New Cigars | Half Ashed

Press Release: Padilla Vintage Reserve

June 21, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Padilla to release the new Padilla Vintage Reserve

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MIAMI, FL – June 18, 2013 – Padilla Cigars will be introducing a new cigar to the successful Padilla line; Padilla Vintage Reserve. As with the other Padilla premium cigars; Padilla Reserva, Padilla Reserva Maduro, Padilla Connecticut, Padilla Miami, and Padilla 8 & 11, the Oliva Cigar Company will be manufacturing as well as distributing the Padilla Vintage Reserve both in the United States and internationally.

Vintage Reserve offers the most select and well aged top-tier tobaccos from the acclaimed Oliva cigar factory in Nicaragua. The rich Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, Cuban seed Corojo (aged a minimum of 36 months), and Nicaraguan Habano binder deliver a blend for the true cigar connoisseur. The fortunate cigar smokers who have had the opportunity to preview this new cigar, report rich coffee and molasses notes that result in a full bodied yet subtle smoke.

“The Padilla Vintage Reserve is a great addition to the Padilla line” says Ernesto Padilla, President of the Padilla Cigar Co. “The Vintage Reserve will come in three sizes; Robusto, Torpedo, and Churchill and will be a limited run. Hence we have included a unique number on each cigar band and box”.

The Padilla Vintage Reserve Cigars are made and distributed by the Oliva Cigar Company both in the United States and Internationally. The Oliva Family of Cigars has produced their own cigars since 1995. Every process of cigar making (growing and manufacturing in Esteli, Nicaragua; sales and marketing in Miami, FL) is directly supervised by a member of the Oliva family. Oliva takes pride in crafting cigars with uncompromising quality and exceptional value. These cigars are some of the highest rated in the industry.

Press Release: La Sirena Dubloon

June 10, 2013 By Kip Fisher

New La Sirena Sizes Discovered

Miami, FL June 7th, 2013 – In a recent expedition to Lake Nicaragua, which archeologists feel was once a large bay alongside the Pacific Ocean, a discovery was made. The dangerous mission to find treasures of the mermaid was met by sharks and other seemingly out of place aquatic animals. On the last day, in one of the deepest parts of the lake a cave was located with treasures of the mermaid.

Among these treasures was the Dubloon, a 7.25″X56 Salomon. The name comes from the Spanish coins that surrounded this new rare size. The rarest of all Dubloons, was one that featured a distinctive 8 stamped into it.

These pieces of 8; the La Sirena Dubloon comes packaged in an 8 count box, of which only 500 are available. They will make their debut at the IPCPR in Las Vegas. Like the La Sirena “A” they feature a dark, toothy Habano Oscuro wrapper, two Cuban-seed Nicaraguan binders, a Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 and Corojo ’96 over fillers from Nicaragua.

The La Sirena Dubloon will have a $12.00 MSRP.

About Miami Cigar & Company

Miami Cigar & Company, founded in 1989, is the exclusive US distributor of La Aurora brands. They are also the worldwide owner/distributor of Tatiana, Don Lino, La Sirena and Nestor Miranda line of cigars. They can found on the web at:

Press Release: Casa Miranda Chapter Two

June 7, 2013 By Kip Fisher

“Casa Miranda Chapter Two”

Miami, FL June 6th, 2013 – Everybody loves a good sequel, and the Casa Miranda Chapter 2 is set to debut at IPCPR which is being held this year in Las Vegas, NV.

The follow up to the original which was made in Miami at the famed El Titan de Bronze, will be made at My Father Cigars S.A in Esteli, Nicaragua.

According to Jason Wood; VP of Miami Cigar & Company, “Just like any great novel, our story continues to gain momentum with the release of Chapter 2 at this years’ IPCPR. I look forward to our consumer’s feedback on this medium bodied beauty!”

The tobacco used for this new chapter is a dark Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper with filler from Brazil, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

It is available in the following sizes:

• Robusto (4.5 x 50) $6.35 MSRP
• Corona Gorda (6 x 46) $7.00 MSRP
• Toro (5.5 x 54) $ 7.60 MSRP
• Gran Toro (6 x 60) $8.00 MSRP

About Miami Cigar & Company
Miami Cigar & Company, founded in 1989, is the exclusive US distributor of La Aurora brands. They are also the worldwide owner/distributor of Tatiana, Don Lino, La Sirena and Nestor Miranda line of cigars. They can found on the web at:

http://www.miamicigarcompany.com/

http://www.facebook.com/miamicigarcompany

Press Release: Espinosa Cigars to release Warhead

June 6, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Earlier today, Erik Espinosa (Espinosa Premium Cigars) published this on Facebook:

On this day, in honor of D-Day, we at Espinosa Premium Cigars are proud to announce that we will be introducing a limited edition cigar for our full bodied 601 La Bomba line called “Warhead” at IPCPR this year. This is the first time the 601 La Bomba line is offered with a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper. The Warhead measures 6 1/2 inches by 54 ring and is semi-box pressed with the familiar fuse-like pig tail that is found on the 601 La Bomba line. “Although the wrapper is different, we are using the same powerful blend as the rest of the line.” said Erik Espinosa.

Warhead is limited to 2,000 boxes of 10 and the packaging is inspired by several themes in the World War II era. When unraveled, the foot band on the cigar is revealed to be in the form of a bomb. This “bomb” features nose art or aircraft graffiti, which was common in this era. Most prominent is the shark-face which is a reference to the Flying Tigers, the 1st American Volunteer Group, who would paint the shark-faces on their military aircrafts.

The 601 La Bomba line was first introduced in 2011 and is considered to be one of the strongest cigars in the market

Press Release: La Palina Releases 2nd Goldie-The Laguito No.5

April 25, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Goldie Drell Paley, the namesake of La Palina cigars, was the wife of Samuel Paley, who founded the company in 1896. Bill Paley, Sam’s grandson and current owner, created The La Palina Collection Goldie to celebrate the history, contributions and accomplishments of women in the cigar industry. Bill is proud to present the initial release of the new Goldie in late May, with a second release in August of 2013. The La Palina Collection Goldie Laguito No.5 will be limited to 2500 numbered boxes.

Produced at the El Titan de Bronze factory in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, the Goldie is made under the supervision of owner Sandra Cobas. The La Palina Goldie Laguito No.5 will be a 5 5/8 x 54 cigar and presented in boxes of 10.

Master roller Maria Sierra, who will have signed each numbered box, rolled the entire La Palina Collection Goldie Laguito No.5 release. Maria was one of the first women trained to roll cigars in Cuba. Her historic 32 year career at Villa El Laguito began July 22, 1967. Maria is a 95 rated, category 9 roller trained by Fidel Castro’s personal roller Eduardo Rivera Irizarri, as well as Avelino Lara, the creator of the legendary Cohiba blend.

Each cigar is finished in the traditional Laguito style with a fan cap, exclusively taught to rollers at Villa El Laguito. The Goldie is blended with the prized Medio Tiempo leaf, found on only 10% of tobacco plants.

The La Palina Collection Goldie Laguito No.5 embodies the tradition, expertise and passion of women in the cigar industry.

Bill Paley and La Palina will debut the La Palina Collection Goldie Laguito No.5 at Nat Sherman International in NYC on May 9, 2013. Maria Sierra will be rolling the Goldie Laguito No.5 at the event. Please contact Nat Sherman 1-800-MY-CIGAR regarding attendance. The May release will be limited to 1000 boxes, and distributed to select accounts across the country. The rest of the release will become available sometime in August.

Sam is back! Sam Leccia again re-enters the cigar arena

April 1, 2013 By Kip Fisher

[EDIT: Sam will be on this week’s Half Ashed! I confirmed earlier this week that he will be joining us Friday night (4/12/13) at 9pm EST. Be sure to join the chatroom if you have questions you’d like to ask him! For full details and how to watch/listen, see the SHOW SUMMARY] Those of you who follow Half Ashed will know that Craig and I have watched with a great deal of interest over the past few weeks, waiting to see each new development in the rumblings of Sam Leccia coming back into the world of cigars. Most know Sam as the former frontman for the Nub and Cain lines of Studio Tobac/Oliva, and will remember the dispute with Oliva over his original plan of entering marketplace with his own cigars back in 2011. In recent weeks, the news came out that he and Oliva had reached an amicable agreement, and that he would be back with new cigars in the very near future.

We first talked about the story back in February on Episode 002 of Half Ashed, and have touched back on the topic a couple of times since. More information has begun to seep into public this afternoon, and I thought it worthy of a quick post to pass along what I have gathered thusfar. Cigar Aficionado published a short article about the impending return with some details about the blends and timing. Apparently, Sam has arranged for Torano to distribute his new cigars, which will be launching in May. The initial offering will be of two lines – the Black and the White. The White will be produced in Nicaragua by an as-yet unnamed manufacturer, while the Black will be rolled in the Dominican Republic. The thing that intrigues me most about the news today is the announcement that the Black will feature a half leaf of fire-cured tobacco. This curing method is not unheard of in cigars, but I’m most familiar with it in pipe tobaccos. I am very interested in how this is going to contribute to a cigar blend. Both Craig and I love to try new cigars, especially when they showcase something unique or not so run-of-the-mill. I’ll be waiting for the Black with bated breath.

The new lines will have nothing in common with the Debut (the line originally planned for release in 2011), and Sam has said he started from scratch for Black and White. The new cigars will be available in the following sizes: 4″X46, 5″X52, 6″X50, and 6″X60, and priced from $7-9 per stick. Leccia plans on attending IPCPR this summer, but in the meantime you can find more information at the Leccia Tobacco Facebook page, or follow him on Twitter at: @SamLeccia. You can also view a 30-second Leccia Tobacco video spot posted by Torano earlier today.

More news this morning (4/2/2013), from Sam’s Facebook page:

I will be launching Leccia Tobacco late this month. My first offering will be Leccia Tobacco Black and White.

The White is made in Nicaragua. It is an African Sun Grown wrapper with a habano binder. the filler has Nicaraguan and Dominican legero with seco from my home state of Pennsylvania. Has a lightly sweet dark roasted cashew flavor. it is full bodied in flavor and the strength is on the smooth side of strong.

The Black is made in the Dominican Republic and has a habano wrapper. The binder is Nicaraguan Rosado with Ligero from Esteli, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The filler uses Brazilian Monte Fina and a half leaf of “Dark Fire”. Dark Fire is wood fire cured giving the tobacco a smoked whisky flavor and aroma. Very complex notes of spices and charred oak.

Product will ship in May.

Press Release: Federal Cigar Special F Event Cigar from My Father

March 12, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Portsmouth, NH – Federal Cigar is honored to announce the upcoming release of the My Father Cigar Company’s Special F to commemorate Federal’s 92nd Anniversary event on Saturday, March 16th 2013. Blended by the Pepin family, this cigar is a prime example of the history of excellence for which the My Father Cigar Company has become known.

It will be a singular release, with 200 boxes of 15 in a Corona Gorda (5.5 x 46) size. They will be available for in-store purchase only starting on the 16th at the Federal Cigar My Father Lounge, located in Plaistow, NH with members of the Garcia family on hand to join in the festivities. Any remaining quantity after that weekend will be available for purchase by phone or online at FederalCigar.com.

The blend of the Special F is based on the familiar S Special cigar, normally reserved for events attended by members of the Garcia family. With the Special F, however, the blend has been changed such that it stands firmly on its own as an individual cigar in both flavor and strength. Any remaining information regarding the blend is unavailable at this time, per the request of the My Father Cigar Company.

About Federal Cigar:

Federal Cigar has been providing Seacoast area New Hampshire, Southern Maine, and Northern Massachusetts with fine cigars and quality tobacco products since 1921. Serving the Portsmouth NH area and surrounding towns for the last 92 years, Federal Cigar has a long and rich history in the local community as experienced, knowledgeable, and professional tobacconists.

Federal Cigar currently has four (4) locations in the state of New Hampshire. The oldest location is in Portsmouth, followed by Dover, Epping, and the newest addition to the Federal Cigar organization – Plaistow NH. The Plaistow location features the newest and most updated Member’s Lounge, sponsored by the My Father Cigar Company, and one of the largest selections of cigars and fine tobacco in the area.

Press Release: Iconic Leaf Special Edition Recluse Draconian

March 5, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Special Edition Recluse Draconian

We are pleased to announce that we have completed the blend for our upcoming special edition release of Recluse. It is called the Recluse Draconian. It will be made in three vitolas called Sidewinders. Sidewinders are another new shape that we have created. As we did with our Kanu’ shape, the Sidewinder shape has never been done before in the cigar industry. It will remain undisclosed until its release at this years IPCPR July 13th-17th.
A few select retailers will get an advance release of the Recluse Draconian blend in three box pressed sizes. Recluse Draconian will be rolled in true Entubar fashion as is every cigar that is rolled in the Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas factory. The Recluse Draconian blend is truly exotic.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Maduro

Binder: Proprietary

Fillers:
Brazilian Hybrid
Piloto Cubano
Dominican
Iconic Leaf Ligero*
(leaf developed and exclusive to Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas)*

This blend was created in keeping with our philosophy of creating flavorful, well balanced blends that are smooth with many transitions. We are proud that we have been able to bring quality and innovation together. This is only the beginning.

Some more information about Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas

Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas, which means Cuban Tobacco Legends, is run by J.R. Dominguez; he comes from generations of cigar manufacturers and he wants to have the greatest factory in the Dominican Republic.

The first blend released from this factory is the Recluse. Every leaf in the Recluse, the wrapper, the filler and the binder is fermented for Two years. Additional steps taken that separates the Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas from others include 100% Entubao rolling. Every cigar that’s rolled in the TLC factory is rolled in the cuban style of ‘entubao’. Entubao means tubing. What we do is instead of bunching and pressing the filler, which can affect the draw, we take each filler leaf and roll it up into an individual tube and then we pull those three tubes together which creates three air channels. What you get with the three air channels is an effortless draw. By doing it this way you can do a better box press on the cigar. When you’re compressing the airspace on a cigar, you’re basically reducing the amount of combustion that you have because the airspace is reduced. So what you get with entubao is an effortless draw as well as a cooler, slower and straighter burn. The cigar refuses to burn hot. We have invented new shapes ; we’re blazing a new trail. The OTG on the Recluse stands for Off The Grid, because that’s the way we do our whole business model. The new shape is called Kanu’ It’s really ‘a Picasso’….it’s the perfect ‘storm’ for cigars.

AVO The Dominant 13th Limited Edition 2013

March 1, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Pinellas Park, FL – March 1, 2013. The successful AVO brand is launching a musical cigar composition “The Dominant 13th” the new 2013 Limited Edition, which was created by the passionate jazz musician and cigar connoisseur, Avo Uvezian. It has complex and promising characteristics, just like its namesake – the Dominant 13th chord. The innovative, succinct tobacco creation, in the popular and impressive Toro format, gleams in a deep brown wrapper from Ecuador.
This complex and mature cigar composition by Avo Uvezian also provides a musical inspiration. The new AVO Limited Edition 2013 offers aficionados not only a perfectly balanced cigar to enjoy, but also an excellent homage to jazz. The inside cover shows Avo Uvezian’s song, “Delightful Days”, along with a personal dedication:

“My dear friend,
Every month, I visit our tobacco fields and cigar factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic, to get inspiration and blend new cigars. The cigar you are smoking right now was composed on such a trip, resulting in an amazingly complex blend. While smoking this cigar it reminded me of the most famous and complex jazz chord, the famous Dominant 13th. Thus I composed the above song “Delightful Days” to make you experience the Dominant 13th chord while smoking my new anniversary blend.
Truly yours, Avo Uvezian“

Both in music, as well as in the composition of the finest cigars, which Avo Uvezian began in 1987, passion and perfection are the driving forces which inspire him to achieve absolute harmony in all of his symphonies. Like no other, he knows how to reflect a love of music in all the nuances of his cigars, and how to share it with every aficionado. The packaging of the new product captivates with measure and sophistication. The cigar box is innovative in its book-like design, featuring a brown matte exterior characterized by a vintage style leather-look. Inside the cigar box, a USB stick containing a brief movie clip, songs by Avo, the AVO cigar catalog and screen saver ensure the longevity of these unique compositions for Avo Uvezian’s birthday. Production of “The Dominant 13th” Limited Edition 2013 is limited to 9000 boxes worldwide. The Dominant 13th will be launched in the USA on March 28, 2013. In Europe, the launch can vary from country to country, beginning mid-April 2013.

Length 6“
Diameter 52 RG
Format Toro
Wrapper Habano 2000 Ecuador
Binder Yamasá (DR)
Filler Piloto Viso (DR), Habano Viso (DR), San Vicente Ligero (DR),
Corojo/Olor Ligero (DR), Peru Viso

Price $15.00 – (Single cigar) $195.00 – (Wooden box of 13 cigars)

Avo Uvezian will introduce his new cigar in person during his annual AVO Anniversary Tour beginning March 28th. Avo will travel to 7 different locations this year in celebration of his 87th birthday and his newest release, The Dominant 13th.

AVO 2013 ANNIVERSARY TOUR SCHEDULE

Davidoff of Geneva @ The Grand Havana Room, New York, NY March 28, 2013
Corona Cigar Company, Orlando, FL March 30, 2013
Humidor of Westmont, Westmont, IL April 5, 2013
Ambassador Fine Cigars, Scottsdale, AZ April 16, 2013
Club Humidor, San Antonio, TX April 18, 2013
Jenuwine Cigar Factory Outlet, Sterling Heights, MI May 9, 2013
Churchill’s Cigar Bar, West Bloomfield, MI May 10, 2013

Davidoff of Geneva
3001 Gateway Centre Parkway
Pinellas Park, FL 33782
FACEBOOK.COM/AVOCIGAR

WWW.AVO.COM

TWITTER.COM/AVOCIGARS

Press Release: Cuenca Cigars Introduces "5 Anniversary"

January 8, 2013 By Kip Fisher

Recent news from Cuenca, whose cigars I will be reviewing this upcoming week:

Monday, December 28th, 2012

Hollywood, Florida— Today, Miguel Cuenca has officially announced the upcoming release of Cuenca Cigar’s latest creation: the “Cuenca 5 Anniversary” cigar. The cigar is available for sale since December 2012.

“Cuenca 5 Anniversary”, is a medium to full body cigar with a full flavor profile accented with spicy notes. This blend has been specially chosen by Miguel Cuenca. Then, a group of five seasoned smokers at Cuenca Cigars of Hollywood, along with Ana Cuenca were part of the testing process. “This is how we do things at Cuenca Cigars”, said Ana Cuenca. We have reinforced our customers’ avid knowledge and palate by allowing them to freely experience the vast selection in our store. In turn, they have become even more sophisticated when making their next choice for a great smoke. When it came time to develop our cigar, we fully engaged them in the development process. Who better than our loyal customers to give us unbiased feedback!

Our goal was to blend a cigar with complexity and a lot of flavor. We did not want to come out with a mild blend; we love spicy and full bodied cigars. Even though, mild may be an easier sale; we want to be known and defined for offering a spicy and strong product. We also love to be “different”, in every possible way. Did you notice the absence of the “th” in 5? We like it like that way, and 5 is a great number for us.

“Cuenca 5 Anniversary” will have an initial batch of 500 boxes. All boxes will be signed by Miguel Cuenca. In 2013, a full line will be released using this same blend. More details will be released early next year.

“Cuenca 5 Anniversary” is a 7 x 54, Torpedo Box pressed, with carefully selected dark Habano wrapper from Nicaragua. It was aged and cured by AJ Fernandez the creator of San Lotano Cigars, a good friend of the Cuenca Family. They come in an elegant cedar box which contains 10 cigars.

Cigars will be initially available in 20 different cigar stores in the Continental U.S. and Europe. By mid 2013, the whole line will be available in 50 U.S. and European stores. The “Cuenca 5 Anniversary” line is a registered trademark of Cuenca Cigars TM and/or affiliated companies.

Mission
….the only place that will put up with your ash…..
Cuenca Cigars
1928 Harrison Street
Hollywood, FL 33020
866-417-9454
954-364-7660 * Fax: 954-364-7661

Email: [email protected]
http://www.cuencacigars.com/
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or to receive Mobile Alerts

Company Overview
Cuenca Cigars is a bar, a patio, a cappuccino bar situated adjacent to a “Members Only” Lounge. Enthusiasts gather for a great coffee, beer and wine at outside tables and signature cigars in lounge. Owners greet guests with a cigar in one hand and a fun attitude, providing cigars bars aren’t just a boy’s Club anymore. Their active Facebook page pitches promotions, drawings and comedy nights. It is truly an inviting aura that is unpretentious and sophisticated. Hollywood Gazette, 2011.