Legacy and More by Frank Seltzer
Altadis USA will soon be releasing a new H. Upmann called the Legacy. The cigar will come in three sizes a 5”x5 Robusto for $5.85, a Corona at 5.5” x 44 for $6.50 and a Toro at 6” x 52 for $6.85. The Legacy uses an Ecuadoran Sumatran wrapper (for the first time in an H. Upmann) over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. The difference here is that the tobaccos are from the 2008 crop. This Upmann also is being made in the company’s Honduras factory in Copan and this is a fuller bodied Upmann. This seems to be a trend with Altadis, in that they have stepped up the flavors and strength of some of their cigars. The first being the Romeo by Romeo y Julieta which came out last Spring. JR will have the Legacy available for purchase and your enjoyment in February.
Bargain Smokes
While we talked about the top 25 cigars of the year last week, often unnoticed is the list of bargain cigars that Cigar Aficionado puts out every year. Ok so this is kinda sales talk…we normally don’t do it but since CA rated these highly and we have them at a good price, thought you might want to know. CA rates the Chateau Fuente as a 91 (we’re selling for $5.00) along with the H. Upmann 1844 Reserve Robusto (our price of $5.17), the Macanudo Cru Royale Poco Gordo (check our price of $3.99) and the Punch Gran Puro Santa Rita (we’re selling for $3.39) which may be the best deal going.
Rated 90 points are the Chateau Fuente Sungrown Cuban Belicoso, the Chateau Fuente Sungrown Robusto and the Fuente Hemmingway Short Story along with the Nub 460 Cameroon and Thunder by Nimish. All of these cigars have suggested retail prices at $6 or below.
Smoking Ban Reversed
When was the last time you read that? Well in Florida, the state law prohibits localities from making tougher anti-smoking laws and when Sarasota tried to ban smoking from the beaches and parks, it ran afoul of the state law. A judge in Sarasota ruled the law unenforceable. Several municipalities in Florida have tried tough smoking laws and now they are in question. You can expect the anti’s to try to amend the state law.
Money no Object (for them)
In Kentucky, for example, Johnson and Johnson’s political wing along with the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and the Smoke-Free Kentucky Coalition ( read those two groups along with the usual other suspects) are going to spend $93,000 for an ad campaign to try to get a smoking ban for that state. The ad campaign ties Kentucky’s top ranking in basketball, horse racing to smoking. In Kentucky 29 percent of the population smokes.
They Keep Trying
In Indiana, not content with the current smoking ban, the anti’s are trying to expand it. The current smoking ban took effect last July, but already they are going back to the well to try to ban all smoking in bars, casinos private clubs (think Veterans and Fraternal organizations) and retail tobacco shops. In short they want to eliminate ALL exemptions to the smoking ban. This is how they work, get a foothold and then push. The only good thing is that Indiana legislators seem to want to see how the current ban is working before they go further. Expect this to continue though.
Missouri Sez No
Then there is Missouri. At the beginning of the legislative session this year, Democrats banned smoking from all of their member’s offices. They tried to take the ban to all the offices in the Capitol but failed. Right now you cannot smoke in the Capitol hallways and chambers, but legislators can smoke in their own offices. The D’s tried to implement their ban, but the Republican Rules Committee shot it down 8 to 4 with all Republicans voting against. One legislator who voted against it said the decision should be up to each lawmaker.
“I’m not a smoker, but if somebody wants to come smoke a cigarette in my office, I will tolerate it,” said Cox, R-Sedalia. “I do not accept that all smokers are evil.”
If only more legislators thought along those lines….
