Dominican Republic | Half Ashed

Half Ashed 184: Tatuaje Brown Label

October 30, 2018 By Kip Fisher

Tatuaje Brown Label (Selección de Cazadores) Regios

We all know the Tatuaje Brown label as a cornerstone of the industry post 2003. These cigars are one of the best examples of “New School” Nicaraguan blending style. Bold and citrusy, this New World example of Cuban heritage comes tonight in a 5-½”x50 Robusto Extra vitola. Sit back, relax and join us as we smoke this version from January 2010, when the Brown label was still a true Nicaraguan puro.

Cigar News

Fred Rewey sells Nomad to Chris Kelly & Kyle Hoover of Ezra Zion… OPEN LETTER
We talked, I believe, on the last show about the fact that the next Nicaraguan Puro Sabor festival has been canceled – or, more accurately, relocated and scheduled to occur in Miami in January 2019 – due presumably (although not stated overtly) to civil unrest in the country. Now, Drew Estate has also canceled their Cigar Safari events until late 2019. The Cigar Safari events are wildly popular among DE fans, and take place at various times each year. Ticket sales were originally postponed a bit, but now won’t begin until May 2019 – with travel dates falling in Autumn of next year and Spring of 2020. Additionally, remaining dates for this year have been scrubbed.
While we’re discussing cigar festivals, the Dominican ProCigar event has opened registration for next year’s event. It will take place Feb 17-22, 2019, and the ticket price for the entire event is now $1200US – not including hotel or airfare(!). This festival comes in stages, with the early portion taking place in Caso de Campo and the latter in Santiago.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig
- Lou Rodriguez – holy crap. Where did he go?!
- Bolivar Gold Medal 2006. Interesting…
- Marlin Flake – Pipe! – Butter butter butter. With a side of butter

Kip
- Original Grimalkin from Emilio (not the recent re-release). It was a decent cigar still, but not the cigar I remember so fondly. It seemed to have faded a good bit, and was somewhat muddled with its flavors. Worth smoking if you have them onhand, but not worth seeking out for me.
- Pipes – Full Virginia Flake (which I opened during our last show). I set a land speed record smoking through this tin. I always liked it fresh, but have to say time does very good things for this blend. My only regret is that I didn’t cellar it in pounds rather than the handful of tins I did put aside.

Half Ashed 182: LFD Air Bender Maduro

September 1, 2018 By Kip Fisher

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La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Maduro

The La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Maduro is a cigar that has tempted me since its release. In early 2011 I visited the Dominican Republic for the first time and toured a farm where the Gomez family grows some of its tobacco. Not typically a fan of LFD I often overlooked their releases. The visit to their fields was a welcome awakening for my palate. My traveling companions and I were treated to Air Bender Torpedos and I was immediately surprised by the blend. Being one to typically shy away from strength to the n^th power, I expected nothing else from the famed “double” and “triple ligero” manufacturer. I was shocked to find a blend nuanced with spice, sweetness, and hard flavors wrapped in subtlety. Pair that blend with a sweeter Maduro wrapper and I was intrigued. Fast forward to last winter and I finally had a chance to get my hands on some of them.

This 6-½”x54 behemoth of a cigar has Dominican internals and a Brazilian Habano wrapper. It’s aroma is unique in a spicy sort of presentation and the prelight is similar. The cigar reminds me of a spiced and harder version of the original. Bitter citrus notes cut through the low end to come together in an enjoyable, different package. Speaking of packaging, this cigar was only available in 24 count “Curing Barn” humidors.

Cigar News

Happy birthday Bob McDuffee!

IPCPR was this past week, and as expected there isn’t a huge number of new cigar introductions. I did notice several new things coming from Fuente, although most are limited items that are incentives for retailers. The thing that most readily caught my eye was that the 888 will be available in the Opus blend. I love this size, and frankly I believe Fuente shines in these smaller ring cigars (Casa Fuente lancero, Don Carlos lancero, Opus lancero, etc.). The 888, of course, was the Añejo vitola that launched a few years ago in limited fashion. It is one of my favorites in the line, and I’m betting it could be a favorite for my tastes in the Opus line (which I often pass over in favor of Don Carlos or Hemingway). It will be 6.875” x 44, and is listed as a Dominican puro (obviously). I have to admit, I haven’t been this excited over an Opus introduction in a long time. MSRP is $13.50, but as we all know all bets are off when they actually land on retailers’ shelves…

In a followup to a judgment that went against the cigar industry with reservations, Judge Amit P. Mehta has ruled in another case that the labeling requirements required by the incoming FDA rule must be delayed until 60 days after another pending case has been completed. The labeling requirements have long been considered one of the more onerous items in the rules, and many companies have already invested a great deal of time and money into preparing.

Halfwheel reported on a new Total Flame cigar that is on its way, which includes some Iranian tobacco in the filler blend. It will feature a CT wrapper over Indonesian Sumatra binder and fillers from Iran, Nicaragua, and PA. You may remember this company from Bob McDuffee’s focus back at IPCPR 2012. I have never smoked their lineup, but I’m fascinated with the idea of Iranian tobacco considering the near- and middle-eastern prominence in pipe tobaccos. I’m intrigued as to whether the tobacco will be similarly treated during the curing process, and if they might provide a fire-cured nuance. Anyone who sees these should drop us a line and let us know how it goes….although total production is only 10k, and only half that in will ship to the U.S.

Smokers of AJ Fernandez’ San Lotano Oval will be disappointed to hear that the line is being discontinued, reportedly to avoid confusion with their Requiem line. Apparently, CI has opted to buy out the remaining inventory to make it an exclusive for them until inventory is depleted. Better act quickly….

Drew Estate has entered into the bundle cigar arena, with some very inexpensive value priced cigars. I’m wondering how this will go, and how much influence is coming from parent company Swisher in this endeavor. I could speculate, but probably shouldn’t….tune in to the show to find out why.

Our buddy Luis at La Tradicion Cubana is releasing some aged cigars he’s been sitting on for many years. Fourteen years, to be exact. The cigars are known as the JML 1902 Reserva Familiar, and were rolled at his factory in 2004. The blend is a PA wrapper over Dominican Criollo ‘98 binder and PA filler. I wonder Production numbers haven’t been released, but they will retail for $6-7 in two vitolas – 5”x50 robusto and 7”x50 churchill

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

Tatuaje Cabaiguan Maduro Robusto Extra
Tatuaje Cabaiguan Maduro Robusto Extra
Tatuaje Cabaguan Maduro Robusto Extra

Kip

Dunbarton Tobacco Trust Sobremesa Robusto Largo (5.25”x52)…”the marker”
OMS Pipes…mostly with MacBaren Navy Flake. Wow!
I replaced my Xikar MTX scissors. Oh, sweet mystery of life at last I’ve found you!

Half Ashed 175: Unbanded 033

March 27, 2018 By Kip Fisher

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Unbanded 033 from DC

Sent in by DC all the way back in 12/2016, tonight’s featured cigar, Unbanded 033, is draped in a dark”ish” wrapper (mid-tone brown with some much darker mottling) and a sweet but cedary aroma from the foot. It is 5” x 50 by my measure, with moderate veining and a wrapper that looks dry but *feels* oily and supple. Let’s see how badly we can be fooled, shall we?

Cigar News

- Habanos Festival
- PROCigar Festival
- CLE sent out an email a couple weeks ago, detailing the fact that they are making a concerted effort to fill backorders on many of their cigars…and that effective this week they will no longer be opening any new accounts until they’re caught up. The backorder situation must be sizable, as they mentioned they hope to be caught up by 3rd quarter 2018.
- Erik Espinosa is once again releasing the Wasabi. It was originally released a couple years ago as a lounge exclusive, although it’s more widely available this time around. There are only 5,000 cigars in this production run and they’ll retail around $8. There aren’t any specifics to be found about the blend, although it’s described as a “spicy candela.” This intrigues me. I’m not at all a fan of candela wrapper in general because it often comes across as “papery” or vegetal in flavor to me. For some reason, though, I’m fascinated by the idea of a spicy version….and exactly what that might mean.
- Fresh on the heels of the sale of my once-beloved Tampa Humidor, Casa de Montecristo continues their very aggressive strategy of acquiring/partnering with retail operations, this time in South Florida. The Mancave, a south FL retailer, will be opening a CdM franchise next month. The new location will be over 2k square feet, and will feature a bar in addition to the cigar lounge. This brings the CdM number of facilities up to nearly 30, with a majority owned by Imperial.
- Lots of news coming out of Tatuaje/L’Atelier. Co-founder Casper Johnson has announced his departure from L’Atelier to take a job in the music industry. Trailing this news was the announcement that L’Atelier will merge with Tatuaje by the end of this month. I’m not especially clear what this may mean to those of us who just enjoy the product. The cigars from both companies, to my knowledge, will continue to be produced by My Father and be distributed much the same.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –
- Unbanded DC#2 – Addition by subtraction: not spicy, not overly bold or full = Old school dominican soul?
- AVO Synchro – I’m left wanting. I enjoyed this cigar for its individuality back upon release. I did not enjoy this cigar because of its monotony at this time. It’s a shame. I wanted this line to consistantly remind me of the LE releases of the 2000s that really shined well on the legacy of AVO cigars.
- Headley Grange Drumstick – An interesting cigar. It smoked bigger than it was. This cigar is an almost 8” long lancery that took abuse, smoked quickly and NEVER harshly. Enjoyably sweet and homey. If this cigar was 5” long I’d be a regular buyer.

Kip
- Mike brought be down some RoMaCraft Aquitaine back in January. I’ve been hitting those pretty hard the past couple weeks. Too hard, based upon how quickly my stash has dwindled. I just simply can’t seem to keep my hands off them. This line may very well be my favorite Nicaraguan cigar in the marketplace today (Ecuadoran wrapper and Cameroon binder notwithstanding).
- I’m still pawing at my pipes as well. Lately, I’ve been smoking through a tin of GL Pease Sextant. I think I may have mentioned this blend last episode. KY/Latakia/Turkish/VA, with a very slight spritz of rum. The rum is applied sparingly, which leaves it plenty dry to burn well but imparts a nice, caramel note across the otherwise traditional English campfire flavor. I’m not sure I’d smoked this before popping this tin; I wish I had…I’d have bought a bunch of it back in the day to set aside. I enjoy the fact that the latakia is front-loaded. What i mean by this is that it is dominant early on, but subsides by mid-bowl and lets the Virginias bring their sweetness into the foreground. Whether by design or simple palate calibration on my part, the effect is spectacular. I love it.

Episode 173: EP Carrillo 2011 Dark Rituals

February 5, 2018 By Kip Fisher

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EP Carrillo 2011 Dark Rituals

Craig – The EP Carrillo 2011 Dark Rituals Edicion Limitada is a cigar with a special place in my heart. It’s not the best cigar in the world, it’s not my favorite size but it is the only cigar I’ve ever received for building someone a house. In 2009 I started working with a couple in the Chicago suburbs to design their dream house. We worked long and hard to marry their need for space with their desire for a healthy & efficient living space.

When it was all said and done, they had the first LEED Certified house in their county, The most efficient in their town and one of the healthiest in the state. I was proud of that house and so were they.

A long while after they had moved in they came to my office with a small parcel and a big smile. I opened it up and was absolutely blown away by the generosity displayed in giving me a box of these Dark Rituals. What we’re smoking tonight are the last three specimens from that gift and a perfect way to remember that very personal achievement.

The cigar is a gigantic vitola, larger than my gauge can even measure. I’m guessing that direct measurements would yield a 56×6-⅜” size. The wrapper is extremely dark but substantially lighter than it was initially. It’s lost some oils and shows some of the color inconsistency of a tobacco leaf that is almost water stained. All coming from the oils that used to be present.

The wrapper leaf is only called “Oscuro Maduro” by the mfg but no country of origin is disclosed. An Ecuadorian Sumatran binder sits over all Nicaraguan filler tobacco. I expect it to be dusty,with cocoa & fruit flavors dominating. I look forward to the journey.

Cigar News

Tonight, for the most part, we skipped recent happenings from the world of cigars…because we have special guest Michael Stewart. You may remember past visits with Mike when we talked about his rolling hobbies, of both cigar and sushi nature. He is down visiting Kip this week, and we thought it’d be cool to catch up on how his trip is going and what they have been able to see and do during the visit.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –
- LFD Andalusian Bull – After only smoking 2 or 3 cigars this entire winter I have jumped back into the fray with a gigantic cigar. My first And Bull. It’s a little Air Bender, a little Double Ligero and all LFD. Reminding me much of the EZ Tantrum in the first ½” (strength-wise) it settled down into a core of actually pleasing hard flavors. It’s size is intimidating at nearly 7” and almost 60 ring but what I did manage to get through before my brush with death was enjoyable. It’s good to be back…
Kip
- Padilla Fumas…despite what may have been preconceived notions if I’d known about this cigar beforehand, I genuinely enjoyed it. Habano wrapper over mixed filler – which held together very well, burned superbly, and tasted toasty and sweet. I dug it.
- RoMaCraft Aquitaine. My sweet Aquitaine. I’ve gushed and waxed poetic over this cigar in the past, but boy have I missed them. Mike brought some down for me, and I feel like I need to lock them away and give someone else the key. I don’t know how they’ll last very long. Heck, I liked them so much I have to admit Craig was right about the vitolas…I think I may like this Mode 5 even more than the Anthropology. I don’t say that lightly, nor willingly.

Episode 168: La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor

December 27, 2017 By Kip Fisher

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La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor

La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor “Magnifico” – 6”X52; A cigar we’ve talked about at various times over the years, these run about $7.50 for singles in Tampa, and $6.75/ea by the box. San Andres Mexican wrapper grown from Cuban seed with Nicaraguan fillers & binder.

Cigar News

In a move that shouldn’t be unexpected to anyone, CAA, CRA, and IPCPR filed a motion for injunction against the upcoming FDA requirements. The motion asserts that the labeling requirements are onerous and unconstitutional in their scope, as well as several other assertions. Additionally, the groups allege that the omission of the same requirements on the e-cigarette industry violate existing law in the equal protection clauses – which are spelled out in the 5th and 14th amendment. This assertion falls beneath 5th amendment protection in that rights may not be denied without due process (i.e. the requirements being enforced unequally). There are other items listed in the motion, such as the inclusion of tobacco retailers who blend pipe tobacco as “tobacco product manufacturers.” Specifically, the groups ask that the court:
1. Vacate and set aside the:
  Warning labels
  Classification of retailers who blend pipe tobacco as manufacturers
  FDA’s definition of “component or part” to include pipes
2. Vacate and set aside the user fee
3. Declare the deeming rule violates the first amendment
4. Enter a permanent injunction on the warning label requirement
5. Enter a permanent injunction from implementing or enforcing the other challenged aspects of the deeming rule
6. Enter a permanent injunction against the user fees
7. Award plaintiffs their attorneys fees
Following the devastating damage left behind by Hurricane Irma, TAA is opting to relocate this year’s gathering to La Romana, RD. It was slated to be in St. Maarten, but with the near certainty that the island will not be fully back in business by April, a decision was made to move the annual meeting.
In a familiar storyline, Drew Estate has recently had a truckload of cigars stolen. The scenario is very similar to a shipment of Arturo Fuente cigars that were stolen this past April. Like the first time, this truck was taken in the Miami area. Drew Estate put out the notice to inform the public – but also for retailers to be on the lookout for anyone offering discount rates on DE cigars. The specific cigars taken on the truck were Tabak Especial and Undercrown Shade.
Tatuaje has announced this year’s “Unlucky 13” retailers who will receive the bulk of the line’s dress boxes. The cigar is the “Michael” this year, based on the Halloween series of movies’ protagonist Michael Myers. Of course, if you don’t want the hassle of trying to track down and pay double or triple the MSRP for a dress box, there will be a number of regular boxes as well. As always, there will be 666 numbered dress boxes – but the standard boxes will number around 5000. The cigar will come in a singular 6.5” x 52 vitola this year, and feature an Ecuadoran habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler mix. It is set to retailer at $13 per cigar. I won’t drone on with the whole list here on the show, but will post the designated retailers in the notes…

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig
- RASCC– So so good. Such a fruit centric Ramon Allones. Fruity & Nuts (whose?). It’s like my own personal trail mix I light on fire!
- Cab Maduro Guapos OR!
Kip
- El Artista “Pulita” – a solid offering, probably my favorite ever from this factory (home of David Ortiz’s “Big Papi”). That being said, I haven’t beaten down any doors trying to find more.
- I’ve probably had fewer cigars the past 30 days than any other month these past 10 years…and of those, many were colmado cigars. So, not much on this front for me. The good = AJF Diesel, La Aurora ADN, Nica Rustica; the bad = some underfilled, hot no-name cigar I got from a friend; the ugly = colmado cigars. Always ugly, but worth every penny of the $0.04 price tag…

Episode 164: Psyko 7 Maduro

July 7, 2017 By Kip Fisher

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Psyko 7 Maduro

I received these samples from Ventura right around the time that I moved out of the country – so they’re about 2 years old at this point. I had a good go with the original line, although I suppose it didn’t earn a place as a frequent occupant in my humidor. I smoked a couple of these at the time they came out, but frankly I was smoking a lot of cigars at that time and didn’t keep notes…I was expecting them to come up sooner in the Half Ashed rotation. Tonight we’ll see how they’re holding up. The online description says that the “PSyKo Seven Maduro is graced with a deliciously dark and oily San Andres maduro wrapper concealing an Ecuador Hybrid 151 binder and Nicaraguan ligero, Peruvian Pelo de Oro, Dominican Hybrid, Honduran Holancha, and Pennsylvania ligero long-fillers.”

Cigar News

President Trump has announced changes to former President Obama’s changes toward travel and trade with Cuba. Specifically, the announcement is more akin to an announcement that there will be changes – rather than what those changes will be. It’s not overly clear exactly what this will mean in the future. For now, not much is different than it was as of January 19th – but this could be tossed around and remixed without warning. For the time being, you can still travel to and bring back goods from Cuba. Most are speculating that the major changes will include more restrictive travel allowances – which means fewer allowable reasons to visit Cuba and more restrictive guidelines on where you can stay, eat, travel, etc. while there. We will see in the months to come.

Ernesto Carrillo is teaming up with General Cigar again. Some may remember the Re+United from several years ago (We even smoked it on the show, back on Episode 069) as the most recent collaboration. This time, however, Ernesto’s La Alianza factory will be producing the La Gloria Cubana COLECCIÓN RESERVA. Unlike the Re+United, the LGC CR will be regular production. It will be available in three vitolas (5”x54 Robusto, 6” x 54 Torpedo, 7.5” x 54 Presidente), and features and Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers.

Come July 1st, several of Tatuaje’s lines will be less available…Ambos Mundos, El Triunfador, La Casita Criolla and La Riqueza will become off-list items, available in small batch releases and at some events. It appears (and doesn’t seem to be a secret) that some of these lines have pretty geographically limited market shares, so they are being scaled back. Pete has said publicly that the lines are important to him and aren’t going away; they just will not be kept at the current stock levels for distribution.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig
illusione Fume d’Amour Tres Petit
Fuente Opus Destino al Siglo Churchill

Kip
2009 Oliva Serie V Maduro, from Joe V.
Stunningly good Fuente 858 SG from Slagle…
Black Chapel from Evil Genius Cigars; I should have paid more attention earlier….

Half Ashed Episode 154: 2015 Angel’s Anvil

October 31, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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2015 Angel’s Anvil from Crowned Heads

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

Cigar News

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

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

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

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

Half Ashed Episode 152: 2014 Angel’s Anvil

October 27, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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2014 Angel’s Anvil by Crowned Heads

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

Cigar News

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

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

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

Kip

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

J. Grotto Anniversary line receives extension

June 2, 2016 By Kip Fisher

The J. Grotto Anniversary: A Box-Pressed Double Robusto in Maduro

I’m a little behind schedule as we begin to bring more written content back into the Half Ashed equation. This particular item from J. Grotto came through this past week….

The new J. Grotto Anniversary Double Robusto, now available

Ocean State Cigars has launched an addition to their J. Grotto Anniversary cigar line. The extension is a 5.5″ x 54 double robusto, which comes pressed and adorned with a maduro wrapper.

The new Double Robusto brings the same blend and construction characteristics as the original four vitolas in the line. The wrapper “is a naturally fermented maduro Connecticut-grown broadleaf, while the binder is a Dominican-grown Habano.”

The Anniversary line is being manufactured by Phil Zanghi at the De Los Reyes/Debonaire factory in Tamboril, Dominican Republic. Aside from the factory, the Reyes family of tobacco producers lay claim to supplying the majority of tobacco used by Dominican cigar manufacturers. Proprietor Paul Joyal is a bit secretive about the blend specifics, noting only that it is “Dominican and other Central American tobaccos.” I recently had the opportunity to visit and sit down with Zanghi, and have to admit I was more than a little impressed with the factory’s efficiency, cleanliness and “family” work environment.

Like previous Anniversary vitolas, the Double Robusto is described as medium-bodied, which is a departure from other J. Grotto cigars, which the company markets as medium-full to full-bodied.

Joyal says that, “Although many cigar lovers rave about full-bodied cigars, most buy medium-bodied brands. Make no mistake, Anniversary’s rich flavor is the full equal of highly-touted full-bodied cigars … many of which actually lack flavor, despite their power. Anniversary has earned the term ‘succulent,’ with a classic Connecticut broadleaf sweetness, plus some subtleties like cocoa, coffee and nuts. For smooth smoking, all tobaccos are aged at least 3 years; the finished cigars another 3-4 months.”

Each Spanish cedar box holds 10 cigars and bears artwork reflecting the special nature of the Anniversary line. The line’s original 2014 debut marked a year of special wedding anniversaries for the Joyal family … his parents’ 65th and his 30th. Gold coins in the art also bear the initials of immediate family members. Joyal describes what he thinks is Anniversary’s most appealing feature: “super premium quality and performance at a consumer-friendly price … $8.50.” Like all other J. Grotto cigars, the Anniversary Double Robusto is available only to brick-and-mortar tobacco shops … not Internet and mail-order discounters.

TL Johnson: 2016 Outlook

April 5, 2016 By Kip Fisher

Top to Bottom: TLJ Reserva Sumatra, TLJ Legend Reserve, Connecticut Counsellor

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 the opportunity to stop by for a visit to check in and see what’s new and upcoming. I knew Terry Johnson was in town at the moment, so I dropped by Tabacalera TL Johnson yesterday and had the chance to catch up with him for a while. Terry tells me he has quite a few projects in the works for this year. It’s no secret that I’m a fan of his work since opening his factory last year. I got the chance to look over and smoke some of his new projects yesterday…and my appreciation for the work continues.¹

I’ve been vocal on Half Ashed that I believe he’s doing all the right things to get TLJ into a position of prominence within the industry. He’s laid a groundwork of producing a quality product and controlled the growth of his brand so as not to outpace his capacity. The quality control is on par, his leaf inventory is solid and sustainable for controlled growth, the blends are well thought-out, and he has assembled a good team with which to work.

I had the opportunity to look over some of the currently-under-development packaging and cigars. I’ll withhold pictures of the packaging pending revision. While there, we smoked the reblended TLJ Reserva and Legend Reserve. I also came back with a Connecticut version of the recently released Counsellor as well. Here’s the quick 40,000-ft overview of some upcoming projects….

TLJ Reserva Sumatra

The TLJ Reserva Sumatra comes with a Sumatran wrapper over all Dominican binder and filler. I found it to be very clean on the palate, with a prominent cedar component and a slight sweetness that intermittently came into play throughout.

TLJ Legend Reserve

The ’63 is being dropped from the name, and the blend for the line has been tweaked. It has a San Andres wrapper over Dominican binder and filler. This may actually be my new favorite cigar from his range. It provided a flavor profile that was quite dark and sweet, with some raisin and date flavors that were astoundingly good for my tastes.

Counsellor Connecticut

The Counsellor line is available at the moment in a San Andres wrapper, but will soon add a Connecticut wrapped version. I have not yet lit this one up, but look forward to it based on some of Terry’s other CT work I sampled back in January. I will report back via our forum once I’ve had the chance to give it a fair shake. Besides the Connecticut wrapper, it carries Connecticut Ecuador binder and all Dominican filler.

All three blends contain most/all tobacco grown by TL Johnson & Co. The TLJ Legend Reserve contains one particular pilot varietal solely produced by TLJ. All of these should be shipping as we near the IPCPR tradeshow this July.

Going Forward

I contend that 2016 could very well be a pivotal year in the development of Tabacalera TL Johnson. They have picked up production of several lines for a number of shop/house blends, as well as Tarazona and a couple other boutique companies. I believe some of the early groundwork and patience will pay off, and the foothold they have enjoyed in regional pockets will expand over the next 12 months. I’m looking forward to these and other upcoming projects Terry’s not yet willing to talk about publicly. If nothing else, I’m anxiously awaiting ready availability of the new TL Johnson Legend Reserve. These early samples are phenomenal….

¹ – Terry has appeared on our show as a guest (way back on Episode 021), but as you may know we don’t sell advertising on Half Ashed to avoid any real or perceived bias due to monetary factors…so while the opinions expressed here are personal to me, they’re based on my enjoyment of what I consider a good product.