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) Will another major U.S. city bite the dust? Fascists in Houston certainly hope so. A smoking ban has already been in effect in the Space City for most workplaces since last year – including restaurants – but now a “public safety committee” is pushing to expand the hypocrisy to stand-alone bars. According to the Houston Chronicle, the entire Lone Star State may be patiently waiting to follow Houston’s lead with a statewide ban.

2) Here’s a cigar deal we’d be all over, if only we had enough humidor space. JR’s weekly special is 40 Maria Mancini De Gaulles in a wooden box – which, for some reason, looks like a birdhouse – for $60. Notwithstanding the box’s odd shape, the deal includes eight Maria Mancini Magic Mountains (we gave the Magic Mountain four out of five stogies back in May). You may want to hurry though; at last check the Maduros were already sold out.

3) CAO announced that Vice President Tim Ozgener will now be president of the company. Founder, former president, and Tim’s father – Cano Ozgener – will remain the company’s chairman. Of particular interest to Stogie Guys is Tim’s blog on the CAO website. Hopefully he won’t be too busy to update it as president.

4) Tomorrow is Cigar Artisans 2006 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. If you’re anything like us and can’t make the trip to Tampa this weekend, be sure to keep it here at StogieGuys.com – our special correspondent, George Edmonson, will have an exclusive report next week.

–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) With Philadelphia being the latest metropolis to fall to a freedom-squashing smoking ban, we thought it would be a good time to hear expert Radley Balko explain to the DC city council why banning alcohol is actually more reasonable than banning smoking. Just don’t get us (or Radley) wrong… we like booze and cigars, and will vigorously defend people’s rights from those who would try to ban either! We’re just saying that non-smokers should remember that arguments for smoking bans can just as easily be used to ban drinking.

2) As if we needed another reason to link to hot ladies with cigars, Playboy by Don Diego hosts “The Ultimate Fantasy Party” featuring not one, but two Playboy beauties.

3) Westminster, Maryland is a bit far for us to travel, but if we were closer we’d drop in on their Midnight Madness Cigar Rolling event from 6pm to midnight featuring Cuban food and drink celebrating the start of the college basketball season. Of course those Maryland Terps fans might not be so happy if us Arizona and Illinois fans stopped by.

4) Since this weekend it officially becomes Fall, we thought it would be great time to add a hooded sweatshirt to our official Stogie Guys line. Get yours today!

–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) Add the City of Brotherly Love to the long list of over 470 municipalities with new Draconian smoking bans. Philadelphia Mayor John Street signed the bill yesterday, effectively imposing the tyranny of the majority on all restaurants and most bars. But that’s not the only bad news out of the Keystone State. The Allegheny County Council recently proposed a smoking ban that would force its anti-smoking agenda on all restaurants, pubs, and cigar bars in Pittsburgh – prompting some intelligent opposition from the nation’s capital.

2) Speaking of Pittsburgh, the Pirates’ PNC Park is where the New York Mets plan to clinch their division title tonight. While not every Stogie Guy is a Mets fan, we can all appreciate how manager Willie Randolph is planning to celebrate: lighting up a Fuente Opus X Forbidden.

3) We can’t personally recommend Quintero cigars (because they’re brand new and we haven’t tried them yet), but we nonetheless thought it was worth sharing this deal with Stogie Guys Nation. At only $2.50 apiece, how can you go wrong?

4) In our last Friday Sampler, we told you about how Colorado’s statewide smoking ban was thrust upon citizens and private businesses by the state government on July 1. Well, Orios – a bar in Durango, Colorado – recently became the first establishment to be charged for violating that law. The crime? Public officials say, despite statutory exemptions for bars with 5 percent sales or more from tobacco, Orios’ lack of an on-site humidor – for whatever reason – does not qualify it to allow smoking. If the Colorado government didn’t plan to grant exemptions, why write them into law in the first place? In fact, why not just ban everybody from smoking anywhere at any time? I’ll tell you this: If I ever find myself in Durango, I’m heading to Orios and lighting up a fat one.

5) Our contest to give away two free tickets to Cigar Artisans 2006 at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, September 30 ends today at 5 p.m. EST…so make sure to get in your submission as soon as possible.

–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) Only eight weeks after Colorado’s statewide smoking ban was thrust upon citizens by the state government, Denver’s ABC 7 reports many small bars have been devastated – losing up to 80 percent of their income. This crushing financial nightmare has triggered massive layoffs and sparked numerous brawls among patrons who are forced to go outside to smoke. Thankfully, a group of local bar owners – calling themselves the Coalition for Equal Rights – filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the constitutionality of the ban. Good for them. There’s nothing constitutional about forcing your “high horse” agenda on private businesses and individuals.

2) As you know, we’re certainly not averse to passing along great deals to Stogie Guys Nation. With that in mind, I must inform you about this deal for a sampler of nine premium sticks – including Cohiba, Macanudo, and Partagas – for only $20. I’m pretty sure this is a good buy, but you do the math.

3) After gaining significant notoriety as of late, Rocky Patel recently decided to expand beyond the Honduran border into Nicaragua. No word yet on any lineup change. Rocky Patel Premium Cigars is headquartered in Naples, Florida and manufactures The Edge, Rocky Patel Vintage, and numerous other lines.

4) It is my distinct privilege to announce a brand new feature here at StogieGuys.com: our archived review page. This alphabetical listing of all of our published reviews will be a great resource for our loyal readers for years to come. You’ll be able to access this work-in-progress regularly by clicking on the “Archive of All Reviews” link on the sidebar (below the links to our most recent reviews). As an added bonus, in order to beef up the index, starting on Monday we’re launching a “Stogie Guys Week in Review” – a glorious week of uninterrupted cigar evaluations. See you then!

–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. (This one’s extra long due to the three day weekend…Yeah, baby!) We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Cigar Aficionado is often associated with snobbish cigar reviews and articles about luxury items no one can afford, but we’ve uncovered some video footage that makes us believe CA founder Marvin R. Shanken knows exactly how to kick off his shoes and properly enjoy a good cigar with a fine bottle of wine. Presenting… A Master Class in Burgundy Wine and Cigars. Take good notes.

2) And while we’re on the topic of those dead-tree cigar publications, we’re glad to see that Smoke Magazine is covering the emerging trend of large ring gauge cigars by reviewing 26 stogies with ring gauges 50 and over, including six that are at least 60. Of course, we should point out that a while back we asked if sixty is the new fifty-four.

3) Last week we discussed the elusive pairing of booze and cigars and we mentioned that Blanton’s Bourbon was one of our favorites. Since we know you’re wondering if it’s really worth dropping $40 on a bottle of bourbon, we offer you a second opinion from Doc of Stogie Fresh.

4) With cigar manufacturer after cigar manufacturer striving to implement creative marketing strategies to sell their stogies, a few are finally taking advantage of the perfect, age-old pairing to peddle their product – cigars and golf. The good folks over at Tabacalera Perdomo recently released a line called La Tradicion Perdomo Reserve Limited Golf Edition. The new blend is offered in eight sizes and sells from $4.50 to $10 apiece. A gift set named The Caddy is also hitting stores complete with four sticks, four balls, and a cutter. My only question is why didn’t this come out before Father’s Day?

5) Way back in May we told you how 38 states petitioned the federal government to reclassify little cigars as cigarettes. Why? Because, under current law, cigars can’t be taxed and regulated as heavily as cigarettes can.

As a consequence of the 1998 tobacco lawsuit, cigarette producers agreed to pay health care costs associated with cigarettes to state governments. But, with sales doubling in the last decade, state lawmakers see little cigars as thin bars of gold – a potential landmine in additional tax revenue.

Well, the Montana Department of Revenue this week announced the state is considering new rules to regulate and – of course – tax “little cigars.” It’s yet another example of Big Brother taking advantage of disenfranchised, overtaxed smokers.

6) Finally, have a great Labor Day weekend! Thanks to Tropical Depression Ernesto, we’ll be spending most of our time indoors…but hopefully the weather is a lot nicer in your neck of the woods. Be sure to join us right here at StogieGuys.com on Tuesday, September 5 for our next post.

–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) After successfully censoring the cigar out of Winston Churchill’s mouth, anti-smoking zealots are now setting their sights on the scourge that is cartoon smoke. At the request of one viewer who objected to two Tom & Jerry episodes, 1,500 cartoons, including The Flinstones and Scooby-Doo, are all being edited to remove scenes that “glamorize smoking.”

2) The sad passing of cigar legend Stanford J. Newman alerted us to a great deal for our readers. For an $18 membership in the JC Newman Connoisseurs Club, you get some Cuesta-Rey cigars, a golf shirt, coupons, a members-only newsletter, and more. And best of all, a portion of your membership fee goes to the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation. Good cigars and a good cause…Who can argue with that?

3) This week we reviewed the Onyx Vintage ’97, highlighting a trend we’ve noticed towards special “vintage year” cigars. But you won’t find Fuente jumping on that train. Here’s why.

4) Here’s a good deal for H. Upmann fans, and the box is perfect for hiding your cigars from the anti-smoking crowd.

5) Finally, we admit there isn’t any plausible reason why a cigar publication like ours should link to this, but we just couldn’t help ourselves. Our apologies in advance for the three minutes of your life you will never get back.

–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) Ah, even more Draconian smoking bans out of the vast socialist empire that is the Golden State. While there is no viable scientific evidence proving secondhand smoke is dangerous indoors, the City of San Diego yesterday made lighting up on its parks and beaches illegal.

2) For only the sixth time in 27 years, Macanudo announced it produced a crop worthy of vintage designation. Made from Connecticut Shade wrappers grown six years ago, the Macanudo Vintage 2000 line will hit tobacconists in late October and will be available in four sizes for $13 to $15 apiece.

3) As California embarrassingly leads the union in squelching smokers’ rights, there may be signs of hope emerging from Texas. A federal judge yesterday began weighing the legality of Austin’s smoking ban, a law that “has economically devastated many bars, live music venues, and pool halls, as well as their bartenders who have lost as much as half their tip income.” Indicating the case has merits, the judge issued a preliminary injunction for the plaintiffs.

4) On June 15, we told you about Mel Smith, a British actor who was barred from smoking a cigar onstage while he portrayed Winston Churchill due to a government-imposed ban on smoking in public places. We discussed the tragic irony of the situation:

Hitler’s beliefs about tobacco were nearly identical to that of today’s anti-smoking zealots, and he even advocated for the same public policy measures.

Well, in a recent Cigar Aficionado article, Smith was reported as quipping, “It would have delighted Adolf Hitler. [He], as you know, was anti-smoking. You couldn’t smoke at Adolf Hitler’s dining table, so he’d be pleased, wouldn’t he?”

–The Stogie Guys