The Stogie Guys

Awhile ago, we shared our invitation to the traveling debut of the newest Partagas cigar, the Benji Menendez Master Series Majestuoso. And even though there wasn’t an event in my area, I was able to obtain three samples for this review.

Born in Havana in 1936, Benji Menendez has a cigar pedigree that few can match. His grandfather, father, uncles, and great uncles were considered the royalty of the cigar business during the pre-revolution heyday of Cuban cigars, having developed world-class Cuban puros including Montecristo, H. Upmann, and Por Larrañaga.

Now with General Cigar, Menendez is celebrating 57 years in the business with a  new limited edition Partagas: the Benji Menendez Master Series Majestuoso, which comes only in a six inch by 46  ring gauge corona gorda.

The cigar features a dark, oily Cameroon wrapper wrapped around Connecticut  habano binder and filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It is solidly constructed, and a quick slice with my guillotine cutter reveals an effortless draw.

Once lit, the Benji Menendez Partagas Master Series Majestuoso reveals a medium-bodied combination of leather, licorice, and bread. It has a woody finish.

While the flavor profile doesn’t change a whole lot, a slight peppery finish develops in the second half and a hint of nutmeg also emerges. Despite the relatively small change in flavor, it is still a complex smoke with extraordinary balance.

Only 5,000 boxes of this special Partagas are being released. The Benji Menendez Partagas Master Series Majestuoso sells for around $10 each, a reasonable price for an excellent smoke that earns four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

So-called “health care reform” isn’t usually a topic for a cigar publication to tackle. But the more research one does on the proposal now being debated in the U.S. Senate, the more it becomes clear that it’s grossly unfair to smokers.

The leading proposal from Congress contains many changes to current law, but three aspects of the bill in combination create a system that will increase costs for smokers while subsidizing others that are guaranteed to cost more. This despite the fact that through the punitive SCHIP tax, smokers already pay more than their fair share of health care costs.

The bill would require every individual to buy insurance and simultaneously prohibit insurance companies from refusing to cover individuals. It also mandates that insurance companies can only use three characteristics (and only those characteristics) for charging higher premiums: tobacco use, age, and family composition.

For tobacco users, Congress empowers insurance companies to charge 50% more for insurance. Because smoking is one of a few areas where insurance companies are allowed to charge more, and since every individual must buy insurance, insurance companies will be encouraged to charge even lower-risk tobacco users like cigar smokers the full 50% increase.

Meanwhile, Congress would prohibit insurers from charging more for pre-existing conditions, who are unsurprisingly the most expensive people to insure. This means that those with illnesses like cancer, lung disease, throat cancer, or anything else—including those that may have been caused by smoking—cannot be charged more while smokers can be.

The irony (and absurdity) should be obvious: If you’re already sick from something caused by smoking, you pay less than smokers who likely only have a slight chance of getting the very same disease.

There are, of course, many other reasons for opposing a federal health care overhaul that smokers may or may not agree with. However, all smokers, particularly cigar smokers who will be forced to buy pricier insurance unwarranted by their relative risk ratios, should oppose (once again) being unfairly singled out by the government and forced to subsidize the health care of costs of non-smokers.

–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 relatively new addition to the Montecristo line features a matte, vein-free Mexican wrapper and notes of cinnamon, dry cocoa, and grass.  It’s tasty, medium-bodied, and balanced with a hint of woody spice. Construction on this square-pressed Robusto is excellent, too, with and even burn and sturdy ash.

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.”

I originally reviewed this Cuban Cohiba back in early 2008. While it was tasty and well-balanced, the Pirámides Edición Limitada 2006 was unworthy of its excessive cost. Today, after 20 months of aging in my humidor, this cigar still suffers from some construction problems. And the flavors of pepper, marshmallow, and dark chocolate aren’t as exciting as they should be to command a price of over $30.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Even though Tatuaje recently eclipsed the Fuente Opus X as the most in-demand cigar in America, for most smokers the Opus X needs no introduction. Made by Fuente in the Dominican Republic, this Dominican puro regularly sells for well over its suggested retail price.

Fortunately, I was able to find two of these cigars for $11 each at Holt’s in Philadelphia, but a quick spot check of internet sites shows this six and a quarter inch by 39 ring gauge smoke selling for $20-30 each. The short lancero is well-packed and features a torpedo head.

Like all Opus X cigars, the Petit Lancero has a Dominican rosado wrapper, grown specially on Fuente’s tobacco farm then cured in rum barrels prior to being rolled. Today there are many Dominican puros on the market (in part due to the success of Opus X), but when the Opus X was introduced in the mid-1990s the idea of using Dominican wrappers was pretty revolutionary.

Of the two cigars I sampled, one had a large soft spot that foreshadowed some serious burn issues. While very uncharacteristic of the various Opus X cigars I’ve smoked, this flaw created a horribly uneven burn that required numerous touch-ups just to remain smokable. Fortunately, the other sample had good construction with a deliberate draw and a sturdy ash.

The flavors of these cigars are classic Opus X: loads of leather, spicy pepper, and cedar. It’s not very balanced, or nuanced for that matter, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t enjoyable. The long finish is particularly nice, with sweet wood and a hint of pepper.

All in all, the petit lancero is much of what I’ve come to expect from Opus X. While it’s a bombshell of flavor, it doesn’t have the complexity of my favorite Opus X, the torpedo-shaped Perfecxion No. 2. So while the Arturo Fuente Opus X Petit Lancero loses a point for a lack of nuance and some uncharacteristic construction issues, it still earns an impressive four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Two entirely different cigars were introduced at this summer’s IPCPR Trade Show bearing the year 1961. One was the Frank Llaneza 1961 by Altadis, which commemorates the year the master blender began crafting cigars. And the other was the Rocky Patel 1961, which honors the year the cigar superstar was born.

Nothing but an odd coincidence. Names aside, the latter was one of three new blends launched by Rocky Patel in New Orleans this August (the other two being Patel Bros. and Corojo Especial). It is the first to be made at the Tabacalera Villa Cuba, Rocky’s newest factory in Nicaragua.

The Rocky Patel 1961 is built with Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, a Honduran binder, and reddish, oily habano-seed wrapper from Ecuador. It comes in four traditional sizes. Included are a Corona, Toro, Torpedo, and a five inch by 50 ring gauge Robusto that sells for approximately $6-8 apiece.

The first thing you notice about this cigar is its unique double band. The top half, displaying a tobacco plant with an intricate root system, spills over onto a maroon background band, making for a distinctive presentation.

Also distinctive is the 1961’s vigorous pre-light aroma. You don’t have to get your nose too close to the textured wrapper or the coarsely packed foot to get a heavy dose of cocoa, earth, and a bit of spice.

That spice is likewise evident on the lips for the cold taste, which pulls through smoothly despite the Robusto’s firm feel. Then, after establishing an even burn, the initial flavor takes on characteristics of black pepper, dry wood, and nutmeg. Powerful and full-bodied, to say the least.

I am thankful that, after a half inch or so, the profile starts to settle down, enabling more nuance and complexity to shine through. The new tastes include sweet candied nuts and cream—excellent compliments to the bolder base flavors. Everything stays on an even keel as long as you maintain a relaxed smoking pace.

Meanwhile, expect this Robusto’s combustion qualities to be superior to most other Rocky Patel blends. While I’ve consistently encountered the need to fix the burns on several of his lines, this one is better behaved. That adds a lot to the enjoyment of the 75-minute smoke.

So the 1961 Robusto is worthy of my recommendation, especially if you prefer big flavors. It may seem like Rocky comes out with something new every week, but don’t let this fall off your radar. It earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As I’ve written before, beer is often an under-appreciated beverage to pair with a fine cigar. And winter is a great time for beers that go well with cigars.

As the weather turns colder, a number of breweries release winter beers that have rich flavors that can stand up to the flavors of a fine smoke. Recently, I picked up a selection of such seasonal beers to see what cigars would pair well with each:

Anchor 2009 Christmas Ale — Since 1975, Anchor Steam has produced this coffee-colored seasonal ale. After an aroma of nutmeg and cinnamon, you find a spicy, malty beer with a tinge of spearmint. It’s not too heavy, so I’d suggest a medium-bodied smoke that’s nice and balanced like a Tatuaje Havana VI.

Winter Hook Winter Ale — Made for 25 years by Red Hook brewery in New Hampshire, this copper ale produces a small amount of head and a malty aroma. This beer, not as heavy as Anchor, has toasted wheat flavors and some floral elements. Go with a mild smoke with this one, like an Ashton Classic.

Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale — With a bright amber hue, this British winter ale has a nice head and a toffee and apple aroma. It’s balanced and lager-like with toffee, grass, and caramel flavors, and a clean, hoppy finish. I’d suggest pairing this beer with a Connecticut-wrapped cigar, like the CAO Gold or Fuente King T.

Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine — While not an ale like the rest, this Barleywine, released in late November by Dogfish Head, is a kick above the competition at 15% ABV. For such a bold brew, the nose is surprisingly tame with a hint of apple cider. On the palate, the beer is a syrupy combination of intense raisin, toffee, and apples. Being a barleywine, it can stand up to a more full-bodied cigar, like an Ashton VSG or a Davidoff Millenium Blend.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys