The Stogie Guys

In 2010, a Minneapolis-area cigar shop called Tobacco Grove introduced a store-exclusive Tatuaje Black in a Petit Lancero (6 x 38) format. Only 200 boxes of 25 were made for a total production run of 5,000. They sold out almost instantly.

Later, Pete Johnson turned the vitola into a regular release. The only difference between the two cigars—aside from the production numbers, of course—is the Tobacco Grove Petit Lancero had a pigtail cap and a closed foot.

For those unfamiliar with Tatuaje Black, the line was launched in 2007 in a Corona Gorda size that came in ceramic jars. Known as Johnson’s personal blend, some consider this cigar to be one of the best ever made.

But all cigars change over time due to uncontrollable variables. And Don José “Pepin” Garcia-made cigars, including Tatuaje Black, have also changed slightly due to the lawsuit and falling out between Pepin and his former partner Eduardo Fernandez, owner of Aganorsa S.A. and partner in El Rey de Los Habanos. (Blends had to be tweaked when access to Aganorsa tobacco stopped.)

That hasn’t stopped Tatuaje, or Pepin (who makes Tatuaje for Johnson), from putting out excellent cigars. Nor has it prevented the Tatuaje Black from being reissued and expanded. Of all the different Tatuaje formats over the years, though, the Petit Lancero is one of the best.

This wonderful cigar is a mottled, slightly reddish Nicaraguan puro that’s not without its fair share of veins. It is moderately spongy in firmness. The wrinkled, textured wrapper leaf is incredibly oily; it’s almost velvety. The cold draw is smooth. At the foot, pre-light notes include cocoa and molasses.

At the outset, the spice-forward flavor is medium-bodied with well-balanced notes of oak, cinnamon, chocolate, and white pepper. The texture is thick and leathery. After half an inch, the spice recedes a notch to make way for a little sweet cream. The retrohale is occasionally characterized by a flourish of roasted nuts.

At the midway point, the Petit Lancero calms considerably in terms of both body and spice. Then, in the final third, there is a reprise of strength and spice, along with peanut, dark chocolate, and dry cedar. All the while, the construction is excellent. Expect a straight burn line, easy draw, solid white ash, and good smoke production.

It’s hardly a surprise to me that I really like this Tatuaje Black. I love the size—it’s enough to be satisfying without overstaying its welcome, and the narrow ring gauge helps to concentrate the flavors—plus most Johnson/Pepin creations tend to resonate well on my palate (I’m not the only one). This classic-tasting, medium-bodied cigar scores very well due to its ample complexity and harmonious balance. I rate it 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.”

El Rey del Mundo is a famous Cuban brand with an often overlooked non-Cuban counterpart. This non-Cuban version was made at the Villazon factory in Honduras for many years, but apparently is now made at STG/General Cigar’s Danlí factory. Made with a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper and Honduran binder and filler, the five-inch Robusto has a thick ring gauge of 54. The cigar features black coffee, roasted nuts, sour bread, and cedar. Not overly complex but well-constructed, it’s a good value at around $6.

Verdict = Buy.

– Patrick S

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 robusto-sized (5 x 50) smoke had been resting in one of my humidors for about three years. I enjoyed Cohiba Nicaragua back when it was introduced in 2014. Now, with some age, I find the cigar is considerably better balanced, smoother, and more enjoyable. The earthy core of leather, spice, and coffee is now offset by more pronounced flavors of cream, toffee, and peanut. Expect to pay around $12-13 for this cigar, which features a Honduran Colorado oscuro wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It’s not cheap, but it’s a winner—especially if you can practice some patience.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Back in 2011, about two years after Ernesto Perez-Carrillo ended his nine-year tenure with General Cigar to establish his own family-operated boutique, he introduced the Elencos Series. This three-vitola line had the same blend as the E.P. Carrillo Edición Limitada 2010, and its production was likewise limited by the availability of the requisite tobaccos.

E.P. Carrillo re-released Elencos at the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, this time as a regular production line in the company’s Elite series. The blend consists of a Brazilian wrapper, a Dominican binder, and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. (Of note: You may see the binder listed as Ecuadorian elsewhere; this is an error, as confirmed via phone Lissette Perez-Carrillo, Ernesto’s daughter.)

Elencos is Spanish for “cast,” as in the cast of a theatrical production. It is offered in the same three formats as it was in 2011 with prices in the $8.25-9.25 range: Don Rubino (5.25 x 50), Elites (6 x 54), and a figurado called Acto Mayor (6.25 x 52). The first shipments of the line are expected to start arriving at retailers later this month.

As you may have noticed from my pictures, the attractive, intricate band of silver, black, and red says “Elenco,” not “Elencos.” Lissette Perez-Carrillo confirms the name of the line remains “Elencos” and that the bands and boxes are being corrected as such.

I smoked several Don Rubinos for this review. This robusto-sized smoke has a dark, oily wrapper that’s devoid of any large veins or imperfections. It is firm to the touch, yet the cold draw is clear. The pre-light notes are rich and reminiscent of molasses and nougat.

After an even light is established, the profile is incredibly full-bodied right from the get-go. The bold, spicy flavors include espresso, black pepper, cayenne heat, and dark cherry. The texture is thick and syrupy. Then, about a half inch in, the strength pulls back a bit and additional notes of sweet cream and roasted nuts help add balance. Towards the midway point and beyond, the cigar mellows further. It’s still medium- to full-bodied, mind you, but the flavor is more balanced and harmonious, and a thick, syrupy sweetness combines with the roasted nuts to help offset some of the heavy-handed pepper and espresso.

The construction is flawless. The gray ash holds well, the burn line is straight, and the smoke production is excellent.

The Elencos Don Rubino from E.P. Carrillo packs a ton of bold flavor and Nicaraguan strength for just north of $8. I recommend seeking it out, especially if you crave a rather intense experience. In my book, it earns a very solid 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.”

Especially before the Cuban embargo was loosened, Cuban tobacco in a cigar that could be legally sold in the United States was a good way to get consumers to pay attention, even if some weren’t all that good. Camacho came into a supply of pre-embargo Cuban tobacco that reportedly originated with DWG Cigar Company of Ohio (which later became the Wendy’s fast food chain). The since-discontinued cigar uses a Corojo wrapper, Honduran binder, and filler from Honduras, Nicaragua and Cuba (though the percentage of over half century-old Cuban tobacco isn’t disclosed). Price varies greatly, but originally these cigars sold for $20 each (now half that is the norm). Flavors in the medium-bodied toro include salt, pepper, hay, and tea. Construction was excellent, even if the flavors were somewhat uninspired.

Verdict = Hold.

– Patrick S

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.”

In 2015, Camacho introduced American Barrel Aged, a “complex and intense” cigar with “bourbon barrel-aged Corojo at its heart.” The first release under Camacho’s Master Built Series, the blend is “constructed almost entirely of American-grown tobacco including a Broadleaf wrapper, binder, and filler, along with maduro filler tobacco from Pennsylvania” and Honduran Corojo. The Toro (6 x 50) retails for $11. It is a bold, full-bodied, well-constructed cigar with intense flavors of leather, black pepper spice, espresso, warm tobacco, and, yes, bourbon. That said, despite its strength, the profile can sometimes come across as medicinal and maybe even a little stale.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Cuban-born cigar maker A.J. Fernandez is nothing if not prolific. In addition to making his own cigar lines, he has collaborated with numerous brands big and small including Rocky Patel, Foundation Cigar Company, Aging Room, La Palina, and Altadis (Montecristo, H. Upmann, Romeo y Julieta, and Gispert).

Fernandez burst onto the scene with cigars made for catalog and online giant Cigars International, including Man O’War and Diesel. More recently, he’s been creating cigars for General Cigar, which is owned by the same parent company as Cigars International. In 2016, he made Time Flies under the Foundry brand and Hoyo La Amistad.

At this year’s IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar followed up Hoyo La Amistad with Hoyo La Amistad Silver. (The original features bands with gold trim while the Silver line has, as you’d expect, silver trim.) Both cigars sport an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The Silver has filler tobacco from Estelí and Condega (while the original uses tobacco from Condega, Estelí, Jalapa, and Ometepe).

Made at Tabacalera Fernandez S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua, Hoyo La Amistad Silver boasts delicious pre-light aromas with classic dark chocolate and rich earth wafting from the cigar as soon as it is removed from its cellophane. The dark, nearly oscuro wrapper surrounds a firmly constructed cigar that produces a sturdy light gray ash, even burn, and flawless draw.

The three Robustos (5 x 50) I smoked for this review all had a flavor profile characterized by dry chocolate, oak, pepper, and black coffee. Flavors are medium- to full-bodied with minimal variation, except an occasional slight bitterness.

More than once, I was reminded of San Cristobal made by My Father Cigars. That’s a high compliment, as it’s a cigar I enjoy quite a bit and is priced a bit higher than the Hoyo, which has a suggested retail price of $7-8 per cigar.

All around, despite the infrequent bitterness, this is an excellent, well-made cigar that will appeal to fans of classic Nicaraguan flavors. That earns the Hoyo La Amistad Silver Robusto a rating of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys