The 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.

My initial reaction to this un-banded, un-cellophaned stick was to wonder if it really was an LFD. Smooth and medium strength at most, despite owner Litto Gomez’s comment to Cigar Insider that it reflects “more of a full body.” I’m not complaining. I like this spicy, sweet, and elegantly complex six and a half inch cigar. At about $7 it’s reasonably priced, though it can be hard to find since production is rather limited.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

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 six inch by 54 ring gauge torpedo is a product of the Tesa Cigar Co., a Chicago-based boutique that harvests tobacco from the fertile fields of Estelí. It features top-notch combustion qualities and a pleasantly mild taste of creamy cashew and toasty clove. Those attributes make the Connecticut shade-wrapped Series Finos F500 a wonderful morning or mid-afternoon smoke. And even if you’re a bit reluctant to pay $7.55 for a mild, relatively unknown cigar, you can take comfort in the fact that Tesa gives 10% of its profits to benefit the housing, education, and sustenance of the Nicaraguan people.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

For some years now there have been two blends of the Toraño Exodus: Gold and Silver. But as we reported two weeks ago, Toraño is releasing a new Exodus line, the  3-H blend, in celebration of 50 years since the Toraño family had to leave their homeland of Cuba.

This special release is currently only available in a five-cigar sampler that features two cigars each from the Exodus 1959 (Gold) and Exodus Silver lines. Included are two new exclusive Toraño releases and two sharp-looking torpedos, one each from the original Exodus blends.

The bulk of attention for this sampler, however, will be paid to the new Liga 3-H blend, which is presented in a Salomon (7.25 x 57) vitola. This sharp-looking centerpiece smoke has a dark, oily wrapper with plenty of veins and a slightly bumpy feel.

Of note is a plain white band with “Exodus Liga 3-H” handwritten in ink. It’s really just an inside-out Exodus Gold wrapper—a nice touch at a time when overly ornate bands seem to be the norm.

Once lit, the Exodus 50 Years Blend reveals a chewy flavor with raisin, leather, and even some subtle underlying notes of black cherry. Particularly noticeable in each of the two samples I smoked for this review is a remarkably cool smoke that is miles away from hot or harsh.

As the large perfecto progresses, hints of an underlying cedar spice develops, though not enough to dominate the flavor of raisin and leather. The finish is long with wheat-like, toasty flavor. The cigar also has a slightly salty flavor.

The construction on the two sticks was largely impressive. The cigar had a solid dark gray ash and an easy draw. One stick did need a few touch-ups to fix an uneven burn.

In both flavor and appearance, the Liga 3-H reminded me of a milder version of one of my favorite smokes: the EO 601 Oscuro. The Toraño 50 Years Blend is slightly milder and a bit more complex.

That complexity, combined with a tasty flavor profile and a uniquely cool smoke, makes me think that this new blend exceeds the two previous Exodus blends. It’s a different taste that won’t be for everyone, but I’m sure it will win over some big fans. That innovative taste earns the Toraño Exodus 50 Years Blend Salomon a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As some shy away from the trend for bigger and bigger ring gauges, the lancero seems to have made a resurgence. A perfect example of this is the Cubao No. 3, a slender stick that was created by Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega‘s EO Brands with Don Pepin Garcia. It was introduced at last year’s IPCPR Trade Show.

The appearance of this cigar is pure old school. It has a simple brown band with raised white letters and a rustic wrapper of nearly the same color. While there are no large veins, I encountered lots of tooth in the Ecuador Sumatra oscuro wrapper which surrounds Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos.

The lancero is one of the most difficult shapes to create, and this cigar shows some serious expertise on the part of the roller. Except for a slightly spongy feel near the foot, it is firm to the touch. The wrapper is twisted and crimped on the head to a create a sharp-looking pigtale.

The freshly cut tobacco reveals some pre-light spice and a firm draw that maintains throughout the seven inch by 38 ring gauge stick. On the nose there is a pleasant woody smell.

Upon lighting, I found a blast a spice that soon faded into the same balanced flavor we described when we smoked the robusto-sized Cuboa No. 4: “a variety of tastes including wheat, oak, and bread,” with the same dryness that George found when he reviewed the No. 6.  Additionally, there is a prominent black coffee flavor that comes and goes over the 75 minutes it took to smoke this stick.

The Cubao lancero is full-flavored with remarkable balance. There is plenty going on with this smoke, but while it does have a bit of spice, that kick doesn’t amount to Pepin’s typical knockout punch.

As previously noted, creating a lancero is particularly difficult, which makes combustion issues unfortunately too regular in this long vitola. While the gray ash was solid enough—holding for half an inch at a time—and the burn was precisely straight, the four cigars I sampled for this review all had a tendency to go out unexpectedly during the last two or three inches. This was particularly disappointing given how much I enjoyed the flavors.

But those construction issues were small compared to all that this smoke has to offer. I can’t stress enough how impressed I am with the balance; the cigar makes you forget how full-bodied it is.

Unlike the rest of the Cubao line, which comes in boxes of 20, the No. 3 comes in boxes of 30 which retail for around $170, or $7 per stick. Considering the complexity it delivers, it’s a fair price, even at a time when everyone is looking to save a few bucks.

I’ve yet to find a Cubao that didn’t impress me, and this lancero is no exception. Just like it’s shorter and thicker counterparts, the Cubao No. 3 earns a 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

My first run-in with this Don Pepin Garcia line was, I’d have to say, not nearly as pleasant as the experience my colleague described about one year ago.

A product of Miami’s El Rey de Los Habanos factory, this five inch by 50 ring gauge Nicaraguan puro is covered in a slightly veiny “habano rosado claro” wrapper. The only information I could find on the filler is that it is a “Cuban-seed corojo 99 blend.”

The overall feel is spongy, but the perfectly applied triple cap clips off easily. The foot lights well and produces an abundant volume of smoke with a draw that’s a little on the loose side. While the initial blast of pepper is quickly replaced with strong flavors of cedar and leather, the first third is characterized by a finish that’s a little too harsh.

Progressing into second half, the cedar-like flavor remains prominent. The harsh finish fortunately mellows into the sort of sweet finish that I’ve grown to expect from cedar-flavored cigars. At this point, the burn starts to go awry and several corrections are needed before the smoke is complete.

It’s also worth noting that the label is adhered too firmly to the wrapper, which ultimately results in cracks. That setback, however, doesn’t seem to affect the cigar at all because the combustion malfunctions start before the band needs to be removed.

Ultimately, while the flavors are consistent throughout, they don’t seem to ever evolve. What’s more, the burn problems and the wrapper cracks combine to present a subpar smoking experience.

That’s why this blend, launched in 2005 before Don Pepin Garcia was a household name, isn’t one of my favorites. And the $7 per stick price point makes it easy to pass up on. For that, the Vegas Cubanas Invictos earns only two and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick M

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 Robusto (5 x 50) is made by Rocky Patel—though you wouldn’t know it from the simple orange band that doesn’t bear his name. It has an attractive, vein-free Cameroon wrapper that surrounds binder and filler tobaccos of unknown origin. Once lit, I find a mild- to medium-bodied taste with plenty of the sweet spice and cedar that is often associated with Cameroon tobacco. It doesn’t provide much in terms of complexity but, for a bundle cigar that sells for $2 per stick, it offers a lot of bang for your buck.

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 take on a single cigar.

This ultra oily, habano oscuro-wrapped stick was outstanding when I reviewed it back in December 2007, but 15 months of humidor time improved the La Fuerza considerably. Gone are the occasional bitter notes that once stalked this cigar’s powerful flavor. Instead, the flavors of coffee, roasted nuts, and cocoa bean blend more harmoniously to yield more balance and slightly less strength. So while this five and ½ inch by 54 ring gauge stick remains full-bodied, age seems to have imparted a noble maturity—a big payoff for a $7 investment.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys