The Stogie Guys

With little fanfare, Ashton cigars released La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor at this year’s industry trade show in August. The five-vitola line is the third La Aroma de Cuba blend in Ashton’s portfolio.

La Aroma has undergone quite the transformation in the past few years when Ashton handed the brand over to Don Pepin Garcia. The original Honduran recipe (which was made by Altadis) was re-incarnated as a Nicaraguan blend with a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, and a new Edición Especial was added, featuring an Ecuadorian wrapper.

The new Mi Amor uses a dark Mexican San Andreas wrapper along with Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The box-pressed line sells for $150-$180 per box of 25, or $6-8 as a single. The  Robusto (5 x 50) costs a reasonable $5.

To introduce the new Mi Amor blend, Ashton is conducting a series of tastings at cigar shops. These events feature almonds, coconut, dark chocolate, and Zaya rum, which are tasted in progression to bring out the flavors of the cigar. I was fortunate enough to participate in such a tasting at a local shop and would definitely recommend the event as an excellent way to sample the Mi Amor while developing your palate.

Not surprisingly, many of the flavors featured in the tasting are found in the cigar. Most prominent are coffee and roasted earth. But there’s a also bit of dry bittersweet chocolate and a hint of nuttiness.

The Robusto creates plenty of dense smoke that leaves the cigar’s profile lingering on your palate. There’s not much variation in taste as the cigar progresses, although the roasted flavors seem to pick up towards the end.

The Mi Amor is solidly medium- to full-bodied throughout. Construction is excellent, with the box-pressed smoke burning evenly while producing a solid, stable ash.

Over a year ago, I remember hearing that Don Pepin Garcia was very excited about the wrappers being grown in the San Andreas region of Mexico. This new La Aroma is proof that that his excitement was well-founded. The resulting blend earns the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Robusto four stogies out of five.

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

–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 generosity of cigar smokers never ceases to amaze me. Just the other night a cigar buddy insisted on giving me the new cigar from the Tatuaje Monster Series, The Face, when I mentioned I hadn’t tried one yet.  The stick (6.6 x 56) has a rustic San Andreas wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos and, most notably, a “band” made of jaggedly cut Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper leaf.  The cigar starts with a tasty combination of chewy cashew, roast coffee, and clove. As it evolves, the medium-bodied start yields to a stronger finish, as spice and earth become more prominent. With excellent construction, this special Halloween release is a must try for all Tatuaje fans.

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.”

Introduced this summer along with the Signature blend, the four-vitola Sixth Generation line from Augusto Reyes sells in the $5.50 to $6.20 range. The Robusto (5 x 50) has a full-bodied profile of spicy wood with some caramel sweetness.  It’s decent if you’re looking for a bold smoke, but this cigar’s meaty aftertaste and troubled burn prevents it from earning my full recommendation.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In January, I was lucky enough to get a behind-the-scenes tour of what would become CXIII Rex, a luxurious new cigar lounge planned for Alexandria, Virginia. Construction was just getting underway as I surveyed the unique space in an 18th century building adjacent to the Landini Brothers restaurant.

Noe and Franco Landini, hosts of the restaurant and avid cigar fans, wanted to develop a benchmark cigar club with unique benefits and members-only offerings. Their restaurant had been a haven for Washington-area cigar smokers for 30 years. But when it became clear that Virginia lawmakers would pass a statewide smoking ban, they started to lay plans for a separately ventilated space that promised to be one of the finest cigar venues in the country.

They delivered on that promise. With construction complete and approximately 100 of the 200 membership slots claimed, on Wednesday I got a firsthand look at CXIII Rex as a functioning locale. I was a guest at a special event featuring Padrón Cigars President Jorge Padrón.

CXIII Rex is a multi-level club with a selection of top libations and small-batch wines, ample seating, wireless internet, a state-of-the-art air ventilation system, an access-only elevator, and an all-female wait staff.

The custom-built walk-in humidor is well-stocked by the Old Virginia Tobacco Company, a seven-location retailer with exclusive offerings.

Members are entitled to private humidor lockers, pictured above. When a member swipes his card along the wall, his individual locker opens. Very cool.

The club’s layout is built for privacy, comfort, and flow. While certain areas tend to attract crowds (i.e., the bar), others are more suited to quiet conversation.

At the event on Wednesday, those in attendance received a thick toro from the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series—a vitola exclusive to Old Virginia Tobacco.

Individual memberships, as you might expect from a club of this caliber, are expensive and going fast. But the club will also depend on the business of guests, who are welcome as long as they are accompanied by a member. I certainly hope I have the opportunity to be an invited guest again soon—maybe at the grand opening, which is slated for November.

–Patrick A

photo credits: Stogie Guys

If you’ve ever had a glass of Macallan, chances are you know it’s good scotch. I’ve been fortunate enough to try their 12 Year and 18 Year varieties over the years, and when put on the spot for my favorite single malt, the Macallan 18 is one of only two possible answers I’ll give (the other being the peaty Laphroaig 15).

Both the 12 and 18 Year are aged in sherry casks from Jerez, Spain—as was all Macallan scotch up until 2004. It was then that Macallan added “Fine Oak” as a new regular production range, aged in a combination of Jerez sherry casks, American sherry casks, and American bourbon casks.

The Fine Oak 17, as the name suggests, is aged a minimum of 17 years. It’s the fourth-oldest scotch in the Fine Oak range, which also has 10, 12, 15, 18, 21, 25, and 30-year-old varieties.

The nose on the Fine Oak 17 is very clean and vibrant with marshmallow, mango, and apricot. It’s a golden amber in color. On the palate the whisky reveals a smooth flavor, with muted oak, toffee, a touch of spice, and subtle wine notes that remind me of aged burgundy. The clean finish has a hint of dried fruit and substantial sherry notes.

There’s no denying that this is a fine single malt scotch; it’s clean, bright, and complex. And although I still prefer the sherry cask Macallan 18, it’s no surprise that the Fine Oak 17 sells for $130.

Like so many fine scotches, the Fine Oak 17 is the perfect accompaniment to a good cigar. I smoked a Padrón Serie 1926 Maduro No. 6 (pictured) and found that the noble medium- to full-bodied smoke brought out the complexity of the single malt. I wouldn’t want anything stronger though, as too much spice or body in the cigar would overpower the subtleties of the scotch.

Keep that in mind and you’d be hard pressed to find a better after-dinner scotch to enjoy with good company and a fine cigar.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Two weeks from today, voters will go to the polls to vote for everything from local school board and town dogcatcher to senator and governor. No one can credibly say that this election will be all about cigar rights or tobacco issues, but that doesn’t mean cigar smokers can’t use the opportunity to make their voices heard.

For those who doubt that elections matter, you might re-read our story from two years ago about Obama and McCain’s positions on key cigar issues. We predicted that under Obama the SCHIP tax and FDA regulation of tobacco would be signed into law, and that Obama would make some initial steps toward normalizing relations with Cuba—all of which came true.

So for cigar smokers worried about their rights going forward, here are three ways you can maximize your impact:

Research Your Candidates

Find out where your candidates stand on important issues like cigar taxes and smoking bans. The easiest way to predict how a politician will vote in the future is to see how they voted in the past. If a candidate hasn’t held office before or hasn’t made any votes on the issue, the next best indicators are public statements either in a news article or on a the candidate’s website.

Also, look to see who is supporting their campaign with contributions. If local restaurant associations support them, it’s probably a good sign that they’re against local smoking bans, while if a local anti-smoking group is saying good things about a candidate, it usually means they’ve pledged to support smoking restrictions. Finally, you can always call and ask a candidate’s position, but be aware that politicians are likely to tell potential voters what they think they want to hear, so take any answer you get with a grain of salt.

Focus Local

Focusing your attention on smaller races has many advantages. First, with the FDA bill and SCHIP tax having already passed Congress, most of the action is taking place on the state and local level where anti-tobacco activists are looking to expand smoking bans to restaurants, bars, and even outdoor locations. Second, in smaller races there are fewer voters, which means your vote and that of your fellow cigar smokers can have a large impact.

Invite your local candidates down to your cigar shop and ask them tough questions about their view of the role of government when it comes to smoking (and be sure the shop is particularly busy that day). They may be glad to get the chance to meet with groups of voters, but it will also remind them that anti-tobacco laws have victims, and that those victims vote.

Speak Up Now

Politicians are more responsive to their constituents in the run-up to Election Day. That makes now the best time to let all the candidates, whether friendly to cigar smokers or not, know that smoking bans and tobacco taxes are important to you. When key votes come, you want politicians to be forced to consider the consequences at the ballot box.

For years the anti-smoking lobby has been very vocal as they push for higher taxes, smoking bans, and other laws that take us closer and closer to complete prohibition of smoking. The key to reversing the trend is applying pressure in the other direction, so that politicians know that appeasing the anti-tobacco zealots will have consequences.

Groups like Cigar Rights of America can help with activities like their Smoke the Vote campaign. Ultimately, though, individual smokers need to make their voices heard so cigar smokers can become a meaningful consideration for candidates looking to get elected. Keep that in mind in the next two weeks, on Election Day, and every day thereafter.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

“The name Jesus (IhsouV) adds up to 888 in Hebrew numerology called Gematria. Each letter is assigned the corresponding number. ‘Necessary and Sufficient’ both describes the balance and profile of this cigar. It also represents to not go wanting, He is all I need, He is necessary and sufficient.”

That’s the explanation Illusione creator Dion Giolito gives on his website about the name of this Churchill-sized cigar. Each of the 12 vitolas in the original Illusione lineup have unique names—including cg4, 2, and hl—and each refers to either Giolito’s faith, a significant year in his life, or his favorite numbers at the craps table in his native Las Vegas.

The Illusione name itself is a nod to conspiracy culture. Whether you’re enchanted or annoyed by the mysterious nature of Illusione, odds are you’re a fan of the cigars themselves. I rarely hear such universal praise for a brand from tobacconists, reviewers, and cigar enthusiasts alike.

In a 2008 interview, Giolito told us he established Illusione to replicate the flavor of pre-Sandinista Nicaraguan cigars. “Nicaraguan tobacco has always had my attention from the beginning,” he said. “Joya de Nicaragua was, and still is, one of my favorite cigars, particularly the original blends.”

The Illusione 888 (6.75 x 48) is an oily, milk chocolate-colored beauty that is visually striking. It is dense yet easy to draw on with faint pre-light notes of cocoa.

After establishing an even burn, a task that takes hardly any effort, a flavor of dry earth, leather, and spice emerges. Creamier tastes of chocolate, marshmallow, and oak add depth in the second third. As the cigar progresses, it intensifies in spice and boldness, smoking more and more like the Nicaraguan puro that it is. All the while, though, the profile maintains a harmonious, complex balance that’s far from overbearing.

I smoked three 888s for this review, two of which exhibited poor burn lines that required a fair amount of maintenance. The third was just about perfect—on par with what I’ve come to expect from Illusione. Great burn, solid ash, and an effortless draw.

When this cigar is smoking properly it’s one of the finest full-bodied Churchills available for less than $10. I always seem to have a few in my humidor as they make excellent post-dinner companions on slow, relaxing nights. So, despite some constriction flaws, the Illusione 888’s outstanding flavor earns it four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys