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.”

The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper on this Crowned Heads offering is so rough and gritty you might think the rollers finished their work with sandpaper. Introduced last year, Le Careme features an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and filler from Nicaragua. (The name, in case you’re wondering, comes from a French chef who pioneered haute cuisine.) It’s a tasty cigar with some sweetness, a bit of spice, and leather. In my hand, the five-inch stick feels smaller than the stated 50-ring gauge, and it tends to burn fast, straight, and with excellent smoke production.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

These days most new bourbons seem to fit into one of two general categories: young bourbons lacking an age statement with a marketing emphasis on boutique craftsmanship, and well-aged bourbons that are highly limited and expensive. Today I try two new limited edition bourbons distinctly in the latter category.

Knob Creek 25th Anniversary celebrates a quarter century since the introduction of Knob Creek, one of the first premium “small batch” bourbons (before that was such a crowded category). Made by Jim Beam, it is a single-barrel offering bottled at cask-strength (120- to 125-proof) and aged 12 to 13 years.

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Decades is the second Master’s Keep release, a follow-up to a seven-year-old bourbon released in 2015. Decades is a blend of 10- and 20-year-old bourbon.

Tasting Notes

Knob Creek 25th Anniversary ($125)
122-proof (61% ABV), barreled 2/25/2004
Color: Dark mahogany
Nose: Roast corn, vanilla, and cedar
Palate: Praline, cherries, and toasted oak
Finish: Very long with vanilla, allspice, and wood

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Decades ($150)
104-proof, mix of 10-year-old and 20-year-old bourbon
Color: Deep copper
Nose: Spice cake, raisins, and oak
Palate: Resin, ginger, allspice, and toffee
Finish: Medium in length with clove and malted cereal

Both bourbons are surprisingly similar, with lots of woodsy spice yet enough sweetness to avoid being called over-oaked. Each is very enjoyable neat, as neither has too much heat (particularly impressive for the 122-proof Knob Creek).

Both feature a combination of finesse and full flavor that pairs well with almost any cigar. For the Knob Creek 25th Anniversary, I’d particularly suggest a rich Broadleaf cigar like the Mi Querida or Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial. For the Wild Turkey Decades, try a balanced yet full-flavored cigar like the Davidoff Nicaragua or RoMaCraft Aquitaine.

The price of each bourbon is the biggest downside, especially considering the excellent bourbons each company makes at far lower prices (Rare Breed and Russell’s Reserve from Wild Turkey, and the regular Knob Creek Single Barrel or Booker’s from Beam). These are bourbons I’d suggest you try first at a bar before splurging for a bottle. Still, for fans of Wild Turkey and Knob Creek, respectively, Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Decades and Knob Creek 25th Anniversary keep the character of their younger brethren while showing off the depth of flavor that extra aging and expert barrel selection can achieve.

–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.”

Lost & Found Cigars, formerly known as Impromptu, is a testament to the difference marketing can make, since someone else couldn’t sell the cigars in a previous form. The company releases small batches of well-aged cigars that were “lost” then “found” in the aging rooms of various factories, under a catchy, off-beat name with corresponding art. One of two recent releases, El Suavesito ($7.50) is a 2010 vintage corona gorda made with Dominican Piloto Cubano, Criollo ’98, and Nicaraguan Habano tobaccos. The firmly-constructed cigar features a greenish-brown wrapper and an uneven burn. Flavors are dominated by cedary spice, though there are also musty notes and black pepper. Some Lost & Found smokes have impressed me quite a bit, but El Suavasito isn’t one of them.

Verdict = Sell.

–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.”

Just yesterday, we reported on a new limited edition line from CAO called Fuma Em Corda that sports a Honduran Colorado wrapper, a Cameroon binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The Brazilian filler is what makes this cigar stand out; it includes Arapiraca leaves that were fermented in ropes—hence the name of the blend, which literally translates from Portuguese as “smoke on rope,” and hence the unique band made out of tobacco. Only 3,000 20-count boxes of a single vitola—Robusto (5 x 50)—will be made, each with a suggested retail price of $8.99 (there is also a limited edition Toro (6 x 58, $10.49) for internet and catalog retailers). The Robusto is dark, rich, spicy, and moist with a strong, full-bodied taste of black cherry, espresso, leather, vegetal notes, and a tangy sensation that reminds me of barbecue sauce. This is the first one I’ve smoked, so it’s only a first impression. From what I’ve seen so far, though, I would recommend you give the Fuma Em Corda a try.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each year, some of the industry’s most revered manufacturers craft an exclusive cigar for members of the Tobacconist’s Association of America (TAA), a group of about 80 retailers who pride themselves on their knowledge and professionalism and work together to develop best practices. This year’s participants include, among others, Tatuaje, Padrón, La Flor Dominicana, La Palina, Jaime Garcia, and Crowned Heads.

This is the fourth straight year Nashville-based Crowned Heads has made a TAA exclusive. Called “The Angel’s Anvil”—which, conveniently, also has TAA as its acronym—the series takes its name from a short story penned by Crowned Heads co-founder Jon Huber about a fallen angel who enlists the help of a blacksmith to forge new wings so he can re-ascend to heaven.

Not much is known about the 2017 iteration of The Angel’s Anvil, other than it is made at the Tabacalera La Alianza factory (E.P. Carillo) with a Habano wrapper and is offered in a single toro-sized vitola (6.25 x 52). The binder and filler tobaccos are not disclosed. Of note: The 2014 and 2015 editions of The Angel’s Anvil also had Habano wrappers; the 2016 model featured a dark maduro leaf.

On a personal level, I happen to really enjoy cigars that boast toasty, bready notes. This cigar fits that profile. From the outset, the flavors remind me of graham cracker, sourdough, and gingerbread. There is some sweetness, as well as spicy undertones; think cinnamon and cedar, not black pepper. The body is decidedly medium. There are few changes between the first and last puffs. However, along the way, a slight metallic trace fades in and out . While it’s not a taste I particularly enjoy, it’s never in the foreground, and it doesn’t stick around too long.

Construction was excellent across the samples I smoked for this review.  Each exhibited a straight burn that required no touch-ups to stay even, a moderately solid ash, a clear draw, and good smoke production.

The Angel’s Anvil 2017 comes packaged in boxes of 20 that sell for about $190 but, for this review, I bought a five-pack for $52.50 (which makes the per-cigar cost $10.50). To me, that’s a very appropriate price for a well-made, enjoyable cigar. I’d recommend you give this a try, especially if, like me, you’re a fan of bready flavors. I award this Crowned Heads creation 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.”

A successful cigar line almost always spurs line extensions. The positive reception to the Garcia family’s My Father line has meant many new variations over the years. The Judge tweaks the blend by using a dark brown Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper around dual Nicaraguan Corojo and Criollo binders and filler the Garcia’s farms in Nicaragua. Available in two sizes, I smoked the longer one (6 x 56), as opposed to the shorter version (5 x 60). It has lots of coffee notes along with roast nuts, earth, leather, and pepper spice, with just a little bit of creaminess. It’s a medium- to full-bodied smoke, and even though it isn’t my favorite My Father blend, it is still a very good smoke.

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.”

As regular StogieGuys.com readers know, I’m a big fan of Aging Room cigars. So when I spotted Pelo de Oro Scherzo on the shelf, I had to try it. Released last year, the single-size smoke gets its name from a finicky tobacco strain susceptible to disease. A.J. Fernandez grew it on his Nicaraguan farm and rolled the cigars at his factory. I was expecting a golden experience, but this was the rare Aging Room cigar that didn’t wow me. The Pelo de Oro tobacco certainly gives the cigar a different profile, but I found it a bit strong, with some sharpness and a very long finish. I’ll likely try it again, but for now I can recommend it only if you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary.

Verdict = Hold.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys