Altadis | Half Ashed

Episode 174: Ezra Zion All My Ex’s Maduro

February 6, 2018 By Kip Fisher

Ezra Zion All My Ex’s Maduro

Kip – The All My Ex’s maduro made its appearance in April 2016 as a followup to the original released blend. The Ezra Zion guys generously gave us these while I was at IPCPR 2016. The maduro All My Ex’s features a Mexican San Andres wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. They were made via Noel Rojas at the Aroma de Jalapa factory in Estelí. The line was available in three vitolas (6”x52 toro at $8.95, 5”x50 robusto for $8.50, and a 6.5”x42 lancero ($8.95)). Total production was 800 boxes of 25 (20,000 total production). I remember these having a healthy dose of potency, yet being entirely approachable; some dry cocoa flavors and an occasional wisp of smoky woodsiness. I couldn’t help but notice that only 18 months in the cello left it incredibly yellowed. Interesting. Let’s see how the cigars are smoking these days….

Cigar News

My old haunt – Tampa Humidor – announced since our last show that they had been acquired by Casa de Montecristo (Tabacalera USA/Altadis/JR Cigars)….and subsequently, a few more acquisitions have occurred. It was announced that Xikar has been bought by Quality Importers (!), and Thompson Cigar has been purchased by STG, the parent company to General Cigar and CI.
Halfwheel is reporting that Altadis is suing another company for trademark infringement with the fleur-de-lis.
Gary Laden of Smooth Draws Radio Show passed away. Our condolences to his family and friends. Remembering Gary, by Cigar Coop
Carlito Fuente announced during the Puro Sabor festival that the Fuente family is opening a new cigar factory in Nicaragua. They have maintained a farming presence there for many years since their original factory in Estelí was burned in 1978. This comes on the heels of announcing the name change for distribution from Fuente & Newman Premium Cigars Limited to the Arturo Fuente Cigar Co.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –

Tatuaje Little Boris Robusto Extra – Holy Poop
Tatuaje Capa Especial 2012 Book Toro – Nirvana
Tatuaje Tattoo Robusto – Overlooked too often
Ramon Allones SS – Not the best example
Ramon Allones PC – Old Faithful
Cornelius & Anthony Cornelius (Corona) – Generic

Kip

JC Newman El Baton –
Fuente 858 Sungrown –
Deer Tongue!

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 106: Quesada España Ninfa

March 18, 2015 By Kip Fisher

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Quesada España Ninfa

Welcome to Half Ashed Episode 106, featuring the Quesada España Ninfa as our Cigar of the Week. This week’s cigar was one of Craig’s selections, and he has this to say about it:

In 2011 my life changed. My wife was expecting our first child and I was planning all of the Dad-to-be things we were going to do together later in life. One of those things was which box of cigars I was going to share upon my son’s birth; and with him later in life. In February of that year, I started down the path to figuring that out. I had just arrived in Santiago, DR on my first trip to the Dominican. It was to be a cigar filled, last hurrah before fatherhood settled things down a bit. At the MATASA factory I sat in a room listening to Manolo Quesada talk about the prototype cigar I was smoking. That cigar was a Robusto Espana and months before my son Luke was born, I vowed to make these cigars part of the birth of any & all of my future children. In May of that year I bought a box of Robustos and later followed it up with a box of Coronas to celebrate my second son, Liam.

Tonight’s CotW is a different vitola from this very special line; the Ninfa. A “pencil” sized cigar, these check in at 6-⅞”x32. An Ecuadorian Arapiraca wraps a Dominican binder and DR/Nica filler. These cigars are filled with beautiful cocoa, Tea and spice flavors and definitely bring a minor pepper note as well. They need to be smoked with a delicate touch but reward mightely if you behave. They’re part of Quesada’s “12 boxes for 12 retailers” project where they give one box of special Espanas to one different retailer, each month for a year. These are from the 2014 release and are from Winston’s Humidor in Midlothian, Virginia. Side note: Kevin Edmiston was on the trip with me in the Dominican where we sampled the pre-release Espanas. We were guests of Cigar Tourism (Colin Ganley, Twin Engines coffee) and enjoyed a spectacular visit.

News

Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga has a new owner and a new shop-exclusive in the wings. Tobacconist Mike Hunter has obtained part ownership in the home of the Chattanooga Tweet Up, and was an integral part of orchestrating La Aurora’s partnering with them for the Cien Años lancero. The cameroon-wrapped cigar is 7.5”x40, the same as the original Cien Años production, and features the same blend. MSRP is set at $11.99 per stick in boxes of 25.

Pete Johnson teased a new event sampler that’s coming in the next few weeks. It will feature 5, 5.5”x52 robustos from the La Riqueza, Tat Black, Havana VI, Cabaiguan and Tattoo lines, housed in one of the Tatuaje melamine ashtrays (not a fan of those ashtrays, personally). It will initially be available for sale at Tatuaje events, but could become more widely available later. Pricing TBA.

In what is probably pretty normal but seems like strange bedfellows to me, Romeo y Julieta has partnered with Boutique Blends to produce their next line – the Romeo by Romeo y Julieta Aging Room. It will be made at Jochy Blanco’s Las Palmas factory in the Dominican Republic and will be available in three vitolas – 5×48 Copla, 6×54 Capriccio, and 6×52 Cantaor. Total production is set at about 250,000 cigars, which will retail around the $10 mark. The line will launch in April, and will be distributed by Altadis.

As posted earlier this week on Half Ashed, Viva Republica has released a special event cigar for the DC Tweet Up – a culebra. While culebras are nothing new, I love the fact that this one features one of each from the Viva Republica core lines (Rapture, Guerrilla Warfare, and Rapture Maduro). The cigars will be 5.75”x39, and will retail for $18 per set (=$6/cigar). Only 1,000 sets will be made available.

We spoke a bit about Viaje last week, and in the time since they announced two upcoming releases, The Señor Andres’ Chicharrones and The Jalapeño. The Chicharrones is interesting in that the line is actually 3 different cigars. They feature similar blends, but with differing wrappers (Nicaraguan corojo, criollo and maduro). The 4.5”x48 sticks will be made at TABSA using all-AGANORSA tobacco. The Jalapeño is a 4.875”x51 figurado out of Raices Cubana. No specifics about the blend were released.

L’Atelier is releasing a new line called the Cote D’Or (Gold Coast) next month. There will be a soft launch at Federal Cigar’s 94th Anniversary this week, but full launch will come in April. It will reportedly be a soft-pressed churchill, blended around Pelo D’Oro. Only a couple thousand boxes will be produced, and the line will retail around $16 per cigar.

What We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

Club Havana Laguito #2 – Young but beautiful. I can’t wait to smoke them on the show. More appropriately, I can’t wait for Kip to smoke them!

Espana Corona – My son Liam was born in December of 2013. I forgot to smoke my first Espana Corona from his box around his birthday so I’m doing it this week to celebrate the impending close of a hellacious professional project.

Kip

Don Pepin Garcia Blue – I learned some interesting revelations about myself concerning the lancero, toro, and robusto….

Wrap Up

Next episode we will be featuring Unbanded #021, from listener DC. Be sure to tune in Friday night at 9:30pm EST and hang out with us in the chatroom during the show. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us via the “Contact Us!” tab at the side of this page, or at the following emails:[email protected] [email protected]. Please feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions you’d like answered, comments to make…or even compliments and complaints. We love to get your emails! Also, remember you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, which can be found in the Half Ashed Archive. You can download this week’s audio directly below (right-click “Download” and save), find us on iTunes, or subscribe with any podcast app at our RSS Feed. Video, as always, will be available at the Half Ashed YouTube Channel.

P.S. – If you have unbanded suggestions or contributions, you can get those to us [email protected]. This email address goes directly to my wife, so you can simply suggest an unbanded cigar for her to source, or send me an email to [email protected] if you have something you’d like to send in. I will provide an address to send them. Thanks!

Upcoming Events

May 14, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Good day, folks. I’ve received a couple of recent press releases about some upcoming events, and thought I’d share them with everyone in case you’re available and in the area.—-Kip

J•R Cigar’s Smokin’ In The Carolina’s Event. Tickets On Sale Now!

Contact: Beth Stecyna
[email protected]

J•R Cigar, the world’s largest cigar store, announced today that tickets for its annual, highly anticipated, Smokin’ In The Carolinas event are running out. The event will take place on Saturday, June 7th, from Noon to 5PM in Burlington, North Carolina.

There is good reason why cigar enthusiasts from across the country don’t want to miss out on this year’s event. Cigar lovers gain the opportunity to socialize with other cigar smokers and meet and sample the finest premium cigars from their favorite manufacturers; large and boutique premium cigar brands including: Alec Bradley, Ashton, Altadis (makers of Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta), Davidoff, Drew Estate, Fuente, General Cigar (makers of Macanudo and La Gloria), Oliva, Rocky Patel, Nat Sherman, Perdomo and many more.

The price of a $125 ticket is a great value, entitling attendees to:

One BIG bag of cigars and swag, which alone is worth more than the price of admission
Huge Southern BBQ spread (with all the fixins)
Ice-cold beer from Red Oak Brewery (and more)
Cigar-rolling demonstration
Wine tastings (North Carolina’s finest)
Tour of “The World’s Largest Humidor”
Pipe Trunk Show
And more!

Tickets can be purchased by calling JR Cigar @ 1-800-572-4427 or online at: www.jrcigars.com.

Attendees to JR’s Smokin’ In The Carolina’s event must be 21 or older.

ALTADIS USA to host PREMIUM CIGAR lecture & tasting in MIAMI, FL

Don’t miss this chance of a lifetime to learn about growing and curing premium cigar tobacco from 44-year industry expert Larry Palombo, all while enjoying complimentary RyJ by Romeo y Julieta premium cigars.

The event will be held at the upscale Smith & Wollensky in Miami, FL on May 22 from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm and will include fine spirits and delicious food.

Tickets are $15 for Montecristo Social Club Members and $25 for non-members. All guests must be 21 or older to attend. Space is limited, so purchase your tickets quickly before the event sells out. You can find tickets here: Montecristo Social Club

Guests have the opportunity to meet Larry Palombo, VP of Tobacco Altadis U.S.A., who has travelled the world in search of the best premium cigar tobacco. It’s an excellent opportunity to get a true insider’s look at the industry.

In addition, attendees will enjoy RyJ by Romeo y Julieta cigars. The RyJ is a robust Nicaraguan puro that is intense and strongly spiced. Specially crafted with a Corojo Jalapa wrapper, a double binder of tobaccos from Jalapa and Esteli and a filler blend of vintage 2010 Nicaraguan leaves, the RyJ offers unparalleled aroma, complex flavor and deep, rich nuances.

Montecristo Social Club is one of the largest exclusive online clubs for adult cigar enthusiasts. The social club provides insightful cigar and lifestyle articles, the ability to meet other enthusiasts, and the use of a virtual humidor to track and rate your cigars. It is free to join, and all new members receive a complimentary welcome gift upon verification just for signing up.

Smith & Wollensky
1 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139

For more information please contact:

Ashley Duff
[email protected]

Half Ashed Episode 043: Gran Habano Corojo #5

November 30, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Welcome to Episode 043 of Half Ashed. This week, we’re smoking one of Craig’s favorite cigars, a Gran Habano Corojo #5, from the original release. Tune in to get our thoughts on how this cigar has progressed, developed, and whether or not it has retained its original character. In the news, we cover items from Altadis/RyJ, Gurkha’s release of the Pedro Martin LE, and a couple of particularly bold legislative attacks on cigars. We also cover what we’ve been smoking this week, a few listener emails, and even delved into some smoking recipes!

Next week, our Cigar of the Week will be the Crowned Heads Four Kicks Corona Gorda, and we’ll be joined by special guests Rob & Logan from CigarChat. Be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at Cigar Federation (details on locating the show will be on the front page that evening an hour before showtime), where you can catch us recording and participate in the chatroom. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [email protected] or [email protected]. Please feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions you’d like answered, comments to make…or even compliments and complaints. We love to get your emails! Also, remember you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, which can be found in the Half Ashed Archive. You can download this week’s audio directly below (right-click “Download” and save), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

P.S. – If you have unbanded suggestions or contributions, you can get those to us by sending an email to [email protected]. This email address goes directly to my wife, so you can simply suggest an unbanded cigar for her to source, or send me an email to [email protected] if you have something you’d like to send in. I will provide an address to send them. Thanks!