Cigar Coop Prime Time Show

Prime Time Episode 225: Aric Bey, Black Star Line Cigars

On Episode 225 Aric Bey, the founder of Black Star Line Cigars makes his Prime Time debut. We’ll discuss Aric’s journey in the cigar industry and gain some insights into Black Star Line Cigars.

We will also have our Cattle Baron Steak Question, Alec Bradley Live True segment, Sopranos, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Industry Deliberation segments.

The Smoking Syndicate: Bolivar x Lost and Found Cofradia EMS Toro (Audio)

Justin Andrews of Scandinavian Tobacco Group and Robert Caldwell of Lost & Found teamed up to create the new Bolivar Cofradia.  This cigar was released in both EMS and Oscuro wrappers in mazos of five cigars.  Justin and Robert were given full access to all the tobacco library available at the HATSA factory in Danlí, Honduras.  A description of the process was given in the press release, (you can find more information here):

Justin Andrews said, “Bolivar Cofradia made waves when we re-launched the brand in 2020. It’s fitting that we’re now partnering with Robert Caldwell, given that he’s made a lot of noise in the premium cigar category with his Lost & Found line. This collaboration gave us the opportunity to work with the hidden gems waiting to be discovered in our tobacco library, and we’ve definitely done them justice.”

Robert Caldwell noted, “Lost & Found started when a Central American factory gave me a rare blend to sell in the US, and today with the release of this capsule collection from Bolivar Cofradia, it feels like Lost & Found has come full circle. I would have never imagined standing among a sea of bales at HATSA, knowing that any tobacco we wanted to blend with was available to Justin and me. This collection represents the power of a strong collaboration.”   

Handcrafted at HATSA, Bolivar Cofradia Lost & Found comes in two varieties, Natural and Oscuro.

• Vitola:  Toro
• Size:  6 x 54
• Wrapper:  5-8 year old Ecuadorian Sumatra
• Binder:  USA Connecticut Broadleaf
• Filler:  Dominican Habano Seco, Nicaraguan Habano Viso, Honduran Habano Seco
• Factory:  Honduran American Tobacco SA
• MSRP:  $7.49

Final Score:  88

The Smoking Syndicate: Bolivar x Lost and Found Cofradia EMS Toro

Justin Andrews of Scandinavian Tobacco Group and Robert Caldwell of Lost & Found teamed up to create the new Bolivar Cofradia.  This cigar was released in both EMS and Oscuro wrappers in mazos of five cigars.  Justin and Robert were given full access to all the tobacco library available at the HATSA factory in Danlí, Honduras.  A description of the process was given in the press release, (you can find more information here):

Justin Andrews said, “Bolivar Cofradia made waves when we re-launched the brand in 2020. It’s fitting that we’re now partnering with Robert Caldwell, given that he’s made a lot of noise in the premium cigar category with his Lost & Found line. This collaboration gave us the opportunity to work with the hidden gems waiting to be discovered in our tobacco library, and we’ve definitely done them justice.”

Robert Caldwell noted, “Lost & Found started when a Central American factory gave me a rare blend to sell in the US, and today with the release of this capsule collection from Bolivar Cofradia, it feels like Lost & Found has come full circle. I would have never imagined standing among a sea of bales at HATSA, knowing that any tobacco we wanted to blend with was available to Justin and me. This collection represents the power of a strong collaboration.”   

Handcrafted at HATSA, Bolivar Cofradia Lost & Found comes in two varieties, Natural and Oscuro.

• Vitola:  Toro
• Size:  6 x 54
• Wrapper:  5-8 year old Ecuadorian Sumatra
• Binder:  USA Connecticut Broadleaf
• Filler:  Dominican Habano Seco, Nicaraguan Habano Viso, Honduran Habano Seco
• Factory:  Honduran American Tobacco SA
• MSRP:  $7.49

Final Score:  88

Prime Time Special Edition 119 Audio: Arthur Kemper, Perdomo Cigars

This week we are proud to welcome Arthur Kemper, Vice President of Perdomo Cigars as our special guest!

Arthur is a wealth of knowledge of Perdomo Cigars, but he’s also someone who has a vast knowledge of the cigar industry. We will cover Arthur’s journey in the cigar industry, catch up on the exciting things happening at Perdomo Cigars, and get Arthur’s view on the industry as a whole.

Plus we have our One Must Go and Great Things are Happening Here segment as well as a special Saint Luis Rey giveaway from Tabacalera USA.

References

• A WWII veteran lost everything in a fire. His neighbors are helping him rebuild
• 9-Year-old’s Lemonade Stand Raises $2,000 For Shelter Cats After He Saw They Had No Toys
• Teen Finds a Safe Containing Thousands on Bottom of River – Tracks Down Owner Who’d Been Robbed 22 Years ago

Prime Time Special Edition 119: Arthur Kemper, Perdomo Cigars

This week we are proud to welcome Arthur Kemper, Vice President of Perdomo Cigars as our special guest!

Arthur is a wealth of knowledge of Perdomo Cigars, but he’s also someone who has a vast knowledge of the cigar industry. We will cover Arthur’s journey in the cigar industry, catch up on the exciting things happening at Perdomo Cigars, and get Arthur’s view on the industry as a whole.

Plus we have our One Must Go and Great Things are Happening Here segment as well as a special Saint Luis Rey giveaway from Tabacalera USA.

References

• A WWII veteran lost everything in a fire. His neighbors are helping him rebuild
• 9-Year-old’s Lemonade Stand Raises $2,000 For Shelter Cats After He Saw They Had No Toys
• Teen Finds a Safe Containing Thousands on Bottom of River – Tracks Down Owner Who’d Been Robbed 22 Years ago

 

The Smoking Syndicate: Alec & Bradley Kintsugi Corona Gorda (Audio)

The Kintsugi cigar line was first introduced in 2020 by Alec Bradley and was released in four sizes:  robusto, corona gorda, toro, and gordo.  Kintsugi is a Japanese art form of taking broken pottery and putting the pieces back together again with gold filigree, which is then cast in lacquer.  Alec and Bradley Rubin, sons of Alec Bradley Cigars owner Alan Rubin, created this line and gave the name kintsugi to the line to represent the fractured nature of the cigar industry and the hope of the cigar industry coming back together.

• Vitola:  Corona Gorda
• Size:  5 5/8 x 46
• Wrapper: Habano (Trojes, Honduras)
• Binder: Nicaraguan, Honduran
• Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran
• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Factory: Fabrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L.
• MSRP:  $7.40

Final Score:  89

The Smoking Syndicate: Alec & Bradley Kintsugi Corona Gorda

The Kintsugi cigar line was first introduced in 2020 by Alec Bradley and was released in four sizes:  robusto, corona gorda, toro, and gordo.  Kintsugi is a Japanese art form of taking broken pottery and putting the pieces back together again with gold filigree, which is then cast in lacquer.  Alec and Bradley Rubin, sons of Alec Bradley Cigars owner Alan Rubin, created this line and gave the name kintsugi to the line to represent the fractured nature of the cigar industry and the hope of the cigar industry coming back together.

• Vitola:  Corona Gorda
• Size:  5 5/8 x 46
• Wrapper: Habano (Trojes, Honduras)
• Binder: Nicaraguan, Honduran
• Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran
• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Factory: Fabrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L.
• MSRP:  $7.40

Final Score:  89

The Smoking Syndicate: Drew Estate FSG 20 Acre Farm Robusto (Audio)

In December of 2021, Drew Estate announced a new cigar to their lineup called the 20 Acre Farm.  This cigar had a unique launch in which the cigar was sent out in kits, unbanded, to be smoked during a live introduction event put on by Drew Estate called the Freestyle Live! The name of the cigar was unveiled at the end of the event.  The cigar uses unique tobacco called the Florida Sun Grown (FSG) grown on a 20-acre farm in Clermont, FL by the owner of Corona Cigars, Jeff Borysiewicz, which is where the cigar gets its name.

• Vitola:  Robusto
• Size:  5 1/4 x 54
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
• Binder: Sun Grown Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan (Jalapa, Estelí), Florida Sun Grown
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
• MSRP:  $12.40

Final Score:  91

The Smoking Syndicate: Drew Estate FSG 20 Acre Farm Robusto

In December of 2021, Drew Estate announced a new cigar to their lineup called the 20 Acre Farm.  This cigar had a unique launch in which the cigar was sent out in kits, unbanded, to be smoked during a live introduction event put on by Drew Estate called the Freestyle Live! The name of the cigar was unveiled at the end of the event.  The cigar uses unique tobacco called the Florida Sun Grown (FSG) grown on a 20-acre farm in Clermont, FL by the owner of Corona Cigars, Jeff Borysiewicz, which is where the cigar gets its name.

• Vitola:  Robusto
• Size:  5 1/4 x 54
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
• Binder: Sun Grown Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan (Jalapa, Estelí), Florida Sun Grown
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
• MSRP:  $12.40

Final Score:  91

Prime Time Jukebox Episode 69 Audio: Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs Part 6: 250 to 201

On Episode 69 of Prime Time Jukebox, we continue our recap of the Rolling Stone’s recent refresh of their Top 500 songs of all time. This segment will cover songs 250 to 201 and Dave and Coop will go through some of their favorites that made the list, and assess how fairly these favorites were ranked.

We also will break down the 2022 Grammy Award predictions we made.

For this show, Dave smokes the Stillwell Star Bayou No. 32 and Coop smokes the Drew Estate FSG 20 Acre Farm Toro.

As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists:

• Full Episode 69 Playlist

References

• Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs of All Time List (2021)
• Prime Time Jukebox 90s Madness Tournament Begins
• 90s Madness: Beastie Boys Deliver Crushing Upset to Public Enemy while Green Day Beats Red Hot Chili Peppers
• 90s Madness: Billy Joel Wins Wild Battle with Meat Loaf; Guns N Roses Defeats The Tragically Hip
• 90s Madness: Top Seeds Nirvana and Radiohead Advance to Elite 8
• Legendary Philadelphia Musician Bobby Rydell Dies at 79
• Lyle Lovett’s 12th of June: The Godfather of Alt-Country Still Got It.
• Soccer Mommy’s Shotgun: Headphone Candy
• Koffee’s x10: The Power of Hope
• Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Says Dolly Parton Will Stay on 2022 Ballot
• 2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Nominations List
• Prime Time Jukebox Episode 58: 2022 Grammy Awards Preview
• Joni Mitchell - River (Official Music Video)
• Heart: Little Queen