Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 412

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) Nebraska’s eleven cigar bars can continue to allow smoking, at least for a short while longer. Last August, the state Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a longstanding exemption from the state’s indoor smoking ban. For now, paperwork and bureaucracy are delaying enforcement of the ban at the bars in question. In addition, “some lawmakers said there will be an effort to allow for cigar bars this upcoming session. Sen. Tyson Larson, who’s running to be chairman of the General Affairs Committee, believes they’ll come up with a proposal that is constitutional,” according to the ABC affiliate in Omaha.

2) Love it or hate it, you can’t deny Cigar Aficionado’s recent list of the Top Cigars of 2014 will have an impact on sales (and probably also influence the behavior of retailers and manufacturers). Highest honors went to the Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado—the first time Oliva has topped the list. The top ten included the E.P. Carrillo La Historia E-III, Illusione Fume d’Amour Clementes, Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial Tubo, Rocky Patel Royale Toro, Fuente Fuente OpusX PerfecXion X, Padrón Family Reserve 50 Years Maduro, Ashton Estate Sun Grown 22-Year Salute, Monte Jacopo No. 2, and A. Flores 1975 Serie Privada Capa Habano SP52.

3) Inside the Industry: Jordan Alexander III Cigar Company will be shipping it’s new Corojo cigar next month. The cigar—made with a Dominican corojo wrapper, Dominican binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican filler at the Quesada factory—will come in four sizes with suggested prices ranging from $7.95 to $9.75. Also shipping in February is the new Room 101 Master Collection Three. The Camacho-made cigar will feature an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Dominican binder, Nicaraguan filler, and will come in five sizes.

4) Deal of the Week: AVO’s upcoming rebranding/reblending will result in some excellent deals on the current AVO offerings. These deals from Emerson’s are no exception. Buy any box of AVO cigars and you recieve a 10-pack of AVO Classic No. 2 cigars (valued at over $100). We’d particularly recommend the AVO Heritage line, which starts at just $112 for a box (plus the bonus 10-pack).

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Wikipedia