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.”

The Excalibur Dark Knight No. 1 (5.75 x 54) features a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper around Dominican filler tobaccos, several prominent veins, and a rough texture. It displays a nice balance between sweet and salty notes with predominant flavors of chocolate, espresso, cedar, and cashew. The Dark Knight kept my interest for a full two hours. At $6.50 apiece, it’s a solid buy.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It’s so predictable it’s almost inevitable: After a few years of sustained success, cigar makers begin introducing limited edition cigars, usually annual releases. Dion Giolito’s Illusione brand is no exception.

But I’m not complaining. As I’ve written before, limited edition smokes can be the great because cigar makers need not worry about a long-term tobacco supply. Instead, small batches of top quality tobacco can be turned into a limited run.

Singulare will be an annual release from Illusione and the toro-sized (6 x 50) 2010 “Phantom” was the first such annual edition.  At the 2010 IPCPR Trade Show last August, Dion Giolito told us his plan was a different blend and size every year.

The Nicaraguan puro comes in boxes of 15 and sells for around $12 a stick. Being a limited run cigar, only 1,000 boxes were made. Before writing up this review, I smoked my way through most of a box that I was able to pick up for $150.

The Phantom features a velvety brown wrapper with a nice bit of sheen. Pre-light, the it imparts a tannic flavor on the lips.

Despite being a Nicaraguan puro, there’s much of that Nicaraguan zing. Instead, I got plenty of honey and graham cracker. A complex flavor profile, there’s also a touch of cedary spice, an earthy sweetness, and a certain chewiness that’s hard to pinpoint.

As the cigar evolves it becomes more medium- to full-bodied, yet the finish becomes shorter. Dion told us the Phantom was “the mildest cigar that he makes,” but I didn’t find that to be the case.

While the Singulare 2010 has many similarities to the Epernay (a medium-bodied smoke that I would classify as Illusione’s “mildest” smoke), I found a tanic edge to the Phantom that the Epernay lacked. More Burgundy subtlety than Bordeaux boldness, the excellence in this limited smoke comes out only when you focus on the complexities.

Those complexities have made the Phantom a staple in my humidor, at least until the 1,000-box run is exhausted. And it doesn’t hurt that at $12 each, it’s reasonably priced compared to many other limited smokes. That combination earns the Illusione Singulare 2010 Phantom LE 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

It’s hard to imagine a part of the country where the Fuentes are held in higher regard than they are around Tampa. You’ll find a wide array of their cigars in just about every shop on both sides of the bay.

Cigar enthusiasts speak of meeting the father or son at their Tampa Sweethearts shop in Ybor City with a tone you might expect from a golfer who went to play at a Jack Nicklaus course and found himself in a foursome with the Golden Bear. From the little contact I’ve been lucky to have with the Fuente family and employees, they well deserve the adulation.

Of course, they make some great cigars. Here at StogieGuys.com, it’s obvious that we’re quite taken with them. By my count, we have done full reviews on 18 Fuente cigars to date, from Curly Heads to Opus, as well as quite a few Quick Smokes and other mentions. I’ve personally written more than once about how much I enjoy the Double Chateau Sun Grown.

Recently, I have been smoking its sibling, the natural Double Chateau with the distinctive green band at the foot. Like all of the sticks in this line, they are encased in a thin cedar sleeve, which can do double duty as a spill in lighting your cigar. At 6.75 inches long with a ring gauge of 50, natural Double Chateaus are generally available for around $6-7 apiece.

What you get for your money is an hour or more of pure pleasure. From the first view of the lovely blonde Connecticut wrapper to the final deposit in the ashtray, the Double Fuente is a medium-strength marvel. It also has the common characteristics of Fuente’s premium cigars: smooth, creamy smoke; blending that leaves no trace of harshness; attention to detail in presentation and construction; and an excellent burn. It’s the sort of smoke you can linger over, picking out flavors as you go along, or simply sit back and enjoy.

It is, I suppose, a testament to how our tastes change. While I’ve smoked these off and on for years, it’s only lately that I feel I have come to really appreciate how good they are.

Not all of us are able to afford some of Fuente’s high-dollar specials and rarities. But that doesn’t meanwe’re precluded from enjoying great Fuente cigars. Just light up any stick in this line. I rate the natural Double Chateau four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

[Editors’ Note: In celebration of the five-year anniversary of StogieGuys.com, we’re updating and re-publishing some of our oldest articles, many of which focused on cigar basics. Our hope is to encourage a discussion among readers and reacquaint the community with important cigar fundamentals.]

While enjoying a fine cigar is certainly more of an art than a science, there a few essential skills you should master in order to get the most out of the experience. What better place to start than with a good, clean cut?

It’s worth pointing out that, when it comes to cigar cutting, there are many different tools. Some people use specially-crafted cigar scissors, some use a sharp knife, a cigar punch, a V-cutter—some even use their teeth. But the most common tool is the guillotine-style cigar cutter.

We recommend the guillotine cutter for most cigar smokers because knives and teeth usually don’t yield clean cuts. Cigar scissors are nice tools if you know how to use them (they require precision, practice, and a keen eye). And cigar punches and V-cutters, while perfect for some cigars (use punches on stogies with tightly-packed fillers to ease the draw and V-cutters on cigars with small ring gauges to increase surface area), are not always the best choice.

In order to use the guillotine cutter, take the head of the cigar and position it so the blade will enter the stogie just above the shoulder (where parejo cigars stop being round). If you’re planning to smoke a torpedo or a pyramid, a good rule of thumb is to slice off about a quarter inch.

No matter what the cigar size, though, keep in mind that it’s better to error on the side of cutting too little. You can always go back and carefully re-cut if the cold draw is too tight. But if you cut too much, there’s no going back.

With the guillotine in place, press down firmly until the blade completely passes through the cigar. If the blade is sharp and the stogie is in good condition, you will get a nice clean cut. You may want to invest in a double-guillotine cutter (that’s a guillotine with two blades instead of one) to ensure even cleaner cuts.

Finally, for a cigar that typically exhibits a tight draw, try cutting the head at a slight angle instead of straight up and down. Angled cuts will increase the surface area of the exposed filler and thereby make it a little easier to pull through.

–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.”

A few years ago, these Serie B cigars were easily found online for around $4. That’s not much to pay considering the blend supposedly contains pre-embargo Cuban tobacco that was “found” in excellent condition in a warehouse. That story isn’t east to believe, but if the cigar is good who really cares, right? The attractive smoke is surrounded by a notably dark wrapper and it has excellent combustion qualities, including a solid white ash. The flavors are relatively simplistic with charred oak  and earth dominating the medium-bodied profile. A few  bursts of bitter notes also surface. It’s not going to blow you away, but between the good story and the reasonable price, I can’t really complain.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When the man who made La Gloria Cubana a household name started his new family-run company in 2009, few “cigar people” I spoke with at the time doubted that he would be successful in his new venture. That Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, the passionate tobacco man and “mad genius” (as one industry insider described him to me), has another hit cigar is no surprise to anyone.

But few would have predicted Carrillo would produce not one or even two, but a handful of well-regarded cigars., in just two short years. Yet when you look at his many cigars (Edición Inaugural 2009, 2010 Short Run, Core Line, Edición Inaugural 2010, and Elencos) the Carrillos seem to have had the magic touch since day one.

With such an impressive line of hits, the occasional miss is to be expected. And so I tried a few samples of the new E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut, which is hitting shelves this month. E.P. Carrillo’s first Connecticut cigar features an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The pale wrapper is veiny but the cigar is firm in the hand.

I sampled the Divinos size (6 x 52), which sells for $6.25. New Wave Connecticut also comes in a Robusto (5 x 50, $5.25), Corona (5.1 x 42,  $4.50), and a Double Corona (7 x 49, $7.00).

The Divinos starts off with with a delicious velvety richness. It’s a creamy smoke with lots of roasted cashew and buttery flavors. Quickly dispensing the “Connecticut wrapper equals mild” myth, the medium-bodied smoke has a lot going on with cedar, earth, and graham cracker notes underlying the dominant nut and cream flavors. It has a density of flavor not often found in Connecticut-wrapped cigars.

The cigar is well-constructed with an even burn, easy draw, and a sturdy salt and pepper ash. The Divinos doesn’t change much from start to finish, but there’s enough depth and complexity in the blend to keep you more than interested.

And that’s what will make the New Wave Connecticut yet another hit for the Carrillos, instead of the dud that they seem to be due for. It’s a Connecticut-wrapped cigar that even those who don’t usually enjoy Connecticut-wrapped cigars will enjoy. That’s why the E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Divinos earns 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

La Floridita is a Famous Smoke Shop exclusive that, according to a company representative, “has been performing very well for us. The name is well recognized by our customers as an outstanding value for their money.”

Given the success of the established La Floridita lines, including the Fuerte (Habano viso wrapper) and the Limited Edition (mata fina wrapper), it was a “logical line extension” to release a version with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. Hence La Floridita Gold, which was introduced in March.

This blend comes complete with a Honduran binder and long-filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras. Like its brethren, it’s made by Nestor Plasencia and priced to move.

The Robusto (5 x 50), one of three traditional sizes, sells for $80 for a box of 20, $16 for a 5-pack, or $5.25 for a single.

This cigar doesn’t come at a super-premium price, and it certainly doesn’t make a super-premium first impression. But it also doesn’t look half bad, either. The exterior leaf has moderate oils and minimal veins, the feel is firm from head to foot, and the pre-light aroma is of honey and almond.

Once lit, the initial flavor is somewhat grassy with a base of cream, cashew, hay, and vanilla. The overall effect is mild with a taste akin to coffee with hazelnut creamer. While not complex, the profile is nice for the price.

If I were one to complain, I’d say the Gold Robusto tastes a bit green at this point. I’d be interested to see how it develops after a few months, or even after a year. Even so, today it tastes pretty good for such an inexpensive smoke.

That value is further illustrated by the combustion qualities, which are exceptional. The burn line is straight as they come, the white ash holds sturdily off the foot, and the draw is just about perfect. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Plasencia.

In full disclosure, Famous Smoke Shop did furnish the five Robustos I smoked for this review. But I always judge a cigar on its merits—presentation, aroma, flavor, complexity, construction, etc. In this case, the merits of the La Floridita Gold earn it a rating 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