Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 376

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) Alaska is currently one of fewer than ten U.S. states that don’t have a statewide smoking ban. But that may be changing. While anti-tobacco forces in America’s biggest state have been pushing for smoking regulations for over a decade, a bill recently introduced by Rep. Lindsey Holmes (R-Anchorage) has made it further than any other effort to criminalize smoking statewide inside bars, restaurants, and other workplaces. And Alaska certainly isn’t the only state where anti-tobacco measures are under consideration. A newsletter issued this week by the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association lists 20 different states with legislative proposals ranging from mail order prohibitions and tax hikes to smoking bans and raising the legal tobacco age from 18 to 21.

2) During a Congressional hearing yesterday, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg responded to a question from Representative Kevin Yoder, a co-sponsor of the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2013, which would prohibit the FDA from regulating premium cigars. In her response, Hamburg said that cigars would be part of a rule that the agency would be “hopefully putting forward for public comment very soon,” and also she said that she felt it was “very appropriate for FDA… to take [cigar regulation] on.”

3) Want to know more about cigar tasting? There’s a fascinating article in Bon Appétit exploring how your taste buds and olfactory senses work and, more importantly, how they can change dramatically over the years. While it’s obviously focused on food, the solid information applies to cigars as well.

4) Inside the Industry: Drew Estate has announced a new vitola for its popular Undercrown line called Dogma. A box-pressed cigar, it will measure 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 56. The limited run of 10-count bundles will be sold through Smoke Inn exclusively at a price of $9.95 per cigar or $99.50 per bundle. Pre-orders are being taken starting today.

5) Giveaways: Win a five-pack of Undercrown Dogma. Win a box of limited edition Punch Rare Corojo Salomones. Win a year of free cigars.

5) Deal of the Week: Emersons Cigars is featuring this five-cigar sampler for just $25. Included are the CAO OSA Sol, Rocky Patel Edge Habano, Room 101 Master Series, Toraño Master, and the Affinity by Sindicato.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr