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) John Anderson and Matt Krimm, proprietors of W. Curtis Draper, this week announced the purchase of Bethesda Tobacco, a cigar shop located eight miles away from their Washington location. The move marks Draper’s first foray outside DC in its 123-year history. Paul Spence, formerly a sales manager with CAO, has been named managing partner and general manager of the Bethesda store, which will be renamed W. Curtis Draper Bethesda. “John and Matt are true tobacconists,” said Mike Copperman, former owner of Bethesda Tobacco. “I wouldn’t entrust Bethesda Tobacco, or its customers, to anyone else.”

2) On January 14, President Obama announced more relaxed rules for interactions with Cuba. While the new policies fall far short of ending the embargo, they ease restrictions on travel and allow for U.S. citizens to send money to Cubans more frequently. Unfettered travel still isn’t allowed, but the State Department will issue more visas for “purposeful travel” including journalism, education, religious, and humanitarian travel.

3) Inside the Industry: The Jameson Cigar Co. is introducing the SouthBound Series Latitude, a Pennsylvania broadleaf-wrapped blend that will be offered in bundles of 20 for $62-64. Miraculous Templar, a new Dominican manufacturer, has debuted its inaugural blend, with each of the line’s three sizes available in 50-count boxes with either a Sumatra or a Maduro wrapper.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the San Lotano Habano. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Gran Habano Gran Reserva. Cigar Fan smokes the Montecristo Cabinet Selección. Cigar Inspector inspects a Dona Flor Reserva Especial.  The Illusione cg4 and the Fuente Añejo No. 46 top the list at YourCigarRatings.com.

5) Deal of the Week: Citizen Cigar is featuring two awesome specials. Orders over $65 earn a free five-pack of Don Pepin cigars (Blue Label, Serie JJ, Serie JJ Maduro, Cuban Classic, and Vegas Cubana). And orders over $120 earn a free five-pack of Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro Torpedos in addition to the Don Pepin sampler.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: W. Curtis Draper

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) This week, Great Neck, a suburb of New York City, became the first municipality in the Empire State to ban outdoor smoking on sidewalks. “Mayor Ralph J. Kreitzman says the ban was enacted after officials got complaints about smokers standing outside stores in the village,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “Kreitzman says violators found smoking on sidewalks in the 1.4-square-mile village could face fines of up to $1,000.” The law went into effect immediately.

2) A politician in Kentucky has proposed a bill that, in the unlikely event it is passed, would impose a no-exemption smoking ban on all indoor workplaces and public places in the state, including bars and restaurants. “Kentucky unemployment is nearly 11%, yet some legislators seem to be more interested in creating job-killing bills like smoking bans,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR.

3) Upcoming Event: The Midwest Smoke Out has been scheduled for April 7 at the Horseshoe Casino outside Chicago. The event will feature spirits, cigars, food, and such guests as Carlito Fuente and Rocky Patel. The price of admission ($150) also includes a one-year membership renewal in Cigar Rights of America.

4) Around the Blogs:  Stogie Review reviews a La Caridad del Cobre. Tiki Bar kicks back with a Paul Garmirian Symphony 20. Cigar Fan fires up a Padilla Dominus. Nice Tight Ash checks out La Sirena. Smoking Stogie smokes a Puro Express Bespoke. Two Tatuaje Reservas, the Gran Cojonu and Petite Cazadores, top YourCigarReviews.com.

5) Deal of the Week: OneOff Cigars were once high-end smokes that cost plenty. This week’s deal features a clearance special with boxes of 20 OneOff cigars available in five sizes for under $2 per stick. Grab yours here.

–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. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) A federal court has struck down a New York City ordinance that required tobacco retailers to display graphic anti-tobacco posters. Judge Jed S. Rakoff (pictured) of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan found the ordinance to be “well-intentioned” but ultimately in violation of the law, which places regulations on tobacco warnings and advertisements under the purview of the federal government. Back in November, in his first CRA TV webcast, Cigar Rights of America Executive Director Glynn Loope said that the legal challenge to the ordinance was important not only for New Yorkers, but because a favorable ruling would limit other cities that are considering similar measures.

2) The Cohiba Behike BHK 52, a fat robusto that retails for $75 apiece, was named Cigar Aficionado’s top smoke of 2010. “Cohiba has long been a marquee name in Cuban cigars,” says the magazine. “This new smoke has done what no special release Cohiba has done before: win critical acclaim as well as commercial success.” Although technically a limited production blend, Cuban officials say they plan to make new Behike cigars annually.

3) Inside the Industry: Cubatabaco, Cuba’s government-controlled tobacco monopoly, is suing a U.S. cigar retailer because the retailer’s Michigan shop, Casa de La Habana, is said to be too similar in name to La Casa del Habano. Gurkha plans to release a box of 50 cigars (encased in a pure silver) that will cost $250,000 for a box of 50. To promote its new Single Region cigar, Toraño will be hosting a series of events at stores across the country featuring coffee from PT’s Coffee.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie smokes the Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill. The Tiki Bar smokes the Zino Classic Embassy Selection 2010. Stogie Review picks their Top 10 of 2010. Nice Tight Ash checks out the San Cristobal Classico. Cigar Fan fires up a Padilla Dominus. Tatuaje Reserva, EO 601, and AVO Heritage are the top cigars at YourCigarRatings.com.

5) Deal of the Week: Check out this Don Pepin Elite Selection sampler. It includes two each from the Tatuaje Havana, 5 Vegas Miami, Cuban Classic, and San Cristobal, all for under $40. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: New York Times

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) A new report from the U.S. Surgeon General is being challenged by a renowned member health community and the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR). The report claims that brief exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to cancer, DNA damage, and heart trauma. But Prof. Michael Siegel of Boston University’s School of Public Health says, “It is simply untrue to assert that brief exposure to secondhand smoke can cause such results. If there is no safe level of exposure to any carcinogen, that would include exposure to automobile exhaust, the sun’s rays, benzene, radon in homes, arsenic in drinking water, and many other everyday items.” Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR, also points out a key conflict of interest in a recent press release: Dr. Regina Benjamin (pictured), the current Surgeon General, previously worked for a foundation that supports smoking bans and anti-tobacco groups.

2) Inside the Industry: Despite the partnership between Drew Estate and Illusione being severed, The Cigar Feed reports that Drew Estate is offering Nosotros “seconds” to a handful of retailers who will sell the cigars for $4-5 each in bundles.

3) Around the Blogs: Illusione and Tatuaje are currently dominating the top 10 at Your Cigar Ratings. Cigar Fan fires up the Don Diego Fuerte. Tiki Bar kicks back with a La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco. Smoking Stogie smokes the Viaje Holiday Blend 2010. Stogie Review reviews the Casa Fernandez Arsenio Maduro.

4) Deal of the Week: Looking for a last-minute cigar gift? This holiday sale features deals on some excellent boxes, including the Cuban Crafters Cameroon, Miami Medina 1959, Cupido Tuxedo, and J.L. Salazar.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: SurgeonGeneral.gov

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) U.S. Customs officials seized 30,000 Cuban cigars when the illegal smokes arrived at Chicago’s O’Hare airport this week. “The flood of the popular contraband is the biggest seen at the Customs and Border Protection’s Chicago field office, which typically seizes 10 to 12 cigars a week at the O’Hare international mail facility,” reports the Chicago Tribune. “Officials attribute the influx in the last two weeks to changes in U.S. Transportation Security Administration regulations…[which ban the] shipment of parcels weighing more than 16 ounces from passenger flights…Officials believe that because European shippers could no longer send packages via these flights, they stockpiled parcels until they could be put on cargo freighters, which fly less frequently.”

2) In order to help New York shops that are suffering under draconian state taxes, La Aurora is launching a cigar called “Broadway” that will only be available at Empire State tobacconists. The blend includes a double wrapper of Ecuadorian Sumatra and Nicaraguan leaves over a Dominican corojo binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Peru. The only size, Sumo Toro (5.75 x 54), retails for $12 (including taxes).

3) Inside the Industry: Rene Castañeda, vice president of Miami Cigar & Company, is turning over the organization’s national sales portfolio to Hector Paz to concentrate on international sales and product development. Davidoff named Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard as their new CEO. Davidoff subsidiary Cusano Cigars will now distribute for Heavenly Cigars. With demand increasing, La Flor Dominicana has expanded production in its Dominican factory from five days  per week to six.

4) Around the Blogs: Epernay Le Ferme is curently rated a 94 at Cigar Ratings. Cigar Fan fires up the EP Carrillo. Smoking Stogie smokes the Dunhill Selección No. 50. Stogie Review reviews the Tatuaje Anarchy. Cigar Inspector inspects the Tatuaje Boris. Stogie Fresh lights up a La Aurora 107 Lancero.

5) Deal of the Week: This Hurricane Sampler includes a dozen smokes for just $40. Included are sought-after cigars from Diesel, Man O’ War, Gurkha, Padilla, and La Herencia. Use coupon code “JIMMY” and get free shipping if you buy two.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: U.S. Customs

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Cuba’s government-controlled tobacco monopoly is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Trinidad brand with a special limited release. Trinidad 40th anniversary humidors will soon be on sale at La Casa del Habano shops across the globe, each filled with 40 Trinidad Cañonazo cigars. “Trinidad, as a Habano, dates back to 1969, but for many years, like Cohiba, it was made only for gifts to foreign diplomats,” reads a description of the brand on the Habanos website. “Not until 1998 was it released for general sale and then only in small quantities.”

2) Alec Bradley—the company responsible for Tempus, Prensado, and Maxx—will pre-release its New York Cigar series on Friday, December 10. Available only at select retailers in the Empire State, the blend will be offered in five sizes with an average suggested retail price of $12.75. Click here to contact a retailer to reserve your order.

3) Inside the Industry: Don Pepin Garcia’s My Father Cigars opened its first branded cigar lounge in Cave Creek, Arizona. As part of its nationwide launch for Macanudo Cru Royale cigars, Macanudo awarded $10,000 to one lucky patron of the Old Allegheny Smoke Shop in Pittsburgh. Originally debuting this summer, Swag cigars are now arriving in stores nationwide.

4) Around the Blogs: Your Cigar Ratings (a new site where users submit their own reviews) currently rates the Tatuaje Petite Cazadores Reserva and Illusione hl Maduro as its top-rated smokes. Smoking Stogie smokes the Cain F Lancero. Cigar Fan fires up the Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf. Stogie Review reviews the La Aurora Corojo. Tiki Bar tries the Nestor Miranda Buckhead 2010.

5) Deal of the Week: It’s not too late to take advantage of this Black Friday sale from Cuban Crafters. Included are deals on highly rated smokes like La Carolina, Cuban Crafters Cameroon, and Miami Medina.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Habanos

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) This week Raúl Castro released a 32-page booklet that outlines Cuba’s new “guidelines for socio-economic policy.” Over the coming years he plans to decriminalize certain forms of self-employment and transition 40% of the workforce off the government payroll. “Raúl Castro takes the view that Cuba can no longer afford the bloated and paternalistic state he inherited from Fidel,” reports The Economist. “There is a small but real place for private enterprise. And stopping small businesses from growing may prove harder than preventing them from being set up at all.”

2) Lawmakers in Australia—a country that already bans tobacco advertising on television, radio, and print—plan to outlaw tobacco advertising on the Internet. “Driven away from newspapers and television by regulation, online tobacco advertising has mushroomed, with more than 1,000 tobacco-themed Facebook groups available to people of all ages, plus YouTube clips and Flickr galleries produced by tobacco company employees,” reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

3) Inside the Industry: Tatuaje Anarchy, which we revealed in July is being made for Smoke Inn in West Palm Beach, will be available for pre-sale on Black Friday. The cigar is a unique size: a large perfecto featuring a spiral pigtail head wrapped in a black band. 1,500 boxes of 15 cigars are set to ship on December 13. Each box will sell for $150. Photos of the highly anticipated smoke can be found here.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews The Face. Smoking Stogie smokes a 1985 Dunhill. Cigar Inspector inspects the Tatuaje RC 223. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Rocky Patel NRA Valedor. B&B Cigar Club smokes the Guillermo León. Tiki Bar kicks back with a Gurkha Ninja.

5) Deal of the Week: Starting today, Citizen Cigar is holding a site-wide sale that’s well worth checking out. All prices are being reduced by 10% and shipping is free. Hurry and check it out before the the sale ends Monday.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr