Stogie Guys Friday Sampler LXXXVII

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) Add a few Pennsylvania religious groups to the list of nanny-staters who advocate government- mandated smoking bans. It was reported this week that a handful of Christian groups in the Keystone State are pushing legislators to pass an intrusive statewide ban with no exemptions for bars or cigar shops – ironic for a state that was founded on religious freedom.

2) In slightly happier news, lawmakers this week carved out exemptions for bars, restaurants, and casinos in Iowa’s proposed statewide smoking ban. One anti-smoking zealot said the ban would be “pretty much useless at this point.”

3) Arganese, maker of such sticks as the Presidente Maduro, recently decided to streamline its convoluted assortment of cigars. According to Cigar Aficionado, the company will no longer make every stogie available in three different strength levels and three different wrapper varieties.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Rocky Patel Fusion Double Maduro. Cigar Inspector inspects a Davidoff Anniversary No. 2. Keepers of the Flame tries a Nestor Reserve Maduro. Cigar Jack smokes a Canimao Torpedo. Stogie Baby fires up an Illusione 88.

5) Deal of the Week: Need to travel, but don’t want your smokes damaged? Check out this Traveler Sampler. For just $39.99 you get five top smokes from General Cigar (Macanudo, Hoyo de Monterrey, La Gloria Cubana, Punch and Partagas) plus a travel cigar case. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: ArganeseCigars.com