Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
PatrickA -at- StogieGuys.com

Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder, Publisher & Web Editor
PatrickS -at- StogieGuys.com

George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
GeorgeE -at- StogieGuys.com

Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief

Before college, Patrick Ashby’s father instilled in him a deep appreciation for cigars. “Son,” Steve would say, often on the golf course or the back deck of their Chicago home, “a cigar is not a habit—it’s a celebration.”

Patrick has since moved to the nation’s capital to pursue a career as a grant writer and a Masters degree in international commerce, but the esteem and regard for  premium handmade cigars his father so graciously handed down carries on with him to this day.

Asking Patrick to name his favorite cigar is like him to pick his favorite song from his extensive CD collection (yes, Patrick still collects CDs). From mild- to full-bodied tobaccos, from robustos to Churchills, Patrick counts himself lucky that cigars come in a plethora of shapes, sizes, colors, and profiles.

Patrick has a BA in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and lives in Fairfax, Virginia. When he is not puffing away or visiting tobacconists, Patrick enjoys golf, writing, the principles of a free society, and rooting for the Cubs and Bears. He can be found at establishments that serve libations and are not averse to cigar smoke.

Patrick travels back to Chicago when he has time to visit friends and family and, of course, have a smoke with his dad.

Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder, Publisher & Web Editor

Spending the late summers of his youth on Long Island golfing and teaching sailing, cigar smoking came naturally to Patrick Semmens. And to this day, afloat under the power of the wind or while enjoying a round of golf remain two of Patrick’s favorite times to partake in a fine stogie.

Despite no longer living in New York, he feels strongly that his cigar preferences reflect his Brooklyn upbringing. Like New York City itself, “big and bold” is an apt description of Patrick’s cigar inclinations. While Padrons and CAOs represent his dependable favorites, he isn’t opposed to variety in his cigar choices, at times all together dispensing with his “big and bold” mantra.

In between living in Brooklyn and his recent move to the Washington area, Patrick spent four years at Colby College in Waterville, Maine where he earned a BA in government and a minor in philosophy, and he also spent one year traveling and working around the world. During that year he bartended aboard a charter yacht in New Zealand, worked on seismic survey ships searching for oil in the North Sea and South Atlantic, and taught English and coached soccer in a small village in Ghana, Africa.

Patrick now works at a non-profit legal defense foundation, and avidly follows politics. In his free time he enjoys tennis, golf, squash, sailing, watching the New York Mets or Rangers, and just relaxing with friends. With the exception of tennis and squash, all those activities represent prime opportunities to enjoy a stogie.

George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief

Retirement in Florida seems to suit George Edmonson about as well as the large Hawaiian shirts that have replaced the white ones he wore for years. And what better to complement an air of relaxation than the enjoyment of a nice cigar?

After smoking for a few years, George, 56, remains a firm believer in Robert Louis Stevenson’s (slightly paraphrased) sentiments: “The world is so full of a number of cigars, I’m sure we should all be as happy as czars.” The list of cigars George enjoys is so long and changes so frequently, he’d be hard pressed to choose a favorite.

As a journalist for nearly 35 years, George’s work ranged from participating in the creation of USA Today to covering the September 11, 2001 attack at the Pentagon. Perhaps his most outstanding accomplishment was that he managed to end up with no unfinished novel yellowing in the bottom desk drawer.

He grew up in Richmond, Virginia at a time when the warm aroma of tobacco wafted freely from warehouses, and the price of a pack of cigarettes and a gallon of gas were roughly the same—around a quarter. Interests nowadays beyond cigars include listening to music (one major recent project was converting his LPs to CDs), reading, relaxing, and trying to learn more about the computer.

Living in Tarpon Springs, Florida, George is in the heart of U.S. cigar country. The Tampa-St. Petersburg area has an abundance of great shops, great selections, and great smokers. In all honesty, that wasn’t what led him to move to the area. But sometimes you just get lucky.

Patrick Mize

Contributing Reviewer

Currently enrolled in law school at the University of Florida, Patrick Mize enjoys smoking a cigar as an escape from his studies. While he doesn’t have as much time to enjoy cigars as he did before he started law school, his love of cigars has continued to grow.

Patrick began smoking seven years ago with friends on special occasions while attending college in south Florida. Over those seven years his tastes have changed quite a bit, but have settled in the medium to full range. Illusione and Oliva Serie V are among his current favorites, although he enjoys trying new cigars of all kinds.

When time allows, Patrick still retreats back to south Florida to enjoy some time fishing or scuba diving. His favorite places to smoke are out on the boat with his friends or at a waterfront restaurant that has outdoor seating.

While it has been seven years since Patrick started smoking, he feels like his journey has just begun. Ultimately, he would like to own his own cigar line someday and progress from there to owning a shop with a lounge.