Ashton | Half Ashed

Half Ashed Episode 131: Bolivar Colosales ER Alemania

December 18, 2015 By Kip Fisher

Bolivar Colosales ER Alemania

The Bolivar Colosales ER Alemania is a moderately large cigar coming in by direct measurement of 52x 6”. We were intending to review the Libertador from France this week but after each of us smoked them and discovered that they were in a bit of a funk, we punted, and changed over to the other RE we have for this mini vertical review. The Colosales is a regional release from 2006 and a highly anticipated cigar at the time. Both the Colosales and the Libertador were large ring Boli’s but the German variant was a slightly deeper, stronger cigar 9 years ago. Bolivar is known for earthy, tobacco centric flavors and this cigar is akin to that, though more citrusy & sweeter than typical.

The Regional Editions began after the success of two specially commissioned cigars in 2004. The reintroduction of the famous Bolivar Gold Medal and a VR called the Jubelium were released in Germany to critical and market success. Habanos capitalized on this success with three REs in 2005 and exponentially more in the years following.

Cigar News

PDR joins Pro Cigar –

Congrats to Liana Fuente, who is getting married tomorrow.

Proposal by HUD to ban smoking throughout all public housing – citing concern for health dangers from secondhand smoke…would help improve the health of ”more than 760,000 children and help public housing agencies save $153 million every year in healthcare, repairs and preventable fires.” (Washington Post)

The C.Gars Ltd Auction, which we spoke about a bit a couple weeks ago, is scheduled and features a FULL 250-count (!) pre-embargo of RyJ Invencibles (5.5”x33). The auction will take place on Nov. 30th.

Christian Eiroa is celebrating 20 years, kinda. It’s been 20 years since he first began working in the industry, although he did have an almost 4-year hiatus after selling his former company (Caribe Imported Cigars, which included Camacho) in 2008. The “First 20 Years” line will made at his El Aladino factory in Honduras, and come in 4 sizes – a 6”x46, 5”x50 robusto, 6”x54, and 6”x60. It will also be a Honduran puro with all-Jamastran tobacco. Christian’s father Julio reportedly grew the binder & filler from a seed varietal that hasn’t been grown in 50 years and presented the tobacco to Christian for the celebration of his 20 years. MSRP will run $12-14 per stick.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

Chogui – Opus Angel Share, anyone?

Partagas Maduro No.1 – Surprisingly good but in no way a formal endorsement. Dark & sweet, thought not overpoweringly so.

Padron Damaso – These really do line up for my take on what a Connie should be.

Diplomatico #4 (1997) – Damn good Montecristo…

J.Fuego Corojo Oscuro – Yum! Great sweet bready flavors & spectacular construction. Thank you!

Kip

Punch Signature Gordo…yes, a 60 ring! And I liked it! I enjoyed the Robusto in this line several months ago when it was introduced. A kind listener sent me one of the Gordo 6×60, and while I don’t typically smoke big ring cigars I gave this one a try. I have to say it did not suck at all. In fact, the 89 score on the robusto would probably have been a point or two higher had I smoked the Gordo. It had the sweet, peppery spice like the robusto – but with more emphasis on the “sweet.” It also had lots of nutty accompaniment throughout its length and occasional flashes of chili-chocolate (also like the robusto). Although it still featured a good bit of strength, I found it more manageable than the robusto even. Loved it, and knowing it can be found for a very reasonable $4.35/stick it’d be hard to beat.

Ashton’s LAdC Mi Amor Reserva…Without smoking them side-by-side, I have difficulty nailing down differences between the Reserva and standard blend in this line. Lots of cocoa, backed up by a healthy but approachable dose of Nicaraguan spice. Very good.

The other Bolivar Colosales ER Alemania….

Miscellaneous

Tonight we have a special topic to kick around for a big part of the show….Fermentation! Craig and I kick around a few thoughts on fermentation, aging, and how the two differ…

Next Episode

In the next episode (132), we will be smoking the Asylum “99 Problems”. So come by Friday night 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 Page or the following emails:[email protected]d.com 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), 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.

Half Ashed Episode 123: Partagas Serie D EL 2010

September 3, 2015 By Kip Fisher

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Partagas Serie D Edicion Limitada 2010

One of the 2010 Edicion Limitada releases from Habanos, the Partagas Serie D Especial is a take on the traditional PSD4, but with ⅝” more in length and a further processed maduro wrapper. It is a Gordito vitola, typically referred to as a Toro (5-½”x50). Its rustic, thick maduro wrapper does not impart a large amount of typical maduro flavors to the mix but certainly does help round out the typical PSD4 profile with a bit more complexity.

Cigar News

Tobacconist University, in partnership with the producer J. Fuego, has shipped the second round of the R&D Series. This batch is being released with a total production of 4,000 Churchills, and 8,000 each of the Robusto and Toro. To go with the cigars, packets of puritos are available for additional purchase (2,000 packs of these). The puritos are comprised of each of the 5 tobaccos involved in the blend: PA Connecticut wrapper, Honduran (Jamastran) habano (binder), and fillers from Nicaraguan (Ometepe) habano criollo 98, NIcaraguan (Estelí) habano criollo 98, and Nicaraguan (Jalapa) habano corojo 99. For about $17-18 you can pick up one of the blended cigars and a packet of the small (~4”x26) puritos. They are available at selected Tobacconist University Certified retailers.

The proposed 40% tax on cigars has reared its head again in Pennsylvania. After being defeated in budget approval earlier this year, governor Tom Wolf’s idea has been resurrected by state democrats in the form of SB13.

A new Blessed Leaf cigar came…and went this week. The “1611,” alluding to the year in which the King James Bible was published, has been available for pre-order for a while. It finally hit the market this week, featuring a San Andres wrapper over Nicaraguan internal components. Unlike their earlier efforts (and associated Ezra Zion products), they were produced at Noel Rojas’ Aroma de Estelí (Guayacan) factory in Estelí. It came in a single 6”x50 toro, in limited quantity of 1,000 cigars. Interestingly, the cigar was sold direct by Ezra Zion – as were very limited runs of a couple other cigars (one of which we will be featuring on the show soon). The cigars went for $6-7 in either 5- or 10-packs, but they’ve all sold…

Cuba News:
Habanos Dismissals Article
US Embassy open Article

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

La Riqueza – Churchill en cello – Some tie in or connection to the Boris
01 La Gloria Cubana Tainos – Woof!
Asylum Schizo Maduro – Interesting…

Kip

Quesada Seleccion España mini-belicoso
Ashton VSG Tres Mystique
illusione ECCJ 20th

Next Episode

In the next episode (124), Kip will be joined by none other than Will “Cigar Coop” Cooper. So come by Friday night 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 Page or the following emails: [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), 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.

Half Ashed Episode 115: Ashton Symmetry with Bob

June 1, 2015 By Kip Fisher

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Ashton Symmetry

When the Ashton Symmetry was released in Fall 2014, it was the first new Ashton line in almost 10 years. It, like most other cigars to carry the Ashton marque, is a Fuente produced product, and features a “cloud-grown” Ecuadoran habano wrapper. Internally, it has some Dominican leaf from Villa Gonzalez and the Fuentes’ Un Buen Vecino farm in Estelí, Nicaragua. It comes in 5 vitolas, including this corona gorda called the Prism, and retails for $11-12.50 depending on size.

Tune in with Kip and special guest Bob McDuffee to chat up what he’s been up to lately and a few rabbit trails just begging to be followed….

Cigar News

I’m a big fan of Fratello – one of the newer lines out there, owned by Omar de Frias. The corona in his first lineup is a phenomenal cigar…and now he is coming out with a maduro. It will have a soft launch with a handful of retailers in the next few weeks, and full availability at IPCPR. The Bianco will come with a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Dominican binder and a filler blend containing Peruvian, Nicaraguan, and Pennsylvania broadleaf. It’s coming out of Esteli, but there’s no mention of the factory. It will be available in 20-ct boxes, in 3 vitolas – 6.25×44, 6×50, and 5×56. A fourth, event exclusive 5×44 will also be produced. The line isn’t a spinoff from their first line, which launched in 2013. It’s an entirely new blend according to Omar. Subsequent picture

After going thus far with a single vitola (although two were planned since IPCPR 2014), Drew Estate is releasing an extension to the Nica Rustica line. It’s a 7.5”x54 belicoso called the “Belly.” It will have a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper over Mexican San Andres binder and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. It’s scheduled to begin shipping nationally in September, but will have a soft launch at an event July 30th in Louisville, KY. Pricing is expected to be around $8/stick.

Fresh off our recent discussions about cigar companies making cigars specifically to be paired with or flavored by beverages (Drew Estate’s PVW, C&C’s Dram, Asylum’s Dragon’s Milk, etc.), Perdomo is throwing their hat in the ring. They will be releasing the Craft Series, intended to be cigars for beer enthusiasts. This line is very much akin to C&C’s Dram series – with the Dram intended to be paired with whiskey, and the Craft Series with beer. It will include a CT-wrapped (Pilsner), Sungrown (Amber) and Maduro (Stout). While I understand the idea behind these pairing series, I guess I’m a bit of a skeptic. Most of my experience has shown good pairings to be more experimentation and happy accident than hard science…and it seems most folks’ ideas about what goes well together are different enough to make it inconsistent at best. In any event, the line will come in 3 vitolas (5.5”x54 robusto, 6.5”x54 epicure, and 6”x60 gordo), and retail for $7-8.50 depending on vitola.

Pinar del Rio is releasing a whole new line, composed of surplus tobaccos from other blends. They’ve emphasized that this is not the typical “Cuban sandwich” cigar, though. It will be all long filler, but be rolled using this leftover tobacco. The line will be an inexpensive bundle stick, retailing for about $2.75 to $3 per cigar, and will use the surplus from large purchases of leaf for other lines. It will, however, consistently have an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper, Dominican binder and Nicaraguan fillers, and feature about 80% leftover leaf. It’s called the “A Crop” and will come in 3 vitolas: 5”x50 robusto, 6”x52 toro, and 6”x58 gordo.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Bob

Had some really bad smoking Maduro’s from a well known Miami Cigar Company

Lighters – it’s hard to find a good lighter that will last, prices are too high for most lighters and yet the cheap ones are just that, cheap.

For the most part I am finding the quality of today’s cigars to be excellent to acceptable

Kip

Asylum’s new Nyctophilia robusto

Tatuaje Verocu Havana VI #5 4”x40

Don Arturo Destino al Siglo Familiar 6.5”x46

Next Episode

In the next episode (116), Craig will return to his duties and we’ll be smoking one of his selections – the San Cristobal Mercaderes 2007. So come by Friday night 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 Page or the following emails: [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), 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 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, [email protected] if you have something you’d like to send in. I will provide an address to send them. Thanks!

Half Ashed Episode 109: 2011 EP Carrillo Dark Rituals

April 5, 2015 By Kip Fisher

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

2011 EP Carrillo Dark Rituals

Welcome everyone to Episode 109, featuring the original release (2011) EP Carrillo Dark Rituals. I will be posting a written review of this cigar as well, so check back for that in our review archive. This limited edition run is one of Craig’s CotW selections, and he describes it thusly:

The Ernesto Perez Carillo Edicion Limitada 2011 Dark Rituals is a black beauty that makes even Ram Jam proud. A large cigar for either Kip or me, it checks in at 6-½” x 56 by direct measurement. The wrapper is labeled as an Oscuro Maduro with no country of origin, while the binder is an ecuadorian grown Sumatran leaf. The filler is only labeled as “Nicaraguan”. The box has been in my humidor for over three years and all samples seem to have at one point been absolutely saturated with oils. The wrapper on tonight’s sample even has a few spots where it looks water damaged after the natural changes the leaf has gone through. It is nearly striking how saturated it looks to have been. The two of these cigars I’ve smoked in the past both seemed incredibly full bodied (perhaps due to an overwhelming smoke production) but without major complexity. Deep and sweet flavors accompanied by some tartness were basic descriptions of how the flavor presented itself. We’ll look forward to seeing how tonight’s samples compare.

News

We began the show with a then-breaking story on an announcement from Michael Huff that effective immediately he was leaving Dante Cigars. Per his announcement, “It’s with a heavy heart that I inform you that as of 8:30pm today EST I am no longer partnered with Mohammad Fakhro and M Tobacos INC. Any questions about Dante Cigars, accounts, orders, and special appearances please call Mr. Fakhro at [….]. Thank you all for the great ride with Dante, but no worries I’ll be back to the industry soon with crazier creations” This was an unexpected turn of events, especially in light of the fact that we had recently on bringing Michael onto the show to talk about Dante’s upcoming Purple Mofo cigar. No news as of yet on the future of that cigar.

Fred Rewey of Nomad has been trickling out details about his new Nomad Esteli Lot 8613 for a few weeks now. It is finally nearing released and should be shipping this Monday. He hasn’t given blend specifics, although it is another production out of AJ Fernandez’ operation. It will come in five vitolas (Robusto (5 x 50, $8.50), Coronita (5 1/2 x 46, $8.50), Toro (6 x 50, $8.75), Grand Toro (6 x 58, $8.95) and Churchill (7 x 48, $8.95), and in boxes of 21.

I know we have a number of Canadian listeners, so I thought I’d pass along that Alec Bradley is putting out a Canadian exclusive size in the Black Market line – called the Chunk. Presumably it carries the same blend as the rest of the line (Nicaragua over Sumatran around Honduran/Panamanian) but in a stubby little 4.25” x 60 vitola.

Another week, another limited cigar from Crowned Heads. THIS TWEET related a few details about a new event-only cigar from the company called Snake Oil. It will be a 5.5” x 48 “Super Corona.” Halfwheel has reported a few more details – namely that it’s another My Father-produced stick and that it will carry an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. Initial run is 6,000 cigars, but the line will be ongoing (but event-only).

Per a press release sent out this past week, Asylum is adding the 8”x80 & Super 11/18 (8” x 60/70/60) to the existing Asylum 13, 13 Corojo and Ogre lines. The former two lines will carry the sizes at $8 per 11/18 and $10 for the 8×80…while the Ogre line will be $1 more each respectively. They are now availalbe in trays, and boxes will be forthcoming in May.

Cigar Hustler (in Deltona, FL – between Orlando & Daytona) has an upcoming line to be manufactured by the Nica Sueño factory (of RoMa Craft fame). The Powstanie (Po-stahn-Ya) will be available at their shop, and will also be brought to market at a limited number of other retailers around the nation. Several pictures have made their way out this week, mostly via Instagram for the shop and Skip Martin. The line will feature two blends, one for each of the co-owner brothers (Mike & Greg Sczcepankiewicz). The two worked with RoMa Craft to develop some samples and had their customer base smoke them and help in selecting the final blend (a la Cuenca 5). Mike’s blend – the Powstanie Habano – will be out in May, and features Ecuadoran Habano wrapper over Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan/Dominican fillers. Greg’s, the Maduro, will be shipping in August, and will carry broadleaf maduro wrapper over Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan fillers. Initially, a 5.25” x 54 belicoso and 6×52 toro will be the only vitolas, with possibility for more in time. Pricing is expected to be between $9-11 per stick in boxes of 21.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

Punch Super Robusto E.R. Asia Pacifico 2008 – Wonderful soft “Punch” flavors with a terrific burn. Smoking time for this Canonazo was quick, at about 90 minutes, but the flavors were all there. This cigar seems to be at its peak (only 7 years old!). If I had to guess, it seemed almost hollow; as if there wasn’t anything behind what was being tasted. Remember me talking about cigars that allude to so much more flavor that isn’t being released yet? Well, this cigar was just the opposite. I swear it was nearly like a victory lap from a retiring legend.

TL Johnson Legend Reserve 63 – A beautiful robusto-ish sized cigar with the trademarked Luis Sanchez extreme box press. This cigar is not one to be trifled with. It is strong and flavorful, full and lasting. I find it to be at the edge of my (albeit wimpy) wheelhouse, forcing me to expand my horizons. I can dig it.

Kip

JDH SIngle Action and the Ashton VSG Tres Mystique – tune in for my thoughts here!

Next Episode

Next episode (110) we will be featuring Unbanded 022, furnished by Stephen D. So come by Half Ashed 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 Page or the following emails: [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), 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 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!

Humidor Diving

January 23, 2015 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 she likes – which is basically one of three different marques. She enjoys the Avo XO, Ashton Classic panatela or Fuente Between the Lines. Ever the encouraging husband, I typically keep one or two of each of those cigars around (except the Between the Lines.we have a number of those tucked away).

I was in an adventuresome (read:fickle) mood this morning, and went digging into the depths of the humidor looking for something that struck my fancy. I came across the Avo’s I’d put away for her..two little XO Intermezzos (5.5″x50). I figured “Hey.these things have been in here for years. It doesn’t appear she has designs on smoking them any time soon. I might as well fire one up.” So, I just moments ago sat down set it alight.

Time has been kind.

I was never a huge Avo fan. Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed a number of the company’s offerings over the years; it’s just that there have never been any I felt compelled to stockpile deeply for the long haul. Just minutes into this little guy, I’m feeling a tinge of regret over that decision. I don’t know if it’s a fluke, or if this line is prone to mature in the same way, but this cigar has developed a rich, clean – almost minty – flavor that is absolutely charming. It’s chocked full of savory, mouthwatering Sweet-Tart deliciousness. Even the cold draw before lighting was delightful. It’s been several years since I’ve smoked an XO, but I certainly don’t remember being so captivated by the blend at the time. Definitely not to this degree. I have one more with the same time under its belt in my humidor. If it’s as good as this one, I see a good chance of putting some away for a rainy day.

I’ve asked recently about your favorites that might not be so well known to the rest of us.but what are some that may have national recognition, yet have fallen out of the public eye because they’re not the “latest, greatest blend”? Maybe there’s a cigar deep in your humidor just begging for you to take it out and enjoy the heck out of it “just because.” Something, perhaps, that you’ve even covered over with other cigars or forgotten about. Dig in there and find them..and let me know if you find any gems!

Half Ashed Episode 073: Trinidad Ingenios

July 8, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Welcome back for another round of Half Ashed shenanigans, folks. This week, we featured the Trinidad Ingenios as our Cigar of the Week – one of Craig’s submissions. He described it thusly:

The commercially available Trinidad brand became available to the market in 1997 with the Fundadores and the Edicion Limitada trend began in 2000. For the first time in 2007 the two came together in this lonsdale. At 6-½”x42 it is a beautiful size to match the beautiful appearance of this unique stick. Trinidad, a decidedly sweet tasting brand, and the E.L. wrapper leaf, an almost agonizingly dark tasting priming of wrapper tobacco were combined into this stick in September of 2007. I’ve included this cigar because of what it SHOULD have been compared to what it actually is.

So join us for that, as well as news items from RoMa Craft, Crowned Heads, JC Newman, Ashton, and La Aurora. We additionally covered a couple of legislative items, and what we’ve been smoking.

Next week, our Cigar of the Week will be the Tatuaje Tattoo Caballeros, so be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at halfashed.com 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 emails: [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!

Ashton Symmetry Announced

July 2, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Ashton Symmetry to be released Fall 2014

Earlier today, the Ashton Symmetry was announced through social media outlets as the latest addition to the company’s existing lineup. The Symmetry will be the first new cigar line to carry the Ashton brand name in nearly ten years. The cigar will be produced by Arturo Fuente (Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia) in the Dominican Republic, as are many existing Ashton marques including the Classic, Aged Maduro, Cabinet, Heritage Puro Sol, VSG, and ESG. Symmetry was blended by Carlito Fuente, and will feature “Habano wrappers grown in the cloud-covered fields of Ecuador.” Internally, the blend will feature Dominican tobaccos from Chateau de la Fuente and Villa González, as well as “some rare leaves from the Fuente family’s Un Buen Vecino farm, located in Estelí, Nicaragua.” The line has been under development for four years, and “offers a wonderful creamy richness garnished with notes of spice, oak and toasted nuts.” The line is described as medium to full bodied, and will be offered in five vitolas. Shipping is set to begin this Fall, following the IPCPR tradeshow.

The Ashton Symmetry was featured in Episode 115 of Half Ashed

Ashton Website Ashton Facebook
Ashton Twitter

Half Ashed Episode 062: La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor

April 22, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Good day, folks. I apologize for the late post; I’m still on the road until tomorrow. If you caught the show live, you’ll know that I was broadcasting from my parents’ garage in Tennessee. I’ll be brief for the show summary, and just tell you that we smoked the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor “Magnifico.” It is a delicious 6″X52 offering from Ashton (produced by My Father). Listen in to the show to catch our thoughts on it. We had updates on previous stories concerning the Fuente Casa Cuba and Kelner cigar we smoked as the CoTW in Episode 061. In the news, we covered items from Viaje, Room101, Tatuaje, and Min Ron Nee’s upcoming 2nd Edition of “Illustrated Encyclopedia of Post Revolution Havana Cigars.” There were a couple of interesting tidbits in “what we’ve been smoking,” – notably, the Caucus houseblend from Georgetown Tobacco in Washington, DC. Finally, we covered a viewer question from the forum.

Next week, our Cigar of the Week will be an Unbanded (#014) from Maria Elena Gonzalez – and we are super stoked about it. 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 emails: [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 Half Ashed Half Ashed YouTube Channel.

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!

Half Ashed Episode 045: Half Ashed – Half Dogwatch

December 17, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Welcome to Episode 045, everyone. I apologize for the delay in getting this week’s show posted. I’ve been excessively busy with the ol’ dayjob, and quite honestly it was more important to me to spend what little other time I had playing rummy with my kids :). This week, Craig was not available, for good reason. He was busy welcoming the newest Li’l Schneider into the world (Congrats to the Schnedier family). I was lucky enough to have Dale Roush of Dogwatch Cigar Radio fame join me for an especially relaxed show. We each smoked a cigar that we wanted to share with the audience (you’ll have to listen to find out what they were). We began the show with some sad news this week, as we offered condolences on the recent passing of Myrna Sherman, wife of Joel, CEO of Nat Sherman Intl. In cigar related news, we covered stories from Drew Estate, Ashton, and Eddie Ortega. We also covered a third burglary at a South Florida cigar warehouse, and a number of important legislative items.

Both Dale and I talked about several interesting cigars we’ve smoked lately, and were able to just hang out and chat, smoke, and talk cigars. A big thanks to him for sitting in with me; it is always a pleasure when he and/or Bob McDuffee can join in on Half Ashed.

Next week, Craig will be returning and our Cigar of the Week will be Unbanded 011, from Jacob Pinkas. 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!