Let's Talk Cigars, a community of cigar blogs

Exclusive Cigar Releases at Christmas Party

Michael J. Gibbs — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:38:32 GMT

We'll be releasing some new cigars at the Spark of Love Toy Drive / Tobacco Barn Christmas party. James is here to break it all down to you:

That's right, we'll be making available these great LIMITED AVAILABILITY cigars only at the Christmas Party this Thursday, December 17th. You'll be able to choose from:

Padron Family Reserve No. 45 (Natural & Maduro). This Nicaraguan puro is made from tobaccos that have been aged at least a decade. The box-pressed "Little Hammer" is a strong cigar with the smoothness you associate with Padron cigars.
Benji Menendez Limited Edition Partagas (also known as the Benji Menendez Partagas master Series majestuoso). The production run on this fine cigar is limited to 5,000 boxes and we've got our hands on some. This bold blend is a reflection of his 57 years in the industry.
Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Edicion de Anniversario. This very rare cigar has been aged for 2 years under the supervision of the masters at Arturo Fuente. Using the same wrapper you'd find on an OpusX cigar and a fantastic blend of Dominican fillers it is no wonder that some of the initial releases of this cigar sold for $1000 for a sampler box of 30.
OpusX Lost City. The Barn is proud to announce the availability of this rare OpusX cigar which is a full-bodied smoke with lots of complexity. The tobaccos used in this cigar were planted during the off-season specifically for the Movie "The Lost City" starring Andy Garcia.
Arturo Fuente Anejo. This cigar is often called one of the rarest cigars in production today. With a dark maduro wrapper that has been aged in cognac barrels wrapped around Dominican binder and filler to create a most unique and pleasant taste.

Don't miss out on the party of the year, or worse yet, your chance at snapping up these great, limited edition cigars because when they are gone, we may never see their like again! So join us, December 17th at our Spark of Love Toy Drive for all the fun! And don't forget to bring a new, wrapped present worth $20 or more (or a $20 donation) for admittance to this great event.

Countdown to Spark of Love Toy Drive at Tobacco Barn

Michael J. Gibbs — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:22:15 GMT

If you haven't head about our Spark of Love Toy Drive/Christmas Party, I'll let Richard and Adam tell you a little bit about it.

Isn't that great? In addition to helping out those less fortunate during this holiday season, we'll be giving you in return a Rocky Patel cigar, hot dog (or chili dog) and a beer (or Mike's Hard Apple Cider or soda or coffee) when you attend the event.

But keep your eyes peeled on your inbox because every day between now and the party, we'll be announcing a special promotion that is only available to our faithful customers who watch these videos. We won't be advertising these specials anywhere else so please watch the video to learn how to save big on some great products from the Tobacco Barn.

If you have any comments about this event, please feel free to leave a comment below and we look forward to seeing you on Thursday, December 17th, 2009!

Stop The Insanity New York!

Michael J. Gibbs — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:06:42 GMT

From the No More Tobacco Taxes blog comes another rail against the hypocrisy and rampant smokerism that is being espoused by the New York City Council. And people say California is bad!

Stop The Insanity New York!

From the city that brought you the smoking ban in parks and other public places under the guise of protecting children from SEEING people smoking comes a new low in their erstwhile condemnation of the LEGAL smoking public.

In late October, the NYC City Council voted to ban sale of ALL flavored tobacco products (except of course menthol cigarettes). This ban would include flavored chewing tobacco and cigars! Mayor Bloomberg, who kicked off the city's crackdown on smoking in 2002, is expected to sign this bill into law soon.

The argument is that the FDA's recent legislation that prohibits the sale of flavored cigarettes (except menthol of course) doesn't go far enough to stop kids from being tempted to smoke. They are claiming that little cigars, cigars, snus and chewing tobacco are all "gateway drugs" that Big Tobacco is using to drive kids to smoke more cigarettes. Of course this is in direct contradiction to the fact that Big Tobacco doesn't produce any flavored smokes BESIDES menthol cigarettes and hasn't for years. Not coincidentally, this legislation purposefully excludes products flavored with "menthol, mint or clove tastes or aromas" from the ban; precisely the only flavored smoking products that Big Tobacco DOES produce.

Brooklyn Councilman Lewis Fidler is the sole voice of reason on this board. His nay vote was cast rightfully because the sale of tobacco products to minors is already illegal and these new laws will do NOTHING to stop that.

Amazingly enough, in this day and age when municipalities are cutting back on critical services like law enforcement, medical and educational services they have chosen a course of action that not only does NOTHING to stop kids from starting to smoke, it does so an estimated cost of $2 million per year in tax revenues that will be lost. How many cops can you add to the beat for $2 million per year?

Why not try increasing the tax on this class of product to price it out of the hands of teenagers? That is the stance that Councilman Fidler espouses as being a more attractive alternative.

More importantly, if you REALLY want to do something about keeping kids from starting smoking via flavored products, why not stop the hypocrisy initiated by the FDA legislation and ban the sale of menthol cigarettes instead of high end luxury products (like fine flavored cigars) enjoyed by consenting adults that are already priced out of the reach of most children?

STOP THE INSANITY NYC! Stop making the useless gestures that make for great sound bites ("It's for the kids") that in reality only go to further stigmatize and criminalize legal consumers of tobacco-based products. Shame on you!

Great Beers Announced for A Night Out 3!

Michael J. Gibbs — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:40:55 GMT

Tickets to "A Night Out 3" event are on sale now but availability to this special event is limited so get your tickets NOW before they are all gone.
This event will be held on the patio at Boosters Sports Grill in Mission Viejo, CA from 7pm until 10pm. For the minimal ticket price, not only will you get to mingle with other like-minded individuals, you'll get the following great items:

2 Don Pepin Cigars (chose from the Series JJ, Series JJ Maduro and the highly rated Blue Label)
Mad Mike Sausage or Burger, grilled to order
Live Music
1 Specialty Beer, wine or bottomless soda
The specialty beers to choose from include:
Wychwood Hobgoblin Ale - including free Hobgoblin glass
Fuller's Vintage Ale
or any of 9 other beers on tap at Boosters!

You can d/l a copy of this event in .ICS format for import into your calendars:

You can get directions to this event from Google or here is an interactive map for you driving pleasure:

View Larger Map

Fonseca Cigar Event Thursday October 15th

Michael J. Gibbs — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:48:43 GMT

Join us to Celebrate Fonseca Cigars Thursday, October 15th!

From 3 until 7 Thursday, October 15th we'll be exploring the joys of Fonseca cigars with all of our customers. All Fonseca cigars are hand-made under the strict supervision of master cigar blender Manuel Quesada to ensure superior quality in every cigar, and are blended from the choicest tobaccos grown in the Cibao valley. Fonseca cigars are available in an outstanding Connecticut shade or a Connecticut Maduro wrapper, and in different sizes to ensure a perfect smoke for every occassion.
We will be featuring a comprehensive lineup of cigars from Fonseca including:

Fonseca Maduros
Fonseca Naturals -
Fonseca Series F - The Fonseca Serie F is somewhat stronger than the regular Fonseca line. According to Manuel Quesada the 'F' stands for 'fuerte' which means 'strong' in Spanish. The majority of the flavor comes from the Dominican and Nicaraguan ligero, aged 'en tercio' (in palm bark). We offer the Fonseca Serie F in Robusto and Toro shapes.
Casa Magna - The Casa Magna line of cigars is the apotheosis of two of the greatest minds in the cigar industry. Manuel Quesada and Nestor Plascencia have created this cigar and the Robusto even got Cigar of the Year for 2008 from Cigar Aficionado. The Casa Magna Robusto was rated a 92 in Cigar Insider and Cigar Aficionado. This Nicaraguan puro is a medium-full bodied joy to smoke. Casa Magna is rolled in Nestor Plascencia's Segovia factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. The oily Colorado wrapper finishes off the Nicaraguan binder and filler exquisitely. Hints of cocoa, coffee, and sweet cedar are presented by this very smooth smoke. Available in Belicoso, Gran Toro, Robusto, and Torito sizes the Casa Magna is a must try cigar.
Cubano Limitado - The Fonseca Cubano Limitado is full flavored with blended Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos in the filler, and with a Honduran wrapper that is oily and a darker natural color than most are used to. We have the Fonseca Cubano Limitado in five sizes.

Join us for these great offers:

Buy 3 get 1 free
End of the evening raffle including cigars, Djeep Lighters and Fonseca goodies.

So don't be late as the cigar giveaways are while they last but plan on staying late to see if you can take home some cool stuff in our drawing!

Mark this event on your calendar and we'll see you then!

Cigar League Week 2 Brings Changes

Michael J. Gibbs — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:52:01 GMT

The Tobacco Barn Cigar League rolls into it’s second night tonight with some changes to the rules and an even bigger pot!

Since no one won the final-score prize last week, the prizes from last week have rolled over to this week. So, if you win tonight, you will win twice what you would have last week. And you have even more chances to win. How is that you ask?

Well, that is as the result of some rule changes we’ve made to the league. We are now offering a prize package based on the half-time score.

Another change we’ve made is in relation to when you can get your pick in. Previously, if you didn’t make it to the store by kickoff, you couldn’t play along on that night. Due to popular demand, we are now allowing latecomers to participate in the fun. If you show up and get your cigars purchased by half-time, you’ll be eligible for the final-score prize (but not the half-time)

So, stop by the Barn tonight (or any Monday night this season) between 4pm and game time (or now half-time) to play. We look forward to seeing you there!

Punch Cigar Event this Thursday

Michael J. Gibbs — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:53:15 GMT

Come join us on September 17th, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, and enjoy some Punch cigars.

The original Punch cigar was created in 1840 by a Cuban cigar manufacturer named Manuel Lopez. Produced in Honduras for Villazon Company under the direction of a great Cuban cigar master, Frank Llaneza, Punch has been a leading premium brand ever since it was first imported from Honduras in 1969.

General Cigar Company is the largest manufacturer and marketer of premium, imported, hand-made or hand-rolled cigars. Their name goes hand in hand with names like Bolivar, Cohiba, Excalibur, Hoyo De Monterrey, La Gloria Cubana, Macanudo and Partagas.

Come join us for these great offers:

Buy 3 get 2 free (Punch Gran Puro Rancho and Punch Magnum)
Buy a box and get a pack of Punch cigars

So don't be late as the cigar giveaways are while they last but plan on staying late to see if you can take home some cool stuff in our drawing!

Mark this event on your calendar and we'll see you then!

Jobs Go Up In Smoke – Thanks SCHIPs

Michael J. Gibbs — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:47:48 GMT

CNN ran a nice article about the demise of Hav-A-Tampa cigar company that was killed as a result of SCHIPs and moved off-shore to Puerto Rico.

Ironically, children of the worker profiled in this story are now eligible for insurance under the program that put their father out of work in the first place.

You can read the full story here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/08/26/mainstreet.tampa.cigars.jobs/index.html#cnnSTCText

And if you know of any jobs to offer to these folks, you can check out the website at havatampaneedsjobs.com.

** Note that the embedded video has been removed since it was causing problems with page display. Please use the link at top to view this video. **

Note: Cross-posted to No More Tobacco Taxes blog.

Rocky Patel Event Pics

Michael J. Gibbs — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:03:41 GMT

As usual, the Rocky Patel event was a highlight of the cigar circuit this year. Great Friends, great cigars and more!

Join our member’s only club next time you are in the store so you too can learn about these great monthly events…

New York Smoker’s Stand Strong

Michael J. Gibbs — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:24:08 GMT

We recently received a copy of the following letter that NATO (National Association of Tobacco Outlets) has sent to New York City Council members about a proposed ban on flavored tobaccos. This is just another example of government trying to stamp out our fully-legal passion for the leaf under the guise of it being “for the children.” Don’t get me started on this justification… Anyway, please read this and pass along to any New Yorkers you know and have them speak up and stop the insanity!

July 24, 2009
Proposed Flavored Cigarette Ban Superceded by New FDA Law;
Extrapolations of Studies and State Laws Do Not Support Flavored Tobacco Ban
New York City Council Members
New York City Council
City Hall, Room 5
New York, NY 10007
Dear Council Member:
The National Association of Tobacco Outlets (“NATO”) strongly opposes Proposed Introduction No. 433A that seeks to ban the sale of flavored cigarettes, flavored cigars, flavored chewing tobacco and other flavored tobacco products. While you may already have an opinion about tobacco products, I urge you to read this letter to fully understand how studies and other state statutes have been extrapolated in an illogical manner in a vain attempt to support adoption of this ban on flavored tobacco products.
As a national trade association representing tobacco retailers throughout the country, NATO’s opposition to the proposed regulations is based on the recently enacted federal law banning the sale of flavored cigarettes and the overreaching extrapolations in a Report of the Human Services Division issued on May 21, 2009 by the Committee on Health. As a note of caution, please understand that if the New York City Council proceeds next week to approve Proposed Introduction No. 433-A, the objections cited below will set the stage for a justifiable legal challenge to the flavored tobacco product sales ban.
New FDA Regulations Banning Flavored Cigarettes Supersede New York City Proposal
On June 22, 2009, a bill was signed into law by President Obama authorizing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate the manufacture, distribution and sale of tobacco products. Specifically, the new law bans the sale of flavored cigarettes nationwide (except menthol cigarettes) as of September 22, 2009 (see Section 907(a)(1) of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act enacted on June 22, 2009).
That is, the proposed ban on the sale of flavored cigarettes in the City of New York is already moot since the federal law will supercede any city or state regulation. In fact, the federal ban on flavored cigarettes is more stringent than the proposed ban for New York City making the need for a city regulation unnecessary.
Lack of Rational Basis for Flavored Ban on Other Tobacco Products May Compel Litigation
The recent Report of the Human Services Division issued by the Committee on Health purports to support passage of Proposed Introduction 433-A (copies of the applicable pages of the report accompany this letter). However, the report fails to establish a rational basis for prohibiting the sale of flavored cigars and other flavored tobacco products. In fact, the report undermines the truth by inaccurately citing studies and other state statutes to assert an unfounded claim that banning flavored cigars and other flavored tobacco products is necessary to prevent or reduce tobacco use by underage youth.
The report first cites an American Lung Association study from 2006 which claims that “teenagers ages 17 to 19 were more than three times more likely to smoke flavored cigarettes than smokers over the age of 25.” Then, in the next sentence, the report extrapolates the findings of this study to assert that “Thus, flavored tobacco is a serious public health issue because of its appeal to youth.” To claim that a study regarding flavored cigarette smoking rates results in all flavored tobacco being a serious health issue is an illogical and unsubstantiated extrapolation of the study’s findings and cannot support the underlying intent of the proposed regulation.
Next, the report refers to an investigation by Attorneys General from forty states that the marketing of flavored cigarettes may have been contrary to the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. Again, this investigation dealt with flavored cigarettes and does not lend any credence to the proposed New York City regulation to ban the sale of flavored cigars and other flavored tobacco products.
Regarding state laws, the report notes that Maine restricts the sale of flavored cigarettes and flavored cigars. What the report does not indicate is that the Maine statute allows the state attorney general to approve the continued sale of flavored cigarettes and flavored cigars if the products were on the market prior to January 1, 1985 and the flavors are not “likely to appeal to youth” (Maine Statutes, Chapter 262-A[5]). That is, Maine’s law should not be relied upon as a precedent to adopt a complete ban on flavored tobacco products.
Finally, the report states that “New Jersey bans the sale of certain flavored tobacco products with a characterizing flavor….” Here again, the author of the report confuses the issue by the use of the general phrase “certain flavored tobacco products” when in fact the New Jersey law only bans flavored cigarettes and components of a cigarette. (New Jersey Statutes, Chapter 91, C.2A:170-51.6).
In short, the report issued by the Committee on Health cannot and should not be relied upon from a legal or factual standpoint to support the passage of Proposed Introduction No. 433-A. All of the studies cited in the report are from anti-tobacco organizations or government health agencies that by any definition are not impartial or unbiased. To exacerbate this lack of scientific impartiality, the report takes far too many liberties with the factual basis of these studies and state laws to have any legal credibility. This lack of integrity found within the report will lay the groundwork for possible legal action to enjoin the administration and enforcement of the proposed regulation if it is passed into law.
For the New York City Council to adopt Proposed Introduction No. 433-A based in whole or in part on the extrapolations and inaccuracies in the Committee on Health report is an example of inappropriate public policymaking. While NATO and its members have always supported the goal of preventing underage youth tobacco use, the extraneous nature of the Committee on Health report calls into serious question whether the regulation is even necessary.
With the new FDA tobacco regulations banning flavored cigarettes across the country and the lack of credible empirical support for a ban on all other flavored tobacco products, I urge you to not proceed with a final vote on Proposed Introduction No. 433-A.
Sincerely yours,
Thomas A. Briant
Thomas A. Briant
NATO Executive Director and Legal Counsel
Copy To: Stephen Louis (New York City Council Legal Counsel)
Michael Cardozo (Corporate Counsel)

Rocky Patel Cigar Event Thursday, July 30, 2009

Michael J. Gibbs — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:40:18 GMT

Join us to Celebrate Rocky Patel Cigars Thursday, July 30th!

From 3 until 7 Thursday, July 30th we'll be sharing the joys of Rocky Patel Cigars with all of our customs. Make sure you don't miss the most highly anticipated event of the year. Past Rocky Patel events have been the most well attended events that we have each year.
We will be featuring a comprehensive lineup of Rocky Patel Cigars including the 90-rated Vintage 1990 and 1992, Edge and Edge Lite, Old World Reserve, 95-rated Decade, Sun Grown, Summer Collection, ITC 10th Anniversary and more.
In an industry built on name recognition and reputation, Rocky Patel's passion has brought his brand to heights unseen by most boutique cigar manufacturers. His hard work and long hours have been paying off in big ways. Rocky Patel has created a company that has shined brightly, and he's doing it one customer at a time.
Join us for these great offers:

Buy 3 get 1 free
Buy a box and get 5 free with a Rocky Patel torch!
End of the evening raffle including cigars and Rocky Patel swag.

So don't be late as the cigar giveaways are while they last but plan on staying late to see if you can take home some cool stuff in our drawing!
Mark this event on your calendar and we'll see you then!

Tobacco-Barn.com
23532 El Toro Road, #13
Lake Forest, CA 92630
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Inaugural A Night Out event Announced!

Michael J. Gibbs — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:02:45 GMT

That’s right, we’ve got our first off-site event, what we hope will be the first of many to introduce our customers to some great smoker-friendly establishments in and around south and central Orange County.

Our first event will be on Wednesday, March 25th from 7 until 10pm at Boosters Sports Grill in Mission Viejo. Your low-priced ticket to this event will get you the following:

2 free cigars from our friends at Perdomo Cigars
A great dinner plate with 5 different sausages selected from Mad Mike’s Sausages
3 micro-brewed beer tastings and one full glass of beer from The Bruery’s line of great, locally produced varietal beers

Tickets to this event are limited so you will want to buy your tickets online or at our store as soon as you can so you don’t get shut out of this fabulous event!

You can get directions to this event from Google or here is an interactive map for you driving pleasure:

View Larger Map

Become a Tobacco Barn Fan on FaceBook!

Michael J. Gibbs — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:36:49 GMT

Yes, now you too have the opportunity to become one of the few, the proud, the fans of the Tobacco Barn on our newly launched FaceBook page. That’s right, the Tobacco Barn now has a presence one of the fastest growing and hottest social networking sites for adults. Yes, you must be at least 18 to become a fan but fans of all ages can come to this page and check out the latest pictures, comments, discussions and events all from the comfort of your own wall FaceBook.

Our hope is that this will become a virtual extension of our non-membership lounge where people of fine character (and a few low characters too) can network and share ideas any time of the day or night.

Not a FaceBook member yet? Not to worry, you can still visit our page and view the upcoming events and many of the other features of this page. However, you’ve got nothing to lose by joining FaceBook and “fanning” us. Who knows, you might be able find the next big business deal or reconnect with lost friends through this service.

So check us out at http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Lake-Forest-CA/Tobacco-Barn/60402654768 and become our fan!

Pipe Tobacco Cigars Have Arrived…

Michael J. Gibbs — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:14:57 GMT

The Tobacco Barn is proud to announce the arrival of Tobacconist’s Choice Pipe Tobacco Cigars from Battleground Cigars. We’ve searched high and low to find the best Pipe Tobacco Cigars and decided that these great sticks are perfect.

These hand-made cigars are the brainchild of Michael Tarnowicz and are truly a family tradition. At any time you’ll find many members of the Tarnowicz clan working to turn out the best cigars from Connecticut shade and broad leaf tobaccos. But not just any Connecticut tobacco; their products are turned out from product certified to have been grown in Connecticut in the US!

We are currently carrying 3 flavors of their Pipe Tobacco Cigars: Smuggler’s Rum Sweet Vanilla and Triple Cherry. Tom and I sampled these at the IPCPR trade shown this last August and have been anxiously awaiting their arrival ever since. You’ll find those around you will enjoy you smoking these cigars as much as you do with their traditional pipe aroma.

Give them a try today and you’ll too be convinced that these aromatic cigars are perfect for those times when a pipe is just too impractical.

http://www.tobacco-barn.com/p-8283-tobacconist-choice-pipe-tobacco-cigars.aspx

Picture of rollers above courtesy of Battleground Cigars via CigarCyclopedia)

Perdomo Event Was a Big Success

Michael J. Gibbs — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:14:08 GMT

Everyone who attended the Perdomo Cigar event at the Tobacco Barn really seemed to enjoy themselves. Special thanks to Chuck for being a gracious host and introducing the denizens of the Barn to some fantastic cigars from Perdomo including the value priced, single-farmed Lot 23 cigars, the fabulous Perdomo Habano cigars as well as the Perdomo 10th Anniversary cigars.

Weren’t able to make the event? Here are some pictures and perhaps you’ll be able to make our next event. Keep an eye on your inbox for annoucements of our next event or in this space as we announce next year’s cigar events at the Tobacco Barn pipe and cigar shop in Lake Forest, CA.

Stop SCHIPS Expansion – A Smoker’s Call To Action!

Michael J. Gibbs — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:59:11 GMT

Don’t let the popular press, and television in particular, fool you. This isn’t just about cigarette smokers and their “drain on the healthcare system”. It isn’t “about the children” as the sound bites might indicate. What it is about is the unfair taxation of a very small portion of the population (less than 10% by some estimates) to fund a program that affects ALL of the citizens of the US.

The following is a press release from the National Association of Tobacco Outlets advising all responsible consumers of tobacco products to make their voices heard on this subject. It is imperative that we all band together and speak out against this unfair taxation of a small segment of society. Why put this on our back?

A Call to ACTION on SCHIP Tax Increases!

If Congress passes a bill early in 2009 to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by significantly increasing the federal cigarette and tobacco taxes, the fallout from this expansion of government subsidized health care will likely include major cigarette and tobacco sales reductions, large increases in the number of store robberies because the value of tobacco products would be so high, a floor stocks tax on cigarette and tobacco inventory adding up to an estimated $5,000 per store, employee layoffs and even store closings.

The SCHIP program is a top priority for Democrats and may result in the single largest tax increase on one industry’s products in the history of the country. With President-Elect Obama a supporter of SCHIP, the possibility of a tobacco tax increase to fund the expansion looms large even though Obama made campaign promises not to increase taxes on any one who earns less than $250,000. The 2007 SCHIP bills proposed the following increases in the federal tobacco excise tax rates:

Tobacco Product

Current Tax Rates

SCHIP Bill Tax Rates

Percentage Tax Increase

Cigarettes

39¢ per pack

$1.00 per pack

156.4%

Large Cigars

20.719% of manufacturer’s price; cap of 4.875¢/cigar

53% of manufacturer’s price; cap of $3.00/cigar

6,000%

Little Cigars

4¢ per pack

$1.00 per pack

2,197%

Pipe Tobacco

$1.0969 per pound

$2.8126 per pound

156.4%

Chewing Tobacco

19.5¢ per pound

50¢ per pound

156.4%

Snuff

58.5¢ per pound

$1.50 per pound

156.4%

RYO Tobacco

$1.0969 per pound

$8.8889 per pound

710.36%

The Time to Act is NOW!!!

NATO’s legislative staff members are sending out to association members customer alert sheets to place on store counters and personalized letters addressed to each retailer and wholesaler’s particular U.S. Senators and Representatives. NATO members need to call their Congressional representatives, urge their employees and customers to do the same and fax the personalized letters to Washington, DC. All the names, phone and fax numbers of the particular Congressional representatives are being provided. NATO members need only dial the phone and fax the letters. Your voice and the voice of your customers need to be heard.

Turbulent Time for Tobacco Requires Grassroots Efforts

No one can say with 100% certainty how the SCHIP legislation will finally be resolved by Congress in 2009. What can be said is that the SCHIP bill is just the beginning of what will be a turbulent year for the tobacco industry. With some in Congress supporting federal cigarette and tobacco tax increases to expand SCHIP and more than 30 states with large budget deficits some of which will also propose higher tobacco taxes as well, NATO wants to remind its members that they must continue to contact their elected officials to be heard on tobacco issues. Maintaining that dialogue and urging customers to make phone calls continues to be an important part of opposing unfair tobacco legislation.

So don’t sit by idly and watch your cigars get taxed by an increase of up to 6000%, write, or better yet, call your local congress person or senator and let them know that this is just plain WRONG!

Perdomo Cigar Event December 11, 2008

Michael J. Gibbs — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 05:54:09 GMT

Please join us Thursday Evening, December 11th for our Perdomo Event

We'll be rounding out the year with our favorite Perdomo rep to talk about the great Perdomo line of cigars.

Lot 23 Cigars - PERDOMO LOT 23® is a medium to full flavored blend that offers a well-balanced, complex smoking experience. The dark Ecuadorian Connecticut-shade wrapper lends not only a stunning aesthetic appeal, but it adds an elegant creaminess which complements the robust Nicaraguan fillers.
Perdomo Habano Cigars - Available in Corojo and Maduro, these cigars combine full-flavored tobaccos from Esteli with aromatic tobaccos from Condega with the naturally sweet tobaccos from the Jalapa Valley for the best Nicaraguan cigar fo the price!
Perdomo Reserve, the 10th Anniversary Cigar - This will be the showcase cigar for this event. Come and learn all about it! The PERDOMO RESERVE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY cigars are made with attractive Cuban-seed wrappers that impart a symphony of complex flavors including almond, coffee and cocoa with a smooth, silky finish.

Here are some of the great savings and freebies you'll find on the day of the event:

Buy 3 Perdomo cigars, Get One Free*
Buy a box of Perdomo Cigars and get your choice of a Perdomo Vector Thundra 3 flame lighter or 4 premium Perdomo cigars FREE*
And of course, we'll have a drawing at the end of the night for all those who've purchased at least one of the packages above. The more you buy, the better your chances!

So mark it on your calendar and plan on being there for our last cigar event of the year!
* While supplies last

Custom Label Cigars – New Examples Available

Michael J. Gibbs — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:04:26 GMT

Looking for that special gift for the cigar lover you know, or perhaps one to give to that killer client? Consider our custom label cigars. We just added a number of new samples in our Custom Labels Photo Gallery. You’ll find examples of great gift ideas like Personal Labels, Military, Corporate or Special Events. Perhaps you’ll find something that spurs your imagination.

Of course we also have examples of all the old stand-by’s: Birth Announcements, Wedding Bands, Bachelor Parties, Birthdays and Graduations.

Here are some of my favorites

Don’t wait too long though as we’ll be accepting orders for custom label cigars up to 7 days before Xmas in order to get them to you on time.

Famous Cigar Smokers

Michael J. Gibbs — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:19:26 GMT

Now this is a mug you probably won’t see on the front of the other cigar magazine’s out there, although the header on Dan Piraro’s blog BizarroBlog certainly looks like out-takes from a magazine cover shoot.

Know his sense of humor (to call it off-beat is a serious understantement) one wonders if he is a brother of the leaf or just poking fun. The cartoon shown on the page at left talking about “Naughty Potato” shows a character, obviously hell-bent on displaying his Smokerism being restrained by a bystander who explains away the actions of the cartoonish-looking man with a cigar as “It’s okay, he’s a cartoon”.

Check it out and decide for yourself and leave us some feedback below and tell us what you think of his work…

Oh for simpler times…

Michael J. Gibbs — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:35:31 GMT

When Smokerism wasn’t rampant and you could find such fine commercials on TV.

Dems Pushing for SCHIP Expansion!

Michael J. Gibbs — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:53:55 GMT

Now that there isn’t a Republican in the white house to kill it, Congressional Democrats claim to be making SCHIP a Top Priority. CQ Politcs reported on Friday, November 6th that Democrats in the US Congress plant to move quickly in the New Year to pass a major expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was interviewed on National Public Radio the day after the election and stated that the expansion of SCHIP “will probably be one of the first bills we would put on President Obama’s desk.”

For those who recall recent events, the US Senate and House both passed a $35 billion dollar SCHIP expansion bill TWICE but it was vetoed both times by President Bush and the legislative branch was unable to swing enough votes to over-ride the veto both times.

What Does This Mean To You?

Why is this important to pipe and cigar smokers you may ask? Well, because this bill would be funded almost exclusively on the backs (and out of the pocketbooks) of smokers of ALL types.

Tobacco Prouct	Current Tax Rates	SCHIP Tax Rates	Percentage Tax Increase
Cigars	20.719% of manufacturer’s price; capped at 4.875 cents per cigar	33% of manufacturer’s price; cap of $3.00/cigar	6,000%
Little Cigars	4 cents per pack	$1.00 per pack	2,197%
Pipe Tobacco	$1.0969 per pound	$2.8126 per pound	156.4%

But that isn’t all, the CQ Politics article points out that the tax increase shown above won’t even cover the cost of the expansion of this program. In fact, the congressional Budget Office issued a report in August of this year which found that a five year expansion of the SCHIP program as envisioned by the House and the Senate will cost close to $45 billion, not the $35 billion they are hoping to raise.

The current SCHIP program is set to expire on March 30, 2009 so they are going to move fast on this. We responsible smokers need to speak out loud and clear that this funding proposal is not only unfair, it is UNSOUND!. Not only will it not fund what they want it to do, thereby continuing to grow our budget deficit even further but it also unfairly targets a small percentage (less than 10%) of the US population to pay for something that they claim is a universal need.

Not only will this hit YOU directly in the wallet in these trying times, but it will likely cause for the closure of many tobacconists around the country that are barely hanging on as it is. This, in turn, will dramatically affect the volume of cigars purchased yearly, decreasing the amount of money raised by this tax increase as demand drops; widening the difference between the funds committed to fund SCHIP and the funds available to pay for it.

And if we look out beyond our own selfish needs, IPCPR and many other organizations predict dire results for the economies of the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras as a result of this flawed legislation.

What Can I Do To Help?

Well, we all need to band together and show our elected officials the errors of their thinking in this flawed bill.

Let your US Senator and representative in the House know how the negative impact of this legislation will affect you, affect small businesses in your community and how you feel it will affect our neighbors in cigar producing countries. Make sure that you reference SCHIP in your conversation and how you are rallying your neighbors and fellow business owners to defeat unfair taxation. You should also remind them that as a voting block in their state/district, you WILL remember those that fall prey to the “but it’s for the children” sound-bite mentality behind those supporting this bill.

Helpful Links:

A listing of all the current Senators

How to find your local Representative

Your IMMEDIATE action is the only thing that will keep this proposal from becoming a LAW! Please respond today!

As always, we encourage your responses in the comments section below.

Zippo Manufacturing Video

Michael J. Gibbs — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:49:13 GMT

Every wonder how the most successful and most reliable lighters of all time are made? Check out this video?

CAO's Latest Marketing Videos...

Michael J. Gibbs — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:36:47 GMT

CAO is starting the teases for their new cigar to be launched in Las Vegas this summer. Kind of a little of this and a little of that from other movies. One protracted scene screams of it's homage to Pulp Fiction.

Watch them consecutively.

Don't forget to sit through the credits for out-takes.

Subcommittee Passes FDA Bill

Cigar Tailor — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:37:16 GMT

From a press release: March 13th, 2008

House Health Subcommittee Passes FDA Bill

Late on Tuesday, March 11th, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Health approved by a voice vote H.R. 1108, the bill that would grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. Then, on a roll-call vote of 18-9, the Subcommittee on Health voted to send the FDA bill to the full House Energy and Commerce Committee for consideration. The 18 representatives voting in favor of sending the bill to the House Energy and Commerce included all the Democrats on the subcommittee joined by one Republican member.

Amendments to the FDA Bill

The Republicans on the House Subcommittee on Health planned to submit some thirty amendments to the FDA bill for the Subcommittee on Health to consider, but most amendments were withdrawn or defeated by a voice vote. However, two amendments offered by Republicans were adopted. One significant amendment offered by Republican Nathan Deal of Georgia and approved by the subcommittee requires that any future regulations or expansion of regulations proposed by the FDA must go through a rulemaking process. This means that the FDA would need to publish any new proposed regulations and allow the public to submit comments on the new rules. This rulemaking requirement partially addresses NATO’s concern that the FDA would have had the authority to adopt even more restrictive regulations on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products and even extend regulations to cigars, little cigars and pipe tobacco without any further public input or action by Congress.

As drafted, the FDA bill assesses user fees on tobacco manufacturers to pay for the agency’s costs incurred to administer the proposed regulations. The second amendment passed by the Subcommittee on Health and authored by Republican Michael Burgess of Texas requires that these user fees be the only source to fund the FDA tobacco regulations and prohibits any other funds from the U.S. Treasury from being used to make up any shortfall in the user fee revenue.

FDA Bill Moves to Full House Energy and Commerce Committee

With H.R. 1108 being passed by the Subcommittee on Health, the bill now moves to the full House Energy and Commerce Committee. While there is no scheduled date for the full committee to take up consideration of the FDA bill, it is expected that the committee may bring the bill up sometime in late March or April.

Last year, the FDA bill was approved by the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, but the Senate version of the bill has not been taken up for debate by the full Senate.

Making a CAO America Cigar...

Michael J. Gibbs — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:39:30 GMT

Ever wonder how they get those delicious looking barber pole stripes on the new America Cigar? Check out this video:

Press Release: Vote on FDA Bill Delayed

Cigar Tailor — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:17:51 GMT

Update from the National Association of Tobacco Outlets

Released: March 6th, 2008

Vote on FDA Bill Delayed

Today, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Health met to vote on H.R. 1108, the bill that would grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. As reported by NATO Federal Legislative Director Jackie Cohen, all of the committee members were provided an opportunity to make an opening statement regarding the FDA bill. Each of the Democrats strongly supported the bill while the Republican members reaffirmed their support for reducing youth smoking, but expressed concerns that the bill’s provisions would overburden the FDA which is already facing an internal crisis due to obsolete technology and a lack of key scientific personnel.

Substitutions and Amendments

Representative Frank Pallone, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, offered an amendment to substitute a new draft of the FDA legislation to take the place of the current version being considered. This new version essentially mirrors the changes that were made to the Senate FDA bill as passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee last summer. While a number of amendments were offered by Republican members of the committee, all of these amendments were discussed and then withdrawn due to a lack of votes to pass the amendments.

A User Fee or a Tax?

During the discussion on H.R. 1108, the core issue centered around a provision in Chairman Pallone’s substitute bill that would increase a proposed user fee on cigarette and smokeless tobacco manufacturers over a ten year time period in an amount to be set by the Congressional Budget Office. This user fee is supposed to pay for the costs that the FDA would incur to administer and enforce the tobacco regulations. However, the Republican committee members argued that the user fee was really a tax in an undetermined amount and for that reason the bill would need to be considered by the House Ways and Means Committee.

An Adjournment Without a Vote on H.R. 1108

Chairman Pallone ruled that the user fee was not a tax and proceeded to continue the meeting. This ruling angered the Republican committee members and the meeting degenerated into representatives interrupting one another. Given the acrimonious environment in the meeting, the subcommittee adjourned until next Tuesday, March 11th without taking a vote on H.R. 1108.

Press Release: 2008 Legislative Update

Cigar Tailor — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:50:31 GMT

International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Spring 2008 Legislative Update

With most state legislatures back in session, here is a breakdown, state-by-state, of what is currently happening, being considered, and what may be on the horizon in the coming months. As information and events change, we will provide updates. For a complete list of all state issues, please go to IPCPR's Tobacco Legislation homepage.

Alabama: the State Senate is currently considering Senate Bill (SB) 229-a statewide smoking ban. While it exempts cigar bars, retail tobacco shops, and outdoor areas, it will ban smoking in bars, bars within restaurants, and taverns, thereby severely curtailing locations where your customers may enjoy their favorite tobacco products. At this time it is unclear what will happen with this bill.

California: A cigarette excise tax increase (Assembly Bill 1a (due to a prior voter-approved initiative, the other tobacco products (OTP) excise tax, the tax applied to all tobacco products not classified as cigarettes, including premium, handmade cigars), is coupled and also increases) failed in a state Senate Committee. A key component in the death of this tax increase was an economic impact study, partly funded by the Cigar Association of America. This paper demonstrated and detailed the proposed $1.75 per cigarette pack increase, due to the language of AB1a, would have in fact tripled the OTP excise tax rate, increasing the current rate to 189%.

However, California is not out of the woods yet as a faith-based coalition is working to place an initiative on the November 2008 General Election ballot to increase the cigarette tax by 75-cents (resulting in a corresponding increase in the OTP excise tax rate). The petitioners are reportedly attempting to raise funds for their campaign and collect enough signatures to put the issue before a vote. However, supporters cannot begin collecting signature until the State Attorney General's office reviews the proposed initiative, and officially assigns it a title and summary (both are required to be published on petition sheets). Following the publicly gruesome death of Proposition 86 in the 2006 elections, it is not certain that the supporting group will succeed in collecting enough money to get the tax increase proposal to the ballot. As this issue develops, we will keep you posted.

Assembly Bill (AB) 2088 proposes a tobacco retailer to purchase an annual license for $100 per location. Currently, state retailers pay a one-time fee of $100 for a retail tobacco license. This bill is committee.

Iowa: HB2212 proposes to ban smoking statewide. Despite retail tobacco shops being exempt, this bill will severely restrict where premium tobacco customers may smoke, leading to a potential decline in retail sales, as has been witnessed in several states with similarly enacted prohibitions.

IPCPR has initiated an Action Alert to challenge and ultimately defeat HB2212.

Kansas: two bills are being considered in the legislature: SB542 proposes an increase in the OTP excise tax from 10% to 57%. This bill is not likely to pass, though we will keep an eye on it. A second bill, SB493, proposes to ban public smoking statewide. The Judiciary Committee, following testimony from IPCPR members and other witnesses, approved, by voice vote, to exempt retail tobacco shops and cigar bars-an official vote was expected to take place shortly after the voice vote. Final disposition of this bill is not known at this time. If necessary, the IPCPR will initiate an Action Alert.

Kentucky: House Bill (HB) 443 proposes an increase in the OTP excise tax from the current rate of 7.5% to 10%. The bill is currently in the Revenue and Appropriations Committee.

Maryland: A host of bills have been introduced in Maryland on a variety of issues-SB513 and HB1095, two identical (cross-over) bills currently before their respective committees, seek to increase the state's OTP excise tax from the current rate of 15% to 25% to fund tobacco cessation and prevention programs in the state.

An Action Alert has been initiated to challenge these bills.

SB363 proposes a $20 surcharge on all smoking pipes. As with the 2007 Fall Special Session, the Cigar Association of America (CAA), appears to have secured an exemption in this bill for briar, clay, and meerschaum pipes.

Another "paraphernalia" bill that would require detailed customer information collected at the time of the sale most likely will fail before gaining any ground. HB609, would require cigars to be sold in packages containing a minimum of five cigars exempt retail tobacco shops (as defined per the state's recently enacted statewide smoking prohibition).

Massachusetts: HB2980, a bill that would increase the OTP excise tax from 30% to 45%, is currently in the House Revenue Committee. Following this bill's introduction and assignment to the Revenue Committee, IPCPR retailers in the state collected petition signatures from their customers urging the Committee to oppose that tax increase. These petitions were submitted to Revenue Committee last month. We await further news of the tax increase proposal's disposition.

Mississippi-what's there to say-several bills proposing to ban smoking in the state and increase taxes were introduced and then died in their respective committees. One cigarette tax increase bill (from 18 cents to 68 cents per pack) has thus far survived the legislative process. This demonstrates that even one of the most stalwart, fiscally-reasonable legislatures is not completely safe from anti-tobacco legislation. We will continue monitoring legislation introduced in the capitol.

New Hampshire-Legislation that proposed an increase in the cigarette tax and a reclassification of other tobacco products and a subsequent taxation of cigars, failed in committee. The legislation would have subjected cigars (currently excluded from excise taxes) to a new rate of 60%.

Several bills have been introduced to revise the state's public smoking prohibition, though little is expected of these bills this session.

Oklahoma: SB1875 proposes to strike from the state's smoking ban exemptions for bars, restaurants, and taverns. Retail tobacco shops will continue to be exempt from the state statute.

Pennsylvania: several statewide smoking ban bills sit in their respective committees, seeing little action in recent weeks. We will continue to monitor these bills.

Rhode Island: Several bills have been introduced to revise the state's public smoking prohibition. No disposition on these bills or projected prognostication is available at this time.

Virginia: Several statewide smoking ban proposals failed to pass in the legislature. However, as the session has not yet adjourned, any of these bills may be brought back for consideration by the legislature.

The IPCPR has initiated an Action Alert on this legislative issue.

Washington: Following the approval of a 2006 ballot initiative that bans smoking statewide, including retail tobacco shops, efforts to revise the state statute through the legislature have not gained enough support for success. An upstart coalition of Washington IPCPR members has filed the initial paperwork for a ballot measure. The measure would ask voters to allow smoking in retail tobacco shops and cigar bars. According to a recent independent, media-sponsored poll, an overwhelming majority of Washington voters said they would vote in favor of such an initiative. We will keep you posted on this ambitious plan.

The International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers is a not-for-profit trade association organized as the advocate for the independent retail tobacconist and recognized as the "Voice of Authority and Reason" on premium tobacco related issues.

International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR)
Chris McCalla
Legislative Director

Press Release: House Bill 3750 Introduced

Cigar Tailor — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:25:39 GMT

International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) State Legislative Update

House Bill 3750 Introduced Announces

HB3750 Proposes to Make 50-cent Cigar Tax Cap Permanent

February 25, 2008 -
House Bill 3750 has been introduced into your state legislature (the Senate cross-over bill has not yet been formally released). As you are aware, the original 50-cent cigar tax cap was set to expire on June 30 of this year. The Cigar Association of America (CAA), has been working on this issue, and feels confident of the bill's success in making the 50-cent tax cap permanent.

CAA's state lobbyist will be in touch with you regarding committee hearings and other details through the process. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR)
Chris McCalla
Legislative Director

NATO E-News

Cigar Tailor — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 06:55:41 GMT

An E-News Update of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets

February 19th, 2008

Recent Legislative Actions

The 2008 state and Congressional legislative sessions have begun. Below is a brief summary of current legislative news followed by a summary chart of the various tobacco bills being considered by state legislatures and Congress:

Virginia: On February 14^th, the Virginia House of Delegates defeated several bills that would have prohibited smoking in restaurants and other public places. These bills are now dead for the session.

Wyoming: On February 14^th, the Wyoming House of Representatives defeated a statewide ban on smoking by preventing the bill from being introduced

Proposed Cigarette and Tobacco Tax Increases

State	Current Tax	Proposed Increase	Tax if Legislation Adopted
Alabama	$.425/pack	$.325/pack	$.75/pack
Florida	$.339/pack	$.661/pack	$1.00/pack
Georgia	$.37/pack	$1.00/pack	$1.37/pack
Illinois	$.98/pack	$.90/pack (carryover from 2007 session)	$1.68/pack
Kansas	$.79/pack; OTP: 10%	$.50/pack; 47% OTP	$1.29/pack; OTP: 57%
Kentucky	$.30/pack	$.70/pack	$1.00/pack
Maine	$2.00/pack	$.05/pack	$2.05/pack
Maryland	OTP: 15%	10% OPT	OTP: 25%
Mississippi	$.18/pack	Up to $1.00/pack	Up to $1.18/pack
Nebraska	$.64/pack	$.10/pack	$.74/pack
New Hampshire	OTP: 19%	41% OTP	OTP: 60%
South Carolina	$.07/pack; OTP: 5%	Up to $.50/pack; 1% OTP	Up to $.57/pack; OTP: 6%
Utah	$.695/pack	$.50/pack	$1.195/pack
West Virginia	$.55/pack	$.80/pack	$1.35/pack

Smoking Restrictions: Smoking restriction bills are being considered in numerous states including: Alabama (would not allow smoking in workplaces); Iowa (does not allow smoking in public places, bars and restaurants); Kansas (does not allow smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars); Missouri (would extend smoking restrictions to bars, restaurants and sports arenas); New Jersey (would amend the state smoking restriction law to extend the smoking prohibition to casinos); and Oklahoma (extends the smoking ban to bars, taverns and cigar bars).

NATO’s Actions: NATO’s legislative staff has begun working on many of these bills and providing alerts, letters and petitions to NATO retail members to oppose these tax increases and smoking restrictions.

FDA Legislation: The U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce is scheduled to hold a hearing on March 6^th on the legislation to grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate the manufacturer and sale of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products.

Print | posted @ Friday, February 22, 2008 10:54 PM

Cheap Cigar Fridays

Cigar Tailor — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 05:09:37 GMT

Like the title? I was inspired to use it in honor of the TobaccoBarn.com's new web page of inexpensive cigars and also for some crazy reason I decided to light up a cheap cigar. Who knows, maybe I will make every Friday, a Cheap Cigar Friday. I started to have flash backs of the times I used to work for big companies that had their Dress Down Friday, Haiwaiin Shirt, Casual Day or some lame name that allowed us to get out of dressing in our white shirts and ties. Anyway...

The cigar I decided to light up is an El Camino Dominicano. I tried finding some information on this cigar but, I was unsuccessful. The cigar had a dark brown, very rough looking wrapper. Not very pleasing to the eye but, what the heck... I lit it up just to try it out. It has been sitting in my humidor for over a year now and it is one of these cigars I will smoke when doing yard work. Let me tell you, I took a couple of puffs and had to put the thing out. I didn't like the taste. So, I threw it out and grabbed the Perdomo Fresco Toro.

Perdomo Fresco Toro
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Made in Nicaragua

Ah, the Perdomo Fresco is a much better inexpensive cigar. The Fresco is a light cigar but, very tasty. The ash doesn't hang on for very long which appears to be a very white flaky ash. This cigar is extremely smoky with thick white smoke swirling in the air around my head. I am actually enjoying this cigar while working and drinking a bottle of some fine H2O. For an inexpensive cigar I recommend the Perdomo Fresco. Skip the other one.

'nuff said

Important Notice from IPCPR: State Hearing on Proposed Smoking Ban

Cigar Tailor — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:24:08 GMT

International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) State Legislature Hearing on Proposed Smoking Ban

Senate Judiciary Committee Set To Hear SB493
Hearing Set for February 13

February 8, 2008 - The Kansas State Legislature's Senate Judiciary Committee will hearing Opposing testimony to Senate Bill 493 on Wednesday, February 13, at 930am, in meeting room S-123 (those in favor of this bill will have testified one day earlier).

SB493 proposes to ban all public smoking throughout the state of Kansas. At this time there are no exemptions included in the legislation for retail tobacco shops, cigar bars, or similar businesses.

With that said, this does not mean that these exemptions cannot be included in the bill--SB493 is only the starting foundation of the proposed smoking ban. Working in conjunction with the lobbyists from the Cigar Association of America, and other tobacco-friendly allies, we will work to see SB493 defeated in its entirety. However, we will also work to ensure the critical exemptions for your businesses are included in the legislation.

Call to Action!

For those who are in close proximity to Topeka, or those with a sense of adventure and love of the road, I encourage you to attend this important hearing. Lobbyists from the Cigar Assocation of America are already set to testify and your support and additional testimony will be important.

IMPORTANT! I will need a copy of your testimony no later than Monday 2pm EST. I know this is short notice, but we only found out about the hearing this morning. Your testimony does not need to be complicated--in fact, short and concise is better. Call or email me with any questions. See the link below to assistance in writing your testimony.

The IPCPR at this time will not initiate a Legislative Action Alert. We will wait and see the disposition of SB493 following the hearing. If legislation does pass out of committee with a favorable vote, and is sent to the House floor for a vote, an Action Alert will be initiated and distributed.

Hey Look Here! Links to Important Information!

IPCPR Legislative Action Center--Follow the link and under the Members Only tab, click on Legislative Action Center. Scroll down to "Sample Testimony and Talking Points-Smoking Ban Talking Points." This will help you construct your written testimony.

Kansas Legislature's Committee Help Page--this page will provide you the committee's specific rules and procedures for testimony.

Additional Testimony Information: In order to testify, you must be signed up with the Committee Secretary by 930am Tuesday. Please contact me if you plan to attend the hearing and testify. I will collect all of the names of those wishing to testify and submit them to the secretary's office by the deadline. If you do sign up to testify, and you cannot submit your testimony in person, I must have your written testimony to me by 2pm on Monday, so I may plan to have your testimony copied and submitted. If you are close to the Capital, you must provide 40 copies to the Judiciary Committee Secretary by 430pm Tuesday evening.
About your IPCPR, your Trade Associaton:

The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) is a not-for-profit trade association organized as the advocate for the independent retail tobacconist and recognized as the "Voice of Authority and Reason" on premium tobacco related issues.

International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR)
Chris McCalla
Legislative Director

Camacho Site Gets Upgrade

Michael J. Gibbs — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 03:05:55 GMT

At the end of January, Camacho Cigars announced a release of their newly redesigned website. Some of the enhancements that they tout are:

New Look and Feel with Interactive Flash front end
New Press Room with news past and present on Camacho brand products
New Events section with calendar subscription and RSS capabilities
New VIP Section & Camacho Cigar Bar page (VIP accepting new members late March)
New Comment & Contact options using WordPress driven Press Room
Interactive 3-D Renderings of Cigar Boxes
Interactive Homepage with a scrolling cigar feature
Flash driven “Our Story” section
Google powered Dealer Locator
Wordpress back end for unlimited scalability

Of special interest is the VIP Club. They are offering a lifetime membership in their VIP club for for a one-time fee of $25.00. What do you get for this? Well, how about:

3-Pack of cigars exclusive to the club
A special Camacho VIP baseball cap that is personalized
Membership card
News and updates on new products available in advance to club members

I'd say the cigars alone are worth the price of entry, let a lone the ball cap. Sounds like a natural for a true Camacho cigar fan.

Full press release

Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve Toro

Cigar Tailor — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 03:57:12 GMT

First I want to Congratulate the New York Giants for winning the Super Bowl on Sunday. It had to be the best Super Bowl I have seen in a very long time. Way to Go Giants! Maybe next year Patriot Fans; however, I still give New England praise for having an awesome run. We may not see that happen again for another 30+ years but, I have been wrong before.

Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve Toro
Size: 6" x 56
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua

Wow! After first light and drag, I could really taste the oils from this cigar. Very Tasty. Chocolate, earthy taste. I would say it is a medium cigar. The ash is flaky, dark gray and seemed to hold on up to an inch in length before falling off. The cigar seems to get a little bit sweeter as I smoke it past the mid-point. I have to say this is my favorite Romeo y Julieta cigar and I highly recommend this cigar, it is that good. I smoked it right down to the nub.

HAPPY SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!

Cigar Tailor — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:09:24 GMT

I LOVE Football. Being born and raised in Central Wisconsin that IS the sport of all sports... Well, next to Deer Hunting, Ice Fishing and Snowmobiling... Anyway, I am both excited and sad at the same time. Excited not because, I am a Giants or even a Patriots Fan but, in my family the Super Bowl has always been treated as a Holiday. I can remember my Dad thinking of what type of snacks, dinner and beverages we will have to enjoy before and during the big game. Plus, today's game, in my humble opinion is very historical. The Pats are undefeated and playing the Giants who could possibly beat them.

Anyway, I got to get ready to go to a Super Bowl Party my Brother-in-Law is having. My Super Bowl Sunday Cigar is The Padron 1964 Anniversary. Let me know what you decided to smoke while enjoying the game.

'nuff said.

Could This Be The Next Banned Item?!

Cigar Tailor — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:23:45 GMT

I don't know about you but, I find this to ridiculous. I found the following article in my email from my Google Alerts this morning. If you don't have Google Alerts or don't know what it is, I highly recommend you check it out and set some up on your favorite topics or interests. It is a great tool to have.

I know this is a possibility in the EU but, who is to say it isn't going to catch on here in the Good Ol' US of A. These Al Gore Global Warming Alarmist and Anti-Smoking Freaks are really starting to get on my nerves. It seems they are constantly trying to find ways to attack our freedoms. Read the following article and let me know your opinion....

Thursday, January 31, 2008

EU threatens to ban patio heaters

What's next? Hand warmers? Zippo lighters?

EU threatens to ban patio heaters - Times Online: " Britain’s growing café culture and taste for alfresco drinking and dining may be under threat from MEPs who want to ban the patio heater.

A vote in Brussels today is expected to call on the European Commission to abolish the heaters to help to tackle climate change. Such a move could cost the pub and catering trade dear. Click Here! for the rest of the story.

'nuff said!

Tobacco Product	Current Tax Rates	SCHIP Bill Tax Rates	Percentage Tax Increase
Cigarettes	39¢ per pack	$1.00 per pack	156.4%
Large Cigars	20.719% of manufacturer’s price; cap of 4.875¢/cigar	53% of manufacturer’s price; cap of $3.00/cigar	6,000%
Little Cigars	4¢ per pack	$1.00 per pack	2,197%
Pipe Tobacco	$1.0969 per pound	$2.8126 per pound	156.4%
Chewing Tobacco	19.5¢ per pound	50¢ per pound	156.4%
Snuff	58.5¢ per pound	$1.50 per pound	156.4%
RYO Tobacco	$1.0969 per pound	$8.8889 per pound	710.36%