Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 459

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) This week, Cigar Rights of America (CRA), the premium tobacco industry’s consumer-driven lobbying organization, has been very actively encouraging its members to contact Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (pictured). “For several years, stakeholders from across the premium cigar industry have been fighting on Capitol Hill to preserve the products and lifestyle we love. The culmination of that fight is now at hand,” reads a CRA “urgent action alert” dated December 9. “Congress is currently considering how to extend funding for the federal government and, in the context of that debate, considering what federal regulations can be addressed to prevent massive loss of jobs and the decimation of whole industries. First and foremost for us is the certain destruction that awaits the premium cigar industry under an FDA’s regulatory framework.” StogieGuys.com encourages you to voice your opinion to your senators, your representative, and to Speaker Ryan, who can be contacted at 202-225-0600. For a refresher of exactly what’s at stake in this battle, please click here.

2) Steve Saka of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust—who has been meeting with senators and representatives in Washington this week, along with CRA executive director Glynn Loope and Sean Williams of El Primer Mundo Cigars—took to Facebook to plead with friends, followers, and fans to follow through on CRA’s appeal to contact Senator Ryan. “I won’t lie, it’s looking rough,” he wrote. “Big Tobacco is against us, the anti-tobacco zealots are against us, the FDA is against us, however there is a sliver of [a] chance that we might be granted an exemption in the pending omnibus… The speaker’s office is actually asking members on both sides about this issue and is actively engaging—John Boehner never did this.” Paul Ryan assumed the role of Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in October following the resignation of the incumbent, John Boehner.

3) Inside the Industry: Popular cigar cutter brand Palio has been acquired by humidor and cigar accessory distributor Quality Importers Trading Co., which is based in Weston, Florida. According to reports, Quality Importers Trading plans to expand Palio offerings to include branded cutters for cigar companies. While the company plans to shift production from the U.S. to China, it will continue its lifetime warranty and replacement policy.

4) Deal of the Week: StogieGuys.com recommends Bespoke Post, a monthly collection of awesome items delivered to your door. Past boxes include fine bar accessories, shaving kits, coffee, and more. You can skip or purchase every month. Currently available is an offering called “Churchill” that includes an exclusive cigar from E.P. Carrillo, plus cedar spills, an ashtray made from reclaimed wood, and an odor-eating candle. Click here to sign up today.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: PaulRyan.House.gov