The Stogie Guys

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

I’ve been frustrated in recent months watching the failed efforts to combat the higher cigar taxes that are part of the proposed State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) expansion. I have no connection to the cigar industry — other than enjoying its products — and I don’t claim to have observed everything that occurred. But I do have a little knowledge about how Congress works, and it often appeared to me that tobacco’s resistance was not as effective as it could have been.

So, I thought I’d offer my suggestions for the future.

1. First, and foremost, get a godfather. The cigar industry needs someone to watch over it and take up its interests the way Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) guards the vitamin/supplement industry or Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) takes care of Wall Street. Lacking a powerful, savvy ally who is committed to your view is like being in a hatchet fight without a hatchet.

2. Concentrate on the tax. Much of the recent discussion about the cigar tax actually veered off into whether the concept of SCHIP is good or bad. Forget that. Don’t get drawn into politics. As you hear in DC almost every day, “Stick to your knitting.” For the cigar industry, the issue is the size of the cigar tax, not what it would be spent on. Let others argue about policy. Remember, when you’re counting votes, there are no Democrats or Republicans, only “yeas” and “nays.”

3. Don’t encourage Astroturf campaigns. If there’s one thing legislators know, it’s communication. Most ignore form letter communications, whether via email or fax, so constituents must make their voices heard individually by communicating their own points in their own emails, phone calls, faxes, and letters. Personal, grassroots efforts can be effective. Astroturf is not.

4. Be realistic. There is a large, powerful, not-very-reasonable anti-smoking movement out there. Cigar smokers are a small group. Recognize those facts and deal with them, rather than complain. In my opinion, some tax increase is inevitable. I’d suggest working to keep it as small as possible and trying to get other things you want along with it.

5. Increase congressional awareness. Organize congressional trips to the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Honduras so lawmakers can see the plants, talk to workers, and get a feel for the economic impact of cigars in those nations. Back home, make sure every representative and senator knows all about the jobs related to cigars. And not just in shops and in Florida, but with operations like Finck in Texas, National in Indiana, tobacco farmers in Connecticut, etc.

6. Spend wisely. I’m not inclined to tell others how to spend their money. But I would suggest that employing lobbying and PR firms intimately identified with the GOP might not be the wisest course when both houses of Congress are now controlled by Democrats.

7. Stay alert. Getting surprised by a tax proposal shouldn’t happen. The best time to have an impact is before anything is committed to paper, so stay on top of it every day.

–George E

Tags: cigars

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

The Fonseca Cubano Limitado is advertised as full-flavored and robust. To me, though, it was like other Fonsecas I’ve smoked: dull and lifeless. A dry, paper taste predominated. I had a Robusto, which I believe is a five inch by 52 ring gauge cigar. The reason I say that is because I can’t find any information about the Limitado on the Matasa site, so I had to rely on other sites. For considerably less than I paid ($6.45), there are many other, much better cigars.

Verdict = Sell.

–George E

Tags: cigars

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) Before the year is out, General Cigar plans to release Stradivarius de los Maestros, a $34 stogie with a 15-year-old Connecticut Shade wrapper. Named for the famous, expertly-crafted violins, Stradivarius will come in three sizes – Churchill, Lonsdale, and Robusto Major – each in its own wooden coffin. (I guess a cellophane wrapping would be inappropriate for a cigar that costs as much as 17 Don Kiki Brown Labels.)

2) From the same big-government state that brought us the Calabasas calamity comes one of the most obtrusive smoking bans yet. Starting November 8, it will be illegal to light up near children in Belmont, California. The senseless law also forbids smoking in apartments, townhouses, and condominiums that share a common floor or ceiling. What’s next?

3) Around the Blogs: Matt lights up a Tatuaje Havana VI. Cigar Command smokes the Cuvee Rouge. Cigar Jack tries the 601 Blue. Keepers of the Flame torches a Fuente Don Carlos. Cigar Inspector inspects a Chateau Fuente Maduro. Stogie Review reviews a Primer Mundo Rosado Obscuro.

4) Deal of the Week: This Papi Sampler from Tinderbox.com has nine great sticks for the very reasonable price of just $49.95. Included is a Montecristo Classic, a Cohiba XV, and the box-pressed, Pepin-made 601 Blue. Grab yours here (and while you’re there, check out the ridiculous photo they have with the sampler).

–The Stogie Guys

With Monday’s El Rey del Mundo and yesterday’s Ashton, this week has featured some truly great cigars. I wanted to keep that trend going when I picked out a Cuesta-Rey Centro Fino Sungrown for today’s review.

Surprisingly, we haven’t written much about this brand, save for a February Quick Smoke of a Centenario. Cuesta-Rey got its start back in Cuba in 1884 under Angel La Madrid Cuesta and is now part of the “Cigar Family” that includes Arturo Fuente and Montesino.

At six and ¼ inches with a 52 ring gauge, the Centro Fino No. 9 is a large, torpedo-shaped cigar with some striking aesthetics. The Sumatra-seed Ecuadorian sungrown wrapper is quite nice, despite a few small tears and some discoloration. While I like the classic, portrait-style look of the double band, I had to remove the top half before lighting up because it was too close to the head.

With a few wooden matches, I had an even burn and immediately encountered an interesting and unique flavor of sweet hay and spicy graham – very similar to the first puffs of the Davidoff Grand Cru series (which isn’t at all bad). The Dominican Republic filler tobaccos are airy and mild, and an earthy base of tea adds some complexity at the halfway mark.

My only complaint on flavor is that traces of sour, stale notes rear their ugly head from time to time, mostly towards the very end. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what this taste is, but I know it’s unpleasant. Fortunately, it doesn’t linger too long, and I found you can help avoid it by smoking slowly.

The physical properties of this cigar are fair. The burn is pretty damn straight (but may require a few touch-ups), the draw is quite loose, and – despite some flakiness – the ash holds pretty well.

Overall, my mild- to medium-bodied smoking experience was enjoyable. The flavor is well-balanced, but the sweet hay notes are what I’ll remember most. In the $5 to $7 range, the Cuesta-Rey Centro Fino Sungrown No. 9 deserves three out of five stogies.

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

–Patrick A

Tags: cigars

Whenever someone would ask what kind of cigar I prefer, I used to reply, almost automatically, medium- to full-bodied sticks. Lately, though, I’ve been rethinking my preferences. One conclusion I’ve reached is that what I like depends a great deal on the circumstances.

When I want to simply relax and enjoy a cigar, I find more and more that a high-quality mild stick fits the bill. I appreciate the way the cigar repays my attention.

The Ashton Classic Corona is just that sort of cigar. Like every Ashton I’ve smoked, this stick was immaculate, from the exquisite Connecticut shade wrapper to the smooth, creamy smoke. I paid $7 for the five and ½ inch by 44-ring gauge beauty with Dominican filler and binder. It burned slowly for more than an hour and held a tight ash.

To me, the blend was just about perfect. The flavors mixed finely, some just touching the tongue (as with a citrus), while others would linger a while (the case with nuttiness). Smoking slowly and enjoying a cup of coffee proved just the right touches.

If you smoke several cigars a day, this probably isn’t a good one to light late in your rotation. A clear palate undoubtedly helps enjoy the subtlety of this Ashton.

I think every Ashton reviewed here at StogieGuys.com has been rated highly; this one is no exception. Overall, I really can’t think of anything I’d change. So, I give it a perfect five out of five stogies.

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

–George E

[UPDATE 2: Text of the bill can be downloaded here. Provisions on the tax increases begin on page 288.]

[UPDATE: George Edmonson reports there was one small victory in House negotiations, as the “floor tax” was eliminated. The “floor tax” – also known as the “store killer” for the likeliness that it would bankrupt many B&Ms – was a proposed one-time tax on every cigar a store has in inventory.]

Today the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote and pass an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that includes a massive tax increase on cigars and other tobacco products, even though as of late last night the text of the bill was still not available. The Senate is expected to pass the bill on Thursday.

President Bush has promised to veto the bill pledging his support for SCHIP, but opposing the Democrats’ expansion of the program to wealthier families. “Instead of expanding SCHIP beyond its original scope, we should return it to its original focus, and that is helping poor children, those who are most in need,” Bush said last week.

Under the Senate proposal, various tobacco taxes funding the SCHIP expansion are being increased by at least 256%. While as of Friday multiple congressional staffers told StogieGuys’ own George Edmonson that they were still negotiating the House bill and trying to reduce the tax cap on cigars, it is believed the House bill will contain the same tax increases.

Under the plan, federal cigarette taxes were increased from 31 cents per pack to $1.00. The 256% increase was then applied to other forms of tobacco such as “large cigars.” The federal excise taxes on large cigars – like the ones we review here at StogieGuys.com – go from 20.719% with a cap of 5 cents per cigar to 53.13% of the manufacturer’s price with a cap of $3. For a cigar that retails for $7.50, the new tax would increase the price of a box of 25 cigars by about $100. The tobacco tax increases are set to go into effect January 1, 2008.

MoveOn.org used Bush’s veto opposition to blast Republicans, writing: “Stop the Republicans from blocking health care for kids.” But such statements are an inaccurate portrayal of Bush and congressional Republicans’ position. While some outside of Congress have called for SCHIP to be entirely eliminated, that is not the position of Bush or the majority of Republicans that oppose the SCHIP expansion.

Outside critics calling for the elimination of SCHIP cite that the program’s regulations drive up the price of private insurance for all, create incentives for lower-middle class families not to climb the economic ladder in an effort to keep SCHIP subsidies, and cause huge costs that “insure four previously uninsured Americans for the price of ten.” However persuasive such points may be, these are not the arguments made by Bush.

Bush’s veto threat is only in opposition to expanding the coverage from families of four earning as much as $72,000 per year, to families of four earning $83,000 per year. In fact, President Bush has said he approves expanding SCHIP to cover well-off families, but only if the states enroll 95 percent of those lower-income children first.

While the debate continues over SCHIP, there is almost no talk about the use of tobacco taxes as a source of funding.

Stogie Guys Analysis

Here at StogieGuys.com, we’ve always pointed out that if a government program is really in the public’s best interest, it would not be necessary to tax a small, already discriminated-against minority such as smokers. Additionally, there has been relatively little discussion about the fact that a tobacco tax funding health insurance creates a perverse government interest in ensuring that there are enough people smoking to maintain funding of the program.

With the veto threat pending, we will continue to watch this story. It is believed that the Senate might pass the bill with a veto-proof majority, but it is unlikely that SCHIP supporters in the House can muster the 2/3 majority needed to override a presidential veto.

–Patrick S

Tags: cigars