Kip Fisher - Co-Founder, Author at Half Ashed

News: Room101 Master Collection One

July 8, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Some news concerning the Room101 Master Collection One has been circulating in recent weeks, but some more information has been released today. The line will be produced at the AgroIndustrias Laepe, S.A. (Honduras) factory, and total production will be approximately 100,000 cigars – 20,000 in each of five vitolas (Papi Chulo 4″X42, Roxxo 4″X48, Mutante 7″X38, Sucio 7″X48, and Monstro 5″X60). This will include 1,000 boxes of 20 for every size except the Papi Chulo, which will be produced in 50-count boxes. The blend is composed of a San Andres Ligero Rosado wrapper, Honduran corojo corte binder, and Honduran/Nicaraguan/Mexican filler blend. MSRP is set at $8-12 per stick, depending on size. The line will be available for pre-order at IPCPR 2013, and will begin shipping early to mid-October 2013. Room101 currently projects the Master Collection Two to launch later this Fall – late November. The Master Collection One will carry the famliar Cherry Blossom on the packaging, for which the backstory is included below:

This cherry blossom represents the ever-changing seasons that are experienced throughout one’s lifetime as well as the concept of a short, yet beautiful life. The tattered leaves this blossom bears signify the storms we have weathered together as a family and those we have yet to weather. Finally, the intact and unblemished core of this blossom represents the unfaltering and un-moveable nucleus of our family unit.

The Mon (or Kamon) is the format in which thie Japanese present their family crest. Each is simply beautiful yet complex enough to encapsulate the DNA of each particular family unit from inception to present day.

The Room101 Brand implements the Sakura Mon to represent our family unit. The products that bear this mark will be nothing short of our finest works to date. Within them we hope that you can experience a small taste of the journey we have endured to bring these pieces of handcrafted art to you. It is our most humble honor to have the opportunity to have our voice heard and our message received.

Episode 022: Ramon Allones Petit Corona

July 6, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Ramon Allones Petit Corona

Welcome back for another fun-filled, exciting episode of Half Ashed. This week, we take a look at the 2002 Ramon Allones Petit Corona – one of Craig’s very favorite cigars. He says, “Since its discontinuation in 2002 the PC has remained a “special” cigar in my humidor. Its big brother the corona is viewed as one of the most saught after regular production cigars since the mid 90s. Both being made in small numbers, thus always maintaining the quality, both of these cigars are great. The PC is legendary.” Tune in to the show to get both our full thoughts on this episode’s examples.

Industry News:

Oliva is making a machine-made cigar, to be released in various markets during the coming months.
As first mentioned last week on Half Ashed when we hosted Terry Johnson of TL Johnson Cigars, the news is out that he is moving some of his operations to Miami – and is partnering with Luis Sanchez of La Tradicion Cubana for a joint venture cigar brand.
Dona Flor has announced a special Limited Edition IPCPR release, as well as the fact that the Alonso Menendez line is now available in the US.
Yet another 7”X70, this time from Drew Estate. They’re adding this to the MUWAT line, per Halfwheel.
Xikar has divested itself of its HC & Defiance Cigar brands….selling them to CI effective July 1. CI has agreed to current price protections to existing retailers through September 30th.
IPCPR starts a week from Saturday. We’ll be doing….something….during the show, depending on internet connections, travel times, etc.
Well wishes and quick healing to Charlie Rutherford of Boveda, who had a terrible motorcycle accident last week. I know the guys behind Boveda personally, and all are good people.
Finally, we held our giveaway for June’s prize packs of Michael Stewart’s home-blended, home-rolled cigars. Michael Thomas and Steve Dorau were selected by random.org, and will be receiving those prizes. Congrats, gentlemen!

Wrap:

We covered a good bit more during the show – various topics of interest this week, what we’ve been smoking, etc. Tune in to get the entire story on those items as well.

Be sure you all come back next week for Episode 023, when we will be attempting to put a show together while Kip is in Vegas for IPCPR. We will be featuring the upcoming Ezra Zion Eminence as our Cigar of the Week. That show will likely be recorded outside our normal Friday night timeframe due to travel/show scheduling. I will tweet/post the exact time and date once we finalize it. In the meantime, if you would like to contact us, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [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! 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.

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!

News: XIKAR Sells HC Series and Defiance Cigar Brands

July 3, 2013 By Kip Fisher

[NOTE: The news keeps rolling in, this time from Xikar. I just received the following from them relating their refocus on cigar accessories and selling of the HC and Defiance cigar brands]

Kansas City, MO – After a thorough review of strategic alternatives, XIKAR, Inc. has entered into a sale agreement with Cigars International for the HC Series and Defiance Cigar Brands. “We have elected to return our full focus and energy to our leading cigar accessory business,” said Kurt Van Keppel, CEO and Founder of XIKAR. “We have significant opportunities that require our complete organization and strategic resources be dedicated to growing our accessory business,” continued Mr. Van Keppel.

Effective July 1, 2013 XIKAR will sell its cigar brands to Cigars International. Cigars International will continue to sell the cigars to brick and mortar retailers through their Meier and Dutch distribution arm. “We encourage our existing customers who have supported our highly rated cigars to continue to source them for our loyal consumers from Meier and Dutch,” said Mr. Van Keppel. “CI has agreed to price protect all existing retailers by not discounting below our existing MAP policy through September 30, 2013,” stated Mr. Van Keppel.

“We have been in the cigar business for eight years, and have concluded that focus on accessories better aligns our resources to our goals. We appreciate the support we have received from retailers and consumers, and commit to rewarding that loyalty through continued innovation and enhanced sales, marketing and customer service behind our leading accessory portfolio. We desire to hold market leadership, and believe a singular focus will enhance the XIKAR brand for the long term,” concluded Mr. Van Keppel.

Questions regarding this announcement can be directed to your Business Development Manager, Kurt Van Keppel, CEO or David Frazier, VP-Sales at XIKAR.

Based in Kansas City, Missouri, XIKAR is the leading cigar accessory company. Creator of the revolutionary and now iconic Xi1 cutter, XIKAR sells cigar accessory products in thousands of retail locations around the world.

News: TL Johnson & La Tradicion Cubana Joint Venture

July 3, 2013 By Kip Fisher

[NOTE: Many of you who have been following this site for a while know that I am a big fan of both TL Johnson and La Tradicion Cubana (who now produces TL Johnson Cigars for Terry Johnson). In fact, I have reviewed the TLJ Tempio, the LTC “American Born Cuban,” written a Cigar Spotlight on La Tradicion Cubana, and featured Terry Johnson on a recent Half Ashed Episode. So, it will come as no surprise that the following news is exciting in my book. In a move that we discussed on the aforementioned Half Ashed episode, Terry and Luis Sanchez will be partnering in a joint venture cigar brand, of which the name has as yet remained unannounced.] Read on for full details:

Luis Sanchez of La Tradicion Cigars and Terry Johnson of TL Johnson cigars are excited to debut a new joint venture line of cigars that will release fall 2013. A limited release of the new blend will be available at the 2013 IPCPR in Las Vegas. The name of this blend is currently being withheld until release date.

The new blend will be available thru the Cuban Tradition Cigar Group Appointed Merchant Program only. Details about the program will be available at the 2013 IPCPR Show.

The first production release will be a 6 x 60 with a genuine African Cameroon wrapper. Other details will be available at the show along with Pre-Purchases that can be made at the IPCPR.

“I am honored to be working closely with Luis Sanchez on our first joint release produced at the La Tradicion Cubana Factory. This is an awesome new blend with a new packaging and marketing format that will stand out in industry. Terry Johnson- TL Johnson Cigars

The Cuban Tradition Cigar Group based out of the 8th Street Miami, Fl. location will house all cigars produced by La Tradicion Cubana including La Tradicion Cubana, Jameson and TL Johnson brands. These current brands make up The Cuban Tradition Cigar Group.

TL Johnson Cigars has begun the transition of moving all operations to the Miami, Fl. location. The main sales office will remain in Colorado and handle sales for the Cuban Tradition Cigar Group.

Sales Contact:
Terry Johnson, President TL Johnson Distributors
[email protected]

2013 IPCPR Booths # 205-206-207-305-306-307

Cigar Review: Moya Ruiz La Jugada Prieto Robusto

July 3, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Backstory – La Jugada Prieto Robusto

I was contacted quite some time ago by Nelson Ruiz of MoyaRuiz Cigars, asking if I would like to try their new La Jugada Prieto. Of course I said yes, and he subsequently provided a couple of samples. During the intervening days since those were sent, I have been saving them while trying to schedule he and partner Danny Ruiz on an episode of Half Ashed. We haven’t been able to make that happen as of yet, so I wanted to go ahead and publish this review. While the pictured cigar is one that Nelson provided, I have to admit I have bought and enjoyed a number of these on recent trips to South Florida from Cuenca and Charmed Leaf – so I am now quite familiar with La Jugada.
The La Jugada Prieto is manufactured for MoyaRuiz by Erik Espinosa at his La Zona factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. It features a San Andres wrapper, cloaking a Nicaraguan binder and filler blend. Today’s cigar is the robusto (5″X52), but the La Jugada is also available in a Belicoso (6.125″ X52), Toro (6″X52), Double Corona (7.5″ X 49), and “Ancho” (6″X60). The line retails for approximately $6.50-$8.80 in the Florida market.

Preliminaries

The wrapper is a lovely, evenly colored, dark brown. It carries minor tooth, and is dry to the touch – with some examples I’ve smoked being noticeably more oily than others. Moderate veins are typical, with the seams being almost indiscernible. Construction has been very good across the board, with no soft spots. The pack is usually dense to the touch on these, but I must admit I have had no issues with draw. The draw has been consistently deliberate but free – well within the normal desirable range

The Smoke

Prelight, both the aroma and draw provide some hints of hay, a distinct bit of earthiness, and a slight cedary finish. Today’s cigar offers some slight resistance to lighting, but lit evenly once it took off. The initial flavors are a good bit more creamy than I would normally expect in a Nicaraguan/San Andres mix, with a clear dark chocolate-reminiscent finish. Some sweet cocoa peaks it head out in these early minutes, but by the 1/2″ mark the dark chocolate has taken the front seat. There is a moderate amount of spice, experienced most on the retrohale. This is an interesting interplay, and reminds me of chilied dark chocolate. Again, this is far more relatable through the retrohale rather than simply on the palate.
Going into the second third of the La Jugada, the flavors remain within the same “family,” but take on just a bit of an edge – more akin to a chocolate influenced espresso than the straightforward chocolate earlier noted. The burn has been very good, with only a slight touchup during this second portion of the smoke. This would likely have self-corrected, but I am sometimes overzealous in maintaining the burnline.
As I approach the final stretch of the La Jugada, it has grown more sedate. I would place it firmly into the “medium” range of the strength spectrum, yet full-flavored. With the calming, or smoothing, of the flavors in this final portion, I get more of a toasty, leathery taste profile. This is a nice coda to the cigar, as it winds down and tells me it’s finished

Wrap

After having smoked quite a few of these cigars, I find myself feeling a need to keep these in the stable for when the mood hits to have a San Andres-wrapped cigar – which has turned into a significant trend for me. With so many recent releases featuring this leaf, a remarkable percentage of them have found their way into my humidor and my appreciation for it has grown considerably. The La Jugada is no exception. As has been the case with several of La Zona-produced sticks I’ve tried, the construction has been spectacular, flavors enjoyable, and pricing within the “sweet spot.” While I don’t assign numeric scores for cigars I review, the La Jugada would rank highly if I were to do so. I wouldn’t hesitate (and haven’t) to keep some around. They have earned a place in my buying habits whenever I visit South Florida. For fans of the cocoa and dark chocolate sweetness found in quality San Andres wrapper, this is a must-try. Highly recommended.

Press Release: Nomad Cigar to Release Nomad S-307

July 1, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Esteli, Nicaragua (July 1, 2013) – Nomad Cigar Company is pleased to announce a new Fall Nicaraguan blend called the Nomad S-307.

The cigar is scheduled to be released in September/October (2013) and will be made available to authorized retailers.

The final production is a box-pressed cigar with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper called the Nomad S-307. It will be released in three sizes (Toro (6″ X 50), Robusto (5″ X 50), Torpedo (6.5″ X 52)) and be available for pre-purchase at IPCPR.

“I am honored to have my first full production of a Nicaraguan cigar being blended and manufactured at Tabacalera Fernandez. The new blend is amazing and I am thrilled to expand the Nomad cigar line to include Nicaragua in a really big way,” said Fred Rewey, Founder.

Nomad Cigar Company launched in 2012 with four sizes of classic hand rolled Dominican cigars and quickly grew the line to seven sizes; not to mention conquering social media (@Godfadr on Twitter)

In spring of 2013 Rewey created Esteli Lot 1386, his first project in Nicaragua, available in limited edition 12 count boxes. Nomads next step is this full production of Nicaraguan cigars.

For sales Contact:

Nathan McIntyre, National Sales Director House of Emilio Cigars
Twitter: @CigarNate

Or…

Fred Rewey, Nomad Cigar Company
Twitter: @Godfadr
[email protected]

Episode 021: TL Johnson Tempio and Guest Terry Johnson

June 29, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Half Ashed Ep. 021: TL Johnson Tempio

Good day and welcome back for another fun-filled episode of Half Ashed. This week, we host Terry Johnson of TL Johnson Cigars. Terry sits in for the first hour of the show, while we smoke his fantastic Tempio and talk cigars, flyfishing (TL Johnson also produces fly rods), and other gentlemanly topics. We then covered a few news items for this week, and some of the usual suspects in show segments. Thanks for tuning in, and enjoy!

Featured Cigar

This week, we take a look at the TL Johnson Tempio, a cigar that I reviewed last year and smoke on a regular basis myself. I had a suspicion that Craig would enjoy it just as much as I. I was right. Produced for Terry by Luis Sanchez at La Tradicion Cubana, the Tempio is chocked full of sweet cedar, mild citrus, and toasty oaken flavors. As is the case with Luis’ other production, the Tempio never disappoints in terms of construction and consistency. Definitely worth seeking out a retailer that carries the line – or requesting them from your local shop. It features a Pennsylvanian wrapper, draped around a Dominican and Nicaraguan binder/filler blend – and is fantastically flavorful.

Industry News

Legislatively, the only news we cover this week is the recent development for the FDA in beginning to exercise more power in controlling product introduction into the marketplace with regard to tobacco products – denying 4 of 6 requests for new cigarette products.
In cigar news, we go through a small portion of the IPCPR news this week concerning new cigars to be launched in the near future – notably, the Casa Fernandez 35th Anniversary and Reserva Maduro, a special release from Espinosa for CHATWEETUP2013, and other offerings from Royal Gold (produced by Drew Estate), Pinar Del Rio, George Rico (GAR), and House of Emilio.
We also cover the departure of a familiar face at My Father Cigars, and recent acquisition of Heavenly Cigars by Drew Estate.

What Else Have We Been Smoking?

Craig: Back to some Cuban roots this week

Kip: Sam Leccia’s Black & White

Miscellany

Family time with Craig, and a 3-day jaunt to South Florida for Kip – as well as a couple of listener emails for the week.

Wrap

Be sure you all come back next week for Episode 022, as we get into highgear leading into IPCPR. That show will likely be recorded outside our normal Friday night timeframe due to the Independence Day holiday. I will tweet/post the schedule once we finalize the timing. In the meantime, if you would like to contact us, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [email protected] or [email protected]. Don’t forget to get those emails in this month to be entered in our current giveaway. 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.

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!

Press Release: Arandoza to Release White Label

June 28, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Many of you may be familiar with Arandoza Cigars, and some may not. Arandoza has been in the cigar marketplace since 2011, offering cigars made at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. I recently took the opportunity to buy a few of their Blue Label line (Nicaraguan Habano wrapper; Nicaraguan binder & filler) and enjoyed them immensely. So, I am excited to learn of the following news in which they announce a new line to be released at IPCPR – the White Label. Here is the press release:

The Evolution of the Arandoza Cigar line has arrived! Arandoza announces the “rebirth” of the Arandoza Blue with its new bold label representing the strong solid foundation of this Cigar Family. Its bold taste, yet smooth finish, is a well-known flavor in this industry.

With a solid foundation, comes the opportunity to grow and expand. Stay tuned for the upcoming launch and unveiling of the Arandoza White Label at the IPCPR this July! This new label provides a well-balanced, full-body smoke, directly from Esteli, Nicaragua with its binder and filler from Nicaragua, Viso from Jalapa and its wrapper in a Dark Habano. This exquisite blend is sure to be the Rolls Royce of the Arandoza Cigar line. Its presentation is as exquisite as its flavor, as the cigars are nestled inside its white box branded with the Arandoza label and lined in black felt. It is sure to be a memorable classic piece to treasure. Both cigars are manufactured at La Zona Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua.

Press Release: Pinar Del Rio Announces New Lines

June 25, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Pinar Del Rio Cigars Announces New Signature Lines

June 17, 2013: Doral, Florida based boutique cigar maker, Pinar Del Rio (PDR) Cigars is excited to announce the release of two new signature cigar series to debut at this summer’s IPCPR show in Las Vegas, to be held at the Sands Expo Center from July 13-17. The AFR-75 is a rich, full bodied cigar with a balanced blend of Nicaraguan Criollo 98, Connecticut Broadleaf, & Dominican filler enveloped in a beautiful San Andres Maduro wrapper. The AFR-75 will be available in three sizes; the Sublime(5×56), the Edmundo(6×58), and the Inmenso(7×60). There will only be 500 boxes per size made available this year. The AFR-75 marks the second release in a series of signature lines from PDR. AFR-75 references the initials for Master Blender Abraham Flores Rosario and his year of birth, 1975. “I’m really excited about the new lines. We had a lot of success with the A. Flores Serie Privada line and we’re going to be doing more special release small batch projects. As a blender I have a lot of fun creating different blends that we can put out in smaller amounts for the hardcore cigar guys to enjoy”, says Abe Flore of PDR Cigars.

Accompanying the AFR-75 this summer as a new release will be the A. Flores Gran Reserva. As is the AFR-75, there will only be 500 boxes of each size of the A. Flores Gran Reserva made available. Replete with a delicious Corojo 2006 Domican wrapper the Gran Reserva delivers a rich, creamy, medium body smoke. The filler is a complex blend of Corojo Dominican and Habano Nicaraguan tobaccos. The A. Flores Gran Reserva will be made available as a Half Corona(3.5×46), Robusto(5×52), Gran Toro(6×54). The Half Corona will also be available in a 5-count tin as a regular production line. Both the AFR-75 and the A. Flores Gran Reserva will begin shipping in July as this summer is shaping up to be a very exciting one for PDR Cigars. The factory is also producing new releases for El Primer Mundo Cigars with its Costa Fuerte line as well as new lines for Kristoff Cigars and Ortega Cigar Company.

www.pdrcigars.com

Episode 020: Unbanded & Guest Nate McIntyre

June 23, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Guest Nate McIntyre & Unbanded 005

Good Sunday afternoon, everyone! Welcome back for another week of the most Half-Ashed Cigar podcast floating around the interwebs. This week, we featured an unbanded cigar from our buddy DC and special guest Nate McIntyre, of Emilio Cigars – who had the rare privilege of sharing a headset with Craig.