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

1) Edie Adams, perhaps best known as the longtime spokeswoman for Muriel Cigars, died at 81 yesterday. While we can’t recommend the Altadis-owned, machine-made sticks she peddled for nearly 20 years, we can certainly suggest you check out one of her old commercials.

2) After Atlantic City officials announced they would postpone a city-wide smoking ban for one year due to economic concerns, the draconian law went into effect anyways on Wednesday. Apparently, much to the dismay of those who depend on tourism revenue, “procedural delays” kept the city council from approving the ban’s suspension. Now everything is in the hands of Mayor Scott Evans.

3) Inside the Industry: Padrón plans to offer new five-cigar samplers for under $30, each including one 1964 Anniversary Series. EO Cigars’ second release of Mi Barrio has been pushed back to November.

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame lights up a Don Pepin Cuban Classic. Cigar Jack smokes an Alec Bradley Trilogy Native Cameroon. Stogie Review reviews an El Rico Habano Maduro. Cigar Command fires up an Oliva Serie O Maduro.

5) Deal of the Week: This “Triple Play Sampler” includes fifteen cigars from three big names: Gurkha, Alec Bradley, and EO Brands (made by Don Pepin). Included are five of the fantastic 601 cigars (at least one of each of the four lines), all for just $45 ($3 per stick). Get yours here.

– The Stogie Guys

photo credit: NNDB

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) Atlantic City was poised to enact a smoking ban next week, but city officials backed off when casinos and union bosses protested. Their newfound argument? The worsening economic condition has both groups fearing “deep losses and significant layoffs if smokers take their money elsewhere.”

2) DC’s Teatro Goldini restaurant now has a stogie-inspired appetizer. Chef Enzo Fargione’s carpaccio branzino features fish, onions, peas, and mushrooms served in a smoky cigar box.

3) Boston’s cigar bars may be doomed as bureaucrats threaten to revoke their exemption from the smoking ban. According to the Boston Globe, “Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the city’s Public Health Commission, said she doesn’t want any more young people to pick up deadly habits. She said she wants to ‘de-normalize’ smoking.”

4) Inside the Industry: The latest version of Altadis’ Playboy Cigars was recently launched at the P&L Club in Central Hong Kong. With the help of Altadis, a Ft. Lauderdale cigar shop owner has been convicted of selling counterfeit cigars. Flor de Copan won European Cigar Cult Journal‘s “Best Brand from Honduras” award.

5) Around the Blogs: The Box Press smokes the Sabor Cubano. Stogie Review reviews a Puros Indios Viejo. Cigar Jack lights up a Dunhill Aged Dominican. Keepers of the Flame checks out a Fundación Ancestral.

6) Deal of the Week: This “Ten Most Wanted” sampler features ten of the biggest names in stogies at less than $3 per stick. Included are cigars by Rocky Patel, CAO, Alec Bradley, Cohiba, Toraño, and Gurkha. Get 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) Baseball’s postseason is finally here, and Cigar Aficionado has once again compiled a list of the best places to smoke in MLB’s contending towns—Anaheim, Boston, Chicago (both sides), Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Tampa.

2) A Phoenix cigar shop called Magnum’s won a significant ruling on Tuesday against the Arizona Department of Health Services. The bureaucracy claimed the B&M did not qualify for an exemption from the state’s smoking ban because it serves alcohol. But appellate judges disagreed, possibly paving the way for more cigar shop/bar combos in the Grand Canyon State.

3) Inside the Industry: La Strada Ristorante in suburban Chicago is hosting a Stogies & Bogies “preview party and cigar-friendly awareness event” on October 7 with radio personality Geoff Pinkus. La Flor Dominicana is releasing its Factory Press III (6.25 x 58) with a sharp box press.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack smokes the Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro. Keepers of the Flame lights up the Fundación Ancestral Vuelta Abajo 1940. Stogie Review reviews a Montecristo Vino. Cigar Spy investigates the Nub Connecticut.

5) Deal of the Week: We recently came across this offer while listening to the radio. For just $9.95 (including shipping) you get to three Montecristo Classics. Visit MontecristoRadio.com to take advantage of the offer.

– The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys/MLB

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) After failing in the state legislature, Michigan’s proposed statewide smoking ban will likely be off the docket until 2009. Chris McCalla of IPCPR penned a scathing refute of Michigan legislators’ attempts to enact the law, arguing that deceptive anti-smoking groups are misleading politicians and the public about the so-called dangers of secondhand smoke. He also claims an all-out ban would devastate tobacco retailers, “pillars of the communities they serve…[that] provide thousands of jobs and pay millions of dollars annually in payroll, sales, and excise taxes.”

2) Pete Johnson of Tatuaje supposedly released a “secret cigar” called El Triunfador. Cigar Aficionado reports the stick doesn’t appear on any price sheets or websites, but “started mysteriously finding its way to retailers and smokers in the beginning of September.”

3) Don’t plan on smoking—not even outdoors—if you’re one of the 110,000 college students in the 14 public universities in Pennsylvania. A spokesperson for the state’s higher education bureaucracy said, “We ultimately interpreted the [Pennsylvania smoking ban] to require a campus-wide ban.”

4) Inside the Industry: Don Pepin is partnering with Nestor Miranda to make the Nestor Miranda Signature Selection. Padilla opened its new factory and lounge in Little Havana, Miami. A number of Habanos Limited Edición cigars are now available in tubos. CAO is launching a “Rock and Rolled Tour.”

5) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack smokes the Isla de Cuba Classic. Keepers of the Flame lights up a Cubao No. 5. Stogie Review torches a Macanudo 1968. Her Humidor tries the Reyes Family Classic.

6) Deal of the Week: Sure we have two presidential candidates who favor various anti-tobacco laws, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the Presidential Sampler. For just $49.99 you get ten super-premium cigars, many of which normally retail for $10-15, including the Cohiba Robusto, Montecristo Churchill, Graycliff 1666 PGX, Romeo y Julieta Viejo, and the Gurkha Legend Churchill. Grab yours here today.

– 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) The American Cancer Society didn’t appreciate it when recent photos of Michael Jordan surfaced showing the former Cigar Aficionado coverboy puffing on a cigar at a softball game. “When high profile athletes publicly display unhealthful habits they can mislead young people to emulate their behavior,” quipped an ACS official.

2) Just eight days after Hurricane Gustav swept through Cuba, Ike hit the Caribbean island nation, destroying over 3,000 tobacco curing barns and annihilating 8,600 tobacco workers’ homes. “The Cuban government estimates losses from the two storms at $5 billion,” reports the Miami Herald, a major setback that is expected to drive up the prices of Cuban tobacco.

3) A ruling in the Washington Supreme Court upheld the state’s smoking ban against a challenge from a local American Legion post, even though “all seven employees are relatives of members and all but one smoke.” A dissenting justice argues that the majority’s reading of the law renders it unconstitutional.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack smokes a Camacho Select. Stogie Review lights up a Los Blancos Premier. Keepers of the Flame reviews the Alec Bradley Harvest Selection. Cigar Command tries the Esencia Belicoso. Cigar Inspector inspects the EO 601 Black Label. Gary Manelski runs down his top ten cheap cigars.

5) Deal of the Week: Here’s a great sampler from Tinderbox. This “Pre-Game Sampler” includes ten top cigars including a Don Papin Garcia Cuban Classic, a CAO Gold, an Aroma de Cuba, and a Romeo y Julieta Viejo. You’ll also get a double guillotine cutter and free shipping on the entire order so you can stock up on your other favorites. 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) If you visit Tampa next year, you’ll have the opportunity to take a trip into cigar history at an extensive exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center (pictured). According to an article in the Tampa Tribune, the Center—scheduled to open in December—will feature displays of old ads, a recreation of the atmosphere of Ybor City in the 1920s, and audio recordings of early residents.

2) Boston is aiming to outright forbid the sale of tobacco in certain areas, including college campuses, hookah bars, and pharmacies. Cigar Aficionado reports the overzealous move “not only would force Beantown cigar bars to shut down, but also would prevent new ones from opening.”

3) On the other side of America, Walgreen Co. has filed a legal challenge in California state court against a San Francisco ordinance that bans tobacco sales in drug stores. The pharmacy chain “alleges the new law is anticompetitive and unconstitutional, because it doesn’t ban tobacco sales at grocery stores and wholesale clubs that also have pharmacies.”

4) Inside the Industry: Master cigar maker José Séijas will be making a series of appearances as he introduces Mi Dominicana, Altadis’ new Dominican puro. Three new limited edition Cuban cigars are ready to be released: Cuaba Pirámides, Montecristo Sublimes, and the Partagas Serie D No. 5. While Hurricane Gustav didn’t do much damage to the crops in the ground when it blew over Cuba last week, it did wreak havoc on many binder and filler tobacco curing barns.

5) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack smokes a Hoyo Excalibur Legend. Stogie Review lights up a Habanos Puros Fuerte. Keepers of the Flame reviews the Litto Gomez Chizel. Stogie Fresh weighs in on the Old Henry Toro.

6) Deal of the Week: Once again Cuban Crafters has some great specials, this time in honor of the start of football season. Included are some Stogie Guys favorites like the Cabinet Selection and La Carolina. Check them all out here.

– The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Tampa Bay History Center

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) Hurricane Gustav did some major damage to Cuba on August 30. According to reports, “winds of 140mph crashed into the western edge of the Caribbean island where much of the country’s vital tobacco crop is grown.” Gladly, Cigar Aficionado reports it was too early in the season for tobacco plants or seedlings to be in the ground; more importantly, the government reported no deaths due to the storm.

2) Yesterday marked the beginning of a new smoking ban for “all places of business” in Wichita, Kansas—unless you’ve got a government-issued smoking permit, that is. City bureaucrats were nice enough to post some of the red tape here.

3) Kansas City has been at the mercy of a Draconian smoking ban since April but, much to the chagrin of one anti-tobacco editorialist, the City Council is looking to ease some of the law’s oppressive restrictions. In a very modest improvement, they’d like to once again permit smoking in retail tobacco shops—a move you’d think even the most ardent smoke-hating zealots could live with.

4) Inside the Industry: Chicago-area readers may be interested in Stogies and Bogies, a combination cigar show/golf outing. Davidoff is introducing the Maduro R. Felipe Gregoria opened the Casa Felipe store in Miami, a cigar and wine lounge in the heart of Little Havana.

5) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack reviews an Alec Bradley Tempus. Stogie Review smokes an Alec Bradley Maxx Vice. Keepers of the Flame lights up a La Riqueza. Matt smokes the Padilla 8/11 Miami.

6) Deal of the Week: I don’t really know why this is called the King Sampler, but it does include 10 top notch cigars for $34. Included are sticks from Romeo y Julieta, Fonseca, Cusano, La Aurora, Aroma de Cuba, CAO, and Don Pepin. Grab yours here.

– The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr