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The following is an editorial archive of articles published on Half Ashed, with stories from our “Minute Musings,” as well as various other ramblings we have seen fit to publish over the years.

Home » Half Ashed Editorial Category Archive

IPCPR and New Orleans

January 22, 2015 By Kip Fisher

ipcpr

Good News?

As expected and reported on last week’s episode of Half Ashed, the New Orleans City Council has voted on an extensive smoking ban, which had potential impact on this year’s IPCPR tradeshow in the city.  The ban, proposed by Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell, passed unanimously today.  I received an email update from IPCPR earlier this afternoon with some minor details, notably that some favorable exemptions/amendments were included in the ordinance.  From that email:

“As amended, the legislation will not impact the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailer Association’s (IPCPR) local members or our 83rd Annual Convention & International Trade Show. The ability to smoke in cigar bars, the convention center, and in facilities being used for private events is protected by the amendments.”

“Your representatives from IPCPR and the Cigar Association of America have been working diligently with the New Orleans City Council on behalf of retailers and manufacturers. Thank you to all IPCPR members who contacted the City Council to voice your concerns regarding the original legislation. With your help, we generated nearly 700 emails to the Councilmembers. Your active participation was critical to our success.”

While on the surface this seems favorable, I have reservation about declaring it a victory by any stretch of the imagination.  Granted, I’m no fan of smoking bans in just about any form, but believe an organization or entity should be left to make its own decisions about how/if/when legal behaviors are conducted on its premises.  Consumers and employees can make their own choice as to whether or not they are willing to patronize or work in a given establishment based on their support of those decisions.

Where Do We Go From Here?

I appreciate the efforts of IPCPR staff, and those of other groups like CRA.  I really do.  But, a group is only as strong as the membership.  Where do we (cigar smokers) go from here?  I don’t think we’ve thrown in the towel yet, but it gets tougher to see the light at the far end of the tunnel with every passing day.  If we can’t muster more than 1-2% of the cigar smoking public to join the effort…and, on average, 10-20% of those who have to take a few minutes to type out an email or make a phone call, we’re doomed.  Sometimes it feels as if we (the cigar community at large) are “coming home with ‘D’ on [our] report card and telling [our] parents “at least I didn’t get a F.” to quote another member of the cigar media this afternoon.  The virality of smoking bans and other anti-tobacco legislation is progressing at a more alarming rate than ever before in our lifetime (unless you were alive in 17th century England).  We continue to take our lumps and move on to tomorrow.  That approach is beneficial in some situations, but rolling over quietly has little place here.

The statement being made by the New Orleans City Council is that of disapproval for tobacco; however, they have no qualms about any direct or collateral monies received via an event such as the IPCPR tradeshow.  The governmental bodies imposing such restrictions are sending a mixed message, to be generous.  More egregious are the states who have banned smoking across the board, only to later decide some exemptions would be made if establishment owners would follow a set of guidelines and pay exorbitant fees for the privilege.  If the intent is truly to protect public health (as they so often declare), how is it appropriate to assign a value?  Why is smoking so dangerous to the innocent bystanders hanging out in cigar bars unless the owner has paid a yearly endorsement (every last dripping bit of facetiousness intended)?

God has given you one face and you make yourselves another. –William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 1

My Worthless $.02

I’m certainly not a proponent of outright bans.  But this cloudy gray area is often a prelude to one-sided concession, presented as a compromise.  We should fight to win, not give a mile to preserve an inch and spin it as success.  The fuzzy political lines in this battle are tiresome to say the least.  I don’t think we can continue to simply pretend we’re fighting a battle.  Lip service is not enough.  Paying an annual membership fee for our organization-of-choice and “really hoping for the best” is not enough.  There is no reason everyone reading this should be unwilling to at least pick up a phone with some regularity and call legislators…drop frequent emails…and show up at local council meetings with an opinion when (not if) affronts to this hobby sally forth.  This isn’t difficult.  It doesn’t require an advanced degree in political science or journalism.  It ain’t rocket science.  If those of us who enjoy an occasional cigar or pipe can’t get on the same page, someone is going to take the book from our hands.  Many of the folks we’ve installed to represent us have shown – and increasingly show – where they clearly stand.

“Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.” – Mark Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar for 1894

Let me encourage you to get involved, whether via the things I just mentioned or some other creative way to make yourselves heard.

Tagged With: IPCPR, legislation, rants and ramblings

Bring on user reviews…

January 22, 2015 By Kip Fisher

Half Ashed User Reviews

Guidelines for User ReviewsBack in the Cigarmy days, I pilot-tested a couple of features that were never perfected.  Notably, I wanted to include users in the reviewing process – or at least have user reviews available to supplement my own.  I have no special reviewing superpower, and love trading feedback with other folks and their experiences with a given cigar.  For whatever reason, I was never happy with what I settled for over there (which also happens to be what we’ve used here on Half Ashed for the past few months).  Previously, users could leave nothing more than a comment and an anonymous overall score for a given cigar.  My desire was to have it so that users could leave a detailed review with all the same criteria as what is written into my review, as well as any detailed specifics he/she would like to write up.  Well, this past week I have finally had some time to install that functionality here on Half Ashed.  The basic functionality is in place, although a couple of (very) minor decorative changes are still to be amended.  I’d like to invite you to head over to the reviews and drop your own scores into any that you have personally smoked.  This system only applies to cigars reviewed since the numerical rating was added – about 20 or so reviews as of January 2014.  Of course, all new reviews are in this format so everything going forward will have the option.[/one_half]

Details

If you would first like to see details about my philosophy on the reviews, you can check out the current cigar review guidelines.  There are also a couple of recent pipe tobacco reviews (and accompanying guidelines), which originated with our first pipe episode in October 2014.  This is an aspect of Half Ashed that will likely grow quickly in the days to come.  Our plan is to have a (roughly) quarterly episode featuring the myriad aspects of pipe smoking, along with occasional spots as well.

Come On In!

pipe tobacco user reviews - guidelinesSo, swing by the review listing and see if there are any for which you’d like to leave input.  Any reviews that appear with a numerical score in the listing should have the user review functionality already in place.  My only request is that you not be “that guy” – the jackwagon who leaves unrealistically low scores to skew the results.  If you drop a few “0’s” in there, I’ll have to back them out.  We’re looking for something useful to the community at large.  Craig and I have proclaimed from the inaugural episode of Half Ashed that we’re all about community.  This is just the latest effort in building just that.

Tagged With: pipes, rants and ramblings

Cuba and the US: Restoring Relations?

January 3, 2015 By Craig

Flags - cuba america

“I care about the recent events with Cuba because I am a human, not because I am a human of Cuban descent.”

That’s what I told a coworker a couple of days after the landmark words from President Obama were spoken on December 17th. I am optimistic about the potential for the Cuban people to have another avenue of hope, their best in 54 years since Eisenhower put the first aspects of what the Cuban government still refers to as “the blockade” into effect.

Keeping Perspective on the President’s Remarks on Cuba

Do I expect anything to be different for us or them in 100 days when things take effect? No, I do not. I feel that the majority of Americans out there are keeping this in perspective but I’ve seen some Facebook posts that talk about people “finally” being able to get their hands on Cuban rum, or “when will Cuban cigars be for sale at the tobacconist?” These posts are uninformed and potentially just a spur of the moment quip. I don’t think the majority of citizens believe this is “it” in regards to the embargo. I will say this. I DO believe this can be the beginning of the end of the embargo. We need to be very careful, as false steps here can empower those who take office next to claim Obama’s declarations were not only incorrect, but also helpful to the enemy.

What DOES It All Mean?

Much will depend on Kerry’s analysis of Cuba’s status as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” and whether Cuba does truly lower some of the restrictions they have on contact to the outside world. If Cuba shows ANY legitimate human rights improvements (yes, the internet is a human right derived from free speech) there is a chance that this gains some momentum and the embargo could end after the next congress (Jan 2017) is sworn in. There is little to no chance this will occur in 2015 since the Republicans have taken power of the house. There would have to be SWEEPING change in Cuba for the likes of Marco Rubio and others who want the 29 electoral votes in Florida to change their public opinion on this. It’s just too critical of a voting base to alienate the Southern Florida core of Anti-Castro citizens.

If Kerry does not rescind the edict that Cuba is a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” OR sizable humanitarian improvements are not witnessed, I am fairly certain that the next president will swiftly and completely go the other direction with his ruling on the matter. Think Bush’s change in 2004. He lowered the visit limit, removed the legality of “financial assistance” to Cuban citizens and made it even more difficult to travel to the nation for aid workers. We could go right back there, if not even further.

So, How Did We Get Here?

Cuba and its citizens have been made more of a pawn in the recent years than they ever have been in the past. Even in the election of ‘64 when it was the first chance for a new administration to address the “blockade” (as it essentially was at times in those early stages) it was not as polarizing of a topic as it became later in the Castro regime’s tenure (I understand LBJ held office. It is speaking to the fact that it was not a point of contention between candidates). We have to realize that the goal here is an improvement of life for the citizens of our southern island neighbor. This is the first real attempt at improving that which I can recall.

I am not able to corroborate this 100% but I don’t believe there have been public declarations from the POTUS as strongly worded as those shared Wednesday the 17th, in regard to the failure of U.S. policy on the matter. There is a real chance that THIS declaration is enough. There is a real chance that Cuba will give a little in response. And there is a real chance that this may be a day we remember for the rest of our lives. It’s possible the U.S. just got a little less hypocritical in its foreign relations (think human rights & the torture report). When a major government does that, we’re all in a better position.

On December 20th at the bi-annual meeting of the Cuban National Assembly Raul Castro commented much about the change in policy between the two nations. He strongly denounced encouragement from Obama to reform Cuba’s communist government & economy but on multiple occasions commended the President’s willingness to start the most striking change to policy in over 50 years.

In a NY Times article published after Castro’s address, Carlos Alzugaray Treto, a Cuban diplomat, said that Castro’s words addressed “domestic politics”.

A connection was made between both governments postulating that conservative idealists in each country thought their respective nations had yielded too much. Frankly, this idea was new to me. Understandably Raul’s political position is not as questionable as Obama’s, but it still has a faction of fragility. The article cements this point by summarizing Treto as follows:

“…Just as Mr. Obama must contend with Cuban-American lawmakers who are angry about the deal, Mr. Castro faces opposition from more conservative party members who recall that Cuba’s previous stance, established in the 1960s, was to hold off resuming relations until the United States lifted its trade embargo completely.”

In my opinion, it’s logical to think that the wheels started turning on this entire process in 2008 (shortly after Raul formally assumed power) when Raul announced major improvements to personal freedoms for Cubans. These “human rights” included the ability for Cuban citizens to obtain a passport, start a business, own property & purchase electronic consumer goods. The baby steps paved the way for the Obama administration to give a little in response.

In 2009, Obama rescinded many of the Bush admin’s travel restrictions and allowed “unlimited funds” to be sent to anyone in Cuba for aide. It really was the first steps taken by the two new administrations to show that they were each ready to act. That was until Alan Gross was arrested later that year.

Formally the U.S. Government stated that no further communications would be made until Gross was released. He was tried and convicted of “undermining the integrity & independence of Cuba” by bringing illegal satellite communications equipment to the island. Relations stalled. Nothing would progress as Cuba viewed their position as just, and the U.S. was not willing to move the line drawn in the sand.

Fast forward to December 2014 and Gross has been released, communication is starting and both parties seem willing to make attempts to continue improving relations. If Gross had not been detained could the landmark deal brokered by Canada and the Vatican have occurred in 2010 instead of 2014? Did we really just extend a trail of progress out 4 years instead of starting fresh just now? I personally believe this to be the case. We wanted Gross but we thought he was guilty and didn’t want to force international support on a case we couldn’t win. It was a political line we could not waver on and another example of the “domestic politics” that needed looking after.

What Does the Future Hold?

With all major roadblocks removed from the pathway to normalization, I expect 2015 to continue demonstrating improvements on both sides of the Gulf of Mexico. Travel permits could become increasingly easy to obtain for island travel and human rights improvements could easily continue to improve on the island. We shall see. I hope to have insight from experts on this topic in a future article to be published later in the month.

2015 will bring a visit from the United States Secretary of State to Havana, the first time such a visit has occurred in 57 years. It will also put the Presidents of both nations at the Summit of the Americas this April for the first time since 1962. Many have speculated that further communication could take place at such a gathering.

Is this the beginning of the end for the Cuban Embargo? Only time will tell if this is the case but it certainly appears that an avenue of hope has begun to be paved for Cuban citizens. Normalized relations between our two nations, with plenty of Cuban rum & cigars to go around, could be right around the corner.

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So, what are your thoughts?  Is this the beginning of the end for broken relations between our two countries?  Or, just chatter?  Leave a comment below or drop me an email to [email protected].  I’d love to hear from you!

Tagged With: Cuba, rants and ramblings

Review Scrubbed: High humidity and why TU is necessary

August 19, 2014 By Kip Fisher

So I got everything ready, sat down and fired up to write a review this morning.  I gathered the background information, manufacturer website links….the whole spiel.  Then, I scrubbed the review.  This was the second of this particular cigar, and 6th of the brand that I have smoked, and all share [Read more…]

Tagged With: rants and ramblings, Tobacconist University

Times they are a-changin’ – off to the Dominican Republic

March 11, 2014 By Kip Fisher

[UPDATE: As of 7/23/14, we are at about 60% of our goal for the first year’s support….thanks in large part to my cigar folks!  Thanks and keep it coming!]

The Fishers - missionaries to the Dominican RepublicGood day, folks.  Thanks for stopping by.  So much has been going on in these parts that I almost don’t know where to begin.  About the time of the previous post, my family and I had clear direction and made (locally) public our intent to become missionaries to the Dominican Republic.  I made this announcement public on Episode 056 of Half Ashed.

My family will be selling our house and possessions and heading down as soon as we get support lined up and ready.  Since 100% of child sponsorships at the organization we’ll be working with go to provisions for the children, the feeding/education programs, and infrastructure support, my family will need to raise all of our own support – which, of course, is 100% tax deductible should you choose to contribute (consult your tax advisor).  If you would like to get the full story including how you can help, visit my Support Page on the new blog just for this experience over at fishers4him.com.

What does this mean for The Cigarmy and Half Ashed?  Hopefully, very little in terms of changes.  Internet is relatively good in the major cities of the Dominican Republic, so I should have no difficulty with The Cigarmy.  As for the live recordings of Half Ashed, it may take a little hook-boogie reworking to ensure I have a reliable connection at recording time.  Overall, I expect little difference – except, perhaps, for a great deal more in the way of fun stories.  We shall see.  I have high hopes of being able to share in the blessing of helping other people in dire need, and seeing them grow.  No small part of me is additionally excited about living in cigar country as well :).

Thanks for checking in, and please take the time to read/listen/watch at the links above….

Tagged With: Dominican Republic, rants and ramblings

Be honest. Be passionate. Be real. About cigars.

October 15, 2013 By Kip Fisher

cigar TobaccoI’ve been thinking about a couple of cigar related things in the wake of a discussion on Half Ashed’s previous episode, one of which I’d like to throw out some thoughts on today.  I’ve been contemplating what a cigar “expert” might be.  I don’t consider myself an “expert.”  I’ve been smoking cigars for a very long time, and have consumed far more than probably 95% of all cigar smokers on an annualized basis.  I’ve even picked up a few bits of useful knowledge here and there about cigars and tobacco – growing, processing, aging, blending, rolling, marketing, distributing….you name it.  But, [Read more…]

Tagged With: rants and ramblings

Cigar Poll: Shop around much?

March 29, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Cigar Poll: Shop Around Much?Many of you know that I occasionally get a wild hair and curiosity gets the best of me over some trivial matter.  It’s in these moments that I post up a Cigar Poll to satisfy said curiosity, but serves little purpose in the grand scheme of things.

Today is just such a day.

I’ve noticed in recent weeks and months that when I’m cigar shopping around the Great State of Florida, I keep a mental checklist of which stores sell which lines….and which ones have the best prices on those lines.  If my wife sends me to the market to buy three grocery items, I’ll come back without two of them if I don’t write a note.  But, for some reason, I have a seemingly laser-sharp mental acuity for cigar availability, inventory, and pricing for dozens of Florida tobacconists.  Priorities, I suppose.  When I am planning on making a stop by one of these tobacconists, I know which cigars they carry that I enjoy, how likely they are to have what I need in stock, and whether or not this shop is the best fiscal alternative for that particular line.

Knowing that certain cigars seem to sell better or worse in some areas, many tobacconists will price those cigars they have trouble moving somewhat more competitively than those which fly off the shelves.  So, since I’m fortunate enough to have many brick and mortar options in my travels, it pays to know the right place to buy.  The differences can be startling.  In fact, I’ve noticed pricing on a favorite cigar of mine to vary as much as 40% from one store to the next – in shops that are a mere 6 miles apart.  That translates to an $87 difference per box.  I don’t care if you’re driving an HMMWV, it’s worth the 6 mile drive.

So, the question of the day is: how much shopping around do you do when buying cigars?  Do you have a single go-to shop and just figure it all averages out in the end?  Do you buy online only – whether out of necessity (no local B&Ms) or frugality (it’s all about the money, baby)? Do you maintain a relationship with a few (or many) shops – and do as I do, knowing where to buy what you need at the right price?  Just take your chances wherever you happen to be and get what you want at the moment?

So if you don’t mind, take a moment and cast your vote in the poll below.

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THIS POLL HAS BEEN MOVED.  NEW (as of 10/30/14) POLL IS ON THE FORUM.

 

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Tagged With: poll, rants and ramblings

Poll: Where do your Cigar Loyalties lie?

October 30, 2012 By Kip Fisher

Two Standy CigarsCigar smokers can be a fickle bunch.  The sheer volume of chatter about what’s hot or what’s new is often staggering.  Sometimes, we seem to be always chasing the next great thing to come down the pike…only to find ourselves looking for the following new stick before the ashes even cool.  Why do we do that?  Is there really even such a thing as a Holy Grail smoke?  Are we looking for that one special line of cigars that is so life-changing that once we find it, we’re happy to smoke it exclusively from thence onward?  Or, is it simply smokers’ pride kicking in to be able to condescendingly tell our friends all about that new stick that they haven’t had the opportunity to try yet?  Envy when we’re on the other end of that equation?  A combination of all these?  I don’t know, but it is an interesting phenomena to witness.  Twitter, Facebook, and other varied and sundry forms of social media commonly light up with activity when a new cigar from a hot maker begins to hit shelves, or even before when preliminary samples make their way into the hands of eager cigar enthusiasts at events or through other early distribution channels.  The same could be said on a smaller scale in idle conversation at the local brick & mortar cigar shop.  I’m not pointing a judgmental finger at this; I’ll admit to chasing no small number of new cigars myself.  I wouldn’t even say outright that’s it is a bad thing.  I think in many ways, this is invigorating to the hobby.  It can prevent sales from becoming stale, and produce a fervor that is beneficial to both the smoker and manufacturers.  It certainly keeps blenders on their toes – many, who might otherwise create a decent cigar and lapse into resting on their laurels, are driven to come up with new ideas, vitolas, blends, and other products just to stay one step ahead of the next guy.  This has led to an abundance of great cigars in the market today – a veritable survival of the fittest cigar.  I’ve been enjoying these little bundles of leaves for almost 20 years, and don’t ever remember a time when so many great cigars were so readily available.  I certainly remember the myriad blends that came out in the ’90’s cigar boom, but that was a very different time.  The consumer was less informed, and quite honestly there were many lackluster cigars sold just because so many people wanted to have a cigar – any cigar.  Of course, once the boom subsided most of those marques went by the wayside because they simply couldn’t compete in a more informed marketplace that carried higher expectations.  Over the years, I have cycled to and fro, atop the crest and down to the valley within the paradigm I’m describing.  There have been times when my purchases were of a very limited range of cigars.  ...but I love a new cigar as well...There have been others when I might go months at a time without smoking more than two or three of the same stick.  This year, I have smoked more different brands and blends than probably any cumulative ten years previous.  Yet, in recent weeks I’ve had the urge to revisit many of the cigars that consistently kept me interested in the past.  Even during times of wide, leafy experimentation, there are a couple of cigars that have never left my rotation entirely.  Two of those – both Fuente products (the 858 maduro and the Don Carlos number 3) – are always in my humidor.  I have loved those two cigars for all these years, and never tire of them.  I frequently reach for them, even today.  There are probably 10 other blends that I have taken a shine to during the most recent 5 years which I also keep around just about all the time, and expect to do so for so long as they are available.  As I sit mulling this whole process over in my head, it has piqued my interest.  I’ve known people, more so with pipesmokers than cigars, who were able to find a blend and happily stick with it…forever.  On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve known a few who rarely smoke the same thing twice.  I seem to rise and fall with the tides, almost on a sine wave of cigar sampling.  Knowing that the aforementioned two blends provide me with a pleasing experience every time, what is it that sends me back to the cigar shop to continually try new blends?  After a great deal of self-evaluation, I still don’t know.  But I have to admit I’m enjoying the heck out of the process.  Perhaps that is the answer, but the “why” is still a mystery.  I was interested in where the rest of you all lie on the continuum.  So, what sayest thou?

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THIS POLL HAS BEEN MOVED.  NEW (as of 10/30/14) POLL IS ON THE FORUM.

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Tagged With: poll, rants and ramblings

What’s in a name? Can you judge a cigar by its maker

October 3, 2012 By Kip Fisher

Cigar Musings

    There is a certain cigar company that I had, for whatever reason, written off in my head.  I’ll refrain from naming the company, because I didn’t think they were necessarily producing bad cigars…just not fit for my personal preferences and palate.  I’d tried some of their offerings over the years and just decided they weren’t for me.  So, as a whole I had avoided them for a long, long time.  I have to admit to completely overlooking them whenever I visited shops.  The thought of purchasing anything from their range never crossed my mind.

     Recently, at one of the many cigar shops I find myself in throughout the state of Florida, I happened on to one of that company’s reps who gave me a cigar.  I respectfully accepted it thinking it probably wouldn’t be my style…but I’d give it a go anyway.  Days later, I thought “What the heck?” and fired it up.  Unexpectedly, it was a great smoke…nothing at all like my memory of any of their other blends I had sampled over the years.  Not just “OK,” not just “a little better” than expected – a very, very good cigar with some unique flavors and perfect construction.  I don’t know if the cigars changed, this particular blend or stick is just different from the others I’ve tried, or my preferences have just drifted that much…or possibly even a combination of all these factors.  I do know this has piqued my interest, and I’ll definitely be buying a few more to give them another chance.  I’d certainly be more interested in trying some of their more recent blends, and less reluctant to try anything new they release.

     With all the myriad cigar offerings out there today, it’s easy to dismiss an entire manufacturer’s offerings, knowing that there are many more fish in the sea.  But, it makes me wonder what else I’ve been missing out of sheer callousness brought about by experiences long past.  I know I can’t smoke them all…but I’d like to give it the ‘ol college try!  What about you?  Did you ever have a cigar brand that you thought didn’t appeal to you as a whole?  Or, perhaps you’ve avoided certain cigars because of the tobacco’s origin, where it was rolled, or some other criteria? Have you revisited them?  How willing are you to set that prejudice aside in the future to try something new from that maker/country/style? Conversely, are there manufacturers/regions/lines from which you automatically expect great things?

Tagged With: rants and ramblings

Cigar Week – a Quick Jaunt through Florida

May 19, 2012 By Kip Fisher

NOTE: If you want to skip the narrative and go straight to the pictures, you can find them HERE

This past week, my nephew came down to visit for our 4th annual Cigar Week.  Each year, I take a week off work when he comes down from Tennessee, and we putter around the state of Florida visiting a number of cigar shops, manufacturers, or any other events that happen to be going on at the time.  This year, we managed to work in a visit to Delray Beach, Miami/Little Havana, Ybor City, and a few places around Tampa.  On our way down to Miami, we stopped and spent an evening at Charmed Leaf with Frank and Elissa.  This was the third time I’ve had the pleasure of visiting The Charmed Leaf, and I’m totally enamored with the whole operation.  The focus of The Charmed Leaf is very much on boutique cigars, of which they have a great selection – including many I don’t typically have access to in the Tampa market.  The atmosphere of the place is very lighthearted, friendly, and welcoming.  We even got schooled in playing dominoes while we were there on this trip, which was great fun.  I got so carried away with the cigars and fun that I managed not to get any pictures while we were there – which will be corrected the next time I’m in the area.  With permission, I’d love to feature them in an upcoming series of posts I’m planning to spotlight tobacconists’ I’ve encountered and have a great deal of respect and appreciation for.  If you’re ever in the Delray Beach area, the trip won’t be complete without a stop there.  I highly recommend them.  And, if you’re not in the area, you can always check out their website as well…you just can’t get a domino lesson online [EDIT: This shop has since sold to new ownership.].

The following morning, we continued down the coast to Miami and into Doral to visit the My Father factory, lounge, and distribution/offices.  I had contacted them ahead of time, and John Gonzalez was kind enough to give us a short tour of the operation.  Much of the space at the new site is dedicated to warehouse and distribution efforts, but they have a lounge and a working factory as well.  The lounge stocks My Father products, and is quite comfortable and very nicely furnished.  There were 8-10 torcedores at work while we were there, busily rolling cigars, and several folks working in packaging/shipping/receiving.  Much of their product is now manufactured in Nicaragua, but the Miami factory still produces a few cigar lines, some of which I find quite tasty.

From My Father, we headed over to Calle Ocho for a quick run through Little Havana.  We passed through/by/in/around a number of shops and factories, but the highlight of the visit was a stop at La Tradicion Cubana.  Frank Herrera had recommended we visit LTC, and it proved to be a wonderful experience.  We hung out there with Luis Sanchez, the proprietor, for a couple of hours just smoking cigars and chatting.  This was the first time I had the chance to spend any time with Luis, and I found him to be a very cordial, welcoming facet of Little Havana.  I highly recommend a stop if you’re ever in Miami.  It’s definitely worthwhile – both for the conversation and the cigars.  I smoked one of his LTC “Palmitas” while there, and it was spectacular.  Since the visit, I have enjoyed the Jameson cigars he makes for Brad Mayo as well.  I foresee me stocking a few of these makes in my regular rotation for sure.  Luis is responsible for his own brand (La Tradicion Cubana & Sabor Cubano), as well as Jameson Cigars (including the Red Label, Black, the Southbound Series, and Santos de Miami), Casa Gomez, and La Caridad del Cobre.  We spent most of the afternoon on Calle Ocho, then headed back to points northward.

On Thursday, we had a scheduled tour of the JC Newman factory in Tampa.  When we arrived at our appointed time, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that Eric Newman himself was in town and would give us the grand tour.  Most of the work going on here is in machine rolled cigars and distribution.  The building has been renovated in recent years, and is a spectacular sight.  It has been restored to its past glory, and is such a fun way to spend the morning.  The equipment is impressive as well…each of the rolling machines is capable of producing up to 5,000 cigars per day, and has several thousand moving parts.  But, the highlight of this tour was having Eric give it.  The family stories and proud history of the Newman family’s 117 years in the industry were fascinating.  Eric gave us the entire history of the Newman family’s involvement in the cigar industry…from it’s beginnings in late 19th century Ohio, through the Tampa years, the partnership with the Fuentes, and into current times with the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation and opening of their new Nicaraguan factory.  It’s a wonderful story and if you ever have the chance you should visit – even if not for a tour, they maintain a small museum on the first floor of the tower detailing this history.

We finished out the week with some local stops around Tampa – Ybor City, fishing at the Skyway, and some stops at various brick & mortar cigar shops.  We visited Tampa Humidor, The Cigar Castle, and Clearwater Cigar Company.  Tampa Humidor is my local “go-to” shop.  The majority of my cigar buying is from them.  I had been to Cigar Castle a couple of years ago, but not recently as it’s a bit out of my normal driving patterns.  They have a very nice lounge, and great selection of cigars.  Atul was incredibly friendly and helpful as well.  Definitely worth a stop when in Tampa.  The other tobacconist that we tried for the first time was Clearwater Cigar Company.  They are near the St. Petersburg airport, from whence my nephew was departing.  John Fought, one of our previous giveaway winners, recommended this stop because of its proximity to the airport, and it is one of his hangouts as well.  So, we met John in person for the first time here. This is a newer shop (less than 2 years), run by Leglio Sotolongo.  I’m not commonly in that part of town, so I had never made it over that way.  As has become a pattern in the cigar industry, we encountered nothing but a friendly atmosphere here.  Leglio is a very upbeat, positive, laidback kind of guy.  A perfect fit for the tobacconist trade.  He helped us out in picking some cigars we had not tried before based on what we typically like to smoke, and together with John provided an entertaining afternoon while we waited to head over to the airport.  Some or all of these locations will likely be featured in the upcoming spotlight series as well.  Thus ended this year’s Cigar Week.  If you all ever make your way to Florida, I don’t think you can go wrong at any of the sites we hit this week.  Also, if you’re in Florida and have a favorite spot let me know.  I travel most of this state, and I’m always in the market for meeting new folks in the field…and I spend a lot of time in cigar shop lounges…

Pictures from 2012 Cigar Week

Tagged With: cigar events, Frank Herrera, JC Newman, La Tradicion Cubana, Luis Sanchez, My Father, rants and ramblings

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