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. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) More details are emerging about Cuba’s planned economic reforms. According to the latest edition of The Economist, the communist government is laying off over one million public sector employees to make room for private economic activity—turning small, state-owned enterprises into employee cooperatives and transitioning others to self-employment. Raúl Castro hopes the changes will help create 450,000 non-government jobs before 2012. He says “we have to erase forever the notion that Cuba is the only country in the world where it is not necessary to work.” His brother, Fidel, also recognizes that the Cuban economic model “doesn’t even work for us anymore.”

2) As federal tobacco taxes become more and more burdensome, some manufacturers are turning to a “loophole” to keep prices down. The Wall Street Journal reports that makers of small, machine-made cigars are slightly increasing the weight of their products to qualify them as “large cigars,” which are taxed less. Congress is investigating this practice as tax evasion.

3) Inside the Industry: La Palina is introducing a Family Series that will retail for $18-23 per cigar. Cusano has moved into Davidoff USA’s new headquarters outside Tampa, and Camacho will be following soon.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie smokes a Viaje Skull and Bones. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Cain F. Cigar Fan fires up a Cuba Caiman. A Cigar Smoker smokes a Dirty Rat. Cigar Inspector inspects a CAO Colombia.

5) Deal of the Week: This unpublicized email special features some of our favorite Cuban Crafters cigars. Included are the highly-rated Miami Medina 1959 Lanceros and the Cuban Crafters Cabinet Selection. Grab yours here.

–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. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is banning smoking in “huge swaths of government-controlled outdoor spaces,” including Times Square. “We have to do something about this, because even out in the open air secondhand smoke can be dangerous,” Bloomberg told Fox News. The move follows a dangerous trend of smoking bans extending beyond indoor locales to outdoor settings, private cars, and even private homes (see below).

2) Smoking Ban Alerts: Tacoma officials are mulling a proposal that would criminalize smoking in apartment buildings. Ithica politicians are hoping to extend a city law that already bans outdoor smoking in parks, bus shelters, and natural areas. Menlo Park is one step closer to new regulations that would outlaw smoking in multi-unit residential buildings and restaurant patios.

3) Charles Mysak, a cigar-smoking book vendor on the streets of New York, offered some excellent advice to his fellow lovers of the leaf. Dismissing a question about the health impact of his cigars, Mysak told the New York Times: “Ignorance and indolence is the primary problem. If you take care of the mind, everything else follows.” Read the rest of his story here.

4) Inside the Industry: The new La Aurora 107 Lancero, which can be ordered by retailers on Twitter, is hitting shelves at select technology-friendly cigar shops. A very limited Opus X BBMF is now available as part of special humidor with proceeds going to the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation.

5) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Viaje Fifty Fifty Red Label. Cigar Inspector inspects the Cohiba Behike 52. Tiki Bar kicks back with an E.P. Carrillo Core Blend. Nice Tight Ash checks out a Viaje Satori. A Cigar Smoker smokes a My Father Limited Edition 2010.

6) Deal of the Week:  Well worth a look is this Don Pepin Elite Selection sampler, featuring some of the legendary cigar maker’s finest smokes. Included are two each of the Tatuaje Havana, 5 Vegas Miami, Cuban Classic, and San Cristobal—all for under $40. Grab yours here.

–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. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) In May, when Indiana politicians rejected legislation that would have criminalized smoking in Hoosier State bars, restaurants, and other “public” places for a third time, Chris McCalla of the IPCPR said that “if the issue is raised again…we will be ready once again to defend our rights and the rights of all the state’s citizens and help defeat any such bills.” The time has already come to mount a defense. Anti-tobacco zealots are storming the statehouse with hopes of prompting new statewide regulations. Representative Charlie Brown, a Democrat from Gary who is presumably unrelated to the cartoon strip character, says he is authoring a bill that may ban smoking in cigar bars.

2) A new book, The Cigar Lover’s Compendium, chronicles the history of cigars, offers drink pairings and tips, and lists America’s best tobacconists and lounges. Author Lawrence Dorfman also provides a “Cigar Smoker Hall of Fame” and cigar-related jokes. You can order your own hardcover copy at Amazon.

3) Inside the Industry: The Padrón Family Reserve No. 46 was launched this week at a New York City event. Davidoff is introducing a limited “Special XXVI Edition 2010” Griffin’s cigar (6 x 56) available in boxes of 10 glass tubos for $115.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Toraño Single Region. Nice Tight Ash checks out a J. Fuego Origen. Stogie Fresh fires up a PG Gourmet Lonsdale. Smoking Stogie smokes the Guillermo León by La Aurora. Cigar Fan toasts a Saint Luis Rey. A Cigar Smoker torches an HC Habano Colorado.

5) Deal of the Week: Football season brings this unpublicized cigars special from Cuban Crafters. Included are the highly-rated Miami Medina 1959 and J.L. Salazar blends, but our favorite bargain is a box of La Carolinas for just $50.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Indiana.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) Labor Day is upon us. For all you hard-working Stogie Guys out there, it couldn’t have come soon enough. The entire StogieGuys.com team would like to wish you and yours a happy, safe, and cigar-filled holiday weekend—a great time to smoke that extra-special cigar you’ve been saving for years. So whether your plans include a barbecue, a beach, golf, or anything else, be sure to make this year memorable with a memorable cigar.

2) Officials in Ocean City have scheduled a hearing to discuss the possibility of a smoking ban for the Maryland town’s beaches. The announcement came just days before the upcoming holiday weekend, a lucrative time when thousands of mid-Atlantic vacationers flock to this popular ocean-side destination. NBC reports that “most businesses are against a ban on smoking, fearing that it may hurt their already struggling businesses.” An outcome isn’t expected until after an October election.

3) Site News: It may have taken awhile, but the cigar community seems to have embraced Twitter as a forum for talking cigars. So we’ve created a new Cigar Tweets page—your one-stop shop for the latest updates from all the cigar makers on Twitter. And don’t forget to follow Stogie Guys, too.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie tries an Illusione Singulare. Cigar Inspector inspects a Juan Lopez Short Torpedo. Stogie Review fires up an AVO Heritage. Nice Tight Ash checks out an Art Deco. Perfect Draw reviews the Quesada Tributo.

5) Deal of the Week: With full-bodied spice and Cuban-like depth, Nicaraguan smokes are increasing in popularity, and this Nicaraguan Blends Sampler demonstrates why. Included are two each from Padilla Habano, Man O’ War, Rocky Patel Fusion, and Gurkha Park Avenue, all for under $30. Grab yours here.

–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. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Behike, the new ultra-exclusive extension of the Cuban Cohiba brand, is now on sale in Canada. Three sizes are available with MSRPs ranging from $35-40 apiece. Canada’s outrageous taxes, however, make individual cigars as much as $100 and ten-count boxes as much as $1,100. As we reported in April, Behike uses a rare “medio tiempo” leaf and is being advertised as the new standard among smokers worldwide. High demand and low supply make black markets likely in countries where Cubans are legal—and almost certain in the U.S. thanks to the trade embargo.

2) One of our favorite boutiques, the Tesa Cigar Co., is hosting a special event at its Chicago lounge at 7pm on Friday, September 10. Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate and Glynn Loope of Cigar Rights of America (CRA) will be on hand. The event will feature beer, food, a raffle, and specials on Drew Estate products and CRA memberships. Mark your calendars if you plan to be in the area.

3) Inside the Industry: Berger & Argenti is capitalizing on the success of Entubar with a new Jalapa-wrapped “Entubar Quad Maduro.” Famous Smoke Shop has released La Floridita Fuerte, the third line extension in the retailer’s exclusive series made by Nestor Plasencia. Partagas is holding a contest to give away a Napa Valley trip filled with wine, cigars, and gourmet food.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie smokes the Avo Heritage. Cigar Fan fires up a Berger & Argenti Entubar. Cigar Inspector inspects an Opus X Lost City Lancero. A Cigar Smoker sparks a PDR 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Madura. Casa Fumando reviews the CAO La Traviata Maduro.

5) Deal of the Week: Here’s a solid deal on a sampler that includes 20 sticks for a tidy $60, including free shipping. For just $3 per stick you get cigars from Rocky Patel, CAO, Graycliff, Padilla, 5 Vegas, Don Diego, H. Upmann, Romeo y Julieta, Montecristo, and a handful of others. Grab yours here.

–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. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) At over 13%, Michigan has the second highest unemployment rate in the country. But that didn’t stop Wolverine State politicians from enacting a smoking ban, which took effect in May. Now the economy is starting to show signs of the new regulation. According to the Detroit Free Press, a recent survey finds that “more than 42% of responding restaurants said their sales have declined since the ban went into effect.” One bar general manager says, “Employees have been laid off, hours have been cut for others, and the tips have shrunk for the waitstaff and bartenders who are left.” Another laments: “I can’t believe that the State of Michigan did this at a time when the economy is so bad.”

2) Jeff Borysiewicz, president and founder of the Orlando-based Corona Cigar Co., has long been a passionate advocate for cigar rights. This week he added a 19-foot, 1,600-pound exclamation point to his dedication to cigar freedom. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Borysiewicz brought the world’s largest cigar to one of his stores to protest smoking restrictions in Orange County, Florida.

3) Inside the Industry: Every year at the IPCPR Trade Show, manufacturers are recognized with “Best in Show” awards for innovative displays. This year Drew Estate won the large exhibitor category for its  booth featuring dozens of pairs of custom sneakers made in the art studio attached to its Nicaraguan factory. Meanwhile, Hammer + Sickle won the medium  exhibitor category for including a massive piece of the actual Berlin Wall in its display.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan fires up a Mi Dominicana. Smoking Stogie lights up the Illusione HL Candela. Cigar Inspector inspects a La Flor Dominicana Air Bender. The Tiki Bar smokes the 2009 and 2010 CAO Rock and Rolled tour cigars. A Cigar Smoker reviews the Guillermo León by La Aurora.

5) Deal of the Week: This unpublicized email special features some of our favorite Cuban Crafters cigars. Included are the highly-rated Miami Medina 1959, Cubano Claro, and Cupido Tuxedo Maduro. Grab yours here.

–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. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) The 78th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association  (IPCPR) Trade Show wraps up today. This year’s event saw the introduction of hundreds of new cigars, jazz smoking lounges, a seminar on cigar rights, and a speech delivered by Rocky Patel in which he encouraged retailers to educate their legislators about the adverse consequences of government intervention. “Obviously we have to do a better job of getting our fellow retailers…to put aside their differences and have a unified fight,” he said. For more information about the Trade Show, click here for our on-location reports from New Orleans. And be sure to check back throughout the year as we review the newest cigars on the market.

2) On the international front, China’s government is pushing for a nationwide ban on indoor smoking starting in January. But, as the Associated Press reported on Wednesday, the development of the ambitious law faces an ironic conflict of interest: “The organization that sets tobacco policy and enforces the rules is the same [government] agency that controls the China National Tobacco Corporation, the world’s largest cigarette maker.”

3) Inside the Industry: Foot traffic at the IPCPR Trade Show declined quickly after the initial burst on Tuesday. About 600 retailers attended, down from 700 last year. Nearly every manufacturer we spoke with expects next year’s show in Las Vegas to be busier.

4) Around the Blogs:  Stogie Review reviews the El Primer Mundo Liga Miami. Cigar Inspector inspects the Prometheus Sencillo. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Pinar del Rio 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Madura. Las VegAsh TV smokes a Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary.

5) Deal of the Week: There’s an email-only special going on at Cuban Crafters this weekend. The best deal is a box of 25 Cuban Crafters Cameroon Pyramides for just $75 (just $3 per cigar). Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys