Stogie of the Week

Quesada Q D’etat Molotov

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium/Full
Vitola: Perfecto
Size: 5 x 58
Age: N/A
MSRP: $7.95

This sexy looking perfecto is the first of three limited vitola’s that is intended to help raise awareness of the dangers of government regulation of premium cigars. Every box ships with a Cigar Rights of America registration form.

This week we are drinking

Suntory Yamazaki 18 year old Japanese Single Malt Whiskey

Paul’s List

  • Por Larranaga Monte Carlo – I re-visited this smoke as it was from a box purchase late last year. These are dated somewhere in 2011. This second one I smoked from the box was plugged, so I grabbed another which had a much better draw. The first third was awesome, a little cedar and hints of citrus/spice. The rest was sorta the same thing, and I got a little bored towards the end.
  • San Cristobal de la Habana (2005) – This was my last one from 2005, and man was it good. All sorts of subtle sweet flavors that don’t overwhelm your pallet, but compliment your drink and meal. Smokes so smooth and tasty. Interesting, I like the 2011 versions of this stick equally as much, just a different flavor profile. Its one of those sticks that just smokes different, not necessarily better and not worse, regardless of age. Its just different. Great smoking experience.
  • Quesada Espana Robusto – I smoked this one after a nice Italian meal (Gnocchi, yum) while walking the streets of downtown San Francisco. It did the job, though I wish I could have sat in a lounge somewhere with a nice cocktail and smoked it. However, great sweet flavors shined through this cigar. It made me forget some of the “non-highlights” of my trip and focus on the positive. Sometimes all you need is a good cigar to remind you that, well, life is good.
  • Arturo Fuente Hemmingway Best Seller Maduro – So I was talking about these on the last show and low and behold my good friend Jeff sent me some! I need to send Jeff back some nice cigars (expect something in the mail this coming week Jeff!). This is a 4 1/2 x 52 smoke, and I am assuming they are wrapped in a Connecticutt Broadleaf wrapper. Nice smooth flavors, great burn and construction. Not as good as a Short Story, but right up there if you are looking for something with a little more “cigar” than the short story, but not a cigar journey that goes along with an untold story or masterpiece. I find it better than the classic and signature maduros, though I ned to revisit. I’m not sure if its inconsistency in the blend, but every now and again I get a maduro wrapped hemming way that is bland and blah. This was not the case though, its an awesome smoke with a cocoa finish to die for that is box worthy.

Tim’s List

  • La Gloria Cubana Reserva Figurados Flechas Especiales Maduro – This sexy perfecto had lots of rich, dark flavors including licorice, leather, and hickory. A slightly tight draw stopped it from becoming “Box Worthy” but enjoyable and worth a revisit.
  • La Aurora Preferido Ruby – A+ construction and some good flavors but I found it lacked the complexity I would expect out of a cigar that retails for about $18.00 USD. Worth picking up at less than MSRP which can be done easily.
  • Quesada Espania Robusto & Corona – Both Vitola’s are great sticks. Robusto had a bit more strength so I would lean towards that later in the day, whereas the Corona was enjoyable in the AM with a cup of coffee. “Box Worthy”
  • Viaje Super Shot 10 Gauge – A 3.5 x 54 nub with a lot of flavor and strength! Flavors including earth, leather, espresso, and pepper but boy did I get a nicotine buzz. I think Ben from NTA is correct, these have huge aging potential. a definite “Fiver” or two.

Upcoming 2012 Releases

We got a note from listener Sean requesting we talk about more upcoming releases. Since the Spring 2012 cigars have started to appear, what is everyone looking forward to?

  • Viaje Friends and Family – Just released in very limited numbers. Many retailers only received one box of fifteen cigars. Not much is know about the blend but I can say it smells incredible. HalfWheel has a great review posted already and gave it a 92.
  • Tatuaje Cojonu 2012 – This release will feature three different wrappers; Connecticut Broadleaf, Ecuador Sumatra, and Habano Ecuado. The Stogie Review has a nice overview of all three pre-releases here. All three of these sticks are expected to be available the end of this month.
  • Avo Limited Edition 2012 86th Anniversary La Trompeta – The AVO 85th made it to both of our Top Ten of 2011 lists, with it coming in at number one on mine. I cannot wait to see how this release is smoking. The Cigar Coop has more information on the name and blend here. As in previous years, these will be available on Avo Uvezian’s birthday which is March 22nd of this year.
  • Tatuaje Little Monsters – Pete, I am not worthy! Tatuaje is going to re-release al previous Monster Series in smaller vitola’s? I think I need a tissue and it’s not because I am crying! HalfWheel posted details this week on the sizes of each vitola and pricing of 10 count sampler here. These are expecting to land in June 2012 so keep an eye out!

The most comprehensive list new releases I know of is on HalfWheel. While not always up to date, it is a great resource I often use when planning on where I intend to spend my cigar budget in the upcoming months. Thanks for emailing the suggestion Sean!

Stogie Tech Segment: Five Tips for Purchasing Cigars Online

  1. Avoid Sample Packs (Unless…) – Sample packs typically contain anywhere from 5 to 20 cigars and are priced at a steep discount from MSRP. Here’s the first lesson about MSRP, its just that, a suggested price. Typically sticks sold online, especially ones sold exclusively online, are sold for much less than MSRP. So, when you do your math, add up the prices that you would pay if you bought each stick online at the going rate, not MSRP, then see if you are getting a deal. Also, make sure that you like ALL the cigars in the sample pack. Typically retailers will include some cigars that are okay or good, and some they are just trying to get rid of because they are sub-par. On a positive note, I love line samplers. These will consist of typically 5 cigars of the same brand and line, of 5 different sizes, so you can choose which one you like best.
  2. Shipping Should Be Free – Most major online retailers will offer free shipping. Sign up for their newsletter and check their sites often. Use caution though as they will limit it to select brands. For example, Davidoff almost never qualifies you for frees shipping. Famous Smoke and Cigars International almost always have a list of brands that ship for free. The other way to get free shipping is to buy one of their daily deals (see note below). At the time of this writing, Cigar.com is offering free shipping on all orders over $125, Famous Smoke is offering free shipping on over 100 brands, and Cigars International is offering free shipping with a purchase of the daily Joe Cigar deal.
    • How “Daily Deals” Work – All three major sites (and possibly others) offer a daily deal. Here’s how it works: For a limited time a deal goes up on the web site for a reduced price sampler or typically 10 pack of cigars. That deal stays up until a select quantity are sold, then it changes to the next deal. When you buy this deal most retailers offer you free shipping. So, you can monitor these sites and wait for your favorite sticks to come up. You can also pad your cart with something you want to buy, then buy the daily deal, and enjoy free shipping. Check out Joe’s Jambalaya (Cigars International), Cigar Monster (Famous Smoke), and Cigar Sprint Sale (Cigars.com).
  3. Hunt For Rare & Limited – While you can find most major brands online and pick up deals here and there, online cigar shopping is also useful to find those rare and hard to find smokes. The thing is, you have to most fast. Typically online retailers will get shipments of different rare and limited smokes, and then after taking care of their buddies, put the rest online. They sell out fast, so I typically try to check a list of sites each week for hard to find stuff. My favorite used to be fullerspullers.com, but they are no longer selling cigars on the Internet. Recently I picked up some from Smoke Inn (Davidoff Colorado Claro) and some rare opus from Corona Cigar.
  4. It’s Not Always A Bargain – I read most of the flyers that come from the major retailers, just to keep up on what is being offered, and maybe jump on a deal or two. Famous Smoke, Cigars International, and Thompson all send me catalogs on a regular basis, and well, lets face it, it makes great bathroom reading. However, I see so many smokes at all different prices. Th kicker is from the highest quality Davidoff to the sub-$1.00 deals, they all have an equally fabulous description, saying how great the flavors are and what an outstanding smoke it is. So, I gotta wonder, 1) who writes this crap 2) Who smokes all this and writes about it 3) How the heck can you sell a cigar for a $1 or less that may be a bundle but also has a band?
  5. If Its Probably Too Good To Be True – I want to throw out some things to think about. First, lets talk ends. There always seems to be an endless supply of “2nds” on the market. I don’t think these are seconds, I think these are slightly different tobacco produced on a regular basis and sold to online retailers to fool you into buying something that will most likely suck. Sometimes smokes will come up as super cheap, or have this fabulous write-up, but are they really that good? Rather than spending your time buying cigars online (singles are not always easy to purchase and often don’t ship free), visit your local B&M instead. Ask them if they are closing anything out or have any upcoming sales. Then buy singles of the stuff on sale, and smoke them. Then go back and stock up on the ones you like. This is where a local B&M shines over online retailers.

Diversion of the Week

Nada’s (aka CigarGirlFL) cool Facebook album post.

Tabacalera Perdomo Esteli, Nicaragua Tour Album