The Stogie Guys

Yesterday, voters in North Dakota and Missouri decided on ballot questions that will impact cigar rights in those states. While Missouri voters rejected the anti-tobacco “Prop B,” voters in North Dakota approved Measure 4.

North Dakota’s Measure 4, a statewide smoking ban to criminalize indoor smoking in virtually all “public” places including cigar shops, overwhelmingly passed 66% to 34%. The law calls for violators of the restrictive ban to be fined $50, and for a bar proprietor who allowed smoking in spite of the ban to have his or her liquor and tobacco sales licenses revoked. Arguments made by cigar smokers and the hospitality industry that the blanket smoking ban would infringe on property rights, harm small businesses, and unfairly restrict personal choices to smoke were not enough to overcome intense lobbying by anti-tobacco groups.

Prop. B in Missouri would have increased the state tax on cigars by 15% if passed, but the move appears to have failed by a slim margin. The latest numbers show “no” with 50.8% and “yes” with 40.2%, with a 42,000 vote difference out of nearly 2.7 million votes cast.

Any revenue from the tax increase was to be earmarked in equal proportions for education and smoking cessation programs, but critics point out that politicians regularly and easily raid such funds, so there was no guarantee of any net funding increase in the designated areas. Further, some people cautioned that raising the tobacco tax would just drive cigarette sales to neighboring states, and presumably would drive cigar sales to online retailers.

It’s not clear if the margin of defeat for Proposition B is enough to avoid a lengthy recount process. In early June voters in California narrowly rejected a 73% tobacco tax increase but, due to an extended recount and certification process, the result wasn’t finalized until a little over a month ago.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Sometimes those of us who devote lots of time and energy to cigars forget that there are many, many smokers who enjoy them but aren’t nearly as involved. They may not have the time or the inclination—or both—to delve deeply into such topics as the differences in Nicaraguan tobaccos grown in various regions of the country, or a comparison of the relative merits of entubar and accordion bunching.

No problem. After all, cigar smoking should be about enjoyment. For some, that means acquiring and evaluating lots of information. For others, it means just lighting up. But in reading various cigar forums, I know there are always newcomers confused by some of the basics. Here are a few explanations that I hope will help.

Wrapper. This is the leaf that covers the cigar, the tobacco that you see. The varieties and origins can seem nearly infinite. Despite what you may hear, a darker wrapper does not automatically mean a stronger cigar. Maduro (Spanish for ripe or mature) wrappers darken as they’re processed and often have a sweeter characteristic.

Filler. This tobacco comprises the majority of the cigar and forms the inner component. Premium cigars are nearly always long-filler, meaning the tobacco runs the length of the cigar. Chopped, cut, or sandwich filler is usually found in less expensive cigars, and it usually consists of clippings from long-filler cigars.

Construction. There are many ways to make cigars, but the most basic categories are machine-made and handmade. Most machine-made cigars use homogenized tobacco, paper, and other components and, for my taste, these bear about as much resemblance to premium cigars as does chalk to cheese. (You can read more of my thoughts on them here.) Premium cigars are almost always hand-rolled, though that includes the use of some tools, even mechanical ones such as the Lieberman machine. Premium cigars are 100% tobacco.

Resources. Well, you’re already at the best one, right? Explore the categories at the top of this page and use the search function for whatever is on your mind. If you need more, try our Cigar University or Tobacconist University. And for those interested in history, nothing comes close to the extraordinary National Cigar Museum.

And if you have other questions about cigar basics or more advanced curiosities, please let us know in the comments below.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Tomorrow, millions of Americans will head to the polls to decide which politicians will make the laws that, for better or worse, we will live under in the coming years. While there are many reasons to vote and many issues to consider, we hope you’ll keep your cigar rights in mind when you decide who to support.

Unfortunately, enjoying a cigar is under attack from legislation and regulation at all levels of government. Who is elected tomorrow could well make the difference when it comes to which cigars we enjoy, and where we are free to enjoy them in the future.

When it comes to presidential candidates, the stances of the major candidates on cigars comes down to a known and an unknown. One of President Obama’s first acts in office was signing into law the largest tax increase on cigars in American history. Not long later he signed into law the bill to regulate tobacco under the FDA, which includes authorization for the FDA to regulate cigars without any further act from Congress, a bill which could in the long run be far more damaging to the cigar industry and the choices cigar smokers have. When cigar smokers petitioned the White House for an official answer about its plans to regulate cigars under the FDA, their calls were answered with a deafening silence.

Obama’s Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, doesn’t have much of a record on theses issues. But considering Obama’s positions and that Romney has been attacked for his criticisms of SCHIP (the tax hike on cigars that Obama signed into law), it’s hard to think he could be much worse. If you’re having trouble pulling the lever for either major party candidate, you also might consider Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico, whose philosophical beliefs make him the most likely to keep government’s hands off cigars, even if he has zero chance of getting elected.

But while most of the attention is likely to be paid to the top of the ticket, the races further down the ticket are more likely to have an impact on cigar rights in the years to come. After all, it is Congress that makes the laws, and only Congress has the power to fully repeal the FDA’s authority to regulate cigars.

When it comes to House and Senate races, Cigar Rights of America has a voter guide that every cigar smoker should take a look at before heading to the polls. In a few races, like the Florida and Nevada Senate races, both candidates are co-sponsors of the bill to stop the FDA from regulating (and devastating) the cigar industry. In most races, only one candidate is on record in favor of cigar rights. (In a few races, like Arizona Senate candidate Jeff Flake vs. former Surgeon General Richard Carmona, CRA has gone out of its way to endorse the pro-cigar candidate. In that race, it’s Flake.)

When it comes to local and state races, you’ll need to do your own investigations. But please take the time to do so, since when it comes to smoking bans and state tax rates, these local races make all the difference. And, of course, know if there are referendums on your ballot that would increase taxes or smoking bans.

Ultimately, we’re not going to tell you how to vote because we think you’re smart enough to make that decision for yourself. Just remember that the decisions you make in the voting booth have consequences, and the future of cigar rights (smoking bans, taxes, and anti-cigar regulations) could depend on who is elected tomorrow.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: N/A

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.”

The size of this monster of a cigar (5 x 62) makes me skeptical, but knowing the other fantastic cigars made by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, I had to try it. The large ring gauge format features an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It’s very earthy and full-bodied with dark chocolate and a little spice. The fat cigar features excellent construction and produces loads of thick smoke. I picked this cigar up from Emerson’s (where you can pickup a four-cigar sampler of the line for $35) and despite the unwieldy size I’m pleasantly surprised.

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.”

Boutique Blends Cigars, a company formerly known as Oliveros, released the SWAG SoBe blend this summer to honor (in both name and style) the Miami neighborhood of South Beach. It is comprised completely of ligero Habano tobacco from the Dominican Republic. But with a medium-bodied profile of black pepper, dry wood, and a fair amount of spice, the VIP (4.5 x 48), as advertised, has a more powerful stature than you might expect from a Dominican puro. Construction is excellent. And the price of about $6 for a single is more than fair, making this an easy recommendation.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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) On Tuesday, in addition to voting for the next president at the polls, Americans will be faced with plenty of other choices, some of which—including several referendums—will have lasting implications for cigar rights. Notable among these choices is the race between Republican Jeff Flake and Democrat Richard Carmona (pictured) for one of Arizona’s U.S. Senate seats. CRA is endorsing Flake over Carmona, which isn’t a surprise since Carmona has a history of advocating an all-out tobacco ban. “I see no need for any tobacco products in society,” he testified before Congress in 2003. “If you’re asking me, would I support banning or abolishing tobacco products? Yes.”

2) Andrew Brennan has joined La Palina, makers of El Diario, Family Series, and the La Palina Collection, among other cigars. Brennan was formerly the vice president of sales at La Flor Dominicana. “The addition of Andrew Brennan is a great fit to our growing company,” said Bill Paley, president and founder of La Palina. “His experience in cigar sales complements that of the company’s vice president, Courtney Smith.”

3) Inside the Industry: Pete Johnson is re-packaging La Riqueza, the slowest-selling line in his portfolio, to be sold in 10-count boxes instead of 25. The new boxes are expected to hit retailer shelves in the first quarter of 2013. “I can’t find an audience for the cigar,” Johnson recently told Cigar Aficionado. “We did a push at the [IPCPR] trade show to see if people would pay more attention to it. Right now, we’re just letting the old packaging run out.”

4) Around the Blogs: Tiki Grange kicks back with a Vie Havana Maduro. Cigar Brief smokes an Oliva V Melanio. Half Wheel lights up a La Aurora Preferidos Lancero. Casa Fumando fires up a Vallejuelo.

5) Deal of the Week: Emerson’s Cigars has the Tatueje Little Monsters in stock. Get them before they sell out (which they will quickly).

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Wikipedia

Quesada (SAG Imports/MATASA) makes some very good cigars, and the Garcias (My Father Cigars) need no introduction. So the project between Patricia Quesada, Raquel Quesada, and Janny Garcia—the “tres reynas” (three queens)—is a promising collaboration.

“Janny is like a sister to us…We always have such a great time together, so we thought it would be fun to make a cigar that would represent our special bond. It is a project we have been discussing for a while and are so excited to finally be able to share it with the world,” Raquel Quesada said of their cigar.

The cigar is made at the Garcia’s My Fathers Cigars Factory in Nicaragua. Available in three sizes—Robusto (5 x 50), Torpedo (6 x 54), and Gordo (6 x 60)—it sells for $7-8 each, with only 1,000 boxes of each vitola made. The cigar features a dark Connecticut broadleaf wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos.

Pre-light the well-made Robusto (I smoked three for this review) features sweet tobacco and raisin flavors. Once lit, I find a combination of coffee, vanilla bean, milk chocolate, and hint of grass.

I was a little surprised by the lack of strength in this cigar given its Nicaraguan and broadleaf components. I’d classify it as mild- to medium-bodied. The only spice that makes an appearance is a hint of black pepper that comes and goes.

Still, it’s well-constructed, nicely balanced, and features a notably cool smoke. It’s the type of cigar that goes nicely with a cup of coffee in the morning or afternoon.

All around it’s a solid smoke: well-made, pleasant, balanced, and rich. Even though I didn’t find it to be exceptional, it earns a rating of rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys