The Stogie Guys

It seems that Dominican puros have been all the rage of late. Certainly the trend can be traced back to the introduction of the Fuente Opus X in the mid-90’s, which busted the commonly held notion that top-quality wrappers couldn’t be grown in the Dominican Republic.

Recently a host of Dominican puros (cigars with Dominican wrappers, binders, and fillers) have come to market, including cigars by La Flor Dominicana, Davidoff, and Cuvee. This year at the IPCPR trade show, the two largest premium cigar makers—Altadis and General Cigars—introduced their first Dominican puros, the Mi Dominicana and the Cohiba Puro Dominicana, respectively.

The Cohiba Puro Dominicana is the fourth line in General’s “Red Dot” Cohiba brand whose name has been the subject of much litigation. The blend comes in four sizes: Corona, Churchill, Toro, and the 5.5 inch by 50 ring gauge Robusto that’s the subject of this review.

The cigar features a Colorado brown wrapper with dark, almost black veins that’s grown in General’s own fields. According to the cigar’s promotional materials, the “tobaccos have been aged in tercios and charcoaled wooden barrels to enhance their natural flavor.”

Pre-light, I find a unique blend of musty earth, sweet molasses, and pepper. It is very firm to the touch, the same as most of General Cigar’s Dominican-made smokes. One feature I’ve found in all of the Dominican Cohibas, including this one, is a head that is noticeably rounded for a parejo.

Once lit, I find a burst of full flavor with lots of chewy leather and spice on the lips. Soon the spice fades and the cigar becomes more toasty and medium-bodied. From time to time, some bitterness works into an otherwise smooth flavor profile.

The draw is noticably tight, but only occasionally difficult to draw from. The burn is even and the ash steady for half an inch.

Overall, the Cohiba Dominican Puro is a nice smoke, but hardly sensational. Given that the robusto sells for $17 each, I would hope for better. At half that price, I would give it a strong recommendation, but considering the host of tremendous cigars available for considerably less, I have a hard time believing that this will be a regular smoke for most people.

Between generally pleasant flavors, average construction, and an overly high price, the Cohiba Puro Dominicana Robusto earns a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–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.

Wow. This robusto-sized masterpiece, which earned a perfect five-stogie rating from my colleague in a June review, is simply fantastic. It boasts stellar physical properties and well-balanced flavors of coffee, leather, cream, and gingerbread. An extra 11 months in my humidor paid big dividends, rendering this oily Cuban well worth its going rate of $110 for a box of 10.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A few nights ago, Washington was witness to the sort of howling, chilling wind that can make a butane torch flame shiver and bend. This stark reminder that winter is rapidly approaching had me reaching into my humidor for a petite stick that wouldn’t require me to be outside for hours.

It wasn’t long before I stumbled across a Ramón Allones Small Club Corona, a Cuban that I’ve often turned to when time is short and temperatures are low. Considered a good companion cigar for seasoned smokers, this 4.3 inch by 42 ring gauge stogie has a reputation for packing lots of flavor into a quick format. Other reviewers have noted tastes ranging from nuts and dried fruit to herbs and wood.

I was actually surprised to find so much info on the web because Ramón Allones is definitely one of Cuba’s lesser-known trademarks. That’s one reason the brand’s cigars are affordable, at least by Habanos’ standards. You can find the Small Club Corona for $5-8, and most boxes of 25 for $115-130.

The Ramón Allones legend, however, is far bigger than its name. While others claim to be the first, I’ve heard the brand—founded in 1837—was the first to have colorful lithographs for box art, the first to utilize bands on cigars, and the first to package cigars in the “8-9-8” style.

Enough history. As I used my V-cutter to establish a moderate draw from the cap, I noticed the thin cigar’s bland band, undistinguished wrapper leaf, and lack of prelight aromas don’t make for a terrific first impression. There’s also something awry about the Small Club Corona’s inconsistent shape.

The cigar improves dramatically once you fire it up. I found a dry, cedar taste with some spice that builds to include notes of black coffee and cashews. Fairly strong, definitely full on flavor. If you make a habit of smoking down to the nub, however, you may be disappointed with the last half inch; it is characterized by a bitterness that’s hardly enjoyable.

While the Small Club Corona burns evenly, it does possess some odd combustion traits. The mascara is obnoxiously pronounced and protruding, and the foot becomes more cone-shaped than one would expect once the stable ash is tapped. But neither quirk adversely interferes with the smoking experience.

This cigar costs more than I’d like to spend on something of its size, even for a Cuban, and it’s no match for the exquisite Specially Selected vitola. Still, I find myself occasionally turning to it for its big taste and 30-minute format—particularly this time of year. That’s why give the Ramón Allones Small Club Corona three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Often underappreciated and commonly misunderstood, so-called “house brands” can range from underpriced gems to outright duds. Old Henry from Holt’s Cigar Company falls somewhere between those two extremes.

The brand boasts a fair amount of credibility because it’s made by none other than industry superstar Don Pepin Garcia. According to Holt’s, “Pepin outdid himself in creating this masterpiece and for the price you won’t find a better, tastier cigar on the market.”

The classically sized Robusto (5 x 50) sells for $104 for a box of 25 or $26 for a five-pack—not exactly what I’d call value prices. But, given the Nicaraguan puro’s blender, expectations are certain to exceed those of the average house brand stick.

Named in memory of a “beautiful pooch with champion features and a great personality,” Old Henry features a lusterless corojo wrapper that radiates sweet chocolate notes. I experienced some moderate post-cut cracking in two of the three Robustos I smoked for this review. Each was densely packed with tobacco but drew cleanly.

While most expect a burst of pepper when they light up a Pepin creation, this cigar starts at a jog pace instead of a full-on sprint. I found a predominantly earthy flavor with hints of clove, leather, and peppercorn, all of which is best when cocoa wafts in and out.

There are no major changes between the beginning, middle, and end of this 50-minute smoke. Despite this, the medium-bodied taste—aptly described by my colleague as “flavorful yet well-balanced” in a February Quick Smoke—had little trouble holding my interest.

With even burns and white ashes that held strong for an inch and a half, my three Robustos outperformed those of other online reviewers who noted construction flaws. Maybe I just got a good batch.

Even so, I wouldn’t count Old Henry as one of Pepin’s towering achievements. If you’re into corojo tobacco, though, and if you enjoy a smoke with your afternoon coffee (the best way to experience this cigar, in my opinion) you may want to pick a few up. For delivering on balance but not quite living up to my expectations given the Pepin connection and the intoxicating prelight aromas, I give the Old Henry Robusto a fair three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

According to Davidoff, the Aniversario Series is “characterized by surprising lightness, dominated by a rich, intense aroma. The tobacco harmonize perfectly in these ideally balanced cigars, exquisitely presented in unique and elegant packaging.”

Between that bit of advertising copy and Davidoff’s reputation, I had some serious expectations when sampling the Davidoff Aniversario No. 3. Did the cigar live up to those expectations? Read on.

The Davidoff Aniversario No. 3 is a six inch by 50 ring gauge toro that is packaged by the box (10 or 20), or in three-packs of tubes. This review is of the tubo, which I picked up in a duty free shop in London for £30 (about $60), but you can find these for around $15 a stick.

The Aniversario line features a caramel brown, U.S.-grown Connecticut wrapper. It is velvety to the touch, although there are some ridges that seem to be caused by large veins in the Dominican binder. Pre-light, I notice grass and honeycomb from the Dominican filler.

After lighting the toro up I found pepper, grass, and a touch of earth—though at times it was a bit dry. The finish is long with cedar and subtle pepper.

The construction is, as I’ve come to expect from Davidoff, superb. The ash held for an amazing two full inches with no problem at all. The draw was easy, almost airy.

Overall, while no particular flavor was very strong, altogether they melded into a medium-full cigar. In the final third the taste really came into its own, becoming exceptionally smooth and cedary as the dryness faded.

One particularly impressive thing I found about the Aniversario was its versatility when it came to drink pairings. The cigar went as well with a crisp sauvignon blanc as it did with a peaty single malt scotch.

Yet given the exceptionally high price and the initial dryness, I can’t be as enthusiastic about this offering as some of Davidoff’s other cigars, like the Grand Cru or Millennium Blend. It’s still a very enjoyable cigar, though, so the Davidoff Aniversario No. 3 earns four out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Eddie Ortega founded United Tobacco in 2003 with Erik Espinoza. Also known as EO Brands, the company has created some of our very favorite blends including the 601 Serie Red, 601 Serie Blue, 601 Serie Green, and Cubao. In this latest edition of our Cigar Insider series, Eddie tells Stogie Guys about his start in the industry, his partnership with legendary cigar-maker Don Pepin Garcia, his favorite cigars and drinks, and much more.

Stogie Guys: When did you first start smoking cigars? How did you get into the industry?

Eddie Ortega: I started smoking casually in my late 20s when was married to one of the daughters of Rolando Reyes Sr. Back then, I wasn’t an avid smoker and had little knowledge about the industry. During that time Rolando made Aliados, an awesome cigar, and I fell in love with it. I had a successful computer business in New Jersey but, in 1990, I sold it and moved down to Miami. While working as director of MIS for a company in Miami, my ex-father in law asked me to come work with him, so I did. By this time, it was Puros Indios partly due to legal problems with the Aliados name.

SG: These days you’re probably best known for your collaborations with Don “Pepin” Garcia, particularly the 601 line. Can you tell our readers a little about the cigars you made before those, and the history of EO Brands?

EO: Well, we’ve had kind of a rocky”start in the cigar industry. We initially started out as distributors, but our goal was to one day make and distribute only our own brands. We’ve been kind of fortunate and unfortunate with each new project we’ve launched with the exception of our current brands.

Don’t know if you’ve heard or know about our first brand, “Series X.” This brand was made for us by Oliva. We had great success.

For our next project, we decided to contact Rocky Patel. We had Rocky make two brands for us, REO and VIBE, for the first two years from introduction, we also had great success with these two brands. Unfortunately for us, the consistency of the cigars slowed down the sales at the retail level to such an extent that we decided to make it only in limited production and to a limited number of resellers.

SG: We’ve written about your new Cubao line fairly extensively on StogieGuys.com (and reviewed it very favorably), but can you tell me a little about the Mi Barrio cigar you just released?

EO: We wanted to do something unique with a Habano wrapper Pepin had picked up awhile ago. Gorgeous, but very limited in quantity. We also have a great friend who happens to be an artist, Edin Gutierrez, and not too long ago he had painted some scenes depicting some of the Cuban culture. Being that they compliment each other, we decided to introduce Mi Barrio as a limited edition release by combining this great Habano wrapper and the beautiful scenes depicted by Edin in his paintings.

SG:How is Pepin to work with? Any insight into how he continues to create hit after hit?

EO: Pepin and his family are great, not just as business associates, but also as personal friends. How does he do it? Easy: by being meticulous at what he does best. It’s actually very easy to make one good cigar. The trick is to make millions of cigars while maintaining perfect construction and consistency.

SG: I’ve read you’re partnering with Rocky Patel on a project. Care to reveal any details?

EO: I can’t. He is actually lending me the Aston Martin for the weekend, but asked me to please not tell Nimish or Nish.

SG: Two questions I like to ask everyone: First, what is your favorite beverage to pair with a cigar? Second, in your own humidor, do you generally store cigars with the cellophane on or off?

EO: Tawny Australian Ports, actually. I love ports period. Always, no cellophane.

SG: Do you smoke Cuban cigars with any regularity? What do you think about Cuban cigars being made these days?

EO: Nope, I don’t. Don’t think much of them or the current quality.

SG: Besides your own cigars, what are some of your favorites?

EO: Wow, many. Every time I’m in a store, I always try something new, but I do have certain favorites. I’ll just mention some of the ones I smoke the most. Rocky’s Vintage and Summer Release, Ashton Cabinet series, Alec Bradley Tempus, Pepin’s Cuban Classic line, Pete’s Cabaiguan, and many others.

Many thanks to Eddie Ortega for taking the time to talk to us. For more on EO Brands be sure to visit UnitedTobacco.com.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It’s been six weeks since I reviewed a pre-release Medina 1959 Robusto, a creamy smoke with undertones of spice and plenty of mild complexity. And since this week marks the limited edition blend’s launch on Cuban Crafters’ website, I thought it appropriate to celebrate with an examination of another vitola.

For those of you who don’t remember, Medina 1959 was created to be the Miami-based boutique manufacturer’s crown jewel. To me that says a lot, especially since Cuban Crafters already makes plenty of excellent, under-priced sticks, including Cupido, J.L. Salazar, Don Kiki (Brown and White), La Carolina, and Cameroon.

The idea behind the premium line is to create a pre-Castro stogie (hence 1959) made by masters who have cigar experience in Cuba. The five vitolas, therefore, will be handmade in Miami by Cuban expatriates under the supervision of Manuel Medina, formerly of the H. Upmann and Davidoff factories in Cuba. “All the rollers are Cuban-born cigar makers that came over, some very recently,” says Alberto Noguera, Cuban Crafters’ national sales director. “There are a few that worked for Medina in the H. Upmann factory in Cuba.”

Like the Robusto, the beautiful 6.5 inch by 54 ring gauge Torpedo features a smooth, virtually vein-free Cuban-seed Sumatra wrapper and Cuban-seed habano long-filler. While there was some question about what Cuban Crafters means by “extremely aged tobacco” in my last review, this time I know more details: The wrapper is aged for five years, and the binder and filler for six.

After clipping through the neat, sharply pointed cap, prelight hints of sweet hay and field grass come into focus. The Torpedo starts milder and creamier than the Robusto, developing the same toast and cream profile but with a more diluted onion spice. Balanced by a dry oak flavor, a butterscotch sweetness joins in after the first third.

The rest of the cigar slides from mild- to medium-bodied for the remainder of the 100-minute experience. That enjoyable foray is complemented by superior physical properties that can match any stick on the market.

After smoking six Torpedos for this review, I can confidently say this vitola is just as soothing and delicately delicious as the Robusto. Fans of milder tobacco should not let the $9.20 per cigar MSRP impede them from at least trying the Cuban Crafters Medina 1959 Torpedo. I give it four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys