The Stogie Guys

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) Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (pictured) is proposing to raise his state’s excise tax on all cigars from 15% to 70%. “Advocates of this tax hike say it’s necessary to decrease teen cigar use, but both the facts about youth cigar use and the tax design indicate this rationale is simply a smokescreen,” writes Marc Kilmer of the Washington Examiner. “Instead, the tax hike seems a clever way to manipulate concern about youth tobacco use to funnel more revenue to the state government… If O’Malley is really concerned about the cheap cigars being sold to youth, why penalize all tobacco products if the real problem is with only a small subset of the cigar market?”

2) As anti-tobacco forces continue to push for a statewide smoking ban in Indiana, a similar battle is brewing in Indianapolis to expand the city’s smoking regulations. Last week, Mayor Greg Ballard vetoed a bill that would have criminalized smoking in hotel rooms, most bars, bowling alleys, and private clubs because he objects to the idea of banning smoking in private clubs. But now a similar bill is expected that would allow smoking in private clubs as long as the only minors present are members’ children or grandchildren. No word yet on whether Ballard would support this bill.

3) Inside the Industry: E.P. Carrillo will begin shipping its newest Short Run cigar in the next two weeks. The “New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012″ uses the same Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper as the New Wave Connecticut, with a Connecticut broadleaf binder (same as the wrapper on the Core Maduro line) around Dominican and Nicaraguan filler (also from the Core Maduro line).

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Brief fires up an MK Ultra. Cigar Explorer explores an Ortega Serie D. Cigar Fan fires up a Santos de Miami by Jameson. Nice Tight Ash checks out a Paul Stulac Phantom. Stogie Review reviews the Drew Estate Liga Privada Unico Serie L40.

5) Deal of the Week: CroMagnon fans will want to checkout the new cigar “Intemperance” by the team behind CroMagnon. Currently available as a pre-release, this sampler features all eight new cigars and is discounted to just $39.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

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) The U.S. embargo against Cuba turned 50 years old this week. The law was signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, several days after he hypocritically ordered his press secretary to buy him as many H. Upmann Cuban cigars as possible. At the time, it was assumed the embargo would cripple Fidel Castro, but half a century of evidence suggests that logic is flawed, as the oppressive regime Castro established carries on to this day (now with Fidel’s brother, Raúl, at the helm). The 50th anniversary of the failed embargo is an appropriate time to reconsider the law.

2) As smoking bans make it harder and harder to find a place to enjoy a cigar, Forbes has noticed an interesting trend: Luxury hotels around the globe are building cigar-friendly havens and using technology to bypass regulations. One London venue boasts a unique “all-weather cigar terrace,” and another has a cigar garden with a retractable roof. Several Florida hotels have indoor cigar lounges that are made possible by high-tech air filtration systems.

3) David Hockney, renowned artist and tobacco supporter, struck again this week with a letter to Britain’s Guardian newspaper. He suggested that if an anti-tobacco crusader is so concerned about children, he should consider the ramifications of three million of them in the U.S. taking Ritalin. “I intend to stick with my far more natural, delicious, pleasure-giving tobacco,” he wrote.

4) Inside the Industry: Over half a century since nationalizing its cigar industry, Cuba is removing the names of the original brand owners from its cigar bands. Tatuaje is preparing to release a new 2012 Cojonu line that will be box-pressed and available in three wrappers: Ecuadorian Habano, a “Reserva” Connecticut Broadleaf, and a “Capa Especial” Sumatra.

5) Around the Blogs: Tiki Bar reviews the Rocky Patel Edición Unica. Cigar Obsession checks out the Drew Estate Natural Limited Pimp Stick. Cigar Coop smokes the La Aurora 107. Cigar Inspector inspects the Don Pepin Serie JJ Little Robusto. Cigar Brief fires up the Crowned Heads Four Kicks.

6) Deal of the Week: Tatuaje fans—we know you’re out there—should consider these two Brown Label samplers [link fixed]. The first six-cigar sampler lets you try the same “7th” size with three different wrappers: Habano, Reserva (Broadleaf), and Capa Especial (Sumatra). The other lets you try all four of the original sizes, plus the broadleaf-wrapped Petit Cazadores Reserva. (Also, check out this deal for a leather and cherrywood Colibri cigar case  for just $12 including shipping.)

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

The Alec Bradley Prensado has gotten plenty of buzz lately after being named Cigar Aficionado‘s Cigar of the Year, but I’ve generally preferred the Family Blend, which was released around the same time. This time, I’m smoking the “VR1″ size (5.5 x 50). It’s a medium-bodied cigar with good balance. The flavors are woody and roasted, and the construction is excellent. And yet, this particular cigar was uncharacteristically flat. I’m still a fan of this line (and even this size), but this single cigar just didn’t have the complexity I’ve come to expect from the Family Blend.

Verdict = Hold.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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) Imperial Tobacco Group, a United Kingdom-based company that owns Altadis and is considered the world’s largest producer of cigars, announced a 10% jump in net revenue thanks to increased sales in Cuban cigars, as the company owns a 50 percent share in the Cuban national cigar distribution company Habanos. Sales of cigars in emerging markets such as China and Russia were particularly strong—up 14% in the last year. “In the U.S., the market remains highly competitive with first quarter volumes impacted by trade buying patterns around our October price increase,” reads a statement from the company.

2) Should the government be able to fine you for smoking in your own vehicle? Some Ohio lawmakers think so, and they have introduced a bill in the state senate that would criminalize citizens for lighting up in their own cars if children are present. Ohio already has a statewide smoking ban. If the bill is adopted, the Buckeye State would join Louisiana, California, and Maine as the only states where you can be ticketed for smoking inside a private vehicle.

3) Inside the Industry: CAO is adding the Luminoso (4.5 x 50) frontmark to its La Traviata Maduro line, which will sell for $5.10 each or $153 for a 30-count box. General Cigar is adding a Gigante size (6 x 60) to its best-selling Macanudo Cafe and Macanudo Maduro lines, with each selling for $7.99 each or $199.75 for a box of 25.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a Padilla Artemis. Cigar Explorer explores the Liga Undercrown Corona (pre-release). Cigar Fan fires up a Vega Fina José Seijas 2011. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Reinado Habanito. Cigar Inspector inspects an Elogio Serie LSV. Casas Fumando smokes the Carlos Toraño Signature Collection.

5) Deal of the Week: Smoke Inn has a selection of 10-packs on sale for just $27, including free shipping. Choices include 10-packs of the Montecristo Classic, Padilla 1968 Golden Bear, Partagas Black, Perdomo, Rocky Patel Edge, Romeo y Julieta Vintage, and Trinidad 100th Anniversary.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Imperial Tobacco

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) One week before Indianapolis hosts Super Bowl XLVI between the Giants and the Patriots, anti-tobacco politicians in Indiana are still pushing for a statewide smoking ban. Now, to pass the bill, some legislators are lobbying to exempt bars. As it currently stands, the only exemptions are for private clubs, casinos, hookah bars, and retail tobacco shops. “The House last year approved a smoking ban bill that included an exemption for bars, but it failed later after health advocates argued it would be one of the nation’s weakest bans,” reports the Indianapolis Business Journal.

2) Cigar Journal, formerly the European Cigar Cult Journal, has opened a Florida office that will process U.S. subscriptions and be held responsible for growing the publication’s brand in America. Each issue of Cigar Journal includes cigar reviews, reports, and research. Robert McDuffee, co-founder of the DogWatch Cigar Radio podcast, will help the office liaison between the U.S. cigar scene and Cigar Journal’s main office in Vienna, Austria.

3) Inside the Industry: José M. Seijas is resigning as head of Tabacalera de Garcia Ltd., the Altadis USA cigar factory where smokes like Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta are made. Room101 Cigars is launching a new limited series called OSOK—an acronyn for “one shot, one kill”—that we first sampled last fall and which features an Ecuadorian habano wrapper around corojo tobaccos. Adrian’s Costa Rican and CroMagnon brand owners Michael Rosales and Skip Martin, respectively, are merging their operations to jointly form RoMa Craft Tobac (the company will release a new CroMagnon extension, two new lines, and a “new flagship” product for their Adrian’s Costa Rican brand).

4) Around the Blogs: Tiki Bar tries the Maldonado Dynasty Mogul. Cigar Explorer explores the Kristoff Corojo Limitada. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Alec Bradley Black Market. Cigar Inspector inspects a Gurkha Cellar Reserve Prisoner. Cigar Fan fires up the Toraño Vault. Stogie Review reviews the Padilla Black Bear.

5) Deal of the Week: Like Rocky Patel and Gurkha? Then you’ll enjoy this Rocky vs. Gurkha 12-cigar sampler for only $40. Not only do you get five Rocky Patel Olde World Corojo Toros and five Gurkha Raider Habano Toros, included is one Gurkha Signature Aniversaro 1887 Limited Edition and one Indian Tabac Super Fuerte.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: ISBHC

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) Alabama is a rare refuge of relative smoking freedom, but State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures (D-Mobile, pictured) aims to change that. She plans to introduce a bill that would criminalize smoking in “public” places like bars and restaurants. And in addition to her bill, she is also proposing an amendment to the state constitution that would produce the same regulations, since an amendment would require a statewide vote. “If legislators don’t want to throw this on the people, let the people decide,” she told the Tuscaloosa News. While Figures is not targeting private clubs, the Tobacco Free Alabama coalition wants to ban smoking everywhere in the state. “Senator Figures is…more willing to compromise than we are,” said a spokesperson for the group.

2) Good news for travelers. London hotels are opening outdoor cigar rooms, reports the Evening Standard. They’re called “cosas,” which the paper describes as a “cosy outdoor smoking area.” To meet legal requirements, smoking areas must be at least 50% open. The hoteliers also noted increasing interest in cigars among women, with the May Fair’s general manager telling the paper its new cosa would have “a more female approach to the whole environment to appeal to women as well as male aficionados.”

3) Inside the Industry: Washington’s W. Curtis Draper tobacconist is celebrating 125 years in the industry with four exclusive blends, one each by Tatuaje, Fuente, La Aurora, and Padrón. The first 125th Anniversary cigar, a special edition Cabaiguan made by Tatuaje’s Pete Johnson, will be released during special events on February 3rd and 4th.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Humo Jaguar. Nice Tights Ash checks out the Hammer & Sickle Berlin Wall. Cigar Brief smokes a Villiger 1888. Cigar Explorer explores a Liga Privada Ferel Pig. Cigar Fan looks at Lignin, a key component of tobacco.

5) Deal of the Week: Looking for big bang for your buck? Here’s a sampler with some very large cigars. For just $35 (or double up for $25 more) you get five Romeo y Julieta Vintage Maduros (7 x 60) and five Gran Habano #5 Corojos (7.5 x 58).

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Wikipedia

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) All ten campuses of the University of California system will become entirely smoke-free for at least the next two years, joining nearly 600 other anti-tobacco campuses nationwide. In addition to targeting cigarettes and cigars, the new policy will ban smokeless products in both indoor and outdoor spaces. Mark G. Yudof, president of the University of California, said the move is intended to solidify the institution’s status as a “national leader in healthcare and environmental practices.” The LA Times reports the policy will be “educational…rather than punitive” and enforcement will be up to each campus.

2) Congratulations to Carl “Swede” Lindstrom of Illinois who won our “Win Cigars and Do Good” contest. Out of the many StogieGuys.com readers who contacted their representatives to encourage them to support legislation that would protect cigars from FDA regulation, his comment was randomly selected as the winner. So we’re rewarding him with a two-cigar “Blogger Edition” pack of the new Montecristo New York Connoisseur Edition (review here). Way to go, Carl! And thanks to all who participated for helping us stand up for cigar rights.

3) Inside the Industry: With its founder, Barry Stein, leaving to work for Miami Cigars, ACigarSmoker.com has been sold to Kevin Paige, owner of Butthead’s Tobacco Emporium in Dansbury, Connecticut. Viaje reports that its Oro and Plantino blends are becoming short-run cigars and the WLP (White Label Project) Stuffed Turkey will be returning for 2012. Cigar Aficionado deemed the Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill as the top smoke of 2011, but you can read our take on the Prensado blend here and here.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Arturo Fuente 858 Maduro. Cigar Inspector inspects the Tatuaje Barclay Rex 100th Anniversary. Cigar Brief lights up the Gran Habano STK Zulu Zulu. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Tatuaje L’Espirit de Verite 2009. Cigar Explorer fires up a La Flor Dominicana Factory Press IV. The Tiki Bar kicks back with El Tiante Habano Oscuro.

5) Deal of the Week: Here’s a sampler with four nice smokes from Room 101. Just $25 gets you two Room 101 Namakubis, a Room 101 Connecticut, and a Room 101 LTD Conjura.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Wikipedia