The Stogie Guys

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) By an almost party-line vote of 66 to 32, the Senate approved the contentious SCHIP legislation this morning. The large cigar tax cap increased from the House version of 40 cents per stick to 40.26 cents. Obama is expected to sign the final bill into law as early as next week.

2) With its faux typewritten February cover lines addressed to President Obama, Cigar Aficionado garnered some major publicity this week when The New York Times took note. After discussing the magazine’s Cuba coverage, the reporter got in a light-hearted zinger. First she asked executive editor Gordon Mott if he was worried about alienating some readers, then whether he was worried about “boring some readers.” For the record, Mott said he wasn’t.

3) The Dallas City Council’s attempt to prohibit certain stores from selling “loose” cigars hit a snag on Wednesday. The proposed law, allegedly intended to curb drug use, was delayed pending further research.

4) A cigar-friendly brother of the leaf is seeking higher office. Kendrick Meek, a Democratic representative from Miami, has declared his candidacy for the Senate seat now held by retiring Republican Mel Martinez. Meek was featured last year in Cigar Aficionado and was cited by the cigar industry as being helpful in the fight to push down proposed taxes in SCHIP legislation.

5) Inside the Industry: Rocky Patel is releasing a new Nicaraguan puro called the Havana Corojo. Tatuaje will now be distributed by J. Garcia International, headed by the son of Don Pepin Garcia. Many Super Bowl parties in Tampa will be featuring cigars,  including Altadis’ new Trinidad Habana Reserve. A new Toraño Tribute, the first since 2004, is now available at select retailers.

6) Around the Blogs: Doc Stogie has an ambitious petition that urges cigar manufacturers to divulge detailed information about their products. Cigar Inspector is giving away CAO five-packs to comment-happy readers.

7) Deal of the Week: If you like Padilla cigars, then you’ll want to check out this Padilla Limited Batch Sampler. It features 15 sticks for under $4 apiece: 5 top-rated Padilla Miamis, 5 Padilla 1968s, and 5 Padilla Achilles. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: The New York Times

[BREAKING NEWS: According to Cigar Rights of America, the SCHIP tax increase will be higher than originally reported. Read the press release here for details.]

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) For better or worse, Tuesday marked a new era as Obama was sworn in as America’s 44th president. Not a brother of the leaf himself (though he occaisonally smokes cigarettes), he occupies a position once held by many cigar enthusiasts. According to this list, 18 former U.S. presidents have routinely enjoyed cigars, from Adams and Madison to JFK and (cough) Clinton.

2) Some policymakers in Denver are moving to ease Colorado’s smoking ban. Responding to pleas from bar and casino owners who cite “massive losses of business since the ban was enacted,” the new measure would expand ban exemptions and remove a stipulation that prevents the opening of new cigar bars.

3) Inside the Industry: To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Miami Cigar and Company—distributor of brands such as La Aurora, 601, Don Lino, and Cubao—is planning an eight-month tour of in-store events. CAO will expand the distribution of the LX2 Lancero in March.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a CI Legends Orange. Keepers of the Flame lights up an Alec Bradley Tempus Genesis. Stogie Info smokes an Illusione 88. Cigar Inspector checks out a Partagas Shorts.

5) Deal of the Week: This “Stellar Toro Sampler” features ten top toros for $39.99 (free shipping on the entire order). Included are cigars by Don Pepin Garcia, Perdomo, Rocky Patel, Partagas, Gran Habano, Toraño, and La Aroma de Cuba. 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 snippets of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted 289-139 in favor of extending and expanding SCHIP. As we reported Tuesday, among the bill’s numerous tobacco tax increases is a 750% hike in the federal tax on large cigars. The cap on the 52.4% tax (on the wholesale price) is being increased from 5 to 40 cents. Yesterday, the bill passed its first Senate test by surviving committee.

2) Following our Tuesday coverage of SCHIP, the anti-smoking zealots over at Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) decided to hotlink to a Stogie Guys image. Rookie mistake. As a result, we made the graphic to the right appear on ASH’s homepage for over 12 hours (here’s a humorous screenshot).

3) Baltimore officials announced on Wednesday a prohibition on “the sale of individual, cheap cigars” like Swisher Sweets and Phillies. Part of a growing trend, the move is intended to discourage youth tobacco usage by keeping prices high. No word on how the city health commissioner plans to prevent kids from pooling money together and splitting up packs of five.

4) In an article about undervalued luxury items, International Listings cited our Friday Samplers as a good way to “keep an eye on how weather, politics, and the economy all weigh on [cigars].”

5) Inside the Industry: The Colibri Group, known for its upscale lighters, unexpectedly shut its doors and filed for bankruptcy. Alec Bradley revamped its website. Cigar Aficionado shocked many cigar smokers by picking the Casa Magna Colorado Robusto as its cigar of the year.

6) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack smoked a Perdomo Squared Maduro. Keepers of the Flame lit up a Taboo Twist. Cigar Inspector tried the La Aurora 1495 Cameroon. A Cigar Smoker reviewed a Padilla 1968. Stogie Review fired up a Casa Magna Colorado Belicoso.

7) Deal of the Week: Not surprisingly, there’s a new inauguration-themed cigar sampler: the Presidential Sampler. For $49.99, you get ten premium smokes including one each from Cohiba, Graycliff, CAO, Romeo y Julieta, Camacho, Padilla, and Montecristo.  Get yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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 snippets of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) The anti-smoking zealots’ newest weapon is the notion of so-called “third-hand smoke”—harmful particles that remain on surfaces after smoking. Chris McCalla, legislative director for IPCPR, notes that the idea, while implausible, is gaining traction. “Now that it has been given a catchy name…Google is showing nearly one million results for ‘third-hand smoke’ occurring almost overnight,” he said in a press release.

2) Jacob Grier, friend of StogieGuys.com, recently published an excellent op-ed about Oregon’s new smoking ban entitled “Let’s not pretend it’s about saving lives.” A bartender in the state, Jacob argues that nonsmokers only pretend to care about health issues in order to impose their preferences on the public.

3) Inside the Industry: ST Group, the parent company of CAO, acquired Toraño’s cigar factories where many CAO cigars are made. Arganese Cigars has released Cugine after teaming up with “The Sopranos” actor Joe Gannascoli.

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame lights up an Aurora Barrel Aged. A Cigar Smoker checks out the Los Blancos Criollo. Stogie Review smokes a CAO LX2. Cigar Jack reviews a Gurkha Signature Red 1887.

5) Deal of the Week: New Years specials are still running over at Cuban Crafters where you can pick up special deals on Stogie Guys favorites like the Miami Medina 1959 Lancero, J.L. Salazar Toro, and the Cupido Criollo Doble Perfecto. Pick ’em up 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 snippets of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) A cigar wholesaler, several retailers, and a cigar enthusiast are challenging the tobacco ban recently passed in Prince George’s County, Maryland (just outside the District of Columbia). The law bans selling cigars individually and in certain instances even classifies cigars as drug paraphernalia.

2) No surprise to most people, it seems that celebrities like smoking cigars, or at least they like being seen smoking cigars. And from the cigars we can identify from this collection of celebrity stogie pictures, it seems that many enjoy Cuban cigars. The exception being actor Jeremy Piven (right) who appears to be smoking a Padrón 1964 Anniversary.

3) Inside the Industry: Felipe Gregorio has decided to sever ties with Miami Cigar which had signed on to distribute the Dominican company’s cigars only three months ago. The Fuente and Newman families have set the date (July 14-16, 2009) for the 12th Annual Cigar Family Celebration, which features tours of the facilities and of the work done by the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation.

4) Deal of the Week: It’s not too late to take advantage of  these Christmas Specials from Cuban Crafters. Most of our favorites, including J.L. Salazar, La Carolina, Miami Medina, and the CC Cameroon, are on sale. One particularly good deal has a box of the 4.5 stogie-rated Don Kiki Brown Labels available for just $29.99 (down from $90). Get them all here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: TMZ

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 snippets of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) It was revealed this week that New York Gov. David Paterson (pictured at right) is pushing to increase the Empire State’s cigar tax by 47%. His far-reaching proposal to close the state budget gap also includes tax hikes for everything from taxi rides and movie tickets to massages and digital music downloads.

2) The counterfeit Cuban story that just won’t die was making headlines again on Wednesday. A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of Jose Penton, a Florida man who was charged with “selling counterfeit Cubans under trademarks registered in the United States after Fidel Castro took power.” You may remember that Altadis controversially worked hand-in-hand with Miami-Dade police to obtain the conviction.

3) Inside the Industry: The IPCPR reports that the proposed Michigan smoking ban has been stopped, at least through the end of the year. Habanos continues to add new packaging for its famous Cuban brands, including new boxes of ten- and three-packs for Partagas. Club Macanudo, General Cigar’s cigar lounge on New York’s Upper East Side, is now open for lunch.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews John Stark’s Dominican Legend. Keepers of the Flame gives an aging report on the 601 Green. Cigar Inspector inspects the Cohiba Siglo I. Velvet Cigar lights up a Cugine by Arganese.

5) Deal of the Week: Last call on Christmas specials: Cuban Crafters has some top notch deals here, including many of our favorites (J.L. Salazar, La Carolina, Miami Medina, and Cameroon). Meanwhile, Tinderbox has  all sorts of deals for the holidays, and promises your cigars will arrive before Christmas.

–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 snippets of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Boston’s health commission yesterday approved sweeping extensions of the city’s smoking ban. The cigar bar ban won’t go into effect for ten years instead of the originally proposed five. Still, the brazen new law makes Boston the most unfriendly major U.S. city by outright outlawing cigar bars (including Stanza dei Sigari, pictured at right), making illegal the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies and on college campuses, and prohibiting smoking in outdoor patios and parks. Before the vote, even supporters of Boston’s four-year-old smoking ban were calling the proposed legislation too severe. “The new regulations,” according to the Boston Herald, “go too far.”

2) Meanwhile, Dallas officials also expanded the city’s smoking ban to include bars and pool halls. Shops and cigar bars that earn at least 15 percent of their revenue from tobacco sales, however, remain exempted.

3) In happier news, Maker’s Mark created a new cigar to support U.S. troops. Click here to donate and send anywhere from a single stick to a box of 25 smokes overseas. Makers Mark will cover all shipping costs.

4) Inside the Industry: Padilla will be making a new full-flavored cigar for Nub in its new Miami factory (MSRP $9). Angel Diaz, formerly of Camacho cigars, is the new sales and marketing director for Arganese.

5) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review smokes a Wango Tango. Cohiba Club lights up an Ashton ESG. Cigar Inspector reviews an Alonso Menendez. Stogie Fresh tries a Los Blancos Criollo.

6) Deal of the Week: This deal from Famous Smoke Shop includes nine great robustos for just $29.99, all seasonably wrapped in white bands. Included are smokes from Griffin’s, Toraño, Rocky Patel, Cuvée, Gran Habano, and Montecristo. Grab yours here.

7) Reminder: Sunday is the last call to enter our “What Do Cigar Rights Mean to You?” contest. The winner takes home a fantastic Rocky Patel prize pack.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr