Fine Ash Cigars in Avondale, Ariz. will be celebrating its fifth anniversary with a store exclusive size of the Quesada Reserva Privada that is expected to be on shelves in April.

Sam Lopez, owner of Fine Ash Cigars, told halfwheel that the cigar will be a 6 1/2 x 46 corona gorda that will be released in 12-count boxes. There are 500 boxes being produced, with a single stick MSRP of $12.95 and a box price of $155.40.

Quesada Reserva Privada Fine Ash Cigars fifth anniversary box 2

While the regular production sizes of the Quesada Reserva Privada have a year of age on them prior to release, Lopez said that this release won’t get that aging process. “We didn’t have the time to wait on them,” he said.

He told halfwheel that when it came to picking a cigar to celebrate the store’s fifth anniversary, he and his wife, Rosie, wanted something special that could be enjoyed by all cigar smokers and wanted something that was in the mild to medium range while still being flavorful and smooth.

“The Quesada Reserva Privada is one of my personal favorite cigars, and being a fan of smaller ring gauges, I always wanted to know what the blend would taste like in a smaller size,” he said, adding that “we are humbled and thankful to the Quesada family for working with us on this project.”

Terence Reilly, general manager of Quesada Cigars, returned the sentiment about being part of this project.

“Besides being some of the nicest people in the industry, Sam and Rosie have an incredible selection of boutique cigars so its an honor they came to us with this project,” he told halfwheel. “It’s a pleasure to work with them because of their passion.”

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.