BOVEDA GETS YOU PRIVATE ACCESS TO HALFWHEEL’S VAULT
Tour led by halfwheel co-founder Charlie Minato
Cigar newbies watch and learn. Cigar aficionados watch and be envious. Unicorns. Non-releases. $100 smokes. Culebras. See them all and many more rare cigars as Boveda takes you into halfwheel’s private collection. Flip open the boxes of this respected leader in online cigar reviews and news.
EXPLORE SELECT CIGARS FROM THE BOVEDA HALFWHEEL TOUR:
(0:50) OLIVA O MADURO OASIS
(3:20) TATUAJE BLACK LABEL CORONA GORDA 2013
(5:13) OLIVA SERIE V CULEBRA
(7:00) ROMA CRAFT CROMAGNON FEMUR
(8:00) DUNDBARTON MUESTRA DE SAKA UNICORN
(9:14) ARTURO FUENTE OPUSX FOOTBALL
“This is the goodie room,” Charlie Minato said as revealed halfwheel’s cigars-in-waiting to Boveda Box Press host Rob Gagner.
Charlie estimates halfwheel holds more than 20,000 cigars in its private collection. Some for smoking, some for reviewing (or re-reviewing), some for photo shoots. (And some just to show off, like the pre-2000, Olivas with the cloth bands.) With thousands of premium cigars, how does halfwheel categorize its mother lode? Mostly by geography in cabinet humidors. One’s reserved for Nicaraguan makers. Another houses Dominicans, Hondurans and cigars from Mexico, Miami and other hot spots. (All live peaceably together in one nation under halfwheel.)
Each halfwheel reviewer has a reserved section within a humidor of cigars that await evaluation. Charlie explained that when a cigar shows a lot of promise, but is still a little rough around the edges, it might need more time. Redux—or revisiting a cigar—allows halfwheel to test that theory. “Cigars do change,” Charlie said. “Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.”
Boxes upon boxes are stacked in halfwheel’s humidors. As Charlie worked his way through the collection, he delved into a selection of Tatuajes. “We have all the Tatuaje Black Labels that have ever been sold,” he said.
That way when a manufacturer, like Tatuaje releases a new edition to a collection, Brooks Whittington, halfwheel’s co-founder and head photographer, has all the predecessors in inventory, Charlie explained. Add the new stick. Follow the brown-brick road to a reshoot.
Limited editions include the Tatuaje Musubi (only 300 boxes were sent to five stores in Hawaii). Charlie also showed off the cigar that inspired the Musubi—a blend that Tatuaje’s Pete Johnson created for friend’s wedding that was not destined for stores.
TAKE A LOOK AT THESE MUST-SEE CIGARS IN HALFWHEEL’S HUMIDORS
RoMa Craft CroMagnon Femur
Only 200 of these handmade RoMa Craft CroMagnon Femurs were rumored to be made for the 2013 International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) trade show and convention. According to Brooks’s review, RoMa Craft owner Skip Martin said Brooks was the first person to smoke one of the gigantic Femurs.
Arturo Fuente OpusX Football
According to halfwheel, the original 13 Footballs were given to NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino in 2003 by Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr. as a present at a charity event. Although not from the original auction, Charlie managed to snag two for Brooks. Brooks smoked one for review, the other is housed in a halfwheel humidor.
Oliva Serie V Culebra
Could this be the best cigar that’s ever been created? The Oliva Serie V Culebra is one of the highest rated cigars in halfwheel’s history. In June 2007, Oliva introduced its newly launched Serie V line by raffling off Serie V Culebras. There were a total of 100 culebras raffled off across 20 or so events, according to Brooks’s halfwheel review.
“It’s an absolutely incredible cigar,” Charlie shared during Boveda’s halfwheel humidor tour.
Ever run across a Culebra?
Culebra means snake in Spanish. Nothing to fear from this creature—it’s three cigars twisted together and tied. Simply untie the cigars and smoke them one at a time like you would any other cigar, Brooks explained in his review.
CoolERdors at halfwheel?!
Even the mighty have collections that spilleth over. Catch a glimpse of that Boveda 320 gram providing 2-way humidity control in halfwheel’s coolerdor?
Unfamiliar with our XL—the big daddy for big collections? For larger coolerdors or humidors, a Boveda 320 gram does the work of four to five Boveda 60 grams. You can also use a Boveda 320 gram in smaller humidors. This versatile Boveda size is designed for humidors of all sizes, ranging from 25 count to 150 count. Using more Boveda than you need helps it control humidity more efficiently. (And you won’t have to replace Boveda as often.) The condensed Boveda power in the 320 gram can last more than six months.
