The Stogie Guys

As we’ve done 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) Tampa, known as “Cigar City,” will lose another stogie factory this summer, albeit one that produces machine-made sticks. Tobacco giant Altadis recently announced plans to close the plant, which employs nearly 500 workers and makes Hav-A-Tampa cigars. An Altadis official told the St. Petersburg Times that the SCHIP tax hike had been particularly hard on the business. The cigars will continue to be produced at a company plant in Puerto Rico. Late last year, Altadis closed a smaller facility in Selma, Alabama.

2) As some Golden Staters dread local laws that criminalize outdoor smoking in parks, dining areas, and other “public” spaces, Solona Beach this week joined the list of cities in San Diego County that ban “patio smoking.” The move, according to one politician, “is part of a city-wide ‘Go Green’ effort.” In related news, California was recently ranked an abysmal 47th in a Mercatus Center at George Mason University study that ranks the 50 states by personal and economic freedom.

3) Inside the Industry: CAO Cigars is giving away a custom-made motorcycle made by Sucker Punch Sally’s here. Only nine months after its purcase of Camacho Cigars, Davidoff has agreed to purchase Cusano, maker of the Cusano and Cuvée lines. Oliva is introducing the new White Label Connecticut Reserve.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the HC Series by Xikar. Cigar Inspector inspects the Ramón Allones Specially Selected. Stogie Fresh checks out the Los Blancos Criollo. Keepers of the Flame lights up a Zino Platinum Scepter. Matt torches a Cohiba Siglo I. Velvet Cigar tries a Hemingway Short Story Maduro.

5) Deal of the Week: Like Rocky Patel Cigars? Then you’ll love this “Limited Edition Rocky Patel Sampler.” It includes ten of the best smokes that made Rocky into an industry superstar, including the Decade, Vintage 1992 and 1990, Olde World Reserve, and more—all for under $50. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, 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 late philosopher George Santayana famously wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” If that’s true, cigar smokers who value their fleeting freedom should pick up a copy of Christopher Snowdon’s new book, Velvet Glove, Iron Fist: A History of Anti-Smoking. As The Economist points out in a recent review, it is a “solidly researched, interesting, and only occasionally strident book” that shows the persecution of smokers through time—from despots cutting smokers’ lips to American prohibitionists decrying “moral decay” to Nazis labeling smoking as “a decadent Jewish habit.” Perhaps this book will shed some light on how we got from a leading anti-smoking zealot proclaiming in 1998 that “no one is seriously talking about a complete ban on smoking in pubs and restaurants” to the deplorable restrictions and taxes of today.

2) Legendary coach Arnold “Red” Auerbach, who famously lit a victory cigar after Celtics wins, was eclipsed on Sunday by another cigar enthusiast when Phil Jackson won his record tenth NBA championship as a coach. “I’ll smoke a cigar tonight, in memory of Red,” said Jackson after the Lakers defeated the Magic.

3) Inside the Industry: A new annually-released Padrón is set to launch for the first time later this year called the “Reserva de Familia.”  On the heals of the “Danno,” Nestor Miranda is releasing another Special Selection 20 Aniversario, an oscuro-wrapped perfecto called the “Ruky” (Miranda’s nickname). The new Cuban Montecristo, the “Montecristo Open,” is now hitting stores. Perdomo is releasing a new full-bodied smoke called the “Grand Cru.” Alec Bradley is launching a new “Family Blend” line that was formerly an unbanded mystery cigar given out only at the company’s promotional events.

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame lights up an Ambos Mundos. Stogie Review sparks a Cuban Crafters Cupido Criollo. Cigar Inspector checks out an Ashton VSG. Cigar Spy interrogates a Benchmade. Matt fires up a La Aroma de Cuba Edición Especial.

5) Deal of the Week: Here’s a great (and cheap) way to catch up with all the lines made by your favorite cigar makers. For $20-25 per sampler, you’ll get five sticks each of such respected cigar makers as Don Pepin Garcia, Gran Habano, A.J. Fernandez, Perdomo, CAO, and Oliva. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: VelvetGloveIronFist.com

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Anti-smoking politicians in DC made another power grab yesterday, this time as the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill that would grant the FDA authority over the production and marketing of tobacco. The move all but guarantees President Obama, a supporter of the legislation, will have a chance to sign the bill into law. We have been following this measure since last July, warning that it may result in nicotine controls and substantially limited advertising of cigars in magazines and on websites.

2) Today, dubbed “National Nestor Miranda Cigar Day” by Miami Cigar & Co., is your chance to try a new limited edition Special Selection 20 Aniversario for free. All you have to do is buy any cigar at one of 500 Nestor Miranda Special Selection authorized dealers, and you’ll be given either a Habano Rosado or a Habano Oscuro. Both four and a half stogie-rated cigars normally retail for $9 apiece. Click here to locate a participating retailer near you.

3) Inside the Industry: EO Brands—maker of the 601, Cubao, and Mi Barrio lines—has announced its next cigar, to be introduced at this year’s IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans in August, will be called the “Murcielago.” In an effort to make some its most sought-after smokes more affordable, Padrón is releasing its 1926 blend in boxes of ten just in time for Father’s Day.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a Rocky Patel Sping Collection. Keepers of the Flame lights up a Rocky Patel Decade. Cigar Jack smokes the Canimoa Maduro. A Cigar Smoker sparks the Oliva Series V. Velvet Cigar tries the La Flor Dominicana Connecticut. Stogie Fresh torches up a Flor de Gonzalez 15 Anniversario. Las VegASH reviews the Drew Estate Natural Dirt.

5) Deal of the Week: This “Baker’s Dozen Sampler” features 13 cigars for just $30. Included are such top blends as the CAO Brazilia, Rocky Patel 1992, Gurkha Warrior, CAO Gold Maduro, and Toraño Exodus Silver, plus smokes from Padrón, Fuente, Macanudo, Punch, Hoyo, and more. Get yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: FDA.gov

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) On the heels of Jacob Grier’s critique of a “study” that purported to downplay the impact of smoking bans on employment in restaurants and bars comes this commentary from Forbes. It argues that, despite widely accepted claims that depend on  fuzzy science, “many prior studies of smoking bans are riddled with statistical shortcomings.” The author should know; he has “15 years of experience in performing economic and statistical analysis.”

2) In related news, shares of Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., a Louisiana casino operator, jumped 14% on Wednesday after lawmakers shot down a bill that would have expanded the Pelican State’s smoking ban to cover bars and casinos. Such acute market activity supports the claim that freedom of choice is best for business.

3) Inside the Industry: Rocky Patel is releasing another seasonal blend, the 2009 Summer Collection. Colibri, a brand best known in cigar circles for its lighters, has emerged from bankrupcy and will begin making lighters again. CAO is adding a box-pressed robusto to its MX2 line.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review looks at the Camacho Connecticut. Cigar Inspector samples a Davidoff Special R. Velvet Cigar reviews a Camacho Liberty 2008. Cigar Spy infiltrates a La Aroma de Cuba.

5) Deal of the Week:  This “Mega III Sampler” has 16 big-name cigars for just $30. (That’s under $2 per stick for those of you who might not be up on your arithmetic.) Included are  favorites from La Flor Dominicana, Rocky Patel, CAO, Alec Bradley, Camacho, Gurkha, and Cuesta-Rey. Get yous here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) With baseball’s worst record and third-lowest average attendance, the slumping Nationals seem intent on reviving the old saw of Washington as “first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League.” We can’t help but wonder what might have been had the team accepted our 2006 proposal to create a smoking section in the stands of their old home at RFK Stadium. Is it too late to reverse a bad call for the new Nationals Park?

2) Liz Klein, an assistant professor at Ohio State University, recently published a “study” that purports to downplay the impact of smoking bans on employment in restaurants and bars. But as our friend Jacob Grier points out, the methodology Klein used amounts to little more than fuzzy science. That’s why, he says, “The applicability of her paper to public policy is very limited.”

3) Inside the Industry: Camacho Cigars, best known for their full-flavored smokes, is releasing a Connecticut-wrapped cigar. Cigar Rights of America is further enticing membership, this time with an a sampler of 20 cigars made by industry leaders exclusively for CRA and available only to members.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review lights up a Punch Rare Corojo. Fire Up That Cigar sparks a Don Pepin Garcia JJ. The Weekly Cigar smokes a Marco V Gold. Cigar Inspector inspects an ORTSAC 1962. Keepers of the Flame torches up an ITC 10th Anniversary.

5) Deal of the Week: With full-bodied spice and Cuban-like depth, people are turning to Nicaraguan smokes more and more, and this Nicaraguan Blends Sampler shows why. Included are two each from Padilla Habano, Man O’ War, Rocky Patel Fusion, and Gurkha Park Avenue, all for under $40. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, 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 Hampshire is one step closer to opening the door for cigar bars after a bill that would make tobacco shops eligible for liquor licenses cleared the Senate. But the proposed law comes with a catch: provisions that would limit cigar bars’ ability to compete with other bars and restaurants that have to deal with the Granite State’s smoking ban. That means no food, no cigarettes, and at least 50% of revenue must come from cigar sales.

2) On the smoking ban front, North Carolina—the biggest tobacco grower in the U.S.—became the latest state to criminalize smoking in bars and restaurants. And Michigan may not be far off, especially with some Lansing politicians aiming for “a total ban with no exemptions.” Previous efforts to impose a statewide ban faltered over disagreements on policies for casinos.

3) Inside the Industry: Don Pepin Garcia is adding sizes to the three lines he makes for Ashton Cigars: San Cristobal, La Aroma de Cuba Edición Especial, and Benchmade. Xikar, known best for its cigar cutters, has replaced its Defiance cigar line with the Xikar HC series, which will be made by Jesus Fuego.  Punch has launched a “Tax Relief” promotion where cigar smokers can download a coupon from PunchTaxRelief.com for one free cigar with two purchased.

4) Around the Blogs:  Her Humidor lights up a Carlos Toraño Virtuoso. Cigar Command fires up a La Aurora Preferidos Lancero. Cigar Inspector inspects a Romeo y Julieta Churchill. Keepers of the Flame smokes a Château Real. Stogie Review reviews an El Titan de Bronze Grand Reserve Cameroon.

5) Deal of the Week: Have you subscribed to our free email newsletter yet?  By signing up you’ll receive our regular newsletter, occasional updates, and be entered to win some great prizes. We’ve already given away a custom signed humidor full of El Tiante cigars, and today we’re selecting a winner to receive a box of Cubao Lanceros as part of our weekly drawing in celebration of our third anniversary. To be eligible to win all the great prizes we’re giving away, all you have to do is sign up.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and informative as possible, 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 the useless contest to see who can make the world’s longest cigar, Cuba’s José Castelar is second to none. He recently doubled his previous record by rolling a 149-foot cigar during the annual International Tourism Fair in Havana. In his sixties, Castelar says he only smokes one cigar a day. But when your cigars are measures in yards and not inches, that’s still a lot of tobacco. He plans one day to roll a 10-kilometer cigar.

2) If you smoke inside, here’s some advice on what to use—and what to avoid—to clean the air. An environmental health professor told the New York Times this week that using incense and candles is “just combustion, and the smoke has the same health effects as cigarette smoke.” Another indoor-air expert suggested a HEPA filter for your air conditioner so it can function as an air cleaner on occasion. Less carpet also means fewer molecules trapped and re-released.

3) Inside the Industry:  General Cigar Co. is sending retailers wine, beer, and spirit pairing suggestions on Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey cigars (the manufacturer suggests, for example, pairing a Hoyo de Tradición with a single barrel bourbon, an English nut brown ale, or a Cabernet Sauvignon). Famous Smoke Shop continues it’s exclusive releases in celebration of it’s 70th anniversary with a cigar by La Aurora featuring a Connecticut wrapper around a blend of Dominican, Brazilian, and Nicaraguan tobaccos. In a push for more members, Cigar Rights of America has announced that it will select one member each month to go on an a trip to visit a well-known cigar maker in either Nicaragua, Honduras, or the Dominican Republic.

4) Around the Blogs: Cohiba Club smokes a Fuente Hemingway Classic Maduro. Stogie Review checks out the Esencia. Keepers of the Flame reviews the Casa Magna. Matt lights up a Gran Habano 3 Siglos.

5) Deal of the Week: We haven’t tried the newest release from Cuban Crafters yet but, if it’s anything like their other creations, you’re in for a treat. And, since it’s on sale, now is a great time to try the Cubano Claro. Get yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Caribbean Net News