Kip Fisher - Co-Founder, Author at Half Ashed

Drew Estate Announces IPCPR 2014 Releases

July 19, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Drew Estate Announces New Releases in ACID, KFC, Herrera Estelí & MUWAT Lines

[NOTE: The press releases will be coming rapid-fire for the next few days, from varied manufacturers. I will be posting the most interesting as they appear, and will make every effort to combine when it makes sense. Thankfully, Drew Estate was kind enough to do that with this, the first of several announcements coming from them. Here’s a summary of their first four “official” announcements. –Kip]

Miami, FL – Drew Estate announced earlier today that they would be releasing new extensions to the ACID, Kentucky Fire Cured, Herrera Estelí and MUWAT lines at the IPCPR 2014. The new cigars will include the following: [Read more…]

Cigar News: La Flor Dominicana at IPCPR 2014

July 17, 2014 By Kip Fisher

La Flor Dominicana to introduce new items at 82nd IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas this year.

LFD has graciously sent out a summary of some new items coming out this week at the tradeshow. I’ve included some of the most intriguing and the supplied descriptions below:

La Flor Dominicana 1994 Limited Edition Beer Stein

In honor of our 20th anniversary we have created a very special cigar uniquely packaged in a beautiful porcelain beer stein. The cigar is made with tobaccos that were set aside several years ago in anticipation of this very special occasion. The complex and powerful flavors of this cigar originate from the best fillers and binder grown on our farm in the Dominican Republic and are complemented with a sweet and savory Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper. This blend [Read more…]

Half Ashed Episode 074: Tatuaje Tattoo Caballeros

July 16, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Good evening, folks. Welcome back for another exciting – albeit audio-challenged episode of Half Ashed. This week, we had some difficulty in getting Craig into the hangout, but we managed via his handy dandy iPhone (hence the peculiar sound). Our Cigar of the Week was the Tatuaje Tattoo Caballeros, so tune in to get our thoughts on this recently released budget-friendly Tatuaje. In the news, we covered items from Hirochi Robaina, Casa Fernandez, Toraño, RoMa Craft, and AJ Fernandez. Of course, we also discussed what we’ve been smoking and a couple of other minor items in the course of this abbreviated show (one hour vs. our normal two). So, you’re invited to fire up, kick back and enjoy!

Next week, we will be returning to our normal Friday night schedule. Our Cigar of the Week will be Unbanded #016, from Jacob Pinkas, so be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at halfashed.com where you can catch us recording and participate in the chatroom. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following emails: [email protected] or [email protected]. Please feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions you’d like answered, comments to make…or even compliments and complaints. We love to get your emails! Also, remember you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, which can be found in the Half Ashed Archive. You can download this week’s audio directly below (right-click “Download” and save), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

P.S. – If you have unbanded suggestions or contributions, you can get those to us by sending an email to [email protected]. This email address goes directly to my wife, so you can simply suggest an unbanded cigar for her to source, or send me an email to [email protected] if you have something you’d like to send in. I will provide an address to send them. Thanks!

Cigar News: AJ Fernandez to introduce New World

July 11, 2014 By Kip Fisher

A.J. FERNANDEZ TO INTRODUCE THEIR NEWEST CIGAR BRAND AT THE IPCPR: NEW WORLD

Per a press release issued this morning, A.J. Fernandez Cigars will be introducing a new value brand at this year’s IPCPR tradeshow in Las Vegas. The brand, called “New World,” will feature [Read more…]

Half Ashed Episode 073: Trinidad Ingenios

July 8, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Welcome back for another round of Half Ashed shenanigans, folks. This week, we featured the Trinidad Ingenios as our Cigar of the Week – one of Craig’s submissions. He described it thusly:

The commercially available Trinidad brand became available to the market in 1997 with the Fundadores and the Edicion Limitada trend began in 2000. For the first time in 2007 the two came together in this lonsdale. At 6-½”x42 it is a beautiful size to match the beautiful appearance of this unique stick. Trinidad, a decidedly sweet tasting brand, and the E.L. wrapper leaf, an almost agonizingly dark tasting priming of wrapper tobacco were combined into this stick in September of 2007. I’ve included this cigar because of what it SHOULD have been compared to what it actually is.

So join us for that, as well as news items from RoMa Craft, Crowned Heads, JC Newman, Ashton, and La Aurora. We additionally covered a couple of legislative items, and what we’ve been smoking.

Next week, our Cigar of the Week will be the Tatuaje Tattoo Caballeros, so be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at halfashed.com where you can catch us recording and participate in the chatroom. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following emails: [email protected] or [email protected]. Please feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions you’d like answered, comments to make…or even compliments and complaints. We love to get your emails! Also, remember you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, which can be found in the Half Ashed Archive. You can download this week’s audio directly below (right-click “Download” and save), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

Cigar News: Casa Fernandez Arsenio Serie Oro

July 8, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Rumors and rumblings have been circulating for a bit about a new Casa Fernandez cigar set for release after IPCPR 2014, but I have just this week [Read more…]

Cigar News: Toraño Announces "Captiva"

July 8, 2014 By Kip Fisher

TORAÑO FAMILY CIGAR CO. TO UNVEIL “THE CHARLIE TORAÑO CAPTIVA” AT THE 2014 IPCPR

Toraño Family Cigar Company has announced that for the first time, Charlie Toraño will unveil a cigar under his own name: the Charlie Toraño Captiva. Charlie is the fourth generation of the Toraño family to carry the tobacco industry torch. In his years working alongside his father Carlos, as well as since, he has created cigar brands under the family name as well as countless marques for other major distributors. He has been president of the company for more than ten years, and felt it was “time to create a cigar under his own name which represents his personal tastes and pastimes.”

“Captiva, which is a very small island off the coast of Southwest Florida, is my favorite place in the entire world,” said Charlie Toraño. Every year I plan a summer family trip there which serves as my get-away from the everyday. It takes me back to the true essence of cigars. I am able to smoke and simply relax as I feel the pressures of life dissipate with every puff. I am able to reflect, count my blessings, and recharge my batteries. The Captiva cigar is a very elegant and flavorful cigar which represents the slow rhythms of the Island.”

The Captiva will feature an oily Ecuadoran wrapper over Nicaraguan fillers that have been specially aged and selected by Charlie. It is presented as medium to full bodied, with notes of coffee, chocolate, and sweet peppery spice. The line will carry a suggested retail pricepoint between $7.95 and $8.95, and be available in four different vitolas:

Robusto (5″ x 52)
Toro (6″ x 50)
Churchill (7″ x 47)
BFC (6″ x 60)

About Toraño Family Cigar Company

A leader in the cigar industry, Toraño Family Cigar Company is a four generation company currently based in Miami, FL. It enjoys a rich heritage and history in tobacco growing and manufacturing. For more information: www.torano.com. Please also follow Toraño on Face book: Toraño A family Cigar Company or on Twitter: @TORANOFAMCIGARS.

Nomad Connecticut Fuerte line extended

July 8, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Nomad Connecticut Fuerte Belicoso Coming

Nomad Cigar Company has announced the addition of a Belicoso to its popular Connecticut collection. The Dominican-made Nomad Connecticut Fuerte line launched in March 2014, and has been previously available in four sizes (Corona 5.5″x44, Toro 6″x52, Robusto Gordo 5.5″x54, and Robusto 5″x50). Founder Fred Rewey added the 6.25″x54 Belicoso after some experimentation with various sizes.

“I think every manufacturer sometimes has a host of other sizes for personal use or for friends that request them. Frankly, the Belicoso was just fun. It was one of those sizes in the Connecticut line that I found myself smoking a bit more often. No sense keeping them all for myself. The industry reviews on the Connecticut Fuerte line have been very positive and I look forward to adding to the family,” Rewey added.

The release comes just two weeks ahead of Nomad’s release of a new line of Nicaraguan cigars: The C-276. The C-276 will feature five filler leaves with two being ligero.

About Nomad Cigars

Nomad Cigar Company launched in 2012 with four sizes of classic hand rolled Dominican cigars and quickly grew the [DR] line to seven sizes. In January 2013 founder Fred Rewey ventured to Nicaragua; blending and creating the Estelí Lot 1386 and the S-307. In 2014 Nomad released the Connecticut Fuerte and will be releasing the C-276 at the 2014 IPCPR show.

Contact:

Fred “Godfadr” Rewey, Nomad Cigar Company
Twitter: @Godfadr

Cigar News: Córdoba & Morales to extend Clave Cubana

July 7, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Córdoba & Morales to Introduce Clave Cubana Etiqueta Blanca at this Year’s IPCPR

Florida based Córdoba & Morales Cigars will add to the existing Clave Cubana line this summer, with the addition of the limited production Etiqueta Blanca. Total production for this cigar will only be 1,000 boxes of 20 cigars. The Etiqueta Blanca will feature a 5-year-old
San Andrés Maduro wrapper, Jalapa binder and a filler blend from Esteli, Ometepe and Jalapa. According to company co-founder Azarias “Z” Mustafa Córdoba, the second addition to the line has been in the works for quite some time.

“We’ve wanted to work with the aged San Andrés Maduro wrapper since we opened our company, however, it’s in short supply. As soon as we got our hands on it, we painstakingly created the perfect blend of tobaccos to complement and honor this much-sought after wrapper, which we’ve accomplished with the Etiqueta Blanca,” Mustafa Córdoba said.

The line will be available for order at the 82nd Annual IPCPR Convention & International Trade Show, and is expected to ship around August 1st, 2014. It comes in three vitolas: Robusto Extra (5 ½” by 52, MSRP $9.80), Toro (6” x 54, $10.50) and a Toro Gordo (6” x 60, $11.20). The company will offer retailers special promotions on their existing lines during the show, and invites all attending retailers to stop by their booth (Hall C, booth #4530) to learn more about their entire lineup.

About Córdoba & Morales

Established in 2011, Córdoba & Morales is a family owned boutique cigar company that produces 100% hand-rolled cigars in Estelí, Nicaragua. During this year’s 82nd Annual IPCPR Convention & International Trade Show, the company will release its much-anticipated Clave Cubana Etiqueta Blanca, expanding on their current line of popular cigars, including the Front 9, the 19th Hole, Family Reserve, Puro Pinar and Clave Cubana. For more information, please visit www.cnmcigars.com.

Cigar News: RoMaCraft to Distribute Tierra Volcán

July 6, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Canadian based Tierra Volcán announces distribution agreement with Roma Craft

As reported in a few other sources around the web and discussed on the most recent episode of Half Ashed, Toronto-based Mombacho Cigars S.A. has announced an exclusive U.S. distribution agreement with RoMa Craft Tobac LLC. I have since received the full press, and thought I would publish the additional information here.

The two companies, “after a few years of sharing best practices and developing personal friendships….discovered a significant amount of alignment existed in their mission and values.” Both, unlike many similarly sized peers, own and operate their own factories in Nicaragua. Each bears “a strong commitment to the communities in which they operate….[and] has demonstrated a strong focus on product quality and a dedication to a high level of craftsmanship.” As the friendship between the companies’ principals has developed, an understanding of small business limitations and a unique mix of complementary strengths and weaknesses was revealed.

“Our vision is to provide the world’s most memorable cigar experience for consumers,” says Markus Raty, President of Mombacho S.A. “RoMa Craft’s supply chain and logistics expertise, combined with their technical execution has consistently resulted in efficiently delivering a high level of service to retailers. We believe both are key components in the realization of this vision.”

Mombacho S.A. recently announced the launch of its Tierra Volcán line in the U.S. With another entity currently holding the US trademark for the name, the degree to which the line will carry the “Mombacho” moniker is yet to be seen. The company has an established sales and marketing team in the luxury consumer goods industry; the partnership adds RoMa Craft’s logistics, fulfillment, and administrative support.

“We are very excited to build on the collaborative relationship we have developed over the past few years with Mombacho,” says Skip Martin, of RoMa Craft Tobac. “Leveraging our operational proficiency with their own expertise in blending, manufacturing, brand management and sales, positions Tierra Volcán for success in an extremely competitive market.”

Both companies will be co-exhibiting in booths 4425-4426 at the 2014 IPCPR tradeshow in Las Vegas, NV.

About Mombacho S.A.

Mombacho Cigars S.A. was founded in 2006 to provide premium handmade cigars through memorable experiences in select markets In Canada and around the world, including China, where it primarily serves the Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou markets. Mombacho produces all of its products at its boutique factory, Casa Mombacho, in Granada, Nicaragua, where over 20 members of the Mombacho Family work.

Twitter: Mombacho Cigars

About Roma Craft Tobac

RoMa Craft Tobac, LLC is a premium cigar company founded in 2012 by Michael Rosales and Skip Martin. RoMa Craft Tobac imports, markets, and distributes hand-crafted cigars through a network of select retail tobacconists in the United States. RoMa Craft Tobac’s brand portfolio consists of the CroMagnon, CroMagnon Aquitaine, Intemperance, Neanderthal and Craft brands. The entire RoMa Craft portfolio is produced by Fabrica de Tabacos (Nica Sueño S.A.), established by Martin and Esteban Elias Disla Siri in 2013.

Twitter: RoMa Craft