The Stogie Guys

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, ST. THOMAS — When you think of the phrase “cigar vacation,” images of factory tours in Honduras, Nicaragua, or the Dominican Republic often come to mind. As well they should. If you want to learn as much as possible about the artisan craft of handmade cigars, there’s no substitute for observing and talking to the fine people who make them, in their native environment no less.

To me, though, a cigar vacation can mean many things. My recent trip to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands certainly qualifies in my book. Here’s a pic from the hotel balcony:

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Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

There are may reasons why Northern Virginia is a good place to be a cigar smoker, including having PG Cigars’ flagship shop nearby. There, you not only can buy every hard-to-find PG smoke currently made, but they also sell a number of cigars with well over a decade of age on them. This corona, for example, was rolled back in 1993. Despite the often mellowing effects of age, it has plenty of flavor with leather and cedar notes and a musty tinge. It’s well-balanced and medium-bodied with flawless combustion. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, it’s well worth picking up.

–Patrick S

photo credits: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

An amazing combination of full strength and full flavor, this 7.5-inch cigar uses tobacco from four countries to create a slow-burning, satisfying smoke. The rough Brazilian wrapper has a wonderful pre-light aroma and combines with the Peruvian and Nicaraguan filler to drop flavor after flavor on the tongue like a tobacco piñata. The Assassin has been part of the Gurkha line since 2009. I should have smoked one sooner.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Cuban Crafters

As we have since July 2006, each Friday we’ll post a mixed bag of quick cigar news and other items of interest. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) With so many state and local governments passing laws that restrict the rights of smokers, it’s nice to report that one state is repealing anti-smoker restrictions. Last Friday, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signed a law rolling back the statewide smoking ban that was originally passed in 2006. Now, owners of free-standing bars and taverns (even those that serve food) can decide for themselves whether they want to allow smoking on their property as long as they prohibit anyone under 21 from entering.

2) In another move towards increased cigar rights, the New York State Senate passed bill S. 3410, which places a cap on the state’s highest-in-the-nation 75 percent tax on handmade cigars. The modest, but critical, cap would limit that tax to $1.00 per cigar. As we reported last week, despite the tax hike, the state has been losing revenue as consumers buy cigars online or through mail-order from lower tax states. The New York Tobacconist Association is now pushing for the State Assembly to take up the bill and encourages New York residents to contact the leadership in the Assembly and their representatives in support.

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CAO Cigars is entering a new era, and we wanted to find out what that new era would bring for the brand’s many fans.

In 2007, the family-owned company was purchased by the Scandanavian Tobacco Group (STG). Later, in early 2010, STG merged its premium tobacco division with General Cigar (maker of Macanudo, La Gloria Cubana, Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, and many more well-known lines). Since then, a number of CAO stalwarts have left the company, including President Tim Ozgener, Chairman Gary Hyams, and Lifestyle Director Jon Huber, and CAO left Nashville to join General Cigar at its headquarters in Richmond, Virginia.

To get the scoop on what all this means for those who smoke and enjoy CAO Cigars, I talked to Ed McKenna, senior brand manager for CAO.

Stogie Guys: What is your background in cigars? How long have you been smoking, and do you remember the first cigar you really enjoyed?

Ed McKenna: I joined General Cigar several years ago, after being on the marketing team for Bacardi’s tequila portfolio. The premium cigar business shares many similarities to the world of spirits, but as I quickly learned, this industry is its own universe and to this point, I haven’t been able to compare it to any other. Since I’ve been with General Cigar, my focus has been on Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, and Excalibur cigars. Together with Rick Chandler (director of Villazon brands at GC), with the product development team at HATSA (our factory in Honduras), and with input from our consumer ambassadors, I’ve launched Upper Cut by Punch, Reposado en Cedros, and Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary. I’m now managing the CAO business full time.

I have always liked cigars. My Dad was a casual cigar smoker, and I got bitten by the bug as they say, way back in college when my friends and would go over to our local tobacconist (then, it was Tobacco Village in Delaware), and pick up a few smokes to enjoy during the weekend. Those were great times. The first cigars I remember smoking were Partagas (my father’s favorite), Macanudo, and Onyx (random, I know).

I smoked cigars regularly in college, but there’s one standout occasion with Partagas. That was with my dad. We celebrated my college graduation over a robusto, and I remember thinking that I’d remember that cigar for the rest of my life. Along with a Punch Rare Corojo at my wedding last year, that Partagas cigar will go down in history as one of my favorite smokes. (more…)

Like Entubar, Clasico, and Exile Wired, Mooch is a product of the merger between Albert and Michael Argenti of Cuban Imports and Don Kiki Berger, creator of several lines for Cuban Crafters. The blend was introduced at last summer’s industry trade show as a more affordable addition to the Berger & Argenti portfolio. (more…)

The bill to keep the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from regulating premium cigars as part of its newly acquired tobacco oversight is inching along in Congress. The latest advance is a few more co-sponsors—including a second Democrat—putting the total at 22.

“We’re still pushing the bill,” George Cecala, spokesman for Rep. Bill Posey, the Florida Republican who introduced the bill in April, told me the other day. He added that the congressman, described by Cecala as an occasional cigar smoker, is especially concerned about potential job losses if FDA cigar regulations are adopted.

What’s needed now is for you to join the push by getting in touch with your representative and urging support for the bill, known as HR 1639.

It could be a milestone for cigar regulation. It would constitute legislative recognition of premium cigars for a reason other than taxation and establish an even sharper distinction from cigarettes. As such, it would make it easier, and more likely, for premium cigars to be excluded from future regulations.

Now I know there are smokers who consider it heretical to argue for favoring one form of tobacco over another. They believe that everyone who uses tobacco should be fighting every restriction on every form. Frankly, to me that’s not only impractical; it’s detrimental for cigar smokers.

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