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

1) The intense competition to craft the world’s longest cigar is alive and well in the Caribbean. Aiming for his fourth Guinness world record, Cuban José Castelar is set to unveil a 98-foot monstrosity with 93 pounds of “top-quality” tobacco. He is expected to fall short of last year’s record of 135 feet set by Patricio Peña of Puerto Rico.

2) Inside the Industry: Small quantities of the new Rocky Patel Summer Blend 2008 go on sale in two weeks. Rocky described the Sumatra-seed Ecuadorian-wrapped blend to Cigar Aficionado as “medium to full in body, with a spicy, peppery flavor.” The four vitolas will sell for $6.50- $8.50 apiece.

3) Greece announced plans to ban smoking in public places yesterday. The move comes after previous smoking laws in bars and restaurants went ignored by one of Europe’s heaviest smoking populations.

4) Around the Blogs : Cigar Jack checks out the CAO Brazilia Gol. Keepers of the Flame smokes a La Flor Dominicana El Jocko. Stogie Baby lights up an Old Henry. Stogie Review smokes the Split Decision Double by ITC.

5) Deal of the Week : La Tradicion Perdomo Reserve was named "cigar of the year" by Robb Report . If you haven’t tried it yet, this La Tradicion Perdomo Reserve Sampler is a great way to introduce yourself to this popular and often hard to find line at a reasonable price: $39.

-The Stogie Guys

photo credit: The Telegraph

I was reading the other day about a new movement in travel: “slow travel .” Like the earlier “slow food” approach, the aim is to savor and enjoy your experience, not just get to the end. Rather than rush through a trip with a lengthy list of places to see and things to do, slow travel advocates tend to focus on less rapid movement, no checklists, and getting off the beaten path.

I wonder how many people who are exploring a slower lifestyle enjoy cigars? It may be the ultimate slow experience. So much so that it doesn’t need another name. “Slow cigar smoking” would be redundant.

Of course, it’s possible to do all sorts of things while you’re smoking a cigar. But it’s difficult to multi-task and truly enjoy a cigar. Activities that complement the pleasure of the smoking experience include reading, good company, music, nice drinks, daydreaming, etc. Most wouldn’t enojy running, especially a marathon.

You might rush to your local shop to pick up a new release, but it’s a cinch you won’t rush through the stick just so you can move to another one. I can’t imagine a great cigar experience while fiddling with a Blackberry.

Without waxing too poetic, cigars offer an amazing opportunity to enjoy something that results from a rare combination of hard labor, artistic flair, ancient craft, modern commerce, and international cooperation.

Why, you could even spend a half-hour or so mulling all that over as you carefully consider the wafting smoke you’re creating with that lovely cigar.

-George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

As a bargain-hunter and an adventure-seeker, I’m somewhat addicted to CigarBid. Buying a pack of random stogies on CBid is, as Forrest Gump might put it, like buying a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.

This allure of the unknown drove me to buy a 25-count box of La Invicta Coronas a few weeks ago. And I’ll be completely honest: I had no idea what to expect. I’d never heard of the brand, and for the scant $13 I paid for 25 sticks, I was certainly skeptical. All I knew of the cigars I’d just acquired was that they were Honduran, supposedly hand-rolled, and supposedly long-filler. I say “supposedly” because there is a real scarcity of information about La Invicta on the web, and I can’t locate a definitive source. The cigars seem to sell mainly in the UK, and at unusually high prices, given what I’d paid. A box of 25 goes for upwards of £100 online. With today’s exchange rate, that’s roughly $200, plus what I’m sure are exorbitant shipping charges.

Luckily, I seemed to have gotten quite the bargain online. And so, the second my box arrived in the mail, I eagerly tore off the cellophane and gave it a thorough inspection. The cedar box, with a simple logo on the top and an official Honduran stamp on one side, was clean and unassuming. Inside were 25 very slim, neatly rolled, Colorado-wrapped stogies. Nothing terribly unusual, and no signs of beetles or mold, so I decided to light some up right then and there.

First things first: These are most likely hand-rolled cigars, but I question the long-filler claims. While I didn’t get the usual bits and pieces of tobacco in my mouth that would ordinarily tip me off to short filler, I did notice several prominent stems packed in the freshly cut head. In all likelihood, these are “medium filler” cigars: stogies that combine mostly long-filler leaf with some short-filler material. Not the end of the world, but certainly a minor disappointment.

The cigars were palpably firm with just the right amount of give, and unlit they exuded a damp, earthy, slightly mossy aroma. When lit, the smell was of cedar and soil, and the flavor reminded me a great deal of wheatgrass. Not in an unpleasant, health-food sort of way, but in an interesting and slightly spicy way. The finish was medium in length and strength, highlighting the grassy and woody characteristics of the smoke. The burn was even, the ash was light gray and relatively firm, and the experience itself lasted a little over an hour per stick.

Ultimately, the La Invicta Corona is a pleasant, uncomplicated smoke that I’d certainly buy again if offered a similarly fantastic deal on CBid. I wouldn’t pay full fare for one of these boxes, though. For $200 a pop, there are much better cigars to be bought in the UK, if you catch my meaning. For its straightforward flavor profile, serviceable construction, and mellowing effects, I give the La Invicta Corona three out of five stogies .

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here .]

-Jon N

photo credit: Stogie Guys

With a seemingly endless variety of cigars – at least for now – former real estate developer Gene Arganese has something for just about every stogie enthusiast. And so far we’ve been impressed. Last fall Patrick S sang the praises of the raisin-flavored Maduro Presidenté Figurado and I gave a thumbs-up to the Connecticut Presidenté Robusto.

 Like the latter, the Ambassador blend of the Connecticut line also sports an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. This time, though, it’s paired with an Indonesian binder and Dominican filler tobaccos. The result is a mild and creamy taste which is advertised as Arganese’s lightest blend.

The six and 7/8 inch by 52 ring gauge Torpedo sells for $7 per single or $142-160 for a box of 25. Soft and delicate, the cigar sports very few veins and virtually unnoticeable seams. The prelight draw is clear and the wrapper tastes of salt.

The flavor is about what I expected: smooth and creamy with notes of almond, butter, and cinnamon. A sweet hay taste drifts in and out to keep things interesting and, to the cigar’s credit, the salty wrapper is more complimentary than distracting. The smoke stays light and airy, even when spicy, syrupy notes kick in towards the end. Although the experience is quite mild, I had no problem picking up some wonderful flavors.

Construction on this 90-120 minute smoke is in line with what I’ve come to expect from Arganese. The burn only requires one touch-up to stay even, the draw is exceptionally clear, and the ash holds firm for almost two inches. Just take care removing the double bands because the fragile wrapper has a tendency to tear.

In all, this is a nice, noble smoke with a crisp, mild taste that works well on the golf course or on the deck. I would be happier if the wrapper was a bit oilier and the price a bit lower, but the Arganese Connecticut Ambassador Torpedo is still a fine cigar, worthy of three and ½ out of five stogies .

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here .]

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Darryl Lieser found the inspiration for his own cigars years ago at a well-known watering hole in the desert. Celebrating an investment deal at the Phoenician’s Thirsty Camel Lounge in Scottsdale, Arizona, a client bought them a couple of 1956 Montecristo No. 3s.

“I’m a post-embargo baby, and I always thought that Cubans were taboo, were going to be harsh and unbalanced and tough to smoke,” Lieser, 43, recalled. “It was quite the contrary. Total opposite. Smooth, balanced, wonderful cigar.”

He decided then that if he ever pursued his dream of creating a cigar, that legendary Cuban vitola would be his model.

About three years ago, Lieser began working on a blend and last year he got booth space at RTDA with Altadis, which produces Isla de Cuba in Honduras for Lieser. He shipped his first cigars in February. Isla de Cuba Cigar, Inc. is headquartered in Tampa and Lieser, the president, splits his time between the Cigar City and Chicago.

Right now, the cigars are available in two versions. The natural, the one Lieser feels is most reminiscent of that ’56 Monte, has an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and a mix of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and proprietary farm fillers. The maduro has the same filler and binder with a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper.

They come in five sizes ranging from a 7×52 Churchill to a 5.5×44 Corona. Prices are $6-8. Lieser calls them mild to medium, an everyday cigar. You can find a little information at the company’s website, though it remains under construction.

To get the word out, Lieser is hitting the road. When I talked to him, he had just pulled over while driving in Michigan and was heading to another cigar event in Ohio. His calendar is dotted with future stops at cigar shops around the country.

“I think that the only way to build credibility and to build brand awareness is to do events in conjunction with the retailer so we can educate the public on our product — a great cigar,” he said. It is also necessary, he added, to have the patience to develop personal — and in-person — relationships with retailers so they’ll know it’s a brand they can count on.

With the economy weak, tobacco under constant attack, and many new lines hitting the market, is Lieser concerned that it might not be the ideal time to launch a new cigar? “Honestly, I like competition,” Lieser said. And he believes his approach is the right one: Keep the quality up, the prices reasonable, and work with retailers. “I think it’s a great opportunity for the right boutique type brand.”

Odds are you’ll be able to decide for yourself. Check with shops in your area. You’ll likely find Lieser and Isla de Cuba cigars headed your way.

-George E

photo credit: IslaCigar.com

StogieGuys.com will be featured on the Livin’ Large with Geoff Pinkus radio show on WIND 560 AM in Chicago today. The show runs from 5-7 pm CST (6-8 EST) and Patrick A is scheduled to be on around at 5:30 CST (6:30 EST).

Geoff’s show is about “cigars, cars, spirits, wine, beer, restaurants, music, sports, hot chicks, jets, Harleys, guns, bikes, and fishing.” You can even call in at 877-560-WIND to ask a question on the air. If you’re not in the Chicago area, you can listen live here (and if you miss it, a podcast will be available here). You can listen to last week’s appearance here.

-The Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar.

I hadn’t smoked any El Tiante cigars since around the time of my review of the Maduro Torpedo last fall. If my memory serves me well, this attractive Torpedo has benefited from six months of aging. Like the Maduro, this cigar has a flavor profile that is unlike most of the new cigars being created by the industry these days. The medium-bodied flavors include cedar, grass, earth, and floral notes. The construction is flawless.

Verdict = Buy.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys