General Cigar | Half Ashed

Episode 162: Drew Estate Undercrown Shade

May 13, 2017 By Kip Fisher

Drew Estate Undercrown Shade

Willy Herrera’s first blend for the Drew Estate lineup outside his Herrera Estelí marca, the Drew Estate Undercrown Shade features an Ecuadoran Connecticut wrapper over Sumatran binder and Dominican/Nicaraguan filler mix. Tonight, we’re smoking the 6” x 52 toro, which retails somewhere around the $8.50 mark…let’s see how it goes!

Cigar News

Since our last show, the cigar (and music) industries mourn the passing of Avo Uvezian at the age of just over 91 years. We pay tribute to the legendary musician and cigar man.

Davidoff has announced the return of their Chefs Edition, a collaboration with several top European chefs. This year’s edition is again a 6” x 54 toro, and will feature a Habano 2000 wrapper over Ecuadoran Connecticut binder and an all-Dominican filler blend. The blend is intended to be enjoyed after a fine dining experience, and a run of around 3,000 boxes will begin to show up stateside next month, but I have my hands on one now. I’ll smoke it this week and report back….

Regius and Quesada have ended their distribution agreement, effective April 30. There was some initial chatter about production moving to another company (rather than Quesada, as it is at present), but that has since been retracted without more detail. I had no shops that carried the Regius lineup when I lived stateside, but had the opportunity to smoke through a box I won via charity auction a few years ago and thought the White Label was pretty fantastic….it’s a brand I wouldn’t mind revisiting should the opportunity allow.

General Cigar has announced that a number of facings will be leaving the market. Toraño seems to be the biggest drop, with quite a few from the lineup being discontinued. Several vitolas are being removed from the company’s offerings, as well as a couple of entire lines (notably to this story, the Toraño Captiva). One of the few lines I enjoy from General’s stable, the CAO OSA, will lose the Lot 46 and Lot T

In continuing update with the CAA/CRA/IPCPR lawsuit against the FDA has been moved back a month. The new court date is August 30th…

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

La Riqueza #5 – La riqueza indeed

Kip

Fonseca Cubano Exclusivo. I’m not one to worry about health concerns from moderate cigar smoking (my tumor or diet will likely get me first), but I’m a bit concerned this one may have a friggin’ asbestos wrapper/binder. Less prominent tunnels connect England and France…
AJ Fernandez Bella Artes. This was perhaps the most talked about cigar at the 2016 IPCPR tradeshow. How’d my first experience with it go?
The Fuente Don Carlos Personal Reserve…I love ‘em, but they’re different from what I remember as the blend from which they spun…

Half Ashed Episode 153: Cohiba Behike 56

October 30, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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Cohiba Behike 56

From Craig:

In 2010 Cuba did something the cigar industry had never seen before. It figured out how to utilize a segment of the tobacco plant never used for a cigar before. The Medio Tiempo leaf was included in the Cohiba Behike line, representing its first use in any major production vitola. It is essentially the two (or 4) leaves atop of a tobacco plant that SOMETIMES grow. This is not the corona, where the ligero comes from. This is above the ligero.

The Behike was released with the front marque of 52, 54 & 56, and logically grew in size amongst its three offerings and brought an entirely new depth of flavor to the famed Cohiba flagship. Cohiba was finally deep & dark, dirty & grimey. And people loved it. A friend returned from the island in early 2010 with a bundle of 56s prior to their release. These are the cigars we’re smoking from tonight. I can’t be certain they represent the final production blend, or even the same blend amongst the entire bundle. I can be certain that they are characteristically Cohiba and many are downright earthy enough to keep even the biggest fan satisfied. Brown sugar, vanilla & earth are primary flavors. Citrus weaves in and out as a welcome palate cleanser amongst these sticks.

Cigar News

The big news for the day is another round of changes for those Cuban aficionados who travel abroad. President Obama has further loosened the restrictions on bringing Cuban goods – especially tobacco and alcohol – back to the U.S. It appears that soon the $100 limit on those 2 classes of goods will be lifted, and the allowances will be brought in line with similar products from other countries. Additionally, you will be able to bring back Cuban goods without setting specifically traveling there. Formerly, one could only bring back Cuban items if they had traveled to Cuba; now Cuban goods can be returned from trips to third-party locales. The big question remains “Can I buy Cuban cigars from American retailers? Order them online?” The answer to that – legally – is “no.”

The CAO Amazon is back! Of all the CAO releases – both pre- and post-General buyout – this was my favorite. The problem is, it’s limited in scope. The story says it’s a rare, little-produced tobacco within the blend that limits production due to its scarcity and difficulty in bringing it to market. It was originally released in 2014, but was short-lived. The latest batch should be hitting shelves over the next couple weeks. The blend is Ecuadoran Sumatra over Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan/Brazilian fillers. The special leaf contained is known as Bragança (I believe this is pronounced bruh-GAHN-suh). The new cigars come in just over $10 per stick.

Fresh on the heels of resigning from Maya Selva, Gabriel Alvarez has joined a different cigar company – Casa Cuevas – as Director of Sales. I have to admit I had never heard of Casa Cuevas, although they apparently have a factory nearby in Santiago. Based on their website, they’ve made cigars for Toraño, Leccia, and Gurkha. They previously specialized in making cigars for others, but have decided to branch out and produce some under their own name. I will report back when I know more on the brand….

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –

Hoyo de Monterrey Anejados – Hermoso #4 – Lovely
Margate Pipe Tobacco

Kip

Diplomatico

Fonseca Nicaragua petit corona. Nica puro, made for Quesada by Plasencia. Wow. What a difference a vitola makes….
Leon Jimenes 300 Series

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….

Half Ashed Episode 150: Montecristo No 2

September 28, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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Montecristo Number 2

From Craig:

Created in July of 1935 at the Particulares factory in Cuba by Alonso Menendez (Benji), Montecristos were rolled there until 1937 when production was transferred to the H.Upmann factory, also owned at that point by Menendez. Montecristo cigars’ little known claim to fame is that they were the first cigar ever blended to focus on a core of flavors besides the typical tobacco & spice flavors. Being dubbed “new school havana flavor”, they started a revolution that continues today with many notable blends from all over the world. The #2 is the most famous of the line, though not the best selling, and undoubtedly thought of as the world’s greatest torpedo.

Cigar News

Outside of FDA items and post-tradeshow details, there isn’t a ton of NEW news this week…so I thought I’d kick around a couple things I’ve had from the show.
- Dunhill Aged Maduro. I believe this is the first time a true maduro has carried the Dunhill name. It has a Sungrown Ligero wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and Dominican/Nicaraguan filler mix. I smoked the 4”x54 short robusto, but it’s also available in 5.125”x42 Marevas and 5.5”x54 short churchill. I had mixed results with this one. After smoking two I’m torn. The first was a bit monotone, with an occasional foray into some slight bitterness. I wasn’t a fan. Giving it a second try, though, was rewarding. I still had some occasional tannic notes, but overall was much better. I’ll report back once I’ve had the last one…but for smallish cigars that will run $9.50-12 at retail, I’ll have to be pretty impressed.
- Sticking with the General Cigar theme, I also had the CAO Consigliere. This, for those who haven’t heard, is unofficially a re-introduction of the Sopranos, sans series nomenclature. The company says this allows for a much lower MSRP than the Sopranos (now $7-9 in 3 vitolas). I smoked the 5”x52 Associate (also comes in 6”x54 Soldier and 7”x56 Boss). I had better luck with this than the Dunhill mentioned above. I played Craig just for a few minutes and trimmed away some of the wrapper. Removing the wrapper gave it a very sweet essence – akin to root beer, in fact. I’ll be trying these at least once more when they hit shelves. Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper over Honduran binder and Colombian/Nica/DR fillers.
JC Newman, even in the face of new legislation and regulatory oversight, launched a new “boutique” division – 4th Generation. The company has already begun shipping (to beat the 8/8 deadline) three lines – The American, The Admiration, and The 1954. Interestingly, the cigars will be produced at their Ybor city factory rather than their Nicaraguan operations – although production is in NIcaragua until the factory has been readied for production. The company will be headed by Eric’s son Drew and wife Ariel. The American will be an American puro, featuring the FSG wrapper grown by Jeff Borysiewicz in central Florida. It will also have CT broadleaf, CT habano, and PA. The Admiration is a mix of American and NIcaraguan tobacco. Finally, the 1954 is an attempt at recreating Stanford’s Cuesta Rey 95. 1954 commemorates JC Newman’s move to Ybor. I’m interested in seeing how these lines are received, as they all carry pricing from $16-20 per stick.
The FDA lost a lawsuit this week. A district court judge sided with the tobacco companies and deemed that new packaging does NOT necessarily mean a new tobacco product. This was specifically in regard to a cigarette suit, but should cover cigars as well. FDA asserted previously that a change in any packaging would start a new application process. Notably, the judge also deemed a change in package quantity DOES signify a new tobacco product.
Kevin Talley – Sr. Directory of Legislative Affairs – has left IPCPR. No reasoning was given, but I’m intrigued by sheer curiosity of the timing…

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig – A GREAT couple of weeks for me

ECCJ 20th was the dog of the show. That should tell you something
Reynaldo Canonazo 2014 from Zedman
1998 Montecristo Especials
L‘Atelier Racine – How polar opposite this experience was… from itself
Avo Syncro Fogata
Davidoff Yamasa

JC Newman Perla del Mar Maduro
The revived Oliveros from Aging Room

Punch Rare Corojo Returns for 2016

February 17, 2016 By Kip Fisher

2016 Punch Rare Corojo with New Frontmark

General Cigar has announced that the annual return of the Punch Rare Corojo has begun. A new limited frontmark will be added to the lineup, while one of the former sizes is being retired.

This year, an addition comes to the line in the form of the Regalias Perfecto, a 7.25” x 54 perfecto, exclusively available as part of a trade offer. The Regalias Perfecto will come in 10-count wooden boxes and carries a suggested retail price of $7.99 per cigar.

The existing 6.75″ x 48 Double Corona will be retired after this year’s production allotment has been exhausted.

The Rare Corojo line is rolled in Honduras and features an Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper. This wrapper leaf is grown in limited quantity, and are attributed with giving the Punch Rare Corojo its uniquely smooth taste. The binder is Connecticut Broadleaf, and the filler blend features Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican tobacco.

Ed McKenna, senior brand manager for General Cigar’s Punch brand said, “The trend of seasonal cigars started with Punch Rare Corojo, and each year, cigar lovers eagerly anticipate the return of this exceptional blend. Given the range of frontmarks and the addition of Regalias Perfecto to this year’s lineup, we are confident that the limited supply of Punch Rare Corojo will be depleted quickly.”

From General Cigar:

Reintroduced in 2001 after a shortage of wrapper leaves caused the product to disappear at retail for several years, Punch Rare Corojo sold out as quickly as it returned that year. Since then, General Cigar has been able to secure a sufficient amount of the rare Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper for a limited annual release of Punch Rare Corojo. This year’s allotment is available in nine sizes, ranging in SRP from $4.19 to $8.29 per cigar.

Half Ashed Episode 136: Partagas Maduro No 1

February 15, 2016 By Kip Fisher

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Partagas Maduro Number 1

At 5-⅛”x52 the Partagas Maduro Number 1 Robusto (plus) gets my vote as most controversial cigar of 2015. It’s the second “maduro” regular production cigar ever produced after the Revolution in Cuba, with the Cohiba Maduro 5 being the other. It made its debut in the 3rd quarter but trumped just about everything else Habanos put out last year, in terms of chatter. People balked at the Añejados but shouted to the heavens about the Maduro 1. The word on the street was that this cigar tasted Nicaraguan. In fact, nearly the same arguments were made about this as were made about the Maddie 5s back in 07. This cigar brings typical maduro sweetness to the game but really displays a plethora of other flavors at the forefront of sensation. It’s an enigma to me, but certainly one I enjoy exploring. FWIW, I think I might be the only person I know who enjoys them…

Cigar News

Sam Leccia departs from General….despite originally being described as an “acquisition” by General of the Leccia blends in 2014, Sam apparently still holds his own trademarks and branding. He is leaving both the distribution arrangement and his position within Foundry and striking out on his own again.

Pete Johnson has shown off a picture of this upcoming year’s Tatuaje Monster release – the Kreuger, named after Freddy Kreuger of Nightmare on Elm Street fame. Specifics for blend and exact size haven’t been revealed, but it’s a large, pressed torpedo shape.

House of Emilio has rebranded itself as Boutiques United. The company unveiled its new website and branding, showcasing the four remaining marques they distribute – Ezra Zion, Emilio, Global Premium Cigars (1502), and Nomad. Sales force and distribution arrangements reportedly remain the same.

Our friend Terry Johnson is *finally* getting Counsellor Cigars to market. The line was originally to be a joint effort between TLJ and LTC, but was held up when the two parted ways last Summer. It’s a revival of an old, long out of use trademark that Johnson picked up quite some time ago. It will feature a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Dominican criollo ‘98 binder and a corojo/criollo filler blend. Counsellor is slated to ship next month in five vitolas, boxes of 10, and will retail between $5.50 and $6.50 per cigar. I smoked a couple of these a few months ago, with spectacular results….

Since we touched on La Tradicion Cubana, Luis has announced a price *decrease* on all his products across the board. He’ll be trimming his pricing by about 10% on most all his lines. Good news, indeed!

This year’s CMA awards have been published…

Brand of the Year: Warped Cigars
Cigar of the Year: Matilde Oscura
Member of the Year: Coop

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

J. Fuego Americana

Kip

Joya Red. What happened?!?

Nick Melillo’s El Gueguense.

Next Episode

In the next episode (137), we will be smoking the Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda. 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.

News: General Debuts Punch Signature

March 5, 2015 By Kip Fisher

Punch Signature added as full time production line

A few weeks ago, General Cigar began teasing details about a new blend – Punch Signature. The Honduran-produced line was released this week and will continue as a full time regular production item.

Master Blender Agustin Garcia said the blend “was inspired by the original Punch,” and that it “mixes tradition with modern tastes.” He went on to say the team had “spent three years developing the blend.”

Packaging

The original artwork developed for the first Punch cigars in the 19^th century has been re-created for the current release. On the reverse, the band features Mr. Punch and his dog Toby – harkening back to the original Mr. Punch character.

The Punch Signature box features both traditional and new attributes. It is adorned with blocked coloration and an acrylic window that showcases the band, even when closed. The lid carries the same script typeface as was originally used over a century ago. Each cabinet-style box holds 18 cigars.

The Cigar

Subsequent to the packaging details, General revealed blend components. Blender Agustin Garcia and team attempted to stay true to the original Punch blend by using tobaccos from the same countries of origin. Garcia said, “Punch Signature is inspired by Punch original blend. Think of it as a brother who has a lot of fire in him, but also respects tradition and the family name.”

Wrapper

In 2012, the team found a small amount of Ecuadoran tobacco that they wanted to use. However, this batch was in short supply to produce a full time addition to the Punch lineup. They worked with a grower to cultivate a special Ecuadoran Corojo wrapper for the Signature. This wrapper is related to the original Cuban Corojo seed, and has been processed and aged during the intervening time. It reportedly has a great deal of natural oil, which gives it an elastic, silky texture and hints of cocoa with an earthy spice.

Binder and Filler Mix

The binder is a proprietary Connecticut Habano leaf. No further details were available. The filler blend is made up of both Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco. They are of the same variety as the original Punch blend, with one key difference: Some of the components are quite aged, while others less so. Leaves with more age are intended to bring flavor and balance, while the younger tobacco is meant to bring more strength. This carries with the Punch Signature theme of delivering a mix of tradition and modern taste.

Availability

As mentioned above, the Punch Signature has already begun shipping. The line is available in four vitolas:

Robusto (5” x 54, $6.79)

Gigante (6” x 60, $7.39)

Rothschild (4.5” x 50, $5.39)

Torpedo (5.75” x 52, $6.99)

General Cigar Acquires Toraño Brands

September 12, 2014 By Kip Fisher

[This is a bit of news that spread like wildfire yesterday afternoon….this will most definitely be a topic of discussion on tonight’s Half Ashed Cigar Podcast]

Richmond, VA — General Cigar Company today announced the acquisition of the Toraño Family Cigar Company brands. This acquisition will strengthen General Cigar’s market position and enhance the company’s product mix to deliver greater value and innovation to its retail customers and consumers. It will also allow General Cigar to further expand its exceptional portfolio of leading brands by offering opportunities within the company’s international footprint, while presenting significant growth potential in the domestic market.

Spanning almost 100 years, Toraño Cigars has a vast history that encompasses every area of the cigar industry, from growing to manufacturing, to ultimately the creation of their own brands. Production of Toraño’s portfolio including the popular Exodus, Reserva, Casa Toraño, Vault and Master Collections will remain unchanged.

Dan Carr, president of General Cigar said, “The acquisition of the Toraño brands represents an opportunity for us to strategically expand our portfolio. Our companies have been intertwined for over 50 years and I look forward to working with Charlie Toraño on plans to celebrate the upcoming centennial and to carry forward the vision, passion and innovation that is synonymous with the Toraño name while also leveraging our resources to bring even greater excitement and reach to our trade partners and consumers.”

“There is a long-standing and proud history of partnership between General Cigar and Toraño, dating back to my family’s exodus from Cuba. There is no other company that I would rather have continue my family’s legacy, and I look forward to seeing the Toraño brands prosper under General Cigar’s expertise,” said Toraño president Charlie Toraño.

The transaction will take effect on September 11, 2014.

About Toraño Family Cigar Company

Headquartered in Miami, Toraño Family Cigar Company was established as a leaf growing company in Cuba and spans over four generations. Following the Cuban revolution, the Toraño family grew tobacco in the Dominican Republic and later began manufacturing handmade cigars across Central America. Since the 1990s, Toraño developed its own portfolio of brands, best known for having complex blends featuring tobacco from many different countries of origin and taste profiles.

About General Cigar Company

General Cigar Co. is the leading manufacturer and marketer of handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar’s skilled artisans produce Macanudo®, Cohiba®, La Gloria Cubana®, Partagas®, CAO®, Punch®, Hoyo de Monterrey®, Excalibur® and several other leading premium brands in the company’s Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan factories. In addition, the company cultivates proprietary tobacco which is used exclusively in its blends and has a dedicated R&D practice that develops new varieties of tobacco and revitalizes vintage seeds. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. In 2010, General Cigar entered into a joint venture agreement with Plasencia Group. Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide and exports select products to 62 countries. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com.

® Macanudo, Cohiba, La Gloria Cubana, Partagas, CAO, Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Company.

CAO and Flying Dog Brewery Create Pairings

June 17, 2014 By Kip Fisher

June 17, 2014 – In a move that will make those who enjoy craft beer and cigars happy, Flying Dog and CAO Cigars have collaborated to create and market four pairings of their respective products.

“Cigars are most often paired with brown spirits. Since we’re not fans of being conventional, we’re shaking things up by bringing craft beer into the mix. Flying Dog mirrors our devotion to delivering new, unique flavors, so we’re looking forward to working with them to bring this new trend to life.” CAO cigar blender Rick Rodriguez said.
“Just as craft beer is defined by a unique blend of malt, hops, and yeast, a cigar’s wrapper, binder and filler determines its flavor profile and aroma,” Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso said. “The similarities between these two artisanal products quickly became apparent as we were working through this project.”

[Read more…]

Half Ashed Episode 069: RE+United

June 9, 2014 By Kip Fisher

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Good day, folks. Welcome to another fun-filled episode of Half Ashed. This week, we’re smoking the Re+United, by Ernesto Perez Carrillo and Michael Giannini as our featured Cigar of the Week. Even in light of a normally slow cigar news season, we had several interesting stories to cover this week, including items from: Alec Bradley, EP Carrillo, RoMaCraft, CRA, Tatuaje, and TL Johnson. As always, we covered what we’ve been smoking and a few listener emails. We wrap up with a special dedication and memorial for D-Day and all the veterans who’ve sacrificed to provide the lifestyle we enjoy today.

Next week, our Cigar of the Week will be the Elogio Excepcionales, so be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at ~~Cigar Federation~~ ****We will temporarily only have chat access on our Show Page on halfashed.com. We have outgrown our previous chat, and it has been overloading the server and causing various and sundry issues with our hosting provider. In fact, they shut down our site this week during the show. I have installed a stopgap chat for the time being, but it will not frame into the Cigar Federation page. We will remedy this as soon as possible.****, 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!