As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Politicians in Savannah aren’t satisfied with Georgia’s statewide smoking ban, enacted in 2005. So they’ve proposed a city ordinance that would close the “loopholes” of the existing law, criminalizing smoking in all workplaces including cigar bars, tobacco shops, and outdoor sections of restaurants and bars. “What no one needs is more of government telling people what they can and cannot do,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR. “Jobs and businesses truly are at stake here, as well as the rights of business owners to declare whether smoking should be allowed in their establishments.”

2) The final blend has been selected for the Padrón Family Reserve No. 46, a box-pressed corona gorda (5.5 x 56) that honors the company’s 46 years of business. It will debut at the IPCPR Trade Show in August and hit retailer shelves on September 8. Each cigar is made in Estelí, Nicaragua, and will carry a price tag of approximately $25.

3) Inside the Industry: A.J. Fernandez (who has blended cigars for such names as Padilla, Rocky Patel, Graycliff and Gurkha) is releasing  his first solo nationally distributed release, San Lotano. The New York City edition of Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke has been announced for December 1 at Pier 92. Cuba’s new Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchill is now available. Cigar Rights of America has improved its website by adding a members-only dashboard, RSS feeds by state, member discounts, and an event calendar.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie lights up a San Cristobal O’Reilly. Stogie Review reviews a Don Pepin Series JJ. Nice Tight Ash checks out a Liga Privada Flying Pig. Keepers of the Flame fires up a Nestor Miranda Special Selection Coffee Break. Cigar Jack torches a La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros.

5) Deal of the Week: This “One Stop Shop Sampler” has 20 top smokes for just $75 with free shipping included. Included are cigars by Rocky Patel, Graycliff, Padilla, Gurkha, and many more. Grab yours here.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) California continues to lead the nation in anti-tobacco zealotry. This week politicians in Sebastopol, a town 50 miles north of San Francisco, passed an indoor smoking ban over private apartments. While the regulation requires landlords to forbid their tenants from using tobacco products in their homes, medicinal marijuana is exempted under the law.

2) Carnival is experimenting with an expanded smoking ban on its cruise ships—a ban that disallows smoking in cruise liners’ cigar bars, of all places. “Carnival fans…are noting the irony of considering a smoking ban in the one place on a ship specifically designed for smokers,” the USA Today reported on Wednesday. “Some are comparing the move to banning passengers from swimming in a ship’s swimming pools.”

3) Inside the Industry:  General Cigar is celebrating its 50th anniversary in style,with a series of events all around the country featuring their  La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros, Punch Upper Cut, and Macanudo 1968 cigars.  La Flor Dominicana is adding a Chisel size to its Air Bender line.

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame torches a Famous 70th Anniversary Plasencia. A Cigar Smoker smokes the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary. B&B Cigar Club fires up an Illusione Epernay. The Tiki Bar kicks back with a E.P. Carrillo Short Run. Stogie Review goes inside the CAO Escaparate.

5) Deal of the Week: There’s an email-only special going on at Cuban Crafters this weekend. The best deal is a box of 25 Cupido Criollo Torpedos for just $55 (an amazing $2.20 per cigar). Grab yours here.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

“It belongs in the family.” That’s what Charlie Toraño, president of Toraño Cigars, told me just hours after announcing that his family was taking back distribution of Toraño Cigars and renaming the company the “Toraño Family Cigar Company.”

With much excitement and pride in his voice, he said he decided last year that when their current distribution deal with CAO ran its course he would be exercising his option to retake full control of Toraño. Ultimately, he says there is a level of “creativity, time, and attention that can only only be done in the family.”

The decision was made before CAO parent company STG announced it was merging it’s handmade cigar operations with Swedish Match, parent company of General Cigars which makes Macanudo, Punch, La Gloria Cubana, and a number of other top-selling lines.

According to Toraño, the only impact the merger had was on the date of the new distribution arrangement.  Instead of waiting until January 1, 2011, the date was moved up to August 1—in time for the 2010 industry trade show in New Orleans, where Toraño will have its own booth.

The new arrangement coincides with a new logo designed to put the focus back on the Toraño family. Charlie describes the new logo as “contemporary but classic.” The new branding, “inspired by past but motivated by out future,” de-emphasizes Carlos Toraño (though Charlie says his father will continue to play a pivotal roll) and places the spotlight on the entire Toraño family.

In this time of seemingly constant mergers and consolidation, Toraño still feels the “future of this industry lies with family businesses.” Describing the challenging climate of smoking bans and record high tobacco taxes, Toraño acknowledged that “headwinds are strong…but there’s no better way to meet those challenges than [for the family] to be in full control of the brand.”

Toraño is using that control to take a new direction with new blends. “Moving forward we are working with other small boutique factories,” Toraño tells me. Current lines will continue unchanged, still being made in STG’s factories, which were purchased from the Toraño and Fidel Olivas families in 2009.

Three New Toraño Blends Coming in August

Reflecting its new focus, Toraño Family Cigars will be bringing three new cigars to market this year. Two premium lines will be sold at retailers only, while a third line, Brigade, features an Ecuadorian wrapper and will sell in bundles of 16 for around $2.50 per stick.

The company’s first new premium stick, The Master, is a joint effort by Charlie Toraño and longtime master roller Felipe Sosa. Made at American Caribbean Cigars in Estelí, Nicaragua, it is an all-Nicaraguan cigar described by Toraño as medium- to full-bodied. It will sell for $5.50-5.95 per cigar.

A second new cigar, also to be sold only in brick-and-mortar stores, is the Single Region. It features Jalapa Nicaraguan tobacco all from one farm (although from different years). It is being rolled at the Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, which also makes such highly-regarded smokes as the Illusione, Epernay, Cruzado, Alec Bradley Tempus, and Padilla 1932. A “fuller-bodied” smoke, the Toraño Single Region will cost between $6.50 and $6.95.

In addition to the three blends set to debut at this year’s trade show, Toraño is already working on new blends for the future, including another Single Region.

For Charlie Toraño the future is bright as his family enters a new era in the cigar business. People are “gonna be hearing a lot from Toraño and about Toraño” Charlie tells me. “Our interest is not on volume, but on making great blends and interacting with smokers.”

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Toraño Cigars announced some big changes yesterday. Effective August 1, the company will take control of its own distribution back from a seven-month-old conglomerate that housed it under the same roof as General Cigar and CAO. Toraño is also adopting a new look (logo at right) and changing its name to the “Toraño Family Cigar Company” to, according to a press release, “capture the family legacy and emphasize that this is a family-owned company.” Charlie Toraño, the company’s president, said that he is “looking forward to seeing everyone at our annual [IPCPR] trade show and personally showing all the changes that are taking place.” StogieGuys.com will provide exclusive details on this development next week.

2) As San Antonio lawmakers mull expanding their smoking ban, an unlikely alliance has formed between the San Antonio Restaurant Association and two groups that have traditionally supported civil rights issues. The League of United Latin American Citizens and the NAACP recently joined in opposition to a comprehensive ban for the city. “The NAACP strongly believes that unless absolutely necessary, the government should not impose undue financial hardships, mandates, restrictions on private business, especially in these difficult economic times,” reads an NAACP statement.

3) Inside the Industry: Tatuaje’s La Vérité, a blend made entirely from the 2008 harvest of Don Pepin Garcia’s farm in Estelí, is expected to hit retailers next week. Ashton is the new U.S. distributor of Humidipak. In the latest ruling in the 13-year-old case over the U.S. rights to the Cohiba name, “Red Dot” Cohiba maker General Cigar won a ruling against Cubatobacco when the judge ruled that the lower court wrongly re-opened the case in 2005. James Suckling, European Editor of Cigar Aficionado, has left the magazine after 18 years.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie smokes a Pinar del Rio BOTL Small Batch. Stogie Review reviews the Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Oliva Serie G. A Cigar Smoker lights up an Old School GR8. Stogie Fresh smokes the El Baton. Keepers of the Flame tries a Por Larrañaga Cabinet Selección.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Toraño

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) The Congressional Cigar Association (CCA), an organization of about 200 Congressional staff members who share a passion for premium cigars, recently celebrated its first anniversary. The event featured heightened outreach to Congressional offices, led by the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR). “The two days of intensive meetings and all the work that went into their planning, organizing, execution and follow-up were part of the IPCPR’s ongoing efforts to generate increased understanding of the premium cigar industry among federal legislators, regulators, and their staffs,” read an IPCPR press release dated July 6.

2) Smoking Ban Alerts: New York already criminalizes smoking in bars, restaurants, and other places of employment, but now Mayor Michael Bloomberg may extend the regulation to the city’s parks and beaches. Michigan’s smoking ban would be extended under a new bill that repeals an exemption for casinos. Long Beach is preparing to ban smoking in the city’s small parks.

3) Inside the Industry: Toraño has tapped the expertise of long time roller Felipe Sosa for a new cigar called “Master” that will be presented in four sizes: robusto, torpedo, Churchill, and a thick toro. Gurkha is introducing a new cigar called SEALs, named after the special forces group, which comes in a sealed briefcase complete with a combat knife.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie smokes a Vegas Robaina Famosos. Stogie Review reviews the Illusione MJ12. Cigar Inspector inspects a Montecristo Petit Tubo. Nice Tight Ash checks out the La Flor Dominicana Air Bender. A Cigar Smoker lights up a Fonseca Especial.

5) Deal of the Week: With full-bodied spice and Cuban-like depth, Nicaraguan smokes are increasing in popularity, and this Nicaraguan Blends Sampler demonstrates why. Included are two each from Padilla Habano, Man O’ War, Rocky Patel Fusion, and Gurkha Park Avenue, all for under $30. Grab yours here.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: IPCPR

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Wisconsin becomes the 28th state to enact a smoking ban starting on Monday. Passed over a year ago, the law criminalizes smoking in workplaces throughout the Badger State, including  bars and restaurants. But the new regulation is anything but clear-cut. Politicians in Madison worded the bill so poorly that questions still remain over enforcement and exemptions—a nightmare scenario for business owners who are uncertain about their options.

2) Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell’s proposal for a 30% tax on cigars was voted down on Tuesday. A disproportionate number of online cigar wholesalers call Pennsylvania home, including Famous Smoke Shop, Holt’s, and Cigar’s International—a company that threatened to move if the tax passed. This isn’t a coincidence. Along with Florida, the Keystone State is the only one without a cigar tax. Cigar Rights of America attributed the victory to CRA members who contacted lawmakers.

3) Inside the Industry: In our talks last week with Tatuaje creator Pete Johnson, he revealed two interesting nuggets: (1) the Vintage line will be arriving at retailers in the next few weeks and (2) he’s working on a new project called “Fausto” named after an old Cuban brand that took the name from a famous literary character.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie smokes a Punch Diademas Extra. Keepers of the Flame fires up a Reyes Family Vintage. Stogie Fresh lights up the Quesada Tributo. Stogie Review reviews the Zino Platinum Crown Series 2010. Cigar Inspector inspects a Fuente Hemingway Work of Art. Nice Tight Ash checks out the La Flor Dominicana Limitado IV.

5) Deal of the Week: Sunday is July 4th, which means an Independence Day Sale is going on at Cuban Crafters. There are plenty of discounts, but our favorite deal is a box of the Cubano Claro Lonsdales for just $70. Grab yours here.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) It was announced this week that Cuban cigar production fell 14% in 2010. The harvest wasn’t impacted by adverse growing conditions, but rather a reaction to the worldwide economic slowdown and the spread of smoking bans. Cuba, facing budget shortfalls, decreased the land devoted to tobacco cultivation by 30% last year. “There was a reduction in planting due to limitations in resources caused by the economic crisis,” local media reported.

2) As we wrote on June 11, New York Gov. David Paterson wanted to drastically increase the state’s tax on cigars to pay for a budget shortfall. This week he got his wish. Politicians in Albany passed a bill that jacks up the wholesale tax on cigars from 46% to 75%. The increased revenue will be used in part to pay for “tobacco cessation programs” that, if successful, will ironically decrease tax payments over time.

3) Inside the Industry: Along with price cuts, look for new packaging on EO 601 cigars (co-owner Erik Espinosa tells StogieGuys.com that he hopes the new look will attract attention so smokers will notice the lower prices). The 2011 ProCigar Festival will be held on February 6-11 in the Dominican Republic.

4) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame torches a La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros. Stogie Fresh fires up a Davidoff Maduro R. Stogie Review reviews a KA Kendall 7-20-4. Smoking Stogie smokes an Epernay Le Matin. Cigar Inspector lights up an Ambos Mundos.

5) Deal of the Week: Like Perdomo cigars? Haven’t tried them yet? Either way, this “Perdomo Power Sampler” is worth a look. With four Perdomo ESV ’91s, plus one of each of the five Perdomo Reserve lines, this deal offers plenty for the Perdomo newbie or veteran, all for under $40. Grab yours here.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr