Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 460

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) As we reported last week, Cigar Rights of America (CRA) had been encouraging its members and supporters to contact Paul Ryan, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as their own representatives, to vehemently push for the inclusion of protections for premium cigars from FDA regulations within an omnibus spending bill. We learned on Wednesday these efforts were unsuccessful. The bill was introduced with no mention of cigars—unlike a previous draft, which included language that exempted cigars from FDA regulation. This places the fate of the industry firmly in the hands of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Officials at the OMB will now decide whether to proceed with the FDA draft of the rule, which would have a devastating impact on the industry, or request more changes.

2) To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Antillian Cigar Corporation, also known as Sosa Cigars, is releasing a new blend called Santa Julia. “Santa Julia was the name of the farm the Sosa family owned in Taguasco, Cuba,” reads a press release. “In the 1920s, Don Juan Sosa bought the Santa Julia farm with his son, Arturo Sosa. They grew sun-grown tobacco to be used as fillers and binders for cigars. The breath-taking Santa Julia farm encompassed over 900 acres of land, and employed mostly Sosa family members and some locals. Unfortunately, this farm was lost to the Castro regime.”  The Santa Julia blend includes an Ecuador Habano Oscuro wrapper, a Honduran bunder, and Dominican filler tobaccos. Two sizes will be offered, Torpedo and Toro, both with prices just under $10. The first shipment is scheduled for late January, and 20,000 cigars will be produced.

3) Inside the Industry: Sindicato recently released the new Sindicato Miami Edition. The single vitola (6.875 x 52) is made at the Casa Fernandez factory in Miami using Aganorsa tobacco. The recipe includes a shade-grown Jalapa Corojo wrapper, dual binders, and filler from Estelí and Jalapa. Just 15,000 cigars (in boxes of 10) are being made with each cigar having a suggested retail price of $12.95.

4) Deal of the Week: The new E.P. Carrillo Edición Limitada 2015 is out, and if previous editions are any indication it will be in high demand. The cigar is now in stock at Smoke Inn. You can use the coupon code “Stogie10” to reduce the price by 10%.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys