Stogie Guys Friday Sampler CLI

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) This week Famous Smoke Shop, a Pennsylvania-based retailer with a thriving online and mail-order operation, was the apparent victim of a so-called “distributed denial of service” attack. Hackers allegedly flooded Famous’ website with traffic in order to prevent legitimate users from getting through, and other online retailers appear to have suffered similar attacks. In an email to customers, Famous’ president had this to say: “Thankfully, right now our company is functioning normally again. We were attacked. Jealous competitor? Anti-smoking terrorist? It’s impossible to know at this point…Federal authorities have taken an active interest in pursuing the attackers and we intend to cooperate fully.”

2) Tobacco giant Altria reported this week that sales in its John Middleton division—maker of the hugely popular Black & Mild brand—dropped 23.8% in the second quarter to 270 million units. Black & Mild is the number two selling machine-made stick in the U.S.

3) Inside the Industry: Camacho has teamed up with LA jeweler Matt Booth to create “Room 101 Cigars,” a Honduran-Dominican blend that will debut at the IPCPR trade show. Padilla is releasing two new cigars in August: Padilla Dominus, made with 2006 corojo tobacco ($8-15); and Padilla Cazadores, made with an Ecuadoran habano wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos ($5-6).

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame fires up a La Gloria Cubana Reserva. Nice Tight Ash lights up a Don Pepin Garcia JJ Maduro. Tampa Cigar Examiner smokes a Carlos Toraño Exodus 1959. Daniel (at Asylum) tries the $50 Louixs. Stogie Review reviews a Verdadero Organic.

5) Deal of the Week: Full-bodied smokes are all the rage these days ,and this “Full-Bodied Sampler” has some top smokes. You get two each of such favorites as the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992, Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic, Perdomo Lot 23, EO 601 Habano “Red,” and the La Gloria Cubana Serie R. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr