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.”

This Mayimbe Robusto had been resting in one of my humidors for about three years before I fired it up the other night. It’s the same vitola my colleague reviewed in 2014 and I later took for a test drive in 2015. It was impressive then, and I think it’s even better today. This Nicaraguan is from A.J. Fernandez—a fixture of the industry who rode a wave of catalog/online sales to cigar stardom. It originally ran about $14 but today can be found in the $10 to $12 range, perhaps less, especially if bought by the box of 10. That makes the Mayimbe Robusto (5 x 56) an easy recommendation. It sports exquisite construction with notes ranging from coffee and cayenne to cinnamon and dry wood. Age has added delightful flavors of sweet cream and roasted nuts. The satisfying, complex profile is the product of a blend that includes a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper around tobaccos from Nicaragua and Honduras. Reacquaint yourself with Mayimbe if, like me, you haven’t had one in a while.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Years ago, Florida-based retailer Smoke Inn launched the Microblend Series, a program that commissions custom, limited edition blends from top manufacturers. “The Microblend Series not only represents my love and passion for fine cigars but the appreciation and fellowship for the cigar manufacturers that were so amazing to work with on each release,” said Abe Dababneh, owner of Smoke Inn.

Today, the series includes Tatuaje’s Anarchy and Apocalypse, My Father’s El Hijo, Padrón’s 1964 Anniversary SI-15, Quesada’s Oktoberfest Dunkel, Room 101’s Big Delicious, Drew Estate’s Pope of Greenwich Village, and 601’s La Bomba Bunker Buster. One of the earlier additions—and one of the few from the collection I hadn’t smoked, until recently—was Solaris from Arturo Fuente.

“For this Microblend installment, Smoke Inn played no part in the creation of the size or blend,” says the Smoke Inn website. “When Dababneh approached Fuente about making a Microblend, they decided this would be a perfect project for a small batch of cigars made over six years ago. Carlos Fuente Sr. had produced a small batch of belicoso cigars made from Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper that was uniquely light in its complexion. The cigars sat and aged for over six years.”

Solaris has a light brown, slightly reddish, clean wrapper beneath a classic Fuente band of red, gold, and green and a secondary band denoting the Solaris name. It clocks in at 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 49. The well-constructed belicoso cap clips easily to reveal an ultra-clear cold draw. The pre-light notes are incredibly faint, even at the foot; only the slightest hints of sweet hay are evident.

Smoke Inn describes the Solaris experience as follows: “When smoked, we found the flavor mellow yet complex. One could definitely taste the quintessential Fuente flavor profile behind the elegantly aged smoke.” My experience was not dissimilar. I would describe the profile as balanced, bready, medium-bodied, classic, and Cubanesque. Flavors range from sweet cream, roasted nuts, hay, toast, and warm tobacco. There is minimal spice. A pesky sourness can creep in randomly, but this taste can be limited by taking your time between puffs.

As Solaris progresses to the midway point and beyond, the texture takes on a more syrupy character and the intensity ramps up a bit—though, in my opinion, never moves out of the medium-bodied range. The sweetness and nuttiness are awesome at times, difficult to detect at others. All the while the construction is impeccable. The smoke production is high, the ash holds firm, the draw is clear, and the burn is straight.

Solaris sells for $44.75 for a 5-pack or, while not currently available, $89.50 per 10-pack. That means the per-cigar price is $8.95 apiece. That’s a great value, especially if you’d appreciate a classic-tasting, well-constructed, finely balanced, medium-bodied cigar with a profile that will remind you of other fine Fuente smokes. That’s why I’m awarding the Arturo Fuente Solaris 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.”

One of my favorite cigars of all time is the original Illusione Singulare, the Phantom. It was not only excellent when it first came out; it got better and better overtime. Along those lines, I wanted to see how another impressive Singular evolved with age. The Illusione Singulare 2014 earned a rare five-stogie rating when released and has scored well since. The 5.5-inch, 54-ring gauge Nicaraguan puro continues to exhibit excellent combustion qualities. Flavors include sour dough bread, cappuccino, and light cedar. While Anunnaki remains a very good cigar, aging is not improving it. So, if you have this cigar, don’t hesitate to smoke it now, especially since, along with several other popular Singulare editions, it is being re-released.

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.”

I reviewed this musty, earthy, rich, well-constructed creation from Steve Saka’s Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust back in October. Since, it has become a regular in my rotation when I’m looking for something full-bodied. The profile is characterized by a grainy texture, ample spice, and flavors ranging from espresso and cinnamon to damp wood and leather. The Mi Querida line is handmade at NACSA employing a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and Nicaraguan tobaccos. If you haven’t tried the blend yet and are a fan of strong Nicaraguan cigars, you’re missing out. The Fino Largo (6 x 48) runs about $9 and is worth every penny.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

When it comes to single malt, I like the extremes the various whisky regions of Scotland offer, from the highly peated, bandaid-iodine-smoke flavors  of Islay to the rich, fruity, sherry-focused Highland or Speyside whiskies. In the latter category, one of my favorites right now is GlenDronach 15.

GlenDronach is a distillery that has flown a bit under the radar, although that is changing. The fact that the distillery was recently purchased by American liquor giant Brown-Forman (Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester) will probably raise its profile in the States even more.

GlenDronach is known for its exclusive use of sherry cask-aged single malt in the 12-year and older varieties, though, more recently, a peated variety and a bourbon and sherry cask 8-year GlenDronach have been added to the line. Now for some bad news: The 15-year (known as “Revival”) has been temporary discontinued. It is scheduled to return in 2018 after bottling was put on hiatus in 2015.

Despite that, you should try to find it now; it’s still out there, though much harder to find now than it was a year or two ago. The reason? The distillery stopped production from 1996 until 2002, meaning the contents of the 15-year bottle are probably more like 18-20 years old. (Read this article for a more detailed explanation.)

The Revival pours a rich mahogany color and is 46% alcohol by volume. The nose is classically sherried with dried fruits along with candied nuts and malt. On the plate is more of the same: a rich (but not syrupy), balanced combination of figs, raisins, toffee, orange marmalade, and clove. The finish lingers with ginger, light citrus, and oak.

GlenDronach frequently gets compared to the Macallan Sherry Oak line, and the comparison is appropriate. Both are unapologetically sherry-forward for those who like that style, and GlenDronach’s advantage is the value it provides; The GlenDronach 15 is comparable in age to Macallan 18, which costs over twice as much ($200).

Last year, in our guide for Father’s Day gifts, I wrote, “any single malt fan would appreciate Glendronach 15 which, although it has been discontinued, can still be found and is the closest thing to Macallan 18 available for under $100.” The recommendation still stands, if you can find it, and my hope is when it returns in 2018 neither the price nor flavor profile change.

As for cigars, GlenDronach 15 is as versatile as it gets. It’s perfect after dinner with a mild, classic white label Davidoff, or with a full-bodied Nicaraguan puro. 

I purchased a few bottles of GlenDronach 15 when I found out it was being temporarily discontinued. It earns my full recommendation, especially for fans of sherried scotch. Pick up a bottle if you can find one. I doubt you’ll regret it.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Steve Saka’s Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust still seems like a very new cigar outfit to me. So I was a bit puzzled to realize it has been over a year and a half since the company’s inaugural line, Sobremesa, debuted at the 2015 IPCPR Trade Show.

True, that period of time is nothing compared to the history of longstanding industry flagship operations like Arturo Fuente, La Aurora, Joya de Nicaragua, and the like. Personally, though, it feels like Sobremesa arrived long ago, and that the brand is firmly established.

Maybe that’s because I’ve smoked a ton of Sobremesa since Saka announced it in July 2015. That shouldn’t come as a surprise; regular readers will recall my fondness for the Corona Grande, Gran Imperales, and—especially—the Cervantes Fino. Real estate for Sobremesa has been permanently carved out within my humidor, which is, perhaps, the best complement I can pay a particular line.

Until now, though, the Elegante en Cedros (7 x 50) vitola has eluded me. It’s an extension that was added in 2016. As its name suggests, it comes wrapped in cedar. Like its Sobremesa brethren, Elegante en Cedros boasts an Ecuadorian Habano Rosado wrapper, a Mexican binder, and a filler blend of Pennsylvania Broadleaf Ligero with four different Nicaraguan tobaccos (Gk Condega C-SG Seco, Pueblo Nuevo Criollo Viso, La Joya Estelí C-98 Viso, and ASP Estelí Hybrid Ligero). It is made at Joya de Nicaragua.

Beneath the cedar is an oily, velvety, toothy, slightly reddish wrapper leaf with minimal veins and tight seams. The cap clips easily to reveal a smooth cold draw. At the foot, the pre-light notes are cocoa powder, earth, and caramel.

Saka does not subscribe to the blending strategy of trying to make all the vitolas within a line taste as close as possible; rather, he tweaks the core blend to maximize the performance of each format. He calls Elegante en Cedros “the ultimate expression of a sophisticated vitola,” and cites the format is—along with the Short Chuchill (also an extension frontmark)—stronger than the original six sizes.

Out of the gate, Elegante en Cedros is what I’ve come to expect from the Sobremesa blend, but with an added kick of nicotine and concentration on the palate. Flavors include cocoa, cedar, café au lait, baking spices, creamy caramel, and white pepper. Balanced, harmonious, and delicious.

As the white ash builds off the foot and the straight burn moves towards the inch mark, the intensity and spiciness ramps up a bit, though the body still remains in the medium range. Hints of black cherry and cream come and go as the core leans towards stronger cedar and pepper. Beyond that, I noticed few profile changes throughout the 90-minute smoke.

Elegante en Cedros retails for $13.50 and comes packaged in boxes of 13 (cheers to Saka for forgoing the 25-count box presentation for this vitola, making a box purchase more affordable). I may still slightly prefer the Cervantes Fino, but this is another exquisite Sobremesa smoke that’s not to be missed. I award it an exemplary rating of 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.”

Partagas Black is one of those cigars I used to smoke frequently but don’t anymore. I’m not certain why. When it comes to unique flavors, there’s little else on the crowded cigar market that tastes like this blend (and I mean that as a compliment). The Clasico is a large robusto format (5.25 x 54). The dark, oily, jet-black wrapper hints at the raisin, licorice, and barbecue burnt-end flavors that follow. Full-bodied, flavorful, and unique, my only complaint is the serious burn issues (probably due to the notably oily wrapper) that necessitate multiple relights.

Verdict = Hold.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys