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) Ever since June 2009 when President Obama signed the “Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act,” my colleagues and I have written ad nauseam about the severe dangers of granting the Food & Drug Administration jurisdiction over handmade cigars. We’ve also vociferously supported the “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011,” a bill that would protect premium cigars from FDA oversight. Now Cigar Rights of America and the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association are also looking to the Executive Branch for protection, filing a petition with the White House to designate premium cigars outside the jurisdiction of the FDA. Please click here to sign this petition.

2) New York City already has a ban on smoking in city-run parks, but now the state is also moving to criminalize smoking in some outdoor areas. A bureaucracy called the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation—which operates 178 parks and 35 historic sites across the Empire State—is now calling many outdoor spaces smoke-free, supposedly to protect people from secondhand smoke.

3) Inside the Industry: Oliva is launching its 2012 Studio Tobac tour (details here). Altadis is introducing a new modern-looking “boutique” Romeo y Julieta cigar called “Romeo,” which features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that will be available in four thick sizes. The Pepin Family is shipping its new box-pressed Flor de los Antillas Nicaraguan puro, which is available in four sizes, selling for $6.60 to $8.70. Now is your last chance to buy tickets to the Midwest Smoke Out, held on April 19 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Morro Castle. Cigar Inspector inspects a Padilla Studio Tobaco. Cigar Fan fires up an Alec Bradley American Classic. Velvet Cigar smokes a CAO La Traviata Maduro. Tiki Bar kicks back with a Sosa Classic.

5) Deal of the Week: Smoke Inn has the new Ortega Serie D in stock (we reviewed the No. 12 here). Both 5-packs and boxes of 10 are available for $5.85 to $7.10 per stick.

–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) A ban on outdoor tobacco advertising, instituted by officials in Worcester, Massachusetts, was declared unconstitutional this week by a federal judge. “In his decision, [U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock] said the city has no legitimate interest in prohibiting ‘non-misleading advertising’ to adults to prevent them from making decisions of which the city disapproves,” reported CSNews.com. “The judge also ruled that the city failed to show that the outdoor advertising regulations are more extensive than necessary to advance its substantial interest in preventing underage tobacco use.… Worcester City Solicitor David Moore said city officials were disappointed by the ruling, but hadn’t yet decided whether they would appeal the case.”

2) From now until the end of June, everyday cigar enthusiasts have the opportunity to help select the next new CAO blend. The “Last Stick Standing” promotion makes three-pack tins available at select cigar shops, each comprised of three different blends that have been in development (and each one named “C”, “A”, or “O”). After sampling each, CAO fans can vote here to decide which cigar will be released later this year, or in early 2013.

3) Inside the Industry: Rocky Patel is introducing a Candela version of the Edge blend in a toro size. La Aurora is launching a Salomon  (7.25 x 52, the same size that was used for the Puro Vintage 2003) to its 107 line that will begin shipping next month and will retail for around $12 and come in boxes of 8.

4) Around the Blogs: Tiki Bar kicks back with a RoMa Craft Intemperance EC XVII Faith. Cigar Brief smokes the Punch Rare Corojo and Rare Corojo Limited. Cigar Brief fires up a Room 101 San Andreas. Cigar Fan lights up a Padilla Artemis. Nice Tight Ash checks out the La Traviata Luminoso. Stogie Review reviews a Quesada Q D’Etat Molotov.

5) Deal of the Week: Famous Smoke is offering offering some valuable coupon deals on it’s wide selection of cigars. Click here and enter coupon code “SAV15IMPRD” at checkout to save $15 on orders of $100 or more, or click here and enter coupon code “FRSHPIMPRD” to get free shipping on orders $50 or more.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Google Maps

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) Since February, we’ve been covering Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s misguided attempt to boost state coffers by raising his state’s excise tax on cigars from 15% to 70%. There are currently bills before the state Senate and House that would bolster premium cigar taxes, and a joint committee is set to meet to reconcile the two different proposals. “Surrounding jurisdictions such as Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., already tax premium cigars less than Maryland’s current 15 percent levy,” according to the Gaithersburg Gazette. In the same article, Stephen Castro, owner of seven cigar shops in the state, said “the current legislative push…could drive shops such as his out of business.”

2) Officials in Elk Grove were considering a ban on smoking inside private apartments in the Northern California town. They have decided not to pursue the restrictive proposal, for now. “After hearing the comments, the council agreed that the apartment smoking issue seemed to be confined to [one apartment complex] and were reluctant to ban smoking outright at all complexes within the city,” reports the Sacramento Bee.

3) Inside the Industry: General Cigar is launching a new Partagas line called 1845 with an Ecuadorian Habano-seed wrapper, Connecticut binder, and rum barrel-aged filler tobaccos. Manny Ferrero, senior vice president of sales for Ashton Distributors, passed away on Tuesday. Wicked Indie is the first cigar release under the East India Trading Company, a subsidiary of the newly renamed Gurkha Cigar Group, Inc.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan fires up a Padilla Artemis. Cigar Explorer explores a Patoro Vuelta Abajo Limited. The Tiki Bar kicks back with a 262 Paradigm Lancero. Cigar Inspector inspects a Tatuaje TAA. Half Wheel smokes a Second Growth. Stogie Review reviews an Ashton ESG.

5) Deal of the Week: This weekly special features two top-notch blends for just $30. Included are five Boris 11 Connecticut Perfectos (created in partnership with Avo) and five Nestor Miranda Dominicana Piramides (made by the Garcia family).

–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) On June 5, Californians will vote on Prop. 29, a measure that would increase already-high state cigar taxes by 73%. California Citizens Against Wasteful Taxes issued a press release on Tuesday citing that “the estimated $735 million raised annually by these tax increases will be spent on cancer research, but spending decisions will be made by a bureaucratic committee that will not be accountable to voters or to the state legislature.” The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) is “committing significant financial resources” to help defeat the proposition, and Cigar Rights of America is also said to be involved.

2) In last month’s “Question of the Month,” we asked readers, “Which cigar-producing country would you like to visit most?” Cuba topped the poll with 58% of the vote, followed by Nicaragua (22%), the Dominican Republic (15%), and Honduras (5%). 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 suggestion for a future poll.

3) Inside the Industry: Javier Plantada, a longtime industry veteran who worked with Altadis/Imperial Tobacco Group, has been appointed the first senior vice president of global production of the Oettinger Davidoff Group. Toraño Family Cigar Co. teamed up with the Charley Foundation earlier this month to help the Nashville-based non-profit raise funds to provide support to charitable agencies addressing the critical needs of children. Urbano is introducing handmade mixed-filler bundle cigars that will sell for less than $1.50 apiece. Carnero, J.M. Tobacco’s first premium cigar, is now available in a Cameroon wrapper.

4) Around the Blogs: Tiki Bar reviews the Emilio Series H Maduro. Cigar Explorer explores La Dueña by My Father Cigars. Cigar Fan fires up a Gurka Cellar Reserve Prisoner. Nice Tight Ash lights up a Puros Indios Siembra de Oro Short Maduro in honor of Don Rolando. Cigar Inspector inspects a Hoyo de Monterrey Short Robusto. Stogie Review reviews an Emilio AF Suave.

5) Deal of the Week: Cain and Nub fans will want to check out this sampler. $30 gets you eight cigars: one each of the four main Nub blends (Cameroon, Habano, Connecticut, and Maduro), and one each of the four main Cain blends (Habano, Maduro, F, and Daytona).

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Defeat Prop. 29

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) Cigar Rights Alerts: Legislation has been proposed in Kansas that would increase the state tax on cigars by 30%, and proponents concede the move has little to do with increasing revenue and much to do with discouraging the use of tobacco among consenting adults. Meanwhile, in Maryland, the Senate passed a bill that would criminalize smoking in cars that carry passengers younger than the age of eight. And at the College of DuPage, a two-year community college outside Chicago with a student population of 30,000, administrators are considering a campus-wide smoking ban.

2) The Beach Cigar Group has officially changed its name to the Gurkha Cigar Group to reinforce the connection between the company name and its cigars. “This is a natural and progressive move for the company as we link our identity even more with the Gurkha brand,” said Gary Hyams, president of Gurkha Cigar Group. “The new name is also appropriate to further signal the positive direction the company is taking and will be a tremendous help as we position the Gurkha brand internationally.”

3) Inside the Industry: Two Guys Smoke Shop in Nashua is now the 55th Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge in the nation and the first in New Hampshire. The Midwest Smoke Out, an event planned for April 19 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, announced a partnership with Cigar Rights of America. La Aurora is expanding its popular 107 line with a new Salomon (7.25 x 52) vitola.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a La Flor Dominicana Double Claro No. 42. Cigar Inspector inspects a Hoyo de Monterrey Petit Robusto. Cigar Explorer explores a Quesada Q D’Etat Molotov. Cigar Fan fires up a Rocky Patel Edicion Unica 2011.

5) Deal of the Week: This weekly special features ten top Dominican smokes for just $3 per cigar. In addition to five Montecristo Platinums, you get five Hammer & Sickle cigars, which are made by Davidoff master blender Henke Kelner.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: 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) Indiana currently has no statewide smoking ban, but that’s for a lack of trying. Anti-tobacco lawmakers and groups have been trying to pass a comprehensive ban in the Hoosier State since 2007. And now they’re incredibly close to passing a law that would violate cigar smokers’ rights, as well as the rights of most private business owners. As of yesterday, Indiana lawmakers had agreed to a bill that included exemptions for bars, private clubs, and at-home businesses. The American Cancer Society is lobbying against passage since the group considers any smoking ban that includes exemptions for bars to be too weak.

2) Several new cigars were announced at Cuba’s 14th annual Habanos Festival, which concluded on March 2. Among them was the Cohiba Pirámides Extra, an aluminum-tubed pyramid that will feature some of the medio tiempo tobacco found in the ultra-exclusive Cohiba Behike. In addition, three Edición Limitada cigars are planned for 2012, one each from the Montecristo, Partagas, and H. Upmann brands.

3) Inside the Industry: Michael Giannini, the longtime face of General Cigar’s La Gloria Cubana brand, is taking an expanded role with the company and will now be responsible for new product development for all of General’s premium cigars brands. One month from today, General is introducing a new Partagas line called the “Partagas 1845” that will feature an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Avo’s 86th Anniversary cigar will be “La Trompeta,” a pyramid with three circular cutouts in the Ecuadorian wrapper that resemble a trumpet’s valves.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Fuente Hemingway Short Story Maduro. Tiki Bar kicks back with a Fuente Don Carlos Lancero. Cigar Brief smokes a Vegas de Santiago Secretos del Maestro Don Luis. Cigar Inspector inspects a José L. Piedra Nacionales.

5) Deal of the Week: This “Cigar Obsession Sampler” features ten cigars selected by cigar blogger (and excellent photographer) Bryan Glynn. Included in the $90 sampler are such StogieGuys.com favorites as the Illusione 88, Oliva Serie V, Padrón 1926 Natural, Rocky Patel Decade Robusto, San Cristobal Selección del Sol Robusto, and Tatuaje Anarchy.

–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) The price of premium cigars increased by 25 cents per stick in Chicago yesterday. The president of the Cook County Board, Toni Preckwinkle (pictured), had originally proposed a 30-cent tax on cigars in November. When she did, Bill Spann, chief executive officer of the IPCPR, fired back in a press release. “This is wrong on so many levels,” he said. “First of all, Cook County and Chicago residents and consumers are already paying high taxes on all tobacco products. If the County Board or City Council increase those taxes, consumers will take their business elsewhere. In addition, bootlegging of tobacco products will be encouraged, as will their purchase over the internet, neither of which generates taxes.”

2) As the 2012 Habanos Festival rolls on, Cuban officials have released figures that show a 9% increase in sales in Cuban cigars in 2011, adding up to over $400 million. Spain remains the top listed market with emerging markets like China, Russia, Brazil, and the Middle East gaining pace. The U.S. is the world’s consumer of cigars, though it is difficult to tell how much money Americans spent on Cubans last year since the 50-year-old trade embargo relegates those purchases to the black market.

3) Inside the Industry: Only available for a few months, General Cigar is releasing the Punch Rare Corojo and Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary in limited quantities. Tickets to the Midwest Smoke Out, held on April 19 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, are being sold here for $150 apiece.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a Paul Stulac Angel. Cigar Brief smokes a La Gloria Cubana Retro Especial. Cigar Obsession obsesses over a St. George Sumatra. Cigar Fan fires up a Casa Magnus Domus Magnus Limitada. Cigar Inspector inspects a Juan Lopez Maximo (RE Switzerland).

5) Deal of the Week: This “Petite Elite Sampler” features ten corona-sized cigars for just $25. Included are two-each of the Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve, Punch Elite Natural, Carlos Toraño 1916, Cielo Eros, and Puros Indios.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Examiner