The Stogie Guys

After the introduction of the Jameson Cigar Co. last March, and bolstered by a generous web offer of two sticks and a T-shirt for the cost of postage, it seemed like the entire online cigar community was writing about the new cigar outfit. So Jameson’s strategy had worked. The only problem, however, were the mixed reviews of the company’s original blend.

As Jameson President Brad Mayo told me, that Sumatra-wrapped line, now called the Red Label, was re-blended “due to several factors, including changes at the factory and problems with the wrapper. It now consists of an all-Dominican filler, Honduran binder, and Ecuadorian wrapper.”

After a positive experience with the relatively new Black Label, I decided to sit down with a couple five inch by 54 ring gauge Perfectos—the most intriguing vitola in the Red Label lineup. The shape and size features a classic yet unique character that I wish more manufacturers made available.

Handmade in Santiago, Dominican Republic, the cigar includes a dry, almost flawless Connecticut shade Ecuadorian leaf with a light yellow hue. It emanates a pleasant aroma sweet sawdust and clips cleanly to reveal a well-packed interior.

The draw, initially on the tighter side, gives way to a taste of cream, cedar, and a few floral notes. Each mild-tasting puff produces a good amount of smoke as the thick mascara widens.

At its widest point, the Perfecto’s draw loosens and notes of spice, grass, and cereals become more apparent. This is the cigar’s sweet spot. The finely layered, dark gray ash builds sturdily off the foot and holds strong in a cone-like shape for two inches or more. The burn isn’t razor-sharp, but it doesn’t require any touch-ups or re-lights.

For me, this 60-minute smoke strikes a nice balance for mid-afternoon relaxation—a good combination of high notes with a touch of bass. And the price ($30 per five-pack, $120 per box of 20) isn’t intimidating.

For its pleasurable mild- to medium-bodied profile, suitable construction, and the versatility to pair with a tasty brew or a well-mixed cocktail, the Jameson Red Label Perfecto earns four stogies out of five.

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

–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 6 inch by 56 ring gauge cigar, an all Nicaraguan puro, is the result of a joint effort by Manuel Quesada and Nestor Plascencia. It is wrapped in an appealing dark red Criollo ’98 viso wrapper that Quesada calls Colorado. Construction is almost perfect with only a small bump in the wrapper visible just below the band, and the taste offers up a creamy earth flavor at first that is slowly replaced with cedar and a hint of caramel sweetness. The finish lingers on the palate. With the Robusto in this line garnering “Cigar of the Year” for 2008 from Cigar Aficionado this blend has a lot to live up to. The Gran Toro has great flavors and construction with only the one burn problem, and at less than $6 per stick it’s a great value.

Verdict = Buy.

–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.

La Flor’s comparative advantage seems to be producing premium sticks with lots of flavor, and this pigtailed Churchill (6.9 x 49) undoubtedly reaffirms that specialty. It consists of a full-bodied taste of leather, spice, and earth—a standard profile among today’s stronger cigars—and decent physical properties. Light one of these $7.50 stogies up next time you need to kill 120 minutes after a good meal.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Over the years I’ve learned that you can judge a cigar by its appearance about as accurately as you can a book by its cover. This powerful-looking Ernesto Padilla creation, though, delivers exactly what its commanding presence promises.

One of a lineup of Edición Especial cigars released by Padilla in 2006, the Obsidian features a blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, a Honduran-grown corojo binder, and a jet-black Nicaraguan ligero wrapper leaf.

While production was supposed to stop after 50,000 Obsidians, Cigars International is still selling “an encore performance” in “limited quantities” ($100 per bundle or $30 per five-pack). It’s worth noting, due to the continuation, that the “2006” refers not to the age of the tobacco but only to the year the original batch was released. Sneaky, sneaky.

The six inch by 54 ring gauge belicoso-shaped vitola is the only size still available from this burly blend. It is dark, formidable, and thick with few veins and barely noticeable seams. Intense prelight notes of dark chocolate and nuts abound.

The cold taste yielded some spice on the lips and a relatively tight draw—undoubtedly the product of the cigar’s ultra-tight packing. Once lit, I encountered a strong, mouth-coating taste of black pepper, leather, and hints of tea. The flavor settles after the first inch to include a cocoa sweetness, only to amp up again down the home stretch.

Regrettably, the meandering and finicky burn requires constant monitoring and occasional corrections. The ash is also on the flakey side.

When it’s all said and done, this heavy-handed beast of a cigar finishes just about par for the course. It’s certainly not inspiring or extraordinary, but it’s definitely satisfying, full-bodied, and appropriately priced. For that, I give the Padilla Edición Especial 2006 Obsidian three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Spanish for “Free Cuba,” the Cuba Libre brand signifies Nestor Plasencia’s hope of one day returning to a homeland that embraces liberty. Like so many of today’s best cigar makers, he fled Cuba after the Castro regime took over his family’s thriving tobacco operation and confiscated their factories and fields.

With five generations of Cuban tobacco cultivation as a compass, Nestor reestablished the family business in Nicaragua to make use of the fertile Eselí and Jalapa Valley regions. Today his successful factories turn out many Rocky Patel blends, some Gurkha lines, and the Alec Bradley Maxx.

Cuba Libre, Nestor’s take on a value brand, is appropriately made from 100 percent Cuban-seed tobacco. The filler and Nicaraguan binder are covered by a smooth yet veiny wrapper with a reddish hue and a wrinkled complexion.

This cigar is by no means unattractive—the sharp box-press adds character and the red, gold, and blue band is appealing—but something about the appearance compels me to mentally liken it to a typical house brand. Maybe it’s the haphazardly applied cap. Or maybe it’s the prevalence of soft spots from head to foot.

Notwithstanding the Unico’s torpedo-like frame, and despite the fact that I only clipped a bit of tobacco off the top, the pre- and post-light draw is easy. Too easy, if you ask me. The flavors from this six and ¼ inch by 54 ring gauge cigar seemed to be watered down by each airy puff.

When I could sort through the taste in the voluminous tufts of smoke, I found mild- to medium-bodied flavors of earth, leather, and traces of pepper. Some acidic or sweet notes would have helped balance out the predominantly dry profile.

Aside from the hollowed-out draw, the physical properties were excellent—especially considering the price range. Boxes of 20 Unicos go for $75-90, and you can find singles for less than $3 apiece in various online samplers.

That’s ultimately why this cigar makes a decent golf course or barbeque companion: It offers good construction and consistent flavors for little cost. It just doesn’t have enough complexity or personality to be the main event.

Cuba Libre has a compelling story but, in the end, I am neither disappointed nor impressed with the Unico. It earns three stogies out of five.

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

–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.

As Darryl Lieser told us, the name for this Isla de Cuba blend “was conceived as something that was fun, edgy, and reminiscent of the good times.” And that’s pretty much the way this five and a half inch by 50 ring gauge perfecto smokes. Expect top-notch construction and flavors of leather, nut, and cocoa. With a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper and binder, as well as a four-country filler blend, this slow-burning $6 smoke is a great way to spend 90 minutes.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The year was 1991. Operation Desert Storm began, the Soviet Union officially came to an end, Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to their first NBA title, and the two Belicoso Finos I smoked for this review were completed and boxed.

It won’t surprise you, given the fact that I was eight years old at the time, to learn that I didn’t age this delicacy myself. As my colleague and I wrote in our review of a 1992 Gourmet No. 2, PG offers specially aged cigars in limited quantities at their headquarters in McLean, Virginia. So, unfortunately, you won’t be able to track down this stick even at the limited B&Ms that carry PG products.

That’s a shame because an 18-year-old cigar (the tobacco is certainly a few years older) that was created by an industry traditionalist and pioneer is a real treat. It also serves as a testament to the patience, quality, and care PG prides itself on to make cigars that look, taste, and feel like pre-Castro Cubans.

The first thing I noticed about this Dominican is the unique cap atop the Ecuador-grown Connecticut shade wrapper. I also couldn’t help admiring the matured Colorado-colored leaf; its dry wrinkles have the look of an antique map.

The initial taste is more aggressive than you’d anticipate, especially given the subtle prelight notes of wood, straw, and a touch of honey. The medium-bodied profile includes flavors of tobacco, steak, cereals, and onion, as well as a unique aftertaste that’s difficult to describe but similar to a Davidoff Gran Cru.

While I could tell you about all the other flavors I identified—including roasted nuts, ginger, and some floral notes—that wouldn’t do this masterpiece justice. You’ll have to make a trip to McLean to try this seriously aged cigar and experience its complexity and balance for yourself.

With laudable construction, this cigar’s only drawback is its $14.50 price tag. But that only amounts to a little over 80 cents per year since it was boxed—not a bad deal considering the value it affords in taste. That’s why, for the 1991 edition of the Paul Garmirian Gourmet Belicoso Fino, I’m fully confident in imparting a rare rating of five stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys