CIGARCON by Troy Kelso As the IPCPR has made clear through its name change to PCA, the tobacco retailer and tobacco retail business is no longer it’s only, or even primary, focus. The retailers led organization has decided to expand the scope of their presence to include industry regulation and legislative issues as well as…
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WHAT’S IN A NAME? By Troy Kelso The IPCPR has made several announcements recently that have been the talk of the industry. The first was their name change from “International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers” (IPCPR) to “Premium Cigar Association” (PCA). The second announcement was the introduction of consumer day, or “CigarCon”, at the 2020…
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I recall how I was gifted with something completely unexpected by a great BOTL before jumping into Facebook cracking down on the buying/selling/trading/private transactions of cigars. As I discuss Facebook’s shift in policy, I land on Netflix cutting down on scenes that portray tobacco use. This underscores the need to support groups like the Cigar…
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I give my impressions and review of Sheepdog Humidors Bullet Torch and of the Padron 2000 Natural. Before I dive into those reviews, I put out the call to those who would like to join the Simply Stogies team! I’m looking for writers interested in reviewing products and cigars, writing about the latest news around…
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James discusses his recent visits to several cigar lounges and B&Ms around his area, what to look for when choosing a B&M, and the importance of supporting your local B&M. He also discuss the do’s and don’ts when visiting a cigar lounge, and share some of his most embarrassing cigar lounge moments. If you have…
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I sit down with Global Ambassador for Casdagli Cigars, Vlada Stojanov. I join Vlad at The Clayton in downtown Chicago, where we discuss the name change from Bespoke to Casdagli, the Casdagli lines of cigars, what the future holds for Casdagli, and I pick the brain of a sommelier on how to develop your palate. It’s…
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I interview a moderator for SimplyStogies.club and a cigar reviewer at Burn1.net, Mike. Mike walks us through his process of reviewing a cigar: from the pre-cut ritual, to the cut and light, to writing his review. Thank you to Mike for taking the time, on his birthday, to sit down and give us some insight…
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For this episode, James goes on location to the Walker Homestead in Iowa City, Iowa to interview a couple of the founding members of the Eastern Iowa Cigar Appreciation Society. Keith Chiavetta and Doug Wagner sit down with James to discuss what it means to be a local cigar club, what it means to interact…
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James reviews Guardian of the Farm Apollo, a collaborative effort between Warped and Casa Fernandez. James also announces Simply Stogies is now available on iHeart Radio, as well as Simply Stogies first contest! Make sure to listen for details.
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James welcomes the executive director of the Cigar Rights of America, Glynn Loope, and one of the CRA Ambassadors for the state of Iowa, Timothy Allen, to Simply Stogies. They discuss what the Cigar Rights of America does, how the FDA is trying to regulate the premium cigar industry, how the CRA is pushing back…
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Stay smoky, friends.