Half Ashed Episode 152: 2014 Angel’s Anvil

What this episode covers

2014 Angel’s Anvil by Crowned Heads One of the limited TAA releases for 2014, the Angel’s Anvil from Crowned Heads is a 7-⅛” x 49 churchill that features an Ecuadoran Havana wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers.  It was made at EP Carrillo’s La Alianza factory in the Dominican Republic.  They were originally sold for about $10.50, in boxes of 20 with a total production around 20,000.  Let’s see how it is smoking these days…. Cigar News With all the covert cigar releases showing up around the US due to the FDA legislative deadlines, there were bound to be a few that drew my attention.  For no other reason than it’s so out of character with the history, I’m intrigued by one that showed up in social media feeds from Drew Estate – the DE Dominicana.  Atlantic Cigar had some show up, but not a whole lot is yet known about the blend – other than that there are 3 wrapper variations (shade (which I’ll presume to be CT, but we’ll see), rosado, and maduro).  These were apparently manufactured in the Dominican Republic, rather than DE’s factory in Nicaragua.  I know Swisher has some operations here in Santiago, but the DE Dominicana is reported to be a longfiller, non-flavored cigar.  It comes in a variety of vitolas amongst the three blends, and ranges in price from $7.25 to about $9.   Cigar Aficionado is reporting that General Cigar and Michael Giannini have parted ways.  According to the article, the parting was amicable, with both parties praising each other for their time together.  At least in part, the separation was attributed to FDA legislation…I will go out on a limb to speculate that this is largely because Giannini’s role in the company relied significantly on new, limited, non-traditional products that may not be feasible in the era of FDA regulation. I saw two articles come across my feed recently from halfwheel that I thought were worthy of some discussion: First, a small town in Utah has prohibited both use *and possession* of tobacco in its parks.  And. Possession.  Whisky Tango Foxtrot. There’s an interesting editorial from Charlie Minato covering some of his collected thoughts about pricing changes that may be/should be coming down the pike stemming from regulation.  He has some good insights into a few things manufacturers may be overlooking, and some potential pitfalls that could evolve from knee-jerk reactions or poorly thought-out responses.  It’s definitely worth a read. What Else We’ve Been Smoking Craig My Father CT – Brown sugar and sharpness. You have to want it to enjoy it. Padron Damaso – Another CT. A BETTER CT Kip EP Carrillo Cardinal maduro from zedman.  I didn’t recall liking these much in the past, but this one (I believe he said from 2014) was quite tasty – loads of toasty flavors and perfect construction.   2016 Oktoberfest from Quesada.  I keep hoping for a repeat of the 2011 blend I loved so dearly at the time…but still no dice.  This was one of their better offerings, though, with more “oomph” than recent offerings and a solid dose of pert spice.  It was good on its own merits, but I still miss that 2011….

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