The Stogie Guys

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) StogieGuys.com Exclusive: Although you’ve probably already read that the compromise proposal to extend the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), now being negotiated in Congress, is thought to include the cigar tax plan approved by the U.S. Senate, that’s not what a couple of staffers on Capitol Hill told George Thursday. They said the cigar tax issue was among those still being discussed and that some lawmakers were working to reduce the cap, which is $3 in the Senate plan. Also, while there’s been talk of a Tuesday vote in the House, one of the staffers said it was possible the language might not be finalized until Monday. With all this taking place in the next few days, now would be a good time to contact your representatives.

2) Newly announced presidential hopeful Fred Thompson says he would “definitely” continue the Cuban embargo, but doesn’t check the “heritage” of the boxes of apparent Habanos that friends give him, according to Sunday’s St. Petersburg Times. Kind of reminds us of JFK’s hypocrisy.

3) As reported in our top item, the $3 cigar tax may not be finalized but it is very close. So just what would that proposed tax do? Rich Perelman reports a cigar that currently retails for $3.00 (like a Gispert Lonsdale) would likely increase to $4.60 before state tobacco taxes are included. While a cigar that retails for $10.00 (such as a Montecristo Churchill), will likely go to $15.31 before state tobacco taxes are included, or from $250.00 per box to $382.75 before state taxes.

4) Cigar Aficionado’s Jack Bettridge has a blog entry on what sounds like a great book: Churchill’s Cigar by British journalist Stephen McGinty. A quick search reveals this fascinating excerpt from the London Sunday Times.

5) Around the Blogs: Cigar Inspector inspects a Gurkha Double Maduro. Stogie Review reviews the Oliva Serie V Ligero Especial Lancero. Matt lights up the Tatuaje Reserva “A”. Cigar Command smokes a Dunhill Signed Range. Keepers of the Flame flames up a Tatuaje Series P2. Cigar Jack smokes the MAXX by Alec Bradley.

6) Deal of the Week: This ten cigar sampler from Tinderbox.com features six – count em’ six – cigars made by the hottest cigar maker in the business, Don “Pepin” Garcia. That includes two Tatuajes, a Padilla Miami, a 601 Blue, and two from Pepin’s own line. (Oh, and the other four sticks aren’t bad either.) All this for just $69. Pick yours up here.

–The Stogie Guys

Chances are you’ve seen one at your local B&M. Maybe you did a double take as you were examining the many cigars in the humidor. “What on earth is that?” you ask yourself while noting a dual-colored wrapper.

That is a barber pole, and chances are you’ve seen more of them lately. With two wrappers, usually contrasting natural and maduro leaves, “dos capas” are difficult to make and usually only attempted by highly skilled rollers. Yet more cigar companies are making barber poles now than ever before.

Camacho’s limited edition 2007 Liberty release features a barber pole wrapper. So does the highly anticipated CAO America, though technically that’s a “pinstripe” (and the limited CAO Bratalia line also features one). Arganese (pictured at right) and Gurkha have introduced barber poles. Felipe Gregorio makes two different barber poles, one with two wrappers and the other with three (natural, maduro, and candela). And others, including big names like Fuente and Don Pepin, have also created limited edition barber pole sticks.

So what to make of these cigars? Are they novelties, masterpieces, or both?

Like most things, the answer isn’t that simple. While barber poles are likely created more for aesthetics than flavor, the dual wrappers allow for an additional layer of complexity.

Because the wrapper is usually the part of the cigar that most contributes to a stogie’s flavor profile, a barber pole might offer taste possibilities impossible to create with just one wrapper. Of course, more complexity isn’t always better, as evidenced by the Rocky Patel Fusion. While the Fusion is a fine cigar, it’s generally not considered as good as either the Vintage 1990 or 1992 (despite the fact it uses both cigars’ wrappers).

But flavor isn’t the only reason you might want to try a barber pole. Every smoker has their own definition of a good-looking cigar, and a spiraling wrapper is clearly an attention-grabber.

When it comes to construction, the barber poles also offer both both pros and cons. Because of the skill necessary to create them, they are more likely to be the work of master torcedors. On the other hand, because different types of wrappers burn at different speeds, these cigars may be likely to burn unevenly.

Ultimately, like cigars in general, barber poles are going to be a matter of personal taste. And in the end there is only one way to decide if these curious-looking sticks are for you: Go out and smoke some.

–Patrick S

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) Enjoy our weekend Quick Smokes? Wish you could post one of your own? Well, here’s your chance: StogieGuys.com is still accepting Guest Quick Smokes. Just send us an email with a short description of the cigar (please include its full name and dimensions) and your rating of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell,” and we’ll consider posting it. You can increase your chances of publication by choosing a cigar that hasn’t already been a Quick Smoke or the subject of a full review. Please remember we’re not looking for essays; just a short paragraph on your impressions. Here are a few good examples of a Macanudo, a Punch, and a Hoyo.

2) If you enjoyed Wednesday’s interview with baseball legend turned cigar manufacturer Luis Tiant, chances are you’ll get a kick out of Cigar Aficionado’s recent piece on Mets general manager Omar Minaya. He talks about trying to please crazy New Yorkers and his affinity for Arturo Fuentes and La Auroras.

3) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame lights up a Camacho Corojo 11/18. Cigar Beat reviews a Partagas Black Bravo. Cigar Monkey puffs on a Macanudo Prince Phillip. Cigar Inspector inspects a PadrÏŒn Maduro 3000. Velvet Cigar goes with the Gurkha Expedition 1887. Cigar Jack torches up a Cusano P1.

4) Deal of the Week: This special ends today at midnight, so waste no time! Replacement Deal: Nine cigar “Woodstock Sampler” for just $25. Get yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

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) In the continuing trend towards further consolidation of the cigar industry, Swedish Match – the parent company of General Cigar (owner of such brands as Macanudo, Partagas, and Cohiba) – has purchased retailer Cigars International, Inc. Cigar International is a wholesale cigar seller known for its two websites: CigarsInternational.com and CigarBid.com. The move hints that further acquisitions in the cigar industry may be vertical consolidations as companies seek to add shareholder value by controlling production, wholesale distribution, and retail sales.

2) Congratulations to the voters of Athens, Alabama, who this week rejected attempts to ban alcohol and time travel back to the forgettable days of prohibition. While we generally steer clear of politics not specifically tobacco-related, we think alcohol prohibition is a terrible policy for two reasons: (1) it sets a bad precedent for the prohibition of other substances that intolerant teetotalers don’t like, such as tobacco; and (2) it deprives cigar smokers of a fantastic accompaniment to their smoke.

3) Around the Blogs: Keepers of the Flame lights up an H. Upmann Signature. Cigar Jack smokes the Mojito Madness Corona. Cigar Beat tries the Joya de Nicaragua Celebration. Cigar Monkey monkeys around with a Montecruz Negra Cubana.

4) Deal of the Week: Fuente, Gurkha, Macanudo, Hoyo, La Gloria Cubana, Toraño, Partagas, CAO, Punch, Rocky Patel, and Padron. That’s most of the big names in the business and in this sampler they’re available for under $2 per stick. To pick up 16 cigars pictured for just $29.95, click here.

5) Finally, we want to welcome our latest sponsor, Cuban-Cigars-Store.com. For more information on partnering with StogieGuys.com, please visit our Advertising & Promotions page.

–The Stogie Guys

I never thought I’d be so irritated by a “courtesy smoking area.” But that’s exactly what I found at Charlotte Douglas International Airport last weekend.

The trip started innocently enough when my girlfriend and I landed in North Carolina’s largest city after a short flight from our homes in DC. We were heading to northern Minnesota for a long weekend of boating, golfing, and bonfires, but needed to survive a three-hour layover in the Queen City before boarding a flight to Minneapolis.

If a stop in Charlotte seems a bit odd for a trip from Washington to Minnesota, no, you’re not geographically challenged. It’s completely out of the way – but a heck of a lot cheaper than any of the other travel options.

So while we were taxiing to our gate, I started to think about how the two of us could best make the three hours pass. Food seemed a logical choice, even if airport cuisine is overpriced and usually less than spectacular. But that would only kill 60 minutes at most.

“What would really hit the spot,” I thought, “is a nice cigar.” Unfortunately, all the stogies we packed for the trip – a generous supply of Gurkha Expedition Torpedos, Cuban Crafters Cabinet Selection Toros, CAO Criollo Patos, and various Don Kiki lines – were packed in checked luggage and therefore inaccessible during the layover.

And then there was hope. As we stepped off the U.S. Airways Airbus 319 into gate B5, my eyes immediately caught a small cigar shop nestled between the men’s room and a California Pizza Kitchen. What luck! Even though it was clear we wouldn’t be able to smoke in the store, I figured we’d have plenty of time to find the airport’s smoking lounge after dinner.

So, with two freshly cut Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Maduros in my pocket and a bunch of crappy pizza in our stomachs, we ventured out to find the closest smoking area.

I honestly didn’t think this would take too long. After all, with an annual tobacco income in excess of $500 million in an industry that employs over 250,000, I assumed North Carolina should have some of the most tobacco-friendly airports in the country. But that’s not the case.

While many airports have indoor smoking lounges and various smoke-friendly bars and restaurants, we were told by our California Pizza Kitchen waitress (who obviously enjoyed cigarettes) that we’d have to leave the terminal for an outdoor “courtesy smoking area.”

As if making us leave the building completely wasn’t enough, Charlotte airport officials actually had the audacity to designate one small area at the end of the last terminal for smokers. It was marked by a large overhead sign above and boxed in with white paint on the pavement below.

We kind of felt like caged animals as other travelers stared while they waited to be picked up by loved ones. Clearly, cigar smokers are somewhat of a novelty in these otherwise cigarette-laden smoking areas. We also received plenty of funny looks from airport employees and TSA workers out for a short cigarette break.

But we sat there for quite awhile, puffing away in the sweltering Carolina heat. Hauling our many carry-ons all over hell’s half acre and going back through security was a pain in the ass, but we couldn’t think of a better way to pass the time.

–Patrick A

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) The House passed their version of the SCHIP tax increase on Wednesday, upping the excise tax on cigars by 1,900 percent. They don’t really expect us to praise them for not proposing a 20,000 percent increase like the Senate, do they?

2) We’ve given you our thoughts on this whole crazy tax increase thing. Now watch one of our favorite cigar makers, Rocky Patel, discuss why you need to take action to oppose this legislation.

3) It’s not exactly in the same league as the victory cigars of Red Auerbach or Jack McKeon, but Tampa Bay Bucs defensive line coach Larry Coyer is rarely without his pipe, according to an item in the Tampa Tribune. Coyer, 67, told the paper he was smoking cigars back in 1970 when he was given a corncob pie and, “I haven’t put it down since.” He said he thinks he might be the only pipe smoker left in the NFL.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews the Perdomo Champagne. Cigar Beat lights up the Sancho Panza EF. Brian has an Oliva Serie V. Cigar Jack smokes a Perdomo Reserve Maduro. Keepers of the Flame torches up the Troya Clasico. Velvet Cigar lights up a Gurkha Black Dragon.

5: Deal of the Week: With the Camacho Triple Maduro, Padron 5000, Toraño Signature, Joya de Nicuragua, La Gloria Cubana, 601 Blue, and four other top quality smokes, it’s no surprise that this “money sampler” is often sold out. Fortunately, at least for the moment, it isn’t, and you can pick it up for a very reasonable $19.99. Grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

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) Following yesterday’s review of a sub-par, machine-made Cuban, we thought it appropriate to draw your attention to this article by James Suckling, European editor for Cigar Aficionado. Today’s best Cubans, according to Suckling, “cater to the wants and needs we have as lovers of the leaf, and to the modern life we all aspire to” better than any others in the country’s rich history of stogie production.

2) The second batch of Gurkha Estate Select Reserve and Estate Select Vintage Shaggy cigars started to make its way to the U.S. yesterday. The popular “Shaggy” cigar gets its name from the filler tobacco leaves jutting out from its uncut foot.

3) Around the Blogs: Velvet Cigar smokes an Oliva Serie V. Stogie Fresh lights up a Bucanero Canon Cubano. Cigar Jack reviews a Don Pepin Garcia Blue. Leafy Times smokes the CAO Black VR. Keepers of the Flame goes with the Por Larranga Cuban Grade. Stogie Review fires up a Romeo y Julieta Anniversario.

4) Deal of the Week: If you figure that the aluminum case included in this week’s deal runs $4 (and it probably costs four times that much), then that means you get these big name cigars from Fuente, Partagas, Macanudo, La Gloria, CAO, Padrón, and others for just $2 per stick. Included in the 13-cigar sampler is the exclusive CAO Gold Maduro, which you won’t find anywhere else. It is definitely a steal, so grab yours today by clicking here.

–The Stogie Guys