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Stogie Guys Friday Sampler CCXVIII

10 Dec 2010

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) U.S. Customs officials seized 30,000 Cuban cigars when the illegal smokes arrived at Chicago’s O’Hare airport this week. “The flood of the popular contraband is the biggest seen at the Customs and Border Protection’s Chicago field office, which typically seizes 10 to 12 cigars a week at the O’Hare international mail facility,” reports the Chicago Tribune. “Officials attribute the influx in the last two weeks to changes in U.S. Transportation Security Administration regulations…[which ban the] shipment of parcels weighing more than 16 ounces from passenger flights…Officials believe that because European shippers could no longer send packages via these flights, they stockpiled parcels until they could be put on cargo freighters, which fly less frequently.”

2) In order to help New York shops that are suffering under draconian state taxes, La Aurora is launching a cigar called “Broadway” that will only be available at Empire State tobacconists. The blend includes a double wrapper of Ecuadorian Sumatra and Nicaraguan leaves over a Dominican corojo binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Peru. The only size, Sumo Toro (5.75 x 54), retails for $12 (including taxes).

3) Inside the Industry: Rene Castañeda, vice president of Miami Cigar & Company, is turning over the organization’s national sales portfolio to Hector Paz to concentrate on international sales and product development. Davidoff named Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard as their new CEO. Davidoff subsidiary Cusano Cigars will now distribute for Heavenly Cigars. With demand increasing, La Flor Dominicana has expanded production in its Dominican factory from five days  per week to six.

4) Around the Blogs: Epernay Le Ferme is curently rated a 94 at Cigar Ratings. Cigar Fan fires up the EP Carrillo. Smoking Stogie smokes the Dunhill Selección No. 50. Stogie Review reviews the Tatuaje Anarchy. Cigar Inspector inspects the Tatuaje Boris. Stogie Fresh lights up a La Aurora 107 Lancero.

5) Deal of the Week: This Hurricane Sampler includes a dozen smokes for just $40. Included are sought-after cigars from Diesel, Man O’ War, Gurkha, Padilla, and La Herencia. Use coupon code “JIMMY” and get free shipping if you buy two.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: U.S. Customs

2 Responses to “Stogie Guys Friday Sampler CCXVIII”

  1. Cadillac Friday, December 10, 2010 at 3:42 am #

    So let me get this straight. Our agents have been strip searching old ladies and confiscating their nail clippers while at the same time making them feel guilty. But when we all sit down in our airplane seats, we've been sitting over a bunch of unchecked foreign packages? Welcome to "Theatre Security".

    By the way, I thought we were supposed to be a free country, but we're TOLD we can't buy Cuban cigars, and were TOLD we can't go to Cuba. All this because a minority of Cuban Americans have deep lobbying pockets in Florida.

  2. Dave in Ashburn Friday, December 10, 2010 at 4:20 am #

    I just happened to place an order with one the Stogie Guys' Recommended Retailers from Switzerland this past November. Still no sign of my package 🙁 We can spend whatever we want on goods from China, Russia, Venezuela and Vietnam, but heaven forbid we import anything from our small island neighbor to the South.