The Stogie Guys

From Drew Estate, purveyor of the Acid, Sauza, and Kahlúa lines, comes Château Real, a real old-school Havana that the manufacturer calls “the new standard by which all other mild, traditional cigars will be judged.”

The building blocks of the series include an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper, a Mexican San Andreas Negro Oscuro binder, and Nicaraguan Criollo and Dominican Piloto Cubano long-fillers.

The Belicoso Favorita is six inches with a 50 ring gauge, and it retails in the $6 to $8 range. It is a golden, almost candela-tinted brown with a few wrinkles at the seams that provide some nostalgia and whimsy. The red and gold double band is simple and understated, but there’s more than meets the eye.

On the flip side of the top band you’ll find an inscription that directs smokers to the Drew Estate website under the heading of “The Rebirth of Cigars.” I find this advertising technique to be creative, and I’m surprised more manufacturers haven’t adopted the approach.

As I toasted the foot with a few wooden matches, I found a wonderful aroma of toast and hay. Thereafter, the first few puffs set the tone with a warm, buttery flavor. The creamy smoke reminds me of one of my favorite bargain cigars: the Ybor City Handmade.

Another familiar taste is also present, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s dry, hollow, and a little spicy. Contrary to my predictions, the spice doesn’t pick up into the final third, keeping the Château Real soft and mild for the full hour.

Doughy to the touch, this stogie sports a fairly even burn and a clear draw. The ash, while holding firm at times, can fall off unexpectedly.

I don’t think I’m going out on a limb when I call this a real fine morning to mid-afternoon smoke. It successfully accomplishes what many cigars attempt: taste and complexity in a mild format. Still, it’s a bit overpriced, so I’m giving the Château Real Belicoso Favorita three out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As far as cigar brands go, Graycliff can be pretty hard to come by. Sure, you’ll be able to find them at the occasional B&M or online retailer, but not nearly as frequently as you’d expect, especially from a brand that has received some glowing praise.

Various Graycliff lines – from Crystal and Profesionale to Espresso and Emerald – have earned high marks at publications like Cigar Aficionado and Smoke Magazine. With a limited production, though, the brand still seems to waver in obscurity.

Perhaps that’s a testament to Graycliff’s humble beginnings in the entranceway of a Bahaman restaurant. The company was founded by Enrico Garzaroli, a restaurateur who wanted to produce a high-end cigar to compliment the cuisine of his dining establishments in Nassau. Judging by the few Château Grand Cru PGs I’ve smoked recently, I think he hit the nail on the head.

Advertised as full-bodied with dominant flavors of leather and spice, this particular line was introduced to rave reviews at the 2005 RTDA trade show. It is composed of tobacco from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica and retails in the pricey $12 to $19 range.

The PG is a robusto-sized stick with dimensions of 5 and ¼ inches and a ring gauge of 50. The wrapper is a bit granulated and veiny, but not unattractive, and the band is a shiny purple and gold (which, as you can see by the picture, is very difficult to photograph). Innocent-looking enough.

As unthreatening as the appearance is, though, the taste is quite full with well-balanced notes of raisin, vanilla, and roasted nuts. The aroma produced with each easy puff is bountiful and reminiscent of the Davidoff Grand Cru series.

But this stogie is stronger, especially into the halfway point as a spicy pepper flavor comes into play. With all these tastes and an even burn, the cigar is a real pleasure from light to nub – a memorable journey that takes a little over 75 minutes.

My only complaint is that the ash is a little frail and unpredictable. I was surprised by this, particularly since the filler is packed very tightly.

When it’s all said and done, however, this is a fine, well-balanced, expertly crafted, complex smoke. Too bad the cost gives me sticker shock. If the price were closer to the $8 to $10 range, I’d be willing to give the Graycliff Château Grand Cru PG an even higher rating than four out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. Cigars for this review were provided by CigarsDirect.com, and can be purchased 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.

The most prominent feature of this cigar is the dark, oily Nicaraguan sungrown wrapper. Don’t stop there, though. Be sure to appreciate the earthy, vegetal aroma before lighting. Toraño advertises this as its most full-bodied stick, with a filler mix from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama. But the five inch by 56 ring gauge stick I enjoyed seemed more medium than full. It began with a spicy touch for the first half-inch or so, then moved to a smooth, rich mix of coffee, cocoa. and leather. My guess is these would age well and I look forward to smoking more from this line.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Since it came out this summer, the new Montecristo Petit Edmundo has earned a heap of praise, not the least of which was a whopping rating of 94 from Cigar Aficionado. The magazine also named it one of “Cuba’s Stars” in the July 2007 issue.

The whole idea behind the cigar is to deliver lots of smoking pleasure in a short format. At four and 1/3 inches with a 52 ring gauge, it’s the same size as the legendary Edmundo vitola, just one inch shorter.

This is in line with the newest Cuban style: short and stubby sticks for a modern, on-the-go life. That trend seems a bit ironic to me, especially since cigars are meant for relaxation and should never be rushed.

But I’m not about to complain. The Petit Edmundo is gorgeous in every way, from the classic Montecristo band to the red-tinted wrapper to the flawless cap. I wanted to wait a few months longer to review it, but I just didn’t have the willpower. (Damn my glass-top humidor!)

The cigar is strong and spicy from the get-go with notes of cedar, nutmeg, and pepper. Sweet and floral flavors are also present – both of which nicely round off the finish – and butter and almond tastes provide a creamy texture. A warm tobacco flavor with hints of cocoa is prevalent down the stretch.

Now some early reviews have said the Petit Edmundo lacks complexity. As you can see from the preceding paragraph, I thoroughly disagree. But I’m also interested to see how this Cuban puro performs with an additional six months of aging.

With a very even burn, a solid gray ash (I only tapped the ashtray twice), and an easy draw that yields tons of smoke with each puff, the physical properties are also excellent.

In all, this is a well-balanced, full-bodied, complex masterpiece that won’t disappoint – whether you pay as little as $10 or as much as $20 for a single. One of the best all-around Cubans I’ve ever had the pleasure to enjoy, I give the Montecristo Petit Edmundo five out of five stogies.

[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.

Everything about this six inch by 54 ring gauge cigar is pretty mediocre. The flavor, driven by a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, is of spice, clove, and warm tobacco. Pleasant, but a little dry. You get an even burn and a clear draw, but the ash is flakey and the light keeps wanting to go out. In the $4.50 to $5.10 range, I wasn’t utterly disappointed. But I wasn’t wowed either.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

You may recall an April Special Report, courtesy of my dad, that gave a first-hand account of Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke in Chicago. At the end of that post I said “I’ve reaffirmed my commitment to make it to my first major cigar event in 2007. In case you’re wondering, my dad and I currently have plans in the works to crash the Big Smoke in Las Vegas on November 10 at the Venetian.”

This weekend I made good on that promise. And let me tell you that with all the free-flowing booze samples, incredible cigar handouts, and hoards of superstars from the industry, the Big Smoke is a must attend for every stogie enthusiast.

Now I had originally intended on bringing along a notepad and trying to have detailed (but brief) conversations with tobacco’s heavy hitters. For several reasons, not the least of which was a crowd of over 6,000, that just wasn’t possible.

So instead of trying to convey the tremendous atmosphere to you via text, I thought I would share some of my favorite photos. Special thanks to my dad and his colleague, Mark Carlson, for helping me handle the camera in the hectic excitement.

Perhaps not surprisingly, some of the longest lines of the night were at the Rocky Patel booth. But it was well worth the wait. Mr. Patel spent a good portion of the evening posing for photos, like this one with yours truly.

Tim Ozgener was really in the thick of things, helping many guests establish good lights on samples from his Criollo line. Where else but at the Big Smoke can you have your cigar lit by the president of a major tobacco organization like CAO? Mr. Ozgener seemed pleased to hear my favorite CAO is the Brazilia Gol.

My dad and I are all smiles posing with a few “representatives” from Arganese.

Alan Rubin of Alec Bradley was a real pleasure as he handed out samples from his Maxx line. He told me he was especially proud of the limited edition blend he created called “Dodge Challenger.” Reviews of both are forthcoming.

I didn’t mind telling Charlie Toraño how much I enjoy his Signature Collection.

Carlos Fuente Sr. spent most of his evening frantically signing Big Smoke programs and Arturo Fuente baseball caps.

My dad, Mark Carlson, and I pose for one last photo before heading out for dinner, drinks, and blackjack.

It was a real honor to meet everyone at the event – from La Flor Dominicana’s Litto Gomez to La Aurora’s José Blanco to all those pictured above. Something tells me this won’t be my last Big Smoke.

–Patrick A

photo credits: Stogie Guys

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Last updated: January 19, 2009