The rumours around the brand have been circulating for a very long time, and we have already accepted the fact that Cubans decided to stop the production of one of their best seling cigars – Trinidad Robusto T. It would be ok if they ceased rolling one cigar from the brand but to discontinue the production of the entire brand seems like a nightmare to me!

According to the La Casa del Habano, the exclusive distiributor of Cuban cigars in the world, they wanted to focus their main efforts on Cohiba and thus discontinue one of their most popular brands. However, it seems they have changed their minds because soon after the statement, a person in charge took back his words, stating that the Trinidad brand will continue its existence, while two of its vitolas – Robusto T and Robusto Extra – will be discontinued anyway, unfortunately.

Thanks God, it turned out to be either a false statement or a quick change of views, and neither of the Trinidad fansa have suffered – only those who prefer Robusto T and Robusto Extra. So you’d better stock up until they gone forever …..

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They say the anti-tobacco campaigns reduce adult smoking but some ads work better than the others.

The researchers have conducted a survey among adult smokers and their exposure to anti-tobacco TV
between 1999 and 2007. The ads were organized by various departments – from states to private foundations and drug companies.

According to the study lead author Sherry Emery, who is a senior scientist at the Institute for Health Research and Policy of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the smoking rates were lower and more smokers intended to quit smoking where there was higher exposure to the state-sponsored anti-tobacco ads.

As per the survey, the more the smokers were exposed to state-sponsored, private-foundation and drug-company ads, the less they smoked. And vice-versa, the more these people watched tobacco-industry publicities, the more they smoked.

Paraphrasing Ms. Emery, the tobacco-industry ads were associated with more smoking, though they didn’t seem to contain any promotion of the act of smoking.

The researching team was astonished at the fact that smokers in areas with more ads for smoke-banning products were less likely to give up smoking.

As per Emery’s words, the results of their survey proved that no matter what “you say to people, doesn’t matter until you don’t say a lot.”

The survey was published in the April issue of American Journal of Public Health.

But in my point of view, it doesn’t matter how much you smoke, the key is what you smoke

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The Gispert Belicoso looks very good, having a silky, oily wrapper, and being quite smooth to the touch, it makes an impression of a high quality cigar. And I’m sure it is, costing $5 for a stick.

I lit the cigar from the first attempt and it burned evenly to the very end. Didn’t have any problems with the draw, it was normal.
The cigar starts off with mild notes, and has pleasant creamy and woody flavors. The entire stogie is a medium bodied smoke, so it is a great find for those who like mild flavors, as well as those who are cigar novices.

The Belicoso finishes with lots of sweet spice, leaving you enveloped by aromatic clouds of fragrant smoke.

I really liked this cigar for both the simplicity and the complexity of flavors it offers; I’m sure I’ll be smoking more in future, with my friends.

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In the petition, they ask that the Obama Administration puts an end to the FDA regulation of the cigar industry. They affirm that the FDA control over cigars would lead to the loss of 85,000 domestic jobs as well of 250,000 jobs in Latin America. The petition also states that cigars do not cause addiction and are produced for the use of adults only.

Glynn Loope, the executive director of the Cigar Rights of America, has recently addressed their supporters and cigar smokers in a press release: “It’s time for those that simply want to enjoy a great cigar to become a true political constituency. It’s an election year, and both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue need to know that there are thousands of voters, passionate about their cigars, that will vote this fall based upon who will stay out of their humidor. The FDA is controlled by the President’s administration, so it was time to send them a message.”

The petition won’t be reviewed by the Obama Administration until at least 25.000 people will sign it by May 11. Up to now, 3.268 signatures have been collected, that is why the CRA and IPCPR organizations are appealing to all cigar smokers to support the petition.

The conflict with the FDA takes roots in 2009 when it was granted the total control over such tobacco products as cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless tobacco after President Barack Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into law. The FDA regulation had immediate influence over the cigarette industry – they banned all flavored cigarettes, restricting release of new production, advertising and banning the use of the word “light” – and other tobacco products. But the cigar industry remained untouched till recently.

In the 2010, the FDA announced its intent to control the cigars as well. However the CRA and the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers association didn’t want to wait for industry-threatening legislation to occur, and decided to do something until it was too late.

Both cigar organizations have been lobbying members of Congress to support the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Acts, also known as H.R. 1639 and S. 1461 which could protect premium cigars against being legislated by the FDA, if passed. Thus, more than 176.000 mails were sent to Congress, resulting in 160 co-sponsors from the House of Representatives and growing support from the Senate.

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The story of how I ran into Cuban-Cigars-Store.Com is so simple that it is almost funny – I just googled “Cuban+cigars+store” and the first result I got was Cuban-Cigars-Store.Com. The site seemed nice to me – I am peculiar that way and think that design matters. It made me relax, feel like I was in Cuba and I could almost taste a nice Cuban stogie on my lips.

I examined their FAQ closely (I would recommend doing this to everybody before making a purchase). I always have some concerns with new stores, since Cuban cigars are not very cheap, but all of them dissolved as I saw that they promised to replace the order or refund the amount of the order if the cigars were not to arrive for some reason.

Once I decided that it was safe to deal with them, I ordered Partagas and Serie D No.4 Sbn B and Tasting Samplers 25 Belicosos and prepared to wait, since other stores sometimes made me wait for my package to arrive for over a month. Not this time, though. I got my cigars in six days, and they automatically applied a 5% discount on my order! I liked their approach to customers – it is nice to feel that you are appreciated.

I also thought that the cigars were more than good as did my friends at a little get together. I will definitely deal with Cuban-Cigars-Store.Com in the future.

The main suspect Ehab Ahmed owns the Panama City Wholesale Supply on Beach Dr. According to the law-enforcement authorities, they confiscated some strong evidence from Mr. Ahmed’s house that proves that this person is guilty of cheating the United States, mail fraud, laundering money, etc.

In 2010, a small group of undercover agents established contact with Ehab Ahmed willing to buy untaxed cigars. They told him they would sell them at a cheaper price in Georgia where there is a 14% cigar tax, and compete with bigger retailers. According to their report, Ahmed has been selling them large lots of cigars costing as much as $200000 per load. The operation was cancelled in October last year after the authorities caught him in the act.

The detectives think Ahmed gained circa 1 million dollars from October 2010 to August 2011 by illegally selling cigars. However, according to Ahmed’s bank records, the suspect has never deposited more than $10000 at a time; otherwise, the bank should have reported any transactions over $10000 to the IRS.

Am I the only one who thinks that the story didn’t take its end yet and we’ll probably hear of their characters once more in the future? Stay in touch, we’ll keep you informed of any news we get.

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The Seleccion de Cazador Regios measures 5 x 50. It’s just one of many sizes in the line from Tatuaje, which also includes the 5 1/8 x 42 Noellas, 6 1/8 x 52 Unicos, 6 3/8 x 43 Havana Cazadores, 7 x 38 Especiales, and 7 5/8 x 49 Tainos. These sizes are made in Miami. Two other sizes, the 4 ½ x 32 Petite Tatuaje and the 5 5/8 x 46 7th, are made by Jaime Garcia at the My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua.The cigar has a filler and binder made up of Nicaraguan tobaccos. Completing the composition is an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. As is the case with most Tatuaje sticks, the Seleccion de Cazador comes with a Cuban style triple cap. Its strength is listed as full-bodied.

There is not a lot of flair or decoration when it comes to the Seleccion de Cazador Regios, but that appears to be Pete Johnson’s style. I’ll take substance over style any day. A small band sits near the head that displays the Tatuaje name in brown and white. The cigar’s wrapper is somewhat dark and oily. There are a few minor veins that are visible and no major imperfections. The cigar feels firm to the touch with no soft spots. I’ll give it a definite passing grade on construction. Prior to lighting, there’s an earthy taste and an aroma of pepper.

The Regios lights with ease and has a great draw. The smoke is very thick and the cigar has a chewy feel to it. My lighter gets some much-needed rest, as there is no need for touch-ups or re-lights. The light gray ash is solid. Overall, I am impressed with the burn. So far, so good.

If I had to characterize the dominant flavor of the Seleccion de Cazador, I would call it spicy. The cigar kicks off with spicy pepper and gives me a preview of what’s to come. The pepper mixes with earth for most of the first third. The second third features more pepper and introduces wood into the equation. The final third switches things up completely with tobacco flavors and rich chocolate. I really did not expect the chocolate to be in there, but it was a nice surprise to say the least. The Regios is definitely full-bodied, but not harsh.

Tatuaje’s strong reputation is well-earned. The Seleccion de Cazador was very enjoyable in all aspects. Solid construction, a great burn, and an interesting, yet spicy flavor mix kept me on my toes. I would not recommend it to beginners due to strength. Fans of Tatuaje sticks or those who love spicy cigars with a kick should definitely try it out, however. Make sure you have a full stomach prior to lighting up, and it is also a good idea to have a nice drink on hand, such as a beer to complement the Regios. The cigar comes in boxes of 25 and costs around $9 to $10 each. It’s not cheap by any means, but you usually have to pay to get quality. That is definitely the case here.

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The cigars looked great – tiny as they were, they seemed smooth, with oily wrapper and some visible veins which only added them additional charm.

Some of the smokers found this little stogie too tight, and couldn’t smoke it to the butt. Thank God, mine were just good for me –properly rolled, they didn’t make me feel I have wasted my time. Easily lit, I started my RG Panetelas Extra journey.
The cigar is mild to medium – very easy to smoke, I would advise it to a cigar novice for sure. Starting with floral and woody nuances, the stick will further offer you a tasting range of coffee and chocolate aftertaste.

What a great low costing cigar with a very gentle finish – my only concern, they don’t leave you too much of the taste in the end. I would say, they melted too soon and the taste immediately disappeared with them.

Overall evaluation: good Cuban cigar at a very reasonable price – for this kind of stogie; mild body – for newbies and women, and nice tasting nuances that won’t leave you indifferent.

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The maker of elegant humidors Daniel Marshall and the legendary actor who’s able to play both a robot in the epic movie “The Terminator” and a cop-turned-educator in the “Kindergarten Cop”, Arnold Schwarzenegger have joined their forces to release something beautiful and powerful. It’s a gift set including a Tank Watch and a humidor.

Daniel Marshall, who is known for his refined humidors, has released a limited edition kit consisting of 100 Tank Watches and Humidors. They have been released for a special charity event After School All Stars – a national charity devoted to ensuring after-school programs to help children stay safe and successful. The After School All Stars organization has various programs in reserve that are serving more than 80000 children.

The gift set includes an engraved, indexed Arnold Schwarzenegger Tank Watch No. 1, fabricated from a black stainless steel case and a black leather band; a limited-edition Daniel Marshall Precious Wood humidor intended for storing 125 cigars, containing 10 memorable cigars and an engraved badge of Schwarzenegger’s personal M47-331 tank; a signed Schwarzenegger’s photograph sitting in front of his own tank and wearing the watch; and, finally, a leaflet telling the story behind the watch.

The entire set costs $2.795, the money going for the After School All Stars. However there are only 100 specimens available, so hurry if you want to wear a piece of your beloved Terminator with you. The cost might bite you a little but is worth it

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And while some cigar stores don’t do promos very often, others, like My-Cuban-Cigars.Com, do not waste the opportunity to build relationships with their customers and make at least one client happy.

From February 9 to 23, the store held a Valentine’s Day promo – with each order customers made at My-Cuban-Cigars.Com, they received a gift, as well a chance to win the H Upmann Travel Humidor (not a bad drawing prize, I should say).

Like with every drawing, there is a winner. We bring you the link to the testimonial of Robert Abdelmessih , the lucky winner of this one, with the permission of the store.

You can see that this is one happy customer that will return to the store again and again. I wish that other Cuban cigar websites realized that they would rather win than lose if they held good promos more often.