Half Ashed Episode 104: Tatuaje RC184

What this episode covers

Tatuaje RC184 Good day, and welcome to Episode 104 of Half Ashed!  This week, we are featuring the Tatuaje RC184 as our Cigar of the Week, generously furnished by Craig.  Here’s his description of it: The RC184 is a Salomon vitola from Tatuaje’s Reserva lineage. Checking in at 184 mm this behemoth is roughly 7-½”x57 and from a 2009 box I purchased shortly after being rolled. The cigar’s prefix stands for “Retro Cuban” and is an effective description of the suave style of flavors I typically attribute to Cuban cigars. Despite falling under the Reserva line of Tats, the blend does not venture far into the coffee and cocoa dominant world that many other Tat Reservas tend to reside in. Lovely orange peel citrus flavors accompany a light espresso core while being accompanied by terrific cherry notes and an occasional caramel sweetness. Despite having a reputation for being a ball buster, I don’t find them to be all too strong. A great, well rounded limited stick from Tatuaje. News (Maybe) the final update in Nebraska.  Governor Pete Ricketts, on the final day to do so, signed the bill allowing cigar & pipe smoking in cigar bars into law.  It was effective immediately, so light up Nebraska!  STORY HERE Oettinger Davidoff announced today that they have acquired additional farmland in Jamastran (Honduras) and Condega (Nicaragua).  They have additionally purchased land near their box factory upon which to build a new factory.  Once the new factory has been completed, the existing one will be divested.  They have added about 150 hectares (~370 acres).  The new factory will be larger and help cover the 60% growth in production needs over the past few years.  Story via Cigar Journal Tampa is getting a Davidoff store.  A big one.  According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Jeff Borysiewicz and wife Tanya will be opening the store late this year.  It will cover 5,000 square feet of space and be entirely humidifed.  As would be expected in this part of the world, it will feature both indoor and outdoor lounge space, as well as the typical lockers, and a full bar.  This is the fourth announced Davidoff store opening this year, along with others in Houston, Atlanta and Manhattan. Pete Johnson has posted up that his TAA exclusive will make its 5th appearance later this year.  According to halfwheel, this year will be another re-release of the 2011 blend (hoowahh!), featuring a CT broadleaf wrapper in a single 5.625 x 54 vitola. Speaking of halfwheel, they did an interesting piece this week after Habanos S.A. made some (very) bold claims about their expectations for the American market once the embargo lifts.  HSA execs claim that they believe they can conservatively capture 25-30% of the American market very quickly, and further stated they would take 70% of the market over time.  Considering the fact that Cuba would have to immediately grow production by about 50% of 2013 levels to even get into the 25-30% ballpark, I’m pretty doubtful those numbers would bear out….or if they do, I’d imagine we’d see some other issues with the product. Guest on our celebratory 100th episode, Colin Ganley, just received a major nomination in the world of cigars, The Habanos Man of the Year. Typically awarded at the Habanos festival closing Gala,

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