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Half Ashed Episode 136: Partagas Maduro No 1

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Partagas Maduro Number 1

At 5-⅛”x52 the Partagas Maduro Number 1 Robusto (plus) gets my vote as most controversial cigar of 2015. It’s the second “maduro” regular production cigar ever produced after the Revolution in Cuba, with the Cohiba Maduro 5 being the other. It made its debut in the 3rd quarter but trumped just about everything else Habanos put out last year, in terms of chatter. People balked at the Añejados but shouted to the heavens about the Maduro 1. The word on the street was that this cigar tasted Nicaraguan. In fact, nearly the same arguments were made about this as were made about the Maddie 5s back in 07. This cigar brings typical maduro sweetness to the game but really displays a plethora of other flavors at the forefront of sensation. It’s an enigma to me, but certainly one I enjoy exploring. FWIW, I think I might be the only person I know who enjoys them…

Cigar News

Sam Leccia departs from General….despite originally being described as an “acquisition” by General of the Leccia blends in 2014, Sam apparently still holds his own trademarks and branding.  He is leaving both the distribution arrangement and his position within Foundry and striking out on his own again.

Pete Johnson has shown off a picture of this upcoming year’s Tatuaje Monster release – the Kreuger, named after Freddy Kreuger of Nightmare on Elm Street fame.  Specifics for blend and exact size haven’t been revealed, but it’s a large, pressed torpedo shape.

House of Emilio has rebranded itself as Boutiques United.  The company unveiled its new website and branding, showcasing the four remaining marques they distribute – Ezra Zion, Emilio, Global Premium Cigars (1502), and Nomad.  Sales force and distribution arrangements reportedly remain the same.

Our friend Terry Johnson is *finally* getting Counsellor Cigars to market.  The line was originally to be a joint effort between TLJ and LTC, but was held up when the two parted ways last Summer.  It’s a revival of an old, long out of use trademark that Johnson picked up quite some time ago.  It will feature a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Dominican criollo ‘98 binder and a corojo/criollo filler blend.  Counsellor is slated to ship next month in five vitolas, boxes of 10, and  will retail between $5.50 and $6.50 per cigar.  I smoked a couple of these a few months ago, with spectacular results….

Since we touched on La Tradicion Cubana, Luis has announced a price *decrease* on all his products across the board.  He’ll be trimming his pricing by about 10% on most all his lines.  Good news, indeed!

This year’s CMA awards have been published…

Brand of the  Year: Warped Cigars
Cigar of the Year: Matilde Oscura
Member of the Year: Coop

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

J. Fuego Americana

Kip

Joya Red.  What happened?!?

Nick Melillo’s El Gueguense.  

Next Episode

In the next episode (137), we will be smoking the Tatuaje Black Corona Gorda.  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.

Half Ashed Episode 123: Partagas Serie D EL 2010

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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.

 

Half Ashed Episode 116: San Cristobal Mercaderes (2007)

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San Cristobal Mercaderes (2007)

From Craig:  A commemorative release from the brand meant to pay tribute Cuba’s capital.  Roughly 6-½ x 48, a special vitola rolled initially just for this cigar. Filled with cocoa & graham flavors, this medium bodied and strength cigar is a slightly savory dessert like treat. Box code EMA Jan 07

Cigar News

As a followup to a story we covered several weeks ago, Gov Sam Brownback of Kansas has formally introduced his budget proposal for the upcoming year….to include increases on tobacco and liquor tax.  Cigars would see an increase from 10% to 25% of wholesale pricing added to them, while cigarettes would be harder hit with a net increase of $1.50 per pack.

D’Crossier Cigars, which we smoked blindly last year, has moved their distribution to Espinosa.  Their cigars are not manufactured by Espinosa; owner Isaias Diaz is simply aiming at a greater exposure and accessibility for his cigars through a bigger, more established distribution network.

I monitor some of the many bans that pass these days – there are so many it’s tough to keep close watch.  One in particular hit home this past week.  Waynesville, NC – a town I’m quite familiar with – has banned smoking (including e-cigarettes) in essentially all public places…including sidewalks, parks, govt. vehicles, greenways and around public buildings.  Never thought I’d see the day bringing this news from NC.

For those Crowned Heads fans who are interested (like me), this year’s Las Calaveras has left the MF factory and are headed to CH headquarters.  Look for them to hit store shelves in the next few weeks…

Gran Habano has released something special from George Rico’s personal reserve…the Private Humidor Selection.  Apparently, GAR has stockpiled some 30,000 cigars in his personal stash in various sizes and shapes.  This first release is a 7.5” x 38 lancero that has been waiting in the wings for the past 7-8 years.  The Nicaraguan puro was made at Gran Habano’s Honduran factory and will retail somewhere around the $10 mark.  A total of 100 boxes of 25 were released, and only a handful of retailers will be receiving them, predominantly in California, Hawaii and Texas.

Relative newcomer to the US market, Roberto P. Duran, has hired Cristano “Santo” Cardenas as their master blender.  Cardenas has been in the Cuban cigar industry for 55 years, dating back to 1960.  He has spent his tenure with the Upmann, Montecristo, El Rey del Mundo and Partagas marques.  He also served as a global ambassador for Cuban cigars in recent years.  Roberto Duran said in the press release that Cardenas had been his a major influence of his when he worked at the Partagas factory in Cuba.  Cardenas will head up the company’s Nicatabaco factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

What Else We’ve Been Smoking

Craig

06 Party Corona – Excellent bready tobacco savory flavor
03 SLR Regio – Wonderful slightly salty sweet citrus flavor
10 AF 858 SG – Perhaps age isn’t the best for this cigar. Almost too crisp and not the slight edge that helps the young versions
03 RJ Ex#4 – Slightly too much sweet herbal flavors

Kip

United Cigars – Bandolero

Asylum Nyctophilia – made entirely of maduro leaf, featuring San Andres wrapper and Nicaraguan internal components.  I tried the robusto, which retails for about $6.  The other available vitolas are 6×60 and 7×70.  It’s “kinda” a TAA special, in that it will only be available at TAA shops for the first several months to a year.  I was apparently one of the first consumers to buy one of these, if not the first…

Ortega –

Other Rabbit Trails…

NOTE: We ended up getting off on a tangent, but here’s the excerpt from our show notes that got the whole discussion kicked off….

Is it just me or has the store-exclusive and limited schtick exploded recently?  Every week, we have stories of more shop exclusives…and not just one or two.  It’s mind boggling for the feeble minded like myself to try and keep track of.  I have previously kept loose tabs on them, and tried to buy at least a couple from a few manufacturers…but I’m about ready to throw in the towel on even considering more than a passing glance at this point.  The distinction has blurred such that most I have try hold very little interest for me.  At times it seems the cigars are less likely to be a new/different blend than just another vitola in a standard production line.  If I happen to be in a store with some I’ll consider it…but it would be out of the ordinary to even think of making a phone call to buy any these days.  Mind you, I have no beef with house blends….just this LE shop-exclusive hype machine.  Maybe I’ll eat those words at some point, but I’m fatigued with the myriad makers, lines and limited edition “specials” at this point.

Next Episode

In the next episode (117), we will be smoking the EP Carrillo La Historia Dona Elena.  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] [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.

P.S. – If you have unbanded suggestions or contributions, you can get those to us by sending an email to [email protected].  This email address goes directly to my wife, so you can simply suggest an unbanded cigar for her to source,[email protected] if you have something you’d like to send in.  I will provide an address to send them.  Thanks!

 

Half Ashed Episode 099: 2000 Partagas Serie D Robusto

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2000 Partagas Serie D Robusto (#4)

Welcome to Episode 099 of Half Ashed, featuring one of Craig’s selections – and quite a treat – the 2000 Partagas Serie D #4 Robusto.  Craig’s words about this special cigar:

A traditional robusto which helped popularize the size in the 70’s. This classic cigar from Cuba is the only remaining specimen from a 16 cigar series from A-D & 1-4. Originally the rings escalated by letter and lengths shortened by number. This little trivia tidbit is a lesser known fact about what is now an incredibly popular cigar. Filled with classic “old school” tobacco based flavors, this cigar blossoms with “twang” and displays quite a bit of spice and bold sweetness when young. With a decade and a half of age, these samples are well rounded and smoothed out, while still being powerful enough to hold anyone’s interest.

News

In the news, we covered and explored a few items, including the stories summarized below.

We haven’t talked much in the past about Cabal, but they’ve been busily building a growing following.  It’s a partnership between Chris Arolfo and Hendrik Kelner, Jr. as the flagship line for Kelner Boutique Factory in the DR.  Chris posted up this week that he will be releasing a new line – the Linda, in honor of his Mom who passed away with a rare brain disorder 2 years ago.  It will help support a research/support organization for Frontotemporal Degeneration.  No details for the cigar, but I dig the idea already.

Jon Huber at The Crowned Heads has again hinted at another upcoming project for the company.  He put up a picture captioned: “Dark..bold..& beautiful. An old vitola called “Dukes” (5 1/2 x 54). Coming #2015”.  That’s all the info he’s given out thus far, but it did indeed look dark, bold and beautiful….

Longtime general manager of Davidoff’s Dominican operations Hendrik Kelner has handed over the reins.  He’s not leaving the organization, but taking on “a more global role within the company.”  Longtime employee and current VP of Tabadom’s cigar operations Hamlet Espinal will be taking over.  “Some of Kelner’s new global roles will include government relations, corporate affairs, chairing the blending and tasting panel at Tabadom and conducting educational tasting seminars around the world.”(story from Cigar Aficionado)

The CMA, which we are a part of,  put out their list of awards today.  This inaugural year included three awards:

Cigar of the Year: illusione Fume D’Amour
Company of the Year: The Crowned Heads
Cigar Media of the Year: Cigar Dojo

New Orleans is trying to pass a smoking ban that would prohibit smoking at most businesses and public space throughout the city….the year IPCPR is coming to town….

Back to Nebraska!  A bill has been introduced – but no action taken – by State Senator Ty Larson that would restore the ability of cigar bars to allow smoking in their establishments.  It has language that differentiates cigars and pipes from other tobacco use and asserts that the exemption does not interfere with the intent behind the existing smoking ban.  We’ll keep you updated on this story as it continues…..

Sam Brownback (gov., Kansas) has been busily making cuts to government in his home state…but has just this week proposed making up the near $650 million budget gap in increased taxes on tobacco and alcohol.  Liquor would have an increase of about 50% (from 8% up to 12%), while tobacco would see a much bigger jump…especially cigarettes, which have the tax rate nearly tripled.

Finally, Craig had some more insight into the recent changes in U.S. relations with Cuba – and specifically how the requirements for travel are slightly different than originally promoted…

What Have We Been Smoking?

Craig – KBF Smoking Jacket, EPC La Historia, EPC 5-year Anni, Behike 52

Kip – The Crowned Heads Four Kicks, La Flor Dominicana 1994

Listener Email

We talked over one listener email question this week, from Officer Paul:

In November I picked up a pipe and a tin of Dunhill tobacco. I left the tobacco in the tin because it looked like there was a seal on the lid. I opened it last week to find it had dried out. Is there a way to rehydrate it or is it dead and gone?

Tune in for my answer!

Wrap Up

Next week, for our 100th Episode (!) we’ll be featuring the 2005 Opus X Double Corona as our Cigar of the Week.  Be sure to tune in Friday night at 9:30pm EST 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 Us!” tab at the side of this page, or at 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.

P.S. – If you have unbanded suggestions or contributions, you can get those to us by sending an email to [email protected].  This email address goes directly to my wife, so you can simply suggest an unbanded cigar for her to source, or send me an email to [email protected] if you have something you’d like to send in.  I will provide an address to send them.  Thanks!

Episode 018: 2006 Partagas Serie du Connoisseur

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Half Ashed LogoPartagas Serie du Connoisseur

Welcome, folks!  We’re back, and only slightly agitated with the unexpected loss of Episode 017 last week.  Thanks for joining us.  I’ll be brief with the summary this week and try to hit all the details quickly.  Our Cigar of the Week is one of Craig’s offerings, the 2006 Partagas Serie du Connoisseur.  We had several news items pop up this week, as we begin to enter the season of rapidfire updates in the days leading up to IPCPR.  Here are a few we covered:

News Items

  1. Eddie Ortega has been showing off the artwork for his October release in the Wild Bunch series, featuring DaByrdman (Ashley Byrd, cofounder of the B&B Cigar Club)
  2. Quesada will be adding a 5″X43 corona to the Oktoberfest lineup this year, which excites both of us greatly.  I already love the blend, especially in the Bavarian size…I can’t wait to give it a try in a corona.  Production numbers appear to be only about 500 boxes of 20, and MSRP is about $7.25.
  3. EP Carrillo is going to release a 7″X70 monster into the INCH line.
  4. Erik Espinosa published a press release earlier this week detailing the upcoming La Bomba Warhead.
  5. L’Atelier published a picture of the packaging for the upcoming Extension de la Racine, which will feature a similar blend to their core line but be wrapped in Sungrown Criollo.
  6. Miami Cigar gave a few details about this year’s Casa Miranda – Chapter Two.
  7. On a pipe tobacco note, two legendary blends will soon be in the US market after decades of being unavailable here.

What have we been smoking?

Craig: Wynwood, La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva

Kip: Oliva Serie V Maduro, Padilla Miami 8&11, EPC Short Run 2013, Cuenca 5 Anniversary, Opus – Tauros the Bull

Miscellany

There were a number of discussions in this episode to point out my ever-increasing age and my perception of time since certain cigars were released….

Additionally, we took the opportunity to cover a great number of emails this week.  We needed to catch up after losing last week’s episode to the Great Wide YouTube Universe.  We actually got through 9 of them in the episode, some followups to previous correspondence.  Keep those coming!  We love to hear from you all – just drop us a line through any of the means below.

Wrap

Be sure you all come back next week for Episode 019, which will be a live show at 9pm EST Friday night (June 14).  We will be smoking a Monte Pascoal, a tasty blend coming out of Brazil.

In the meantime, if you would like to contact us, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [email protected] or [email protected].  Don’t forget to get those emails in this month to be entered in our current giveaway.  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), or find us on iTunes.

P.S. – If you have unbanded suggestions or contributions, you can get those to us by sending an email to [email protected].  This email address goes directly to my wife, so you can simply suggest an unbanded cigar for her to source, or send me an email to [email protected] if you have something you’d like to send in.  I will provide an address to send them.  Thanks!