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) The third annual Nicaragua Puro Sabor festival is slated for January 15-17 and will be held in Managua and Estelí. The event is organized by the Nicaraguan Cigar Association (NCA), which exists to promote the recognition of cigars produced on Nicaraguan soil. It will “gather personalities, investors, buyers, and aficionados who will share experiences and industry know-how, showcasing the attributes and qualities of our land and our people, while enjoying international award-winning cigars,” said NCA President Nestor Plasencia in a press release. Included will be Nicaraguan cuisine, cigar and rum tastings, and visits to tobacco plantations and cigar factories. Tickets are being sold here for $640-690 apiece until December 15.

2) The Hill reports that the impending FDA regulation of cigars is currently under review at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). “OIRA routinely hosts meetings with industry groups and other stakeholders while it reviews new regulations,” reads the article. “The events are typically one-sided; representatives from businesses and other organizations make their cases, but rarely do administration officials give clues to reveal the expected contents of the pending regulation.” More details are expected to emerge before the end of the month. StogieGuys.com has been writing about this for years, and considers the FDA regulation of premium cigars to be the single greatest threat facing cigar rights.

3) Inside the Industry: General Cigar Senior Vice President and respected cigar ambassador Benji Menendez is retiring this year. General Cigar will release a new Partagas Benji Homage 62 cigar in two sizes, to commemorate Beji’s 62 years in the cigar industry.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews Don Pepin Garcia 10th Anniversary. Nice Tight Ash checks out Bonita 18th Anniversary Blend. Tiki Bar kicks back with Revere 262 Lancero. Cigar Inspector inspects Tatuaje Havana VI. Stogie Fresh fires up an AKA Respect.

5) Deal of the Week: Emerson’s has a bevy of holiday samplers. You’d especially want to consider the Montecristo four-pack for $20 or the Romeo y Julieta four-pack for just $15.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Nicaragua Puro Sabor

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) Our friends at Smoke Inn Cigars are hosting a toy drive to benefit the Kids Cancer Foundation, a Florida-based charity that provides a wide variety of support services for children diagnosed with cancer, and their families. All of us at StogieGuys.com encourage you to mail a new, unwrapped toy to the following address before Saturday, December 7: Smoke Inn Casa de Montecristo, Attn. Lady M., 1030 Gateway Blvd., Boynton Beach, Florida 33426. All those who do will receive one raffle ticket per gift donated, and have a chance to win one of six amazing prizes: a 48-count box of Liga Privada Parejos, a box of 2012 Tatuaje Little Monsters, a box of Room 101 Big Delicious, a box of Oktoberfest Dunkel, a 5-pack of Tatuaje Anarchy from 2010, and a Prometheus Ashtray. The grand prize is a 10-pack of 1999 Padrón Millenniums in a special box (value of $1,500). You do not have to be physically present to participate or claim your prize. Thank you for considering a donation to this important cause; your help can brighten this holiday season for a child in need of support.

2) While some cruise companies have become less friendly to smokers, others are emphasizing cigars with fancy cigar lounges and plenty of premium cigars available. USA Today lists the cigar smoking options on eight of the largest cruise companies. More than one company calls their cigar lounges “Churchills.”

3) Inside the Industry: The Oliva Tobacco Company, a grower that produces tobacco for some of the best-known cigar brands, has established a new farm in Ecuador to meet increasing demand for Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The 325-acre operation is currently focused on Havana 2000 and Corojo plants. Oliva Tobacco is unrelated to the Oliva Cigar Company.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Inspector inspects the Hoyo de Monterrey Grand Epicure 2013 LE. Cigar Fan fires up a Cult Classic. Stogie Fresh smokes the San Lotano Oval Maduro. Stogie Review reviews the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2. Tiki Bar kicks back with a Havana Sunrise Reserve.

5) Deal of the Week: Let’s not kid ourselves. The Gobble Gobble Sampler is a bit of a crap-shoot, but odds look good you’re getting a good deal. Only $80 gets you 40 cigars (just $2 per stick). And while the specific cigars aren’t specified, the brands represented are all reputable: La Aurora, Alec Bradley, Camacho, Rocky Patel, Toraño, Padilla, Quesada, Cubao, Martin Cigar, Xikar HC, CAO, El Tiante, and Onyx.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Smoke Inn

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) Our friends at Cigar Rights of America—the national advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the rights of the consumer, retail tobacconist, and manufacturers of premium cigars—are hitting the road with four upcoming events. These events are a great opportunity to join CRA, renew your membership, become more involved, or just share a smoke with like-minded cigar enthusiasts. On November 23, CRA will be at the Tampa Cigar Festival. On December 5, the organization will be at Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke in New York City. And on December 7 and 14, CRA will be in Miami at Smoke This! and Cigar Extravaganza, respectively. StogieGuys.com encourages all cigar smokers to join CRA and take a stand against tobacco taxes, smoking bans, and harmful regulations.

2) It may soon be illegal to smoke cigars on outdoor bar and restaurant patios in Toronto. That’s because officials in Ontario are considering a proposal that would criminalize those activities, and also ban smoking on playgrounds and sports fields. The Health Minister also “announced a ban on sales of tobacco on college and university campuses and the doubling of fines for stores that sell cigarettes to minors,” according to CTV News.

3) Site News: Regular visitors may have noticed that the site has been a little sluggish over the past few weeks, especially during peak hours. To fix the problem, we’ve upgraded servers once again and you should now be able to access all the great StogieGuys.com content quicker than ever.

4) Inside the Industry: Toraño has started shipping its new Vault D-042. “Vault Red,” as Toraño has nicknamed it, features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan filler, along with a Pennsylvania filler leaf. The cigar comes in four sizes: Robusto (5 x 52), Toro (6 x 50), Torpedo (6.1 x 52), and BFC (6 x 60).

5) Deal of the Week: This “Black and White” sampler features 10 cigars for just $30. You get five Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Natural Robustos
and five CAO MX2 Robustos.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: CRA

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) Representatives of the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) and Cigar Rights of America (CRA) this week met with the White House Office of Management and Budget about the looming threat of regulation of premium cigars. “The high-level meeting helped focus attention on the economic needs important to cigar retailers, including: in-store humidors, self-service displays, seasonal releases and special editions, access to financial capital, sampling events, age verification, and preserving the cigar store experience,” according to the IPCPR. “IPCPR expects FDA regulations on premium cigars to be released for public comment within the next few weeks.” Such regulation is expected to deplete cigar innovation, render limited edition smokes more difficult to produce, stifle cigar advertising, and impose burdensome testing requirements on cigar makers.

2) For the time being, the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act has stalled in Congress. This bill, which would require online retailers to collect sales tax, was being closely watched by the cigar industry. The major online cigar retailers were obviously against it, while many brick-and-mortar tobacco shops were for it, arguing the law would level the playing field. Many expect the bill to be revisited in the foreseeable future.

3) Inside the Industry: While previously disclosed, Altadis USA formally announced its new RyJ by Romeo y Julieta cigar this week. The blend is different from other Romeo y Julieta blends as it is a Nicaraguan puro rolled in Honduras. According to the announcement, the cigar uses “a special wrapper cultivated and grown exclusively for RyJ,” double binders from Estelí and Jalapa, and filler from Estelí and Jalapa, including from the storied La Mia farm (in Jalapa) which was once controlled by then-Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. The cigar will come in three sizes: Piramide (6.1 x 52), Toro (6 x 52), and Bully Grande (5 x 54). They will retail for $8-8.75.

4) Deal of the Week: Cigar Place has a bevy of discount codes available. One particularly good deal is on the Liga Undercrown Corona Viva, our favorite size of the Undercrown blend. After you add it to your cart, add the promo code “liga” to knock the price down 15% to just $104 for a box of 25.

–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) New York City is in the process of raising the age minimum for tobacco products by three years, effectively implementing the toughest tobacco sale regulations of any major city in the U.S. “The legal age for buying tobacco—including cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos—will rise to 21, from 18, under a bill adopted by the City Council and which Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has said he would sign,” reported the New York Times on Wednesday. The law will go into effect six months after the bill is signed. “The proposal provoked some protest among people who pointed out that New Yorkers under 21 can drive, vote, and fight in wars, and should be considered mature enough to decide whether to buy cigarettes.”

2) Cigar Rights of America is giving you another great way to support the organization that helps protect cigar smokers from tobacco taxes, bans, and regulations. A new CRA limited edition ten-pack is now on sale at Great American Cigar Shops, and it’s available only to current CRA members. The sampler features ten exclusive cigars—each either a unique size or blend—from ten of the world’s best brands, including Drew Estate’s Liga Privada No. 9, La Aroma de Cuba, La Flor Dominicana, Rocky Patel, Tatuaje, E.P. Carrillo, and Opus X.

3) Around the Blogs: Cigar Inspector inspects the Padrón 3000 Maduro. Stogie Review reviews the Henry Clay. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Allure Habano. Stogie Fresh smokes the The Griffin’s Special Edition 2012.

4) Deal of the Week: Here’s a sampler with 5 quality cigars for just $24. Included is the Vega Fina Robusto, CAO MX2 Toro, PDR 1878 Natural Robusto, Rocky Patel Edge Maduro Torpedo, and  Montecristo Classic Toro.

–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) As we’ve written for years, the looming threat of regulation of premium cigars by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is the greatest danger facing cigar rights. That danger has “moved into the next phase,” it was reported this week by the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR). “Recently, the proposed rule on regulating cigars has moved from the Department of Health & Human Services to the Office of Management & Budget for review,” says IPCPR. “This agency will analyze the rule and work to determine the economic impact on the industry, before releasing it for public comment… [the rule is expected] to be released before the end of November.” While this may sound like a lot of Washington insider jargon, the bottom line is the federal government is getting closer to regulating cigars. Such regulation is expected to deplete cigar innovation, render limited edition smokes more difficult to produce, stifle cigar advertising, and impose burdensome testing requirements on cigar makers.

2) Inside the Industry: The Litto Gomez Diez Small Batch V has been announced for a December release. A Dominican puro, it will have hand-selected tobaccos from the 2007 crop at La Canela. A single size (6.75 x 52) will be sold for $19 per cigar. Also new from La Flor Dominicana this fall are L-Granú and Mysterioso, both slated for sale starting in November. L-Granú (6 x 64) will retail for $8.50 and be the largest ring gauge LFD has ever produced. Mysterioso (7 x 55) will be a Connecticut-Broadleaf-wrapped perfecto and cost $19.

3) The Cigar Family Charitable Foundation’s annual benefit has changed its name and location. With Saks Fifth Avenue leaving Tampa, the Fuente and Newman charity took up a jazz theme. Previously Saks & Cigars, it is now Sax & Cigars at The Westin. The date is Nov. 21 and the cost is $75. You can get information here.

4) Deal of the Week: Caskers is an email newsletter that finds you quality spirits and gets them delivered to your door (in more states than anywhere else we’ve come across). Sign up here for access to their store and for the latest craft spirit offerings, including hard-to-find single malt and bourbon whiskey.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: FDA

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 a bizarre article appearing in the New York Times on Wednesday, it was reported that Brooklyn-based artist Duke Riley recently trained homing pigeons to fly him Cuban cigars. “Mr. Riley trained a flock of homing pigeons to fly one way from Havana to Key West,” reads the article. “Half the birds were flat-out smugglers, running Cuban cigars to the United States. The others were documentarians, outfitted with special cameras to record their 100-mile journey across the Straits of Florida.” Carefully not divulging too much information about his methods, Riley says, “If a bird ends up in my pigeon lofts, that happens to have a cigar from Cuba, and there also happens to be a pigeon that has a video camera on it, that shows footage of birds flying from Havana to Key West with cigars—yeah, I can’t really say how that happened.”

2) Billing itself as “The World’s Largest Cigar Celebration,” the Tampa Cigar Festival is scheduled for downtown Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with two evening parties—one a $100 dinner at the J.C. Newman factory—beforehand. Admission to the festival, which features cigar manufacturers, a beer and wine garden, and Cigar Dave broadcasting, is $10.

3) The New York State Supreme Court has struck down an outdoor smoking ban for state parks. According to the Wall Street Journal: “The February rules establishing no-smoking areas at various parks, including popular beaches and all nine state parks within New York City, aren’t supported by any policy set by the Legislature, state Supreme Court Justice George Ceresia said. The city has a separate outdoor smoking ban for its parks and beaches that wasn’t challenged in this lawsuit.”

4) Inside the Industry: Joya de Nicaragua has announced a new cigar called “Cuatro Cinco” to celebrate 45 years since the company was founded in 1968. Cuatro Cinco will be available in a single semi-box-pressed vitola (6 x 54) in 10-count boxes. As a Limited Edition, only 4,500 boxes of Cuatro Cinco are being produced, each individually numbered to guarantee exclusivity. The initial batch will start shipping the first week of November.

5) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a Sencillo Black. The Tiki Bar kicks back with an Oktberfest Dunkel by Quesada. Stogie Fresh smokes the Partagas 1495. Cigar Inspector inspects La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Natural. Half Wheel fires up a Cain F 543.

6) Deal of the Week: Famous Smoke Shop has this 5-cigar 601 sampler on sale. The deal is notable because, for $25, in addition to a 601 Blue (maduro) and two 601 Red (Habano) cigars, it includes two of the now discontinued 601 Black Connecticut cigars.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: New York Times