Stogie Guys Friday Sampler CCII

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) The 78th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association  (IPCPR) Trade Show wraps up today. This year’s event saw the introduction of hundreds of new cigars, jazz smoking lounges, a seminar on cigar rights, and a speech delivered by Rocky Patel in which he encouraged retailers to educate their legislators about the adverse consequences of government intervention. “Obviously we have to do a better job of getting our fellow retailers…to put aside their differences and have a unified fight,” he said. For more information about the Trade Show, click here for our on-location reports from New Orleans. And be sure to check back throughout the year as we review the newest cigars on the market.

2) On the international front, China’s government is pushing for a nationwide ban on indoor smoking starting in January. But, as the Associated Press reported on Wednesday, the development of the ambitious law faces an ironic conflict of interest: “The organization that sets tobacco policy and enforces the rules is the same [government] agency that controls the China National Tobacco Corporation, the world’s largest cigarette maker.”

3) Inside the Industry: Foot traffic at the IPCPR Trade Show declined quickly after the initial burst on Tuesday. About 600 retailers attended, down from 700 last year. Nearly every manufacturer we spoke with expects next year’s show in Las Vegas to be busier.

4) Around the Blogs:  Stogie Review reviews the El Primer Mundo Liga Miami. Cigar Inspector inspects the Prometheus Sencillo. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Pinar del Rio 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Madura. Las VegAsh TV smokes a Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary.

5) Deal of the Week: There’s an email-only special going on at Cuban Crafters this weekend. The best deal is a box of 25 Cuban Crafters Cameroon Pyramides for just $75 (just $3 per cigar). Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys