The Stogie Guys

As with many of Fuente’s high-end cigars, the Casa Fuente line carries with it a certain mystique. This blend, for instance, is available only at the Casa Fuente store at the Caesar’s Palace Forum Shops in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the cigar lounge’s house blend, positioned and priced to rival the OpusX as Fuente’s most exclusive consumer offering.

Recently, Patrick S. and I smoked a few while kicking back with some surprisingly manly tangerine mojitos at the Casa Fuente bar. A quick word about those mojitos, actually: They’re quite strong, and it’s entirely possible that they may have affected my ability to judge the Casa Fuente double robusto accurately and clearly. Fortunately, the mojitos also compelled me to buy a few more sticks on my way out the door—so I’ve been able to smoke some later on, in the clear light of sobriety.

At any rate, this handsome cigar sports a leathery Cameroon wrapper and a secret blend of what I believe to be Dominican binder and filler leaves (reportedly the same binder and filler as the Opus X). It is impeccably constructed and rolled, as one might expect from a rare Fuente cigar. Smooth, firm to the touch, and oily as sin, this 6.5 inch by 52 ring gauge cigar exudes luxury. The pre-light smell is deep, rich, earthy, and slightly sweet. The cap clips easily, and the draw is firm but forgiving.

Upon lighting up, I detected a lot of earthy flavors and some faint pepper in what I’d call a medium-bodied smoke. Occasionally I’d get some leather notes, and every so often I’d encounter a cinnamon-sugar sweetness that was quite fascinating. This sweet-spicy profile was much more evident in the cigar’s aroma; its intoxicating smoke carried that mysterious “Fuente smell” that only seems to show up in high-end Fuente blends. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s got some cinnamon, some leather, and some vanilla to it.

While these flavors and smells were complex and enjoyable, they never varied. And that’s unfortunate. Many of the best Fuentes I’ve had wove different flavor profiles on and off the palate as they progressed. This cigar, however, played a much more consistent (and persistent) tune. Ordinarily I wouldn’t fault a cigar for lack of flavor transition. But when a stick carries a $25 price tag and is this hard to find, I expect not just good, and not just great, but practically sublime things.

For flawless craftsmanship, great flavor, and a beautiful nose, I’d be inclined to award the Casa Fuente double robusto a perfect five stogies. But I’m taking one away for lack of nuance. On the balance, this lovely stick gets four stogies out of five.

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

–Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys

On the heels of my colleague’s thoughtful commentary that encouraged us to “not consider ourselves too macho, too old, too cool, or too proud to smoke mild or medium sticks,” I bring you this light-bodied creation from CAO.

Introduced in 1999 to celebrate the company’s first 30 years of business (1968-1998), the Cameroon blend sports a Cameroon wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The series was preceded by a L’Anniversaire Maduro version in 1998. Both have received high ratings from Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider—with several vitolas over 90 points—and both are considered to be box-pressed pioneers.

The Cameroon blend is touted as a mild to medium-bodied experience with “unique and distinctive notes of caramel, nuts, and sweetened coffee.” I was surprised to see several websites claim the series is one of the “most sought-after” premium cigars on the market.

The 5 inch by 50 ring gauge Robusto is characterized by a handsome, sepia-colored wrapper that often includes one prominent vein. It has a pseudo-spongy feel and an easy pre-light draw, but a cross-section reveals tightly packed leaves.

After toasting the foot and establishing an even light, the stick gets off to a worrisome start with a bland, paper-like taste and just a hint of the sweetness you’d expect from other Cameroons. The flavor thankfully builds over the next few inches to include notes of almond, graham, and honey.

While the overall effect is still pretty light and airy, there’s certainly plenty to taste, especially when a cedar spice adds into the mix down the stretch. The physical properties are admirable and in line with what I’ve come to expect from CAO. My take is this cigar’s smooth creaminess is well-suited to accompany a morning cup of coffee.

My only complaint is the price. Two of my favorite Cameroons, one from Cuban Crafters and the other from H. Upmann, sell in the $4-5 range; this Robusto goes for about $7.50 apiece or $115-130 per box of 20. Still, if you’re looking for something mild—as you probably should from time to time—this isn’t a bad investment. I give the CAO L’Anniversaire Cameroon Robusto three out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

No suspense here. It’s one terrific cigar, a full-bodied corona gorda that more than matches the hype. From the Tatuaje-decorated ceramic container to the unclipped foot and simple cap, this cigar is designed to stand out.

Limited production and the luster of being Pete Johnson’s “personal cigar” put the Black on par with other highly sought sticks such as the Opus X and Ashton’s VSG. But with a price tag around $13, this Nicaraguan puro is far more affordable.

Prelight, I found surprisingly little aroma from the wrapper or the nearly closed foot. The brown wrapper was smooth with no large veins and the cigar felt a little soft from head to foot, but nothing stood out.

When lit, the cigar kicked off, as do so many of Pepin Garcia’s blends, with pepper. But what a pepper—not just hot, but full, rich, biting, and interesting. It was a taste that would build, fade, and build again throughout the cigar’s five and 5/8 inches. The flavors were complex and shifted often. Among those I encountered were leather, hay, dry cocoa, hints of ginger, and even at one point honey. Individually, the tastes would have been enjoyable; woven through with the pepper, they were great.

The draw on the 46 ring gauge stick was nearly perfect from beginning to end. The burn, which left a jet-black ring, was straight and required no attention. The ash was so tight that it required a tap to loosen it in the ashtray.

Perhaps most surprising was the fact that the Black never got harsh. And the finish was long and satisfying.

If you like full-strength cigars, smoke the Black if you can find it. I can’t imagine you won’t like it. I certainly did. In fact, I’d put it up among the best cigars I’ve had. On the other hand, I wouldn’t want it for my daily diet, even if I could afford it. There’s just a little too much power. Nonetheless, I can’t think of a cigar I would enjoy more occasionally. So, I can’t see how the Tatuaje Black deserves anything less than five out of five stogies.

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

–George E

photo credit: Vitolas.net

A friend and fellow cigar enthusiast recently told me that he won’t smoke “anything less” than a full-bodied cigar. To me, the designation “anything less” seems a bit ridiculous in such context—every bit as silly as if I’d claimed not to drink “anything less” than a cabernet sauvignon, or eat “anything less” than dark chocolate. “Anything less” implies a degree of quality, and we should not confuse quality with strength.

It’s true that many of the finest cigars available happen to be full-bodied cigars. It’s also true, however, that many are medium- or even mild-bodied sticks. Davidoff, for instance, has long been one of the finest cigar brands available, and the company specializes in milder stogies. You’d be hard-pressed to argue that a milder Davidoff is inferior to a fuller cigar of lesser craftsmanship and flavor.

Many of us like to say we “graduate” from milder to fuller cigars as we delve deeper into this shared hobby of ours. Be that as it may, let’s not forget that milder cigars can and should remain part of a well-balanced collection. We should not consider ourselves too macho, too old, too cool, or too proud to smoke mild or medium sticks.

In fact, I’d argue that one sign of a truly sophisticated connoisseur is the ability to appreciate sticks of all vitolas, wrappers, strengths and bodies. Such an aficionado may have his favorites, but he is always trying out new stogies and never turning them down on the basis of style alone.

I’m not suggesting that you force yourself to endure mild sticks if you absolutely don’t like them. But at the same time, I ask that you not conflate mildness with low quality, or fullness with high quality. Quality and body are two very separate things.

–Jon N

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 often find myself agreeing with George E’s well-thought-out opinions on various cigars, and his review of the Serie G Toro is no exception. This 6 inch by 50 ring gauge achievement packs soothing flavors of cream, toast, butter, and leather. What’s more, the Cameroon wrapper, Cuban-seed habano binder, and Nicaraguan habano filler combine to turn out exemplary physical traits, particularly for a cigar that sells for under $60 for a box of 25 and around $3.25 for a single.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

On Monday my colleagues ran into Kinky Friedman, “a uniquely American character,” at the 76th Annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show in Las Vegas. The famous singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, and former Texas gubernatorial candidate was showing off a new size of his self-titled line of cigars and introducing a bundled blend called “Kinksters.”

As with all things Kinky—composer of such hits as “Get your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed” and “They Ain’t Makin’ Jews Like Jesus Anymore”—I look forward to checking out these new creations myself. But, for now, I thought I’d review a cigar that came out at last year’s IPCPR event: the creatively named Kinkycristo.

This torpedo-shaped stick measures in at 6.25 inches with a 52 ring gauge. Kinky says the shape “concentrates the flavors to the tip of the tongue, rolling sweet spiciness around the roof of the mouth finishing with a leathery freshness.” Handmade in Honduras with a habano wrapper, a Costa Rican binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras, it costs $150 for a box of 20 or $30 for a three-pack.

I smoked two Kinkycristos for this review and found that one of the caps (pictured) was a bit rough and unrefined. After clipping, I removed the top band immediately because it was glued too close to the head. Take care not to tear the fragile wrapper, which sports some lumps but few veins and virtually invisible seams.

While the texture and shape reminds me of the Montecristo Cabinet Selección Belicoso, the Kinkycristo is much less subtle and much more hearty. The flavor kicks off with bite and a tingly, spicy finish. It quickly notches up to resemble leather, warm tobacco, and charred steak—a manly experience that almost makes you want to lasso something—then builds again to a medium- to full-bodied finish with some bitterness.

Resist the temptation to touch-up the meandering burn with your matches or torch during the 90-minute smoke; it will correct itself in time. The easy draw produces heavy clouds of rich smoke, and the ash holds well for up to two inches.

When you get right down to it, after subtracting the gimmicks of the celebrity appeal and the gaudily designed band, this is an enjoyable outdoor smoke that’s unfortunately a tad overpriced (unless the novelty of smoking a Kinky creation is worth $5 to you). The Kinkycristo’s more admirable qualities earn it three out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Patrick S and Jon N will be reporting live this week from the 76th Annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show in Las Vegas. Check back regularly for updates throughout the day.

Patrick S (7:00 AM PDT): Today is our last day of live reports from the show. Not surprisingly, last night’s CAO party with Lyrynd Skynyrd rocked. They played all the hits including Free Bird for the big finale.

Jon N (7:00 AM PDT): Patrick and I stopped by the Isla de Cuba booth yesterday to sample two of the brand’s latest offerings. I tried out the Wango Tango “longie” (a 7 inch by 38 ring gauge lancero), while Patrick lit up Blend 376 in a robusto-extra size (5.5″ x 50). I found the smoothly wrapped, beautifully constructed lancero to have a pleasing draw with plenty of smoke; I got lots of pepper and cedar from the medium to medium-full body. Patrick enjoyed his 376, whose flavors he described as “nutty and earthy, with just a hint of leather.” For the record, the Wango Tango lancero is wrapped and bound in Connecticut broadleaf tobacco, with a four-country blend of Central American fillers. The Blend 376 (so named, apparently, because Isla de Cuba “went through 375 blends before they chose this one”) is wrapped with Mexican San Andres leaf, with a Nicaraguan binder and a blend of fillers from Nicaragua, Honduras, and other “secret” Central American tobaccos. Much like the Classic and Aged Maduro lines, these offerings from Isla de Cuba did not disappoint, and I look forward to trying out some more in the coming months.

Patrick S (11:25 AM PDT): This morning we started out stopping by the PG booth to check out the new Soiree line, a “full-bodied after dinner cigar.” I also smoked a PG Gourmet petit corona from 1995 that was fantastically smooth, and Jon lit up a Gourmet corona which he describes as “nice and smooth, a little woody with a touch of pepper.” I’ll be dining with the Garmirians this coming Monday at Morton’s.

Patrick S (11:35 AM PDT): Our next stop was Arganese for the new ML3 and CL3. We also landed some samples of the Arganese Edición Especial Dos Capas, a very cool-looking barber poll perfecto which we will be reviewing in the coming weeks. Additionally we learned that Arganese will be making a line of cigars with Joe Gannascoli, the actor who played Vito Spatafore on the cigar-friendly HBO hit The Sopranos. Naturally, we snapped a photo of Joe with Gene Arganese (right).

Patrick S (1:30 PM PDT): J.C. Newman’s new stuff at the IPCPR is mostly in the accessories area, with new humidors and hygrometers, but we did hear about something they are working on for 2009. They plan to roll out an extension of the Diamond Crown line called the Julius Caesar (after the original “J.C.” who started the company over 100 years ago). The line will be stronger than the current Diamond Crown blend and will consist of three different perfecto sizes. They are currently working with the Fuentes to perfect the blend, which they hope to release at or before next years’ IPCPR.

Patrick S (1:40 PM PDT): This will be my final update from Las Vegas before I fly back to Washington, but I wanted to add that being at the show reinforced my feeling that the cigar industry is full of generally friendly people who are in it as much because they love cigars as for the profits. I wish I had two more days because there are many more booths and people that I wanted to visit with. Overall, I leave with a very optimistic view of the industry. While marketing gimmicks may be part of the trade, manufacturers understand that cigar smokers want quality and interesting smokes, and they are trying to meet those demands. It should be a good year for Stogie Guys everywhere…

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys