The Stogie Guys

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this cigar is the prelight aroma. It is sweet, thick, and alluring. The first impression is of a cigar worthy of commemorating a tenth anniversary. However, as looks can be deceiving, so can olfaction.

This five inch by 50 ring gauge, double-banded cigar was released to celebrate Rocky Patel’s decade run with Indian Tabac, his first brand. I smoked quite a few Indian Tabacs in years past, and the ITC didn’t fit at all with what I remember of them. Not that that really matters. Purely on its own, I thought the ITC was just an average cigar.

The draw was too easy and, as you might expect from that, the ash was flaky.

The smoke was wonderfully thick. The burn was somewhat erratic but never required a touch-up.

Where it suffered most, though, was taste. Not bad, just not particularly interesting or memorable. A medium strength cigar, it had a white wood taste at times and a fairly flat tobacco taste at other times. About halfway, it got very dry and added harshness in the final third.

This stick was a gift, but I think I’ve seen them for around $6. I believe it is a Nicaraguan puro, but I couldn’t find any information about it on the Rocky Patel web pages and there doesn’t seem to be an Indian Tabac site.

I’ll give this stick three out of five stogies on the StogieGuys.com scale.

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

–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 30-40 minute smoke is a wonderful choice when you’re short on time or it’s a bit too cold to stand outside for two hours. At just over four inches with a 40 ring gauge, you’ll get spice and floral flavors similar to the Petit Edmundo, a straight burn, and a nicely layered ash. The $4.40 price tag is fairly accessible, especially compared to other similarly sized Cubans.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

It’s been quite awhile since our last Smoke Out, but now we’re proud to announce that StogieGuys.com is at it again. On Sunday, March 9 we will be hosting a get-together for DC-area readers and friends at Carpool in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia. The event will commence at 4 p.m. EST and last until everyone is tired of drinking and smoking.

While we have hosted a few of these fun-filled events in the past (pictured at right), this one promises to be especially memorable. Cuban Crafters – the boutique manufacturer responsible for such highly rated favorites as J.L. Salazar, La Carolina, Cabinet Selection, Don Kiki (both Brown and White), and Cameroon – has graciously agreed to sponsor the event. Thus, a variety of free Cuban Crafters cigars will be available to attendees (while supplies last) and other items will be given away in a free raffle.

In order to ensure that we have enough goodies to hand out and ample space at the bar, all we ask is that you RSVP here as soon as possible.

Of course, Patrick A and Patrick S will be on hand to participate in all the activities that will make this event great: smoking/talking cigars, eating BBQ, playing pool and darts, etc. Conveniently, Carpool is just a stone’s throw away from the Ballston Metro station and parking will also be available. To summarize:

• WHAT: DC Stogie Guys Cigar Smoke Out, sponsored by Cuban Crafters
• WHERE: Carpool in Arlington, VA
• WHEN: Sunday, March 9 at 4 p.m. EST
• WHY: Free Cuban Crafters cigars and great company
• HOW: RSVP today!

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The Cuban Cohiba Robusto is one of the six original Cohibas known as the Línea Clásica. The Línea Clásica (Classic Line) consists of the six vitolas: the Panetela, Corona Especial, and Lancero, which were introduced in 1982; followed by the Exquisito, Espléndido, and Robusto, which debuted in 1989. The Siglo line, of which we gave the Siglo V a five stogie rating, was introduced later in 1992.

Except for the fact that the Cuban Cohiba Robusto is also a traditional robusto shape (four and 7/8 inches with a 50 ring gauge), the it bears little similarity to the Dominican Cohiba Robusto made by General Cigar. General Cigar and Habanos SA have been feuding over the rights to the name Cohiba for well over a decade.

This cigar has a smooth, shiny caramel brown wrapper with only a few prominent veins, all wrapped in the traditional black and gold Cohiba band. It retails for $12-15. (Check if yours is a fake with this tip.)

After clipping the head and lighting the foot, I find a quick burst of bitter. The unpleasant flavor is strong and overwhelming. The burn also begins poorly, as it is quite uneven.

Fortunately, the sub-par start quickly turns around. After about a half inch the bitterness departed and was replaced with a smooth, cedary medium-bodied flavor. At almost the same time the burn corrected itself and, for the rest of the smoke, the ash was firm and solid and the burn was even.

As the cigar progressed, I found a complex mix of honey, earth, and a pepper spice that meandered in and out. By the time I got to the end, I was so thoroughly enjoying the cigar I had almost forgotten about the bitter start.

In fact, were it not for that bitter and unpleasant beginning, this cigar would rank up there with the Siglo V or other top-rated sticks. But unfortunately I can’t write that start off as a fluke, as I experienced it with the multiple Robustos I smoked for this review.

But despite the initial performance, this is still a fine cigar. It earns an impressive rating of four out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

By now, regular readers know what huge fans we are of Cuban Crafters. And why shouldn’t we be? With excellent, affordable lines such as La Carolina, Cabinet Selection, Don Kiki (both Brown and White), and Cameroon, we’ve come to love the quality, attention to detail, and value this Nicaraguan boutique cigar operation offers.

The J.L. Salazar y Hermanos Reserva Especial series is no exception. I don’t want to spoil the ending or anything, but I really enjoyed the six Robustos I smoked for this review. And I’m not alone: Patrick S and a StogieGuys.com reader have already made public their affinity for this line.

The history of J.L. Salazar y Hermanos dates back to 1810 when the Salazar family began producing highly regarded puros in the Pinar del Rio region of Cuba. Today, J.L. and his brothers carry on that proud tradition in Nicaragua with a special blend of Cuban-seed tobaccos. Reserva Especial consists of an Ecuadorian wrapper, a habano 2000 binder, and fillers from Estelí.

Not unlike their ancestors’ cigars in Cuba, today’s blend has received a fair amount of praise. Smoke Magazine consistently rates these box-pressed beauties above 9 (the Torpedo vitola recently earned a 9.4), and many bloggers have been quick to commend the stick’s rich flavor.

The Robusto measures five and ½ inches with a 52 ring gauge and retails at $87.50 for a carefully presented cedar box of 25 ($3.50 apiece). You’d expect a cigar at that price to have some aesthetic imperfections, but this one doesn’t. The wrapper is dark, silky, and nearly flawless.

The J.L. Salazar y Hermanos experience starts with a dry, woody taste that transitions into notes of nuts, spice, and pepper. The second phase welcomes a chocolate sweetness and an espresso-like flavor, and the final third is bigger and bolder with tastes of cocoa bean, bittersweet chocolate, and burnt clove. Very interesting and complex.

All of the Robustos I smoked were consistent in construction: a smooth, loose draw that yields plenty of smoke; a white, layered ash that holds moderately well; and a clean, sharp burn that starts straight but requires several touch-ups down the stretch.

When you get right down to it, this is a fine, complex cigar with medium to full flavors that can impress even seasoned cigar veterans. Bang for the buck is very high, so I have no qualms about giving the J.L. Salazar y Hermanos Reserva Especial Robusto four out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. To purchase this cigar from a StogieGuys.com affiliate, 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.

Old Henry is a house brand from Holt’s made by cigar blender extraordinaire Don Pepin Garcia. This five inch by 50 ring gauge Nicaraguan puro features a flawless chocolate brown wrapper with a grizzled bulldog on the band. Inside is medium to full flavors of chocolate, earth, and leather. Like most Pepin cigars it is flavorful yet well-balanced.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

I smoke plenty of cigars of all shapes and sizes, and I’ve come to a conclusion lately: I really like torpedos, pyramids, belicosos, or what ever else you want to call them.

Some of the classic cigars of all time – including the Montecristo No. 2 – are torpedos, but the vitola has more to offer than just a fantastic heritage.

Belicosos can be a real work of art, making you wonder just how skilled the rollers that create these cigars must be. In many factories, only the most talented torcedores work on the belicoso sizes.

But the benefits of the torpedo aren’t simply aesthetic either. Pyramids focus the flavor on your palate, concentrating it on one spot. If the cigar is good, this means that those good flavors are even more intense.

So if you’re in the mood for a great cigar, consider a torpedo, pyramid, or belicoso. Here are five of my favorites:

• Montecristo No. 2 (Cuban)
• Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 2
• Cohiba Edición Limitada 2006 Pirámide (Cuban)
• Davidoff Millenium Blend Piramide
• Padrón Serie 1964 Piramide

So what are your favorite pyramids?

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys