, Padilla (1932 & Miami), and Alec Bradley (Tempus and Prensado) at their Raices Cubana factory. Fernandez is also the original partner of Don Pepin Garcia with whom he co-owns the El Rey de Los Habanos factory in Miami (though that is the subject of a current legal dispute).

The Fifty-Fifty concept is a unique idea, with the premise being that one cigar contains two distinct blends, which transitions from one to the other at the halfway mark. According to Viaje creator Andre Farkas, “Each cigar is carefully crafted taking triple the amount of time a normal cigar takes to roll. The cigar comes wrapped in a dark, oily Nicaraguan cover leaf with two binders holding the filler in place.”

The Black Label aims to transition from full to fuller, while the Red Label aims to be a more balanced transition from medium to full body. Like the Red Label, the Black comes in three sizes selling for around $9-10 per cigar and upwards of $200 for a box of 25. For this review I smoked several No. 1s (5.6 x 46). The Nicaraguan puro features a oily wrapper with a small pigtail cap. It has a slight give when you give it a squeeze, but no exterior indication that inside there is a change in blend.

When I finally lit this corona extra I found a medium- to full-bodied blend (though I can certainly see how some would consider it full-bodied). I was struck by the sweetness that this cigar displayed in the first half. Cafe au lait, semi-sweet chocolate, vanilla bean, and subtle leather notes were all apparent. However, when I got to the second half (and presumably second blend), that sweetness disappeared entirely. Here the cigar is a truly full-bodied smoke. It’s leathery, earthy, and heavy with significant “mouth feel.” In addition, there’s some charred notes and a subtle peppery spice on the retro-hale.

One of the four samples I smoked required a few touch-ups to counteract an uneven burn, but the construction was mostly maintenance-free. That’s impressive given the two separate blends. And while some have criticized the transition from the first blend to the second as too abrupt, I didn’t find that to be the case. I may have liked the profile of the first half better than the second, but the transition was smooth enough to make it a largely seamless and enjoyable smoke. That, combined with good construction and the successful execution of a unique concept, earns the Viaje Fifty Fifty Black Label No. 1 a 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

If you look online, you’ll find virtually zero information about Mataza, a new line from the Alec Bradley Cigar Company, maker of such cigars as Maxx, Prensado, and Tempus.

I say “virtually” because, for now, there’s only one website that talks about Mataza. It belongs to Hiland’s Cigars, a tobacconist in Scottsdale, Arizona, that carries a nice selection of smokes and takes orders over the web and phone. Scott Hiland tells me that Mataza was sent to his store first. The line is expected to soon become more widely available.

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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.”

This “Just For Retailers” cigar was created by the same people behind Casa Frenandez, who also produce (on contract for others) such lines as Illusione, Viaje, and Alec Bradley Tempus in their Honduran Raices Cubana factory. The Titan (6 x 60, $8) features a Connecticut wrapper around what we can only assume is Aganorsa Nicaraguan tobacco. The profile is of cream, cedar, and sweet graham notes, but hardly any spice. Not a bad smoke, but the JFR Connecticut isn’t as good as the other JFR blends (Corojo and Maduro).

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Like many cigar enthusiasts, I was enamored with the quality and value exhibited by the 777 Corojo when it was introduced in 2009 by Jesus Fuego. That cigar encouraged me to delve deeper into Fuego’s relatively young brand.

J. Fuego by the Miami-based Tabacos S.A. company, as it is called, was launched in 2006 with the help of the Plasencia family. Prior setting off on his own, Fuego had gained industry fame through his instrumental role in developing Rocky Patel’s Vintage ’90 and ’92 lines. Now, his own lineup of creations includes the Natural, Gran Reserva, Origen, Delirium, 777 Corojo, 777 Maduro, and 777 Zero blends.

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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.”

Caucus is exclusive to the DC-based Georgetown Tobacco shop. According to Georgetown’s website, its name was chosen to honor the efforts of Rocky Patel and others in the cigar industry who came to Washington to help reduce the SCHIP (State Childrens Health Insurance Program) tax hike, effectively limiting the tax from $3 to 40 cents per cigar. The Toro (6 x 50), fittingly made by Rocky Patel, sells for around $7 when bought by the box. It features a Sumatran oscuro wrapper, Nicaraguan habano binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua. It’s a medium- to full-bodied smoke with strong, sweet cedary notes with earth and pepper. With excellent construction, it’s well worth picking up the next time you’re at Georgetown Tobacco.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

If you haven’t heard of CroMagnon Cigars, you can be forgiven since this brand hasn’t been around long. You also probably aren’t on Twitter where brand owner Skip Martin, @ChiefHava/@HavaCigarShop/@CroMagnonCigar, has been Tweeting about it non-stop since earlier this year.

Martin owned the popular Hava Cigar shop in Galveston, Texas, until Hurricane Ike wiped out the store, and a lot of the rest of Galveston, in 2008. Now re-opened as an online storefront (at least for now), it features exclusively CroMagnon cigars and other cigars by Adrian’s Costa Rican (Martin’s co-creator on the CroMagnon).

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