The Stogie Guys

After five years of publishing daily, my colleagues and I would like to welcome loyal readers and first-time visitors alike to the new and improved Stogie Guys. We hope you like what you see.

This cleaner look and improved functionality is the result of months of research, soliciting feedback, and trial and error. Many thanks to those of you who took the time to provide us with comments and constructive criticism along the way.

Let me first say that, as far as content and format are concerned, not a lot has changed. It was never our intention to completely deviate from the format that has worked well since May 2006.

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As we approach our fifth anniversary and celebrate a half decade of publishing daily, the StogieGuys.com team is preparing for change.

For the past several months, we’ve been quietly laying the foundation for a complete website overhaul and redesign. Our preparation has included analyzing what we do well, understanding what we do poorly, and assessing where and how to implement improvements. Virtually every aspect of our operation is being critiqued—as it well should be to ensure our ability to offer high-quality coverage of the world of cigars for many years to come.

Some things, however, we don’t plan to change. For example, we will continue to publish daily, offering such regularly occurring features as full reviews, tips, Quick Smokes, commentaries, interviews, and Friday Samplers. And we aim to keep our readers well-informed about the most pressing threats to cigar rights, be they tobacco taxes, smoking bans, or onerous regulations.

Beyond that, pretty much everything else is subject to change. This includes, but is not limited to, the overall look of the website, our branding, the way comments are managed, social networking integration, our usage of video, and site navigation. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

While some changes will take longer than others, we’re currently planning to roll out the new StogieGuys.com before the summer. But we need your help.

Our greatest asset has always been our loyal readers, and now I’d like to solicit your guidance in shaping the future of our website. So please take a few moments today to leave a comment listing (1) what you like about StogieGuys.com, (2) what you dislike, and/or (3) any suggestions for improvement.

Your constructive comments and criticisms will be used as we make redesign decisions. My colleagues and I thank you in advance for your feedback at this critical juncture in our website’s history.

–Patrick A

For a website with not one, not two, but three Patricks, we just couldn’t let St. Patrick’s Day go unrecognized. It wouldn’t be right.

Today’s the day that everyone can be a Patrick (even George E), have a green beverage or three, and enjoy a fine cigar (maybe even a candela, like the one pictured). It also happens to be the first day of one of our favorite sporting events: the NCAA March Madness tournament.

We’ll be back with our regularly scheduled Friday Sampler tomorrow. In the meantime, let us know in the comments how you plan to celebrate this most Patrick of holidays and, if its not too early to divulge your bracket winner,  which team you think will be crowned the 2011 March Madness champion.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

The storm that hit the Washington area last night not only blanketed snow on the region and made the evening commute hellish, it also knocked out power in much of the area. That means we aren’t able to post today’s regularly-scheduled article. While we wait for power to be restored, we’ll leave you with the following question: What cigar do you turn to when the weather gets really cold?

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

In 2010, StogieGuys.com published over 350 original articles. Each was viewed hundreds, if not thousands of times. Below you’ll find a list of the five most-viewed StogieGuys.com articles of 2010 followed by a brief quote:

5. Stogie Reviews: Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R 52

“All in all, while the Sungrown Magnum R is not the most interesting smoke from Fuente, it does provide a pleasant flavor profile—albeit not as lively as some of my favorite Fuente smokes. And it does so at the very reasonable price of under $7. That combination earns the Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R 52 a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.”

4. Stogie Reviews: La Aurora 107 Robusto

“I maintain that La Aurora is an underrated cigar maker. Headed by Guillermo León and José Blanco, La Aurora doesn’t chase trends, but seems to produce solid, tasty smokes year after year, with Preferidos and Cien Años as classic examples…La Aurora 107 has a lot to offer. Given some aging time I think it might turn out even better. Even so, right now the La Aurora 107 Robusto earns a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.”

3. Stogie News: Premier Cigar Lounge to Open in Alexandria

“CXIII Rex will have all the amenities of traditional cigar lounges, including a well-stocked walk-in humidor, a selection of top libations and small-batch wines, ample seating, wireless internet, private humidor lockers, and the like. But this club, slated to open in late March, will also feature more luxurious accommodations…While all these amenities are fantastic, the club’s finest asset will be the 19th century building in which it resides…Currently under construction in a building adjacent to Landini Brothers, it is an impressive space with ample character and charm. It was only on a behind-the-scenes tour that I got a sense of the size and scope of the future multi-level club, which is complete with a dramatic staircase and a layout built for privacy, comfort, and flow.”

2. Stogie Reviews: Drew Estate Liga Privada Flying Pig

“The unique shape was chosen by Steve Saka from a picture of an 1895 cigar salesman’s size selection case. The Flying Pig features more ligero than the [Liga Privada] No. 9 but the same Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. The changes in the blend give the Flying Pig more strength than the No. 9, and a slightly sweeter flavor profile…The cigar yields plenty of creamy smoke with initial flavors of leather, earth, and some sweetness…Overall, I am very impressed with the Flying Pig. The flavors are interesting and blended well…All of these factors combine to earn the Liga Privada Flying Pig four stogies out of five.”

1. Stogie Tips: Build a Temperature Controlled Humidor

“Living in Florida, I was looking for a storage option that would help me control the temperature during the summer months without breaking the bank…After all that work, my cigars now have a nice, custom-looking, temperature-controlled home for a fraction of the cost of the Avallo unit. The temperature stays between 66 and 68 degrees all the time and the humidity is right at 65%. About once every two months I have to put a dish with a little distilled water in the unit to recharge the beads. Other than that, it’s maintenance-free.”

So there you have them, the five most trafficked articles of 2010, as chosen by our readers. All five posts come from the first four months of the year, at least partially a reflection of the fact that they’ve been around the longest for visitors to read. Also, only articles written in 2010 are on the list, even though a few posts (such as our review of the CAO La Traviata or tip on the salt calibration test) from previous years would have made the list if all previous years were included.

Got a favorite post of your own from the last year, or a topic you want covered in 2011? Let us know in the comments.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Today presents a perfect opportunity to kick back, relax, and enjoy a fine stogie or four. We at StogieGuys.com are taking our own advice, interrupting our daily coverage of cigar news, reviews, commentaries, and tips to do what we do best—smoke. After all, you wouldn’t want us to be hypocritical, would you?

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

This month marks StogieGuys.com’s three-year anniversary. We’re celebrating this milestone by launching a new free service for our readers and giving away a whole bunch of amazing cigar prizes.

Way back in May 2006, the site—now one of the world’s most popular online cigar magazines—started when to two coworkers and friends decided to share their hobby and passion with interested cigar enthusiasts. Since then, we’ve grown from a handful of visitors to hundreds of thousands. We’ve broken news, interviewed leaders in the cigar industry, reviewed hundreds of stogies, and been fortunate enough to add other writers who are as passionate about cigars as we are.

As we approach three years of daily publishing (over 1,000 articles to date), we’re launching a new free email newsletter for our loyal readers. Think of it as the StogieGuys.com companion reader.

We’ll be using this exciting new vehicle to provide occasional email newsletters (we promise not to bombard your inbox) with exclusive content. We’ll be including aging reports, cigar rankings, tips, answering readers’ questions, and more.

And, just for signing up, we’ll be giving away cigars…lots of amazing cigars!

Over the next few months we’ve got the following prizes lined up to celebrate our third anniversary (Special thanks to all of the generous manufacturers who are making this incredible giveaway possible):

• A Savoy humidor signed by baseball legend Luis Tiant, filled with 23 El Tiante Corojo cigars (provided by El Tiante Cigars)

• A box of Mi Barrio Acere Cigars (provided by EO Brands)

• A box of CAO LX2 Lanceros (provided by CAO Cigars)

• A box of Cuban Crafters Miami Medina 1959 Cigars (provided by Cuban Crafters)

• A box of Carlos Toraño Tribute 2008 Robustos (provided by Toraño Cigars)

• A box of Cubao No. 3 Lanceros (provided by EO Brands)

• A box of Cuban Crafters Tuxedo Churchills (provided by Cuban Crafters)

• A box of EO 601 Red Toros (provided by EO Brands)

• A Toraño Exodus Seleccion Exclusiva Sampler (provided by Toraño Cigars)

• A CAO black “O” ashtray and a Lotus T3 table lighter (provided by CAO Cigars)

Starting May 15, the the third anniversary of our official launch, we’ll be giving away one prize a week for a month. After that, we’ll pick one winner each month. For a chance to win, all you have to do is sign up for our email newsletter by providing your email and first name (because we consider our readers our friends and we want to call you by your name):

After you sign up, you’ll need to confirm your subscription before you are automatically entered to win these great prizes. (See the full contest fine print here.) Please note that we’ll never share your email with anyone else and, if for some reason you want to stop receiving emails from us, you’ll find an unsubscribe link in every email (you just won’t be eligible to win any of the great prizes).

Good luck and thanks for being part of the first three years of StogieGuys.com. We plan to make the next three years even better, but we know we can’t do that without you, our fantastic readers. So please sign up and, if there’s something you’d like to see in our upcoming newsletters, leave us a comment below.

–Patrick A and Patrick S