Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 369

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) Lost in the seemingly endless supply of news about smoking bans, regulations, and taxes at the local, state, and federal levels is a cadre of officials who aren’t afraid to stand up to anti-tobacco zealotry. Take Randy Voepel, for example. He is the current mayor of Santee, California. Mayor Voepel recently received an “F” grade for his city’s tobacco control policies (or lack thereof) from the American Lung Association—a grade he calls “’F’ for Freedom” while proudly donning a cigar tie (pictured). Then there’s Missouri State Representative Kathie Conway, who continues to encourage localities in the state to not pass smoking bans, and is drawing attention to how smoking bans harm small businesses. And, at the federal level, U.S. Representative Tom Cotton of Arkansas is the latest legislator to pledge to protect premium cigars from impending FDA regulation. Officials like these deserve our thanks.

2) This week it was announced that Crowned Heads and My Father Cigars have teamed up to create a new release (due out in May) called Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014—Crowned Heads’ first Nicaraguan cigar. Three sizes will be offered, each with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Only 1,000 boxes of each vitola will be made, with per-cigar prices ranging from $8 to $12.

3) Inside the Industry: Royal Gold Cigars, the premium cigar subsidiary of machine-made giant Swisher, officially announced Nirvana, which is made by Drew Estate. The five-size line will feature a Rosado wrapper grown in the Eastern province of Cameroon, a Mexican San Andres binder, and filler from Jalapa, Estelí, and Jamastran.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Inspector inspects a Cuban Davidoff No. 1. Keepers of the Flame fires up some Gurkhas. Stogie Review reviews the Fratello. Stogie Fresh smokes the Room 101 Master Collection One.

5) Deal of the Week: We make no apologies for being fans of corona-sized cigars, which makes this deal particularly noteworthy. Just $24 gets you five coronas: Kristoff Ligero Maduro, Montecristo, Cain Daytona 543, Tatuaje Noella, and L’Atelier Maduro 44.

–The Stogie Guys,

photo credit: Santee Patch