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) Relations between Washington and Havana have warmed of late, but the days of legal Cuban cigar sales in the U.S. probably aren’t approaching soon. That said, there’s a lot of legal jockeying and market positioning taking place now over brand names and trademarks, as reported in this recent article from Reuters. “‘Thousands of U.S. companies have registered… intellectual property in Cuba in anticipation of the day when they will be able to sell their products there. Cuban companies are doing exactly the same thing,’ said Michael Krinsky, a partner with Rabinowitz, Boudin, Standard, Krinsky & Lieberman. Cuba has already begun to penetrate the U.S. market using its European partner [Altadis] to churn out Cuban brand cigars made with non-Cuban tobacco, legally using the same names as its top domestic brands such as Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta. As a result, when the trade embargo ends, U.S. consumers could find themselves being offered multiple products: a pricier original Romeo y Julieta from Cuba alongside a more affordable non-Cuban variety.”

2) Espinosa Premium Cigars is reviving the old Murcielago brand that debuted six years ago and was made by Don José “Pepin” Garcia. Erik Espinosa had to reverse-engineer the blend since the Garcias never disclosed the recipe to him. The new Murcielago is said to have the same blend as the old one, but this time it is being crafted at Espinosa’s La Zona factory with updated packaging. The three box-pressed vitolas are expected to debut this summer.

3) Earlier this week, Major League Baseball’s website ran a story on the 146th anniversary of the first professional game, which was held in Cincinnati. For cigar fans, there’s a great photo, showing an ancient cutter adorned with a player and the legend Red Stocking Cigars.

4) Inside the Industry: Numbers released by the Cigar Association of America have cigar imports leveling off in 2014 (technically down 3.6 million cigars) after multiple years of steady significant growth. Both the Dominican Republic (126.5 million) and  Nicaragua (117.9 million) were down very slightly, while the third largest producer, Honduras (63.8 million), was up less than one percent. [Related: Cigar Renaissance or Unhealthy Bubble?]

5) Deal of the Week: Limited to 2,000 boxes of 10, the J.D. Howard Single Action 2015 LE by Crowned Heads will not likely last long. The petit lancero (6 x 38) uses a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. StogieGuys.com sponsors Smoke Inn and Emerson’s both have them in stock in 5- and 10-packs for $46 and $84, respectively.

–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) Yesterday Camacho announced American Barrel-Aged, a “complex and intense” cigar with “bourbon barrel-aged Corojo at its heart.” The first release under Camacho’s Master Built Series, the blend is “constructed almost entirely of American-grown tobacco including a Broadleaf wrapper, binder, and filler, along with maduro filler tobacco from Pennsylvania,” reads a press release. “One leaf of the six-year-old, bourbon barrel-aged Corojo tobacco was added to the recipe and is the main component that amplifies the complexity of the blend.” The cigars retail for $10 to $12 apiece and are being supported by a nationwide tour beginning on June 8 in Orlando and ending December 19 in Tampa. Dylan Austin, director of marketing for Davidoff, had this to say about American Barrel-Aged: “This project marks the first time a Camacho core line has been made outside of Honduras and we are extremely proud of what our master builders in the Dominican Republic have brought to life. Barrel aging is a very tedious and hands-on process. We are aging around 2,000 pounds of Corojo filler tobacco and rotating the barrels one leaf at a time every few weeks. Each batch takes a full five months to complete and requires constant attention to ensure the proper journey for this special tobacco.”

2) La Flor Dominicana has announced its 2015 Tobacconist Association of America (TAA) Exclusive Series. The TAA 47 (5.5 x 52) will begin shipping to TAA retailers in late May in 25-count boxes with an MSRP of $9. The Dominican-made blend includes an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. You can find the list of TAA retailers here.

3) Legislation introduced by four Democrat senators would raise federal taxes on all tobacco products. The so-called “Tobacco Tax and Enforcement Reform Act” purports to, among other things, fight tobacco smuggling by raising the federal tax on cigarettes from $1.01 per pack to $1.95 per pack. For other tobacco products, including cigars, the bill would “set tax rates… at an equivalent amount,” presumably increasing federal taxes by 94%.

4) Inside the Industry: Rocky Patel’s The Edge brand was first introduced in 2004, and the new Edge A-10 celebrates the line’s tenth anniversary (the delayed release was supposed to debut in 2014). The dual barberpole-style Honduran and Costa Rican wrappers are the same wrappers used on the original Edge Corojo and Edge Maduro. The cigar also has a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan and Panamanian filler.

5) Deal of the Week: This “five great cigars” sampler features, you guessed it, five excellent cigars for just $26. Included are the Kristoff Galerones DR4 Toro, Curivari Gran Rey Belicoso, PDR 1878 Habano Robusto, Avo Classic Robusto, and the Asylum 13 Robusto.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Camacho

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) A.J. Fernandez is set to release New World Connecticut, a line that previewed at the IPCPR Trade Show last summer. Expected to begin appearing at retailers in May, the blend features a Connecticut Shade wrapper around a Mexican binder and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and Brazil. “Master blender A.J. Fernandez created the New World brand to pay homage to the discovery of the ‘mystical smoking leaf’ named tobacco by the Europeans, when their ships landed in what is now known as the New World,” reads a press release. Fernandez says, “The New World cigar was a very special project as it was the first cigar that was created with the help of my father Ismael Fernandez since he joined me at A.J. Fernandez Cigars.” Four sizes will be available in 20-count boxes: Corona Gorda, Robusto, Toro, and Belicoso. “Smokers of the New World Connecticut will experience notes of cream, wood, and almonds in a very well-balanced and refined cigar.” The cigars will cost about $6.

2) Online retailer Famous Smoke Shop is launching an exclusive cigar called Inferno 3rd Degree, which is made by Oliva. “The first shipment has just arrived at the company’s warehouse and is currently available for sale on their website,” reads a press release. “The company has expressed that the new brand will be available in limited quantities, but is not a one-time release and will be a consistent offering for the foreseeable future. The Inferno 3rd Degree is the third release under the Inferno umbrella… Inferno 3rd Degree cigars utilize a blend of all Nicaraguan tobaccos with a triple-fermented Ligero and Viso longfiller core, and a Habano-seed binder, all encased in another silky Habano-seed wrapper.” Four sizes will be available in the $5.80 to $6.50 range: Churchill, Double Toro, Robusto, and Toro.

3) New Orleans’ smoking ban went into effect this week, but many bars went out in a blaze of glory. Shelly Waguespack, owner of the famed French Quarter spot Pat O’Brien’s, noted how the smoking ban contradicts the best aspects of New Orleans. “It’s that overall bohemian kind of free spirit that we have in New Orleans that makes it so unique, and it’s why people love it.” Pat O’Brien’s, along with Harrah’s Casino and other businesses, are suing to overturn the ban.

4) Inside the Industry: Davidoff is set to introduce a cigar at the upcoming IPCPR Trade Show that will, for the first time in the company’s history, include a significant percentage of Brazilian tobaccos. The Turrents, the famed Mexican cigar family, has severed is distribution relationship with Altadis USA and will soon introduce a Casa Turrent cigar which will be distributed in-house.

5) Deal of the Week: This Hidden Treasures Sampler features eight solid cigars for just $60. Included are the Padrón 3000 Natural, Camacho Ecuador Toro, La Jugada Habano Toro, Sindicato Corona Gorda, RyJ Toro, 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster, H. Upmann The Banker Annuity, and the Nat Sherman Timeless Dominican Hermoso.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: A.J. Fernandez

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) Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented cigars started shipping this week from Drew Estate. Available exclusively at the Pappy & Co. website, the cigars pay homage to one of the rarest, most sought-after bourbons in the world. “This historic cigar features Kentucky-seed, Kentucky-grown tobacco that was fire-cured and then barrel-fermented,” reads a Drew Estate press release. “The blend includes a barrel-fermented ‘tapa negra’-style wrapper over a Mexican San Andrés base wrapper, as well as aged Nicaraguan filler tobaccos.” Two sizes are available: Robusto (5.25 x 52, $130 for a box of 10) and Toro (6 x 54, $150). Drew Estate President Michael Cellucci said, “We are excited to bring the Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented cigar to market with the barrel-fermented wrapper, something that has never been featured on a premium cigar in this way.”

2) Virginia-based 262 Cigars is launching a Lancero size (7 x 38, $8.10) in its Allegiance blend. This is the third Lancero offering from 262, which also offers the size in its Paradigm and Revere lines. Allegiance is marketed as a mild- to medium-bodied cigar with a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper around a Nicaraguan binder and a filler blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. “The Allegiance name, while stirring many connotations for many people, is 262’s official ‘line in the sand’ campaign” against tobacco taxes, bans, and regulations.

3) The Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) is a smaller (more limited than the IPCPR) association of cigar retailers which is holding its annual meetings in the Dominican Republic this week. One of the benefits of membership is access to exclusive TAA  sizes or blends that can only be ordered at the annual show. This year, TAA members have offerings from 13 cigar makers to choose from, including an exclusive Padrón 1964 and a brand new La Flor Dominicana blend, among others.

4) Inside the Industry: A few years ago Viaje announced it was going to be exclusively producing small-batch cigars, but the company recently announced that its Exclusivo blend would be a regular production cigar available in three sizes. Gran Habano announced the release of the next edition of its S.T.K. lines; the Miami-made Mas Paz uses dual Ecuadorian Connecticut and Nicaraguan Habano wrappers, a Nicaraguan Habano binder, and Nicaraguan fillers in three sizes: Lancero (7.5 x 40), Corona Gorda (5.6 x 46), and Rolo (6 x 54).

5) Deal of the Week: This sampler features five cigars, free shipping included, for just $26. Included are one each of La Gloria Cubana Retro Especiale Taino, Perdomo Champagne Noir Super Toro, Curivari Selección Privada Diplomaticos, Kristoff Maduro Torpedo, and La Flor Dominicana Colorado Oscuro #3.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Drew Estate

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) In two weeks, New Orleans’ smoking ban will take effect—an event that’s notable since the Louisiana city is set to host this summer’s International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show (you’ll still be able to smoke on the convention floor). An effort by Harrah’s Casino to have a smoking section on its gambling floor seems to have “fallen on deaf ears,” according to The Times-Picayune. But there are other tweaks to the law that are still under consideration. They include an exemption for cigar bars (defined as establishments with 10% of revenue from cigar sales and humidor rentals) and whether bars, casinos, and restaurants can have outdoor smoking areas. It will be interesting to see how this shapes up, especially since Harrah’s, and the bars and restaurants surrounding the convention center, were popular hangouts among the IPCPR crowd the last time the Trade Show was in New Orleans in 2010.

2) Davidoff is building a new factory in Honduras to support its Camacho, Room 101, and Baccarat brands, and has also purchased tobacco fields in Condega, Nicaragua, and Jamastran, Honduras. “The new Camacho factory in Danlí, Honduras, will sit on almost 450,000 square feet of land, and in its initial phase, operate over an area of 185,000 square feet,” according to Cigar Aficionado. “The new factory will be located near the Pan-American Highway, less than half a mile from the company’s existing box factory.”

3) Many people will tune in to the Masters Golf Tournament this weekend. Look hard and you might see cigar smokers in the gallery, although according to a local paper fewer than you used to. One patron told the paper: “Golf and cigars, they just blend… It’s in the outside, the open air… but you don’t see as many of them anymore.”

4) Inside the Industry: Maya Selva Cigars, producer of Flor de Selva, Cumpay, and Villa Zamorano, is celebrating its 20th anniversary in premium cigars. As a part of what it calls the “20 Años” celebration, the company, which has a strong following in Europe, will be releasing new cigars, including a limited edition “20 Años” Lancero to the Flor de Selva brand, and adding a Toro (6 x 52) to both its Connecticut and Maduro lines.

5) Deal of the Week: Only $25 (shipping included) lands you this five-cigar sampler. Included are the Room 101 Connecticut 808, Macanudo 1968 Toro, Quesada Q40 Toro Box Press, Alec Bradley The Lineage Robusto, and Rocky Patel Edge Maduro Missle.

–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) Registration is now open for the 83rd IPCPR Convention and International Trade Show, which will be held July 17-21 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The annual gathering of cigar manufacturers, retailers, suppliers, and media is closed to consumers. It will feature a keynote address from Larry Winget—bestselling author and motivational speaker—as well as seminars on government affairs, how to get and keep good customers, and steps retailers can take to improve their businesses. There will also be a cigar bash with a performance by the band America. This will be the first Trade Show since IPCPR announced it was moving its headquarters from Georgia to Washington, DC. The last time the event was held in New Orleans was 2010. Following the event, expect a flurry of reviews and information about new releases.

2) Officials in Nevada are pushing a bill that would enable colleges to ban smoking on their campuses. “University of Nevada, Reno President Marc Johnson presented SB 339 to lawmakers on Wednesday during a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee,” reports the local CBS affiliate. “The bill would allow Nevada colleges to levy more stringent rules against smoking or chewing tobacco on college campuses. Johnson said the university wanted to help prevent university students from becoming life-long smokers.”

3) Along with making great cigars, the cigar industry makes many charitable contributions. The annual Night to Remember fundraiser for prostate cancer research showcases that generosity. Now in its 21st year, the event has raised $21 million for the cause, including $1.1 million at this year’s event, held this week in New York City. In addition to numerous cigarmakers, celebrities, including political talk radio giant Rush Limbaugh, former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former NBA star John Salley, and media magnate Rupert Murdoch, were in attendance.

4) Inside the Industry: When La Palina cigars launched, all its cigars were made at the Graycliff factory in the Bahamas. Now, La Palina’s last remaining Bahamas-made cigar line, the Family Series, is shifting to the El Titan de Bronze factory in Miami. In addition to the new factory, the blend is being changed along with some of the sizes.

5) Deal of the Week: Drew Estate fans should check out this special. For a limited time, box purchases include a five-pack of Undercrown Toros and a Drew Estate cutter, plus free shipping.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: IPCPR

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) General Cigar has announced a new Hoyo de Monterrey line will be appearing at retailers starting in April. Called Edición de Cumpleaños 150, the blend includes a Habano shade-grown wrapper—the first ever grown in Estelí—around an Ecuadorian binder and a variety of Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. “The cigar is a study in contrasts, with a hearty, well-oiled leaf that burns to a strong, yet sweet smoke for an unparalleled taste experience,” according to a General Cigar press release. As the name suggests, Edición de Cumpleaños 150 celebrates the 150th anniversary of Hoyo de Monterrey. It will be offered in a single size (6 x 54) for $7.99 and packaged in 15-count boxes.

2) Drew Estate is rolling out new packaging for its Liga Privada Papas Fritas cigar (4.5 x 44) which will reduce the per-cigar price from $6.40 to $5.25. Papas Fritas will now be found in 50-count boxes instead of 4-count tins or 28-count boxes. “Papas Fritas has been a good choice for any Liga Privada fan looking for a short smoke,” said Drew Estate President Michael Cellucci in a press release. “We neede something for fans of Papas Fritas who already had plenty of tins and wanted a better value, so now we’re offering the cigar with no tin. The tins will now become a collector’s item and the Papas Fritas will be a little more budget-friendly. It’s a win-win.”

3) In last month’s “Question of the Month” (which admittedly ran significantly longer than a month), we asked how you feel about year-end best-of lists. “They inform some of my purchases” won with 51% of the vote. The other choices were “I read them only for entertainment” (26%), “I highly value these lists” (13%), and “They annoy me” (10%). Be sure to weigh in on this month’s question by voting in the sidebar to the right. And feel free to contact us if you’ve got a good suggestion for a future poll.

4) Inside the Industry: In April, Espinosa Cigars is introducing the Espinosa Especial. The new blend, which will come in three sizes, features a Mexican Capa Negra wrapper and around a binder and filler combination using tobacco from each of the four main cigar growing regions of Nicaragua: Estelí, Jalapa, Condega, and Ometepe.

5) Deal of the Week: Check out this five-cigar “plethora of flavors” sampler for $25 shipped. Included are the Partagas 1845 Double Corona, La Gloria Cubana Serie N Rojo, Affinity Belicoso, Four Kicks Robusto, and La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Robusto.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: General Cigar