Archive | February, 2007

Stogie News: Annapolis Eyeing Statewide Smoking Ban

21 Feb 2007

When Maryland Senate Minority Leader David Brinkley – a politician who’s against the proposed statewide smoking ban – was asked if the law would finally come to fruition this year, he simply quipped, “It’ll happen.” The Republican from Frederick even went so far as to say “it’s inevitable.”

The dubiously-titled Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 would place the entire (OK, it’s not that big, but it’s still a state) Old Line State in the freedom-squelching ranks of sixteen other states, not to mention over 250 local governments, who have already adopted fascist smoking bans.

Five Maryland counties – Howard, Charles, Prince George’s, Montgomery, and Talbot, for those of you keeping score at home – currently have their own bans in place. And the Baltimore City Council is currently considering a city-wide ban, which they may vote on by the end of this month.

This is the third time Annapolis has tried to pass through a statewide ban. While nothing is certain, those in favor of controlling the actions of consenting adults and violating the property rights of business owners are not-so-cautiously optimistic.

Will this bill pass? “Absolutely,” says Delegate Barbara Frush.

It’s enough to make freedom-oriented citizens like myself sick. Fortunately, as a Virginian, I try not to spend too much time north of the Potomac River as it is. (Maybe just an evening game at Camden Yards every once and a while.)

Sadly, even if the ban does not pass this year, a quick look at the overly intrusive policies of Maryland’s government suggest it will sooner or later.

My advice to Marylanders? For now, smoke ‘em while you’ve got ‘em. Once the ban passes, I’ll be happy to have a drink and a cigar with you in The Commonwealth.

Patrick A

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Stogie Reviews: Gurkha Ancient Warrior Brazilian Puro

20 Feb 2007

A few months ago I won a five-pack of Gurkha Ancient Warriors on Cigarbid. To be honest, I hadn’t really paid much attention to the picture, description, or dimensions of the stogies. I just figured they were Gurkha Ancient Warriors.

CBid WarriorThen the package arrived. The sticks were so large I checked the return address to make sure they hadn’t been sent from Hillerich & Bradsby. The purple band was offset by a wrapper at the foot that ran more than three inches up the 7.5 inch cigar. Glancing at all the printing on it, I was surprised there wasn’t a second page.

After identifying K. Hansotia & Co. as the manufacturer and noting “A Century Of Tradition,” the label announced that this was a “Special Edition / Private Stock / Limited Vintage / Brazilian Blend / Ancient Warrior.” Try writing that on your next order form.

Well, I began to wonder just what these 50 ring gauge behemoths were. I looked up the Ancient Warrior on Gurkha’s site and there was no resemblance. Then I put in a call to the Beach Cigar Group in Miami that’s listed on Gurkha’s site as the contact. I didn’t know if that was the name of the actual manufacturer or the wholesaler or distributor or what, but I figured they could tell me about the cigar. And maybe they could. But after leaving a bazillion unreturned voice-mail messages, I gave up.

I sent an email to SteveR at CBid asking about the sticks. He replied almost at once. This Ancient Warrior, he wrote, is “very different from the one you will find on the Gurkha web site…made exclusively for us.”

He said the blend is Cuban-seed Brazilian tobacco with a Brazilian maduro wrapper. The “regular” Ancient Warrior has a Nicaraguan binder and Dominican and Honduran filler, according to Gurkha’s site.

OK, so then I knew what I had. Now I should move along or this review will end up almost as long as the cigar.

The prelight aroma was light and pleasant; touched by flame, it was even nicer. The smoke was silky and smooth. From start to finish, there were many tastes: a little pepper, some leather, hay, cedar, caramel, vanilla.

But, let’s face it, smoking a cigar that long can seem more like a job than a pleasure. When I clipped the head, I halfway expected it to reveal rings instead of tobacco.

On the other hand, of the four I’ve smoked, one was plugged beyond repair, but the other three burned fine. Remarkably fine, I’d say, for a stick that size. They didn’t get hot and the draw was OK throughout.

I paid $15 for the five-pack and, since it was one of two orders, the shipping made for a pretty low total.

Rating the cigar is difficult because of all the considerations. But I think you’d have trouble finding a better bargain if you like a cigar that looks like Bobby Abreu should take it to the on-deck circle.

As for me, I can’t see spending that much time smoking one cigar again, so I finally came down to a rating of three out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

George E

Tags: cigars

Check this week’s Friday Sampler for a chance to win George’s final Gurkha “CBid” Warrior.

Quick Smoke: TNT Alternative of the Padrón Anniversary Gran Corona Maduro

19 Feb 2007

We usually only post Quick Smokes on Saturdays and Sundays, but – since it’s President’s Day and we have the day off – today feels like the weekend to us. So here’s another brief take on a single cigar.

Emulating the Padrón Anniversary line is no small task, but TNT Cigars does a respectable job with their Gran Corona Maduro alternative. This six inch by 46 ring gauge stogie is a surprisingly mild Nicaraguan puro. While it doesn’t have anywhere near the flavor of the real thing, the construction is pleasingly similar: easy draw, perfect burn, strong ash. Even better, you can get one of these sticks for $1.30 apiece when you buy in bulk (about one tenth the price of the real deal).

Verdict = Buy.

Patrick A

Tags: cigars

Quick Smoke: 5 Vegas ‘A’ Torpedo

18 Feb 2007

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

This torpedo features a leathery, almost obscuro, wrapper that seperated from the binder a bit soon after being lit. For such a dark wrapper, the flavors were suprisingly sweet and the strength was medium-mild. It’s got potential, but didn’t quite hit the spot.

Verdict = Hold.

Patrick S

Tags: cigars

Quick Smoke: Cuesta-Rey Centenario Dominican No. 60

17 Feb 2007

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

Cuesta-Reys rarely get the attention their Fuente cousins enjoy. But the Centenarios offer appealing smokes at reasonable prices. The six inch by 50 ring gauge maduro I smoked at a local shop was typical of these medium strength Dominican sticks: a nice aroma, creamy smoke, and warm, sweet tobacco tastes. At $40 or so for a box of 10, adding a few to your humidor can give you a new taste without breaking the bank.

Verdict = Buy.

George E

Tags: cigars

Stogie Guys Friday Sampler XXXI

16 Feb 2007

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a sampler of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) In another bizarre twist in Fidel Castro’s protracted battle for health, Reuters reported this week that the wavering communist dictator is signing five elaborate humidors to be auctioned off at Cuba’s annual Habanos festival. As you will recall, emergency surgery forced El Comandante to cede control of his impoverished island nation to his brother on July 31.

2) Toraño Cigars Inc. is celebrating 90 years in the business by releasing a limited-edition Noventa stogie. The sticks, which can already be found in many retail shops, sport a Habano Nicaragua wrapper and sell for about $10 apiece.

3) A cigar store Indian sold for an astonishing $69,000 this week at an antique show in Pennsylvania. The wooden figure – attributed to Sam Robb, New York, circa 1885 – stands over six feet tall while holding a package of cigars and a cube of tobacco. Click here for a brief history on these fascinating sculptures.

4) Representative Keith Ellison – the Minnesota Democrat who made waves in November by becoming the first Muslim elected to Congress – is waging a war against Colorado Republican Tom Tancredo. Because of Tom’s conservative stance on immigration? No. Because he smokes cigars in his office, which is right next door to Ellison’s.

5) Finally, here are our deals of the week: 12 premium big-name cigars (La Gloria, Hoyo, Gurkha, Torano, Rocky Patel, and more), a travel case, and a hat for under $30: Ultimate Cigar Sampler – $29.95. Also, you can claim a free Montecristo cigar with this offer we found in the January issue of The Robb Report: www.freemontecristosample.com. Enjoy!

The Stogie Guys

Tags: cigars

Stogie Commentary: Attend Cigar Events

15 Feb 2007

We hope you DC-area readers can attend our first Stogie Guys Meetup tonight at Carpool in Ballston from 6:30-9 p.m. (See here for more details.) We will be there enjoying drinks, BBQ, pool, darts, cigars, and – most importantly – the company of fellow stogie enthusiasts.

But even if you cannot attend tonight, we hope you will get out and enjoy the many cigar events that take place every week all around the country. Cigar manufacturers and retailers often hold events to attract new customers.

Yet, for the average Stogie Guy, these promotional events can be much more than just an opportunity to score some freebies. (Although we like free cigars as much as the next guy!) For us, these events are best seen as an opportunity to meet your fellow cigar smokers and learn about the many complexities of stogies.

In October, George wrote about a Punch event that included a specially-designed cigar tasting kit, complete with three mini-cigars and detailed instructions. Patrick A and I attended a similar Davidoff tasting in August and a Macanudo event in June.

And even if a representative from a cigar company isn’t planning an event, just meeting up with your fellow smokes can provide a wealth of information as you talk stogies over stogies.

In the past we’ve written about the need for cigar companies to continue to educate their customers because, while cigar booms may be created by “Don (fill in the blank)” cigars and flashy advertising campaigns in Cigar Aficionado, sustainable growth is realized through educating consumers on the wonders and intricacies of premium handmade cigars.

Additionally – whether for one’s own knowledge, or to impress the next person who asks you “Whatcha smoking?” – learning the story behind the cigar also leads to a greater appreciation of the time and dedication that goes into creating it, from planting and cultivating the tobacco to developing the blend, hand rolling, and aging.

In short, these events are a win-win for buyers and sellers alike – particularly when the promotions include education about the products. The most complete list of cigar events we’ve come across is maintained here. General Cigar’s website also has a good list.

So even if we don’t see you tonight (and we hope we do), we highly recommend you take advantage of the cigar events in your area, so you can learn a little more about the hobby we all love.

Patrick S

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