Yesterday, January 23, the mayor of Philadelphia signed into law an ordinance which in effect imposes an almost absolute ban on cigar sales in the city, effective immediately – although there is no indication when it will begin to be enforced.  The measure will be challenged in court by the CAA, Atladis USA, Swisher International, John Middleton, Black Cat Cigar Company, Holt’s Cigar Company and the Pennsylvania Distributors Association.

 

Now defined as “drug paraphernalia”, sales of the following products are banned:  cigars sold singly, flavored cigars known as “blunts”, unflavored “blunts”, flavored and unflavored blunt wraps, cigarette rolling papers, cigarillos, and tiparillos.  The ordinance does not define “blunt”, which as you know is a long-recognized shape of cigar.

 

In effect, the new ordinance imposes an irrational and nearly absolute ban on the sale of cigars in Philadelphia.  While the stated purpose is to combat drug use in the city and curb the sale of tobacco products to minors, the ordinance does the following:

• bans the sale of “flavored” cigars by any establishment anywhere in the city, even though it never defines the term “flavored”
• bans the sale of cigars within 500 feet of any “school, recreation center, day care center, church or community center”.  This in essence bans cigar sales in more than 75% of specialty tobacco stores in the city and eliminates cigar sales in almost 75% of the general retail stores that are permitted to sell cigars
• bans the sale of one or two cigars by any retail business except that hotels, certain restaurants and specialty tobacco shops are allowed to sell individual cigars in “small quantities” – a term which is not defined.

We believe the ordinance is void on several grounds including preemption by multiple state laws for it impermissibly conflicts with the Pennsylvania Drug Paraphernalia Act, and is expressly preempted by state laws regarding the sale of tobacco products to minors;

 

At this time, the lawsuit and a motion for preliminary injunction is expected to be filed early next week.  In the meantime, we understand that the WaWa chain had already pulled product from their shelves in anticipation of the mayor signing the ordinance.

Wow.  I cannot believe I've read the following statement correctly:

"bans the sale of “flavored” cigars by any establishment anywhere in the city, even though it never defines the term “flavored”"

Unbelievable.  How can a "flavored" item be banned if the term "flavored" is not defined?  How can any item be banned without defining the terms and conditions of the ban?  Cuban Honey's are flavored cigars which would obviously fall into this category but what about the Acid brand cigars?  Those smokes are not flavored by any means but they are aromatic which can be mistaken for a "flavored" cigar.  Essentially, I could not go into a cigar shop in Philadelphia and buy a box of the Nestor Reserve Maduro sticks because they may or may not have a hint of chocolate...that's wrong!

The next statement simply scares the living daylights out of me:
"In effect, the new ordinance imposes an irrational and nearly absolute ban on the sale of cigars in Philadelphia."

Oh, happy days are here to stay!  I do not live in Philadelphia but I do live in Pennsylvania.  If cigars are banned in Philadelphia then the influence of the ban will filter through to the other major cities, right?  Eventually, the whole state may become "smoke free" which I obviously oppose.  Let me smoke in peace!!

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"Tobacco is the plant that converts thoughts into dreams." -Victor Hugo-

actually, acid cigars are highly flavored.  durring their creation they are sprayed or infused with another chemical to give them the different flavors and aroma.  thats the only deffinition of flavored i know of.

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www.homestarrunner.com

Well, this is exactly my point.  I don't think the Acid cigars are sprayed with chemicals.  I am almost 100% certain that the cigars are cured in a room for months while hundreds of herbs and oils are infused into the tobacco giving the cigar its distinct aroma.  Regardless, I do not consider them to be a flavored cigar.  I understand other individuals may think differently and that is exactly why the term "flavored" must be defined if a ban is placed on "flavored" cigars.  Right?

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"Tobacco is the plant that converts thoughts into dreams." -Victor Hugo-

my deffinition of a flavored cigar is anything that has had somthing done to it to give it flavors or aromas not characteristic of the individual or blend of tobaco in the cigar.  if its infused, sprayed, soaked or any foreign material added designed to change its flavor/aroma then it is a flavored cigar.  this excludes any chemical or proccess to remove certain chemicals like amonia from the tobaco, i dont know of any maker that does this but its somthing that needs to be done usually just by aging the tobaco.  i have heard about some curing rooms being filled with propane, i think thats just to make climate control easyer, it doesnt affect the flavor/aroma of the cigar as propane has no odor (the stuff you buy has a garlic like smell added to it so people dont blow their bbq up)

i dont consider myself an expert by any means when it comes to creation of cigars, but as far as i know nothing is done to tobaco other than letting it sit around or getting it wet to start fermentation (maduro?).  the only foreign material that is introduced to a cigar durring its creation is glue to hold it together and the band.  neither of which change the flavor of the cigar.  there are some cigars that walk the line between cigar and flavored cigar.  one that i know of is a certain fontana cigar that has special sweet glue added to give it a slightly sweet flavor to cancel any bitterness when lighting.  i suppose by my own deffinition i should consider this a flavored cigar but i do not.

this is an interesting discussion, i hope others chime in.

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www.homestarrunner.com

ACID is not a flavored cigar, it is an aromatic cigar. The tobacco is never sprayed or dipped with flavoring. The tobaccos used to create each ACID blend are aged in special rooms for a significant amount of time - in these rooms, infusion takes place. Essential herbs, oils and botanicals are slowly released, and the tobaccos gradually become influenced by these herbs, oils and botanicals. In other words, the tobaccos take on the unique characteristics of these 'ingredients' (for lack of a better term). Yes, this does change the flavor of the cigar (slightly), but the aroma of the tobaccos is the main focus.

jihiggs - you mention that the only foreign material that is introduced to a cigar during its creation is glue. Many cigars, like Baccarat, Nat Sherman, etc, use a sugary-sweet pectin. This is not a flavored cigar, but the glue does have a sweetness added to it. Would you consider this a traditional cigar or a flavored cigar?

Also - some makers age their tobaccos in old bourbon casks. La Aurora is one, Fuente is another - and each does this with their most elusive handmades. This too alters the flavor of the cigar, but I have yet to hear somebody call La Aurora Preferidos or Opus X a flavored cigar.

i beleive i addressed that when i mentiond the fontana cigars.

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www.homestarrunner.com

bourbon barrels...  i consider that a grey area also.  yes, the proccess changes the flavor but no where near the level that acid cigars are changed.  i recognise that my logic has flaws, but im just talking about my opinion here, not making law.  also, i refuse to beleive that oils from the herbs magicaly migrate to the tobaco.  ive never seen oil go airborn without a heat source, surely the acid tobaco is not stored at neccissary temps to make oil airborn as that would destroy it.  bottom line is, another substance not native to the tobaco used is introduced durring the production of acid cigars, with the sole intent of making the cigars smell and to a lesser extent taste like the foreign material added.  with fontana cigars and the others you mentioned, the sweet glue is added to take away bitterness durring lighting or at the end, not to make it taste like sweet pectin.  fuente and the like are aged in barrels as you say to give subtleties or perhaps bring out flavors that were burried, not to taste like bourbon.  it would not suprise me if the use of bourbon barrels was more for tradition or making use of readily available supplies, than motivated by adding bourbon flavors, but perhaps thats a bit of a stretch.

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www.homestarrunner.com

Cigars are a natural product.  They are tobacco leaves.  They absorb moisture.  If you were to stick a Partagas Black and a Rocky Patel Connecticut in a humidor for a period of time, then I guarantee the RP Connecticut would taste similiar to the Partagas Black.  The method works the same with cigarettes.  If a non-smoker walks into a bar, stays there for some time and then returns home to his wife, the first words out of her mouth would probably be "wow, you smell horrible."  The average person usually stays in a bar for what, two or three hours?  The Acid cigars are aged for months.

Well, this conversation is definately evidence proving why the government cannot simply ban a product without defining the terms of the ban!

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"Tobacco is the plant that converts thoughts into dreams." -Victor Hugo-

so if i were to put a macanudo and a cuban monte 2 in a humidor for 3 years, the macanudo would taste like a monte 2?  absolutely not!

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www.homestarrunner.com

One cigar will not turn into the other. But, the cigars do marry and take on the characteristics of one another - in the same way that the cigars will take on the sweet cedary aroma (and flavor) of the humidor.

As far as Macanudo goes, it's hopeless. No Macanudo will ever have flavor.

Now, back to the subject at hand. I just received a Senate Bill to better establish the clean indoor air act in Pennsylvania.