Cigars, Cigar Information and where to find Premium Cigars, Discounted Cigars and even Cheap Cigars

ROLLING, ROLLING, ROLLING . . .

Plus: snappy new Macanudo photo contest!

Los Angeles, May 25 – The parade continues!

Imports of premium cigars rose again in March, racing ahead of last year’s sensational pace at the rate of 11.7%, with 27.7 million cigars coming in in 2005 compared to 24.8 million last year.

For the year to date, despite a steep drop in January, imports for 2005 are now ahead of the 2004 pace by 5.7%, with 60.7 million cigars coming in during the first quarter.

Naturally, the leading cigar-producing nation is the Dominican Republic, with 16.1 million cigars imported in March and 33.2 million so far this year. Honduras was second with 8.5 million imported in March and 16.0 million so far in 2005. Nicaragua was third with 4.6 million in March and 10.4 million in 2005.

Pricing was steady, with the average value per cigar at $0.90 from the Dominican Republic in 2005 compared to 92.5 cents last year and 71 cents a cigar from Honduras, down slightly from 73.8 cents at the same point last year. Prices from Nicaragua, long the lowest of the major cigar-producing nations, was up slightly from 47.8 cents a cigar last year to 52.4 cents so far this year.

World’s largest cigar certified by Guinness:
The Guinness Book of World Records certified a 19-meter-long (62 feet, 4 inches) cigar made in January as the longest ever created.

The roller was Dominican-born Patricio Pena, who put together the 20-pound cigar with the help of nine assistants earlier this year in a Puerto Rican market. Pena noted that more than 100 leaves were needed to complete the record cigar. He sells cigars he rolls himself in a stall in the same market.

The Associated Press reported that while Pena himself doesn’t smoke, he considering taking up the habit. “I just might have to smoke one of my cigars to celebrate.”

Feds lightening up, a little:
The U.S. Transportation Safety Administration has come to their senses concerning the transportation of lighters in checked luggage.

Matches, but not lighters, are allowed in carry-on bags, but refillable lighters – previously banned altogether – are now allowed to be carried in checked baggage if unfilled.

Some smokers are now carrying cheap lighters or buying a new one when they land somewhere. But the beauty of matches of two or three inches in length should not be discounted and are available most smokeshops.

FDA regulation zealots back in action:
Bills have been introduced to provide the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with regulatory power over tobacco in both the houses of Congress, but have not drawn much attention so far.

The “Legislative Field Bulletin” of the Retail Tobacco Dealers of America (RTDA) noted that “With the tobacco buyout legislation for these bills to piggyback on as last year, we feel these bills will be in for a difficult fight, despite picking up a few more bill sponsors compared to last year.”

Louisiana now considering smoking ban:
The site of this summer’s RTDA Convention and International Trade Show – Louisiana – is now considering a bill to ban smoking in most indoor spaces.

One sponsor, Senator Rob Marionneaux, told Steve Sabludowsky of BayouBuzz.com that he became interested in the concept after he was asked to leave a California bar after lighting up a cigar.

“If the backward state of California can ban smoking in barrooms, then the great state of Louisiana can get on board,” he huffed.

Not so fast. The chances of such a ban actually passing are not promising, since the bill includes not only bar and restaurants, but also casinos, which have an enormous and powerful lobby in the state. The bill passed a Senate committee, but now heads to the full Senate for discussion.

Louisiana passed a law in 2003 permitting local governments to control smoking within their jurisdictions, but did not allow bans in bars, restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages or casinos.

Macanudo is a snap!
General Cigar is at it again with a new promotion, the Macanudo American Passion Photo Contest.

In this program, smokers can buy a special 10-pack of Macanudo Hyde Partk (5 1/2 inched by 49 ring) in the Café, Robust or Maduro lines and get a free 12-exposure Macanudo-branded camera between June 15 and August 31, 2005.

Using that camera, smokers can take and submit pictures in six categories: American music, classic American cars, American sporting events, American food, American monuments and American passion. Recognizing the wide latitude of the last category especially, all submissions must be suitable for viewing by general audiences (as in a “G”-rated motion picture) to be qualified for entry.

Contestants will mail back the camera following the included instructions and their pictures will be posted at www.CigarWorld.com/photocontest .

The grand prize is a $10,000 American Express travel voucher, with individual category winners receiving a special Macanudo 75-count humidor filled with cigars.
~ Rich Perelman

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