The Stogie Guys

That headline has a question mark because, ever since reports of Castro’s “imminent” death surfaced 16 months ago, I’ve learned you can’t take any news about the oppressive communist dictator at face value.

He clearly hasn’t died and, with his brother Raúl at the helm, he may not have even relinquished much power. Nonetheless, here’s the latest from the New York Times:

Fidel Castro indicated Monday in a statement read on state television that he was willing to hand over the reins of Cuba’s government to a younger generation of leaders. But his statement remained silent on whether he was speaking hypothetically or had a transition plan in mind.

“My basic duty is not to cling to office, nor even more so, to obstruct the rise of people much younger, but to pass on experiences and ideas whose modest value arises from the exceptional era in which I lived,” said the statement attributed to Mr. Castro, who is 81.

The ailing Mr. Castro, acting in a sort of emeritus role, has produced numerous commentaries in the 16 months since he had abdominal surgery and temporarily handed over power to his younger brother, Raúl, who is 76. But none of the statements until now have addressed the important question of Mr. Castro’s future as Cuba’s president, a position he has held for nearly five decades.

As I’ve written before, Castro’s retirement or death certainly will not instantaneously lift America’s decades-long, hypocritical trade embargo, but Cuban economic and political reforms from a more pragmatic Raúl will go a long way towards that end.

I’m hoping such reforms are forthcoming not merely for cigars, but for the oppressed people of Cuba who have suffered under communism for too long.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Flickr

Back in June, Nat Sherman Cigars closed the doors of its midtown store on 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, in the heart of New York City. It was moving to its new store only a hundred or so feet away on 42nd Street between 5th Avenue and Madison, but that’s easier said than done.

Nat Sherman’s stock of 800,000 cigars moved to storage in North Carolina, where they waited for the new store to open. Eventually, on October 8, Joel Sherman cut the ribbon opening the new three-story space.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday I was able to visit the new space myself and sample some of the company’s famous cigars. Upon entering the store – which still has construction scaffolding covering Nat Sherman’s iconic clock – one notices the spacious 30 foot ceilings rimmed by a balcony and surrounded by decorative doors (below). Upstairs is Joel Sherman’s personal office and a conference room.

The main room features four areas of approximately equal size for pipe tobacco, premium cigarettes, smoking accessories and, of course, cigars. Above the main cash register is the same neon cigar sign (right) that was in the old Nat Sherman store on 5th Avenue.

In the back of the store, next to cigar orders from John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, and other world-famous stogie smokers, is a large walk-in humidor (pictured below), complete with personal lockers and an off-limits area in the back for the most expensive sticks.

Downstairs is the future home of the the new Nat Sherman cigar lounge. The manager tells me they hope it will be open by mid-December, and that Joel Sherman will make certain that it will be a fantastic space. As is increasingly the norm, the lounge will be members only, with a limited number dues-paying spots available.

Overall, it is a small oasis for cigar smokers in a city that is increasingly unfriendly to cigars. When the cigar lounge opens and the remaining construction is complete, Nat Sherman Cigars will once again be a must see for cigar smokers visiting the Big Apple.

–Patrick S

View all the photos below:

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[Editors’ Note: We come across hypocrisy about the Cuban Embargo regularly…so regularly that we are starting a “Cuban Cigar Hypocrisy Watch” series to keep track.]

On Tuesday, November 13, Robert Kessler, Washington Corespondent for the conservative magazine NewsMax, released his latest book: The Terrorist Watch: Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next Attack.

According to the book’s publisher, “Kessler takes you inside the war rooms of this battle – from the newly created National Counterterrorism Center to FBI headquarters, from the CIA to the National Security Agency, from the Pentagon to the Oval Office – to explain why we have gone so long since 9/11 without a successful attack and to reveal the many close calls we never hear about.”

It may or may not be an interesting read (personally I have no plans to read it) but my interest was peaked by this juicy tidbit, told to Kessler by an FBI agent named Piro who interviewed and interrogated Saddam Hussein after the Iraqi dictator’s capture in December 2003:

On July 1, 2004, Piro took Saddam to court for his arraignment. Piro prepared a so-called prosecutive memo, which, with exhibits, ran to more than 700 pages. Because the Iraqis wanted the trial of Saddam to be an Iraqi affair, they did not introduce the memo into evidence. However, they used witnesses and evidence cited in the memo that detailing Saddam’s atrocities.

Then it was time to say goodbye. In all, Piro had been with Saddam eight months, including seven months of interviews. At a souq (market), for $6 apiece, Piro bought two Cuban Cohiba cigars, Saddam’s favorite brand.

“We sat outside, smoked a couple of Cuban cigars, had some coffee, and chatted,” Piro says. They said goodbye in the traditional Arab manner: a handshake and then a kiss to the right cheek, a kiss to the left, and a kiss to the right again.

What FBI agent Piro did was illegal. For Americans, purchasing Cuban Cigars is illegal, even when abroad, as noted on the website of the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control:

The question is often asked whether United States citizens or permanent resident aliens of the United States may legally purchase Cuban origin goods, including tobacco and alcohol products, in a third country for personal use outside the United States. The answer is no.

What does it say about U.S. policy when an average citizen can be fined up to $250,000 and can face up to 10 years of prison time for Cubans, but government agents buy them for themselves and dictators to smoke together over a nice cup of coffee?

Now, technically, Piro could be prosecuted for violating the law, but we won’t hold our breath waiting for that trial to start. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that buying Cuban cigars for Saddam (in violation of the U.S. embargo) was actually a long-standing government policy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Time

You may recall an April Special Report, courtesy of my dad, that gave a first-hand account of Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke in Chicago. At the end of that post I said “I’ve reaffirmed my commitment to make it to my first major cigar event in 2007. In case you’re wondering, my dad and I currently have plans in the works to crash the Big Smoke in Las Vegas on November 10 at the Venetian.”

This weekend I made good on that promise. And let me tell you that with all the free-flowing booze samples, incredible cigar handouts, and hoards of superstars from the industry, the Big Smoke is a must attend for every stogie enthusiast.

Now I had originally intended on bringing along a notepad and trying to have detailed (but brief) conversations with tobacco’s heavy hitters. For several reasons, not the least of which was a crowd of over 6,000, that just wasn’t possible.

So instead of trying to convey the tremendous atmosphere to you via text, I thought I would share some of my favorite photos. Special thanks to my dad and his colleague, Mark Carlson, for helping me handle the camera in the hectic excitement.

Perhaps not surprisingly, some of the longest lines of the night were at the Rocky Patel booth. But it was well worth the wait. Mr. Patel spent a good portion of the evening posing for photos, like this one with yours truly.

Tim Ozgener was really in the thick of things, helping many guests establish good lights on samples from his Criollo line. Where else but at the Big Smoke can you have your cigar lit by the president of a major tobacco organization like CAO? Mr. Ozgener seemed pleased to hear my favorite CAO is the Brazilia Gol.

My dad and I are all smiles posing with a few “representatives” from Arganese.

Alan Rubin of Alec Bradley was a real pleasure as he handed out samples from his Maxx line. He told me he was especially proud of the limited edition blend he created called “Dodge Challenger.” Reviews of both are forthcoming.

I didn’t mind telling Charlie Toraño how much I enjoy his Signature Collection.

Carlos Fuente Sr. spent most of his evening frantically signing Big Smoke programs and Arturo Fuente baseball caps.

My dad, Mark Carlson, and I pose for one last photo before heading out for dinner, drinks, and blackjack.

It was a real honor to meet everyone at the event – from La Flor Dominicana’s Litto Gomez to La Aurora’s José Blanco to all those pictured above. Something tells me this won’t be my last Big Smoke.

–Patrick A

photo credits: Stogie Guys

Call it luck or sheer frustration, but StogieGuys.com has gone almost one month without mentioning the words “smoking ban.” We’ve steered clear of the subject since September 28, to be exact. Between reviewing cigars and talking to industry leaders, we’ve kept ourselves pretty busy with the proposed SCHIP tobacco tax hike.

Unfortunately, our recent lack of reporting on senseless smoking bans doesn’t mean they’ve gone away. Quite the contrary. So, by way of an update, here are a few important items you may have missed. See if you can notice a menacing new trend.

1. In a move that underscores irrational big government intrusion, the Chicago Park District banned smoking in the city’s beaches and parks on October 17. The questionable ban took effect immediately. According to the Chicago Tribune, “If caught smoking within 15 feet of a beach or a playground, smokers can be fined up to $500. Park officials made their plans for the ban public Tuesday, saying the restriction would not only protect children from secondhand smoke but also keep beaches free of cigarette butts.”

2. Maine is proving that smoking bans are a slippery slope. Not satisfied with ominous control over the state’s workplaces and restaurants, anti-smoking zealots are turning their attention to citizens’ apartments and cars. As the Boston Globe reports, “Groups such as the Maine Civil Liberties Union have expressed concerns about the proposed smoking ban in cars, which involves traffic stops and $50 fines. ‘While we do not dispute that smoking has potentially severe health effects, the question is whether it’s appropriate for law enforcement to be given the power to stop and penalize people who engage in an otherwise legal activity,’ said Shenna Bellows, MCLU executive director.”

3. America’s cigar smoker in chief is showing some mixed results. Governor Schwarzenegger signed a law prohibiting Californians from smoking in cars with passengers under 18. But he also vetoed a radical bill that would strip the state’s smoking ban of many of its exemptions. According to Cigar Aficionado, Arnold said, “While more needs to be done to reduce smoking rates, I do not agree that placing further restrictions on business owners is the correct approach.”

It doesn’t take a public policy expert to realize that invasive smoking bans – once relegated to restaurants, workplaces, and bars – are moving closer to our homes, cars, and other private places. This trend is troubling for all cigar enthusiasts, especially those who value personal freedoms and individual rights.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars

This morning President Bush carried through on his promise to veto the SCHIP bill which contained large tax increases on tobacco. The veto ceremony took place quietly before he left Washington to travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The veto, which is only the forth of Bush’s presidency, stops a 256% increase of the excise tax on cigars to 53%. The proposed tax also raised the cap on from 5 cents to $3 per cigar. The combined effect would have raised the price of many premium and ultra-premium cigars by $100 or more per box.

While many in the cigar industry will applaud the veto, Bush has spoken little about the tobacco taxes. His opposition to the bill has instead been focused on a desire to halt expansion of SCHIP to children of families whose income levels are far above the threshold for government assistance. While not cited specifically by Bush, other critics of SCHIP expansion cite as an example this New Jersey family who, with assistance from SCHIP, can to afford to send their daughter to a nearly $10,000  per year private school.

As we reported earlier, SCHIP supporters in the Senate appear to have the votes to override the veto. However, the House remains short of the two-thirds threshold, meaning that at least for now cigar taxes will remain the same.

Stogie Guys Analysis

Unfortunately, cigar smokers and others who oppose these excessive and punitive cigar taxes should take little solace in this outcome.

Yes, Bush vetoed the bill, and yes they seem able to muster enough opposition in the House to sustain the veto, but this will still be very damaging long term. Anti-tobacco forces now have majorities in both houses on the record supporting large tax increases on tobacco.

So, the next time the government wants to raise taxes on tobacco, all these politicians will be on the record in support of it. Any one who changes their vote in future can be accused of “flip-flopping.”

This can (and likely will be) damaging in the future when Bush isn’t there to veto such tax increases. Right now it looks fairly likely that the next White House occupant will support raising tobacco taxes. (All the Democrats supported this increase and even Republican hopeful Mike Huckabee has indicated he is in favor of taxing/banning tobacco.)

That’s why, even though the current tax hikes might not get through, this is a very bad loss for adults who want to be able to enjoy cigars with out paying outrageous taxes on these legal products. Also, as George expressed in his commentary on Monday, the cigar industry should have done a better job on this issue.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars

It has been well over a year since we first reported that Fidel Castro was relinquishing the reins of his communist regime to battle an “intestinal crisis” and cope with “imminent death.”

Not unlike his track record of nearly 50 years of political stability, the embattled Cuban dictator has outlasted all our predictions and, as far as we know, is still breathing some 15 months later. Clearly, we here at StogieGuys.com are better at writing about cigars than prognosticating about intestine-related medical complications.

But just because Fidel is still alive doesn’t mean he’s ready – or ever will be again – to take back control of the island nation. El Presidente hasn’t made a public appearance in over a year, and the video released last week shows him frail and lacking that certain zest you expect from a totalitarian leader who’s responsible for countless human rights violations.

So we turn our attention to his brother, Raúl. In August, I wrote, “It’s true that we can’t expect major reform from Raúl – who has been at his brother’s side from the beginning – anytime soon, but many foreign policy experts believe he is more pragmatic than Fidel, and therefore more open to economic reforms.”

Castro’s death certainly will not instantaneously lift America’s decades-long trade embargo, but Cuban economic and political reforms will go a long way towards that end. In that spirit, here’s the recent buzz on Raúl from some major media outlets.

1. Latin Business Chronicle: “Cuba will initiate some degree of economic reform – including more space for private economic activity – during the coming year…[Raúl] stated a need to examine and expand the practices that work in the agriculture sector, which would imply an expansion of private farming, where productivity is highest. He called for increased foreign investment. He called for ‘structural changes’ which, in Marxist terms, could imply a change in property relations and a selective shift away from state ownership.”

2. Reuters: “Raúl Castro has repeatedly called for more debate and constructive criticism. He also demanded studies from experts on reform proposals to raise productivity, including on the state’s ownership of the economy, which exceeds 90 percent.

3. Houston Chronicle: “The younger Castro, 76, said last week that Cubans shouldn’t be afraid to speak their minds about economic reform, saying they should do so ‘with bravery, with sincerity, without many illusions that we are magicians and are going to resolve problems.’ Raúl Castro is said to be impressed by China’s market-oriented reforms.”

These encouraging market-oriented reforms, at this point, are only speculative in nature. Still, Americans who wish an end to our hypocritical trade embargo can’t help but feel optimistic.

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars