Tuesday nights in my garage in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania don’t usually go as planned. We light up, we talk, and whatever comes up comes up. Episode 65 wandered from blind cigars to lighter reviews to a debate none of us expected to have this deep. That last one is why I’m writing this post. The Opus X ReXilient came up.
Table of Contents
What We Were Smoking Blind
Padre brought in blind samplers this week, so nobody knew what they had until the end. Guesses went everywhere. Gladius. My Father Blue. Aganorsa. Somebody even guessed a Centurion FCA. It ended up being the My Father La Antigüedad, a cigar most of us hadn’t touched in years, if ever.
The Opus X ReXilient and the Debate We Didn’t See Coming
Eric brought up the Fuente drama that’s been going around, and it turned into the best conversation of the night. Arturo Fuente released the Opus X ReXilient right before the 25th anniversary of September 11th. The box holds 16 Churchills and 4 box pressed Toros wrapped in a flag design, set in the middle of the box to represent the Twin Towers. It retails around $535 for 20 cigars, and Fuente donates $11 from every box to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
Half the table thought it was a genuinely good tribute. The other half wondered if $11 out of that price tag was really enough, especially with 9/11 in the name and on the bands. We went back and forth on it, and nobody landed on a clean answer, because nobody actually knows what Fuente has invested in the box, the marketing, or the cause beyond that one number.
Rob’s fire department was one of the ones that responded that day. He wasn’t there himself, he was still in Jersey, but guys from his house were. He talked about how united the country felt in the years after, and how much of that feeling has faded. That’s what shifted the conversation. It stopped being about a price tag and became about whether people still remember at all.
Rob ended up making the best point of the night. He said it doesn’t matter what you think about the number, because the cigar is keeping the conversation alive. That’s worth something on its own.
A Good Afternoon at Chartwell
A few of us stopped by Chartwell Cigar Club this week and got treated better than we expected. Will handed out free cigars, and one of the members covering a business meeting in the side room ended up buying pizza and wings for the whole lounge, our group included. Small thing, but it’s the kind of hospitality that makes you want to keep going back. We’ve got something in the works with Chartwell. Stay tuned for that.
Suburban Tavern Might Get a Second Life
I heard some good news while we were out. After Gary passed and Suburban Tavern closed, a new owner has picked up the building. He owns several bodegas in the Reading area, and the right deal came along. They’re targeting an early October reopen, though that timeline might be optimistic. The part that matters most is they’re keeping the cigar lounge. That place had a steady crew for years, and it’s good to hear it’s not gone for good.
Why We’re Not Mad About Xikar’s Price Cut
Xikar just dropped prices across a lot of their lighter and accessory lines, and I had thoughts. I’ve been a Xikar guy for years, going back to when I met Kurt Van Keppel and picked up my first pair of their scissors. My old Axia double flame and Trezo triple flame lighters felt heavy and built to last. When the Axia finally broke, Xikar replaced it since the model was discontinued, and what came back felt cheap by comparison.
I’ve been reaching for a Hammersmith lighter lately instead, and it’s the kind of weight and quality I remember Xikar having. At the same time, the cheap Amazon lighters out there now are genuinely good for the money in a way they weren’t ten years ago. Between that and the quality dip, a price cut on Xikar’s end tracks. Eric made the same point about his Prometheus lighters, most of which are showing as discontinued on the site now.
What Else Was in the Rotation
Plenty of good smoking happened outside the main topics. Bruce had the Tatuaje El Triumphador. I had the Gris Gris from LA Cigar Collective in the mix. Jim and Rob are both working through boxes of Zino Nicaragua, the budget line from Davidoff. Eric’s El Mago Offender and Defender set came in, along with Crowned Heads Moonflower and the Room 101 Johnny Tobacconaut. Eric the Elder picked up a run of the Atabey Black Ritos.
The Viso Horny collaboration with Black Label, the Ligador Fantasma, made an appearance too. Limited run, candela barber polew, and it’s not coming back once it’s gone. Sir Louis Cigars has one out right now with a name I’m not going to try to make family friendly, the Pussy Magnet, and Rob tells us it’s a genuinely good smoke once you get past the name. Viso Horny and Mo from Patina also have a follow up coming, the Vertigris 2, if the first one is any indication of what’s next.
One of our Discord regulars, Jesse, sent the whole crew the Principle Cigars Martinique out of nowhere after we’d been talking about Connecticut wrappers. Amazing gesture – thank you Jesse!
Merch Store Update and a Night to Support
Troy from Shirt Devil sent over some new coasters for the garage, cut from slate, and they came out nicer than either of us expected. New shirt designs are up too, along with a mystery box that’s apparently selling well. We closed out our merch contest this week and spun the wheel on air for the winner.
Eric also mentioned his brother’s charity trivia night happening this Saturday at 6pm. It raises money for an orphanage his brother helps build overseas, with cigars, whiskey, and a raffle full of donated stuff, including vintage ashtrays and a flamethrower.
That was episode 65. Good cigars, a real debate, and a few good stories along the way. That’s usually how it goes.
Stay in the Conversation
If you want to catch these conversations as they happen, subscribe to the Stogie Review YouTube channel, where Smoke and Steel goes up every week. We’ve also got a growing group over on the Stogie Review Discord, which is where half the stories in this post actually started. And if you want to support the show directly, check out the Smoke and Steel Merch Store for the new coasters and shirts.
