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Episode 165: Hoyo de Monterrey Añejado

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hoyo de monterrey anejado

Hoyo de Monterrey Añejado

The Hoyo de Monterrey Anejados! The proverbial “Found in a warehouse” aging story come to life! SRP DIC 06 REVISADO is the box code on today’s CotW. If you buy into the marketing, these, along with a series of other initial vitolas were released in 2015. The series came from a 2006 idea to finally bring the vintage market to the Cuban distribution machine. Met with mixed reviews, this Hoyo version displays how Cuban tobacco can shine in a mild form. The cigar is a traditional Hermoso #4 (a longer & skinnier robusto) and appears dry and slightly humidity soaked. Having seen three boxes in person, all seem to appear the same. They display clean, crisp sweetness with only minimal “hoyo” sweet woody flavors. They taste more vintage than aged but only when comparing the shear amount of flavor present. Nonetheless, their flavor is enjoyable and they way they present themselves is not common amongst newer releases.

Cigar News

  • First up in a night of legislative news, six anti-tobacco/health groups have asked to intervene in the ongoing CAA/CRA/IPCPR lawsuit.  The groups filed a Motion to Intervene, which means they are requesting the courts to include them in the suit as defendants – noting that they believe the government is not/will not properly defend the FDA regulation.  The groups are:
    1. American Academy of Pediatrics
    2. American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
    3. American Heart Association
    4. American Lung Association
    5. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
    6. Truth Initiative

 

  • UPDATE from CRA: Today, the District Court for the District Columbia rejected the motion of six public health groups to immediately intervene in the premium cigar industry’s joint lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  The Court will reconsider the issue if there are new developments.

 

  • In what is probably the bigger story over the past few weeks, the FDA has announced a big delay in the substantial equivalence deadline – a three year delay.  The new deadline is Aug 2021.  Other deadlines and guidance (or lack thereof) remain the same – including packaging requirements, etc.  What this essentially boils down to is that products in the marketplace before Aug 2016 will be allowed to remain until Aug 2021 without gaining approval (the previous deadline was May 2018).  This is huge for the smaller companies that were facing very expensive compliance with a foggy regulatory set in the near-term.  They now have longer to prepare and budget for the process – and hopefully, get more guidance in what will even be required to meet the SE regs.  The FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, has also noted that a new comment period will be opened to receive and evaluate public comments about cigars and their use.  The pathway to substantial equivalence – even with the new, more distant deadline – is fairly obscure, with little guidance from the FDA in what specifically will be required to demonstrate compliance.  

 

  • Per a statement issued by CRA & IPCPR, Commissioner Gottlieb also noted that the FDA will undertake a new approach to evaluating tobacco policy – one “that notes a “continuum of risk” that recognizes the differences in tobacco products.”  It’s worth noting also that Dr. Gottlieb stated that the FDA will “reexamine the treatment of premium cigars under the agency’s current regulatory structure. Ultimately, the agency will open a new rule making process to engage with the industry to better understand premium cigars, specifically.”  In theory, I find this encouraging…but time will tell if practice meets theory.

 

  • Hawaii, California, New Jersey, Maine, and now Oregon have raised the legal purchase age for tobacco to 21

 

  • As discussed on last week’s “hangout and not a show”, the results are in! The Friends of Habanos Mould Report is in and able to be viewed. With over 30 cigars with plume/mold to choose from, 10 distinct samples (in appearance) were selected. Out of those 10, only 4 distinct components were detected. All 4 were mold. As such, FoH is offering a $250 store credit for anyone who can produce a cigar with plume. http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/topic/131757-final-mould-report/

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Kip –

  • RoMaCraft, RoMaCraft, RoMaCraft!
  • Serino Maduro XX – Ec. Habano 2000 over Nicaraguan binder & filler; produced by La Corona (Omar González Alemán).  Tons of cocoa and berry sweetness…one of the better cigars I’ve smoked in a long time – even with the nearly $12 per robusto price tag.
  • Emilio Carpe Noctem.  I found these languishing on a retailer’s shelf during my visit to TN.  It was a shadow of its former self from a few years ago.  I felt like it had gone very flat during that time, with some muddling of flavors and an occasional metallic taste that I didn’t care for.  Tragic, since I really liked these when they hit the market.

 

 

 

 

Episode 160: Jas Sum Kral Red Knight Lancero

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jas sum kral

 

Jas Sum Kral Red Knight Lancero

From Craig – A lovely gift from our listener “ARKCigars”, these 7″ x 38 lanceros make a perfect addition to your art gallery or your humidor. The most beautiful twisted pigtail cap sit atop a flawless Ecuadorian Habano Light “Clario” [sic] wrapper. The binder is half Mexican San Andres and Nicaraguan Jalapa seco, all over confidential inner components. The cigar smokes with a savory, pepper core but shows a sense of suave style throughout. Blended by the brand owner Riste Risteski and Noel Rojas, the cigar was created in Esteli to maintain the “Cuban standard”. Literally translating to “I Am King”, Jas Sum Kral is a Macedonian name for a Nicaraguan cigar with a Cuban soul.

Cigar News

Casa de Montecristo is coming to Tampa. My old haunt, Tampa Humidor, is teaming up with the folks at Imperial/Tabacalera USA/JR Cigars to open a Casa de Montecristo lounge in South Tampa. It should be opening in June…which is hopefully about the time I land stateside for a (shorter) visit.

I heard a bit of a buzz this week coming out of ProCigar here in Santiago, regarding a new cigar from La Aurora that will feature Andullo (which we’ve spoken of several times here on past shows). It will be called the ADN Dominicano (Dominican DNA), and will carry a Dominican wrapper, Cameroon binder, and four different filler tobaccos – including Andullo. I’ve smoked another cigar with this tobacco (Project 805), and seen it raw in the yagua, but don’t have a great deal of experience with it…yet. I’ve asked a friend of mine to take me to some of his friends’ place where they process andullo. This tobacco is rolled up into large tubular sections for fermentation, and bound by a rope or length of vine to generate some compression. Because it’s compressed during this time, it doesn’t peel apart easily into leaves afterward – so, it’s generally just trimmed off the end and smoked in a pipe. My understanding is this won’t – at least for now – be marketed stateside. It will be available here in RD in four vitolas (5×50, 5.75×54, 6×58, 7×47) if anyone wants to come visit and give ‘em a try.

I believe Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire are the last 3 remaining states that exempt cigars from most/all tobacco taxes. New Hampshire remains so after a bill was defeated to include premium cigars in the existing tax code (which would have added an additional 65% of wholesale to the final price). I can only imagine it will resurface during the next session, though….

In a move I’ve thought about for several years, Hawaii is proposing a ban on mail order/internet tobacco purchases for their residents – only allowing such ordering for licensed retail and wholesale establishments. My guess is many states will watch this closely, as it’s a way to covertly avoid some of the higher tax rates in a lot of states. The ban is, of course, “to protect the children” who might be lured into circumventing age restrictions by ordering through the mail. But, legislators know residents buy online from lesser-taxed states to avoid home state taxation over the counter. Maryland tried a similar but different move several years ago with a requirement that all etailers file/pay their taxes on internet orders. Many etailers simply posted statements that they’d no longer ship to MD, and the public outcry brought that move down. We’ll keep tabs on HI and see how it goes.

There has been some activity on the CAA/IPCPR/CRA lawsuit the past couple days, with some motions filed by other entities, although I honestly have not had time to investigate them thoroughly enough to speak intelligently of them. I will post up some info on the forum this week once I have had that chance.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –

Intl. Pipe Smoking Day – Margate ’07 – This blend is evolving and INCREASING in strength to my tastes. I am not enjoying it as much as the other bowls from this jar.
Padron 1926 Belicoso – These cigars are spicy to me. I just can’t handle them anymore. It’s a sad day
Tatuaje Noella Reserva – A terrific start. A poor finish…
Cuba Aliados – My pseudo IPSD celebration. I shall explain.

Kip

IPSD was Feb 20th – I took the opportunity to dig into some latakia/oriental goodness in Dunhill’s Nightcap and GL Pease’s Abingdon, both aged nicely. This week, I also broke out a 13 year old tin of Marlin Flake. Sweet Mother of all that’s Holy that is some good stuff….

Episode 158: Georgetown Tobacco Caucus

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georgetown tobacco caucus

Georgetown Tobacco Caucus

The Georgetown Tobacco Caucus is only available at Georgetown Tobacco, and was blended in 2009 when David Berkebile visited Rocky Patel’s factory in Danli, Honduras. The blend was designed to complement the flavor of the Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper leaf, which is David’s favorite. The result is a rich and satisfying smoke that avoids the extremes of strength and taste which have become common in today’s cigar market. The medium body and subtle flavor make the Caucus accessible to a wide variety of cigar enthusiasts, who have made this the most popular brand in our store. Provided to us by Cigar Man for Life, these sticks have been with us for a while and are a few that we both enjoy. Probably the best cigar I’ve had produced by Rocky Patel since the RP 15th Anniversary in 2010. Tonight’s cigar is 6” x 52 and sells for about $7.

Cigar News

  • Over the past couple weeks, a few large scale acquisitions have come to pass in the tobacco world.  The one of most interest to cigar folks is Altria (parent of Philip Morris) picking up Nat Sherman.  While most of listeners of this show know Nat Sherman as a cigar company, cigarette production is a major component of their business – but they do hold a number of premium brands.  Future plans for these premium cigar brands (made for them by Plasencia and Quesada) are yet to be announced.  
  • Dunhill cigars and pipe tobacco….gone, or will be soon.
  • It’s THAT time of year again.  Manufacturers are beginning to announce the “if/when” of price increases.  So far, I’ve seen bits coming down from Perdomo, AJ Fernandez, and JC Newman…but personally I expect there to be many more over the next 4-6 weeks.
  • Terry Johnson (TL Johnson Cigars) has merged with Black Patch Cigars of Kentucky.  To my recollection, we’ve only talked once in memory about Black Patch and the “Kenbano” tobacco they grow in Kentucky to showcase in their blends.  Tabacalera TLJ will produce Black Patch cigars going forward, and presumably the Kenbano will be coming down for those purposes.  
  • Since our last show, Matt Booth has announced he’s retiring from the cigar industry – along with his Room101 brands, which he owns.  His attention will turn to focus on his lucrative jewelry business.  His contract with Oettinger Davidoff expired Jan 1st, and he has opted not to renew.  It’s still possible that the brands could return to production, but no plans have been announced at the moment.
  • The IPCPR tradeshow was somewhat “booted” from the former venue, the Sands/Venetian complex.  It’s been widely speculated that a bigger group wanted the venue for the assigned dates, and with the convention hall holding the power to cancel, they opted to do so.  IPCPR has quickly adjusted and rescheduled for July 10-14 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  The move de-couples hotel arrangements from the convention site, but presumably won’t offer much more interference except being a bit off the strip.
  • So, the FDA has extended the deadline for manufacturers to submit ingredient lists for cigars from Feb 15 until Aug 8, 2017.  That’s the news from the FDA, but after looking over the requirements I can’t help but wonder about a couple things.  First, for any premium cigar made with no chemicals besides potable water and tobacco, there are only 4 requested pieces of information: tobacco type, variety, curing method, and any recombinant DNA technology used in creating the varietal.  Even for these cigars – containing nothing aside from water and tobacco – I have questions.  First, the “type” of tobacco must be listed by weight.  Exactly how much does ½ leaf – cut by human hands from variably sized leaves – weigh?  I wonder with what precision the FDA expects this to be?   Secondly, I wonder how many manufacturers *truly* know how the tobacco they used has been genetically engineered?  I’ve spoken with some in the past who simply don’t.  They buy tobacco.  They know where it was grown, who grew it, and many other details – but they may not know it intimately on an agronomical basis.
    I also wonder – for those who use something other than water – if they know enough detail about their process to accurately submit the application.  Bethune, the “secret sauce” used by more makers than would admit, often contains wine, rum, tobacco, water…and various other ingredients passed along sparingly like it’s the Colonel’s original recipe.  I am willing to bet many can’t answer the questions regarding chemical reactions and other properties imbued by the Bethune.  I have no idea how stringently this will be enforced, nor even if it can be without FDA personnel on the ground in factories throughout cigar country (a la food inspectors).  I’m anxious to see how third-party cigar companies meet this; I have a gut feeling many don’t know their cigars on a level to complete this and will have to rely on information from their partner manufacturers (and/or agronomists from *their* sources).  Small manufacturers (under $5million/yr) will have an additional 6 months to comply, so we’ll see in a year or so….

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

  • Craig –
    • HR Blue – Oh my goodness gracious
    • Cattle Baron!
    • Hoyo de Monterrey Añejado
    • pipe tobacco – Escudo Navy Deluxe

 

  • Kip
    • Fuente Fuente Opus X 20th Anniversary pre-release from CFC.
    • Quesada Keg – both Nicaraguan and Dominican versions.

 

Half Ashed Episode 150: Montecristo No 2

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Montecristo No. 2

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

Half Ashed Episode 149: Ezra Zion Burnt Ends

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ezra zion burnt ends

Ezra Zion Burnt Ends

Kip – Named after the favored “burnt ends” of a Texas BBQ brisket, this was Spring 2015 direct-to-consumer release from Ezra Zion.  It had a total production of 1000 cigars, and sported a cured corojo wrapper (cured?)…but little else in terms of recipe.  6”x52 toro.

Cigar News

Carlos Fuente Sr. has passed.  We offer our condolences and a few memories of Senior.

Follow up on the companies releasing epic quantities of cigars at IPCPR….

Random things I noticed at the show:

I didn’t dig in hard to the legislative seminars, but they seemed generally better-attended than in years past.
Wide range of answers when mfrs. Were asked their thoughts about FDA
Lots of new packaging on old blends
Lots of “pre-2007” blend marketing…
AJ Fernandez’ booth was crazy busy.
Macanudo Mao…
Excited about Davidoff Yamasa, EPM 10 yr (DLR), Bella Artes, Yayabo, EZ All My Exes Maduro, Pistoff Kristoff
The Cigarmy cutter….

Today’s the first of the “FDA D-day” – August 8th, 2016.  Now what?

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
La Atalier Racine – How polar opposite this experience was… from itself

Kip – nada

Half Ashed Episode 147: Ezra Zion and Wildcard

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Ezra Zion Chocolate Porter

Photo credit: ezrazionstore.com

CotW – Ezra Zion Chocolate Porter, and……

Kip – Ezra Zion Chocolate Porter:  This was a limited run released by the guys at Ezra Zion a couple months ago.  It features a San Andres wrapper, and had a very limited production of 645 cigars.  The release promises deep, roasty flavors coupled with some vanilla, coffee bean and licorice. Also promises not to nuke your palate with strong tobaccos….let’s give it a whirl.
Craig – ….did not write his notes….

Cigar News

There are *tons* of new cigars being announced leading up to IPCPR…but woefully few details to be honest. Sure, some are forthcoming. But it seems more than ever that cigar makers are reserving specifics until the show.

Oliva has been acquired by J. Cortes…

In addition to the already-regular-production Tatuaje Black PC, a few new sizes are now going to be available full time: Petit Robusto (4 x 50), Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46), Cazador (6 3/8 x 43) and Gran Toro (6 1/2 x 52). I had the chance to smoke the Petit Robusto this week, and rather enjoyed it. I find these not to be too radically different by vitola. They’ve done a good job of tweaking the blend to retain its character in all the various expressions. I do dig that CG as my personal favorite size, though…

A few more surprises….

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2014 EL
la Atelier C’ote d’or

Kip

Don Carlos Personal Reserve
Undercrown Robusto
I picked up – but have not yet smoked – the Tat TAA LE for 2016, and the Crowned Heads Las Calaveras 2016. I’ll report back ASAP.

Listener Email

John From Chicago shares the response he received from US Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky after he sent her the form letter the CRA has on its website in support of HR662 “Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act”

Email 1 from John

From: U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Your recent message

Dear Mr. REDACTED:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for H.R. 662, the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act. I appreciate hearing from you.

H.R. 662 would statutorily exempt cigars from the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA). The TCA granted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to deem all tobacco products under its authority. While cigars are considered tobacco products, the existing law does not explicitly mention cigars. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a proposed rule deeming tobacco products under its jurisdiction. The FDA proposed two alternatives for the treatment of cigars – one option would make all cigars subject to FDA jurisdiction and the other option would specifically exclude cigars designated as “premium cigars” from FDA jurisdiction. The FDA accepted public comment on these two options and is currently reviewing those comments. I will closely follow this process.

While I appreciate your concerns about the proposed regulations and will work to minimize the impact of the law on small businesses, I support FDA’s authority to regulate cigars as needed to protect and promote public health. I oppose H.R. 662because there are serious health risks associated with cigar smoking, and I believe people should be made aware of them. I am committed to warning people about the health consequences associated with cigars, and I am particularly concerned with preventing teenagers from using tobacco products.

Although we disagree on this issue, I appreciate hearing from you. Please do not hesitate to contact me whenever I may be of assistance.

Sincerely,
Jan Schakowsky
Member of Congress

Email 2 from “Grey Goose”

Subject: Re: Black Dog Coffee

I am a new to CCs … and that has been awesome.

I have (interest in) some Monte #3’s, some PSD4’s, Upmann Mag 46’s, some SLR’s, a few Juan Lopez No 1’s and 2’s that I liked, but thought I’d ask what are your top few CC’s that should be on top of my list?

Have been fly fishing the St Joe and Coeur d’Alene rivers lately, the Westslope Cutthroat biting!

Cheers,

Grey Goose

IPCPR and New Orleans

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ipcpr

Good News?

As expected and reported on last week’s episode of Half Ashed, the New Orleans City Council has voted on an extensive smoking ban, which had potential impact on this year’s IPCPR tradeshow in the city.  The ban, proposed by Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell, passed unanimously today.  I received an email update from IPCPR earlier this afternoon with some minor details, notably that some favorable exemptions/amendments were included in the ordinance.  From that email:

“As amended, the legislation will not impact the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailer Association’s (IPCPR) local members or our 83rd Annual Convention & International Trade Show. The ability to smoke in cigar bars, the convention center, and in facilities being used for private events is protected by the amendments.”

“Your representatives from IPCPR and the Cigar Association of America have been working diligently with the New Orleans City Council on behalf of retailers and manufacturers. Thank you to all IPCPR members who contacted the City Council to voice your concerns regarding the original legislation. With your help, we generated nearly 700 emails to the Councilmembers. Your active participation was critical to our success.”

While on the surface this seems favorable, I have reservation about declaring it a victory by any stretch of the imagination.  Granted, I’m no fan of smoking bans in just about any form, but believe an organization or entity should be left to make its own decisions about how/if/when legal behaviors are conducted on its premises.  Consumers and employees can make their own choice as to whether or not they are willing to patronize or work in a given establishment based on their support of those decisions.

Where Do We Go From Here?

I appreciate the efforts of IPCPR staff, and those of other groups like CRA.  I really do.  But, a group is only as strong as the membership.  Where do we (cigar smokers) go from here?  I don’t think we’ve thrown in the towel yet, but it gets tougher to see the light at the far end of the tunnel with every passing day.  If we can’t muster more than 1-2% of the cigar smoking public to join the effort…and, on average, 10-20% of those who have to take a few minutes to type out an email or make a phone call, we’re doomed.  Sometimes it feels as if we (the cigar community at large) are “coming home with ‘D’ on [our] report card and telling [our] parents “at least I didn’t get a F.” to quote another member of the cigar media this afternoon.  The virality of smoking bans and other anti-tobacco legislation is progressing at a more alarming rate than ever before in our lifetime (unless you were alive in 17th century England).  We continue to take our lumps and move on to tomorrow.  That approach is beneficial in some situations, but rolling over quietly has little place here.

The statement being made by the New Orleans City Council is that of disapproval for tobacco; however, they have no qualms about any direct or collateral monies received via an event such as the IPCPR tradeshow.  The governmental bodies imposing such restrictions are sending a mixed message, to be generous.  More egregious are the states who have banned smoking across the board, only to later decide some exemptions would be made if establishment owners would follow a set of guidelines and pay exorbitant fees for the privilege.  If the intent is truly to protect public health (as they so often declare), how is it appropriate to assign a value?  Why is smoking so dangerous to the innocent bystanders hanging out in cigar bars unless the owner has paid a yearly endorsement (every last dripping bit of facetiousness intended)?

God has given you one face and you make yourselves another. –William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3 Scene 1

My Worthless $.02

I’m certainly not a proponent of outright bans.  But this cloudy gray area is often a prelude to one-sided concession, presented as a compromise.  We should fight to win, not give a mile to preserve an inch and spin it as success.  The fuzzy political lines in this battle are tiresome to say the least.  I don’t think we can continue to simply pretend we’re fighting a battle.  Lip service is not enough.  Paying an annual membership fee for our organization-of-choice and “really hoping for the best” is not enough.  There is no reason everyone reading this should be unwilling to at least pick up a phone with some regularity and call legislators…drop frequent emails…and show up at local council meetings with an opinion when (not if) affronts to this hobby sally forth.  This isn’t difficult.  It doesn’t require an advanced degree in political science or journalism.  It ain’t rocket science.  If those of us who enjoy an occasional cigar or pipe can’t get on the same page, someone is going to take the book from our hands.  Many of the folks we’ve installed to represent us have shown – and increasingly show – where they clearly stand.

“Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.” – Mark Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar for 1894

Let me encourage you to get involved, whether via the things I just mentioned or some other creative way to make yourselves heard.

Gran Habano Announces IPCPR 2014 Releases

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Two New Offerings from G.A.R. for IPCPR 2014

Adding to the list of new products trickling out of IPCPR 2014, Gran Habano / G.R. Tabacaleras has provided some information on their offerings for this year.  We covered some of this news in the most recent episode of Half Ashed as well.

GEORGE RICO S.T.K. MIAMI ZULU ZULU MAS PAZ EDITION 2014

maz paz b maz paz a

This cigar will still contain the identical Ecuadorian Connecticut and Nicaraguan Habano blends, but this newest edition will be made in our own factory in Miami.  G.R. Tabacaleras Co. is collaborating with a new artist, Mas Paz, to design the new boxes for this project, and the proceeds for the Mas Paz Edition will go towards a new charitable cause.  A percentage of the sales of this new project will go towards a non-profit organization that will fund renovations for La Casa de la Madre y el Niño, an orphanage in Bogotá, Colombia.

Country of Origin:  USA
Factory:  G.R. Tabacaleras Co.
Distributor:  Santa Cruz Tobacco / Gran Habano
Wrapper:  Ecuadorian Connecticut / Nicaraguan Habano
Binder:  Nicaraguan Habano
Filler:  Nicaraguan
Sizes:  7 ½ x 40 Lancero, 5 5/8 x 46 Corona Gorda, 6 x 54 Rolo
MSRP:  $8.25 – $9.27
Release Date:  Available for pre-order at IPCPR 2014

GEORGE RICO S.T.K. MIAMI BARRACUDA LIMITED EDITION MADURO 2014

barracuda le

Country of Origin: USA
Factory: G.R. Tabacaleras Co.
Distributor:  Santa Cruz Tobacco / Gran Habano
Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Sizes: 5 x 52, 6 ½ x 54, 5 5/8 x 46
MSRP: $7.50 – $8.50
Release date: July 2014
Number of Cigars Released: 200 boxes of each size