New Cigars | Half Ashed

AJ Fernandez to Release New World Connecticut

April 22, 2015 By Kip Fisher

Company to extend line with New World Connecticut

(Miami, Florida) April 22, 2015— Earlier today, A.J. Fernandez Cigars announced the imminent release of the New World Connecticut. The unique blend was created after a positive response from both public and critics since unveiling the existing New World line at the 2014 IPCPR tradeshow. The original line received honors as the Number 1 Cigar in the World 2014 from Cigar Journal Magazine.

We originally published details about the New World back in July 2014, which included details about the blend and the story behind it. A.J. Fernandez said: “The New World cigar was a very special project as it was the first cigar that was created with the help of my father Ismael Fernandez since he joined me at A.J. Fernandez Cigars. I am more than thrilled that the public reception has been so positive, that it has once again allowed us, as father and son to create the New World Connecticut.”

The New World Connecticut features a U.S.A-grown Connecticut Shade wrapper, Mexican San Andres binder, and filler leaf from Nicaragua and Brazil, and has been blended as a medium bodied cigar. Unlike the original, the New World Connecticut will not be box pressed. The company describes it as having “notes of cream, wood, and almonds in a very well balanced and refined cigar.”

The MSRP for the New World Connecticut will stay in line with the original New World at six dollars, and it will be available in 20 count boxes. Four vitolas are set to be released:

CORONA GORDA 5 ½ X 46
ROBUSTO 5 x 50
TORO 6 x 52
BELICOSO: 6 x 54

The New World Connecticut will begin shipping in May.

ABOUT A.J. FERNANDEZ CIGARS:

A.J. Fernandez Cigars is based on the rich tradition of the Fernandez cigar legacy. A.J. Fernandez produces unparalleled, hand-rolled cigars in Estelí, Nicaragua, which have garnered numerous top ratings and acclaim from cigar publications and consumers alike. Today he continues the family legacy as he oversees production and manages the day to day operations in his factory in Estelí.

For media inquiries please contact Creativas Group Public Relations via: [email protected].

Viva Republica Releases Limited Edition Culebra

March 12, 2015 By Kip Fisher

VIVA REPUBLICA LIMITED EDITION CULEBRA

Yesterday, Viva Republica™ announced the impending release of a Limited Edition Culebra. Only one thousand (1,000) coffins each containing a traditional three-piece culebra have been produced, shipping in retailer 5-packs (5 coffins per pack). The Culebra is comprised of three differing blends, featuring the Company’s Rapture, Rapture Maduro and Guerrilla Warfare brands.

Each of the cigars that comprise the culebra have a length of 5.75,” and 39-ring gauge. Inside each five piece package is a memo that identifies the three components by wrapper shade and discloses the blend breakdown for each cigar. The details for each cigar are as follows:

Blend Details

Rapture Natural

Wrapper – Ecuadorian HVA
Binder – Dominican Republic
Fillers – Brazil, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Peru

Guerrilla Warfare

Wrapper – Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder – Dominican Republic/Mexico
Fillers – Brazil, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua

Rapture Maduro

Wrapper – Mexican San Andres
Binder – Dominican Republic
Fillers – Brazil, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Peru

Further Information

Additional details on the card describe how to diferentiate the blends: “The lightest wrapper is the Rapture Natural. The one featuring a slightly darker colored wrapper is Guerrilla Warefare. The darkest wrapper is the Rapture Maduro blend. We could have color-coded them with more ribbons – but why take the fun out of it?” –Jason Holly

“I’ve always been intrigued by and have enjoyed culebras and wanted to use creating one as an opportunity to feature three of our core lines,” said Jason Holly, owner of Viva Republica.

The cigar(s) will officially launch during the DC Tweet Up on Saturday, March 14 at Tobaccology in Manassas, VA from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The limited run has an MSRP of $18 (excluding applicable local tax).

“Pricing was always a consideration. These are time-consuming to produce. But I wanted to keep value pricing so [more] people would try a culebra,” said Holly. I think their typical cost could be a bit of a consumer barrier.”

Viva Republica is exclusively distributed in the United States by Miami Cigar & Co.

Viaje Chicharrones and Jalapeño Lines Announced

March 10, 2015 By Kip Fisher

This afternoon, Viaje has taken to the social media airwaves with a couple of imminent releases coming down the pike – the Viaje Chicharrones and Jalapeño.

Viaje Chicharrones

Photo by Viaje Cigars

First up is the Chicharronnes, produced at the TABSA (Fernandez) factory. The line will be available in three different “flavors” – Original, Bold and Spicy. The differing blends respectively feature Corojo, Maduro and Criollo wrapper leaf. Per the posted caption, all tobacco in the line is “grown and raised on AGANORSA farms in Nicaragua. Each box will contain 90 Chicharrones, which will be 4.5” x 48.

Viaje Jalapeño

Photo by Viaje Cigars

The second notice from the company detailed the Jalapeño, which utilizes tobacco grown in Honduras. The Jalapeño will be available in boxes of 25, and will be a 4.875″ x 51 figurado. They will be rolled at Raices Cubanas. No specifics were given for blend, only that “By taking our time, using traditional farming methods and doing things the old fashioned way, we’ve perfected the ultimate balance of heat and flavor in our products.”

Both lines will be shipping March 16th to all authorized Viaje retailers.

News: United Cigar Celebrates Pi Day with LE

March 5, 2015 By Kip Fisher

United Cigar Group to release Limited Edition Pi Cigar

[Editor: In a press release yesterday, United Cigar Group has announced that they will be releasing a new limited edition cigar for pi Day. Underserved by most outside mathematical circles, the day doesn’t usually garner much attention from the masses….but who wouldn’t want another cigar to try out?]

Pi Day is the unofficial holiday held to celebrate the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is celebrated on March 14, the month/day date format as 3/14; since 3, 1 and 4 are the three most significant digits of pi. March 14 is also the birthday of Albert Einstein so the two events are sometimes celebrated together. This year (2015) is even more significant as 15 is the very next consistent after 3.14

There are a variety of ways of celebrating Pi Day and most of them include eating pie and discussing the relevance of pi. Pi Day is often celebrated with pies, given that pi and pie are homophones. The first Pi Day celebration was held at the San Francisco Exploratorium in 1988, with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces, then consuming fruit pies.

Not to be left out and appropriately so, United Cigar is releasing 3,141 Pi Cigars to be sold on 3/14/15 via United Cigar Group retailers.

“The circumference of a cigar is pi and we should not be left out on this one” says David Garofalo of United Cigar, “as the next time this will happen to this level is in 100 years from now and I don’t expect to be around for that one… so it’s now or never”.

The cigars were manufactured at the Leyendas Cubanas cigar factory in the Dominican Republic in 2014 and have been resting for a full year. They feature a Ecuador Connecticut wrapper over Sumatra binder with fillers from Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The suggested retail price before local taxes is $10 per cigar.

UNITED CIGAR GROUP

United Cigar works with top cigar manufacturers throughout the world to create unique cigars built exclusively for the premium cigar retailer. With brands like La Gianna, Garofalo and Fleur de la Reine, United Cigar provides cigar products that are exclusive and were needed, but not found to be available anywhere… so they were created. United Cigar… Finding what is missing in the cigar industry, then creating it. United Cigar is also the exclusive US distributor for Atabey, Byron and Bandolero. They can be found on the web at www.unitedcigargroup.com.

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)

News: La Flor Dominicana 707 Ligero

December 17, 2014 By Kip Fisher

LA FLOR DOMINICANA CIGARS 707 Ligero

Earlier this week, La Flor Dominicana announced the impending release of a new cigar. The 707 Ligero is reported to be a full-bodied blend, featuring an “aged Ecuadorian Habano wrapper,” and Dominican binder and filler mix. The cigar will be the latest in a recent trend toward bigger and bigger cigars, and will in fact be the largest regular-production cigar La Flor Dominicana has ever produced. It will be 7″ by 70 ring, and come in ten count boxes. MSRP has been set at $10.50 per cigar ($105 per box), and should begin shipping this week (week of December 15, 2014).

About La Flor Dominicana

La Flor Dominicana is a vertically integrated premium cigar company, where we proudly control the production process from the seed to the final grading, inspecting, packaging and distribution. Our tobaccos are grown at our farm in La Canela, Dominican Republic. Our factory is located in Tamboril.

News: Drew Estate Announces “Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve” Cigars

November 7, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Drew Estate Announces “Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve” Premium Handmade Cigars

Miami, FL – Drew Estate announced today their exclusive manufacturing agreement with Pappy & Company, as well as the new “Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve” premium handmade cigar. This new cigar will be produced at Drew Estate’s Estelí, Nicaragua factory and is being made in partnership with Pappy & Company. Pappy & Company is the family-‐owned merchandise division of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, producers of legendary whiskies including Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.

The “Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve” cigar will be [Read more…]

News: Viva Republica Announces Fundraising LE Cigar

November 5, 2014 By Kip Fisher

November 5, 2014 – Premium handmade cigar manufacturer Viva Republica and Operation: Cigars for Warriors, a nonprofit dedicated to serving U.S. military members serving in combat zones, are pleased to announce a Veteran’s Day limited-edition release cigar that will be sold to benefit the charity. The new cigar features a prototype Nicaraguan wrapper with which Jason Holly (owner of Viva Republica) has been working. It will be available in a single 5.125″ x 42 vitola, and retail for $6. It is described as medium-plus, and designed to be bold and flavorful. He further related that “In terms of the blend, it’s a bit different style than the regular production portfolio.” All proceeds from the wholesale of the cigar to authorized retailers will be going directly to Operation: Cigars for Warriors. The limited edition run of 2,000 cigars is the first of its kind for Viva Republica and will ship to stores next week on Veteran’s Day (November 10^th, 2014).

Not only will this special run be a first for Viva Republica, it will be a first for Operation: Cigars for Warriors as well. The proceeds from the sales of the cigars are expected to be the largest single cash donation in the nonprofit’s history.

“For Veteran’s Day this year I wanted to do something for an organization that I truly believe in,” said Holly. “The volunteers of Operation: Cigars for Warriors work tirelessly to get cigars to the men and women fighting for our country.”

“The support of Viva Republica could not have come at a better time,” said Storm Boen, Chairmen of the Board for Operation: Cigars for Warriors. “Every month we have more requests from active duty troops than our all-volunteer organization can fill and the donation from the sale of Viva’s cigars will be used to defray our shipping costs when sending cigars to troops overseas.”

Retailers can order the cigars from Miami Cigar & Co., the exclusive American distributor of Viva Republica.

ABOUT VIVA REPUBLICA

Viva Republica is a boutique premium handmade cigar manufacturer with all of its production being provided by La Aurora, S.A. Miami Cigar Co. serves as exclusive United States distributor. www.vivarepublica.com Contact Jason Holly: [email protected]

ABOUT OPERATION: CIGARS FOR WARRIORS
Operation: Cigars for Warriors is a 501(C)(3) charity that focuses on collecting and dispersing premium cigars and accessories to American service men and women serving in combat zones. www.cigarsforwarriors.org

News: Emilio releases Mia Dora

October 29, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Mia Dora to ship after a long wait

In a story with origins going back almost two whole years, Emilio Cigars owner Gary Griffith announced today that another addition to the House of Emilio is on the way. I wrote a bit about this on The Cigarmy in March of 2013, and I believe we also covered it in minor detail on an earlier episode of Half Ashed. Mia Dora is a line in tribute to the light of Gary’s life Dora, and her Italian heritage.

The Mia Dora is being produced by AJ Fernandez in Esteli, Nicaragua and features a Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. The line will be available in three vitolas, including robusto (in 21 count boxes), toro (also 21 count boxes), and coronita (boxes of 40 available). The boxes themselves are embossed with gold coloration, with bands and packaging dedicated to the town of Aascoli Piceno (Italy). This town is the ancestral birthplace of Griffith’s beloved Dora. Gary published a blog post detailing the full back story in March of 2013 as well. Not much more in terms of final packaging detail is known as of yet, but the original band imagery is included below.

Press Release: Jordan Alexander III Premium Cigar Company

August 20, 2014 By Kip Fisher

DALTON, PA. Jordan Alexander III Premium Cigar Company officially announces a rebranding of the company to include a new logo, band, and release. The new logo, which will be incorporated into future releases and marketing materials, can be seen at left and below text. Replacing the original “lions and crest” logo, this design exemplifies the family tradition theme of JA3Cigars. The rebranding logo is based on the Alexander Family Coat of Arms.

Partnered with the rebranding of the company, JA3Cigars is proud to officially announce a new blend produced through the Quesada Cigar Factory, expected to be released mid-Fall of 2014. Replacing the current corojo blend, the new release (known as the Jordan Alexander III Corojo) is constructed with a Dominican Corojo wrapper, Dominican binder, with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. The Jordan Alexander III Corojo will be available in four vitolas; robusto (5 ½ x 54), toro (6 x 52), double toro (6×60), and belicoso (6 x 52). All vitoals except the belicoso will feature a pigtail cap. The new release will feature a new band, incorporating the “Alexander Coat of Arms” logo, which will be unveiled with the release.

Retailers interested in carrying the Jordan Alexander III Corojo are asked to contact [email protected] or call 1-866-216-3349. Shipment priorities are given to current retailers and are first come, first serve. The previously carried corojo, along with the original band and logo, will be discontinued at the release of the Jordan Alexander III Corojo. Current retailers wishing to maintain stock of our previously released blend are asked to contact [email protected] regarding limited production options.