Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 297

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) Not satisfied with the widespread criminalization of smoking in most places, zealots are now turning their attention to private homes. And they’re starting this trend exactly where you’d expect: California, the hotbed of anti-tobacco lunacy. “The Santa Monica City Council has approved an ordinance that would prohibit smoking for new tenants in apartments and condos,” reports the Los Angeles Times. “The ordinance, passed Tuesday night by a 4-2 vote, would allow existing tenants to continue to smoke in their residences if they seek to have them designated as ‘smoking’…Whether that condition will endure is uncertain. In a related action, the council directed city staff to recommend a date on which all existing apartment and condo units in the city would be deemed smoke-free.”

2) In last month’s “Question of the Month,” we asked readers what matters most when selecting a new cigar. “Word of mouth” topped the poll with 26% of the vote, followed by “written reviews” (24%), “price” (15%), “wrapper type” (14%), “blender” (11%), and brand (10%). Thanks to everyone who voted. Be sure to weigh in on this month’s question by voting in the sidebar to the right. And please contact us if you’ve got suggestion for a future poll.

3) Inside the Industry: 262 Cigars will be launching a new line called Revere in the fall that will be a Nicaraguan puro that sells for $6-9 in three sizes. American Kick Ass Cigars (AKA Cigars) is dropping the prices of its Hybrid and Respect blends by $1 per cigar. Casa Magna is introducing three box-pressed sizes to its Colorado line.

4) Deal of the Week: Here’s a Maduro Sampler with ten top maduro smokes for $35 (or double up for $60). Included are two Drew Estate Undercrowns, two Partagas Black Labels, two La Gloria Serie Rs, and two Boris 11 Maduros.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr