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Ashton Symmetry Announced

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 Ashton Symmetry to be released Fall 2014

Ashton Symmetry

Earlier today, the Ashton Symmetry was announced through social media outlets as the latest addition to the company’s existing lineup.  The Symmetry will be the first new cigar line to carry the Ashton brand name in nearly ten years.  The cigar will be produced by Arturo Fuente (Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia) in the Dominican Republic, as are many existing Ashton marques including the Classic, Aged Maduro, Cabinet, Heritage Puro Sol, VSG, and ESG.  Symmetry was blended by Carlito Fuente, and will feature “Habano wrappers grown in the cloud-covered fields of Ecuador.”  Internally, the blend will feature Dominican tobaccos from Chateau de la Fuente and Villa González, as well as “some rare leaves from the Fuente family’s Un Buen Vecino farm, located in Estelí, Nicaragua.”  The line has been under development for four years, and “offers a wonderful creamy richness garnished with notes of spice, oak and toasted nuts.”  The line is described as medium to full bodied, and will be offered in five vitolas.  Shipping is set to begin this Fall, following the IPCPR tradeshow.

The Ashton Symmetry was featured in Episode 115 of Half Ashed

Ashton WebsiteAshton Facebook
Ashton Twitter

 

Cigar News: La Aurora "Untamed"

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Untamed by La Aurora to be showcased at IPCPR 2014

La Aurora issues warning, the Lion has gone rogue!

la aurora untamed

I received news yesterday of yet another IPCPR 2014 introduction, this time from La Aurora Cigars.  They will be releasing their latest offering, La Aurora Untamed, at the tradeshow in a couple of weeks.  Master blender Manuel Inoa and team are eager to [Read more…]

Cigar News: Roberto P. Duran coming this Summer

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ROBERTO DURAN PREMIUM CIGARS TO INTRODUCE THE ROBERTO P. DURAN AT IPCPR 2014

roberto duran logo(Miami, Florida) June 30, 2014— After a successful 2013 launch of the Azan Line, Roberto Duran Premium Cigars is ready to come into IPCPR 2014 with a new super-premium blend: The Roberto P. Duran.

Roberto Pelayo Duran introduced the Azan line at the 2013 IPCPR, which included the Burgundy, Premium White, and Maduro Natural. That line is now available
nationwide in over 200 cigar shops. This year he will introduce a new blend under the Roberto P. Duran Premium Cigars umbrella.

Per the release, “the Roberto P. Duran Cigar is a super-premium cigar which pays homage to his family and his family’s city of origin in Cuba.”

Duran said: “The Duran last name is from my Mother’s side. It was my Grandfather on my maternal side which introduced me to the joys of tobacco. He lived to be 99 years old and smoked on average about 8 cigars a day. I owe my livelihood to him. I wish to honor his memory with a cigar which bares his last name and honor the city of his birth, Baracoa.”

The new line is purportedly a progressive medium to strong cigar, estimated to be 20% stronger than the Azan brand.  The binder and filler are predominantly Nicaraguan, with an added leaf from Latin America in the filler. This leaf was not further specified as to its origin.  The wrapper, an Ecuadoran Habana Criollo, was grown in Duran’s plantation and is “very silky and with a light brown Colorado color.”

The Roberto P. Duran comes in four sizes:

  • The Rio Toa (5 X52).  Represents biggest river in Cuba. It is very significant to the eco-system and it is at the heart of Baracoa.
  • La Punta (A torpedo 6X54) the name appeals to a Torpedo.  The fort of “La Punta” built in 1802 is one of the symbols of Baracoa.
  • Tainos (6×56) is an ode to the Tainos, which were the natives of Baracoa before the arrival of Colon.
  • Cacique Guama (6×60) who was a Tainos Chief from Baracoa and great fighter against the Spanish occupation of their land.

Duran goes on to say: “The Roberto P. Duran Cigar Brand has been a long time in the making. We used the absolute best tobacco available and we delayed the release of this cigar as we wanted to make absolutely sure that it was the best expression of a super-premium cigar.”

About Roberto P. Duran

Roberto Pelayo Duran began his life’s work in his homeland of Havana, Cuba where tobacco grabbed a hold of him, and never let go. Supervising the production of cigar manufacturing in Cuba was only the beginning as he later went on to assemble and manage distribution of all Cuban cigar brands for Asia at The Pacific Cigar Company Ltd. Most recently, he contributed to the new global brand marketing strategy for British American Tobacco. The creation of Roberto P. Duran Premium Cigars has given Roberto the platform to introduce a brand of cigars that offer the same quality, construction, and detail which he exceeded from those he supervised while in Cuba.

For more information about Roberto P. Duran Premium Cigars, please visit www.Robertodurancigars.co.

Cigar News: Arandoza Red Label

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arandoza logo

Arandoza has formally announced the launch for their next line – the Arandoza Red Label – at this year’s IPCPR tradeshow.  The company has been in the marketplace since 2011 with their Blue Label, with the White being added at last year’s show.  All three lines are manufactured at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona factory, in Esteli Nicaragua.  Per information received from Arandoz, “the “Red” label commemorates and praises the nation’s heritage following on its footsteps of Independence Day celebrating the history, commitment and traditions of the Arandoza Family.  This new label is a full flavored full bodied cigar that will delight the seasoned aficionado.”

The Red Label is presented as a full flavored, full bodied cigar that aims to “delight the seasoned aficionado.”  The blend is comprised of Nicaraguan binder and filler, and is wrapped in San Andres Mexican wrapper leaf.  It will have an MSRP range of $7.25 – $8.50, and come in the following vitolas:

  • Toro (6″ X 52)
  • Church (7″ X 49)
  • “60” (5″ X 60)

Company website:  Arandoza Cigars

arandoza red

 

Cigar News: Draig Cayuquero Lancero

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Draig Cayuquero Lancero to ship tomorrow

Cayuquero lanceroJune 24, 2014 – Earlier today, Gary Griffith of Emilio Cigars announced that the limited edition Emilio Cigars Draig Cayuquero lanceros will begin shipping on June 25, in honor of his 60th birthday.
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The Cayuquero line is produced for Emilio by Noel Rojas’ Guayacan Cigars in Nicaragua, and features a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper, and Nicaraguan filler comprised of leaf from both Jalapa and Esteli.  The original lineup was limited to four vitolas (Robusto (5×50), Toro (6×50), Torpedo (6×50), and Corona (5.5×42)), and only 1600 boxes, and the new lancero will be limited to 100 boxes of 10 (total production 1,000 cigars).  According to Griffith this will be the only time the Cayuquero is produced in the lancero size.

The Draig series of cigars honors Griffith’s Welsh heritage, and each Draig blend is entirely different.

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The previous Draig release, the Draig “K” was featured in a Cigar Spotlight here on The Cigarmy back in October, 2012.
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[Editor’s Note:  I have had the pleasure of enjoying a couple of the initial Draig Cayuquero toros, and very much look forward to trying to get my hands on a few of these.  Of course, I’m an absolute sucker for lanceros these days, and a big fan of Guayacan in general….]

News: CLE to launch Eiroa CBT Maduro

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CLE to release all-maduro Eiroa CBT

Eiroa CBT Maduro PRIn the last of a series of news items for which I’ve been lagging behind, Eiroa / CLE Cigars announced via press release yesterday that they would launch the Eiroa CBT Maduro.  The letters “CBT” represent the components of a cigar: Capa (wrapper), Banda (binder), and Tripa (filler).  The differentiating aspect of the cigar is that all components are composed of maduro leaf.  According to the release, each of these components was selected from only the top primings of the plant, “giving this cigar the intense and complex flavors with its deep body and very smooth finish”

“The taste lingers with you and 30 minutes after, you are looking for the next one,” says CLE founder Christian Eiroa.

The cigar is expected to be available at this year’s IPCPR Tradeshow in Las Vegas, NV.  It will come packed in four, 5-count packs per 20-count box and is available in the following vitolas:

4″ x 48 Prensado
5″ x 50
6″ x 54
6″ x 60

The EIROA CBT Maduro cigars are manufactured in the Aladino Factory in Danli, Honduras.  Expected production for 2014 is approximately 150,000 cigars.  One note for retailers: this cigar will only be made available to existing EIROA customers.  MSRP will range from $9.16-$12.16.

News: Kinder, gentler Joya de Nicaragua coming in the Joya Red

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NOTE: Subsequent to this post, JdN has issued a mass email that “Due to a conflict with the name “Cardinal”, Joya de Nicaragua have changed the vitola name to “CAÑONAZO”“

JOYA RED: Rediscover Joya

Joya RedAccording to Joya de Nicaragua, smokers should rethink any preconceptions about the company’s proclivity toward making powerful cigars.

During this past week, they released plans for the JOYA RED, a new blend to launch at IPCPR 2014.  In their words, it has been developed “for the modern smoker by the youngest executive team in the industry, together with the most senior Master Blenders of Nicaragua.”  Recently appointed Joya de Nicaragua President Juan Ignacio Martínez led the current team of both fresh and longstanding executives in creating the blend.  The JOYA RED is promoted as a “vibrant smoke you will enjoy anytime, anywhere; class, as always, but also a lot more fun.”

Technically, the press release noted, the blend was still created with tobaccos from Nicaragua.  However, with the JOYA RED, a move was made away from past predominance of ligero and thick wrapper leaf to “more visos and lower priming Habano wrappers.”  Binder and filler tobaccos were also grown within Nicaragua’s tobacco regions of Estelí, Jalapa, and Condega.  The company hopes to provide a medium-strength blend with interesting flavors, allowing “for an extremely pleasant smoking experience.”

The line will ship in four vitolas, packed in 20 count boxes:

• Short Churchill – 4 ¾ x 48
• Robusto – 5 ¼ x 50
• Toro – 6 x 52
• Cardinal – 5 ½ x 54

 The JOYA RED will be available during the upcoming IPCPR Annual Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas this July. As usual, Drew Estate will distribute the brand as part of their exclusive agreement for the USA, and it will also be available worldwide through JDN’s International Marketing Division and partners.

Rediscover JOYA, Rediscover cigars!

About JOYA DE NICARAGUA S.A.

JOYA DE NICARAGUA S.A., is a family owned, Nicaragua-based cigar factory that handcrafts traditional cigars for the premium luxury cigar market. First opened in 1968, it is Nicaragua’s oldest cigar factory in operation and home to the legendary JOYA DE NICARAGUA® brand of cigars. JDN is regarded by many as the patriarch crafter of robust, unique puro blends of locally grown black tobaccos, and its cigars are sold in more than 40 countries around the world. For more information, please visit www.joyacigars.com.

News: CAO releases Sinister Sam

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America remix now available until supplies are exhausted

I’m a bit behind the 8-ball with this story, and I apologize for that.  I’ve been tied up with two podcasts this week (Catch either Stogie Geeks Episode 98 or Half Ashed Episode 069 to see that), and have not had a moment to catch up until tonight.  CAO has released the Sinister Sam, a twist on the CAO America blend.

The Sinister Sam shares a common bond with the original America line in the wrapper and binder content – Connecticut Shade and broadleaf, respectively.  The filler, however, has been pumped up a bit with a “new, ligero-driven blend with a touch of Colombian tobacco. The flavor is similar to CAO America, amped up with fuller-body.”  In a release from General earlier this week, the Sinister Sam features is said to feature some intricate construction details.  The cigar is wrapped predominantly with Connecticut Shade leaf, but additionally features a “sheath” of broadleaf on its exterior.  Although largely hidden by the lengthy band, the sheath extends enough below to reveal a large cut-out star.  At the foot is the existing America footband, with another cut-out star below.  “The result is a unique  smoking experience as the smoker progresses along the cigar from shade to a shade + broadleaf overwrap, and then back to shade with a hint of broadleaf at the end.”

The Sinister Sam is available in a single, 6.5″ X 52 vitola, and has been produced in a limited run of 2,000 boxes of 14 (28,000 total production).  Retail price before tax is set at $8.50 per cigar.  It is available exclusively at cigar shops nationwide from now until the run is depleted.

Per the General release, “CAO Sinister Sam is an ideal smoke for Fourth of July and summer BBQs, and follows CAO’s Evil Santa and Angry Snowman, two small-batch blends that were extremely well-received by cigar smokers.”

 

Sinister Sam single