Stogie Guys Friday Sampler LXX

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

1) It was recently announced that Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, will ban smoking in the racetrack’s indoor areas starting November 25. A judge recently found that “Churchill Downs’ exemption from Louisville’s smoking ban violates the Kentucky constitution,” so you can no longer enjoy a cigar with the traditional mint julep.

2) Worried about packing your Zippo lighters for holiday travel? Don’t be. The Transportation Security Administration recently dropped its ban, allowing travelers to carry windproof lighters past security checkpoints and in the cabins of commercial aircraft.

3) Detroit is widely known as the Motor City, but not many people know that up until the 1920s it was a tobacco haven. According to an article in the Detroit News this week, “it was estimated that 210 million cigars and 14 million pounds of chewing tobacco were produced annually in Detroit, providing jobs for more than 10,000 workers.” Apparently a pre-Civil War flood of German and Jewish settlers brought an influx of cigar production skills to Michigan.

4) Around the Blog: Cigar Jack smokes a Habano Leon. Stogie Review reviews a Montesino Maduro. Cigar Inspector tries the Fuente Anejo 55. Keepers of the Flame lights up a Hemingway Work of Art Maduro. Cigar Command smokes the Casada Connecticut. Velvet Cigar puffs a Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte (like the one George recently reviewed here).

5) Deal of the Week: This week we’ve got a great sampler from Cuban Crafters. Regular readers may have noticed that that Cuban Crafters cigars such as the J.L. Salazar y Hermanos, Don Kiki Brown Label, La Carolina, Cameroon, and Cabinet Selection have all scored very well in reviews or quick smokes. Today you can get all those – 12 total cigars plus a free cutter – for just under $20. Grab yours here.

6) Finally, we’d like to welcome our newest advertiser: egars.com. For information on advertising with StogieGuys.com, please click here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: flickr