Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 274

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) One week before Indianapolis hosts Super Bowl XLVI between the Giants and the Patriots, anti-tobacco politicians in Indiana are still pushing for a statewide smoking ban. Now, to pass the bill, some legislators are lobbying to exempt bars. As it currently stands, the only exemptions are for private clubs, casinos, hookah bars, and retail tobacco shops. “The House last year approved a smoking ban bill that included an exemption for bars, but it failed later after health advocates argued it would be one of the nation’s weakest bans,” reports the Indianapolis Business Journal.

2) Cigar Journal, formerly the European Cigar Cult Journal, has opened a Florida office that will process U.S. subscriptions and be held responsible for growing the publication’s brand in America. Each issue of Cigar Journal includes cigar reviews, reports, and research. Robert McDuffee, co-founder of the DogWatch Cigar Radio podcast, will help the office liaison between the U.S. cigar scene and Cigar Journal’s main office in Vienna, Austria.

3) Inside the Industry: José M. Seijas is resigning as head of Tabacalera de Garcia Ltd., the Altadis USA cigar factory where smokes like Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta are made. Room101 Cigars is launching a new limited series called OSOK—an acronyn for “one shot, one kill”—that we first sampled last fall and which features an Ecuadorian habano wrapper around corojo tobaccos. Adrian’s Costa Rican and CroMagnon brand owners Michael Rosales and Skip Martin, respectively, are merging their operations to jointly form RoMa Craft Tobac (the company will release a new CroMagnon extension, two new lines, and a “new flagship” product for their Adrian’s Costa Rican brand).

4) Around the Blogs: Tiki Bar tries the Maldonado Dynasty Mogul. Cigar Explorer explores the Kristoff Corojo Limitada. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Alec Bradley Black Market. Cigar Inspector inspects a Gurkha Cellar Reserve Prisoner. Cigar Fan fires up the Toraño Vault. Stogie Review reviews the Padilla Black Bear.

5) Deal of the Week: Like Rocky Patel and Gurkha? Then you’ll enjoy this Rocky vs. Gurkha 12-cigar sampler for only $40. Not only do you get five Rocky Patel Olde World Corojo Toros and five Gurkha Raider Habano Toros, included is one Gurkha Signature Aniversaro 1887 Limited Edition and one Indian Tabac Super Fuerte.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: ISBHC