Weekly Email – July 1st, 2015

In honor of Independence Day, ASW will be closed on the 4th…but don’t fret! We’ll be open for our usual hours (10:00 am – 8:00 pm) on Thursday and Friday, so prepare for your weekend festivities in advance! We’ve got plenty of great cigars just waiting to go home with you.

– from the AJF press release for the New World series

You experienced smoke-drinkers are probably familiar with the outstanding New World by AJ Fernandez, a quartet of flavorsome Nicaraguan puros at a painless price…and their long-awaited counterpart has arrived! The New World Connecticut is an excellent blend of Nicaraguan and Brazilian fillers and Mexican San Andrés binder encased in a wrapper of genuine Connecticut Shade (grown in the U.S.A., unlike the more common Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut-seed variety). It differs from the original series in configuration: the NWC is a cylindrical cigar rather than box-pressed.The flavor is a fine, creamy cedar-like base with notes of citrus, hay, nuts, and sweet coffee, a fantastic cigar to enjoy with your morning cuppa…a mild smoke suitable for both new aficionados or old pros. We’ve got two sizes in stock: Robusto (5″ x 50) and Toro (6″ x 52). Either one will satisfy your craving for Connecticut goodness. Set course for the New World today!

In case you missed it: ASW is offering an exclusive chance to win a new Drew Estate pipe by Tsuge! Kazuhiro Fukuda (one of the world’s leading pipe crafters and president of Tsuge Pipes) has entered into an arrangement withDrew Estate to offer a new line of contemporary pipes featuring Tsuge’s distinctive styling. In conjunction with this arrangement, Drew has released eight new tobacco blends under the Tsuge imprimatur: The Four Seasons series (a blend for every season) and the new God Series (named after traditional Japanese deities). Any person who purchases a tin of Drew or Tsuge tobacco will be eligible to win a brand-new Tsuge pipe valued at $275! (This includes the eight Drew Estate Classics blends as well!)Samples are available of all the Drew tobaccos (including the God Series, which will be arriving for purchase shortly), so bring your pipe, try a bowl of something new, and earn a chance at winning a unique new pipe! The drawing will take place at the July 11th meeting of the Pittsburgh Pipe Club here at ASW, so get your ticket in soon!

This week we explore one of Drew Estate‘s entrants into the pipe world! The Gods Series is a new non-aromatic line-up of four pipe blends. This week’s challenger is Ryujin (the Dragon God), a coarse-cut blend of Virginias, Latakia, and Perique.While the Tsuge name has been licensed by Drew Estate, the tobacco itself has been blended by Daughters & Ryan, who created a no-nonsense, full-on English pipe blend. There’s no wimpy fluff to this smoke…it’s well balanced and tasty right from the first light.

I loaded a Dunhill Group 6 Panel to try my first sample of this new concoction,and I admit that I was surprised at how well the blended leaves played off each other during the bowl. The Latakia is ever-present, but never moves too far forward; the Virginias balance things out nicely as the sweet and sour flavors roll across the tongue, all complemented by the generous helping of Perique.

The nic hit is definitely there, and for a large bowl I’d advise a full stomach and a comfy chair to really enjoy it. There’s a typical English room note that will drive away the skeeters if you like to smoke outdoors (which I recommend), and bystanders typically shy away from the burnt wood aroma from the Latakia (which can be a good thing, depending on the bystanders).

All this being said, I highly recommend giving Ryujin a try. I’ll be testing the other three candidates in the Gods Series in the coming days, and don’t forget thatevery Drew Estate pipe tobacco purchase earns you an entry in the Tsuge pipe drawing coming up on July 11th (see above). GOOD LUCK!

I’m giving Ryujin a 4-1/2 pipe rating. Puff On!