The 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. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) As we mentioned in the latest edition of our free email newsletter yesterday, May marks the six-year anniversary of StogieGuys.com. It has been our privilege and honor to bring you daily content from the world of cigars (over 2,100 unique posts and counting). Loyal readers will recall that we launched a complete site re-design last year at this time in celebration of our fifth anniversary. We think the new layout continues to provide a cleaner look, easier access to our vast archives of articles and reviews, upgraded search capabilities, and more reader interaction. And while we’re not planning another site overhaul anytime soon, we continue to welcome your comments and feedback so we can help make the next six years even better. Feel free to contact us anytime with your comments or suggestions. And thank you for your continuing readership!

2) If you’re attending the PGA’s The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, this weekend, be sure to pick up a copy of Ponte Vedra Life magazine. The latest issue is a guide to watching the tournament, known as “the fifth major,” and it features an article by the Stogie Guys about golf and cigars.

3) Inside the Industry: Litto Gomez has officially trademarked the Chisel, protecting the cigar shape he invented for La Flor Dominicana in 2003. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo is launching a new line called “Inch” that will feature three sizes with ring gauges of 60 or higher. Miami Cigar & Co. is expanding its La Sirena series with a new blend called “Merloin” that will be offered in three sizes and sell in the $9-11 range. Alec Bradley is releasing the American Sun Grown as a bang-for-your-buck smoke that will sell for around $5.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Explorer explores a Padron TAA 2012. Nice Tight Ash checks out a PG Reserva Exclusiva. Stogie Review reviews a Room 101 San Andres. Cigar Brief checks out an Ortega Serie D No. 8. Cigar Coop smokes an Avo XO. Cigar Inspector inspects a Viaje Double Edged Sword.

5) Deal of the Week: This mega-sampler includes 20 cigars for just $60. Included are such cigars as a Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve Corona, a La Aurora Preferido Cameroon, a Gran Habano Corojo #5, a Don Pepin JJ Maduro, Carlos Torano 1959, CAO Cameroon, Rocky Patel Vintage 1990, an Entubar Double Corona Natural, an Oliva Series G Churchill Cameroon, Gurkha Raider, a Gurkha Gold, Sungrown, Intensa (from Raices Cubana) and a House Resolution (by JC Newman).

–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. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Since February, we’ve been covering Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s misguided attempt to boost state coffers by raising his state’s excise tax on cigars from 15% to 70%. There are currently bills before the state Senate and House that would bolster premium cigar taxes, and a joint committee is set to meet to reconcile the two different proposals. “Surrounding jurisdictions such as Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., already tax premium cigars less than Maryland’s current 15 percent levy,” according to the Gaithersburg Gazette. In the same article, Stephen Castro, owner of seven cigar shops in the state, said “the current legislative push…could drive shops such as his out of business.”

2) Officials in Elk Grove were considering a ban on smoking inside private apartments in the Northern California town. They have decided not to pursue the restrictive proposal, for now. “After hearing the comments, the council agreed that the apartment smoking issue seemed to be confined to [one apartment complex] and were reluctant to ban smoking outright at all complexes within the city,” reports the Sacramento Bee.

3) Inside the Industry: General Cigar is launching a new Partagas line called 1845 with an Ecuadorian Habano-seed wrapper, Connecticut binder, and rum barrel-aged filler tobaccos. Manny Ferrero, senior vice president of sales for Ashton Distributors, passed away on Tuesday. Wicked Indie is the first cigar release under the East India Trading Company, a subsidiary of the newly renamed Gurkha Cigar Group, Inc.

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Fan fires up a Padilla Artemis. Cigar Explorer explores a Patoro Vuelta Abajo Limited. The Tiki Bar kicks back with a 262 Paradigm Lancero. Cigar Inspector inspects a Tatuaje TAA. Half Wheel smokes a Second Growth. Stogie Review reviews an Ashton ESG.

5) Deal of the Week: This weekly special features two top-notch blends for just $30. Included are five Boris 11 Connecticut Perfectos (created in partnership with Avo) and five Nestor Miranda Dominicana Piramides (made by the Garcia family).

–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. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) On June 5, Californians will vote on Prop. 29, a measure that would increase already-high state cigar taxes by 73%. California Citizens Against Wasteful Taxes issued a press release on Tuesday citing that “the estimated $735 million raised annually by these tax increases will be spent on cancer research, but spending decisions will be made by a bureaucratic committee that will not be accountable to voters or to the state legislature.” The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) is “committing significant financial resources” to help defeat the proposition, and Cigar Rights of America is also said to be involved.

2) In last month’s “Question of the Month,” we asked readers, “Which cigar-producing country would you like to visit most?” Cuba topped the poll with 58% of the vote, followed by Nicaragua (22%), the Dominican Republic (15%), and Honduras (5%). Be sure to weigh in on this month’s question by voting in the sidebar to the right. And feel free to contact us if you’ve got suggestion for a future poll.

3) Inside the Industry: Javier Plantada, a longtime industry veteran who worked with Altadis/Imperial Tobacco Group, has been appointed the first senior vice president of global production of the Oettinger Davidoff Group. Toraño Family Cigar Co. teamed up with the Charley Foundation earlier this month to help the Nashville-based non-profit raise funds to provide support to charitable agencies addressing the critical needs of children. Urbano is introducing handmade mixed-filler bundle cigars that will sell for less than $1.50 apiece. Carnero, J.M. Tobacco’s first premium cigar, is now available in a Cameroon wrapper.

4) Around the Blogs: Tiki Bar reviews the Emilio Series H Maduro. Cigar Explorer explores La Dueña by My Father Cigars. Cigar Fan fires up a Gurka Cellar Reserve Prisoner. Nice Tight Ash lights up a Puros Indios Siembra de Oro Short Maduro in honor of Don Rolando. Cigar Inspector inspects a Hoyo de Monterrey Short Robusto. Stogie Review reviews an Emilio AF Suave.

5) Deal of the Week: Cain and Nub fans will want to check out this sampler. $30 gets you eight cigars: one each of the four main Nub blends (Cameroon, Habano, Connecticut, and Maduro), and one each of the four main Cain blends (Habano, Maduro, F, and Daytona).

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Defeat Prop. 29

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) Cigar Rights Alerts: Legislation has been proposed in Kansas that would increase the state tax on cigars by 30%, and proponents concede the move has little to do with increasing revenue and much to do with discouraging the use of tobacco among consenting adults. Meanwhile, in Maryland, the Senate passed a bill that would criminalize smoking in cars that carry passengers younger than the age of eight. And at the College of DuPage, a two-year community college outside Chicago with a student population of 30,000, administrators are considering a campus-wide smoking ban.

2) The Beach Cigar Group has officially changed its name to the Gurkha Cigar Group to reinforce the connection between the company name and its cigars. “This is a natural and progressive move for the company as we link our identity even more with the Gurkha brand,” said Gary Hyams, president of Gurkha Cigar Group. “The new name is also appropriate to further signal the positive direction the company is taking and will be a tremendous help as we position the Gurkha brand internationally.”

3) Inside the Industry: Two Guys Smoke Shop in Nashua is now the 55th Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge in the nation and the first in New Hampshire. The Midwest Smoke Out, an event planned for April 19 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, announced a partnership with Cigar Rights of America. La Aurora is expanding its popular 107 line with a new Salomon (7.25 x 52) vitola.

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews a La Flor Dominicana Double Claro No. 42. Cigar Inspector inspects a Hoyo de Monterrey Petit Robusto. Cigar Explorer explores a Quesada Q D’Etat Molotov. Cigar Fan fires up a Rocky Patel Edicion Unica 2011.

5) Deal of the Week: This weekly special features ten top Dominican smokes for just $3 per cigar. In addition to five Montecristo Platinums, you get five Hammer & Sickle cigars, which are made by Davidoff master blender Henke Kelner.

–The Stogie Guys

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. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) One week before Indianapolis hosts Super Bowl XLVI between the Giants and the Patriots, anti-tobacco politicians in Indiana are still pushing for a statewide smoking ban. Now, to pass the bill, some legislators are lobbying to exempt bars. As it currently stands, the only exemptions are for private clubs, casinos, hookah bars, and retail tobacco shops. “The House last year approved a smoking ban bill that included an exemption for bars, but it failed later after health advocates argued it would be one of the nation’s weakest bans,” reports the Indianapolis Business Journal.

2) Cigar Journal, formerly the European Cigar Cult Journal, has opened a Florida office that will process U.S. subscriptions and be held responsible for growing the publication’s brand in America. Each issue of Cigar Journal includes cigar reviews, reports, and research. Robert McDuffee, co-founder of the DogWatch Cigar Radio podcast, will help the office liaison between the U.S. cigar scene and Cigar Journal’s main office in Vienna, Austria.

3) Inside the Industry: José M. Seijas is resigning as head of Tabacalera de Garcia Ltd., the Altadis USA cigar factory where smokes like Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta are made. Room101 Cigars is launching a new limited series called OSOK—an acronyn for “one shot, one kill”—that we first sampled last fall and which features an Ecuadorian habano wrapper around corojo tobaccos. Adrian’s Costa Rican and CroMagnon brand owners Michael Rosales and Skip Martin, respectively, are merging their operations to jointly form RoMa Craft Tobac (the company will release a new CroMagnon extension, two new lines, and a “new flagship” product for their Adrian’s Costa Rican brand).

4) Around the Blogs: Tiki Bar tries the Maldonado Dynasty Mogul. Cigar Explorer explores the Kristoff Corojo Limitada. Nice Tight Ash checks out the Alec Bradley Black Market. Cigar Inspector inspects a Gurkha Cellar Reserve Prisoner. Cigar Fan fires up the Toraño Vault. Stogie Review reviews the Padilla Black Bear.

5) Deal of the Week: Like Rocky Patel and Gurkha? Then you’ll enjoy this Rocky vs. Gurkha 12-cigar sampler for only $40. Not only do you get five Rocky Patel Olde World Corojo Toros and five Gurkha Raider Habano Toros, included is one Gurkha Signature Aniversaro 1887 Limited Edition and one Indian Tabac Super Fuerte.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: ISBHC

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) Demonstrating the lengths some groups and politicians will go to control tobacco, five U.S. senators are now urging the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to outright ban flavored cigars nationwide. “Cigars with candy-like flavorings such as strawberry, watermelon, vanilla, and chocolate attract kids to smoking and help hook them on this addictive habit,” wrote Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CN) in a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. This move further underscores the need to differentiate premium handmade cigars from cheap machine-made sticks, as well as the need to pass the “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2011,” which would repeal the FDA’s authority to regulate cigars.

2) Last week we reported that Camacho Cigars signed a three-year deal to become a corporate sponsor of the Orange Bowl. But on Tuesday, ten anti-tobacco groups sent a letter to collegiate athletics officials saying that “the Florida cigar company’s sponsorship of the football games have no place in sports and shouldn’t be allowed under federal tobacco marketing restrictions.” According to an article published yesterday, representatives from Camacho, the NCAA, and the Orange Bowl have not yet responded to the letter.

3) Inside the Industry: Oliva is making a new version of its highly-regarded Series V smoke in its new Miami facility starting early next year. Barry Stein, proprietor of ACigarSmoker.com, is joining Miami Cigar & Co. Cromagnon is finally available in boxes that brand owner Skip Martin calls “cubes” with 35 cigars each. (To celebrate, Cromagnon is giving one lucky winner a free trip to Austin, Texas, full of cigars, beer, and BBQ. Details here.)

4) Around the Blogs: Stogie Review reviews El Primer Mundo Epiphania. Smoking Stogie smokes a J. Fuego 777 Corojo Paka. Cigar Inspector inspects an E.P. Carrillo Club 52. Tiki Bar kicks back with a Savinelli Dos Campeones 21. Nice Tight Ash checks out a Casa Magnus Domus Optimus.

5) Deal of the Week: This weekly special gets you 10 quality sticks for just $30. Included are top smokes from Excalibur, Gurkha, Camacho, Romeo y Julieta, Rocky Patel, CAO, and Perdomo.

–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. Below is our latest Friday Sampler.

1) Anti-tobacco politicians and groups in Indiana have been trying to pass a comprehensive statewide smoking ban since 2007. Now, months before Indianapolis hosts Super Bowl XLVI, they may be closer than ever. Indiana Senate President Pro Tem David Long said a statewide ban can pass in this legislative session if advocates concede a few exemptions. But the IPCPR remains strongly opposed. “Our position hasn’t changed: Business owners have the right to decide the smoking policies of their own establishments,” said Bill Spann, CEO of the IPCPR. “When the government tells them what to do, it is going too far. Legislated smoking bans are a product of the ‘Nanny State’ and put businesses at risk, jobs in jeopardy, hurt local economies, and leave consumers with no choices.”

2) FDA oversight of cigars is on its way, as this article from the Daily Caller makes clear. In it, an FDA spokesman admits that cigars would be subject to “general controls, such as registration, product listing, ingredient listing, good manufacturing practice requirements, user fees for certain products, and the adulteration and misbranding provisions, as well as to the premarket review requirements for ‘new tobacco products’ and ‘modified risk tobacco products.'” Such regulation would be devastating to the handmade cigar industry.

3) Inside the Industry: Litto Gomez has announced a new limited edition cigar for La Flor Dominicana called Colorado Oscuro. The two new blends from El Tiante (Habano Rosado and Habano Oscuro) are making their Boston and Providence debuts at Cigar Masters on December 14 and December 15, respectively. Altadis is launching the Vega Fina Seijas 2011 Limited Edition, which features a San Andreas criollo wrapper. Ashton’s La Aroma de Cuba is adding a Corona and a Double Corona to its lineup.

4) Around the Blogs: Smoking Stogie smokes a Cohiba Siglo VI. Stogie Fresh lights up a Macanudo Cru Royale. Stogie Review reviews a Fuente Untold Story Maduro. Cigar Explorer checks out the Illusione Epernay Le Taureau. Cigar Fan fires up a La Gloria Artesanos Retro.

5) Deal of the Week: Just $40 gets you 12 premium smokes in this weekly special. Included are five Rocky Patel Olde World Reserves, five Gurkha Raider Toro Habanos, plus one Indian Tabac Super Fuerte and one K. Hansotia Limited Edition.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr