Posted By: Doug on Tuesday Feb 19, 2008
Filed Under: Cigar Industry, Cigar Life
Well it’s been awhile since I blogged here.
I’ll explain that in another post sometime…
But all the extenuating circumstances in the world could not stop any cigar blog from posting on this day.
Today the AP is reporting that Castro has resigned.
He will NOT seek or accept another term as Cuba’s “President.”
In the end I doubt this means much for the cigar world.
His brother ain’t much better… and unless/until Castro is dead i doubt anyone will change anything there too much.
Still…
We haven’t SEEN Castro in some time. Just “Official” photos and some writings.
Maybe he’s already dead and this is a big show. 
Here’s a link to the story…
Castro Resigns!
What do YOU think this means for the world of cigars??
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Posted By: Doug on Thursday Aug 23, 2007
Filed Under: Cigar Industry
This article was interesting to me … mostly because it said Cigarette sales down 3%, Cigar sales UP 30%
Maybe that means more people are becoming cigar fans.
Maybe that means we’ll hear less about cigars being lumped in with cigarettes
Maybe that means we’ll not be affected as much by these ridiculous smoking bans happening all over?
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Posted By: Doug on Saturday Aug 18, 2007
Filed Under: Cigar Laws, Cigar Industry
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Posted By: Doug on Friday Aug 17, 2007
Filed Under: Cigar Industry
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Posted By: Doug on Monday Jun 11, 2007
Filed Under: Cigar Industry
Cigar Insider recently had an article about
Cigar Insider reports that Oliva Cigar Co. is working on a stronger cigar, that will be released to a limited number of retailers.
I think this is great news.
I’m a big fan of the Oliva company and their cigars.
I think they have a great story and some extremely well constructed stogies.
Unfortunately I don’t smoke too many of them because I’m always drawn to my more “full bodied” favorites.
(though the master blend is a thing of poetry)
I had a chance to meet some Oliva reps at local cigar shop a while ago and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
It was clear that they thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the company too.
It’s always nice to see people with a passion doing what they love - the end result being a great product.
I am thrilled at the prospect of a new bolder Oliva.
The Cigar Inside article says..
A company representative will visit each store to give a personal overview of the philosophy of the cigar.
Called Oliva Serie V Ligero Especial, the cigar will be made with top-priming Nicaraguan Habano-seed sungrown
wrapper, with binder and filler grown on company owned farms in Nicaragua.
Wow I’m sold!
Say no more!
… but they did…
“We set out to make the fullest-bodied cigar we can make, while still keeping balance,” said Jose Oliva, vice
president of the company, which rolls cigars in Nicaragua.
…
The cigars will come in five sizes, the thinnest of which
will have a 52 ring gauge.
…
Two sizes will also be made in a maduro version using Connecticut-broadleaf wrappers.
Each will be made with a Cuban-style, three-seam cap, a first for the company.
…
The cigars will be released in June, prior to the annual
industry trade show
…
The line will also include a culebra size - a true rarity in
the cigar world today…
Wow!
Maduro… minimum of 52 gauge… June… culebra…
This sounds like a potentially great (and fun) product.
I can’t wait to see / try it.
Only 42 retailers in the USA will carry it - I hope a shop here has one or two.
And to the Oliva company - if your reading this - I’d be happy to review one if you’d like. 
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Posted By: Doug on Friday Jun 01, 2007
Filed Under: Cigar Industry
Kentucky’s “The State Journal” news paper had a great article recently.
A story about a man who started a cigar company of his very own.
His company is “Kentucky Gentlemen Hand rolled Cigars”.
Last year he sold 100,000 cigars.
And that’s WITH OUT a sales force.
Now that he’s got a National Sales Director on board he expects to sell 1 Million cigars next year.
The National Sales Director, Greg Lynd said:
“I had no intention of changing what I do for a living until I came down here and smoked one of these cigars,” Lynd said. “That’s when I knew I had to be part of this.”
The business owner, Allen Mobley, has a great story.
“It was time Kentucky made a good cigar,” Mobley said.
This decision led Mobley to Texas where three Cubans taught him how to roll cigars. Mobley later went to the Dominican Republic and lived with a family to further his skills in cigar rolling.
He has converted one of his barns into a cigar shop where he stores tobacco he has handpicked from places like Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Mobley also puts a little bit of Kentucky in every one of his cigars.
“You can’t use too much because Kentucky tobacco is so strong,” Mobley said.
He is also apparently working on a A Kentucky grown wrapper.
“I’m coming up with a wrapper leaf grown here in Kentucky, but it’s too strong right now,” Mobley said. “It won’t be ready until four years down the road.”
Sounds interesting.
Perhaps I’ll order some and review them for you.
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Posted By: Doug on Wednesday May 23, 2007
Filed Under: Cigar Industry
Cigar Aficionado report that a new cigar is on the way! Litto Gomez fans will be pleased to hear about a new cigar. (as will Cameroon fans)
Cameroon seems to be enjoying a bit of hype lately with the CAO marketing machine behind it’s CX2. Plenty of people were probably Cameroon fans before they even knew it. 
Litto Gomez has released a small-batch Cameroon cigar. Packaged in boxes of 50, the bandless Cameroon Cabinet cigars are available at select cigar retailers. Only 500,000 sticks will be made. |
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Posted By: Doug on Friday May 18, 2007
Filed Under: Cigar Industry, Cigar Life
So I was reading a nice article in the El Paso Times… (don’t ask how I find this stuff) about the return of cigars to the mainstream in the city. Shops are popping up and business is booming.
A nice article in these times where the news is often about legislation this and that.
One part of the article got my attention in particular though.
The shop owner they were interviewing said:
“There are no additives; it is all natural tobacco. One company, Rocky Patel, actually goes through the trouble of trying to get the nicotine out of the cigars.”
Wow!
Is that true?
I’ve never heard that.
It’s kind of an interesting topic - worth some follow up research if it’s true.
Anybody ever hear this before?
Can you verify it at all?
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Posted By: Doug on Monday May 14, 2007
Filed Under: Cigar Industry
Hey folks…
So sorry for the delay in posting.
Work has been CRAZY! I guess we all know what that’s like from time to time.
The “Heard in the Humidor” over at CigarWeekly.com mentioned a new Montecristo… anybody actually try these yet?
I personally don’t approve of re-using Cuban brands here in the USA. Someday Cuba will open up and then what?
I’ll tell you what… CHAOS!
anyway.. here’s a clip of the article I mentioned.
…the new Montecristo Serie C, the 13th different Montecristo Blend since the brand was introduced to national distribution in the U.S. in 1995…
…The new Serie C is a unique blend featuring a Cameroon wrapper and Altadis calls the new blend “the finest Cameroon wrapper cigar available today.” It’s made at the giant Tabacalera de Garcia plant in La Romana, Dominican Republic and incorporates a Nicaraguan-grown binder and Dominican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian fillers in four sizes in unique, three-tier boxes of 21!… |
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Posted By: Doug on Tuesday Apr 17, 2007
Filed Under: Cigar Laws, Cigar Industry
In Salem, N.H several dozen cigar and tobacco shop owners are working together to oppose a smoking ban in bars and restaurants.
Even though cigar and tobacco shops are exempt from the ban, the groups sees this as a potentially very bad thing for their business.
David Garofalo, who runs the Salem shop “Two Guys Smoke Shop” said:
“I have a problem being the exemption. This bill is worse than it looks… We’re going from someone buying a box of cigars to a single cigar that they’ll smoke here.”
An interesting point that I honestly haven’t considered a great deal as it seems the best we can EVER hope for is an exemption these days.
Also I am always tempted to believe that much of the bulk cigar purchases being made these days is moving online.
The deals are just so much better online when you’re buying a box or more.
For me anyway local cigar shops have become a place to try new things, meet BOTLs, and share a cigar and conversation.
And while the social aspect of the cigar shop is a very important one (for our national culture let alone we cigar smokers) giving the local tobacconist every reasonable chance to compete with the online world is also a pretty important thing.
Garofalo goes on to say that he would like the state to stay out of regulating where people can and can’t smoke and let business owners make that decision.
Wow what a novel Idea.
Preach on brother Garofalo!
The StogiCast.com crew is with you in spirit.
If we can help - don’t hesitate to make contact!
(soruce: boston.com)
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