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Home » Fratello

Half Ashed 177: Southern Draw Quickdraw PA

April 29, 2018 By Kip Fisher

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southern draw quickdraw pa

Southern Draw Quickdraw PA

Tonight we’re smoking the Southern Draw Quickdraw PA with a Pennsylvania wrapper (also available with Ecuadoran Dark Habano or Ecuadoran CT). The binder is Nicaraguan, and filler composed of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. We have the Short Panatela, coming in at 5.5” x 40 – but the blend is also available as a 4.5” x 44 petit corona. These are about as fresh as can be, as I only ordered them about 4 months ago and had Mike bring them down. They are AJF-produced cigars, so although owner Robert Holt’s fingerprints are all over the blend you can still see AJ’s touch come through as well. Let’s see how the night progresses.

Cigar News

My old homeland continues to slide. The University of Tennessee is going tobacco free. Of course, it’s not a huge surprise that a university – especially a state school – would go smoke free. I’m only surprised by its depth. The ban prohibits “inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted cigar, cigarette (including any electronic cigarette or similar device), pipe, or other lighted tobacco product.” The prohibition extends to private vehicles parked – or operated – on university property. How exactly do they expect to enforce that? ORIGINAL STORY HERE

For those keeping score, Tatuaje is about to celebrate its 15th anniversary. Pete Johnson has been showing the Anniversary blend in development. According to his pictures and comments, the blend will come in two sizes: Belicoso Fino (5 1/2 x 52) and Torpedo Grande (6 1/2 x 52). Also revealed is that there will be two available wrappers: Ecuadorian rosado claro or Ecuadorian rosado oscuro. The cigars will be a regular production item (like the 10th Anniversary Belle Encre and Bon Chasseur vitolas).

We’ve talked about the process for ages, probably since before Half Ashed even existed – but more cigar companies are continuing to explore markets outside the U.S. Fratello recently announced an expansion with a new distributor in the German marketplace. Omar (de Frias) already has a few European arrangements, as do several others. I speculate that we’ll see this trend grow quickly as more companies seek to develop other markets to potentially fill in gaps that *may* develop should the American market drop off…kind of spreading eggs into multiple baskets. We’ll see I suppose.

There’s been *a little* bit of movement with the ongoing big-picture story of the FDA’s quest to regulate cigars. Our last show, we talked a bit about the fact that a new comment period and review had begun to investigate the definition of a premium cigar and the efficacy/value of FDA regulation. Since then, the CAA, CRA, and IPCPR have moved to try and delay the onset of warning label requirements. These are set to begin in August, and will be the first major expense for companies complying with the regs. The requested delay stems from the fact that a new review of the upcoming regulations and if/how/whether certain aspects should be carried out may mean that the requirements will change or be removed entirely. Should this be the case, the industry would have spent a huge amount of money on pointless compliance to unnecessary/voided requirements. About the same time, a group of healthcare related entities have sued the FDA because of existing delays that have come about through moving timelines and commencement dates for various parts of the rule (as we discuss, most of these groups bringing the suit already attempted to be deemed co-defendants, alleging that the FDA would not adequately fight for oversight of the entire industry).

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

This week, Kip has smoked almost nothing….but Craig has a special Padron to talk about.  Tune in for the whole scoop.

 

Tagged With: Fratello, legislation, new format, southern draw, Tatuaje

Half Ashed Episode 129: Unbanded 025

November 1, 2015 By Kip Fisher

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Unbanded 025

Unbanded 025, from Dan C.

Kip’s preliminary observations: Unbanded #025 is a pretty straightforward 5” x 50ish (5”x52 for Craig) robusto.   Construction appears spot-on for both examples; wrapper has a slight sheen and moderate-heavy veining.  Somewhat sweet aroma at the foot, akin to a hay stall but with a bit of molasses if I focus enough.  Milder aroma on the wrapper.  Absolutely perfect cap build and, subsequently, draw.  The draw has a very slight earthy nature, but overall is sweet and grainy.  Tune in to find out how it went….and thanks, DC!

Cigar News

Robert Caldwell, of Caldwell Cigars, has publicly confirmed a planned maduro version of the Eastern Standard.  The line will feature four vitolas (Corona (5 3/4 x 44), Piramide (6 x 49), Rothchilde (4 3/4 x 49) and Toro Gordo (6 x 50), and run somewhere near the price of the existing line, but possibly with a slight increase.  The Eastern Standard can be found in the real world between $8-12 depending on size.

Omar de Frias has announced via social media and press release that Fratello will be releasing a limited edition sampler, the Boxer Series.  The sampler will include the Boxer, a 6 1/4 x 52 belicoso, the Boxeador (6 x 54), Boxero (5 1/2 x 50), Boxista (5 x 48) and Boxerito (4 3/4 x 46).  The blend will be the same as the original line (Nica Habano over Ec. Sumatra and Nica/Peru filler), but will be box pressed.  Three thousand of the samplers will be produced, and should retail around $45…and the packaging itself is noteworthy.  The box looks like a small cigar mold.  I personally thought it was pretty creative and nicely done.  I like it….

The game is afoot, legislatively.  Since our last episode, we have learned that a.) the FDA has submitted its proposed plan to regulate premium cigars (and other tobacco products) to the Office of Management & Budget (OMB), and b.) eleven Democratic senators have urged the OMB to complete the review as quickly as possible.  The OMB measures the feasibility of these types of proposals, and is expected to recommend action on it after review.  As an executive agency, congressional approval or vote is not necessary for the FDA to implement new regulation – just OMB approval.  What is NOT known are the exact contents of the FDA’s plan.  A couple of options were thrown around in their earlier “Deeming document,” but as of yet the finalized, formalized plan has not been revealed outside government circles.  As always, the aforementioned urging senators are pushing this expediency that rarely exists elsewhere in US government to prevent tobacco use by our youth.  Possibilities are myriad; this is what we’ve been talking, writing letters, emailing, and calling politicians about for the past 3 years+.  If you’ve not done any of those things shame. On. You.  Senate bill 441, which would call for an exemption for premium cigars, has the support of 18 senators at the moment….

Following similar releases for the Davidoff and AVO segments, Oettinger Davidoff is preparing to release a Griffin’s Nicaragua.  It will feature a Nicaraguan habano wrapper over Dominican piloto cubano binder and five filler tobaccos from Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua.

Epicurean Sues H.O.E.: In a move that further exemplifies the turmoil that the House of Emilio distribution giant has been experiencing in 2015, one of its original brand owners is suing the group over alleged lost/withheld income. The sum is a modest one, over 150k, but certainly represents a sizeable amount of cigars when considering the reported purchase price of 27% below wholesale that Halfwheel is reporting. That, if all attributed to purchased cigars, computes to a bit under 50k cigars. Yikes.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

Padron Damaso: Don’t listen to the negative press on this cigar. It tastes like a Padron. It tastes like a connecticut leaf. It’s good and it’s worth trying.

Kip

Chogui!

a Fonseca from 1995…

Next Episode

In the next episode (130), we will be smoking the EP Carrillo Short Run 2015.  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.

Tagged With: Chogui, cigar, Davidoff, Fratello, House of Emilio, legislation, Nicaragua, Padron, Unbanded

Half Ashed Episode 115: Ashton Symmetry with Bob

June 1, 2015 By Kip Fisher

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ashton symmetry cg

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!

 

Tagged With: Arturo Fuente, Ashton, Dogwatch Cigar Radio, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fratello, habano, Nicaragua

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