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) On Tuesday, the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) issued a legislative alert to prepare its members for the public comment period of forthcoming Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. “We believe it is critical that the industry works together and takes a unified approach to the regulations we are facing,” reads the alert. “IPCPR’s first step is to request an extension of the 75 day comment period granted by FDA in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. We feel an additional 60 days is critical for affected parties to provide substantive comments, data, research, and other information to aid in FDA’s decision-making process.” IPCPR is also encouraging its member retailers to ask their customers to participate in the comment period, and will be distributing literature on how individual cigar smokers can participate in the process. In that same vein, Cigar Rights of America set up this page complete with talking points for individual comments and a link to submit them. Be sure to take action to ensure your voice is heard.

2) Prometheus and God of Fire yesterday announced the Lost City Scholarship Fund, which will provide college scholarships to the students who have graduated from the high school established by the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation. The fund is named after The Lost City, a 2005 film directed by Andy Garcia that included Chateau de la Fuente as a filming location. The Cigar Family Charitable Foundation was founded by the Fuente and Newman families in 2001 to support education, health care, and recreation for the people of the Dominican Republic.

3) Inside the Industry: Espinosa Cigars is launching the Sake Bomb, a small cigar (4.5 x 42) that will be included in the full-bodied La Bomba line. Quesada is commemorating Manuel “Manolo” Quesada’s 40 years in the industry with a San Andrés-wrapped, five-vitola series called Quesada 40th. Hedley Grange is expanding with a new Laguito No. 6 vitola (6.5 x 56) that includes a unique fanned cap. Alec Bradley plans to release The Lineage, a blend that celebrates both of his sons being old enough to smoke cigars.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Fresh reviews the Lou Rodriguez Habano Rosado. Cigar Inspector inspects the Padrón 1926 Serie 80 Years Maduro. Leaf Enthusiast checks out the Partagas 1845 Extra Fuerte. Seth’s Humidor lights up a Reinado Grand Empire Reserve Corona Gorda. Cigar Fan sparks an Ezra Zion FHK & Rodrigo Fortaleza.

5) Deal of the Week: Smoke Inn has a number of cigars on clearance, including deals on CAO La Traviata, El Tiante, La Dueña, Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2012, and the Xikar HC Series. Check them out here.

–The Stogie Guys

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) Sindicato, the first cigar outfit to be launched by a formidable “syndicate” of veteran tobacco retailers, is now shipping its new eponymous flagship cigar to hundreds of tobacconists. The line will be available in 6 sizes and sell for $10 to $14. Made at Casa Fernandez in Nicaragua, it will be a square-pressed Nicaraguan puro complete with a shade-grown Corojo wrapper. “Master blender Arsenio Ramos has combined this unique wrapper with a rich, bold Estelí double leaf binder, which encompasses a blend of strong, flavorful Jalapa and Estelí leaves and delivers a medium-full strength cigar with exquisite taste,” reads a Sindicato press release. Sindicato is headed by Jim Colucci, formerly EVP of sales for Altadis. The retailers who formed the company include Abe Dababneh (Smoke Inn in Florida), Dan Jenuwine (Quality Fresh Cigars in Michigan), Gary Pesh (Old Virginia Tobacco in Virginia), Robert Roth (Nice Ash Cigars in New York and Pennsylvania), and Jeff Borysiewicz (Corona Cigar Company in Orlando). Sindicato is also the maker of the Hex, Affinity, and Casa Bella lines.

2) Padrón Cigars turns 50 years old in September, and the company is celebrating with two new ultra-premium lines due out this fall. The first will be the Family Reserve 50, which will be made in small quantities yet become a permanent fixture in the Padrón portfolio. The second will be sold in 50-count quantities and packaged in special humidors. Only 500 humidors will be made, and only the owners of these humidors will be able to purchase 50-cigar refills once a year for up to 5 years.

3) Last Thursday, the FDA announced a proposed rule to regulate cigars that would devastate the handmade cigars we enjoy, and of course StogieGuys.com is on top of it. Read our primer on what the FDA deeming document means for cigars and also check out yesterday’s commentary on probably the most controversial aspect of the proposed rule, the $10 exemption for “premium cigars” and why it’s worse than you realize. We’ll have more in the coming weeks on this critical issue.

4) Inside the Industry: General Cigar announced the new 1907 by Dunhill, made with a Honduran Olancho wrapper, Dominican Olor binder, and Dominican Ligero and Brazilian Mata Fina filler; it will come in four sizes with suggested prices from $8.35 to $9.25. Drew Estate is adding a limited edition (2,000 boxes) Herrera Estelí in the Lancero size, available soon in 15-count boxes with a suggested retail price of $12 per cigar.

5) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a Camacho Diploma 11/18. Stogie Fresh fires up a Regious of London White Label. Leaf Enthusiast checks out the Davidoff Royal Robusto. Cigar Fan fires up the Ezra Zion FHK and Rodrigo Fortaleza. Cigar Inspector inspects the Curivari Buenaventura.

6) Deal of the Week: Emerson’s Cigars has pre-orders available on two new offerings from Tatuaje. Move quickly to pick up the new lancero sampler, which has ten Tatuaje blends each in a lancero size. Also available is the new Tattoo line. These are sure to go quickly.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Sindicato

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) Yesterday the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued its long-awaited rule deeming cigars, e-cigarettes, and other types of tobacco to be regulated by the agency. The rule, if enacted in its current form, will require new tobacco products to get pre-approval from the agency before being sold. One promising aspect of the proposed regulations was that the FDA proposed two options for cigars, with the second being an exemption for premium cigars based on the lack of public health need for such regulation. Unfortunately, that proposed exemption is extremely narrow and would fail to exempt most handmade cigars, including any sold for less than $10. The next step is a public comment period on the proposed rule before the agency finalizes its regulations. Check back with StogieGuys.com next week for more extensive coverage of this important issue.

2) Site friend Jacob Grier, an Oregon-based freelance writer, has a good rundown of the rule and its impact on cigars. In his article he observes that even if the FDA decides to exempt cigars under the better of the two options, “the price will rise to $10 a stogie. Cuban cigars are pretty alluring already! If you enjoy the company of your local tobacconist, savor the next few years you have together. Their store may not be around much longer.”

3) Room 101 has launched Daruma Gold, a five-vitola line that features a Mexican wrapper around a Brazilian binder and a filler blend of Dominican and Honduran tobaccos. The sizes include Papi Chulo (4 x 42), Roxxo (4 x 48), Mutante (7 x 38), Sucio (7 x 48), and Monstro (5 x 60). “The modifications you will experience in this particular blend are the by-product of our evolution and growth working within the premium tobacco craft,” says Room 101.

4) Deal of the Week: This sampler lands you five premium (although not according the FDA; see above) cigars for just $20, including free shipping. Included are the Gurkha Status Maduro Torpedo, Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Torpedo, Chateau Real Gran Templar by Drew Estate, Gran Habano Vintage 2002 Robusto, and Oliva Serie G Toro.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: FDA