Rants and Ramblings
This is a collection of our editorial commentary, ramblings, “Minute Musings,” polls, or whatever other ephemera that crawls from the smoke-filled penetralia of our minds. These articles may be anything from a passing whimsical thought about whatever we are smoking at the moment to questions for readers to rampant Monday-morning Quarterbacking of “the way things ought to be.” This listing provides a good opportunity to generate some conversation between Half Ashed episodes. So, drop a comment and let us know what you think! Feel free to filter the articles by topic using the drop down list below.
TL Johnson: 2016 Outlook
By Kip Fisher
In the works for TL Johnson… One of the advantages of living in Cigar Country is that many of the Dominican cigar factories are a 10 minute drive from my house. So, I occasionally have […]
Read More Prepping for an international move
By Kip Fisher
Almost a year-and-a-half in the making, our move to the Dominican Republic is finally upon us. Brain tumors and myriad other hurdles have been negotiated, our house has sold in record time and we are […]
Read More The job sucks but the extra long commute is pretty awesome…
By Kip Fisher
Some days, my current occupation requires a great deal of driving for things that *should* be handled remotely but can’t due to the environment in which I work. It’s those days where one […]
Read More Tax day and I need a little help from the Angels…
By Kip Fisher
So I’m doing my taxes today. That’s never fun, but it gave me the chance to dig out a CFC2013 Angel’s Share lancero…in portrayal of the extra prayers I’ll need just to get through the […]
Read More REALLY digging @illusionecigars latest works…
By Kip Fisher
I’m thoroughly enjoying Dion Giolito’s latest efforts. I fell in LOVE with the Fume D’Amour (see what I did there…). It may very well have supplanted the f9 as my favorite from the illusione stable. […]
Read More The 8 Royal Palms
By Kip Fisher
These 8 Royal Palms at Chateau de la Fuente. Who knows the story? And where do you commonly see an image of them?
Read More They’re just better in Santiago….
By Kip Fisher
My smoke o’ the evening with my cohort here in Santiago is a Fuente Casa Cuba. While I know it’s largely (or entirely) psychological, Dominican cigars just taste better in their native land. Call it […]
Read More First cigar finally going in Santiago!
By Kip Fisher
It’s a little later than expected, but I’m finally alight in Santiago. Sitting with good friends at my future home (Hoowahh! Can’t wait!) and a great cigar….Doesn’t get much better’n that!
Read More Humidor Diving
By Kip Fisher
My wife is not a cigar smoker. She has had a few over the years, but one cigar every year or two doesn’t really qualify her as such. That being said, she does know what […]
Read More IPCPR and New Orleans
By Kip Fisher
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 […]
Read More Bring on user reviews…
By Kip Fisher
Half Ashed User Reviews Back 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 […]
Read More What’s wrong with my @xikarinc Xi1?
By Kip Fisher
First off.this is absolutely NOT a dig on Xikar. I’m a huge fan and have been for many years. I own no fewer than a dozen pieces of their product, and believe they produce a […]
Read More What are your “workhorse” blends?
By Kip Fisher
So I’ve finally got the morning revved up and rolling..and realize it’s noon already. Sleeping in and car repairs have pushed my morning coffee and cigar back into lunchtime territory. I’m not happy about *that*, […]
Read More What are your favorites of which we might not know?
By Kip Fisher
Tonight I’m wrapping up the evening with an El Triunfador lancero, one of my favorite (and incredibly under-rated) cigars. After all the years these things have been out, I still love ’em..and don’t understand why […]
Read More Crowned Heads Mason Dixon
By Kip Fisher
So I’m just hanging around the house today getting caught up on a few web maintenance items I’ve been putting off. I decided to light up a Crowned Heads Mason Dixon Project Northern edition. This […]
Read More Fuente Anejo 888
By Kip Fisher
The day doesn’t seem to have been very busy, but inexplicably I’m beat. I even had a nice “old-man” nap this evening. A couple of corn dogs later and I’m ready for a cigar. Coffee […]
Read More Feelin’ Musical Tonight
By Kip Fisher
So, I opted to wrap up the evening on the patio with a Crowned Heads Four Kicks and some Led Zeppelin. I’m not really much of a Kings of Leon fan, so I won’t be […]
Read More Coffee With That?
By Kip Fisher
It isn’t rare for me to enjoy a cup of coffee with a cigar.in fact, it’s a daily occurrence if I’m not reviewing it. Even if I am, I will sometimes pour a cup for […]
Read More Opus Power Ranger
By Kip Fisher
Having had such a good day of smoking, I decided to tempt the fates and go for an Opus Power Ranger (xXx). I’m the world’s biggest Fuente fan, but not so much a fan of […]
Read More Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda
By Kip Fisher
The weather here in West Central FL has turned dark and stormy in the past couple hours, but the cigar forecast looks fantastic! I have a Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda and a bold cup of […]
Read More Fuente Hemingway Sungrown
By Kip Fisher
No matter how many Sungrown Hemingways I stash away on the rare occasion of their appearance, it’s never enough. I absolutely adore these things, and always forget between batches just how much. It’d be nice […]
Read More DPG Blue lancero up next!
By Kip Fisher
I’ve enjoyed these DPG Blue lanceros since the first one I ever lit up (the first of many…. Pepin spice, backed up by some delightful cedar and charred oaken flavors. Phenomenal construction. And who doesn’t […]
Read More Can’t sleep. Might as well have a cigar…
By Kip Fisher
I’ve been up since about 3:30 am. Can’t friggin’ sleep. Seeing as how it’s actually not too cold I reckon I’m going to fire up this La Flor Dominicana 1994. Coupled with the illusione Fume […]
Read More @illusionecigars Fume D’Amour. Dee-friggin-licious
By Kip Fisher
The Fume D’Amour has smitten me like nothing else in a long while. My adoration for it may be bordering on unnatural. If not my very favorite of the illusione blends, certainly a top 2 […]
Read More Finally getting around to this BG Meyer
By Kip Fisher
I’m just now getting around to this line. I thought I’d see what all the hubbub is about. Haven’t lit it yet, but have to say the wrapper is beautiful….
Read More Cuba and the US: Restoring Relations?
By Craig
“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 […]
Read More Review Scrubbed: High humidity and why TU is necessary
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 […]
Read More Times they are a-changin’ – off to the Dominican Republic
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!] Good day, folks. Thanks for stopping […]
Read More Be honest. Be passionate. Be real. About cigars.
By Kip Fisher
I’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 […]
Read More Cigar Poll: Shop around much?
By Kip Fisher
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 […]
Read More Poll: Where do your Cigar Loyalties lie?
By Kip Fisher
Cigar 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 […]
Read More What’s in a name? Can you judge a cigar by its maker
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 […]
Read More Cigar Week – a Quick Jaunt through Florida
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 […]
Read More A short CFC 2012 trip summary
By Kip Fisher
We are back! As most of you know, portions of The Cigarmy traveled to the Dominican Republic this past week via Miami, to attend CFC 2012, the Fuente & Newman families’ annual celebration of the […]
Read More Whaddya gonna do?
By Kip Fisher
♪ Here I sit broken hearted ♫ ♫ moved to Florida and it’s still too dang cold to smoke a cigar tonight. ♪ Being born, raised, and spending my first 26 years in the […]
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