The Stogie Guys

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. When it comes to cigars, that old axiom doesn’t always hold true. Between the desire to sample new, heavily marketed releases and the need to explore uncharted blends, it’s easy to forget about old favorites that were once mainstays of my cigar rotation. I know many of you feel the same way.

My colleague, George E, wrote about this phenomenon back in May 2010. “I’m sure each of you can think of cigars that you really liked in the past but somehow got away from smoking as new releases elbowed their way onto the shelves,” he said. “And I’m not suggesting that anyone abandon the hunt for great new cigars. Discovering them is one of the many pleasures of cigar smoking. But so is reconnecting with an old friend.”

Revisiting George’s article got me thinking about cigars that I haven’t reconnected with in a long time. So I decided to jot down a quick list of cigars I miss. Of the cigars on my list, some are limited releases that are no longer available. Some are rare. Some verge on being cost-prohibitive. But, perhaps surprisingly, many are regular production smokes that are widely available at a relatively reasonable cost.

I find this latter category intriguing. I have no excuse for losing sight of excellent cigars that are easily located and purchased, especially since I once found them so consistently enjoyable. Below are five of these cigars and my reason for missing them: (more…)

Elected officials looking to raise cigar taxes to close budget deficits should look at New York State before proceeding. Despite two large tax increases, tax revenues from cigar taxes have fallen off dramatically.

In 2009, the state raised taxes in “Other Tobacco Products” (OTP) from 37% of the wholesale price to 46%. Then, in July 2010, the tax went up again to 75%—the highest in the nation. On top of its OTP tax, New York has a 4% state sales tax that is also applied to cigars and other tobacco products.

Meanwhile, taxes collected on premium handmade cigars have fallen over 50% from over $8 million per year in 2007 to about $4 million in 2009. The 2010 numbers aren’t available at this time, but Empire State retailers have observed continued declines. (more…)

Pete Johnson’s newest release of the Havana VI Verocu blend, the No. 5, arrived on the market last summer. The 4-inch by 40-ring gauge No. 5 is the smallest release of the blend and it is also markedly cheaper than the other releases with a retail price of only $4.50 each. (more…)

[Editor’s Note: The Cigar Maker is the story of a Cuban cigar maker who battles labor strife and vigilante violence in 1900’s Tampa. It recently won the Bronze Medal at the Independent Publisher Book Awards and has been named a Finalist in ForeWord Magazine’s 2010 Book of the Year Awards. Click here to learn more.]

The SS Olivette returned to busy Port Tampa the following evening. Freighters loaded with cigars set sail for Texas and Mexico while cargoes of fresh produce arrived from Honduras, and tobacco from Cuba. Mendez saw that the front page of Kincaid’s Daily News bore the headline “Cigar Workers Strike,” with a photograph of the Vasquez factory. Beside the picture was the smaller headline: “Decree to Workers: Return to Work Now or Face Employment Blacklist.”

Nearly a thousand had walked out of six factories but the paper claimed the strike was expected to end quickly once the workers had gone broke and hungry. The strike had clearly gained momentum during the past few days and he felt a sudden need to reacquaint himself with the rest of the workers.

He hustled into Ybor City and went straight to La Rubia. The tavern was filled to capacity and buzzing with talk of the work stoppage. Juan Carlos rushed to greet him almost instantly upon his arrival. They embraced briefly and Juan Carlos said, “The Vasquez workers voted unanimously to continue the strike.”

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Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Since he stormed back on the scene in 2009, E.P. Carrillo (who brought La Gloria Cubana to fame in the 1990s) has been on a role. His 2010 Limited Edition cigar was such a hit, he brought it back in the form of the Elencos line which features the same blend as the popular 2010 limited release. The full bodied smoke features rich buttery flavors with sweet earth and a touch of cinnamon spice. Complex and full of flavor with excellent construction this thick six inch by 54 RG toro is worth picking up.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This attractive, lower-priced Pete Johnson production uses lower-grade wrappers and Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos than his top-shelf Tatuaje sticks. I’d call this five-inch, $5-plus cigar perfect for activities such as golf, fishing, partying, or poker. Just don’t expect the complexity, subtlety, or depth of Don Pepin Garcia’s better smokes. Instead, you’ll find consistency and a pleasant experience in a medium-strength cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Lawmakers in Connecticut have passed legislation that caps the excise tax on premium cigars at 50 cents per cigar. Once Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signs the bill, Connecticut will become the seventh state to adopt a cigar tax cap (the others being Iowa, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin). “After six and a half hours of debate, the House voted, 83 to 63, on a mostly party line vote,” reports the Hartford Courant. “About a dozen fiscally conservative Democrats, including those who had voted against the original budget and tax increases last month, broke with the party and voted with the Republicans.” Connecticut is a key cigar state given its unique ability to produce high quality wrapper leaves.

2) In May’s “Question of the Month,” we asked readers, “Where are your favorite cigars made?” Nicaragua came in tops with 49% of the vote, followed by the Dominican Republic (24%), Cuba (18%), and Honduras (8%). Be sure to weigh in on this month’s question by voting in the sidebar to the right. And feel free to contact us if you’ve got a suggestion for a future month’s poll.

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