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Home » J. Fuego

Episode 161: Unbanded 030

April 4, 2017 By Kip Fisher

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Unbanded 030

 

Unbanded 030, from Kevin H.

Tonight’s example is roughly a corona gorda, with a lovely dark, evenly colored wrapper leaf. There’s one prominent vein but not a great deal of other relief to wrapper, which is almost oil-free to the touch. It actually feels like there’s a bit of dry residue where oil once lay, and with a decent amount of yellowing to the cello it came in, this could well be the case.

Cigar News

Since our last show, we’ve had a nominee added into the fray to head up the FDA under the Trump administration. Scott Gottlieb comes out of the healthcare industry in various facets, and has a history of tangential support of the premium cigar industry. He’s written various articles that at the very least assert the FDA is over-reaching in its assimilation of premium cigars into its regulations. We’ll post more as the days come and confirmation hearings proceed.

Two representatives and a Senator from Connecticut are trying to protect use of the word “Connecticut” in tobacco branding/labeling. They’ve submitted a letter asking for an examination of how products are marketed and labeled with the name, specifically in reference to tobacco grown elsewhere using CT seeds. They claim to have heard from constituents who feel undercut by brands that utilize “Connecticut” leaf that may have been grown in other countries. The letter has been submitted to the FDA and FTC, both of which govern tobacco labeling for various reasons.

La Palina has announced an update to their Classic line of cigars. Most surprising to me is a move for production from PDR to General Cigar. Details beyond that are sparse, except that the line will feature three branches: Classic Connecticut (EC CT // DR // DR-Nica), Classic Maduro (Hond // Hond // DR-Nica-Hond), and Classic Rosado (Hond // Hond // DR-Nica-Hond). It’s to come in 3 sizes per wrapper and retails for $6.50-$8 US).

Joey Bravo, son of Berta “Guayabera Lady” Bravo and former sales head for J. Fuego, has co-founded a new company with his Mom and friend James Thomas. The company, named Cypress Group Miami, will oversee distribution and sales of the J. Fuego brand in the U.S. and elsewhere. The move is being made to free up Jesus Fuego to spend more time at his factory in Estelí rather than stateside with sales commitments.

By the end of the semester, the University of Texas will be tobacco-free on all its campuses and properties. Texas, for cryin’ out loud! This is a policy change for the University, but there’s also a bill up for consideration that would ban tobacco and e-cigarette use on all state-owned properties throughout TX…

Australian cigar merchant and internet playground master, Friends of Habanos is currently hosting a truly special event. Rob Ayala, FoH’s owner and “el presidente” is calling upon the site’s members to share cigars with what they feel to be either mold or plume. Once a substantial offering has been received the cigars will be documented, photographed and sent out for “independent scientific testing”! This is the first public mold testing I am aware of and I am anxiously awaiting the report. I feel we will see substantially more samples coming back as mold than plume… The results could potentially be the building blocks for a mold/plume tutorial the likes of which have never been seen.

2017 Cuban tobacco harvest is the first in at least 3 years to have been universally heralded as above average. The quality is good and as many as 23k hectares have been successfully harvested. Late 2018/early 2019 Cuban cigar production should be expected to exceed recent quality.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig –

RoMaCraft Fiorella
JC NewmanBlack Diamond
2002 RA PC, 2013 RA TPC
Tantrum
Jericho Hill

Kip

Colmado cigars. Who’d a thunk it?!?
LFD Andalusian Bull

Tagged With: Cuba, J. Fuego, La Palina, legislation, new format

Half Ashed Episode 131: Bolivar Colosales ER Alemania

December 18, 2015 By Kip Fisher

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bolivar colosales ER alemania

Bolivar Colosales ER Alemania

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

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

Cigar News

PDR joins Pro Cigar –

Congrats to Liana Fuente, who is getting married tomorrow.

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

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

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

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

Chogui – Opus Angel Share, anyone?

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

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

Diplomatico #4 (1997) – Damn good Montecristo…

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

Kip

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

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

The other Bolivar Colosales ER Alemania….

Miscellaneous

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

Next Episode

In the next episode (132), we will be smoking the Asylum “99 Problems”.  So come by Friday night and hang out with us in the chatroom during the show.  If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us via the Contact Page or the following emails:[email protected] 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: Arturo Fuente, Ashton, Bolivar, Chogui, Cuba, Eiroa, J. Fuego, legislation, limited edition, Padron, Pinar del Rio, Punch

Half Ashed Episode 123: Partagas Serie D EL 2010

September 3, 2015 By Kip Fisher

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partagas serie d robusto el 2010

Partagas Serie D Edicion Limitada 2010

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

Cigar News

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

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

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

Cuba News:
Habanos Dismissals Article
US Embassy open Article

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

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

 

Kip

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

Next Episode

In the next episode (124), Kip will be joined by none other than Will “Cigar Coop” Cooper.  So come by Friday night and hang out with us in the chatroom during the show.  If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us via the Contact Page or the following emails: [email protected] or [email protected] Please feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions you’d like answered, comments to make…or even compliments and complaints.  We love to get your emails!  Also, remember you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, which can be found in the Half Ashed Archive.  You can download this week’s audio directly below (right-click “Download” and save), find us on iTunes, or subscribe with any podcast app at our RSS Feed.  Video, as always, will be available at the Half Ashed YouTube Channel.

 

Tagged With: Ashton, Blessed Leaf, cigar, Cuba, Guayacan, illusione, J. Fuego, limited edition, Partagas, Tobacconist University

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