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Welcome to Half Ashed Episode 007, everyone! Here’s a quick summary of this week’s show, but be sure to download or watch/listen through any of the means in the final paragraph of this post!
Half Ashed Cigar of the Week
Released last May (2012), the My Father Flor de las Antillas toro was named Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado in 2012. It takes its name from Cuba, sometimes called the “flower of the Antilles.” The FdlA is a Nicaraguan puro, and MSRP for singles is from $6.60 (robusto) – $8.70 (toro gordo 6X56). The line is available in four vitolas: robusto, toro, toro gordo, belicoso – and is moderately square pressed.
Kip: This is one of my favorite My Father sticks. Some of their blends – while enjoyable for me – can be a little potent for my tastes unless properly hydrated and fed. I love the “typical” My Father flavor family….just sometimes the blend strength weighs a little heavy on me. Tonight’s cigar, however, I find much lighter in strength than many of their other offerings. On occasion, I have had a couple of these that for some reason produced a great deal of dryness on the palate – demanding an accompanying glass of water. Other than that, I’ve had nothing but great experiences with this cigar. Never any construction issues; I get prevailing flavors in that tropical spice family, with the occasional wisp of white pepper and, at times, leather – or even some woodsiness. It reminds me of the DPG Blue at times – although it comes off just a notch or two more spicy than the Blue. I get a healthy (but manageable) bit of spice on the retrohale.
Craig: While I agree with Kip that this cigar has typically been well constructed, has slightly more spice than the DPG Blue and is a welcome addition to their regular lines, I do not find this cigar to be more approachable than others. I tend to think it is full flavored and filled with aggressive spices. It is not overpowering or galling but certainly does carve out its position in the minds of today’s smoker. A good cigar with complexity and interest. One that I enjoy very much.
Industry News this week
- The Chattanooga Tweetup has been scheduled; tickets on sale April 1st. Kip will be in attendance again this year. Find details here.
- Legislative Items
- Bloomberg at it again – hide your tobacco! Or, not….
- HR792 – This news has been out a couple weeks, but the legislation to protect our freedom to enjoy a fine cigar has a new name.
- L’Atelier LAT46 hitting shelves as we speak…
- Gary Griffith – There’s a great deal of news from Emilio Cigars this week. See my blog entry earlier this week.
What else are we smoking?
Craig – Punch Churchill, Cain Daytona 646
Kip – K.A. Kendall Spider, Montecristo #4, Viaje Supershot 12ga, Asylum 13 robusto – and the entire Tarazona/Cubanacan lineup….
Miscellany
- We took some time to discuss a couple of emails this week:
- From Bruce S., asking about the possibility of increased availability of Esencia Cigars now that Torano will be distributing them.
- Ed T. asks about CFCF and how you, too can visit the Fuentes!
- Also, tune in to hear Craig’s rant about a recent visit to a new tobacconist, and the soothing redemption of enjoying a movie with his cigar…..
Next week
Next week we feature Unbanded #002 as the Cigar of the Week – suggested by Jeff Curtis.
Again, thanks for tuning in everyone. Be sure to come back next week, when we’ll be taking a look at Unbanded #002, suggested by Jeff Curtis. 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]. Also, don’t forget to go back and listen to previous episodes, which can be found in the Half Ashed Archive. You can download this week’s audio directly above (right-click “Download” and save), or find us on iTunes. Video, as always, will be available on our YouTube Channel.
Well, the king of cigar social media is at it again. Last week, Craig and I talked a little about this year’s Draig Cayuquero from Emilio Cigars on 
Another bit of news on the table this week was Gary’s announcement of an entirely new blend, also due out at IPCPR this July – the Emilio Mia Dora. He published a new blog entry detailing the whole backstory for the line on his blog – “From Seed to Smoke.” I can see already that this is another project near and dear to Gary’s heart (as most are – everything means something in the realm of Emilio). Just this morning, he also tweeted a sneak peek at a prototype for the band artwork (below). Details on the blend are somewhat scarce at the moment, but knowing my penchant for most of what Gary puts his hands on – both his own cigars, and those for whom he distributes – gives me no small amount of anticipation.
Portsmouth, NH – Federal Cigar is honored to announce the upcoming release of the My Father Cigar Company’s Special F to commemorate Federal’s 92nd Anniversary event on Saturday, March 16th 2013. Blended by the Pepin family, this cigar is a prime example of the history of excellence for which the My Father Cigar Company has become known.
Federal Cigar has been providing Seacoast area New Hampshire, Southern Maine, and Northern Massachusetts with fine cigars and quality tobacco products since 1921. Serving the Portsmouth NH area and surrounding towns for the last 92 years, Federal Cigar has a long and rich history in the local community as experienced, knowledgeable, and professional tobacconists.
As a supplement to our Cigar of the Week segment on Half Ashed, Craig and I are offering up a weekly Epilogue Review as well. This week, we took a look at the Ramon Allones Eminencia (2005 Edicion Regional – Switzerland). Every CotW for the first six months of shows will be a cigar that one of us really enjoys, and that the other may or may not be familiar with at all. In keeping with what is becoming tradition, I will be furnishing this brief review as I have never had the pleasure of smoking the Eminencia. I smoked the first example of this cigar earlier in the week leading up to the show. Giving it an initial once-over, I notice it has a quite dry wrapper – not in the sense that it isn’t properly humidified; just dry to the touch and devoid of any perceptible sheen or oils. I notice neither soft nor tight spots, and no voids. It feels evenly packed throughout its length. I detect very little in the way of wrapper aroma, but at the foot it is noticeably cedarlike in character. It’s what I suppose I would call a corona gorda, being about 5 5/8″ X 44 ring. The unlit draw provides a slight tartness, tempered with a sweet cedar reminiscent of the abovementioned aroma at the foot. The draw is a bit tighter than I would typically prefer, but within the normal range.
It reminded me of a sweet paprika, but was very fleeting. Going into the final portion of the cigar, it developed an occasional woodsy character that would send my memory to a very specific time of life. I spent many years working in furniture plants, and at one time the company I worked for produced hardwood flooring. The woodsy flavor in this cigar immediately took me back to this time, and specifically when Walnut flooring was being planed or tenoned on the production floor. The aroma then was very similar to what I perceived toward the end of the Eminencia. It was as crisp and clear a memory as I think I’ve ever drawn from a smoke. As I wrapped up the final inch of smoking, the Eminencia was less “mouthwatering” than earlier, and produced considerable dryness on my palate. It maintained some of the earlier sweet spice, but became more of a “bright” earthiness – not the typical damp hardwood forest floor earthiness, but lighter and less pungent. Overall, the Eminencia was another home run from Craig. I truly enjoyed this cigar. Given the opportunity, I would probably choose the 1998 Montecristo Especial we smoked a couple weeks ago over today’s cigar, but would never shy away from this one at all. In fact, if by some outlandishly odd circumstance you had the opportunity to pick some of these up, I would heartily recommend you do so. They are an outstanding way to spend a couple hours….
Special Edition Recluse Draconian
Pinellas Park, FL – March 1, 2013. The successful AVO brand is launching a musical cigar 
Both in music, as well as in the composition of the finest cigars, which Avo Uvezian began in 1987, passion and perfection are the driving forces which inspire him to achieve absolute harmony in all of his symphonies. Like no other, he knows how to reflect a love of music in all the nuances of his cigars, and how to share it with every aficionado. The packaging of the new product captivates with measure and sophistication. The cigar box is innovative in its book-like design, featuring a brown matte exterior characterized by a vintage style leather-look. Inside the cigar box, a USB stick containing a brief movie clip, songs by Avo, the AVO cigar catalog and screen saver ensure the longevity of these unique compositions for Avo Uvezian’s birthday. Production of “The Dominant 13th” Limited Edition 2013 is limited to 9000 boxes worldwide. The Dominant 13th will be launched in the USA on March 28, 2013. In Europe, the launch can vary from country to country, beginning mid-April 2013.
Length 6“
