The Stogie Guys

If you’ve been smoking awhile, your humidor likely resembles the way mine looked until a few weeks ago: lots of cigars you enjoy regularly, some special sticks you’re saving for a special occasion, and a fair number that—let’s face it—you’ll probably never smoke. Recognition that my “never gonna smoke” category was stacking up coincided with the realization that I hadn’t donated a bunch of cigars to U.S. overseas troops for awhile.

For this shipment, I settled on the Kandahar Koughers, a group that has gotten much well-deserved publicity for its efforts. The group’s motto pretty much sums it up: smoking sub adversarius valatudo (Smoking Under Adverse Conditions). You can find out more on Facebook or by Googling the name. Here’s the Koughers’ mailing address:

MAJ Nathan Winn/Randy Sauers
C/O Kandahar Koughers
KAF RCC, BLDG 232
APO AE 09355

Mailing cigars really couldn’t be simpler. Just use a free USPS flat rate Priority Mail box and fill out a brief customs form. Even the postage is a bargain; it‘s the same to an APO box as it is for domestic shipping. Delivery will take a bit longer, though, so be sure you provide adequate humidification to keep the sticks from drying out. (more…)

After a hectic trip to the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Trade Show in Las Vegas, I’ve finally had a few days to reflect on what was my fourth consecutive show. All in all, it was successful show, and a healthy industry is a good for cigar fans.

I asked Chris McCalla, legislative director for the IPCPR, about the exact figures, and he said attendance was up about 20% from last year’s show in New Orleans (although he cautioned that because Las Vegas is closer to West Coast shops it always tends to draw more attendees). This year over, 1,000 retail shops were represented (New Orleans 2010 had 755) and nearly 2,000 retail badges were picked up (compared to 1,786 last year). There were 5,000 attendees in Las Vegas.

More importantly, the consensus among those on the show floor selling cigars seemed to be that although foot traffic was down (compared to what was expected) those who did attend were there to buy. Even after the initial rush on day one, sales held for most cigar makers on the all-important day two.

While individual cigar makers each will judge the show on their own bottom line, I wanted to look deeper at the trends that I saw from one booth to the next. To that end, three trends were particularly notable from this year’s show:

Small Smokes — Cigar makers have taken notice. With increasingly busy schedules and smoking bans forcing cigar smokers outside into the summer heat or winter cold, we often don’t have time for robustos and coronas, let alone Churchills or toros. The answer seems to be lots of new cigars that are smaller sizes (i.e., 4 x 40, 4 x 42, etc.). Larger than a cigarillo, these little sizes do their best to combine the flavors and complexity of a large premium cigar in a shorter 20-30 minute smoking time. (It’s also worth noting that the uncomfortably large super toro size (6 x 60) has become a staple of the industry because—as more than a few people told me—even though few people in the industry seem to smoke them regularly, they continue to be a big seller.)

Connecticut is Back — In the past few years, cigars with shade-grown Connecticut wrappers have gotten a reputation (unfairly in my humble opinion) for being simple, mild, beginners’ smokes. But, like so many things, these trends tend to be cyclical. This year I noticed many new Connecticut-wrapped smokes. However, unlike past versions of many Connecticut cigars, new releases this year tended to be more medium-bodied than mild. I think it’s a reflection of the fact that many of the hardened smokers who used to smoke only full-bodied flavor bombs are now looking for more balance. Cigar makers are hoping that these more flavorful versions of Connecticut-wrapped cigars will be a welcome new addition. Whether it’s successful or not, only time will tell.

Less News, More Sales? — I certainly didn’t get to stop by every booth, but more than in past years I didn’t feel that stopping by every booth was necessary. That’s because more than in previous years, cigar makers had announced (or “leaked”) what was coming ahead of time. Part of it is because Cigar Aficionado‘s long-held monopoly on cigar news has been broken by the online cigar media (a trend we’re fans of here at StogieGuys.com). But I also think cigar makers see the role of the Trade Show as place to open new accounts, rather than sell new releases to existing accounts. To that end, paradoxically, even though the largest cigar companies with the largest booths pay the most to be at the annual convention, it is the smaller cigar makers who need the convention the most to grow their businesses and add accounts.

Next year the show moves to Orlando, and it will be interesting to see if the IPCPR can prevent a drop-off, as Las Vegas always seems to attract a great crowd. Orlando certainly has plenty to offer those who use the show as a chance for a family vacation, but the extent to which California (and other West Coast) retailers are willing to make the long trip across the country is not clear. One prediction I feel comfortable making: The well-stocked bar at the downtown location of IPCPR Board Member Jeff Borysiewicz’s Corona Cigar Company will be very busy.

Beyond that, the only thing left to do is smoke all the new releases. That alone will determine for me the real winners from the 2011 Trade Show. Look for plenty of reviews of the new releases in the next few months.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Flickr

The other day I spent the afternoon at a local smoke shop. My wife was out, and I was whiling away the time. I lit up an inexpensive La Traviata Intrépido, drank coffee, and read the paper, glancing occasionally at ESPN on the TV.

Nothing special. And that’s really what made the day stand out. Whether you’re looking for company or solitude, relaxation is just a cigar store away. It also got me to thinking about an experience several weeks earlier.

I was on jury duty for a fairly involved, week-long civil trial down the road in Clearwater, Florida. I knew that a shop I’d visited in the past had moved since my last smoke there, but I didn’t know its new location. Unfortunately, it didn’t occur to me to check on the address until the third day of the court proceedings.

But better–much better–late than never. Cigar Central is now on Chestnut Street, just a short stroll from the courthouse. So, when we were let out for lunch on Wednesday, I passed up food for a smoke. I picked up an Arturo Fuente Sungrown robusto from the humidor room and settled in. The owner, Ron, was every bit as cordial and welcoming as I remembered. We chatted a bit, I relaxed in a nice chair, and enjoyed the cigar. I finished at just about the time I needed to return and walked back refreshed.

It was hard not to compare that with the previous day, when I had traipsed up the street for some not-so-good pizza and a watery soft drink. I ate perched on one of those uncomfortable high chairs at a tiny table amidst the restaurant din.

So, of course, there was no question about where to go on Thursday. This time I had an HC Series, my first from that line. (An excellent smoke, by the way.) I had a fine lunchtime.

I’m sure it is difficult for those who don’t smoke cigars to appreciate what a wonderful pastime it is. Trying to explain what they’re missing doesn’t seem to do it justice. But perhaps I can help those who do understand and end up in court in downtown Clearwater. Among the forms the clerk asked that we fill out was a request for businesses that should be added to the annotated map supplied to jurors.

I strongly suggested they add Cigar Central. You couldn’t find a better place.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

Labor disruptions characterized the production of cigars in Tampa during the early 1900s. Many of the disputes between manufacturers and workers turned violent and resembled something you’d see in a Western film. Abductions, shootings, and lynching were just some of the plotlines that graced these production standoffs. One of these battles among the industry’s good, bad, and ugly reached an epic pinnacle in 1901, when a wage dispute between Cuesta-Rey and a local, predominately Cuban cigar workers’ union resulted in a violent strike that crippled the Tampa economy and led to kidnappings and deportations.

Sources can’t agree on the number of men involved, but somewhere between 6 and 16 cigar workers were kidnapped by a group of vigilantes, deported by boat to a deserted beach in Central America, and warned to never be seen in Tampa again. Well, those brave men eventually made it back to Tampa. Their story has been fictionalized in the novel The Cigar Maker, but the tale was most stunningly captured in the memoir of Luis Barcia Guilaber, a Tampa cigar worker who was in his late thirties at the time of his abduction.

Barcia portrays himself as the sincere underdog, a powerless but determined David squirming against the forces of a corporate Goliath. As Barcia says, he was fighting “a bunch of greedy cigar manufacturers…against thousands of underpaid workers who were requesting better wages.” Barcia captures the story of the labor dispute, his kidnapping, and his journey back to Tampa in memoirs written in 1957.

During the labor dispute, rumor grew of a group of men who were clandestinely arresting and deporting suspected leaders of the labor dispute. Hearing this committee of armed citizens was headed for his house, Barcia turned off all lights and waited quietly in silence while men pounded on his back door and eventually entered his home. Barcia was captured, protested to no avail, and thrown in a trolley and taken to a boat with six other cigar workers.

Barcia’s words are straight out of an alligator-country spaghetti western: (more…)

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. When it comes to cigars, that old axiom doesn’t always hold true. Between the desire to sample new, heavily marketed releases and the need to explore uncharted blends, it’s easy to forget about old favorites that were once mainstays of my cigar rotation. I know many of you feel the same way.

My colleague, George E, wrote about this phenomenon back in May 2010. “I’m sure each of you can think of cigars that you really liked in the past but somehow got away from smoking as new releases elbowed their way onto the shelves,” he said. “And I’m not suggesting that anyone abandon the hunt for great new cigars. Discovering them is one of the many pleasures of cigar smoking. But so is reconnecting with an old friend.”

Revisiting George’s article got me thinking about cigars that I haven’t reconnected with in a long time. So I decided to jot down a quick list of cigars I miss. Of the cigars on my list, some are limited releases that are no longer available. Some are rare. Some verge on being cost-prohibitive. But, perhaps surprisingly, many are regular production smokes that are widely available at a relatively reasonable cost.

I find this latter category intriguing. I have no excuse for losing sight of excellent cigars that are easily located and purchased, especially since I once found them so consistently enjoyable. Below are five of these cigars and my reason for missing them: (more…)

[Editor’s Note: The Cigar Maker is the story of a Cuban cigar maker who battles labor strife and vigilante violence in 1900’s Tampa. It recently won the Bronze Medal at the Independent Publisher Book Awards and has been named a Finalist in ForeWord Magazine’s 2010 Book of the Year Awards. Click here to learn more.]

The SS Olivette returned to busy Port Tampa the following evening. Freighters loaded with cigars set sail for Texas and Mexico while cargoes of fresh produce arrived from Honduras, and tobacco from Cuba. Mendez saw that the front page of Kincaid’s Daily News bore the headline “Cigar Workers Strike,” with a photograph of the Vasquez factory. Beside the picture was the smaller headline: “Decree to Workers: Return to Work Now or Face Employment Blacklist.”

Nearly a thousand had walked out of six factories but the paper claimed the strike was expected to end quickly once the workers had gone broke and hungry. The strike had clearly gained momentum during the past few days and he felt a sudden need to reacquaint himself with the rest of the workers.

He hustled into Ybor City and went straight to La Rubia. The tavern was filled to capacity and buzzing with talk of the work stoppage. Juan Carlos rushed to greet him almost instantly upon his arrival. They embraced briefly and Juan Carlos said, “The Vasquez workers voted unanimously to continue the strike.”

(more…)

Every great city has a great park. Many city parks—including New York’s Central Park, Chicago’s Grant Park, and Boston’s Post Office Square—are more than mere gathering places; they’re symbols of the cities themselves and beacons to locals and tourists alike.

“From botanical gardens to ice skating rinks, from jogging paths to bison paddocks, a great city park can contain multitudes,” wrote Rob Baedeker in Forbes when he ranked America’s best city parks. “But beyond their physical features, the best urban oases may well be defined by a feeling.”

Whatever feeling I get from whatever park I happen to be visiting, I often find that a cigar only enhances the experience. And why not? Cigars and parks are great complements for a variety of reasons. For one, parks are outdoor spaces. As much as I love my indoor cigar havens when the weather turns foul, nothing beats a cigar smoked in the great outdoors—be it a sunny afternoon or a cool evening.

Parks also tend to have plenty of benches, tables, and other places to sit. Sitting down with company or on your own is a great way to focus on the cigar at hand (especially if, like me, you’re the kind of cigar smoker who likes to take notes). If you’re not the note-taking type, sitting in a park can still be quite entertaining. Try “people watching” as you enjoy one of your favorite smokes. Or maybe read a book.

Better yet, you may want to get up and move around with your cigar. Parks are great for that, too. My favorite parks have spectacular vistas and a plethora of paths. Sometimes I’ll just stroll along Millennium Park (pictured) and see what piques my interest, what band happens to be playing, or what event is taking place.

Sadly, though, not all people share my passion for cigars, freedom, and tolerance. In cities like New York, it is now illegal to smoke in outdoor parks. What a terrible shame. I wonder what’s in store for my city of residence, Chicago, where local politicians’ attitude towards cigars isn’t much better than in the Big Apple.

I can’t predict the future. What I can do is enjoy some fine cigars in my favorite park locales before the next Chicago winter sets in—or before politicians rob me of the right to do so.

–Patrick A

 

photo credit: Flickr