Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 332

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) International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Legislative Director Chris McCalla’s role with the group is ending in an apparent restructuring. In a post on Facebook, McCalla (right) wrote the following: “[M]y position here with IPCPR is being dissolved and a new state director position created and operated out of D.C. Please know while no one is more disappointed than me, I am not bitter, and look forward to what may lie ahead. At this point, I do not know my last day, so I should be around for a couple of months (best guess). Lots of moving parts involved in this process. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege serving as IPCPR’s first legislative director.”

2) The New York Times Magazine recently featured a story about a pipe smoker who found a unique, special tobacco and eventually went to Belgium to meet the man responsible for making it. The story is an ode to the artisanal potential of tobacco, in this case pipe tobacco, and the pleasant experiences that can be associated with it. The comments also make for an interesting read, with equal parts hand-wringing over an article putting tobacco in a good light, and comments praising the article for it’s evocative writing.

3) In yet another example of the cigar community’s charitable generosity, Cigar Aficionado‘s 19th annual Night to Remember Fundraiser was held this week in New York. Rush Limbaugh and Rudy Guiliani spoke to the crowd at the Four Seasons restaurant about the importance of cigars and the threats to our freedom to smoke. The event raised $1.2 million for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

4) Inside the Industry: Erik Espinosa, owner of La Zona in Esteli, Nicaragua, has announced a new size in his 601 “La Bomba” line, a massive “F Bomb” (7 x 70). La Palina is expanding distribution to Europe where Mythical Cigars Europe will serve as the official distributor.

5) Deal of the Week: Toraño is a brand that’s sometimes overlooked but seems to consistently make solid cigars. If you’re looking to try a few, check out this sampler of four Toraño torpedos for just $16.50 ($10 off MSRP).

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: IPCPR Email Newsletter