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Episode 168: La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor

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La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor

La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor “Magnifico” – 6”X52; A cigar we’ve talked about at various times over the years, these run about $7.50 for singles in Tampa, and $6.75/ea by the box.  San Andres Mexican wrapper grown from Cuban seed with Nicaraguan fillers & binder.

Cigar News

  • In a move that shouldn’t be unexpected to anyone, CAA, CRA, and IPCPR filed a motion for injunction against the upcoming FDA requirements.  The motion asserts that the labeling requirements are onerous and unconstitutional in their scope, as well as several other assertions.  Additionally, the groups allege that the omission of the same requirements on the e-cigarette industry violate existing law in the equal protection clauses – which are spelled out in the 5th and 14th amendment.  This assertion falls beneath 5th amendment protection in that rights may not be denied without due process (i.e. the requirements being enforced unequally).  There are other items listed in the motion, such as the inclusion of tobacco retailers who blend pipe tobacco as “tobacco product manufacturers.”  Specifically, the groups ask that the court:
    1. Vacate and set aside the:
      Warning labels
      Classification of retailers who blend pipe tobacco as manufacturers
      FDA’s definition of “component or part” to include pipes
    2. Vacate and set aside the user fee
    3. Declare the deeming rule violates the first amendment
    4. Enter a permanent injunction on the warning label requirement
    5. Enter a permanent injunction from implementing or enforcing the other challenged aspects of the deeming rule
    6. Enter a permanent injunction against the user fees
    7. Award plaintiffs their attorneys fees
  • Following the devastating damage left behind by Hurricane Irma, TAA is opting to relocate this year’s gathering to La Romana, RD.  It was slated to be in St. Maarten, but with the near certainty that the island will not be fully back in business by April, a decision was made to move the annual meeting.
  • In a familiar storyline, Drew Estate has recently had a truckload of cigars stolen.  The scenario is very similar to a shipment of Arturo Fuente cigars that were stolen this past April.  Like the first time, this truck was taken in the Miami area.  Drew Estate put out the notice to inform the public – but also for retailers to be on the lookout for anyone offering discount rates on DE cigars.  The specific cigars taken on the truck were Tabak Especial and Undercrown Shade.
  • Tatuaje has announced this year’s “Unlucky 13” retailers who will receive the bulk of the line’s dress boxes.  The cigar is the “Michael” this year, based on the Halloween series of movies’ protagonist Michael Myers.  Of course, if you don’t want the hassle of trying to track down and pay double or triple the MSRP for a dress box, there will be a number of regular boxes as well.  As always, there will be 666 numbered dress boxes – but the standard boxes will number around 5000.  The cigar will come in a singular 6.5” x 52 vitola this year, and feature an Ecuadoran habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler mix.  It is set to retailer at $13 per cigar.  I won’t drone on with the whole list here on the show, but will post the designated retailers in the notes…

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

  • Craig
    • RASCC– So so good. Such a fruit centric Ramon Allones. Fruity & Nuts (whose?). It’s like my own personal trail mix I light on fire!
    • Cab Maduro Guapos OR!
  • Kip
    • El Artista “Pulita” – a solid offering, probably my favorite ever from this factory (home of David Ortiz’s “Big Papi”).  That being said, I haven’t beaten down any doors trying to find more.  
    • I’ve probably had fewer cigars the past 30 days than any other month these past 10 years…and of those, many were colmado cigars.  So, not much on this front for me.  The good = AJF Diesel, La Aurora ADN, Nica Rustica; the bad = some underfilled, hot no-name cigar I got from a friend; the ugly = colmado cigars.  Always ugly, but worth every penny of the $0.04 price tag…

 

Episodes 167: RoMaCraft Aquitaine Anthropology

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RoMaCraft Aquitaine Anthropology

Tonight, we’re revisiting a cigar we’ve smoked, enjoyed, and talked about.  A lot. The RoMaCraft Aquitaine line, in the Anthropology (corona gorda) vitola.  This line features an Ecuadoran Habano Ligero wrapper over Cameroon binder and Nicaraguan filler blend, with tonight’s cigar coming in at 5.75” x 46.  Skip joined us way back in Episode 028, and I even reviewed this cigar back in 2014.  We have a long history with the line, and I especially admire the commitment to excellence Skip & Mike bring to the industry…let’s see if the Aquitaine still lives up to the storied reputation in my mind….

Cigar News

The big story for tonight is legislative in nature – the fact that yesterday the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act of 2018 (H.R. 3354) passed the House of Representatives.  What does this mean?  A lot.  And not much….  Before we all start lighting those celebratory cigars, let’s take a look at what has specifically transpired.  It’s true that this is the furthest the cigar industry has gotten a process that has been tried repeatedly over the past several years.  H.R. 3354 does include language that exempts premium cigars from the FDA regulations we’ve been talking about for so very long – by restricting the FDA from using any funds to enforce the rule.  This is huge in principal – but not a fully completed piece of legislation.  The House and Senate now have to iron out any differences and bring a similar Senate bill to pass (and, of course, the President will have to sign said agreed-upon language).  None of the existing Rule has changed as of now – and may not.  This Act is essentially the guiding document for budgeting/spending in 2018.  So, its duration ends in October 2018.  To be furthered beyond that date, the process would have to be once again approved before.  While I remain hopeful, I know that these types of add-on riders are very difficult to be brought to fruition for both houses to agree…however, if it does make it through the process this time around, it is also very difficult for it to be removed later on.  Should both houses come to agreement and the language remain, this would at least postpone enforcement of the deadlines currently set for 2018 (warning label additions, user fees, etc.), and new products could be introduced through the involved timeframe.  I’m going forward with the belief and hope that the cigar industry came away with a win, and hope the plan can come together with something workable for the industry.  We shall see…..

Since our last show, Hurricane Irma made its presence known throughout the Caribbean and Florida.  While it was a devastating storm, and one of the largest known in this hemisphere, it did not impact the cigar industry in a catastrophic manner.  Most of the Lesser Antilles which were hammered by the storm are non-tobacco producing territory, and the industry impact was dampened on the affected islands by the fact that most do not have tobacco in the fields at the moment.  Here in the DR, much of the country’s non-essential operations were closed for a day, but except for the far eastern portion of the nation most of us only experienced a rainy day with limited wind and localized flooding.  Cuba took more damage.  The extent of the damage to its cigar industry is yet to be seen.  Many factories were temporarily closed for flooding and windy conditions.  It is not yet known how extensive the damage is, as much of the country’s north coast is still flooded and without power.  Florida took a serious (but less so than expected) hit from the storm, but thankfully it was diminished more quickly than forecast as it moved the length of the state.  The southwestern portion of the state bore the brunt of the storm, which caused quite a bit of flooding in addition to wind damage.  However, returning to cigar industry specific news, most Miami based companies avoided significant damage.  Most lost a few days of work and shipping.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

  • Craig –
    • Leon Jimenez from DC – Cedar, smoke, alcohol – There’s a story here…
    • Casa Cuba – Very harsh. What gives?

 

  • Kip
    • Bonus cigar….Fuente Destino al Siglo (2005 edition)
    • Camacho Criollo – a cigar I’d overlooked after the company’s revamp a few years back.  Frankly, the blue (Ecuador) was offputting to me, and I never looked back.  DC sent me one of the Criollo while I was stateside this past summer, and I smoked it last week.  I have to admit to enjoying it far more than I expected.  It was spicy early on, but softened considerably during its second half.  It remained interesting throughout.  There aren’t many Camacho products I reach for; this one is on the list now.
    • Nica Rustica – the cigar that snatched my interest a few years back because it originally was to have some Nicotiana Rustica in the blend.  That particular leaf did not work out for them, and the cigar fell out of the limelight for me personally.  DC also sent one of these, and it has revived my interest as well.  It was very, very smoky – in flavor and literally.  Tons of charred oak flavor and perfect construction were winning characteristics.  I have added this to my list of cigars to bring back on my next trip to the US.

Episode 166: Unbanded 031

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Unbanded #031 from Dan C.

Not much to go on preliminarily for tonight’s Unbanded cigar.  It’s a darkly complected robusto with dry-ish wrapper and little aroma…lightweight in the hand, but seemingly well constructed before clipping.

Cigar News

Quiet times are upon us.  There are plenty of little-known lines coming out from companies that shipped limited runs to beat the Aug 2016 deadline last year – but frankly, I’ve not had much catch my eye lately…maybe I’m just getting old, crotchety and jaded.  I’m digging my $0.04 cigars, though.  And the occasional ADN or Cantinero.

David Tang’s passing/condolences.

La Aurora ADN has made its way to American shores.  Dominican (Cibao valley) wrapper, Cameroon binder, DR/NIca/PA filler.  Reportedly has a leaf of Andullo inside, which leads to its name.  I like the idea.  I even like the cigar.  Not sure about its identity, though.  Four vitolas (robusto 5×50, toro 5.75×54, churchill 7×47, and gran toro 6×58), ranging from about $7-9.25.

“Cigar Movie” – Mike Stewart: http://www.handrolledmovie.com/ An interesting thought about what appears to be the hardships being experienced by the FDA’s oversight upon the industry… Some interesting sponsors and some unknown directors

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –

Southern Draw Connecticut – Really, really surprising. Tastes like an AJ cigar but much more refined from what I’m familiar with. I’ll be smoking more.

Cabaiguan Maduro Guapos – I had to try another one of these again. There is no way we misdiagnosed this cigar twice on the show :) Chocolate, cherry, tobacco, so so good. So, so familiar. Someone must be playing with our palates…

Kip

J. Fuego Connoisseur Original

Episode 165: Hoyo de Monterrey Añejado

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Hoyo de Monterrey Añejado

The Hoyo de Monterrey Anejados! The proverbial “Found in a warehouse” aging story come to life! SRP DIC 06 REVISADO is the box code on today’s CotW. If you buy into the marketing, these, along with a series of other initial vitolas were released in 2015. The series came from a 2006 idea to finally bring the vintage market to the Cuban distribution machine. Met with mixed reviews, this Hoyo version displays how Cuban tobacco can shine in a mild form. The cigar is a traditional Hermoso #4 (a longer & skinnier robusto) and appears dry and slightly humidity soaked. Having seen three boxes in person, all seem to appear the same. They display clean, crisp sweetness with only minimal “hoyo” sweet woody flavors. They taste more vintage than aged but only when comparing the shear amount of flavor present. Nonetheless, their flavor is enjoyable and they way they present themselves is not common amongst newer releases.

Cigar News

  • First up in a night of legislative news, six anti-tobacco/health groups have asked to intervene in the ongoing CAA/CRA/IPCPR lawsuit.  The groups filed a Motion to Intervene, which means they are requesting the courts to include them in the suit as defendants – noting that they believe the government is not/will not properly defend the FDA regulation.  The groups are:
    1. American Academy of Pediatrics
    2. American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
    3. American Heart Association
    4. American Lung Association
    5. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
    6. Truth Initiative

 

  • UPDATE from CRA: Today, the District Court for the District Columbia rejected the motion of six public health groups to immediately intervene in the premium cigar industry’s joint lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  The Court will reconsider the issue if there are new developments.

 

  • In what is probably the bigger story over the past few weeks, the FDA has announced a big delay in the substantial equivalence deadline – a three year delay.  The new deadline is Aug 2021.  Other deadlines and guidance (or lack thereof) remain the same – including packaging requirements, etc.  What this essentially boils down to is that products in the marketplace before Aug 2016 will be allowed to remain until Aug 2021 without gaining approval (the previous deadline was May 2018).  This is huge for the smaller companies that were facing very expensive compliance with a foggy regulatory set in the near-term.  They now have longer to prepare and budget for the process – and hopefully, get more guidance in what will even be required to meet the SE regs.  The FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, has also noted that a new comment period will be opened to receive and evaluate public comments about cigars and their use.  The pathway to substantial equivalence – even with the new, more distant deadline – is fairly obscure, with little guidance from the FDA in what specifically will be required to demonstrate compliance.  

 

  • Per a statement issued by CRA & IPCPR, Commissioner Gottlieb also noted that the FDA will undertake a new approach to evaluating tobacco policy – one “that notes a “continuum of risk” that recognizes the differences in tobacco products.”  It’s worth noting also that Dr. Gottlieb stated that the FDA will “reexamine the treatment of premium cigars under the agency’s current regulatory structure. Ultimately, the agency will open a new rule making process to engage with the industry to better understand premium cigars, specifically.”  In theory, I find this encouraging…but time will tell if practice meets theory.

 

  • Hawaii, California, New Jersey, Maine, and now Oregon have raised the legal purchase age for tobacco to 21

 

  • As discussed on last week’s “hangout and not a show”, the results are in! The Friends of Habanos Mould Report is in and able to be viewed. With over 30 cigars with plume/mold to choose from, 10 distinct samples (in appearance) were selected. Out of those 10, only 4 distinct components were detected. All 4 were mold. As such, FoH is offering a $250 store credit for anyone who can produce a cigar with plume. http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/topic/131757-final-mould-report/

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Kip –

  • RoMaCraft, RoMaCraft, RoMaCraft!
  • Serino Maduro XX – Ec. Habano 2000 over Nicaraguan binder & filler; produced by La Corona (Omar González Alemán).  Tons of cocoa and berry sweetness…one of the better cigars I’ve smoked in a long time – even with the nearly $12 per robusto price tag.
  • Emilio Carpe Noctem.  I found these languishing on a retailer’s shelf during my visit to TN.  It was a shadow of its former self from a few years ago.  I felt like it had gone very flat during that time, with some muddling of flavors and an occasional metallic taste that I didn’t care for.  Tragic, since I really liked these when they hit the market.

 

 

 

 

Episode 164: Psyko 7 Maduro

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Psyko 7 Maduro

I received these samples from Ventura right around the time that I moved out of the country – so they’re about 2 years old at this point. I had a good go with the original line, although I suppose it didn’t earn a place as a frequent occupant in my humidor. I smoked a couple of these at the time they came out, but frankly I was smoking a lot of cigars at that time and didn’t keep notes…I was expecting them to come up sooner in the Half Ashed rotation. Tonight we’ll see how they’re holding up. The online description says that the “PSyKo Seven Maduro is graced with a deliciously dark and oily San Andres maduro wrapper concealing an Ecuador Hybrid 151 binder and Nicaraguan ligero, Peruvian Pelo de Oro, Dominican Hybrid, Honduran Holancha, and Pennsylvania ligero long-fillers.”

Cigar News

President Trump has announced changes to former President Obama’s changes toward travel and trade with Cuba. Specifically, the announcement is more akin to an announcement that there will be changes – rather than what those changes will be. It’s not overly clear exactly what this will mean in the future. For now, not much is different than it was as of January 19th – but this could be tossed around and remixed without warning. For the time being, you can still travel to and bring back goods from Cuba. Most are speculating that the major changes will include more restrictive travel allowances – which means fewer allowable reasons to visit Cuba and more restrictive guidelines on where you can stay, eat, travel, etc. while there. We will see in the months to come.

Ernesto Carrillo is teaming up with General Cigar again. Some may remember the Re+United from several years ago (We even smoked it on the show, back on Episode 069) as the most recent collaboration. This time, however, Ernesto’s La Alianza factory will be producing the La Gloria Cubana COLECCIÓN RESERVA. Unlike the Re+United, the LGC CR will be regular production. It will be available in three vitolas (5”x54 Robusto, 6” x 54 Torpedo, 7.5” x 54 Presidente), and features and Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers.

Come July 1st, several of Tatuaje’s lines will be less available…Ambos Mundos, El Triunfador, La Casita Criolla and La Riqueza will become off-list items, available in small batch releases and at some events. It appears (and doesn’t seem to be a secret) that some of these lines have pretty geographically limited market shares, so they are being scaled back. Pete has said publicly that the lines are important to him and aren’t going away; they just will not be kept at the current stock levels for distribution.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig
illusione Fume d’Amour Tres Petit
Fuente Opus Destino al Siglo Churchill

Kip
2009 Oliva Serie V Maduro, from Joe V.
Stunningly good Fuente 858 SG from Slagle…
Black Chapel from Evil Genius Cigars; I should have paid more attention earlier….

Episode 163: Cohiba Magico Maduro

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Cohiba Magico Maduro

From Craig…

LSO JUN 07 Cohiba Magico – These cigars from the original production run of the first non LE post revolution Cuban cigar. In 2002 Cuba started aging the Maduro wrapper leaves for what would eventually become the Cohiba Maduro cigars. Available in three vitolas; Secretos, a Tres Petit Corona, Magicos, roughly a rothschild and the Genios a toro sized cigar. These cigars were met with much anticipation and limited success. Heralded as the best Non Cuban cigar to come out of Cuba, the much maligned “Cocoa & Coffee” flavors reminded smokers of non cuban flavors. For those of us who love cigars from all countries, these cigars represented a holy grail to a small population that appreciated the marriage in style and sensation. Full bodied without being strong, these cigars were sweet and rich, without being overpowering. When on they were some of the best maduro examples ever to be sold. This box is original to the first shipments hitting global market and has been in my possession for nearly 10 years. I broke it open for this occasion and have yet to smoke a single cigar. I smoked numerous boxes of Secretos and found them to run between acceptable and flawless…

Cigar News

There are “hundreds of thousands” more Fuente cigars floating around the black market than 2 weeks ago. An entire 40 foot cargo container was stolen some time between being offloaded in Miami and its scheduled delivery in Tampa. The tractor, and subsequently the trailer, has since been recovered,. Expect some Fuente shortages again this year…..

So Xikar is adding graduated laser etched markings on the blade of some cutters that measure the diameter of the cigar being cut, notably the Ultra Thin model. At first, I thought “that’s neat.” Then, I wondered what the point was? Do these markings gauge the entire diameter? Or, how much someone somewhere thinks should be trimmed off the cap (which should, of course, be less than the overall diameter of the cigar)? Are cap/heads of cigars uniform enough this is close enough to a fixed amount to be trimmed? Does anyone think it matters? There seems like a lot of variation amongst manufacturers’ ability to maintain consistent ring measurements on their cigars.

Turns out…kids aren’t springing the cash for premium cigars! Who’d a thunk it? A study partially funded by the FDA determined that of over 13,000 kids aged 12-17 only 2.3% had ever had a premium cigar (with “ever” meaning have ever had even 1-2 puffs). Less than ¾ of 1% had done so in the past 30 days. This data was part of a much larger study, covering a sample pool of almost 46,000 children and adults. Additionally, the study included the use of flavored cigars – which are often the evil scapegoat decried by anti-smoking factions. The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the FDA, and interestingly, the FDA does NOT include these findings in the tobacco section of their website. Originally published by Cigar Aficionado.

Tatuaje has announced the final two offerings in the long-running Monster series. Later this year, “Michael” will be released, and “The Bride” will be the (presumed) final release in 2018. Along with this announcement, it has further come to light that another subset of the Monsters will be coming down the pike. A Cazadores sampler will be coming in the next month or so, and will include 10 of the Monster blends in a 6 ⅜” x 43 vitola. There will also be a lancero version of the sampler in 7 ½” x 38. I’ve enjoyed the regular Monster lineup over the years, but never really went nuts over them, as the sizes tend to run a bit bigger than I typically reach for. I really liked the Skinny Monster release last year, and will go out on a limb to declare I’ll probably invest in the Cazadores…and Lanceros…and one or both a second round after I have had a proper amount of testing :). The Cazadores will run around $90 per sampler, while the Lanceros will come in at about $5 more.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

SCdlH El Principe – My love of small cigars is not hidden to anyone who listens to this show. The El Principe always floats amongst my favorites in this vitola. Sweet, flavorful and, like the best Cuba has to offer, always drops an individual thread to accompany the overall theme the island’s tobacco brings to the table. Terrific.
Partagas 898v – Absolutely loaded with amazing sweet spice and tobacco flavor. Also loaded with a roughness akin to youth and bad luck.

Kip

Davidoff Chef’s Edition…typical Davidoff (I dig it).
Lots of Quesada España and 40th Robustos
Partagas Heritage (General) – They have my attention…

Episode 162: Drew Estate Undercrown Shade

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Drew Estate Undercrown Shade

Willy Herrera’s first blend for the Drew Estate lineup outside his Herrera Estelí marca, the Drew Estate Undercrown Shade features an Ecuadoran Connecticut wrapper over Sumatran binder and Dominican/Nicaraguan filler mix. Tonight, we’re smoking the 6” x 52 toro, which retails somewhere around the $8.50 mark…let’s see how it goes!

Cigar News

Since our last show, the cigar (and music) industries mourn the passing of Avo Uvezian at the age of just over 91 years.  We pay tribute to the legendary musician and cigar man.

Davidoff has announced the return of their Chefs Edition, a collaboration with several top European chefs. This year’s edition is again a 6” x 54 toro, and will feature a Habano 2000 wrapper over Ecuadoran Connecticut binder and an all-Dominican filler blend. The blend is intended to be enjoyed after a fine dining experience, and a run of around 3,000 boxes will begin to show up stateside next month, but I have my hands on one now. I’ll smoke it this week and report back….

Regius and Quesada have ended their distribution agreement, effective April 30. There was some initial chatter about production moving to another company (rather than Quesada, as it is at present), but that has since been retracted without more detail. I had no shops that carried the Regius lineup when I lived stateside, but had the opportunity to smoke through a box I won via charity auction a few years ago and thought the White Label was pretty fantastic….it’s a brand I wouldn’t mind revisiting should the opportunity allow.

General Cigar has announced that a number of facings will be leaving the market. Toraño seems to be the biggest drop, with quite a few from the lineup being discontinued. Several vitolas are being removed from the company’s offerings, as well as a couple of entire lines (notably to this story, the Toraño Captiva). One of the few lines I enjoy from General’s stable, the CAO OSA, will lose the Lot 46 and Lot T

In continuing update with the CAA/CRA/IPCPR lawsuit against the FDA has been moved back a month. The new court date is August 30th…

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

La Riqueza #5 – La riqueza indeed

Kip

Fonseca Cubano Exclusivo. I’m not one to worry about health concerns from moderate cigar smoking (my tumor or diet will likely get me first), but I’m a bit concerned this one may have a friggin’ asbestos wrapper/binder. Less prominent tunnels connect England and France…
AJ Fernandez Bella Artes. This was perhaps the most talked about cigar at the 2016 IPCPR tradeshow. How’d my first experience with it go?
The Fuente Don Carlos Personal Reserve…I love ‘em, but they’re different from what I remember as the blend from which they spun…

Episode 161: Unbanded 030

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Unbanded 030

 

Unbanded 030, from Kevin H.

Tonight’s example is roughly a corona gorda, with a lovely dark, evenly colored wrapper leaf. There’s one prominent vein but not a great deal of other relief to wrapper, which is almost oil-free to the touch. It actually feels like there’s a bit of dry residue where oil once lay, and with a decent amount of yellowing to the cello it came in, this could well be the case.

Cigar News

Since our last show, we’ve had a nominee added into the fray to head up the FDA under the Trump administration. Scott Gottlieb comes out of the healthcare industry in various facets, and has a history of tangential support of the premium cigar industry. He’s written various articles that at the very least assert the FDA is over-reaching in its assimilation of premium cigars into its regulations. We’ll post more as the days come and confirmation hearings proceed.

Two representatives and a Senator from Connecticut are trying to protect use of the word “Connecticut” in tobacco branding/labeling. They’ve submitted a letter asking for an examination of how products are marketed and labeled with the name, specifically in reference to tobacco grown elsewhere using CT seeds. They claim to have heard from constituents who feel undercut by brands that utilize “Connecticut” leaf that may have been grown in other countries. The letter has been submitted to the FDA and FTC, both of which govern tobacco labeling for various reasons.

La Palina has announced an update to their Classic line of cigars. Most surprising to me is a move for production from PDR to General Cigar. Details beyond that are sparse, except that the line will feature three branches: Classic Connecticut (EC CT // DR // DR-Nica), Classic Maduro (Hond // Hond // DR-Nica-Hond), and Classic Rosado (Hond // Hond // DR-Nica-Hond). It’s to come in 3 sizes per wrapper and retails for $6.50-$8 US).

Joey Bravo, son of Berta “Guayabera Lady” Bravo and former sales head for J. Fuego, has co-founded a new company with his Mom and friend James Thomas. The company, named Cypress Group Miami, will oversee distribution and sales of the J. Fuego brand in the U.S. and elsewhere. The move is being made to free up Jesus Fuego to spend more time at his factory in Estelí rather than stateside with sales commitments.

By the end of the semester, the University of Texas will be tobacco-free on all its campuses and properties. Texas, for cryin’ out loud! This is a policy change for the University, but there’s also a bill up for consideration that would ban tobacco and e-cigarette use on all state-owned properties throughout TX…

Australian cigar merchant and internet playground master, Friends of Habanos is currently hosting a truly special event. Rob Ayala, FoH’s owner and “el presidente” is calling upon the site’s members to share cigars with what they feel to be either mold or plume. Once a substantial offering has been received the cigars will be documented, photographed and sent out for “independent scientific testing”! This is the first public mold testing I am aware of and I am anxiously awaiting the report. I feel we will see substantially more samples coming back as mold than plume… The results could potentially be the building blocks for a mold/plume tutorial the likes of which have never been seen.

2017 Cuban tobacco harvest is the first in at least 3 years to have been universally heralded as above average. The quality is good and as many as 23k hectares have been successfully harvested. Late 2018/early 2019 Cuban cigar production should be expected to exceed recent quality.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –

RoMaCraft Fiorella
JC NewmanBlack Diamond
2002 RA PC, 2013 RA TPC
Tantrum
Jericho Hill

Kip

Colmado cigars. Who’d a thunk it?!?
LFD Andalusian Bull

Episode 160: Jas Sum Kral Red Knight Lancero

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Jas Sum Kral Red Knight Lancero

From Craig – A lovely gift from our listener “ARKCigars”, these 7″ x 38 lanceros make a perfect addition to your art gallery or your humidor. The most beautiful twisted pigtail cap sit atop a flawless Ecuadorian Habano Light “Clario” [sic] wrapper. The binder is half Mexican San Andres and Nicaraguan Jalapa seco, all over confidential inner components. The cigar smokes with a savory, pepper core but shows a sense of suave style throughout. Blended by the brand owner Riste Risteski and Noel Rojas, the cigar was created in Esteli to maintain the “Cuban standard”. Literally translating to “I Am King”, Jas Sum Kral is a Macedonian name for a Nicaraguan cigar with a Cuban soul.

Cigar News

Casa de Montecristo is coming to Tampa. My old haunt, Tampa Humidor, is teaming up with the folks at Imperial/Tabacalera USA/JR Cigars to open a Casa de Montecristo lounge in South Tampa. It should be opening in June…which is hopefully about the time I land stateside for a (shorter) visit.

I heard a bit of a buzz this week coming out of ProCigar here in Santiago, regarding a new cigar from La Aurora that will feature Andullo (which we’ve spoken of several times here on past shows). It will be called the ADN Dominicano (Dominican DNA), and will carry a Dominican wrapper, Cameroon binder, and four different filler tobaccos – including Andullo. I’ve smoked another cigar with this tobacco (Project 805), and seen it raw in the yagua, but don’t have a great deal of experience with it…yet. I’ve asked a friend of mine to take me to some of his friends’ place where they process andullo. This tobacco is rolled up into large tubular sections for fermentation, and bound by a rope or length of vine to generate some compression. Because it’s compressed during this time, it doesn’t peel apart easily into leaves afterward – so, it’s generally just trimmed off the end and smoked in a pipe. My understanding is this won’t – at least for now – be marketed stateside. It will be available here in RD in four vitolas (5×50, 5.75×54, 6×58, 7×47) if anyone wants to come visit and give ‘em a try.

I believe Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire are the last 3 remaining states that exempt cigars from most/all tobacco taxes. New Hampshire remains so after a bill was defeated to include premium cigars in the existing tax code (which would have added an additional 65% of wholesale to the final price). I can only imagine it will resurface during the next session, though….

In a move I’ve thought about for several years, Hawaii is proposing a ban on mail order/internet tobacco purchases for their residents – only allowing such ordering for licensed retail and wholesale establishments. My guess is many states will watch this closely, as it’s a way to covertly avoid some of the higher tax rates in a lot of states. The ban is, of course, “to protect the children” who might be lured into circumventing age restrictions by ordering through the mail. But, legislators know residents buy online from lesser-taxed states to avoid home state taxation over the counter. Maryland tried a similar but different move several years ago with a requirement that all etailers file/pay their taxes on internet orders. Many etailers simply posted statements that they’d no longer ship to MD, and the public outcry brought that move down. We’ll keep tabs on HI and see how it goes.

There has been some activity on the CAA/IPCPR/CRA lawsuit the past couple days, with some motions filed by other entities, although I honestly have not had time to investigate them thoroughly enough to speak intelligently of them. I will post up some info on the forum this week once I have had that chance.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –

Intl. Pipe Smoking Day – Margate ’07 – This blend is evolving and INCREASING in strength to my tastes. I am not enjoying it as much as the other bowls from this jar.
Padron 1926 Belicoso – These cigars are spicy to me. I just can’t handle them anymore. It’s a sad day
Tatuaje Noella Reserva – A terrific start. A poor finish…
Cuba Aliados – My pseudo IPSD celebration. I shall explain.

Kip

IPSD was Feb 20th – I took the opportunity to dig into some latakia/oriental goodness in Dunhill’s Nightcap and GL Pease’s Abingdon, both aged nicely. This week, I also broke out a 13 year old tin of Marlin Flake. Sweet Mother of all that’s Holy that is some good stuff….

Episode 159: Asylum Nyctophilia

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asylum nyctophilia

Asylum Nyctophilia Robusto

Tonight, we’re smoking the 5” x 50 Asylum Nyctophilia, although it was also available in 6” x 60 and 7” x 70. It was one of the TAA exclusives in 2015, and in fact I believe was the final cigar I bought before moving out of the states in June 2015. They were marketed in limited supply at around the $8 mark, and featured a dark San Andres wrapper over Nicaraguan internal components. I bought a few of these at the time, and really liked them initially. After a few months, when I smoked the last one I’ve had to date, there was some tannic intrusion that I wasn’t a huge fan of….we’ll see how they’ve progressed over the past year.

Cigar News

Jonathan Drew is returning to an “executive operating role” with Drew Estate, a slightly different role than he has played in the two years since the company was sold to Swisher. The move is promoted as one in which the company will “return to its iconic roots and core values. The objective is to unleash the entire team’s creative power under the leadership of JD.” JD was quoted in the press release as saying “We will return to high-level curation, mixed media platforms, and true collaboration. We have lost our way a bit, but DE will bubble back 1,000 times stronger. Believe me.”  What are our thoughts? Tune in to hear….

Continuing with the Drew Estate news, reports of a new Undercrown line are popping up around the U.S. The Undercrown Sungrown features the same vitolas as the existing line, and red banding rather than the traditional blue and the white found on the Shade. The company hasn’t yet released any blend details, but I imagine they’ll be forthcoming. Kip *really* digs the original line in the robusto vitola, and has an appreciation for the Shade (although it’s not exactly up his alley in terms of personal flavor preferences).

Bill Nelson has introduced a new(ish) bit of helpful cigar legislation….

Politicians in two states are currently calling for massive increases in cigar taxation. Gov. John Kasich of Ohio is requesting an increase from 17% of wholesale per cigar to 69% (an increase of over 300%) in his new proposed budget. Meanwhile, New Mexico’s SB 231 would increase cigar tax from 25% to 75% of wholesale (up 200%). Neither of the measures are new, although they are heftier increases than previous attempts…Gov. Kasich’s budget goes next to legislative review, while the NM bill goes to committee.

A couple of total rabbit trails….

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –

PL PC – Don’t you just hate it when a good cigar is transitioning? This PL was soapy and sour, yet I could still taste the profile in the background. This just irks me.
Core Zero Robusto – Way back before the last Dogwatch, Dale asked me to smoke a couple of cigars for the show. I did, or so I thought I did until I found one last one in my singles drawer. Full of sweet spice and a decidedly peanut-brittle type flavor, this brought a lot of good to the table. The good was matched by some minor issues, including a bite that wasn’t “strength” so much as it was harshness. It wasn’t a cigar for serious smokers and probably would have scared off newbs as well. I’m not quite sure who the audience was for this but could certainly find enjoyable aspects in what I had.

Kip

Cantinero
Chogui Longsdale
EPC Edicion Inaugural 2009

Notes on the Xikar MTX scissors…