The Stogie Guys

It’s been too long since the StogieGuys.com team published a new list of Gold Star Smokes. As you might recall, this special designation celebrates cigars that we feel are worthy of strong recommendations. They don’t necessarily have to be five stogie-rated—just commendable smokes we turn to time and again.

Co-Founder & Editor in Chief Patrick A

For years I’ve been singing the praises of the fantastic cigars at Tesa, a Chicago-based boutique with Chris Kelly at the helm. While Tesa creations can be a little pricey (justifiably so, in my opinion), the relatively new Picadura King Connecticut Robusto only costs $4-5. That makes it a bargain if you like complex, mild cigars to pair with morning coffee. Look for subtle, harmonious flavors of oak, sweet hay, cream, and roasted nuts. And the physical properties are perfect, which is what I’ve come to expect from all cigars from Tesa’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Co-Founder & Publisher Patrick S

Last week I was in Nicaragua visiting Drew Estate and the experience only heightened my appreciation of the Liga Privada No. 9 Robusto. Many people like this cigar when it’s hard to find (and usually it is), but I found myself with a virtually unlimited supply (at least for a few days). It didn’t make me like the cigar any less. If anything, the opposite. Smoking multiple Robustos each day, I thoroughly enjoyed the heavy, sometimes gritty texture it leaves on the palate, resulting in earth and dry chocolate flavors, with just the right amount of sweetness. Tasty, always well-constructed, and still unlike any other cigar available, it’s a Gold Star selection.

Tampa Bureau Chief George E

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

StogieGuys.com is once again on location in Estelí, Nicaragua. We’ll return to our daily coverage of the world of cigars on Saturday, May 4. In the meantime, feel free to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, as well as via live Instagram updates:

Be sure to come back to StogieGuys.com next week as we share exciting content from our Cigar Safari, hosted by the fine folks of Drew Estate.

–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) Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration is aiming to increase the minimum age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21 in New York City. “That will literally save lives,” City Council Speaker Christine Quinn told the New York Daily News. “The more difficult it is for [young people] to gain access to tobacco products, the less likely they are to start smoking.” Bloomberg has a long track record of anti-tobacco zealotry. He spearheaded the successful efforts to ban smoking in huge swaths of government-controlled outdoor spaces, and even proposed plans to prevent stores from displaying tobacco products. Shortly after his latest announcement, officials in Chicago began talks to also increase the smoking age to 21.

2) Today marks the national release of the Room 101 Big Delicious, the latest cigar in Smoke Inn’s Microblend Series. This four-stogie rated large torpedo (6.25 x 54) comes complete with a Habano 2000 wrapper. It was crafted by Abe “Big Delicious” Dababneh of Smoke Inn and Matt Booth of Room 101. The cigar sells for $8.95 (or $134.25 for a box of 15) and will be exclusive to Smoke Inn.

3) Inside the Industry: Macanudo announced it will be sponsoring this year’s season of the Golf Channel’s Big Break Mexico, where players compete for a chance to play on the PGA or LPGA tour. In May La Palina is rolling out the second edition of it’s Goldie line, the Goldie Laguito No. 5 (5.6 x 54), of which only 25,000 will be made at the El Titan de Bronze factory in Miami. La Flor Dominicana announced the release of its 2013 Exclusive TAA Cigar, a double-press maduro available only to those TAA members that attended this year’s conference in Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan fires up an El Rey de Los Habanos. Cigar Brief smokes the Liga Privada UF-13 Dark. Stogie Fresh rates the Davidoff Puro d’Oro Gorditos. Stogie Review reviews a Los Regalos Quetzal. Cigar Inspector inspects the Zino Platinum Z Class.

5) Deal of the Week: This “Best Cigars of the World Sampler” includes five quality smokes: Flor De Las Antillas Robusto, Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill, La Reloba Sumatra Torpedo, My Father No. 1, and Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary Robusto. Depending on the quantity you decide to pick up, you can get this collection from $4-5 per cigar.

–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) International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Legislative Director Chris McCalla’s role with the group is ending in an apparent restructuring. In a post on Facebook, McCalla (right) wrote the following: “[M]y position here with IPCPR is being dissolved and a new state director position created and operated out of D.C. Please know while no one is more disappointed than me, I am not bitter, and look forward to what may lie ahead. At this point, I do not know my last day, so I should be around for a couple of months (best guess). Lots of moving parts involved in this process. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege serving as IPCPR’s first legislative director.”

2) The New York Times Magazine recently featured a story about a pipe smoker who found a unique, special tobacco and eventually went to Belgium to meet the man responsible for making it. The story is an ode to the artisanal potential of tobacco, in this case pipe tobacco, and the pleasant experiences that can be associated with it. The comments also make for an interesting read, with equal parts hand-wringing over an article putting tobacco in a good light, and comments praising the article for it’s evocative writing.

3) In yet another example of the cigar community’s charitable generosity, Cigar Aficionado‘s 19th annual Night to Remember Fundraiser was held this week in New York. Rush Limbaugh and Rudy Guiliani spoke to the crowd at the Four Seasons restaurant about the importance of cigars and the threats to our freedom to smoke. The event raised $1.2 million for the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

4) Inside the Industry: Erik Espinosa, owner of La Zona in Esteli, Nicaragua, has announced a new size in his 601 “La Bomba” line, a massive “F Bomb” (7 x 70). La Palina is expanding distribution to Europe where Mythical Cigars Europe will serve as the official distributor.

5) Deal of the Week: Toraño is a brand that’s sometimes overlooked but seems to consistently make solid cigars. If you’re looking to try a few, check out this sampler of four Toraño torpedos for just $16.50 ($10 off MSRP).

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: IPCPR Email Newsletter

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) Following last summer’s Habano-wrapped debut, Espinosa Premium Cigars has announced the release of the Espinosa Maduro, a four-vitola line with a dark Mexican wrapper. “Within this triple-capped cigar lies a premium blend of tobaccos that have been combined to form a rich cocoa, cedar, pepper, and spice base,” reads a press release. “This medium-full bodied cigar is the perfect combination of Erik Espinosa’s signature strength notes and the La Zona factory’s reputation for flavor.” The Havana-born Espinosa is best known for helping create the 601, Murcielago, Cubao, and Mi Barrio brands along with his partner, Eddie Ortega. La Zona is located in Estelí, Nicaragua.

2) Branching out from its base in the Dominican Republic, Davidoff is launching a new “Davidoff Nicaragua” line with a ten-year-old Havana-seed wrapper, a binder from Jalapa, and filler tobaccos from Estelí, Condega, and Ometepe. “This is a major step for us to expand to a new territory,” said Davidoff CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard. “I wanted to develop products that were not necessarily origin-specific or rigidly tied down to one specific place. Davidoff is a brand, not a territory.” The Nicaraguan puro will come in three sizes: Toro, Robusto, and a Short Corona. The official introduction will take place at the 2013 IPCPR Trade Show.

3) Inside the Industry: Nat Sherman has launched a “retail humidor program” targeted to the hospitality industry, which includes special humidors to be stocked with a variety of Nat Sherman cigars. Studio Tobac, the branch of Oliva that includes Nub and Cain, is launching its World Tour 2013, with events featuring a special six-cigar sampler that includes two prototypes and four limited releases.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan fires up a 1502 Ruby. Stogie Review reviews La Aurora Cien Años Edición Especial. The Tiki Bar kicks back with a Gurkha Ghost. Half Wheel checks out the Viaje Exclusivo Tower Cigars 45th. Cigar Inspector inspects an Illusione Epernay.

5) Deal of the Week: The “Stogie Guys Cigar Sampler”—offered by longtime supporter Corona Cigar—contains seven cigars for $29.95 (plus free shipping on your entire order). It includes limited edition cigars from Avo and Davidoff, plus cigars by Rocky Patel, J.C. Newman, Casa Fernandez, and two Corona “house” blends. Pick yours up here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Espinosa Premium Cigars

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) Few expected Sam Leccia to stay away from the cigar industry any longer than he was legally obligated to. With the conclusion of his non-compete agreement with the Oliva Cigar Co., his former employer, Leccia’s return was formally announced this week. His new venture will be called Leccia Tobacco and it will debut with two blends—Black and White—that will sell in the $7-9 range and be distributed by Toraño. Black is of particular interest as it will be handmade with a rare fire-cured leaf. Leccia fans will recall he originally tried to jump back in the business in 2011 with a completely different Toraño-distributed brand called Debut, which prompted a lawsuit from Oliva and postponed his return until now. Leccia is best known for creating the stout Nub and ligero-laden Cain brands.

2) Drew Estate is expanding its My Uzi Weighs a Ton (MUWAT) brand with the release of Kentucky Fire Cured cigars, a project that was over two years in the making. “We took the wrapper off the T52 and placed a thick Kentucky fire-cured leaf in its place,” said Jonathan Drew in a press release. “The taste and aroma were simply amazing, but there was just one huge problem—the cigar would not burn properly…[which explains] the lengthy process.” KFC, as the line will almost assuredly be called, is made at the Joya de Nicaragua factory in three sizes: Just a Friend (6 x 52), Fat Molly (5 x 56), and Chunky (4 x 46).

3) Inside the Industry: What do you get when Rocky Patel, Jonathan Drew, Matt Booth, Nick Perdomo, Christian Eiroa, Ernesto Padilla, Charlie Toraño, and Kurt Van Keppel collaborate on a project? Apparently you get a feature film called Operation Smokescreen. Watch the trailer here. The film is set to debut April 24, 2013.

4) Deal of the Week: H. Upmann is a classic name in cigars with a history going back almost two centuries, but the newest H. Upmann cigars are pretty good too. This sampler includes three sizes of the new H. Upmann Legacy, plus two Upmann Short Figuardos, for $20.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Leccia 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) The U.S. Trademark Trial & Appeal Board (TTAB) has declined Cubatabaco’s petition to cancel General Cigar’s trademark of the Cohiba brand. This is the latest victory for General Cigar in its 16-year-old legal battle with Cuba’s state-owned tobacco monopoly. At issue is whether the longstanding Cuban embargo enables American companies to sell non-Cuban cigars with Cuban brand names. “This ruling once again affirms what we have believed all along: That Cubatabaco has no merit in challenging General Cigar’s ownership of the Cohiba trademark in the United States,” said Dan Carr, president of General Cigar. We previously summarized some of the trademark battles being waged as a result of the Cuban embargo here.

2) Gov. Mike Beebe signed House Bill 1531 into law on Tuesday, effectively capping the Arkansas excise tax on cigars at 50 cents per cigar. “Arkansas becomes the ninth state to cap its ad valorem tax rate on cigars, joining Connecticut, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin,” according to the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.

3) Inside the Industry: Crowned Heads has been working on the “J.D. Howard Reserve” since October (the blend was finalized in early February) but the new cigar won’t make its debut until the industry trade show in Las Vegas this summer. The cigar will be available in 5 vitolas: HR46 (6 x 46), HR48 (5 x 48), HR50 (5.6 x 50 figurado), HR52 (6 x 52), and HR54 (5 x 54).

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews an Inception. Half Wheel fires up an OpusX Football. Cigar Inspector inspects an H. Upmann Legacy. Stogie Fresh smokes the RoMa Craft Tobac Intemperance EC XVIII. Cigar Fan lights up the Trinidad Paradox.

5) Deal of the Week: Normally $65, this La Gloria Cubana deal features six La Gloria cigars and a dual flame torch lighter for $40.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: General Cigar