halfwheel

Redux: 262 Manifesto

Introduced as a call to action in protest of governmental regulation of tobacco and smoking bans, the 262 Manifesto was released on February 7, 2012, the 50-year anniversary of the start of the U.S. embargo on Cuba. Only 262 boxes of 10 cigars each were released with 10 stores getting only 26 boxes each to [...]

Redux: Intemperance BA XXI The Intrigue

A little over a year ago we provided an early look at the second release for Skip Martin and Michael Rosales’ RoMa Craft Tobac. To say the duos freshman and sophomore releases were a stark contrast is an understatement. Whereas CroMagnon is known for its grittiness and power, Intemperance is a line noted for finesse. [...]

Redux: Illusione ~eccj~

Sold exclusively through New Havana Cigars back in 2008, the Illusione ~eccj~ was released to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the European Cigar Cult Journal magazine, now known simply as Cigar Journal. Only 300 boxes of 15  were sold of a special 5 5/8 x 46 Corona Gorda with tobacco all from Nicaragua. Here is [...]

Redux: Partagás Serie D No.4 Reserva

In 2003, Habanos S.A. released the first in a series of Reserva releases, using tobacco aged at least three years, the Cohiba Reserva Selección. Two years later, in 2005, the second cigar in the series was released, the Partagás Serie D No.4 Reserva. Only 5,000 boxes of cigars were made featuring the normal Serie D No.4 band and [...]

Redux: Viaje Exclusivo Corona Gorda

Of all of the blends and releases that Viaje has produced, the Exclusivo line is not only one of the most liked, but is also one of the populous. Although supposedly made for the personal consumption of Viaje owner Andre Farkas, there are now more than ten releases in the line, with more confirmed to [...]

Redux: Hoyo de Monterrey Short Hoyo Pirámides (EL 2011)

Habanos S.A.’s Edición Limitada program has been well documented since launching in 2000, evolving into its current format of a trio of cigars launched annually that uses tobacco aged for two years to create a limited production of cigars that often come at a sizable markup from the marca’s regular production cigars. As has become standard, 2011 [...]

Redux: Graycliff Espresso Elegante

Released in late 2003, Graycliff’s Espresso line of cigars became their fullest bodied blend in the entire brand. Originally blended by the creator of the original Cuban Cohiba, Avelino Lara, and Graycliff’s Enrico Garzaroli, the Espresso line is rolled at the Graycliff factory in Nassau, Bahamas. While there are at least nine different vitolas in [...]

Redux: Tatuaje Limited Series Mexican Experiment Robusto

On May 28, 2012, news began to circulate about a new Tatuaje Limited Series release dubbed the Mexican Experiment. Details were a bit sketchy at first, with the cigar first being noted as a 5 x 50 Robusto, then a retailer contradicted that by saying it was a box-pressed 5 x 52 Robusto. To further confuse things, reports of [...]

Redux: Tatuaje Avion 12

At the 2012 IPCPR trade show, Tatuaje introduced the newest version of its box-pressed Perfecto version of Fausto, Avion 12. It was the second year of the limited production cigar, which debuted the year prior alongside the Fausto. Both blends are based off of the non-commercial Tatuaje Thermonuclear, a cigar Pete Johnson created privately in 2005 and never formally [...]

Redux: Oliva Serie V Culebra

Back in the first week of halfwheel’s existence in January of 2012, I reviewed one of the rarest Oliva cigars made, the Oliva V Culebra. Only 200 were officially produced over a span of about five years, and odds are, 99% of the cigar smoking public didn’t even know they existed prior to the review. [...]