The Stogie Guys

“Damn right your dad drank it.” That’s the on-the-mark tagline of Canadian Club whiskey, a spirit everyone’s heard of but seemingly few under 40 have tried.

Before this review I had tried the original Canadian Club, a six year whiskey, but not its more mature sibling, the Canadian Club Classic 12 Year Old. This whiskey is aged 12 years in re-charred oak barrels and created with corn and rye, combined with rye malt and barley malt.

The resulting spirit has a vibrant orange-bronze color. On the nose the Canadian Club Classic is soft with a creamy sherry aroma reminiscent of eggnog.

When I got down to tasting, I found a smooth body with cream, vanilla, bread, and oak. It reminded me of some of my favorite American ryes—not surprising considering that Canadian whiskey is traditionally made with a high percentage of rye. In addition, there is a subtle woody spice and the finish is dry and smooth.

With it’s vanilla, cream, and woody flavors, there is plenty to pair up with a fine cigar. I’d recommend the Arganese Edición Especial 2008,  Isla de Cuba Classic, EO Cubao, Oliva Series G, or Romeo y Julieta Vintage, all which have prominent cream or cedar notes. If you’re enjoying this whiskey in Canada, or some other country where Cuban cigars are widely available, I’d suggest a lesser known Cuban smoke: the Por Larrañaga Panatela.

All in all, I was quite impressed with the Canadian Club Classic. Canadian whiskey is often overshadowed by the fine bourbon and scotch being produced, but this representation shows that Candian whiskey can also be a great sipping spirit.

Given that a bottle is a reasonable $25, it won’t be devastating if someone uses it to make a cocktail. In fact, I bet the Canadian Club Classic 12 Year Old would make an excellent Manhattan. Personally, though, I’d take it neat.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A $1-per-ounce tax on cigars has passed the Florida State Senate, but only after an amendment was added that would lessen the damage to the Sunshine State’s historic cigar industry. That amendment exempts cigars produced in Florida that are shipped out of state from the tax.

Padilla, Don Pepin Garcia, Tatuaje, J.C. Newman, and La Gloria Cubana are just some of Florida’s many cigar producers. Tampa’s Ybor City and Miami’s Little Havana have longstanding historic ties to the cigar industry, and both are the centers of cigar culture in the United States.

According to Jeff Borysiewicz, owner of the Florida-based Corona Cigar Company and board member for Cigar Rights of America, the hike will result in a 50 cent to $1 per cigar increase on the retail price of cigars, on top of a similar increase already in effect due to the recent federal SCHIP tobacco tax increase.

The amendment is considered a partial victory since it will exempt the estimated 85% of Florida-made premium cigars that are shipped out of state. However, after just being hit by the SCHIP tax, that percentage is little solace to Florida-based retailers who, if the Senate tax becomes law, will have raised the price of many cigars by over one dollar in just a few months.

Last week, cigar smokers took to the streets as part of protest organized by Cigar Rights of America. Over one hundred protesters showed up to demonstrate their opposition to tobacco taxes and warn of the devastating impact that more tax hikes could have. One Florida state senator predicted as many as 10,000 jobs would be affected by an increased cigar tax.

Fortunately for the Florida cigar industry, the tax is far from certain at this time as an alternative budget proposal from Florida House leadership doesn’t include any new tobacco taxes. Both state houses of government have large Republican majorities.

Republican Governor Charlie Crist has also made statements suggesting he would be opposed to tobacco tax hikes.

–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.

I had heard a lot of good things about this Corojo-wrapped Nicaraguan puro, not the least of which was my colleague’s December 2007 of the Belicoso vitola. But while I agree that the medium-bodied flavor of wood, leather, vanilla, coffee, and spice is appealing, I remain unconvinced of this six inch by 54 ring gauge cigar’s lofty price tag of $12 per single.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

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 five inch by 54 ring gauge smoke is an attractive torpedo featuring primarily Honduran tobacco blended with other Central American and Dominican tobaccos. It has an herbal earthy flavor with a hint of spice and a creamy aftertaste. Not overly complex, but well-constructed. By no means a bad smoke, but I can’t say it offered much that excited me.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Before the Miami, Series A, or any Limitada, at all started for 5 Vegas with the Classic. This moderately priced blend has since built a loyal following of smokers who enjoy its consistency and traditional medium-bodied taste.

Also known as the “Reserva” or “Red” line, 5 Vegas Classic is not without impressive critical acclaim, the most prominent of which originates from a position of prestige in the industry. I refer, of course, to the well-publicized claim that Cigar Aficionado gave this line the highest rating for a non-Cuban cigar in a blind test.

I’ll take this blend’s ratings of 90, 88, and 87 with a grain of salt. I can’t help but hope, however, that the folks over at CA are on to something, especially because the Torpedo (6 x 54)—the most intriguing vitola in the Classic lineup—sells for only $70 per box.

With a towering point, this sharp-looking smoke (pun intended) looks like it could be dangerous if used improperly. The fairly smooth Sumatra wrapper gives off mouth-watering pre-light notes of cocoa and herbs.

I was pleasantly surprised to find an easy draw after snipping off just a quarter of an inch from the cap. Once lit, the concentrated smoke pulls through to reveal plenty of spice with accompanying flavors of roasted nuts, damp earth, and warm tobacco.

The taste becomes slightly bitter as the burn progresses through the Nicaraguan binder and the Cuban-seed filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Then some charred steak-like qualities enter the equation after the midway point. And while this cigar is no elite treat with copious subtleties or complexities, it still offers plenty of character for the money.

Handmade in Estelí, the Classic Torpedo consistently makes a combustion comeback unlike any other smoke I’ve seen. Each stick I sampled started with a finicky burn that required constant touch-ups only to completely even out after the first 15 minutes. You’ve got to be happy with a cigar that rallies to finish strong.

All told, I may not be as enamored as the reviewers over at Cigar Aficionado, but I can certainly see where they were coming from. With a solid gray ash that holds well for over two inches, a nice yet simple flavor, and a comfortable price point, I feel confident recommending this as a low-cost everyday cigar. That’s why I give the 5 Vegas Classic Torpedo three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Combining the talents of master Cuban cigar blender Don Pepin Garcia and Pete Johnson, the man behind Tatuaje, the Cabaiguan (pronounced kah-bei-gWAHN) comes to the table with high expectations. With such a pedigree, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that it retails for around $10 per smoke.

The Cabaiguan was the first cigar made by Johnson’s Tatuaje company that didn’t bear the Tatuaje name. Instead, the cigar, which is made in Don Pepin’s El Rey de Los Habanos factory in Little Havana, was named after the the town of Don Pepin’s birth in Cuba. It features a Connecticut seed shade-grown Ecuadorian wrapper, which surrounds Nicaraguan binder and filler leaves.

The wrapper, which is almost completely vein-free, is a classic representation of an attractive Connecticut leaf. Of the three Robusto Extras (5.25 x 50) I sampled for this review, one had a few spongy spots, but otherwise they were firm. Each cigar had excellent construction.

While there was no distinctive pre-light flavor, this long robusto provided an abundance of flavor once lit, most notably a rich, creamy taste of what seemed like roasted pecans. Underneath were some toasty notes and subtle bread flavors.

Later, some subtle spice creeps in (particularly when smoked through the nose), but it doesn’t overwhelm the Cabaiguan’s excellent balance. The finish is long and toasty.

Overall, this medium-bodied cigar has none of the chemical flavors that sometimes plague Connecticut-wrapped smokes. And nothing in the construction of the cigar—with its even burn and easy draw—distracted from its complex flavor profile.

With bold, rich spice being the trend (a trend led by Don Pepin himself), I must say the Cabaiguan impressed me most for its subtlety. It’s plenty flavorful and complex, but also nimble and refined. I’ve heard the Cabaiguan compared to the Partagas Serie D No 4, but I think another top Cuban, the Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill, might be a better comparison.

Either way, that’s high, well-earned praise. That’s why the Cabaiguan Robusto Extra earns our highest rating of five out of five stogies.

[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

Among the young boutiques that are trying to carve out a niche is Marco V, “the cigar industry’s newest premium cigar brand.” With a lineup that is restricted to vitolas with at least a 60 ring gauge, this unique and affordable manufacturer is positioning itself to become a favorite of lovers of thick smokes.

I’m told this distinctive strategy is more than just a marketing gimmick. Company president Marc Keiser told us in a letter that he designed the vitolas to “exhibit the excellence of the Marco V filler blend.” In the case of the Platinum Label, that blend includes Nicaraguan viso ligero and Dominican piloto cubano and de olor tobacco.

The V. Gigante (5 x 60) has a look similar to the Robusto from Isla de Cuba’s Aged Maduro blend—although it’s much softer to the touch. I wasn’t surprised when the reddish Brazilian arapiraca wrapper leaf cut to reveal a clear draw with a hint of sweetness on the lips. I was, however, caught off-guard by the incredibly potent pre-light notes of dry cocoa.

After taking great care to ensure the foot was lit completely, I was greeted with a hearty taste of black coffee, leather, and a bit of pepper. Each easy puff produced a surplus of smoke, and the cigar continues to chug along like a smokestack when left to rest in the ashtray.

The overall flavor, which is thoroughly consistent from light to nub, is best described as full-bodied but not strong. And it’s worth noting that the typical arapiraca taste of cocoa and chocolate is hardly noticeable; that’s probably a result of the V. Gigante’s high ratio of filler to wrapper tobacco.

Construction is good for a stogie that sells online for $88 per box of 20 or $20 per 5-pack. The large burn diameter only requires a touch-up or two and the ash, although a tad flakey, holds firm for an inch and a half. The handful of V. Gigantes that I smoked were all unwavering in these qualities. This is, perhaps, a testament to Marco V’s commitment to “batch system” operation—controlling the whole supply chain of each limited production cigar to ensure top quality.

All things considered, I give Marc Keiser credit for creating this reasonably priced, high-quality cigar. While the Platinum Label V. Gigante doesn’t have tremendous balance or nuance, it does offer a warm, savory flavor that seems to last for days. That’s why it earns a solid rating 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