Coming to a close...

The year, that is. As you can see, no blogging was done since September. It's been a very busy time at Cigarista with a smoker event once a month and a 65% increase in business this year. I've also been writing a cigar column for the Tampa Bay Sun newspaper every two weeks and a cigar column for the Tobacco Retailer magazine every issue. I've also done a feature article for the magazine and have another assignment for them due in a couple of weeks.

We're just coming off one of the slower times of the year for this area. Our main season is in the winter and it seems to have just started. The holiday started slowly but kicked up a bit in the last week before Christmas. This week we seem to have a lot of tourists and snowbirds back to see us.

The Canadian dollar and the Euro are both strong against our dollar so purchases might be a little better now. Our prices are so much better than most parts of the world and even most states.

Thanks to all my loyal customers who have made this year a very successful one. I greatly appreciate it and will do my best to keep you loyal.

The Cigars for Soldiers program has also been successful this year. It was funded by donations from Camacho cigars, Bucanero cigars and Perdomo cigars. By far the largest amount of donations were by individuals dropping in money in the collection jar in the store. One of my local "angels" comes by once a month and buys himself a couple of cigars and adds a hundred dollars onto his tab for the soldiers. We've sent about $4000.00 worth of cigars to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan this year. That's a good feeling. Thanks to all who've helped. We'll keep doing that until they all come home. Please help us with it if you can. They not only love the cigars but also that someone cares enough about them to send them. Check the web site for pictures and emails. Also check out www.soldiersangels.org, one of our supporters that do a tremendous amount for our troops. We're linked on their site at: http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=discounts-for-soldiers-angels.

Our next smoker is on January 24th from 5 to 9 P.M. with Rocky Patel Cigars. It will be a good one. We're getting 35 to 50 people attending these events. It's a great evening out with a lot of great people. Cigar smokers tend to be friendly and interesting people. Come join us. We'll add you to our email list for coming events if you like. Just drop us an email.

My sister and only sibling died a few weeks ago and today would have been her 57th birthday. Happy birthday, Gail, wherever you are. We miss you.

Mike/Cigarista

End of Summer

It's been way too long since we've updated this blog. Since the last time, we've had an Oliva event in May, an Oliveros smoker in June, Camacho in July and our own Cigarista-sponsored event in August. This summer was much better than last as our customer base has grown considerable and there hasn't been any major storms to scare away our beloved tourists.

We have an Altadis event coming up September 13th, featuring Onyx and Royal Jamaican cigars. The smokers keep getting better. If you haven't tried one, come on out. It's a great group that always has a good time. We have one per month scheduled for the rest of the year and more coming after that.

We have the new Camacho Triple Maduros in and the Ashton San Cristobals. Both of them are great cigars. We'll have the new CAO Americas in soon and we're adding the Soprano line as well. Our lines keep expanding.

Our "Cigars for Soldiers" program is still going strong. In fact, the word has gotten out in Iraq and Afghanistan such that our waiting list now contains about 200 soldiers on the list to get cigars. Thanks to our great customers who make donations to this very worthy cause and thanks also to our great troups over in the sandbox.

We're a guest on a radio talk show tomorrow morning to talk about the evil cigar exise tax proposed by Congress. We'll also talk a bit about the "Cigars for Soldiers" programs.

Keep looking for our Tampa Bay Sun cigar column every issue on page four. You can also see it on their web site at www.tampabaysun.com.

Drop by and see us. If you mention seeing this blog and it's your first visit, we'll buy a cigar for you. As Cigar Dave says, "Long ashes."

Cigarista

Cigar Columns

For the last three issues, I've been doing a cigar review column for the Tampa Bay Sun www.tampabaysun.com. Starting with the June issue, I'm also doing one for the Tobacco Retailer magazine, which is a national trade magazine at www.tobaccoretailer.com. I'm starting to use these old writing muscles a bit again and it's fun.

Cigars for Soldiers Update

4/18/2007 - We made a new contact in Iraq and sent cigars. See below for the email from LTC Patrick Turner. We are getting another couple of boxes ready for a contact from cigarlive.com. You won't believe how much our thinking of these guys matters to them. Thanks so much to our customers and friends who contributed to this.

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Mike, yes we did receive them along with the nice letter you were kind enough to send. You are most generous to us here. Although I used to partake, there was no shortage of enthusiasts here believe me. I have about half left but I am very strict as to who and how many we offer your fine product to.

You probably have to fill out the usual customs forms anytime you send anything here. They are pretty strict here.

Any of your fine products are shared amongst the men equally.

We thank you, your family and your business for supporting us here in Iraq.

With your permission I send out an email every couple of months to dear friends with pics and I would be honored if I could add you blindly. Am traveling to Al Anbar province for a week plus starting later today or tomorrow so it should be interesting.

Respectfully,

The officers and men of the United States Army

LTC Patrick Turner
AAFES Military Operations Senior LNO
Camp Liberty, Iraq

"God will Judge our Enemies....my job is to Introduce them to Him"

Cigars for Soldiers, Cigar View & Event Coming Soon

Hi, all. Been a while.

The "Cigars for Soldiers" program keeps on rolling. We are working on our next shipment and getting some new requests from soldiers in Iraq. If you want to help in any way or get on our list of soldiers in Iraq wanting cigars, see: www.cigarista.com.cigarsforsoldiers.htm or drop me a line via the web site.

There is a newly formed forum that we like and are participating in. It's Cigar Live at www.cigarlive.com. Please go by and check it out. Lurk or post, the people there are starting out to be good ones.

Our next smoker event at the store is coming up on March 30, 2007. It's with Bucanero and we always have a good turn out and good time with these guys. Johnny will be there.

Cheers,
Cigarista Mike

More Soldiers & Cusano Event Report

We just got an email from another one of our Cigars for Soldiers guys sent through Lisa at Soldiers Angels:

"Just wanted you to know I got the other box today with the
cookies and cigars. The cookies came through just fine. Thank you
and thank the gentleman that sent the cigars. Pictures will be coming
soon. We are having a cookout Saturday and that should pose a good time to
get all together smoking stogies."

John

MGYSGT JOHN SAKOWICZ
HMM-364 MAINT CHIEF
OIF DSN 3422-547

This is our second group. We'll post the pictures here and on our web site as soon as we get them.
To make a contribution, go to http://cigarista.com/cigarsforsoldiers.htm
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The Cusano event was great, thanks to J. T. from Cusano and our wonderful customers. We had about 25 people show up and had a great time. Everyone got a free cigar or two. If you bought two, you got another free one. If you bought a box of 18, you got four free ones, a very nice cap and four extra raffle tickets. The raffle prizes included a box of C18 Paired Maduros and four caps, each cap complete with a cigar sampler and either a punch or a cutter. Thanks, Cusano. We all enjoyed it.

Happy holidays to all, however you celebrate them. We are going to be closed on Sunday through Tuesday so I can visit my kids in Atlanta. Ho, ho, ho.

Mike
Head Cigarista

Cigars for Soldiers Update

Our inspiration for Cigars for Soldiers, Melissa, came in again yesterday. It was the first time she saw our collection box and jar for the program. She was whelmed. She had no idea we had done this or that she was the inspiration. She was in buying her Christmas cigars for the soldiers.

Can one person make a difference? As Margaret Mead said, "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have. " Is this thing something huge for mankind? Not likely but it does make a difference in the lives of people who are risking their lives in their daily endeavors to fight for us, whether you agree with the reasons or not. Bless you, U.S. military, wherever you are. We'll keep sending the cigars.

Our first email back:

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Sir or Ma'am,
I just wanted to say thank you for starting Cigars for Soldiers.
I found out from someone that goes into your shop to buy cigars. She
passed it to me. I know that it may not be a big deal to some but there
are a lot of Service Members that truly enjoy cigars. It is a bonding
experience and it also brings a little piece of home.
Please tell everyone Thank you.
Semper Fi,
Colin Hardman
SSgt USMC
Al Asad, Iraq