The Stogie Guys

Not long ago I wrote: “When I think of summer I think of rum drinks. And when I think of rum drinks one of the first cocktails that comes to mind is a classic: Mount Gay Tonic.” Well, an equally classic summer rum drink that comes to mind is the Dark ‘n Stormy.

While no doubt made with a number of dark rums, there is no debate over the fact that the traditional Dark ‘n Stormy version uses Goslings Black Seal Rum. In fact, as the New York Times reported, Goslings trademarked the drink so only those made with Goslings can legally be called Dark ‘n Stormy.

The other key ingredient of the drink is ginger beer. (Anyone who tells you this is the same as ginger ale is woefully misguided.) The strong ginger taste of the ginger beer melds with the dark rum to create a fantastically flavorful concoction with a punch that is known as Burmuda’s national drink.

As for that ginger beer, there’s also some contention over that, too. For many, the classic Dank ‘n Stormy uses Barritts Ginger Beer, an original from Burmuda. However, Goslings recently released their own ginger beer, which is what I used for this Stogie Spirits article. (I’ve also heard it suggested that any Jamaican-style ginger beer will do.)

For the recipe, one part Goslings, two parts ginger beer works perfectly.  Simply serve over ice in a highball glass and garnish with a wedge of lime. For the truly adventurous, you can swap regular Goslings for the ultra-high proof Goslings 151, something I did a few times during my college days with varying results.

When it comes to pairing the Dark ‘n Stormy with a cigar, you’re going to need something with some spice to stand up to the zesty ginger flavors. Three smokes that come to mind are the Arganese CL3, La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami, and my top choice for a pairing, the Gran Habano #5 Corojo. I suspect a fine Cameroon-wrapped cigar like the Fuente Don Carlos No. 2 would also go well.

Drink a few Dark ‘n Stormies and you’ll be wondering why you’ve never visited Burmuda. After all, if a Dark ‘n Stormy in one hand and a fine cigar in another isn’t a slice of paradise, what is?

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Rolando Reyes Sr. embodies the very essence of perseverance. Born in Cuba in 1924, he made his dream of becoming a “tabacalero” true when, at age 21, he established his own cigar factory—only to have his “Los Aliados” trademark and properties seized by the communist government. Then, when he refused to work at the nationalized El Rey del Mundo factory, he was forced to labor in rice fields.

A lesser man might have given up. But Don Rolando moved to America to get his feet back on the ground, working in textiles by day and rolling cigars by night. By 1989, after overcoming a trademark setback, he had his own cigar operation again, this time with an office in Miami and a factory in Danlí, Honduras.

Today, Reyes Family Cigars turns out 75,000 sticks daily, including the popular Puros Indios and Cuba Aliados brand names. The latter was expanded this year with the three-vitola Miami Edition line. (A Sumatra-wrapped Miami version, which, according to Marketing Director Frank Santos, “is not commercially ready,” may be available soon.)

In what seems to be a growing trend among successful cigar operations, Cuba Aliados Miami brings former Cuban rollers to Miami to craft a premium, limited edition blend in small batches. Only 300 are made per day.

The Toro Viejo size (6 x 53) features a smooth and seamless Cuban-seed Nicaraguan Habano wrapper with a subtle red hue. The cap is perfect, the stick is firm from head to toe, and the pre-light notes of earth and sweet wood are delightful.

I was really looking forward to firing up my two samples, especially since this blend has been overwhelmingly embraced by the online cigar community over the past few months. Finally touching fire to the foot, the Dominican binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos combine to produce flavors of cedar, pepper, and leather. Cherry and cream round off the medium-bodied profile.

I don’t think the taste is particularly unique. What makes this blend stand out, however, is the way in which its classic flavors come together to yield simplicity yet subtlety. And newbies and brothers of the leaf alike will appreciate the balance. The only downside is an occasional bitterness that drifts in and out of the final third.

With good combustion qualities—including a moderate draw, a sturdy ash, and a maintenance-free burn—I’m glad Rolando Reyes Sr. didn’t let his life’s obstacles stand in the way of his dream. The Cuba Aliados Miami Habano Toro Viejo is a good buy in the $6-8 range and, keeping with the trend, it earns four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Alec Bradley Cigar Company, maker of such blends as the Tempus, Select Cabinet Reserve, and MAXX lines, have announced the release of the new Vice Press blend, presented in three box-pressed sizes: “6T4” (5 x 64), “6T2” (6.5 x 62), and “6T” (7 x 60 torpedo).

The 5-country blend includes Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Mexican long-fillers with a double binder consisting of Costa Rican and Colombian tobaccos. The wrapper is a deep brown and oily Nicaraguan Jalapa leaf.

While the Vice Press is being introduced as a new line, in some regards it is a spin-off of the popular MAXX line. In 2007, Alec Bradley added the box-pressed “Vice” size to its MAXX series. Originally it was presented in a chest of 50 cigars with sliding Spanish cedar trays, but the new three-size Vice Press line will come in multi-level chests of 20.

The company will officially debut the new Vice Press cigars in New Orleans at the annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) trade show in August.

Vice Press 6T2 Tasting Notes

While not yet officially released, I recently had the opportunity to sample a single Vice Press “6T2″—the six and a half inch by 62 ring gauge toro. Please keep in mind that what follows are just my impressions of a single cigar, not multiple sticks (all StogieGuys.com full reviews, unless otherwise stated, are the result of multiple tastings.)

The dark brown velvety wrapper has only a few small veins and features small streaks with black colorations. Sharply pressed, the toro is slightly spongy to the touch, but even throughout. Upon snipping the head, I found an easy draw. There is a delicious pre-light aroma of cedar and cinnamon.

Once lit,  I found lots of black coffee, hints of cocao, and some roasted nut flavors. It has a bit a depth in the medium- to full-bodied flavors, though the taste is consistent throughout. With the exception of a only a slightly uneven burn, construction was flawless.

Overall, the Vice Press is a promising new addition to Alec Bradley’s portfolio that will be enjoyed by fans of its MAXX lines, as well as by those who prefer cigars with lots of coffee and chocolate flavors.  Similar cigars include the CAO Brazilia, Padrón Maduro, and Isla de Cuba Blend 376. I look forward to publishing a full review following the IPCPR trade show.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

This Altadis creation features top-notch physical properties at an affordable price. Sadly, with an abrasive, one-dimensional flavor, that’s about all this Belicoso (6.1 x 52) has to offer. The Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian tobaccos taste too salty and burn too quickly to be enjoyable. You’re better off spending $3-5 elsewhere.

Verdict = Sell.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It’s been happening a lot recently. So much so that I thought it appropriate to write this and get it all out in the open. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m speaking about the fact that our cigar ratings—particularly those published over the last month—have been climbing like grade inflation at an Ivy League school.

Yesterday’s review of an Opus X Perfecxion No.2 was no exception. Including the Tesa Vintage Especial Rothchild and the Montecristo Sublime Edición Limitada 2008, it was the third stick to receive our highest rating in the last five weeks. This may not sound like cause for concern, but consider that only 21 cigars have earned the “five stogies out of five” distinction since we started publishing reviews.

Those three exceptional cigars aside, we’ve also recently given high marks to the Casa Magna Colorado Torito, Nub Habano 464 Torpedo, Tatuaje L’esprit de La Verite, and both Nestor Miranda 20 Aniversario blends. All of these scored better than our average rating (about 3.5/5 when you calculate the mean of our library of almost 300 reviews). So what’s the deal?

In anticipation of any concerns, no, we haven’t changed our methods. We’re still relying on our tried and true—albeit unique—ratings system, and we’re still smoking multiple samples of each cigar before we publish a full review (unless we specify otherwise).

I’d also like to reiterate that ads or samples from manufacturers in no way influence our decisions. We’ve worked hard to earn your trust over the years; believe me when I say that we have much more to lose by being dishonest than we have to gain.

The recent upward trend of ratings can best be explained in this way: We’ve simply been choosing a lot of fantastic cigars to smoke, read, and write about. Heck, even though we can’t let preconceived notions impact our ratings, it’s much more fun to fire up that highly anticipated new release than it is to sift through value smokes to try and find a diamond in the rough.

We understand we must do both, however, if we are to provide our readers with the most comprehensive coverage of the world of cigars. Rest assured that we haven’t abandoned our goal of identifying undervalued and under-priced gems. Be it the timing of new releases or be it coincidence, we’ve just been picking a lot of winners lately. Hopefully you’ve been doing the same.

One final note: I realize some of you don’t buy into numerical ratings altogether. I can dig that. That’s why my colleagues and I spend so much time and text discussing our impressions of a cigar and so little time and text describing how we derived its score. Consider the rating a mere guide—more of a means to evaluate cigars relative to one another than an ultimate judgment.

After all, remember that the best cigar in the world is the cigar you like the best.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

No non-Cuban cigar is surrounded by more mystique and hype than the Opus X by Arturo Fuente. Indeed, it’s legend stands with some of the biggest names from the forbidden island nation and, even though Fuente imports three-quarters of a million Opus X’s into the U.S. every year, the Opus is nearly as difficult to find as illegal Cubans.

The Opus X legend starts with its unique Cuban-seed rosado wrapper. When first planted on the Fuente estate in 1992, it was an daring experiment to see if premium wrapper could be grown in the Dominican Republic.

The Opus X line uses 100% Dominican tobacco (wrapper, binder, and filler), is cured in rum barrels prior to being rolled, then aged for at least a year before being boxed and shipped. Today, largely due to the success of the Opus X, there are a number of other Dominican puros on the market.

The Perfecxion No. 2 measures 6 and 3/8 inches with a ring gauge of 52.  The rosado wrapper is reddish brown with a slight sheen. The torpedo-shaped stick is extremely solid and firm.

Pre-light, it leaves a leathery flavor in your mouth with a bit of raisin. Despite its rock-solid construction, the draw is deliberate but not too difficult.

Upon lighting, it starts out medium-bodied then quickly evolves. Only one inch in, it turns into a full-bodied flavor bomb. Leather, sweet cedar, and pepper dominate while underlying raisin, cocoa, and earth round out the taste.

It all makes for a balanced, intense smoke, while the torpedo shape focuses the flavors on the palate just right. A sturdy ash and a relatively even burn round out the above average physical properties.

That brings me to one of the biggest questions about the Opus X: price. The suggested retail price for the Opus X Perfecxion No.2  is just $14, but you’re more likely to pay twice that much due to sky-high demand. (Occasionally you’ll find a place that sells the Opus X for around $14, but don’t expect them to last long on the shelf.)

Ultimately, no matter what price you pay, you get a fantastic smoke that lives up to the hype. That’s why it’s easy to give the Opus X Perfecxion No.2 our highest rating of five of stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five stogie-rated cigars can be found here.]

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I recently spent four days in Las Vegas and I’ve come to this conclusion: Something about smoking makes many normally considerate people extremely rude.  As cigar smokers have gotten more and more considerate when they light up, some non-smokers have decided to throw good manners out the door.

I realize that smoking isn’t as accepted as it once was, and I do my best to be considerate of those who may not appreciate the fantastic aroma of premium tobacco.  Nowadays, when I’m somewhere that smoking isn’t to be expected, I usually ask around to make sure smoking doesn’t bother anyone. “Mind if I smoke?” is a question that cigar enthusiats are accustomed to asking these days before lighting up.

Too bad smokers’ increasingly courteous behavior isn’t being returned by all non-smokers. As my trip to Vegas revealed, rudeness towards smokers seems to have become acceptable.

Repeatedly, I found people complaining out loud, pretending I couldn’t hear their complaints.  This was apparent even where smoking is the norm, on the  vice-filled casino floor—one of the few “public” places left to light up a cigar in this country—and often when I had been smoking well before the obnoxious complainer had arrived.

For some unfortunate reason, rudeness towards smokers has become acceptable, even as our our culture has become more and more tolerant of other differences and personal choices. Tolerance and even basic manners, it seems, goes out the window when tobacco is involved.

Maybe it’s all that propaganda about smoking that floods our televisions, radios, and newspapers. People have been told that one second of tobacco smoke will instantly put them in the hospital.  This despite the fact that it takes years, if not decades, of “second-hand smoke” before any statistically meaningful increase in risk takes place.

Add to that all the hyped-up fear and law after law—be it a smoking ban, a paternalistic regulation, or a punitive tax hike—that treats smokers like second-class citizens, and we’ve got society where bigotry against smokers is acceptable. (A “bigot,” after all, is defined as “a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially: one who regards or treats the members of a group with hatred and intolerance.”)

While cause and effect are hard to determine, no matter what the reason, it seems we have turned a corner as a society. Smoking, once accepted as a personal choice that adults can make for themselves, has unfortunately become a subject where prejudice and narrow-mindedness are increasingly accepted.

Bad manners may be the result now, but if history is any indicator, as prejudice and bigotry become more widespread, this anti-smoking mindset will become increasingly entrenched and institutionalized in our laws and culture. It’s not a pleasant conclusion, but the sooner we realize and accept it, the better chance we have of stopping it.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Amazon.com