The Stogie Guys

In 1998, Hurricane Georges swept through the Dominican Republic. In its wake it left 380 casualties and over $1 billion in damages. The hardest-hit areas included those involved in crop production—including, of course, tobacco.

Not long after the hurricane, Arturo Fuente experienced a predictable and critical shortage of its prized Fuente Opus X sun-grown wrapper leaf. Instead of postponing production until more wrapper was ready, the Fuentes wrapped the Opus X cigars in a dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that had been aged in cognac barrels. With that, the Añejo line was born.

When most people think Añejo, they’ll likely conjure images of the No. 77 vitola—more commonly known as The Shark. This unique format is best described as a tapered pyramid that morphs from a round head to a sharply box-pressed foot.

I didn’t find The Shark at my local shop; it’s rare, so that isn’t surprising. But I did find a box in the No. 55 size, which is a torpedo measuring 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 55. I bought a couple for this review. Not including crazy Illinois taxes, they cost me $15.25 apiece.

In my book, that price tag makes the Añejo No. 55 a super-premium. Expectations are elevated. Fortunately, the cigar comes dressed to impress. In addition to its toothy, rustic wrapper leaf and regal band of red, gold, and white, the bottom two-thirds is embraced by a cedar sleeve and a red foot ribbon.

I used a double-guillotine and found a smooth cold draw. After putting the cedar sleeve to work lighting the foot, pre-light notes of earth, chocolate, and (yes) cognac transition to a medium-bodied profile of cocoa, black coffee, dried fruit, and white pepper. There is body, but the smoothness validates the message on the cellophane that this cigar is “Xtra Aged.”

At the midway point and beyond, the body and spice intensify—though perhaps not to the degree some might expect, especially those who spend a lot of time with Nicaraguan cigars. The white pepper becomes black peppercorn. The black coffee becomes espresso. Dried fruit (think raisin, apricot, fig) and cocoa remain core to the profile.

I never had to go back and adjust the burn in any way after setting an even light with the cedar sleeve. The other physical properties are also exemplary (and appropriate for a cigar of this cost). The white ash holds well off the foot. The smoke production is voluminous. And the draw is clear throughout.

Perhaps, like me, it has been a long time since you fired up an Añejo from Arturo Fuente. Might I recommend you reacquaint yourself? The No. 55 is another stellar smoke from the world’s great tobacco family. It earns a fantastic rating 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

A couple times each week 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 Illusione Epernay La Petite is a great winter cigar when time is short. The petite corona-sized (4.5 x 44) Nicaraguan puro features a Corojo ’99 Rosado wrapper and Corojo and Criollo filler. The cigar produces an exquisitely balanced combination of coffee, wood, and creamy notes in the mild to medium range. Construction is excellent. Shop around and you can find it for about $5 per cigar (in a box of 50). It’s an excellent cigar at a great value.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week 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 found this smoke in the corner of one of my humidors, and there’s no telling how long it hid there unnoticed. Perhaps since 2008, the year this blend was introduced as a fuller-bodied version of the original Excalibur line. Setting fire to the Connecticut-wrapped Legend yields a tasty, well-built cigar that goes well with sipping rum. The Conqueror’s (6.25 x 54) profile of seared steak, black pepper, and woody spice pairs perfectly with a sweet spirit, and its superior combustion properties only add to the enjoyment. Expect a 120-minute smoke that’s more complex than your average bold cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Ahead of both bourbon or rye, you could make the argument that apple brandy is the original American spirit. It turns out Johnny Appleseed, whose story you likely heard in grade school, was planting apples that were likely good for little except turning into apple cider, brandy or applejack (which is created by mixing brandy-neutral grain spirits).

But apple brandy was hardly an American invention. For at least 400 years, the Normandy region of has been distilling apples (sometimes along with pears) into calvados brandy. Today I’m tasting two calvados brandies, both aged for at least 15 years.

Menorval XO Tres Vieux Calvados

Details: Aged more than 15 years in oak casks. Bottled at 40% ABV. $41 per bottle.

Nose: Pear, baking spices, and brown sugar.

Palate: Honey, walnut, brioche, and leather.

Finish: Soft and long with pie crust, leather, and oak.

Calvados Morin Hors d’Age 15 Years

Details: Aged in 200-year-old casks for 15 year calvados, this one bottled at 42% ABV. $55 per bottle.

Nose: Fresh tart apple, tannins, and oak.

Palate: Floral notes with clove, sandlewood, citrus, and sherry.

Finish: Oak, sour apple, and spice.

Both of these brandies showcase why I’ve become a fan of of calvados. While very different, each showcases both the fruit and wood from age. The Morin is more full-bodied and fruit-forward, while the Menorval is more restrained with softer fruit flavors and more wood influence.

I’m not sure either calvados could stand up to a full-bodied cigar without being overpowered, but a well-balanced medium-bodied cigar is an excellent pairing. Recommended cigars include the Illusione Rothchildes CT, Paul Garmirian Reserva Exclusiva, Tatuaje Black, and Davidoff Colorado Claro.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

With an incredibly oily wrapper, the Double Ligero Especiales has been a hidden gem in the La Flor Dominicana portfolio for years. The cigar (7 x 48) features a sun-grown Ecuadorian Oscuro wrapper with a pigtail cap around Dominican binder and filler. The pre-light notes are rich with toasted oak and dried fruit. Once lit, I find graphite, wood, unsweetened chocolate, and earth. It’s medium- to full-bodied with lots going on. A classic, powerful, Dominican filler-driven blend, the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Churchill Especiales Oscuro is worth revisiting.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Every two years, a flurry of new bills are introduced in Congress and, as has been the case every two years since 2011, a bill was again introduced in the Senate to protect handmade cigars from damaging Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations.

Senate Bill 9, the “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019,” was introduced January 3, 2019, by Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Five Senators signed on as original co-sponsors: Cory Gardner (R-CO), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Joni Ernst (R-IA).

In the previous Congress, Florida Senator Bill Nelson introduced the legislation, while longtime-supporter Rubio had been an original co-sponsor who supported the bill from its initial introduction. The change takes place after Nelson, a Democrat, was defeated in November by then Republican Governor Rick Scott.

Although Scott is not one of the original co-sponsors, as governor he did send a letter to the FDA Commissioner opposing FDA regulation of handmade cigars. A later report claimed Scott personally lobbied Vice President Mike Pence about the issue of how FDA regulations would be applied to cigars already on the market. The discussion was revealed in a report that noted that Swisher, which now owns Drew Estate, had made significant contributions to Scott’s campaign.

Other past supporters who were defeated in November include Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN), though many others were re-elected. Cigar industry groups will now have to build support for the legislation in both the Senate and House.

According to Congress.gov, a companion House bill has not yet been introduced to protect handmade cigars from the FDA. Florida Republican Bill Posey, who easily won re-election in November, has traditionally introduced that bill.

Despite the House changing hands in the 2018 elections, most previous supporters of the bill survived re-election. The cigar industry did lose some champions, including Florida Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who retired after being a longtime advocate for cigar rights.

Trump-appointed FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb was initially seen by many as a positive change when it came to FDA policies towards cigars compared to the Obama FDA. However, despite delaying the implementation of some cigar regulations, some experts worry his subsequent actions are step towards a stealth ban on tobacco products, including cigars.

–Patrick S

photo credits: Stogie Guys

I can’t help it. When I think “Diesel,” I think “catalog cigar.” Back when I was single living in an apartment in Northern Virginia, I can remember leafing through thick catalogs mailed to me by Cigars International, each page making its case for whatever disposable income I had (which wasn’t very much at all). I spent many hours longingly studying the photos and descriptions of all the tasty treats. To me, those catalogs were “cigar porn” long before the phrase became a hashtag on social media.

I must have seen enough ads for Diesel because, on more than one occasion, I ponied up for some Unholy Cocktails. “Some liken a fine cigar to a harmonious symphony,” I wrote of the Unholy Cocktail in 2010. “To me, [it’s] more like a ZZ Top song—unpolished, familiar, simplistic, repetitious, and somewhat heavy. But it’s also catchy. And the price rocks. Boxes of 30 sell for just under $100, rendering the Unholy Cocktail a smart buy if you’re looking for a cheap full-bodied torpedo.”

Diesel debuted as an exclusive to Cigars International and Cigar.com in 2009. That makes 2019 the tenth anniversary of the brand. And everyone knows no industry loves its anniversaries more than the cigar industry; no milestone is wasted without a commemorative cigar.

In keeping with tradition, master cigar maker A.J. Fernandez recently added the Diesel d. 10th to the Diesel portfolio—which, over the years, has expanded to include Diesel Unlimited, Unlimited Maduro, Whiskey Row, Rage, Uncut, Delirium S.E., and Wicked. The three-vitola d. 10th is offered in a Short Robusto (4.5 x 52), Torpedo (6 x 54), and Robusto (5.5 x 52).

The latter retails for $115 for a box of 20, or $45 for a 5-pack. Those friendly prices are in keeping with the Diesel value proposition, just like the assurance of a full-bodied experience is in keeping with the Diesel reputation. “100% full-bodied, 100% full-flavored, and 100% Diesel,” reads the copy at Cigars International.

The d. 10th recipe calls for an Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. The Robusto is, put simply, menacing. It’s toothy, firm, rustic, and black. At the foot, I find pre-light notes reminiscent of cocoa and green raisin. The cold draw is clear.

This is not one of those cigars that eases in to its strength. The Robusto is full-flavored from the get-go with tastes ranging from black pepper, espresso, cedar, oak, and a bit of cayenne heat on the lips. Smoking through the nose serves to amplify the intensity and bring out a few additional sensations, including roasted cashew, char, and natural tobacco sweetness.

Just as I’m about to write off the d. 10th as too much power for power’s sake, it backs off the accelerator around the one-third mark. Here, the notes of cashew become more pronounced, and the creaminess comes through more clearly. Even so, I would characterize the body as on the high end of medium, verging on full. It remains this way until the final third, which is characterized by a reprise of power, power, and more power.

I burned my way through a five-pack for this review. Each Robusto exhibited exemplary construction, including a straight burn line that requires zero touch-ups along the way, a solid gray ash, clear draw, and voluminous smoke production.

Anyone who has been following the Diesel brand won’t be surprised to hear the d. 10th is powerful and cost-effective. It packs a lot of punch for your dollar. It’s also not going to wow anyone with its complexity or nuance. In my book, that earns a score 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