The Stogie Guys

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a sampler of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets to tide you over for the weekend. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) StogieGuys.com is now publishing seven days a week! This weekend we are introducing “Quick Smokes,” the newest feature to StogieGuys.com. Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a few sentences about a cigar we recently smoked with a simple Buy, Sell, or Hold recommendation. It isn’t a full review, just our quick impressions from a single cigar. Be sure to check in tomorrow for our first Quick Smoke, the Montesino Robusto Maduro.

2) The Bangor, Maine City Council announced that it will become the first municipality in the country to ban smoking in cars when anyone under the age of 18 is present. Tobacco Analysis, a fantastic website by Boston-based public health researcher and expert Micheal Siegel, has an in-depth breakdown of the law where he exposes the hypocrisy of the “feel-good,” but largely do-nothing, law.

3) Earlier this week we reported that Nancy Pelosi, the new Speaker of the House, was planning to ban smoking in the Capitol Building, and already it’s done. But an interesting twist is that while she banned smoking in the Speaker’s Lobby, where members of Congress congregate during votes, all the offices of the members are still exempted from the ban.

4) Not to be outdone by Bangor, or Congress, Atlantic City is preparing to ban smoking on the floors of the city’s 12 casinos (a place where only adults are allowed). We always thought cigars and gambling went together like bacon and eggs, but apparently not in the Reno of the East Coast.

5) Finally, we wanted to call your attention to the affiliate page we’ve put together, where you can find retailers to purchase everything from wine, cigars, golf clubs, and iTunes. This way you can make purchases you’d probably already make and know that a percentage of your buy helps StogieGuys.com improve our content for you and fellow Stogie Guys.

–The Stogie Guys

Tags: cigars

 

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a sampler of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets to tide you over for the weekend. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Well, it’s finally here. No, I’m not talking about the New Year…I’m talking about Washington’s fascist smoking ban. Passed one year ago by the DC Council, all bars and nightclubs were indefinitely coerced into prohibiting smoking starting January 2, 2007. As Washingtonians, the founding Stogie Guys are particularly saddened by this news. Fortunately, though, there are places in this country that still hold freedom of choice dear. So we’ll be doing exactly what the DC business owners feared – taking our business to Virginia.

2) Blended in the style of a flavorful yet mild Cuban, the highly anticipated Tatuaje Havana VI line finally hit stores this week. Pete Johnson created the Nicaraguan puro for Tatuaje, one of the hottest boutique brands in the U.S. While we haven’t gotten our hands on any of these sticks yet, we’re hearing good things. You can look up a local retailer here.

3) With the harshest days of winter on the horizon, we thought this would be a great time to point out that your humidors may require some special attention in order to function properly until spring. As such, we highly recommend you perform the salt calibration test and check out Stogie Review’s tips on “Winterizing Your Humidor.”

–The Stogie Guys

Tags: cigars

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a sampler of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets to tide you over for the weekend. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Hurray for the Germans who recently rejected a total ban on smoking. Europe’s largest cigar market continues to be more tolerant of smokers than its continental neighbors. Maybe that’s because smoking bans remind Germans of the Nazis, who were ardent anti-smoking zealots.

2) Every month Smoke Magazine holds two drawings. One winner gets a box of AVO cigars made by Davidoff while the other gets cigars to review for an upcoming issue of Smoke. You’ll notice that their site lists winners every month, and that last September’s winner of the cigars for review was a certain “Patrick Semmens of Arlington, VA” who just happens to also be a founder of StogieGuys.com. Sign up here so you too can be a winner.

3) Speaking of Smoke Magazine, they only recently got their fall issue online (why it took so long we have no idea). Anyhow, check out this interview with Rocky Patel, who’s cigars have fared very well here at StogieGuys.com.

4) Here’s something we never thought would exist: cigar-flavored maple syrup. Made with the very strong (four stogie-rated) Joya de Nicaragua Antaño, the creator recommends using it to make the distinguished old fashioned cocktail. At StogieGuys.com we appreciate the old fashioned too. We just prefer our cigar next to, rather than in, our glass!

5) Finally, here’s another fantastic deal for you. This web-only special includes a dozen cigars including top notch brands like La Gloria Cubana, La Perla Habana, Hoyo de Monterrey, CAO, Punch, and Onyx. And they also throw in a case and hat, all for under 30 bucks.

Use this link for the special deal: Ultimate Cigar Sampler

–The Stogie Guys

Tags: cigars

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a sampler of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets to tide you over for the weekend. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy:

1) Cigar Aficionado recently announced the 2007 dates for its popular Big Smoke events, including stops in Las Vegas, Chicago, and New York. Also, after the success of the inaugural Cigar Artisans event, we have been told that it will also be back for another run in 2007. Stay tuned to StogieGuys.com for dates. (For our coverage of the 2006 Cigar Artisans event, click here.)

2) This tip probably seems obvious to most readers, but for those new to the world of cigars, and possibly others, it may not be. Take a few minutes to sign up for email offers with Internet retailers. Lately, more of them seem to be featuring daily, as well as weekly, specials and you might save quite a bit on your favorite smoke. And don’t stick to just the big sellers. Sometimes small online shops will have big bargains. If you haven’t yet become acquainted with Internet cigar sellers, you can find a massive list at this site.

3) Our article on the Taliban smoking ban prompted a post over at Reason Magazine where one reader quipped: “Joke all you want, but studies have shown that smoking is the second leading cause of death among suicide bombers.” He was (we hope) joking, but just the same, it isn’t hard to imagine the very same words coming out of a anti-smoking zealot’s mouth.

4) We’re always on the lookout for great deals for you, our loyal readers, and we’re pretty excited about what we found this week. For under $30 you can get 12 handmade cigars, including premium brands like Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Romeo y Julieta, Macanudo, Onyx, Hoyo de Monterrey, La Perla Habana, Punch, Torano, and C.A.O. (say that five times fast). And to top it off an aluminum travel case and a hat are included. Order quickly and you can have it in time for Christmas! (To get this offer click the image above or click here.)

–The Stogie Guys

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a sampler of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets to tide you over for the weekend. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy:

1) If there’s one universal feeling among cigar smokers, it’s anger at butane torch lighters that are too often expensive, unreliable, or quickly broken. Well, here’s the solution: the Ronson JetLite for under $3 at Wal-Mat. George E has had his for several months and it’s working just fine. Most Wal-Mart stores stock them at the register that displays goodies like cigars, cigarettes, and – you guessed it – lighters.

2) Yesterday’s item on the possibility of a smoking ban in Baltimore sparked some nasty words about the city once called “a nest of pirates.” But it also prompted Jerry from the Stogie Review to alert us to this fantastic commentary from the Baltimore Sun: “Smoking bans are dangerous to a free society’s health.” We couldn’t agree more!

3) We thought long and hard about keeping this to ourselves, but we just couldn’t leave our readers in the dark. Thompson Cigar has teamed up with International Wine Cellars to bring you a contest where you can win $2,500 worth of cigars and $2,500 worth of wine! Click here to enter, and, if you win, just remember who told you. Our finders fee is a modest 10 percent.

4) Finally, if our tips on giving the gift of cigars didn’t help you complete your holiday shopping, here’s a few more ideas (and shameless plugs): We’ve got some great items in our Stogie Guys Store, and Stogie Guys Gear never goes out of style. Also, please consider selecting an item from one of our affiliates. They’ve got wine, coffee, and – naturally – cigars. Best of all, a portion of each sale allows us to improve StogieGuys.com.

[Editors Note: Apologies for the tardiness of this Friday Sampler. We’ve been having problems with our web publishing software, but they have now been resolved.]

–The Stogie Guys

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a sampler of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets to tide you over for the weekend. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) From time to time we’ll look back at a review we did with a Stogie Guys Second Look. Not quite a full review, these will include little tidbits about a cigar we already reviewed. Item 2 in today’s sampler takes a Second Look at the Gurkha Connecticut Reserve Robusto #4.

2) Stogie Guys Second Look: Gurkha Connecticut Reserve Robusto #4
After having awful construction problems in its review, this toro-sized Gurkha came back strong with a relatively even burn, very long sturdy ash (see picture), and none of the wrapper issues initially encountered. Combined with the same mild nutty flavors as before, this was a big improvement.

3) We look everywhere for deals for our readers. We found this special from Cigar International in a pile of coupons that usually just goes straight from our mailbox to our trash can. Ten bucks for eight cigars including sticks from Gurkha, Perdomo, Indian Tabac, and Fonseca Just click this link.

4) Looking for a good deal? Well, you need look no further than the Torano Website, where the generous cigar makers say they’ll give you a free one for signing up here.

5.) Last week we let you know about this $30 cigar case and sampler deal. That’s pretty good, and for a few bucks more you can have have the above ten cigars and case. Click the above picture for the special deal.

–The Stogie Guys

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a sampler of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets to tide you over for the weekend. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Despite the efforts of anti-smoking activists, there’s really a lot to be thankful for this year. Inspired by Thanksgiving, Richard Perelman gives us ten things all Stogie Guys should give thanks for. Here’s 10-6 and 5-1.

2) On Tuesday, we dispelled the myth that anti-smoking activists are all “liberals.” In fact, many so-called “conservative” politicians and organizations are the very enemies of free tobacco choice. But one conservative that won’t discriminate against cigar smokers is radio host Dennis Prager. We know this because he wrote a column titled “Why I Smoke (Cigars).”

3) A Davidoff was only one of two cigars to receive the impressive score of five out of five stogies. That’s why were so excited that Davidoff is releasing a special edition 100th Anniversary Robusto marking 100 years since the birth of Davidoff’s late founder, Zino Davidoff.

4.) Always on the lookout for great deals, we had to pass along this weekly special from JR: Five Peruvian Montecristos and a stylish Montecristo ashtray for just $19.99.

5.) And if you’re looking to travel with some stogies, check out this deal from Thompson Cigar. For just 30 bucks, you get a hard plastic case plus 12 premium cigars that are worth well over $30 alone. Click here: Cigar Case & 12 Cigar Sampler.

–The Stogie Guys