halfwheel

Review: Oliva Serie V Maduro Diadema

Today’s review is the last in our event-only Oliva sampler series, the Oliva Serie V Maduro Diadema. Last July we announced the sampler that would be offered at some of the upcoming Oliva events. It featured five new cigars – four new sizes for existing lines and one test blend. These samplers have become staples [...]

Review: Illusione *R* Rothchildes (Prerelease)

In late 2012, murmurs started that Dion Giolito would have a new Illusione, the Illusione *R* Rothchildes. It was supposed to be a completely separate project from the La Grand Classe release, which at the time had just shipped. But there were a lot of similarities from the initial details: Nicaraguan filler and Mexican San [...]

Winner: The Newsletter (February 4, 2013)

Later today, the third edition of The Newsletter will be published and in it will be a big announcement for the site. It also means its time to announce a winner for the February Newsletter giveaway, a box of Oliva Atlantic Cigar 15th Aniversario Diademas. The winner was number 507, which according to our records [...]

Review: Padrón W. Curtis Draper 125th Anniversary Maduro

It took nearly one year from announcement to arrival, but in mid-January, W. Curtis Draper in Washington, DC finally took receipt of the final cigars for its 125th Anniversary Series, courtesy of Padrón. Its arrival follows the 2012 appearances of the Cabaiguan WCD 120 REDUX, a small batch of the original La Aurora 100 Años and the Arturo Fuente W. Curtis Draper [...]

Winner: The Newsletter (January 7, 2013)

Today we will publish the second issue of The Newsletter and as is the case every month, one of our subscribers will win a box of cigars. The box for January was the Herrera Esteli Toro Especials, Drew Estate’s newest release that still hasn’t shipped nationally yet. The winner was subscriber number 23, which according [...]

Review: Liga Privada Único Serie UF-13 Dark (Prerelease)

It’s been a long wait, but Drew Estate is finally ready for the national release of perhaps its most anticipated Liga Privada ever, the UF-13 Dark. Way back in early 2011, I smoked the first of what would end up being quite a few reiterations of a blend that Liga Privada was working on, dubbed [...]

Announcement: (The) Contest: 25 Days of halfwheel Winner

Thanks to the overwhelming amount of comments, likes and fun we had at the halfwheel Holiday Party Pt. II, it took a little longer than normal. As promised, the winner of what I imagine is everyone’s favorite holiday contest, cigar-wise, at least. As noted in the rules, I first selected a number between one and [...]

(The) Contest Day 25: Custom Blend by Charlie (Joya de Nicaragua)

It only seemed fitting to give you one last custom blend, since we’ve already put up both a Cigar Safari (Drew Estate) and Joya de Nicaragua custom from Brooks, and only the former from me. I blended this to be stronger than flavorful, simply out of the exercise of doing it. Lots of good tobacco [...]

(The) Contest Day 24: Cain Special Release 550

Created with a special batch of Ligero, the Nicaraguan puro was one of two limited edition STUDIO TOBAC raffle cigars limited to just 80 boxes of 10 cigars. We’ve already put up the Cain Daytona NUb 460, the other event cigar, and here’s your chance to complete the pair. Brooks smoked one recently to somewhat [...]

Review: Drew Estate BOTL.org 2012

In July of 2010, Pinar Del Río released 4,000 cigars for the  BOTL.org (Brothers of the Leaf) forum. Dubbed the Pinar Del Río BOTL.org Small Batch 2010, the cigar was sold at Burning Leaf Cigars in Illinois, a store forum user Tim Podwika worked at. In 2011, Podwika left the store to start Podman Cigars. He had [...]