Download Episode 38 Here

Stogie of the Week

Camacho Diploma

Origin: Hondurus
Wrapper: Authentic Corojo
Binder: Authentic Corojo
Filler: Authentic Corojo
Strength: Medium/Full
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 x 50
Age: 11 Years (2001)
MSRP:

The Camacho website describes the tobacco used in this blend as Authentic Corojo and states this about the primings used;

The words “Quinto Corte” or “Fifth Priming” refer to the top-most leaves of the Corojo plant. These leaves are carefully picked last and receive the most exposure to the sun and other natural elements giving them their rich, unique, and full flavored taste.

Paul Joyal, who gifted us these cigars, obtained the box on his trip to Hondurus in 2001. He was told the filler was up to 10% pre-embargo Cuban tobacco with the remaining being Hondurun Corojo harvested in 1999.

What We Have Been Smoking

The complete list of all cigars discussed in this segment can be found on the Episode 38 Stogies Page.

Paul’s List

See Paul’s List, complete with pictures, ratings and mini-reviews on his Stogie Feed.

Tim’s List

See Tim’s List, complete with pictures, ratings and mini-reviews on his Stogie Feed.

Mark’s List

See Mark’s List, complete with pictures, ratings and mini-reviews on his Stogie Feed.

Segment: Top 10 Picks of 2012

Our picks of new releases during 2012

Paul’s List

Paul’s Top Ten Stogie Stogie 2012

I’m really happy with my list this year. Though I don’t feel like I smoked enough new releases, I think this year had more new releases than ever before. I found a couple of themes in this year’s releases:

    The Medium Body Smoke – Its not all about strength anymore. I love a nice medium body smoke with tons of flavor. I can smoke them more often, pair them with more food and beverages, and overall I enjoy this profile the most. I think we age cigars partly to get them to this profile. Three sticks on my list are of this size!

    Size Matters – We all have our favorites. Two sizes for me really stand out. One is the petite (or short) robusto. Love, Love, Love this size. It packs flavor, produces nice amounts of smoke, holds a nice ash, just an awesome size. The other size that sports some new blends that do it really well is the lancero. I like to think this is getting more popular, but two cigars on my list represent this size very well.

    Flops – There were so many flops this year too. Viaje in general was a flop for me. The releases a metric ton of new releases. Only two of them were really worth smoking. Avo dropped the ball, freaking Avo! And overall I am not impressed with Drew Estate, they have some great marketing, but their cigars just don’t really seem all that to me anymore. Maybe my tastes are changing, maybe I’m missing the boat, but everything I seem to smoke from them either has a construction issue or just doesn’t really WOW me. Finally, I love Quesada, they are awesome.

  1. La Duena Belicoso – Love this smoke, its such as easy cigar to smoke, very balanced.
  2. CyB Robusto – I need to smoke more of these, loving the medium body and strong flavors.
  3. Quesada Okboberfest Kurz Petite Robusto – I love the wood notes coupled with hints of cocoa. Love this size too.
  4. Alec Bradley Fine & Rare 2012 – First cigar I ever got pumpkin flavor from, I really enjoyed this one.
  5. Cain F Lancero – For the price, can’t be beat, well almost. Two lancers on my list that are around $8 and just deliver (Though the J. Grotto has more complexity than the Cain F).
  6. EPC Cardinal (Sumatra) – Two words: Flavor Bomb.
  7. J. Grotto Reserve Lancero Limitado – Smooth and complex smoke and awesome price point.
  8. La Aurora 100 Años Broadleaf – Super complex, the broadleaf wrapper delivers flavor that is several notches above “Awesome”.
  9. Oliva Serie V Melanio Petit Corona – Nice strong, bold and flavorful cigar.
  10. Viaje Super Shot 10 Gauge – The perfect balance of flavor and strength in a small cigar. Again, this is my favorite size.

Honerable Mentions

  • Tatuaje Cojonu 2012 Box-Pressed
  • Illusione ~ULTRA~ Op. No. 4

“Dog Rockets of the Year”

  • AVO 86th Anniversary “La Trompeta” – Cardboard
  • Guillermo León by La Aurora A – Dry and boring
  • Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2012 Connecticut – Too much pepper
  • Liga Privada Único Serie Ratzilla – Blah
  • MUWAT EF Bait Fish – Stung my pallette
  • Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series No. 4 Maduro – Did not deliver in the flavor department
  • Quesada Q d’etat Howitzer – HORRIBLE construction

Tim’s List

  1. My Uzi Weighs A Ton Baitfish (end of 2011) – Full flavored Petit Corona will keep you warm on those cold Winter nights. I really enjoyed the Nicaraguan profile and construction has been A+.
  2. Ortega Serie D – One of the better Mexican San Andreas wrapper released this year. Full flavored and smooth without having too much strength. A new favorite of mine to pair with a Tawny port.
  3. E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Short Run – The Broadleaf binder really brings a twist and a bit more strength to this Connecticut Shade. Always re-inventing, EPC, did it again with this release.
  4. Viaje Super Shot – The power house of my picks this year. Full strength, don’t let this smoke fool you, it will take a solid hour to smoke. The first time I had it I actually had to sit down.
  5. My Father Le Bijou 1922 Federal Cigar 91st Connecticut – A limited release (fifty boxes), because of it’s popularity, this smoke became the basis for Federal Cigar’s new house blend. The profile had a nice mix of roasted nuts and butterscotch sweetness and changes up with some cedar and spice. Yum
  6. La Duena by My Father – The Short Belicoso was the best of the bunch. But all the vitola’s smoked fantastic with lots of rich Broadleaf flavors while never overpowering.
  7. Aging Room Small Batch Quattro F55 – I really enjoyed the hell out of this stick. I guess I didn’t know what to expect, so when we smoked it on EP30, it really blew me away. Medium in strength and body, this stick was easy to smoke and absolutely delicious.
  8. Headley Grange by Crowned Heads – One of the shining stars out of IPCPR this year IMHO. I really enjoyed this smoke. The profile had a nice balance of cedar and spice with a long creamy finish. Each one I had performed perfectly. Outstanding smoke with huge potential down the road.
  9. E.P. Carrillo Cardinal Sumatra – Another Winner from IPCPR. This cigar is easy to smoke but also has a lot of nice complexity and balance. Creamy cedar and spice with some sweetness and nuttiness makes this a delicious blend.
  10. La Aurora Preferidos Diamond – What an epic smoke. This is what a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro should be. This stick had the perfect draw and lots of aromatic smoke and some nice complexity and change-ups. I wish I could afford to buy multiple boxes of these.

Tim’s Honorable Mention’s

  • Cuenca y Blanco – This smoke was flavorful and complex but not overpowering which I feel is a reflection of the skills of the blenders. A solid offering from CyB.
  • Tatuaje Mexican Experiment – A solid Mexican wrapped stick. Great flavors without being something you have to focus on.
  • Emilio Draig K – This stick had one of most unique flavor profiles of anything I had this year. I really enjoyed the rich flavors the Colombian wrapper had to offer and the smoothness of the blend as a whole.
  • Tatuaje Lil’ Drac – This re-release of Habano Ecuador Maduro in a smaller vitola had a bready base with an interesting caramel sweetness. A really unique and enjoyable profile.

Mark Jr’s List

  1. Epc Short Run Exquisitos
  2. Cain F Lancero
  3. Cardinal Sumatra 52
  4. Illusione Ultra OP.4
  5. Viaje Super Shot 10 Guage
  6. J Grotto Lancero
  7. Headley Grange
  8. Latellier 52
  9. Cuenca y Blanco Lonsdale Club
  10. Undercrown Corona Viva

Mark’s Honorable Mention’s


  • Aging Room Quattro Expressivo

  • Federal Cigar CT Cervantes

  • Quesada Jalapa Belicoso

  • Room 101 Daruma Mutante

Mark’s Flops


  • Viaje

  • Avo Trompeta

  • Padron No. 4 Maduro

  • Rerelease Bait Fish

  • Guillermo Leon CG

  • Quesada Daga

  • Tatuaje Mummy

  • Jaime Garcia LE 2012

  • Jaime Garcia NE CT

  • LFD Factory Press IV

Contest: Prize: Best of 2012 Fiver

Question: What is the meaning behind the red and black band on the Opus X Lost City Blend?

Rules: We will randomly pick a winner from all correct answers three days after this episode is released. The winner will receive the following fiver;

  • Oliva Serie V Melanio Petit Robusto
  • La Duena Belicoso
  • EPC Cardinal Robusto Natural
  • CyB Lonsdale Club
  • Quesada Octoberfest Petit Robusto

Congrats to Mike V who answered;

Difference between red and black bands pretty interesting from the web. The big X is red on regular Forbidden X cigars, while it is Black on Lost City cigars) and a second “LOST CITY” band. When first released, two sizes, the lancero and the love affair, were banded with red bands, rather than black, and did not actually contain any of the Lost City crop (rather they were just regular Opus X cigars in special sizes). My understanding is that the most recent release, which now have regular black Lost City bands, are “actual” lost city cigars.

More on the story behind the cigars can be found here.