Stogie Guys Free Newsletter

Subscribe today for a chance to win great cigar prizes:


Presented by:

Stogie Guys Friday Sampler No. 468

26 Feb 2016

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.

Califf

1) Dr. Robert M. Califf was confirmed by the Senate this week as the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The cardiologist and former FDA deputy commissioner assumes control of the bureaucracy at a time when the cigar industry is bracing for FDA regulations—new rules that have the potential to be devastating. When asked (via Facebook) if this confirmation will have a positive or negative impact on premium cigars, Glynn Loope, executive director of Cigar Rights of America, commented, “We’ll see.” He later told StogieGuys.com via email: “…at this stage, and based upon the meetings held to this point, I doubt [the FDA proposed rules] will be sent back to FDA from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). We are in that magical time of any administration where there is a dash to put out as much rule and regulation as possible, to leave their lasting imprint upon the nation’s bureaucratic landscape… Today we meet with the office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, having had meetings with OMB, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and the White House Domestic Policy Council last month. One more chance to get the message across.”

2) The New York Post reports a “dirty cop” and a “drug dealer” have teamed up to launch a cigar line. “Former officer Michael Dowd, 55, spent 12 years behind bars for shaking down cocaine dealers, swiping their drugs, and reselling them while working in Brooklyn’s 75th Precinct in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Now he’s teaming with a former drug cohort, gang leader Adam Diaz, to sell cigars from the Dominican Republic under the brand name The Seven Five—after Dowd’s old precinct… Printed on their wooden boxes are the phrases, ‘Nobody can touch me. Nobody can touch my crew,’ and ‘The King of Brooklyn.’”

3) Inside the Industry: Procigar, the annual Dominican cigar festival, began this week. Attendees start in La Romana before events move to the heart of the Dominican cigar industry in Santiago. Among the many manufacturers visitors can check out are General Cigar, Davidoff, Quesada, La Aurora, Reyes, Tabacalera La Alianza-E.P. Carrillo, La Flor Dominicana, Tabacalera Palma, and Fuente.

4) From the Archives: As we enter election season, this is a good time to revisit a helpful piece we published in 2011: How to Lobby Effectively for the Cigar Cause. The first tip, and the most important, is to focus on your legislator and others who are seeking your vote. Read the rest here.

5) Cigar Giveaway Update: We are currently running two opportunities for you to land some free cigars. On Monday, our review of the Búho Primero Connecticut included the chance for two readers to win a sampler of Búho cigars. We’re also giving away a box of 20 CAO Pilón Coronas. The giveaway is being run completely through the StogieGuys.com Facebook page, and details on how to enter can be found in this Facebook post.

6) Deal of the Week: Cigar fans looking for more information should consider joining the Montecristo Social Club. Signup is free, and if you provide a verifiable address you will receive a welcome pack including a free punch cutter.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Reuters

Comments are closed.