The Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

I wasn’t looking for this cigar as I recently perused the humidor at my local tobacconist. Rather, it found me. The band and unique oval-pressed shape caught my eye, reminding me it had been far too long since I fired up a Herrera Estelí Norteño. I picked up an Edicion Limitada Churchill (7 x 48) for about $13, not including ridiculous Chicago taxes. I’m glad I did. This Drew Estate creation—which features a dark Mexican San Andrés wrapper around a Honduran binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua—brings about earthy notes with flavors of dark chocolate, coffee, oak, and peanut. Construction is impressive.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Who doesn’t love a lonsdale?

Well, a lot of cigar smokers, I guess, since the long-ish, thin shape has become less and less popular through the years. Its once-prominent place in humidors has declined even more rapidly with the ascendance of large ring gauge smokes.

But the lonsdale remains an elegant and tempting shape.

This recent offering from Cornelius & Anthony keeps the tradition alive and is a welcome addition to the three sizes of the initial line the company introduced a couple of years ago.

The cigars are rolled in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood at the well-known El Titan de Bronze factory. The Cornelius Lonsdale is the traditional 6.5 inches long with a ring gauge of 42.

As with other C&A cigars, it features two bands, with the thinner one identifying it as Cornelius. The MSRP is $13.50. (The lonsdale name, by the way, comes from an English nobleman, the fifth earl of Lonsdale, who reportedly spent as much as £500 a week on cigars.)

The wrapper is an oily light brown Ecuadorian Habano. The binder is also from Ecuador, while the filler is a mix of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos.

Like its sibling, the Cornelius Lonsdale begins with a pleasant mixture of sweetness and spice. The sweetness recedes as the cigar burns down, and charred wood and cedar move forward. In the final third, a peppery note comes through as well.

The draw, which can sometimes be a concern with thinner cigars, was excellent in both of those I tried. The cigars also produced a great deal of thick, rich smoke and held their ashes tightly.

The Cornelius Lonsdale paired perfectly with black coffee, and I imagine it would complement any number of drinks (except those that are very sweet).

All in all, I found this vitola a bit more complex and balanced than the Toro I smoked earlier. Strength in all of them was squarely in the medium range.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Cornelius Lonsdale and recommend it for almost any smoker. I rate it a strong four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Debonaire first got on my radar about two years ago when Drew Estate announced it had entered an agreement to become the exclusive distributor of Debonaire and (sister brand) Indian Motorcycle cigars. Both are produced in the Dominican Republic for longtime industry veteran Phillip S. Zanghi III and Daniel Sinclair, founder of Durfort Holdings, a manufacturer of pipe tobacco, cut rag, and machine cigars.

Of the partnership, Jonathan Drew had this to say: “Phil Zanghi has been a dear personal friend of mine for two decades. When I permanently moved to Nicaragua in 1998, I wasn’t speaking no fancy languages like Spanish, so Phil helped keep me sane, as we scuttled back and forth between Nica and Honduras. He’s been a psychological and spiritual Drew Estate booster from our beginnings.”

Now Zanghi is a booster for his own portfolio of cigars, bolstered by Drew Estate’s extensive distribution network. “Debonaire is the culmination of 20 years of research and development to produce the finest premium cigar on the market today,” reads the Debonaire website. “We incorporated the finest, darkest, air-cured tobacco from the most superior tobacco crops of Central America and the Dominican Republic… We are highly critical of every aspect of production to ensure an exceptional experience.”

Along with the Connecticut Shade-wrapped Daybreak and Nicaraguan-wrapped Habano, Maduro is one of three lines in Debonaire’s Ultra Premium collection. It sports a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, a San Vicente binder from the Dominican Republic, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Six vitolas are available, including the petit lancero-sized Sagita (5.5 x 38).

Sagitta is Latin for “arrow”—a fitting name since the size reminds Zanghi “of an arrow and what the arrow represents in an archer’s quiver.” During production, Zanghi elected to drop a “t” as a celebration of how the word was being spelled by his colleagues in the Dominican Republic.

This oily, moderately spongy, incredibly dark cigar is accented by a pigtail cap and an intricate band of gold, black, white, and brown. At the foot, I find pre-light notes of dark chocolate and green raisin. The cap clips cleanly to reveal an airy cold draw.

After an even light is established—a feat that shouldn’t take more than a single wooden match, given the small ring gauge—I am greeted by an introductory profile of black coffee, warm tobacco, sweet cream, and a bit of cherry. Attentive smokers may also find some white pepper and a gentle cayenne heat in the background. As the Sagita progresses towards the midway point, the body transitions from medium to full and the taste shifts toward espresso, roasted cashew, and black pepper spice. The finale is extremely full-bodied with even more black pepper.

In terms of construction, the petit lancero performs well. The burn line is straight, the gray ash holds solidly off the foot, the draw is clear throughout, and the smoke production is about average. Total smoking time is about 60 minutes if you take your time.

I wish more blends came in a petit lanerco size. This is a fantastic format. The smoke is rich and concentrated, and the length ensures a completion before the flavor wears out its welcome.

Expect to pay about $9 for the Debonaire Maduro Sagita, and expect to be satisfied and impressed. In my book, this cigar earns an admirable rating of four stogies out of five.

[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 verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This 2015 release from La Flor Dominicana features a Brazilian wrapper, Mexican binder, and Dominican fillers. Nox means “night” in Latin, and with a dark wrapper and deep flavors the moniker is fitting. The Toro (6.5 x 50) produces burnt hickory, licorice, and roast nut notes. Some sweetness kicks in towards the final third. La Nox begins full-bodied, though it mellows slightly to a more medium profile. Rich flavors and excellent construction make this easy to recommend.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

In November. the A. Smith Bowman Distillery announced a new addition to its Bowman series of bourbon whiskey: Issac Bowman, a straight bourbon whiskey finished port barrels. The Virginia distillery traces its roots to before prohibition, and relocated from Fairfax County (now a suburb of Washington) to Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Today, it is owned by Sazerac, which owns Kentucky’s famous Buffalo Trace Distillery, home to some of the biggest names in bourbon today: Pappy Van Winkle, George T. Stagg, Weller, Eagle Rare, and Blanton’s. Although details are limited, it is believed that most of the Bowman bourbons were distilled at the Buffalo Trace distillery, shipped to Bowman for additional distillation, then aged in Virginia.

The Bowman line is named after the Bowman brothers, who fought in the Revolutionary War: Bowman Brothers Small Batch Bourbon, John Bowman Single Barrel Bourbon, and Abraham Bowman Limited Edition Bourbons. There’s also a George Bowman Revolutionary Rum, named after their father. While youngest brother Isaac had been left out, the popularity of multiple Abraham Bowman limited edition bourbons finished in port barrels inspired the new permanent addition to the line.

While the Abraham Bowman Port Finish bourbons which were aged for over 12 years, the new Issaac Bowman line is reportedly aged for about half as long. The bourbon is copper in color with short legs.

The 92-proof bourbon features a sharp nose of cherry, vanilla, and wine tannin. On the palate, I find a combination of toasted grains, fresh cut oak, cherry cola, and caramel. The finish has roasted flavors and notes of red wine aged in french oak.

Those flavors pair well with an Ecuadorian Habano-wrapped cigar. Some favorites include: Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu, Sobermesa, Illusione Garagiste, and My Father.

One benefit of living in Virginia is the state-run liquor stores carry Bowman bourbons that would otherwise be harder to find. The new Issaac Bowman port-finished ($40) was released first to Virginia, but is expected to roll out to other states soon.

I slightly prefer Angel’s Envy Bourbon ($50) to Isaac Bowman, but fans of Angel’s Envy should try this bourbon, too. Both prominently display the flavors imparted by finishing the bourbon in port barrels, though Angel’s Envy is more balanced while Isaac Bowman is more forward and brash. Neither is as excellent as the limited release Abraham Bowman Port Finish (pictured right) but, of course, that sold out years ago and is nearly impossible to find.

A month ago, Villiger announced its first full-bodied cigar. La Vencedora, Spanish for “the victor,” is a Nicaraguan puro made at Joya de Nicaragua. The line is intended as a “follow-up blend” to the Ecuadorian-wrapped La Flor de Ynclan, which debuted last year.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to use our 130 years of experience to create what I feel is a very special cigar in the Villiger La Vencedora,” said Heinrich Villiger, chairman of the Switzerland-based company. Rene Castañeda, president of Villiger Cigars North America, added, “La Vencedora is a palate-pleasing, full-bodied, yet elegant cigar, that will satisfy the cigar connoisseur as well as the casual smoker.”

The introduction of a truly full-bodied cigar is the latest in a series of moves made by Villiger to step up its premium cigar game. For quite some time, Villiger had been known almost exclusively as a purveyor of machine-made cigars. In recent years, though, Villiger has introduced several premium handmade cigar lines, including La Flor de Ynclan, 1888, San’Doro, and, now, La Vencedora. (Quick side note: Three cheers to Villiger for maintaining a clean, updated, easy-to-navigate website to help consumers learn about its blends—a no-brainer that’s unfortunately all too uncommon among cigar makers.)

The three La Vencedora vitolas retail in the $9-10 range: Robusto (5 x 50), Churchill (7 x 50), and Toro (6 x 50). The latter is the subject of today’s review. Beneath its metallic band of silver, black, and red is a dark, moderately oily Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper. The foot exhibits pre-light notes of black cherry and mesquite. Once the well-executed cap is clipped, I find, despite the Toro’s relative firmness, an easy cold draw.

After setting an even light, a rich, medium-bodied profile introduces itself with flavors ranging from espresso and dried fruit to black pepper and cinnamon. Shortly thereafter, the body ramps up to full, and all of the individual notes—especially espresso—increase in intensity. The midway point is characterized by less spice and more cream, as well as the welcome additions of brown sugar, roasted pecans, and vanilla. The texture is bready. The finale is a heavy dose of spice.

True to Joya de Nicaragua form, the combustion properties are outstanding. Expect an even burn, solid gray ash, smooth draw, and good smoke production.

La Vencedora “represents to Heinrich Villiger the arrival of Villiger Cigars to the premium handmade cigar segment.” To him, it is a “legacy cigar.” To me, it’s the most impressive, complex, encompassing smoke Villiger has produced to date, and it earns four and a half stogies out of five.

[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 verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This particular Illusione Cruzado Elitas (6 x 44) had been aging for at least four years, which is why it features the original band, as opposed to more recent packaging that highlights the connection to the Illusione brand. The Cruzado blend, launched in 2008, is a Nicaraguan puro that heavily utilizes Criollo ’98 tobaccos, as opposed to the corojo tobaccos that are predominant in the original Illusione blend. The full-bodied smoke is characterized by leather, wood spice, coffee, unsweetened chocolate, and black pepper. It’s an excellent, if perhaps frequently overlooked, blend.