Unbanded | Half Ashed

Half Ashed Episode 058: Unbanded #013

March 24, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Hello again and welcome to Episode 058 of Half Ashed. This week, we’re smoking an Unbanded – #013, supplied by Jacob Pinkas. We had quite a big of technical difficulties, but I have edited as much of those snafus out as possible. Please forgive that. In cigar news, we talked over items from Skip Martin, Eddie Ortega, Miami Cigar/Viva Republic, Blessed Leaf, Paul Stulac, and Tatuaje. We also kicked around one legislative story. We also covered what we’ve been smoking, and some listener comments. So kick back with a cigar and join us. Thanks for listening!

Next week, our Cigar of the Week has yet to be determined. As always, we’re constantly looking for suggestions about potential Cigars of the Week, and Unbanded cigars. So if you have one drop us a line at one of the email addresses below. Be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at Cigar Federation (details on locating the show will be on the front page that evening an hour before showtime), where you can catch us recording and participate in the chatroom. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [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), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

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!

Half Ashed Episode 051: Cigar Coop and Unbanded

February 1, 2014 By Kip Fisher

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to another exciting episode of Half Ashed. This week, we have special guest William “Cigar Coop” Cooper. William is well known in cigar circles for his outstanding written blog (Cigar_Coop), and most recently for his partnership with Stogie Geeks. They are doing some great things in combining the written word with broadcasting. We are smoking an Unbanded cigar sent in by Coop himself, so tune in to watch Craig and I make all kinds of wild swings at what it might be. We cover a lot of ground in news, legislation, and other related topics. Join us for the fun!

Next week, there are two things of note to mention. First, it is our one-year anniversary since first taking this rambling roadshow we call Half Ashed onto the broad airwaves of the internet. We’re celebrating by bringing our inspirations for doing so on – Bob McDuffee and Dale Roush, of Dogwatch Cigar Radio fame will be joining us for the show. Secondly, we will be smoking the 400th Anniversary Orinoco maduro as our Cigar of the Week (sounds delicious, huh!). And finally, our schedule will be slightly different. I will be returning from the Dominican Republic on Saturday, which mean we won’t be able to record Friday night. SO, we’ll be recording on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8th. Don’t forget!

As always, we’re constantly looking for suggestions about potential Cigars of the Week, and Unbanded cigars. So if you have one drop us a line at one of the email addresses below. Be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at Cigar Federation (details on locating the show will be on the front page that evening an hour before showtime), where you can catch us recording and participate in the chatroom. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [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), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

Half Ashed Episode 046: Unbanded 011

December 21, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Welcome to Episode 046 of Half Ashed! This week’s show is a bit abbreviated due to some impending technical issues that might have made it difficult to post the show for the next several days. We’re smoking Unbanded Number 011, provided by Jacob Pinkas (thank you Jacob!). This week, we covered news items from TL Johnson, New York City legislators (sigh), recent controversy on CA’s Top 25 list, La Sirena/Miami Cigar, Fuente, and Crowned Heads. We also managed to cover a couple of the things we’ve been smoking this week, as well as a couple of past-due emails. So, kick back and enjoy the shortened show!

Next week, we plan on have a normal 2 hour show at the regularly appointed time, although I’ll be on the road with an unknown amount of bandwidth….so be patient if it takes us a moment to go live. Next week’s Cigar of The Week will be a surprise, as Craig hasn’t yet picked which of his cigars we’ll be smoking. Be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at Cigar Federation (details on locating the show will be on the front page that evening an hour before showtime), where you can catch us recording and participate in the chatroom. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [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), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

Half Ashed 039: Dogwatch Revisited

November 3, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Dogwatch Revisited

Good afternoon everyone, and welcome back for this week’s Half Ashed. For Episode 039, we bring back our friends and mentors Bob & Dale, formerly of Dogwatch Cigar Radio. We’re smoking an unbanded submission from DC – who might have facilitated a dead-nuts determination of brand and make of this cigar by Bob McDuffee (you really gotta watch these guys…..). In the news, we cover some items from Fuente (Casa Cuba!), some new New York City legislation, and the schedule for the upcoming “official” hard launch of Barry Stein’s KILO.

In the midst of all the much-anticipated and very welcome silliness that always comes with a visit from the Dogwatch brethren, we also review what each of us has been smoking this week – including a cigar that simply didn’t fill my sails with wind, and a handful of other items that came up in the conversation. As is always the case, we love it when Dale and Bob can come by and spend some time hanging out. They never fail to provide a great time of hanging out and chatting. We’re definitely looking forward to the next time they’re available to come by – which may be as soon as December, so stay tuned for that.

Next week, our Cigar of the Week will be something….we just don’t know what that is yet. We’ll surprise you with something good to smoke for sure. So be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at www.halfashed.com, where you can catch us recording and participate in the chatroom. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [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), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

Half Ashed Episode 036: Unbanded 010

October 13, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Half Ashed Episode 036: Unbanded 010

Good afternoon, and welcome back for another episode of Half Ashed. This week, for episode 036, we’re smoking an unbanded submission from Steve Dorau (Thanks, Steve!). In news, we cover stories from Drew Estate, upcoming cigar festivities for anyone in the central Florida area, the education I recently received in Chicago tobacco taxes (yikes!), Sotolongo Cigars, Miami Cigar, Emilio and Emilio-distributed Nomad Cigars, as well as the upcoming availability of a budget pipe tobacco.

We also cover what we’ve been smoking (a few goodies for me, and one that just wasn’t in Craig’s sweetspot), cigar etiquette, and an update on my attempts at putting together a new website. Additionally, we did get to a couple of emails and notes we’ve gotten from folks that have been quite generous and kind toward the show. Thanks to all for that, we really appreciate the encouragement.

Next week, our Cigar of the Week will be a surprise, at this point even to us. Be sure to check back in for that next Friday at 9:30pm EST at www.halfashed.com. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [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), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

Half Ashed Episode 033: Unbanded 009

September 22, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Episode 033: Unbanded 009

Welcome to Episode 033 of Half Ashed, everyone. This week, we’re smoking Unbanded 009, provided by Jacob Pinkas (thank you Jacob!). In news, we covered the departure of IPCPR CEO Bill SPann, a massive and unfortunate theft at the Alec Bradley warehouse, and upcoming/current releases from Jesus Fuego, Crowned Heads, Tatuaje, Barry Stein (Miami Cigar), and a Sons of Anarchy cigar….

There were several great (and a couple not so great) cigars from the “what have we been smoking” segment, and we kicked around some ideas that the both of us have been pondering and pontificating about recently as well.

Next week, our Cigar of the Week will be the Ramon Allones Gigante – so be sure to check back in for that Friday at 9:30pm EST at www.halfashed.com. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [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), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

Episode 027: Unbanded Cigar Number 007

August 10, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Welcome back to Episode 027 of Half Ashed. This week, we’re smoking our cigars shaken; not stirred. We take a look at Unbanded 007, submitted by Dan Crouch (Thanks, DC!). In another of DC’s experiments with this segment, he submitted two vitolas from the same line – a corona and a robusto. We found marked differences between the two. Tune in to the show to get the grand reveal, and our thoughts on both cigars.

A big thanks is due and given to those folks who submitted recommendations and submissions for the Unbanded segment this week (as us how if you’d like to do the same). In this week’s cigar news, we talk a bit about this year’s annual release of the Alec Bradley Fine & Rare, Erez Cigars’ “Unsmokeable” cigar, Avo Uvezian’s car accident, the newest vitola released in the Cuenca 5 Anniversary series (hoowahh!), an upcoming release from Steve Ysidron’s Epicurean Cigars, and the announcement of CFC2014. Kip in particular is excited to be planning another trip to the beautiful Dominican Republic for this latest even. We also covered what we’ve been smoking, a couple of random thoughts from Kip – which will likely get him into some trouble, and went over the deep end of tobacco chemistry in our listener emails.

Episode 024: IPCPR Wrap Up and Unbanded #006

July 24, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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After some traveling delays and such, we’re back this week with Episode 024 of Half Ashed. Thank you for tuning in to our ramblings once again. This week, we’re focused on a quick summary of my trip to last week’s IPCPR 2013 tradeshow, as well as an Unbanded – Number 006, provided by Jeff Curtis (thanks, Jeff!). We also cover just a bit of news and a couple of listener emails, so tune in and enjoy!

I changed horses mid-stream at the show, and took a bit of a different approach than I had anticipated, which we describe during the show – I opted to cover a number of booths that were not even on my radar beforehand. Some of these are first time exhibitors, some have previously attended but have not yet seen vast growth, and others might simply not have national distribution – all are companies to watch for sure, as I believe many will make a mark in the coming days. For this show, we discussed those listed below, but there will be a great deal of written content here on The Cigarmy over the next couple of weeks detailing quite a few more. I managed to visit 50+ exhibitors, and have some really cool stuff to share that’s on the horizon, as well as some favorite picks for upcoming cigars….

Companies we (very quickly) covered on this Episode:

Viva Republica
Casa Fernandez
Aging Room
Drew Estate
Oliva/Padilla
RomaCraft
J. Fuego
Exactus
House of Emilio
La Jugada
Arandoza
Cordoba y Morales
Flor de Gonzalez
Table 36
Jameson
Capadura
Hoja de Flores

We covered a good bit more during the show – various topics of interest this week, what we’ve been smoking, etc. Tune in to get the entire story on those items as well.

Be sure you all come back later this week for Episode 025, when we will be taking a look at the Casa Magna Domus Magnus as our Cigar of the Week. I will tweet/post the exact time and date once we finalize it. 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]. 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), or find us on iTunes to subscribe.

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 020: Unbanded & Guest Nate McIntyre

June 23, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Guest Nate McIntyre & Unbanded 005

Good Sunday afternoon, everyone! Welcome back for another week of the most Half-Ashed Cigar podcast floating around the interwebs. This week, we featured an unbanded cigar from our buddy DC and special guest Nate McIntyre, of Emilio Cigars – who had the rare privilege of sharing a headset with Craig.

Featured Cigar

As already mentioned, we had the opportunity to smoke Unbanded 005 this week, furnished by Dan Crouch – thanks, Dan! Tune in to the show for our thoughts about this cigar, and a visit from Dan for the reveal.

Industry News

Legislatively, we were happy to find out that H.R. 792 has now garnered over 100 co-sponsors in the US House of Representatives, with the addition of Representatives Jeff Duncan (R-SC-3) and Mike Kelly (R-PA-3).
We also reviewed some upcoming cigars from the House of Emilio, Lou Rodriguez, EP Carrillo, and Aging Room/Boutique Cigars/Swag.
Just minutes before recording, it was also announced that Susana Aragon, Brand Ambassador for Padilla Cigars, was leaving the company – and the industry – to pursue a career in another field.

What Else Have We Been Smoking?

Craig: not a thing; Craig was slacking this week, and failed to have even one cigar….
Kip: 2008 Anejo 49, K.A. Kendall’s Hustler, RomaCraft Intemperance “Faith,” and Emilio AF2

Miscellany

Kip gets a good report from the doctor, and draws an interesting conclusion about cigar smoking….

Wrap

Be sure you all come back next week for Episode 021, in which we will have guest Terry Johnson of TLJohnson Cigar. We will be smoking one of Terry’s cigars – the Tempio. 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.

Episode 017b: Lost Show Redux

June 4, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Hello again, everyone. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we have a lost show in the internet cosmos. Yes, Half Ashed Episode 017, despite showing successful recording and registering analytics for viewership Friday night, has seemingly disappeared into the vast wilds of the YouTube datasphere. That show actually contained 2 hours of good content, despite the technical difficulties we experienced. We will be bringing Friday’s guest Michael Stewart back to talk again as soon as we are able to, and explore his hobby of buying whole leaf tobacco and rolling his own cigars. In the meantime, Craig and I put together a shorter episode that just touched on a few of the important issues – our giveaway winner, a new giveaway, the unbanded we smoked Friday from Jacob Pinkas, and a couple of highlights from Michael. We DID NOT cover the majority of the information from Friday – this will be brought back in the future show. Rest assured we will also cover some of the pertinent news items, as well as quite a few listener emails on this upcoming week’s show (Episode 018….look for it Sunday night).

You might also want to check out a couple of posts that Michael has made over on Cigar Federation about rolling your own long filler cigars. The first is a list of sources and necessary equipment for getting started. This is a basic list of things that you can assemble as a starting point – and get you started as inexpensively as possible. He also gives a few recommendations about which tobaccos you might want to try first.

Secondly, he also posted links to a few YouTube videos detailing the process of rolling.