The 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 (1:00 AM PDT): The floor opens at 10 AM here in Vegas and we’ll be there when it does. For more information checkout yesterday’s updates and also our preview from last week.

Patrick S (10:40 AM PDT): First stop was the giant Altadis section where Janelle Rosenfeld introduced us to to Altadis’ upcoming releases. On the super premium end is the new Romeo y Julieta Museum Edition, a limited release (retailing for $30 per cigar) that comes in a humidor box with a specially-commissioned painting by the 3D artist Charles Fazzio. Altadis is also releasing the “Mi Dominicana” by Jose Seijas, a Dominican Puro that will be available this month and will go for $7.50-9 per stick. Other exciting new relases from Altadis include a new box-pressed Maduro Montecristo called the “Reserva Negra” plus new cigars from the Turrent family and a maduro H. Upmann.

Jon N (10:55 AM PDT): Patrick and I made sure to take the hotly anticipated Cubao out for a test drive this morning. We sampled some very pretty lanceros in a medium-brown Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. It’s a rustic, but attractive cigar packaged in an equally rustic cabinet with a cool, weather-worn look. We would describe the smoke as medium to full with earth, wood and pepper flavors and a slightly dry finish. The burn is nice and even, and the cigars handle flawlessly. Given the look, flavor, $7 price tag, and Don Pepin’s name, we expect the Cubao to be a big hit.

Patrick S (12:25 PM PDT): Our next stop was at the Reyes Family booth, where Frank Santos told us about their three new lines: Reyes Premier, Reyes Vintage, and Reyes Classic. At his recommendation, Jon and I tried the Classic, which is a mild-bodied cigar made with a natural Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and filler from four different countries. The cigar was toasty with buttery flavors and the construction was flawless. Santos tells us that the decision to release cigars under the Reyes name is partially a tribute to Rolando Reyes who, while still actively involved in the company, recently handed the reigns to his 31-year-old grandson. He says the company will be focusing on its new lines and that at least in the short term any new releases (none are planed immediately) will likely be extensions of the lines with new sizes.

Patrick S (12:40 PM PDT): We also stopped by to see our friend Kinky Friedman. Kinky is debuting a new size, the Kinky Lady, a 7 inch by 42 ring gauge lonsdale. He also recently introduced a bundled line called “Kinksters.”

Patrick S (3:40 PM PDT): After a quick lunch we jumped back on the trade floor and dropped by the good folks at El Tiante Cigars. We’ve favorably reviewed their cigars in the past and now I’ve gotten my hands on some samples of their new cigar, El Tiante 23 Corojo, which they say is their strongest creation yet. The oily wrapper is similar in color to the Maduro line. I also snapped a quick picture with the Boston pitching legend himself.

Patrick S (4:00 PM PDT): After visiting El Tiante we went to see all the new sticks put out by General Cigar. We covered many of the new releases in yesterday’s post, but it seems the most anticipated is the Macanudo 1968, which is the most full-flavored Macanudo to date. Another interesting trend from General is the production of cigars in the thick 6 inch by 60 ring gauge size. A number of their lines, including the new Cohiba Dominicana, come in the new size. They have also completely re-blended and re-packaged the flavored Havana Honeys line (which was recently acquired by General) with a greater focus on quality and consistency. The Hoyo Excalibur Legend is another new smoke by General that we got a look at. The robust blend appears targeted at smokers who may have got their start with the Hoyo Excalibur line, but have moved towards more full-bodied smokes.

Patrick S (8:00 PM PDT): It was quite a day, but it isn’t over yet. Now I’m off to the CAO/Toraño party at The Palms. We’ll be back on the trade show floor tomorrow, so be sure to let us know in the comments what questions you want asked of the top cigar makers out there and we’ll do our best to get you answers.

–The Stogie Guys

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 (10:15 PDT): This year the show returns to Vegas after being in Houston last year. Despite a recent smoking ban, this is still a great cigar town. There are plenty of places to buy cigars and lots of places to smoke them. I’ve already smoked cigars at the bar, the craps table, the roulette table, the sports book…you get the idea. I’ll be heading to Casa Fuente later today.  The show doesn’t get into full effect until tomorrow when the convention floor opens (when I expect the updates here to be more fast and furious), but tonight it opens with a cocktail reception.

Patrick S (1:23 PDT): We did hear from General Cigar on Friday about their new cigars. I’m looking forward to the La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami rolled in Miami, and also new blends in their Cohiba Line (a Dominican puro), the Macanudo Line (celebrating 40 years since General first started creating Macanudo), and the Hoyo De Monterey Excalibur Legend. General VP Victoria McKee will be personally introducing me to the new lines tomorrow, and we’ll be sure to give you our first impressions.

Jon N (6:20 PDT): Patrick S and I have arrived in Las Vegas, and we got to check out the trade show floor as it was being set up. The big names (Altadis, General, etc.) are in full force with large booths and plenty of floorspace. Like Vegas itself, the show floor is enormous—larger than life and probably pretty easy to get lost in. We look forward to doing so tomorrow morning. The following photos don’t show just how large the floor is.

Patrick S (6:40 PDT): No cigar smoker’s trip to Vegas would be complete without a stop at Casa Fuente. Not surprisingly, the place was packed, but we were fortuate enough to smoke some sticks with a great group of stogie smokers, including Jerry from Stogie Review and Bob from DogWatch Social Club. I enjoyed the Casa Fuente I had (which reportedly features the Opus X blend with a Cameroon wrapper), but I actually enjoyed the King B I bought there even more. Later this evening we’ll be heading back to the IPCPR show for the opening reception.

–The Stogie Guys

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.

With a simple red band, rough edges, and some obtruding veins, this Nicaraguan puro isn’t the most attractive stick in the world. In my book, however, performance and taste are infinitely more important than aesthetics, and the Tatuaje Havana VI Angeles scores well in both categories. The flavor is medium to full with lots of black pepper spice and the mechanics play out well throughout the 45-minute smoke. George E recommended this vitola to me (and actually gifted me the pictured stick), and now I’m recommending it to you.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I’ve always had good, if not stellar experiences with Avo Uvezian cigars. They tend to be very straightforward. Not that there’s anything wrong with a smoke that’s quick and to the point, but something about me—call it my artistic temperament—prefers a bit more complexity in my smokes.

This is why I find “traditional” tasting cigars like Avos, Punches, and others to be solid doubles, or even triples, but rarely homeruns. They get most of the details right, but the big picture isn’t as beautiful as it could be. I could continue mixing and expending various, increasingly clichéd metaphors here, but I think you get my point: I like a challenging cigar.

I’d never tried an Avo Maduro before, and so it was only logical that I pick one up before consigning the whole Avo brand to the “good, but not necessarily my kind of cigar” graveyard. I am very glad I did.

The Avo Maduro Piramide is a handsome and dignified 7 inches by 54 ring gauge figurado. It’s wrapped up neatly and smoothly, with some bumpy tooth here and there that adds a great deal of character to the boot-leather-brown leaf. There cigar is firm, oily, and smells of rich tobacco and freshly sanded wood. The pre-light and fully lit draws are perfect. Just rolling this cigar around in your fingers, lighting it carefully and methodically, and taking your first puff is a tactile treat.

As for the flavor, it’s definitely straightforward. But if any cigar makes a great case for straightforward flavor, it’s this one. It’s blustery and blunt, full of leather and that indescribable, “classic tobacco taste.” There’s not a lot of chocolate or spice to this stick and, frankly, I’m glad. Let 90% of high-end maduros have their cocoa overtones. The Avo Maduro would feel awkward and out of sorts with any sort of sweetness. This stogie is all about the rough, masculine flavors of tobacco and little else. I could easily picture my literary idol Ernest Hemingway chewing on a cigar like this one, perhaps on the deck of his boat off the coast of Cuba.

Perhaps, as Hemingway reminds me, I could stand to trim some excess and needless complexity from my cigars, my life, and my work. After all, a stogie full of flourish and surprise is certainly welcome. But sometimes there’s great beauty in simplicity.

For uncomplicated, yet intriguing flavor, a great aroma, and near-perfect aesthetics, I award the Avo Maduro Piramide four stogies out of five.

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

–Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The first wrapper grown by the Toraños on their own plantation? Tobacco from Panama? These two unique traits help define the distinctive character of the Toraño Virtuoso line.

Advertised as the brand’s strongest blend, Virtuoso is “a testament to the Toraño family’s Cuban heritage.” It sports a Nicaraguan sungrown wrapper, a Honduran binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama.

The 4.75 inch by 52 ring gauge Encore vitola—rated 89 in the February 2006 issue of Cigar Aficionado—is a tasty-looking treat. While you’ll find plenty of veins, some messy seams, and a hastily-applied cap, the stick is nonetheless as smooth as it is solid.

Another unique feature apparent in the two Encores I smoked for this review is the presence of a slight box press. Maybe my tobacco-laden mind is starting to play tricks on me, but the circumference appears to take on somewhat of a flat oval shape. Or maybe not.

No matter. One thing I’m certain about is the delicious prelight aroma that pours out of the foot and off the sienna-colored wrapper (which is lighter than most sungrowns). George E wrote about these “earthy, vegetal” notes in a Quick Smoke of the larger Forte size.

Once lit, those tastes carry over for the first inch or so. The dominant flavors, however, are of black coffee, pepper, oak, and nut with a little bit of cocoa sweetness adding balance. Balance is especially important on a stick like this with a flavor profile that remains very consistent during the 85-minute smoke.

The finale sees no increase in harshness or spice—or anything else for that matter—even when the nub gets too hot to hold. Don’t get me wrong, though; despite its uniformity, the full-bodied taste never left me bored.

Like most Toraño creations, at least in my experience, the physical makeup of this stick is above average. The burn is straight, the white ash strong, and the clear draw produces ample tufts of thick, rich smoke.

While this cigar isn’t quite as tasty as those from Toraño’s Signature line (face it: I’m a sucker for Brazilian wrappers), it’s still well-built and delicious. You won’t be disappointed if you pick up a box of 25 for the going rate of just over $100. That’s my justification for giving the Toraño Virtuoso Encore four out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

For the past few years, online retailing behemoth Cigars International has been selling a premium house brand known as the “Legends” series. These cigars, each one made by a different boldfaced name in the business, represent what CI declares “the very best for the money” (a roughly $5-per-stick price tag). For a mere $5, you can enjoy the equivalent of a much pricier Don Pepin Garcia, or Graycliff, or Perdomo, etc.—or so the marketing goes.

Curious to see if these off-label premiums lived up to their brand-name equivalents, I lit up the Purple Label, a 5.7 inch by 54 ring gauge stick blended by Graycliff mastermind Avelino Lara. The Purple Label is a good-looking cigar whose smooth appearance, slightly spongy texture, and sweet aroma certainly bring the Graycliff Crystal PGX to mind.

Unfortunately, that’s about all this offering has in common with its Graycliff cousin. I can only surmise that the Purple Label is made with inferior tobacco to that found in the name-brand Crystal PGX, because the flavor is only superficially similar. Both are mild-bodied cigars, but the Crystal PGX offers a lot of complexity to belie its gentleness.

The Purple Lable, however, is a study in bland repetition. From start to finish, I tasted a single flavor note—basically what I’d describe as the essence of wet and slightly moldy hay. This is not a very enticing flavor to encounter in one puff of a cigar, much less a hundred or so. But that’s what I got from the Purple Label: Puff after boring puff, this cigar played a symphony in the key of blah. I was all too happy to toss the nub of my first stick, and when sampling my second, I was just as pleased to put it to rest.

I suppose it’s worth mentioning that the Purple Label is a mechanically decent cigar. The draw is a bit too tight, but forgivable. The burn is sharp and even. The ash holds true for inches at a time. But do these qualities really matter when you’ve got no interest in what you’re smoking? I’d almost get the same experience just pretending to puff on the Purple Label for an hour and change, never lighting the foot.

Bottom line: If you want to smoke a Graycliff, you’re unfortunately going to have to pay for the real thing. This cigar is no substitute. Still, for solid aesthetics, competent handling and ennui-inducing flavor, I give the CI Legends Purple Label a very generous two out of five stogies.

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

–Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The “short Churchill” format strikes me as a very Cuban concept. After all, as far as the size goes, it’s really nothing more than a classic robusto size. By naming this robusto a Short Churchill, it calls to mind a longer, less rushed smoking experience that characterizes the 7 inch Chuchill size.

The Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill was introduced in 2006 at the 8th annual Habanos Festival in Havana, Cuba. It has dimensions similar to that of a robusto: 4 and 7/8 inches by 50 ring gauge. This is different from the classic Romeo y Julieta Exhibición No. 4 which, while also a robusto, is a slightly longer and slightly thinner 5 inches by 48.

The Cuban features double gold-embossed bands that give the cigar a regal appearance and frame a shiny, golden caramel-colored wrapper. The leaf is attractive despite some prominent veins, and the well-proportioned cigar is firm to the touch.

Once I lit, the Short Churchill greets me with a medley of flavors including coffee, cream, leather, honey, and graham cracker. It is medium-bodied and tremendously well-balanced. An easy draw makes it easy to enjoy.

As the cigar progressed, I found strong cedar notes moved in, but never so much as to overpower the rest of the flavors. The smoke lasted for close to an hour and never became bitter or harsh, even as I carefully removed both bands and smoked it down to the nub.

The construction was equally impressive. The ash was solid gray and firm, and the burn was even with a black shiny mascara leading the way.

I’ve read reports that production problems have plagued Romeo y Julieta, and I have even heard that later versions of the Short Churchill featured a box press. However, I found none of these problems in the four cigars I smoked for this review.

I did find that aging helped this cigar become even better. After six months of humidor time, the cream and coffee notes were even more pronounced, adding another layer of depth to this already complex smoke.

Like most Cuban cigars, this one isn’t inexpensive (especially with the inflated American dollar). But for just around $10 per cigar ($111 for a box of ten, or $221 for a box of 25) the price is more than fair for this exquisite smoke.

As much as I try, I can’t find anything wrong with this cigar. The format is fantastic, the blend sweet and complex, and the construction flawless. For all that and more, the Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill earns a rating of five out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys