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Stogie Commentary: The Neverending War on Tobacco

3 Nov 2009

You’ll find no simpler product, and in my opinion no simpler pleasure, than a fine handmade cigar. Made from meticulously grown tobacco, expertly blended and constructed, the fine cigar is a luxury that can be enjoyed for an hour at a time, yet can be had for just a few dollars.

Statue LibertyAnd that makes it even more of a shame that government is waging a war—naturally, an undeclared and unconstitutional war—against tobacco. Punitive taxes, trade restrictions, government-funded phony science, massive regulatory schemes, state-created cartels, violations of property rights, even free speech restrictions—you’ll find them all in government’s attempts to stop people from enjoying this simple plant. As in other wars, government attacks indiscriminately, making no distinction between small, family-owned cigar companies and “Big Tobacco.”

State attacks on tobacco can be found throughout history. Rodrigo de Jerez, one of Christopher Columbus’ sailors, was thrown in jail for seven years by the Spanish Inquisition for smoking the “Devil’s weed,” which he brought back with him to Europe after Columbus’s historic 1492 journey.

Since that time, governments have excommunicated, slit the lips of, and even poured molten lead down the throats of those who defied smoking bans. Despite being a pack-a-day cigarette smoker in his youth, Hitler came to consider smoking a Jewish habit and had the Nazi government launch an all-out campaign against tobacco.

Back then, America sent its boys to war with a pack of cigarettes as part of a soldier’s daily rations. Today, our tobacco policy more closely resembles that of Nazi Germany. Even the U.S. military, which defeated the Axis with cigarettes blazing, announced this summer it was considering a total smoking ban.

Our head of state today was also once a pack-a-day smoker. And while President Obama still sheepishly admits to smoking the occasional cigarette, that hasn’t stopped him from leading the largest expansion yet of the war on tobacco. One of his first acts of office was signing into law a historically high tax hike on tobacco—federal cigarette taxes jumped from 39 cents to $1 a pack, while taxes on handmade cigars increased a staggering 750 percent. Cigar factories have already begun to close, as hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs are lost.

Only a few months later, Obama signed a bill into law that puts tobacco under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration, meaning that, among other regulatory hoops, new cigarette products will have to be approved by FDA bureaucrats, even though it will be illegal for cigarette companies to highlight FDA approval in their advertisements. Flavored smokes are now banned, and all cigarette advertisements will be black and white and text only—hardly the robust free speech our founders envisioned when they penned the First Amendment.

But like so much expansion of the government, the war on tobacco is hardly a one-party issue. FDA regulation of tobacco has been a pet issue of Republican Sen. John McCain for well over a decade. And McCain’s 2008 presidential primary rival Mike Huckabee told an audience that, if elected, he would sign a national smoking ban if one made it to his desk.

In the one area where Obama has made comments that are welcome to cigar smokers, normalizing relations with Cuba, politicians of both parties have joined to stall any steps towards ending the embargo that was signed into law by President Kennedy over 48 years ago. Famously, the night before approving the embargo, Kennedy sent his press secretary, Pierre Salinger, around DC to buy 1,200 of his cherished Cuban H. Upmann cigars. Presidential hypocrisy on tobacco, it seems, is not a new phenomenon.

Armed with government-funded research, a well-funded group of professional lobbyists continues to agitate for more restrictions. In the states and in local government, they push smoking bans for public parks, bars, restaurants, apartment buildings, and even personal cars. On the federal level, they push for more taxes, further restrictions on advertising, and prohibitions on mail-order tobacco. If the current campaign for government-run healthcare succeeds, expect a slew of new regulations under the guise of keeping health cares costs down.

One anti-smoking law nearly always leads to another. In San Francisco, after a smoking ban pushed smokers out of bars and onto the sidewalk, the mayor proposed an additional tax on cigarettes to clean up the cigarette butts the exiled smokers created. Elsewhere, after cigar smokers reacted to smoking bans in bars by creating private clubs, politicians “closed the loophole” by extending the ban to the clubs.

Despite this onslaught, cigars are experiencing something of a renaissance, with quality and variety as good as ever. Today the best non-Cuban cigars, usually from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, or Honduras, are as good as Cuba’s top smokes. Innovative blenders are creating new cigars with all the complexity and subtleties of the world’s finest wines.

In the past year, cigar makers (and consumers) have organized to fight the ever-expanding threat to their business. Leading cigar maker Rocky Patel told me, “Every night I go to bed and I worry about the government putting us out of business.” Another maker, Nick Perdomo of Perdomo Cigars, called the government his “biggest competitor.”

The problem is government doesn’t merely compete. It destroys with taxes, regulations, and other infringements of liberty. All of which make every cigar you smoke a small act of defiance against big, oppressive government. I recommend defying often, and with a strong spirit in your other hand.

[This article originally appeared in the Fall Issue of the Young American Revolution, the quarterly magazine of Young Americans for Liberty.]

Patrick S

photo credit: ELCivics.com

Stogie Commentary: Protecting Our Cigars from the FDA

27 Oct 2009

When first signed into law, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of tobacco seemed by many to be a distant threat to cigars. The apparent consensus was that the bill was targeting cigarettes and, if it any threat to handmade premium cigars existed, it would be many years before the impact would be felt.

Lately, however, cigar makers who would be most impacted, along with retailers and consumers, have started to recognize the serious and immediate threat that FDA oversight poses to handmade cigars.

This was brought to a head when, nearly simultaneously, reports started surfacing that the FDA was sending agents into cigar shops to investigate the need for further regulations, and that a House Committee was investigating “flavored” cigars. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that StogieGuys.com has been warning about FDA regulation the entire time the bill was being considered and being signed into law.

Part of the confusion over the impact of the FDA bill—called “The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act” by its proponents—is that the bill does two different things which at first glance seem somewhat in conflict. First, the legislation authorizes the FDA to regulate all tobacco, with the only major restriction being that the FDA cannot create an outright prohibition on tobacco products without an additional act of Congress. Second, the bill instructs the FDA to use that authorization to regulate cigarettes, including a ban on flavored cigarettes (except for menthol).

While focusing on the second provision of the bill, many in the cigar industry failed to recognize that by authorizing FDA regulation of any tobacco products, the bill now puts the fate of the handmade cigar industry in the hands of unelected FDA bureaucrats. This puts cigars behind the eight ball, where opponents of cigars no longer need to pass any additional legislation to subject the industry to extremely restrictive regulations that would include bans on most advertising and a burdensome FDA product approval process.

Since repeal of FDA oversight isn’t a realistic option with the current makeup of Congress (and frankly it would be a tough sell under any Congress we’re likely to see in the next decade), the current strategy should focus on differentiating handmade cigars from other products. Unlike small machine-made cigars and cigarettes, handmade cigars aren’t “manufactured”—they’re crafted. For example, blends are often tweaked from year to maintain an overall flavor even when the tastes of the tobaccos in the blend change due to climate or other factors.

Unless the FDA recognizes this, innovation in the industry is likely to be stifled, particularly for smaller boutique cigar makers who can’t afford the testing that an FDA approval process would include. Splitting handmade cigars from machine-made cigars would be a positive step towards protecting the innovation that has brought us so many of the great cigars that have come to market in recent years. It would also have the added benefit of stalling implementation of regulations until further FDA studies are completed.

The ultimate goal should continue to be to free handmade cigars entirely from the chains of FDA oversight. However, until that is possible, organizations like the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) and Cigar Rights of America (CRA) should focus on protecting cigars as best as possible through the FDA by creating a “handmade cigars” designation that would recognize the unique characteristics of our beloved premium cigars.

Patrick S

photo credit: FDA

Stogie Commentary: Gold Star Smokes (Part IV)

15 Oct 2009

It’s been almost ten months 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.

Gold Star SmokesIn our previous three Gold Star Smokes articles, we highlighted cigars like the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Torpedo, El Rey Del Mundo Robisto Larga, Punch Champion, EO 601 Serie “Green” La Fuerza, Montecristo Petit Edmundo, Cuban Crafters Cameroon Robusto, Blend 376 Robusto Extra, Arturo Fuente King B, and La Gloria Cubana’s Medaille d’Or No. 1 Maduro. Today we select four more.

Co-Founder & Editor in Chief Patrick A

The newly released 777 Corojo Robusto by J. Fuego strikes a great chord for me. It certainly wasn’t the most flashy or highly anticipated cigar at the IPCPR Trade Show in August. But, for about $5 apiece, it does offer an oily wrapper, good construction, and an interesting flavor of wood, pepper, citrus, and sour cream. I’ll always have a spot in my humidor for this silky smoke.

Co-Founder & Publisher Patrick S

As a reviewer of cigars, I enjoy regularly trying new and different smokes. But there are only a few that I find myself coming back to again and again. One such blend is Cubao by EO Brands. It’s a rare smoke that truly has balance,  intensity, and complexity—which is particularly impressive at the reasonable price of around $6 each by the box. Having sampled all the sizes, I’ve found the  Cubao No. 4 (4.9 x 50) best showcases all this blend has to offer.

Tampa Bureau Chief George E

The more I smoke the Camacho Connecticut Churchill, the more I like it. Great flavor, smooth, nicely constructed—and weighing in at only $6. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying medium- to full-strength cigar at such a reasonable price. Light one up, grab a drink, switch on the TV, and enjoy the game. (Here’s a review of the robusto-sized Monarca).

Contributing Reviewer Patrick M

I don’t always have two or more hours to dedicate to smoking. When I’m pressed for time, I often turn to Arturo Fuente’s Hemingway Short Story. It can be had for around $5 and offers all the wonderful balance, spice, and sweetness you’d expect from a Cameroon-wrapped cigar. Light one up when you’re short on time but looking for a quality experience.

The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Stogie Commentary: More Industry Consolidation Coming?

14 Oct 2009

Rarely does a month go by without some whisperings of an imminent major cigar industry deal. And to be fair, between manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, there are plenty of prime targets for consolidation in the cigar industry.

pepinMirandaThere are also plenty of reasons for such consolidation. Larger companies can better adjust to the new tax and regulatory burdens that cigars now face. Combining sales forces and distribution channels can lower costs, keeping prices down for consumers while keeping profit margins healthy. Increased buying power also ensures access to the best tobacco available, as well as bigger advertising budgets to get the word out about new products.

But besides the business reasons, there’s another reason why I think I hear these rumors with such regularity: It’s fun to speculate—some might call it gossip—about such things. After all, in the past year  I’ve heard rumors that Rocky Patel has fielded offers from both General Cigar and Davidoff. But that’s the old rumor, so let me get on to the newest.

A Deal Going Down in Miami?

One such rumor involves La Aurora, distributor Miami Cigar & Co., and Don Pepin Garcia. I first took notice of the speculation when Gary Korb of Famous Smoke Shop, and chief writer of CigarAdvisor.com, posted a highly suggestive article linking Rene Castañeda, vice president of Miami Cigar & Company, with Don José Pepin and Jamie Garcia and Guillermo León and José Blanco of La Aurora.

According to Korb, the group was spotted meeting in the Dominican Republic, leading Korb to speculate about “some sort of distribution pact or, even more significantly, the acquisition of Pepin’s company by La Aurora.” Then, in a follow-up post, Korb reported that Guillermo León (of León Jimenes cigars and La Aurora) was making his first trip to Nicaragua reportedly to visit the Garcias at their Tabacalera Cubana (TACUBA) factory.

Neither of those reports meant much to me, until a source told me that they had just spotted a similar group (including Nestor Miranda, Rene Castañeda, and José Blanco) at Garcia’s El Rey de los Habanos factory in Little Havana, Miami, accompanied by Pepin and his daughter, Janny Garcia. Could they be finalizing some deal started in the Dominican or Nicaragua?

Such a deal wouldn’t be shocking. The pieces already seem in place: Garcia already makes cigars for Nestor Miranda (pictured above with Pepin Garcia), head of Miami Cigar & Co., as well as 601 and Cubao for EO Cigars, which is distributed by the same outfit. Meanwhile, Miami is already the distributor for La Aurora.

Of course, it could all mean nothing. But then again it could be the makings of a major deal. Either way, the speculation is fun and we’ll be making some inquiries to see what else, if anything, we can find out. Naturally, if we learn anything juicy, we’ll report it exclusively here at StogieGuys.com.

Patrick S

photo credit: Smoke Shop Magazine

Stogie Commentary: Random Thoughts from the Humidor

6 Oct 2009

Here are some random thoughts on the state of the cigar industry:

Are prices scaring off potential cigar smokers?

I was recently reading the latest issue of Cigar Aficionado and was struck by the lack of affordable smokes. Maybe I’m just getting old, but I seem to remember a time when a significant portion of cigars were available in the $3-5 range. In the October issue, 77 cigars were reviewed; only one cost less than $5, and only 25% were listed as costing less than $7. Maybe it’s just the cigars CA chooses to review. But then again, Cigar Aficionado is many smokers’ first step into cigardom, meaning that these are the first prices many new smokers see. No matter what the reason, I worry that high prices are scaring away potential cigar enthusiasts.

camachoSo then what’s an “average” cigar?

Speaking of Cigar Aficionado, have you ever read their descriptions of what their numerical ratings actually mean? According to CA, a rating of 70-79 means “average to good commercial quality” and 80-89 indicates a “very good to excellent” smoke.” Yet I’m not sure I ever recall a cigar getting lower than 80 points in the magazine. While it has been quite awhile since I took a math class, I’m pretty sure it’s mathematically impossible for every single score to be better than average.

Davidoff’s acquisition of Camacho

Some cigar industry folks I spoke to were quite surprised when a year ago the Davidoff Oettinger Group announced their acquisition of Camacho Cigars. It was particularly surprising for some given the brands’ seemingly opposite cigar-making philosophies. Camacho is known for intense, full-bodied, flavor-forward cigars, while Davidoff’s cigars are usually characterized as nuanced, complex, and often on the milder end of the spectrum. We’ve already discussed the reasons for the acquisition, but there’s at least one additional way that it makes plenty of sense: With the late great Zino Davidoff no longer around, and Avo Uvezian well passed retirement age, the company now has a youthful cigar ambassador in Camacho’s Christian Eiroa (pictured) who can be groomed to fill those immensely respected shoes.

Flattery through imitation

These days there are relatively few breakthroughs when it comes to the technical aspects of cigar making. One area where we see occasional innovation, however, is in cigar shapes. Two such examples are the chisel, pioneered by Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana, and the Nub, created by Sam Leccia (with Oliva). Since the Nub debuted, a few other companies have created cigars clearly designed to imitate the short and thick shape. (I’m told some in the industry derisively call these cigars “Snubs.”) Yet, to my knowledge, curiously no company to date has copied the innovative chisel shape.

Patrick S

photo credit: Facebook

Guest Commentary: Cigar Appreciation through Distraction

28 Sep 2009

[Editors’ Note: The following is a guest commentary from Chris Verhoeven, a friend of StogieGuys.com who is studying at Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam.]

Initially, the concept of “cigar appreciation through distraction” sounds like a contradiction in terms. How can one further enjoy a cigar by distracting oneself from the experience of smoking it? Let me explain.

Distraction for your cigarI recently embarked on the journey that is getting a master’s degree and have found that I have more reading to do than ever before. This includes a good deal of things that I would not regularly consider enjoyable reading, too, and it started to eat away at my free time—a time usually devoted to cigar smoking.

I decided that I should simply combine the two. Pick out a cigar and head for my university’s smoking lounge to light up and power through some material. Since I assumed I would be consumed by the task of reading, though, I continually reached for my lesser sticks. Good sticks in their own right, but not ones I would otherwise pick for an all-out smoking experience. These include Don Lino’s Africa line, Padilla Hybrids, and the Tatuaje Angeles.

But something strange happened. I found that I started to enjoy these sticks, cigars that I smoked regularly back when I couldn’t afford the high-end stuff, more than ever before. I was falling in love with them again. This got me thinking.

Awhile back, StogieGuys.com published an article that evinced that the average cigar was only meant to be puffed once or twice per minute. What I found was that by distracting myself, I smoked at a slower, more relaxed pace and generally enjoyed the cigar more while picking up on its subtleties.

So, with this in mind, I suggest you give it a try. Pick out a book, trudge through some Sudoku puzzles, or do anything else that you enjoy. Much like fine liquor, these activities can actually complement the cigar and add to your enjoyment of the smoking experience.

That said, I’ll still probably continue to horde my Opus Xs, Anejos, and Padrón Anniversaries for special occasions or moments of blissful smoke emersion. But at least now I’m giving myself a chance to fall in love with some of fine, cheaper sticks that simply require me to slow down and give them a chance to shine.

Chris Verhoeven

photo credit: Flickr

Stogie Commentary: Free Speech for Tobacco

10 Sep 2009

There I was, enjoying a relaxing Labor Day weekend of golf, cigars, barbecue and camaraderie, when I read an editorial so horrible, so anti-tobacco and anti-freedom, that it required a response. The New York Times took to it’s hallowed pages to write “Big Tobacco Strikes Back,” an editorial against a lawsuit filed by tobacco companies seeking to challenge new restrictions on advertising created by the recent bill that subjects tobacco to the jurisdiction of the FDA.

flaglightersThe title itself speaks to the problems with the article. “Big Tobacco” may not be a mom and pop operation, but those entrepreneurs are up against something far bigger—the federal government. So if it’s “Big Tobacco,” who are they striking back against? “Colossal Government”?

And then there’s the issue of who is actually suing to advance their free speech rights. While you wouldn’t know it from the editorial, the “tobacco companies” at issue don’t include the largest cigarette company in the world, Altria.

Altria, with its 40% plus market share in cigarettes, was a key supporter of the FDA regulation bill. The company knows that the bill’s advertising restrictions will protect its dominant market share. Those restrictions includes bans on sponsorships for sporting events, bans on ads using anything other than black text on a white background, and a ban on advertising products as “light” or safer, even if truthful.

The Times, and the anti-smoking lobbyists who no doubt inform its opinion, take the position that advertising of tobacco products can be banned if children might be exposed to it. Never mind that the ads target adults; it would be virtually impossible to advertise to adults without some exposure by children. Perhaps even worse, their opposition to tobacco companies informing consumers of how to reduce the harms caused by smoking leaves smokers in the dark about ways to reduce risks. (As to any false claims that cigarette companies might make, surely there are enough trial lawyers looking for a payday to ensure that companies don’t lie about their products.)

The editorial’s view isn’t compatible with the Constitution’s protections of free speech, enshrined in the First Amendment. After all, a corporation is just a group of shareholders who all have the right to tell their fellow citizens about their legal product. Which is why the editorial amounts to nothing more than a screed against companies attempting to assert their guaranteed constitutional rights.

Which brings me to cigars. While we cigar enthusiasts aren’t always pleased with cigarette companies, we should support this effort to overturn the FDA’s free speech ban. It isn’t just a hypothetical that cigars will be the next target. They already are.

Patrick S

photo credit: Amazon