The Stogie Guys

If you thought of Avo as a predominantly mild brand, up until two years ago you’d be right. But recently Avo has taken on a more full-bodied edge, first with its 2009 and 2010 Limited Editions, and now with the Avo Heritage.

Introduced at the IPCPR Trade Show in August, the Avo Heritage is a four-size line with a Churchill (6.75 x 48), a Toro (6 x 50), a Short Robusto (4 x 56), and the Robusto (4.9 x 50) that is the subject of this review. Each costs $7-9 (this Robusto ran me $8 at a local Virginia shop).

The blend features Dominican binder and filler tobaccos with the same Ecuadorian sungrown wrapper that Avo featured in its 2009 “Compañero” Limited Edition. It is a dark, oily stick with a few prominent veins. A pre-light draw reveals musty notes and some spicy leather on the lips.

Once lit, the flavor is full-bodied with an intriguing mix of tastes. Leather, cinnamon, mustiness, peppery spice, cream, and cocoa are all evident.

Towards the final third, bready flavors are introduced as the peppery spice fades. What was once a full-bodied smoke loses a bit of its power but adds finesse as the profile takes on more rounded, balanced characteristics.

It’s very enjoyable smoke with commendable combustion qualities. Only one of my samples required a slight touch-up for an uneven burn. With an abundance of complexity, strength, and finesse, the AVO Heritage Robusto shines as one of the best new cigars of 2010 and earns an impressive 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

In 2008, Pete Johnson launched a limited release around Halloween called “The Frank.” It came in coffin-shaped boxes of 13 cigars. Only 13 tobacconists nationwide got to carry these rare, treasured cigars, each of which sold for $13.

Johnson followed up the blend’s success with two new monster-inspired cigars in 2009: “Drac,” a fang-shaped torpedo (6.75 x 52) with a red and black band around the foot, and “Boris,” a Churchill that was marketed as “Frank out of costume” (because of its non-green band). Both highly sought-after cigars sold out quickly and are now being hoarded by collectors.

This year’s monster release is called “The Face,” a Mexican-wrapped, chubby cigar that Johnson calls “real ugly.” The band will be made of tobacco, enabling customers to smoke the cigar all the way through. Only 666 boxes will be shipped for an October 13 delivery, then another 1,300 boxes of 10 will be available on the week of Halloween.

Before “The Face” becomes the talk of the town—and quickly sells out—I wanted to examine the Tatuaje Boris. This cigar measures seven inches long with a ring gauge of 49. It sports a rustic Ecuadorian Sumatra rosado wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos.

Prior to sampling the two Boris cigars I smoked for this review, I had read that they smell like mint candies. I would have to agree. The pre-light aroma of this oily, firm-feeling smoke reminds me of the Frango Mints that Marshall Field’s used to make in Chicago. That takes me back.

After toasting the foot and establishing an even light, the first thing I notice is the texture of the smoke, which is simultaneously creamy and dry. Flavors include herby spice, leather, roasted nuts, and a sweet baseline of subtle mint. Superbly balanced, the Boris has a unique profile you can get lost in as its mild flavor slowly intensifies to the medium-bodied spectrum.

The cigar’s excellent physical properties allow you to do so without interruption. The white ash is sandy yet solid, the draw is easy, and the burn is straight—exactly what you’d expect from a $13 smoke. My only complaint is that, on both of my samples, at least one re-light was required.

As it concludes, the Boris stands as a wonderful example of Pete Johnson’s immense talent. This Halloween release is barely shy of tremendous after only one year of aging. So count me as one of those Tatuaje fans who will snatch up “The Face” while it lasts. Meanwhile, this rare gem is worthy of four and a half 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.”

I received this Room 101 Conjura “Harsh! LTD” at the Twitter Brothers of the Leaf event held during the IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans. The slightly veiny rosado wrapper isn’t much to look at, but the box-pressed smoke is highly aromatic with strong barnyard notes. Once lit, the Conjura reveals a spicy blend with cinnamon and a creamy core. Meaty flavors are also prevalent, especially in the second half. This is a full-bodied smoke, but not with the knock-your-socks-off strength I thought I might be in for.

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.”

This small figurado (4.6 x 49) from La Gloria Cubana packs a lot of flavor into a short format. Although starting with an unpleasant ammonia-like taste, the Connecticut broadleaf-wrapped blend quickly transitions into flavors of dry cocoa and pepper spice. And the combustion qualities are a pleasure to observe as they unfold. This is an easy recommendation for only $4-6 apiece.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Last year, I elevated Cruzan Single Barrel to “regular” status in my rum rotation. It earned that spot due to its affordability, availability, and balanced, rounded taste.

I’ve never been disappointed by this high quality, complex spirit. So, when Cruzan announced they were expanding their light, dark, and flavored rum portfolio in July with a new spiced rum, my interest piqued. Called Cruzan 9, the blend is named for the nine spices which comprise its recipe: vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, mace, allspice, pepper, and juniper berry.

“Nine” also references St. Croix’s nine districts. The Cruzan name (pronounced kru-shun), after all, is derived from the island’s inhabitants—called “Crucians.” Cruzan began producing rum on St. Croix eight generations ago and, even though cane is no longer grown there, the island remains a naturally fitting locale for rum production.

“With its unique blend of nine all natural spices, Cruzan 9 is true to its heritage of premium craftsmanship, while confronting rum fans with a bolder, more dramatic spirit,” reads a press release from Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., Cruzan’s distributor. “Spiced rum is one of the fastest growing distilled spirits, yet consumers didn’t really have an option if they were looking for higher quality. The industry is full of gimmicks and pirates when it comes to spiced rum, but Cruzan 9 offers a ‘real’ rum experience.”

It does so inexpensively. At only $13-16 per 750 ml. bottle, Cruzan 9 is priced to compete with the likes of Captain Morgan. Slightly lighter in appearance than its competitor, it has a bright amber hue and a nose of muted vanilla and herbs.

The back of the bottle says this spirit is “perfect neat, on the rocks, or quintessentially Cruzan—over ice with cola and a squeeze of lime.” While I enjoy this rum, it, like many spiced rums, doesn’t quite have the subtlety or depth to be sipped neat or on the rocks. But its smooth taste of vanilla, dried fruits, and cinnamon does work well in a mixed cocktail, with ginger beer, or with Diet Coke.

And that’s probably what the good folks at Cruzan intended when they dreamed up this new offering—an approachable mixing spirit that will capture some of the spiced rum market. In that regard, they succeeded. Cruzan 9 is better than Captain Morgan and worth a try the next time you want to relax with a libation and a cigar.

–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.”

This Torpedo (6.5 x 55) features a dark sun grown Ecuadorian wrapper. Originally introduced in 1999, the Virgin Sun Grown, made by Fuente, is considered by many to be Ashton’s finest smoke. The well-constructed cigar features a complex combination of cocoa, pepper, earth, and roasted nuts. It’s a full-bodied and well-balanced, with flavors focused on the palate by the torpedo head. Construction is excellent, as I’ve come to expect from cigars made by Tabaclera A. Fuente y Cia.

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.”

After seeing my colleagues rave about the Gran Toro and Gran Corona versions of the new Guillermo León, I decided to try a Belicoso (6.25 x 52) for myself. I’m glad I did. This Ecuadorian-wrapped smoke boasts superb construction and a harmonious profile of milk chocolate, spice, earth, and syrup. It has a rare combination of body and balance, a testament to the intricacy of its recipe, which includes dual binders—one corojo and one Cameroon—and a four-country filler blend. Definitely one of the top new releases of 2010.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys