Kip Fisher - Co-Founder, Author at Half Ashed

Episode 159: Asylum Nyctophilia

February 18, 2017 By Kip Fisher

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…

Episode 158: Georgetown Tobacco Caucus

February 10, 2017 By Kip Fisher

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Georgetown Tobacco Caucus

The Georgetown Tobacco Caucus is only available at Georgetown Tobacco, and was blended in 2009 when David Berkebile visited Rocky Patel’s factory in Danli, Honduras. The blend was designed to complement the flavor of the Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper leaf, which is David’s favorite. The result is a rich and satisfying smoke that avoids the extremes of strength and taste which have become common in today’s cigar market. The medium body and subtle flavor make the Caucus accessible to a wide variety of cigar enthusiasts, who have made this the most popular brand in our store. Provided to us by Cigar Man for Life, these sticks have been with us for a while and are a few that we both enjoy. Probably the best cigar I’ve had produced by Rocky Patel since the RP 15th Anniversary in 2010. Tonight’s cigar is 6” x 52 and sells for about $7.

Cigar News

Over the past couple weeks, a few large scale acquisitions have come to pass in the tobacco world. The one of most interest to cigar folks is Altria (parent of Philip Morris) picking up Nat Sherman. While most of listeners of this show know Nat Sherman as a cigar company, cigarette production is a major component of their business – but they do hold a number of premium brands. Future plans for these premium cigar brands (made for them by Plasencia and Quesada) are yet to be announced.
Dunhill cigars and pipe tobacco….gone, or will be soon.
It’s THAT time of year again. Manufacturers are beginning to announce the “if/when” of price increases. So far, I’ve seen bits coming down from Perdomo, AJ Fernandez, and JC Newman…but personally I expect there to be many more over the next 4-6 weeks.
Terry Johnson (TL Johnson Cigars) has merged with Black Patch Cigars of Kentucky. To my recollection, we’ve only talked once in memory about Black Patch and the “Kenbano” tobacco they grow in Kentucky to showcase in their blends. Tabacalera TLJ will produce Black Patch cigars going forward, and presumably the Kenbano will be coming down for those purposes.
Since our last show, Matt Booth has announced he’s retiring from the cigar industry – along with his Room101 brands, which he owns. His attention will turn to focus on his lucrative jewelry business. His contract with Oettinger Davidoff expired Jan 1st, and he has opted not to renew. It’s still possible that the brands could return to production, but no plans have been announced at the moment.
The IPCPR tradeshow was somewhat “booted” from the former venue, the Sands/Venetian complex. It’s been widely speculated that a bigger group wanted the venue for the assigned dates, and with the convention hall holding the power to cancel, they opted to do so. IPCPR has quickly adjusted and rescheduled for July 10-14 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The move de-couples hotel arrangements from the convention site, but presumably won’t offer much more interference except being a bit off the strip.
So, the FDA has extended the deadline for manufacturers to submit ingredient lists for cigars from Feb 15 until Aug 8, 2017. That’s the news from the FDA, but after looking over the requirements I can’t help but wonder about a couple things. First, for any premium cigar made with no chemicals besides potable water and tobacco, there are only 4 requested pieces of information: tobacco type, variety, curing method, and any recombinant DNA technology used in creating the varietal. Even for these cigars – containing nothing aside from water and tobacco – I have questions. First, the “type” of tobacco must be listed by weight. Exactly how much does ½ leaf – cut by human hands from variably sized leaves – weigh? I wonder with what precision the FDA expects this to be? Secondly, I wonder how many manufacturers *truly* know how the tobacco they used has been genetically engineered? I’ve spoken with some in the past who simply don’t. They buy tobacco. They know where it was grown, who grew it, and many other details – but they may not know it intimately on an agronomical basis.
I also wonder – for those who use something other than water – if they know enough detail about their process to accurately submit the application. Bethune, the “secret sauce” used by more makers than would admit, often contains wine, rum, tobacco, water…and various other ingredients passed along sparingly like it’s the Colonel’s original recipe. I am willing to bet many can’t answer the questions regarding chemical reactions and other properties imbued by the Bethune. I have no idea how stringently this will be enforced, nor even if it can be without FDA personnel on the ground in factories throughout cigar country (a la food inspectors). I’m anxious to see how third-party cigar companies meet this; I have a gut feeling many don’t know their cigars on a level to complete this and will have to rely on information from their partner manufacturers (and/or agronomists from *their* sources). Small manufacturers (under $5million/yr) will have an additional 6 months to comply, so we’ll see in a year or so….

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –

HR Blue – Oh my goodness gracious
Cattle Baron!
Hoyo de Monterrey Añejado
pipe tobacco – Escudo Navy Deluxe

Fuente Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary pre-release from CFC.
Quesada Keg – both Nicaraguan and Dominican versions.

Episode 157: La Flor Dominicana TAA 47

January 8, 2017 By Kip Fisher

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La Flor Dominicana TAA 47th

Last year’s (fabled, per Craig) selection process led to the finished product we have before us – the La Flor Dominicana TAA 47th. It’s a 5.5” x 52 robusto extra that features an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and Dominican/Nicaraguan filler mix. It was available only through TAA member shops, and retailed for about $9 per stick.

Cigar News

The much anticipated…and much maligned…CA Top 25 list is making its rounds for 2016. If you follow the list, you probably already know that the La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull topped it at number 1. I (Kip) haven’t personally smoked this cigar yet, but I have read a bit about it. In fact, quite a few of the things I read deemed it as being uncharacteristic of the typical LFD portfolio. The anecdotal trend I am seeing is folks saying it’s not as potent as the company’s standard fare, with perhaps more of a spicy profile. I suppose I’ll have to track them down, because nicotine-heavy blends has been one of my personal reasons I avoid the brand most of the time (although there are a few I will reach for on occasion, like the Airbender). I’d love to hear what some of our listeners think of it – because this list is often polarizing for the magazine’s readership, and I’m interested to see what Johnny-on-the-street has to say about the cigar. The 6.5” figurado retails for about $15, and features a Corojo-seed Ecuador Habano wrapper over a blend of Dominican Criollo ’98, an undefined hybrid, and some Pelo d’Oro.

Lots of legislative news since our last show. First, a very brief update in the form of a date. July 28, 2017. This is the date that the joint CRA//IPCPR//CAA lawsuit will have its day in court. We’ve covered this in recent shows in terms of its initial filing and the FDA’s response. We’re going to have to wait a few more months before anything really starts to move with it….

Moving along into the second bit of legislative info, the FDA has now alleged that several companies are falsely marketing cigarettes as “Little Cigars.” Swisher is the only company in the list that I recognize having a tie to our standard roster of cigar companies, with their past premium division and current ownership of Drew Estate. Frankly, despite my (Kip’s) typical displeasure with the FDA’s asserted long arm, I’m kinda onboard with this reach. Similar loophole wrangling led to some portion of the mess we’re in today (i.e. roll-your-own tobacco being marketed as pipe tobacco in FL, etc.). If these are cigarettes, call them cigarettes. THIS is why we need a solid definition that differentiates premium cigars from other types of tobacco products. I’m not alleging Swisher did this, but there were a number of cigarette makers in 2009 that simply changed the color of their paper wrapper to brown and called them “little cigars” to manoeuvre the tax framework. These things are sized like cigarettes, have similar composition, and are packaged much alike…

Representative Mark Meadows (NC, Rep.) has compiled and presented a list of over 200 regulations that could beneficially be repealed by incoming President Trump. One of these regulations is the FDA’s claim on regulating tobacco products – specifically premium cigars. The list specifically notes the fear of the overwhelming pre-review process that the industry now faces. Story on Cigar Coop

The 20th Anniversary Opus X has hit the market…in the brand’s 21st year (of course). A number of retailers have been busily posting pictures as they land in stores. The line comes in four sizes: Believe (5 3/4 x 52), Father & Son (6 1/4 x 49), God’s Whisper (6 1/2 x 56) and Power of a Dream (6 3/8 x 52). They come in 20-count boxes with MSRP pricing ranging from $17.75-20 per cigar. I have a couple of these from the 2014 CFC, although without the fancy blue packaging. They were distributed at this event with a simple secondary “Hublot” band, and no information given except they were 20th Anniversary Opus. I suppose it’s time to break them out…

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

Alphonso custom corona 11/16 from Zedman

Punch London Club Maduro

Perdomo Lot 23 Habano

Kip

SevenSeven Cigars – Sumatra (Ec Sumatran wrapper, Criollo ‘98 binder, Piloto Cubano, Nicaraguan, Criollo ‘98 fillers) milder in flavor but just as potent as its Sumatran brother. Habano (Habano wrapper, Criollo ‘98 binder, Piloto Cubano, Nicaraguan, Criollo ‘98 fillers) – Occasional crispness, but generally came across with lots of dark chocolate flavors.

Tatuaje Skinny Monsters – I’ve begun smoking through these as I get the chance. I’m keeping some notes on each and will post them up once I’m through the lineup. So far, I think the Mummy has been my favorite…which is peculiar, because I believe it has been my least favorite in the full size offerings.

Episode 156: Cuban Travel with Zedman and Unbanded

November 29, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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Cuban Travel Episode w/Zedman and Unbanded 029

Tonight, we have an Unbanded from Dan C. and special guest Zedman, who is here to talk about his recent Cuban travel. There’s not a great deal to say about an Unbanded without spoiling our chance to humiliate ourselves…but for preliminaries, it’s 5-5/8″ x 48 and sports an attractive medium brown, supple wrapper. Tune in to see how far off we can be….

Cigar News

JC Newman (finally) launched the Black Diamond today. I’ve been hearing about this cigar for 3 years or so, and my understanding from past chats with folks within the organization is that it went through a few stages before bringing it to market officially. It was originally going to be the Diamond Crown maduro repackaged, but they had such an affinity for the name an entirely new cigar was created for it. It’s going to come in three vitolas (Emerald (6” x 52), Marquis (5-¼” x 56) and Radiant (4-½” x 54)), and retail for $16-20 per stick in boxes of 20. It, like other Diamond Crown products, is being rolled by Fuente here in Santiago. The wrapper is a CT Havana-seed wrapper grown in the DR (!), and it brings Dominican filler blend as well. It is available at Diamond Crown lounges around the U.S. – but if history repeats availability will open up to other JC Newman accounts after 6 months or so.
The Oliva Serie V Maduro is stuck in a loop. This year’s edition has begun to arrive in stores and it’s very familiar if you’re a regular fan of these. For the 3rd year running, it’s in a 6” x 60 format and features a San Andres wrapper. MSRP is about $10, with production numbers similar to recent years around 60-80k cigars.
Chogui has released its latest offering in the DR, although I haven’t yet smoked this one. The Papa Chogui began to appear in the capital last week, and should be in Santiago at this point. It will be showing up on American stores shelves already. It’s a Dominican puro, and was rolled in 2014. Total production was only 8,000 cigars, so if you’re a Chogui fan you might want to get your hands on them quickly. They’ll set you back about $9/stick.
I suppose I can go ahead and smoke the lone original Tatuaje Pork Tenderloin that I have staring back at me in the humidor. It’s making its return on the upcoming “Oh F*ck I’m Lost” tour by Tatuaje. Additionally, the Pork Chop and Le Vignoble are coming. Pete has said he tried to recreate the blends as closely as possible to the originals, using the same blend. It will be extremely limited, in that it will only be sold at the 9 stores on the tour dates…but plans are in the works for subsequent releases. The pricing is set at PT=$9, PC=$12, and LV=$12. The details on those originals were:
- Pork Tenderloin – 4” x 46 Nicaraguan puro
- Pork Chop – 5-⅛” x 52 CT Broadleaf over Nicaragua/Nicaragua
- Le Vignoble – 6” x 38 Ecuadoran Habano over Nicaragua/Nicaragua

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

We didn’t get around to this segment for Episode 156, as we were keen to talk with Zedman about his recent vacation in Cuba. You don’t want to miss his take on his trip post-American influx.

Episode 155: Tatuaje Face – Original

November 21, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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Tatuaje Face

Craig – Monsters! Yes, we’re a couple weeks late to the Halloween Gig but it’s really never a bad time to light up an original Tatuaje Face. This big beast, 6-½”x56 by direct measurement, was the 2010 Monster release, #3 in the series. One of Pete’s first uses of the San Andres wrapper, this cigar takes a left turn from the then typical tobaccos being used in the Esteli MF factory. It does sit on a Nicaraguan binder & filler blend which have always done a good job of keeping the impression of proper pedigree intact. This cigar has always danced around sweet & savory, though more recently diving deep into the meaty depths of other Nicaraguan manufacturers. Some cinnamon offers up a bit of respite but the cigar generally remains in that realm.

Cigar News

Serious Cigars is the latest retailer to be bought out by one of the large tobacco companies. Tabacalera USA acquired them (or at least, have announced the acquisition) since our last show. That name may or may not sound familiar – it’s the parent company behind Altadis, JR Cigars, and a couple other groups. I mention this only because there’s been a great deal of speculation that this (mfr./”big guy” buying up retailers) is developing into a trend and I wanted Craig’s thoughts…

Since we’re smoking Tatuaje tonight, I figured I’d throw in the latest news from the company. This spawned from an Instagram post by Pete Johnson and has been published elsewhere, but the RC line is expanding. Specifically pictured was the RC No.2 (5-5/8 x 54), although other outlets are reporting a couple more sizes (RC No. 1 (4 3/4 x 52), and RC No.3 (6 1/2 x 56)). Pete did comment that it will feature an Ecuadoran habano wrapper, but as of yet no real details on availability and pricing….personally, I welcome the normal human-sized vitolas over the existing behemoths in the line, with the 184 at 7-¼” x 57 and 233 of 9-⅛” x 55 :)

California strongly voted for Prop 56, which raises cigarette taxes from $0.87 to $2.87 per pack. Tax on other tobacco products – including cigars – is computed from the basis of the cigarette tax; existing cigar tax will probably more than double.

For now the 2nd time since Kip had his arm inked, Fuente is changing the Don Carlos band. Back in early 2011, they changed and added some gold trim across the bottom and a couple other minor details. Now, they’re inheriting the band you’ve been seeing on the Eye of the Shark and Don Carlos’ Private Reserve, which is predominantly black rather than the traditional red shared with the Hemingway line.

Somehow we missed this. The US abstained from a vote regarding the UN’s now annual vote on the Embargo. For the first time the US did not cast a vote in support of the nation’s 54 year old “Quarantine”. The reasons are quite political and also rather interesting. Apparently the Obama administration is not fully supporting this year’s movement to damn the embargo but is certainly expressing a bit of solidarity with nearly the rest of the globe’s collective distaste for the legislation. Citing, anonymously, the republican congress’s upholding of the present state of affairs, the Executive branch is further separating themselves from the embargo.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –

Ashton Cabinet – WHY is this overlooked??
J.Fuego Origen Originals – Cubby celebration.

Not much, and not much new…Oliva’s Inferno that I mentioned last show…
Padilla Miami Maduro

Half Ashed Episode 154: 2015 Angel’s Anvil

October 31, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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2015 Angel’s Anvil from Crowned Heads

Tonight we’re smoking the 2015 Angel’s Anvil from Crowned Heads – the second in this series of TAA-limited releases. The 2015 edition came in the form of a 6” x 52 toro (as opposed to the 2014 edition, which was 7.125” x 49, featured on Episode 152). It features an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers, and retailed for just over $10US at release. Total production was 20,000 cigars.

Cigar News

Minute Musings and motivation….
The FDA has made an initial response to the lawsuit filed by CRA, IPCPR, and TAA back in July… [ halfwheel article ]
Donations to the troops is forbidden…but not for you personally. Tune in for our wrapup on what this all means, for manufacturers, retailers, and YOU.
In what was a surprise move to me (Kip), Cigar Aficionado is reporting that Jose Blanco has joined EP Carrillo as Sr. Vice President….
Edolara Cigars is no more…

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

Ashton Aged Maduro Corona
La Flor Colorado Oscuro
The Mimic A & B
Undercrown Shade

RoMaCraft Aquitaine Anthropology – I’ve had a singular one of these staring at me from my humidor for months. I’ve abstained from smoking it, knowing I couldn’t easily get more. With a friend visiting the US this week, I took advantage of the opportunity to have some more brought down so I fired this one up. Like always, it didn’t disappoint….
Camaleon Huevo de Oro – The Golden Egg. This is another of the newer companies putting out a cigar here in the DR. I don’t know if/when they will be available stateside. I enjoyed this one, but found it slightly out of balance with more potency than flavor….what this means is, it whipped me. Nice, slightly sweet profile overall – and while the strength wasn’t brash, it snuck up on me.

Half Ashed Episode 153: Cohiba Behike 56

October 30, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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Cohiba Behike 56

From Craig:

In 2010 Cuba did something the cigar industry had never seen before. It figured out how to utilize a segment of the tobacco plant never used for a cigar before. The Medio Tiempo leaf was included in the Cohiba Behike line, representing its first use in any major production vitola. It is essentially the two (or 4) leaves atop of a tobacco plant that SOMETIMES grow. This is not the corona, where the ligero comes from. This is above the ligero.

The Behike was released with the front marque of 52, 54 & 56, and logically grew in size amongst its three offerings and brought an entirely new depth of flavor to the famed Cohiba flagship. Cohiba was finally deep & dark, dirty & grimey. And people loved it. A friend returned from the island in early 2010 with a bundle of 56s prior to their release. These are the cigars we’re smoking from tonight. I can’t be certain they represent the final production blend, or even the same blend amongst the entire bundle. I can be certain that they are characteristically Cohiba and many are downright earthy enough to keep even the biggest fan satisfied. Brown sugar, vanilla & earth are primary flavors. Citrus weaves in and out as a welcome palate cleanser amongst these sticks.

Cigar News

The big news for the day is another round of changes for those Cuban aficionados who travel abroad. President Obama has further loosened the restrictions on bringing Cuban goods – especially tobacco and alcohol – back to the U.S. It appears that soon the $100 limit on those 2 classes of goods will be lifted, and the allowances will be brought in line with similar products from other countries. Additionally, you will be able to bring back Cuban goods without setting specifically traveling there. Formerly, one could only bring back Cuban items if they had traveled to Cuba; now Cuban goods can be returned from trips to third-party locales. The big question remains “Can I buy Cuban cigars from American retailers? Order them online?” The answer to that – legally – is “no.”

The CAO Amazon is back! Of all the CAO releases – both pre- and post-General buyout – this was my favorite. The problem is, it’s limited in scope. The story says it’s a rare, little-produced tobacco within the blend that limits production due to its scarcity and difficulty in bringing it to market. It was originally released in 2014, but was short-lived. The latest batch should be hitting shelves over the next couple weeks. The blend is Ecuadoran Sumatra over Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan/Brazilian fillers. The special leaf contained is known as Bragança (I believe this is pronounced bruh-GAHN-suh). The new cigars come in just over $10 per stick.

Fresh on the heels of resigning from Maya Selva, Gabriel Alvarez has joined a different cigar company – Casa Cuevas – as Director of Sales. I have to admit I had never heard of Casa Cuevas, although they apparently have a factory nearby in Santiago. Based on their website, they’ve made cigars for Toraño, Leccia, and Gurkha. They previously specialized in making cigars for others, but have decided to branch out and produce some under their own name. I will report back when I know more on the brand….

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –

Hoyo de Monterrey Anejados – Hermoso #4 – Lovely
Margate Pipe Tobacco

Kip

Diplomatico

Fonseca Nicaragua petit corona. Nica puro, made for Quesada by Plasencia. Wow. What a difference a vitola makes….
Leon Jimenes 300 Series

Half Ashed Episode 152: 2014 Angel’s Anvil

October 27, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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2014 Angel’s Anvil by Crowned Heads

One of the limited TAA releases for 2014, the Angel’s Anvil from Crowned Heads is a 7-⅛” x 49 churchill that features an Ecuadoran Havana wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers. It was made at EP Carrillo’s La Alianza factory in the Dominican Republic. They were originally sold for about $10.50, in boxes of 20 with a total production around 20,000. Let’s see how it is smoking these days….

Cigar News

With all the covert cigar releases showing up around the US due to the FDA legislative deadlines, there were bound to be a few that drew my attention. For no other reason than it’s so out of character with the history, I’m intrigued by one that showed up in social media feeds from Drew Estate – the DE Dominicana. Atlantic Cigar had some show up, but not a whole lot is yet known about the blend – other than that there are 3 wrapper variations (shade (which I’ll presume to be CT, but we’ll see), rosado, and maduro). These were apparently manufactured in the Dominican Republic, rather than DE’s factory in Nicaragua. I know Swisher has some operations here in Santiago, but the DE Dominicana is reported to be a longfiller, non-flavored cigar. It comes in a variety of vitolas amongst the three blends, and ranges in price from $7.25 to about $9.
Cigar Aficionado is reporting that General Cigar and Michael Giannini have parted ways. According to the article, the parting was amicable, with both parties praising each other for their time together. At least in part, the separation was attributed to FDA legislation…I will go out on a limb to speculate that this is largely because Giannini’s role in the company relied significantly on new, limited, non-traditional products that may not be feasible in the era of FDA regulation.
I saw two articles come across my feed recently from halfwheel that I thought were worthy of some discussion:
1. First, a small town in Utah has prohibited both use *and possession* of tobacco in its parks. And. Possession. Whisky Tango Foxtrot.
2. There’s an interesting editorial from Charlie Minato covering some of his collected thoughts about pricing changes that may be/should be coming down the pike stemming from regulation. He has some good insights into a few things manufacturers may be overlooking, and some potential pitfalls that could evolve from knee-jerk reactions or poorly thought-out responses. It’s definitely worth a read.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

My Father CT – Brown sugar and sharpness. You have to want it to enjoy it.
Padron Damaso – Another CT. A BETTER CT

Kip

EP Carrillo Cardinal maduro from zedman. I didn’t recall liking these much in the past, but this one (I believe he said from 2014) was quite tasty – loads of toasty flavors and perfect construction.
2016 Oktoberfest from Quesada. I keep hoping for a repeat of the 2011 blend I loved so dearly at the time…but still no dice. This was one of their better offerings, though, with more “oomph” than recent offerings and a solid dose of pert spice. It was good on its own merits, but I still miss that 2011….

Half Ashed Episode 151: Unbanded 028

October 15, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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[generic Unbanded image…not this week’s CotW]

Unbanded 028, from Kevin H.

Tonight, we’re smoking another Unbanded from the generous Kevin Hasselwander – thanks, Kevin! The following are Craig’s notes about it before lighting. Tune in for the grand reveal! A 6-½”x44 heavy in the hand, colorado colored cigar. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that it was a Cuban cigar by the texture & appearance of the (seemingly Habano) wrapper. It’s very firm and has a rustic triple cap. The appearance at the foot looks as if it’s a “book” style of bunching which, partnered with the density & weight, makes me somewhat anxious about how it draws. The unlit draw & aroma please, with the perfect resistance and a slight spicy sweetness in the sensation. We shall see how it progresses!

Cigar News

With all the FDA goings-on, there have been quite a number of concerns about cigar donations that go to American service-folk. A number of manufacturers have made it known that they have ceased their donations for fear of the practice being deemed against the sample restrictions outlined in the new regulations. It remains a gray area, but a couple of legislators have requested specific clarification from the FDA, and are introducing at least one bill that would specifically allow the continuation. It’s certainly NOT against the regs for individuals to donate cigars…but it could be construed as such for retailers and manufacturers. We shall see in the days ahead….

We don’t talk a great deal about Las Cumbres lately, Jose Blanco’s parent of the Señorial line. But, he is launching a few new lines/extensions – a Connecticut version of the Señorial, a maduro Freyha, and the Freyha 12. The first will feature an Ecuadoran CT wrapper over Dominican Piloto Cubano binder and Criollo 98/Piloto Cubano fillers. The maduro Freyha, named the Freyha Nocturnal, will feature a CT broadleaf wrapper over San Andres binder and similar fillers to the Señorial CT. Finally, the Freyha 12 celebrates her 12 years in the industry with a singular 7” x 52 churchill that carries an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper over Dominican corojo, criollo 98 and Piloto Cubano filler.

The popular Two Guys’ “Firecracker” has been announced for 2017. It will be coming from Fratello this time around. The 3.5” x 50 vitola will have the same blend as the Fratello core line (Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, Ecuadoran Sumatra binder and Nicaraguan/Peruvian filler. MSRP is reported to be around $6. This year’s edition was made by RomaCraft, in the CroMagnon series.
Check near the end of the show for Craig’s review of the recently released ScrewPop Ashtray!

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig
- 03 Cohiba Siglo VI
- Casa Trompeta Bahia!

Kip
- Fratello corona
- Quesada España corona
- Caminos

Half Ashed Episode 150: Montecristo No 2

September 28, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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Montecristo Number 2

From Craig:

Created in July of 1935 at the Particulares factory in Cuba by Alonso Menendez (Benji), Montecristos were rolled there until 1937 when production was transferred to the H.Upmann factory, also owned at that point by Menendez. Montecristo cigars’ little known claim to fame is that they were the first cigar ever blended to focus on a core of flavors besides the typical tobacco & spice flavors. Being dubbed “new school havana flavor”, they started a revolution that continues today with many notable blends from all over the world. The #2 is the most famous of the line, though not the best selling, and undoubtedly thought of as the world’s greatest torpedo.

Cigar News

Outside of FDA items and post-tradeshow details, there isn’t a ton of NEW news this week…so I thought I’d kick around a couple things I’ve had from the show.
- Dunhill Aged Maduro. I believe this is the first time a true maduro has carried the Dunhill name. It has a Sungrown Ligero wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and Dominican/Nicaraguan filler mix. I smoked the 4”x54 short robusto, but it’s also available in 5.125”x42 Marevas and 5.5”x54 short churchill. I had mixed results with this one. After smoking two I’m torn. The first was a bit monotone, with an occasional foray into some slight bitterness. I wasn’t a fan. Giving it a second try, though, was rewarding. I still had some occasional tannic notes, but overall was much better. I’ll report back once I’ve had the last one…but for smallish cigars that will run $9.50-12 at retail, I’ll have to be pretty impressed.
- Sticking with the General Cigar theme, I also had the CAO Consigliere. This, for those who haven’t heard, is unofficially a re-introduction of the Sopranos, sans series nomenclature. The company says this allows for a much lower MSRP than the Sopranos (now $7-9 in 3 vitolas). I smoked the 5”x52 Associate (also comes in 6”x54 Soldier and 7”x56 Boss). I had better luck with this than the Dunhill mentioned above. I played Craig just for a few minutes and trimmed away some of the wrapper. Removing the wrapper gave it a very sweet essence – akin to root beer, in fact. I’ll be trying these at least once more when they hit shelves. Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper over Honduran binder and Colombian/Nica/DR fillers.
JC Newman, even in the face of new legislation and regulatory oversight, launched a new “boutique” division – 4th Generation. The company has already begun shipping (to beat the 8/8 deadline) three lines – The American, The Admiration, and The 1954. Interestingly, the cigars will be produced at their Ybor city factory rather than their Nicaraguan operations – although production is in NIcaragua until the factory has been readied for production. The company will be headed by Eric’s son Drew and wife Ariel. The American will be an American puro, featuring the FSG wrapper grown by Jeff Borysiewicz in central Florida. It will also have CT broadleaf, CT habano, and PA. The Admiration is a mix of American and NIcaraguan tobacco. Finally, the 1954 is an attempt at recreating Stanford’s Cuesta Rey 95. 1954 commemorates JC Newman’s move to Ybor. I’m interested in seeing how these lines are received, as they all carry pricing from $16-20 per stick.
The FDA lost a lawsuit this week. A district court judge sided with the tobacco companies and deemed that new packaging does NOT necessarily mean a new tobacco product. This was specifically in regard to a cigarette suit, but should cover cigars as well. FDA asserted previously that a change in any packaging would start a new application process. Notably, the judge also deemed a change in package quantity DOES signify a new tobacco product.
Kevin Talley – Sr. Directory of Legislative Affairs – has left IPCPR. No reasoning was given, but I’m intrigued by sheer curiosity of the timing…

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig – A GREAT couple of weeks for me

ECCJ 20th was the dog of the show. That should tell you something
Reynaldo Canonazo 2014 from Zedman
1998 Montecristo Especials
L‘Atelier Racine – How polar opposite this experience was… from itself
Avo Syncro Fogata
Davidoff Yamasa

JC Newman Perla del Mar Maduro
The revived Oliveros from Aging Room

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