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The Cigar Industry Centric Podcast
Episodes
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
Thursday Jan 13, 2022
As we have in the past, we were live on the air as CA unveiled the Top 25 for 2021. Day four saw CA announce its #1 Cigar of the Year. We have commentary up to the reveal as well as some post game commentary following the reveal.
Wednesday Jan 12, 2022
Wednesday Jan 12, 2022
As we have in the past, we were live on the air as CA unveiled the Top 25 for 2021. Day three saw CA announce Cigars #4, #3, and #2. We have commentary up to the reveal as well as some post game commentary following the reveal.
Wednesday Jan 12, 2022
Wednesday Jan 12, 2022
As we have in the past, we were live on the air as CA unveiled the Top 25 for 2021. Day three saw CA announce Cigars #4, #3, and #2. We have commentary up to the reveal as well as some post game commentary following the reveal.
Tuesday Jan 11, 2022
Tuesday Jan 11, 2022
As we have in the past, we were live on the air as CA unveiled the Top 25 for 2021. Day two saw CA announce Cigars #7, #6, and #5. We have commentary up to the reveal as well as some post game commentary following the reveal.
Tuesday Jan 11, 2022
Tuesday Jan 11, 2022
As we have in the past, we were live on the air as CA unveiled the Top 25 for 2021. Day two saw CA announce Cigars #7, #6, and #5. We have commentary up to the reveal as well as some post game commentary following the reveal.
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Monday Jan 10, 2022
The Number One Cigar of the Year for 2021 is the Rocky Patel Winter Collection Robusto! The story of the Winter Collection dates back to 2008 when Rocky Patel launched a series of limited edition cigars to coincide with each of the four seasons. This series included the Spring Collection, Summer Collection, Autumn Collection, and Winter Collection. Of the four blends, it was the original Winter Collection that built up a core following. Since then, this has led to the limited edition Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 and now a regular production Winter Collection 2020 (simply called the Rocky Patel Winter Collection). Each of these incarnations of the Winter Collection has had a different blend, but it's the 2020 edition in the Robusto size that takes its place in history.
The Rocky Patel Winter Collection features a Mexican San Andres wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and a combination of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos for the filler. Production is handled out of Rocky Patel’s Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. (TAVICUSA) factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Robusto is what can be termed the "Rocky Patel Robusto Extra Size" measuring 5 1/2 x 50.
Flavor-wise, the Rocky Patel Winter Collection Robusto is going to fire on all cylinders. The flavors are a mix of notes of coffee, earth, natural tobacco, red wine, baker's spice, white pepper, and exotic spice. The flavors are medium-bodied countered by medium strength - making this a cigar that can be enjoyed by anyone.
This was a cigar that I first assessed back in late February 2021 and it blew me away. I knew this was a potential 2021 Cigar of the Year candidate back then, but the question would be whether that consistency would hold all of the way until the final tastings in November - the answer was yes.
This is the sixth year Rocky Patel Premium Cigars has landed on a Cigar Coop Countdown. The 2021 Countdown has definitely been the company's strongest - securing two cigars in the Top 5, including the #5 ranked Rocky Patel Quarter Century. It also is the third TAVICUSA cigar, joining Micky Pegg’s All Saints St. Francis and the Quarter Century. Nicaragua was the dominant country, with 22 of the 30 cigars originating from that Central American country.
For details of the 2021 Cigar of the Year Countdown, see our 2021 criteria: https://cigar-coop.com/2021/12/announcement-criteria-for-the-2021-cigar-of-the-year-countdown.html
Cigar Coop Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-lPc
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Monday Jan 10, 2022
The Number One Cigar of the Year for 2021 is the Rocky Patel Winter Collection Robusto! The story of the Winter Collection dates back to 2008 when Rocky Patel launched a series of limited edition cigars to coincide with each of the four seasons. This series included the Spring Collection, Summer Collection, Autumn Collection, and Winter Collection. Of the four blends, it was the original Winter Collection that built up a core following. Since then, this has led to the limited edition Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 and now a regular production Winter Collection 2020 (simply called the Rocky Patel Winter Collection). Each of these incarnations of the Winter Collection has had a different blend, but it's the 2020 edition in the Robusto size that takes its place in history.
The Rocky Patel Winter Collection features a Mexican San Andres wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and a combination of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos for the filler. Production is handled out of Rocky Patel’s Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. (TAVICUSA) factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Robusto is what can be termed the "Rocky Patel Robusto Extra Size" measuring 5 1/2 x 50.
Flavor-wise, the Rocky Patel Winter Collection Robusto is going to fire on all cylinders. The flavors are a mix of notes of coffee, earth, natural tobacco, red wine, baker's spice, white pepper, and exotic spice. The flavors are medium-bodied countered by medium strength - making this a cigar that can be enjoyed by anyone.
This was a cigar that I first assessed back in late February 2021 and it blew me away. I knew this was a potential 2021 Cigar of the Year candidate back then, but the question would be whether that consistency would hold all of the way until the final tastings in November - the answer was yes.
This is the sixth year Rocky Patel Premium Cigars has landed on a Cigar Coop Countdown. The 2021 Countdown has definitely been the company's strongest - securing two cigars in the Top 5, including the #5 ranked Rocky Patel Quarter Century. It also is the third TAVICUSA cigar, joining Micky Pegg’s All Saints St. Francis and the Quarter Century. Nicaragua was the dominant country, with 22 of the 30 cigars originating from that Central American country.
For details of the 2021 Cigar of the Year Countdown, see our 2021 criteria: https://cigar-coop.com/2021/12/announcement-criteria-for-the-2021-cigar-of-the-year-countdown.html
Cigar Coop Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-lPc
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Coming in at #2 is the ADVentura The Royal Return – Queen’s Pearls Corona. ADVentura Cigars, the flagship brand of ADV & McKay Cigars Co, is a joint venture owned by Henderson Ventura and Marcel Knobel. Henderson Ventura is best known for running the Tabacalera William Ventura factory. A few years ago, he teamed with Knobel to launch ADVentura Cigars. The brand’s theme is The Age of Exploration. In 2020, they released a two-blend series under the name The Royal Return. One was a Connecticut Broadleaf known as King’s Gold and one was a Connecticut Shade offering called Queen’s Pearls. Both were highly rated blends on Cigar Coop, but it was the Queen’s Pearls Corona that really shone.
The Royal Return – Queen’s Pearls Corona is an Ecuadorian forward blend. It not only features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, it also has an Ecuadorian binder and Ecuadorian tobaccos in the filler. The filler also incorporates Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. According to ADVentura Cigars, the tobaccos used have five years of age, and the rolled cigars have been aging for four months. ADVentura says the tobaccos go through a special fermentation process to give them a lighter profile. The Corona is a 44 x 6 size and production comes from Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic.
The Queen’s Pearl Corona delivered notes of vanilla, cream, citrus, toast, natural tobacco, cedar, and black pepper. This cigar definitely has a light profile. The cigar started out mild to medium in body before going to medium in the second half. At the same time, strength-wise the Queens Pearl Corona held mild to medium from start to finish.
In the end, this is a wonderful classic old-school Connecticut and was easily the top Connecticut Shade cigar assessed on Cigar Coop over the past year.
The Queens Pearl Corona lands ADVentura Cigars on the Countdown for the first time in a big way. It’s also the third cigar from the Dominican Republic to land on the 2021 Countdown.
For details of the 2021 Cigar of the Year Countdown, see our 2021 criteria: https://cigar-coop.com/2021/12/announcement-criteria-for-the-2021-cigar-of-the-year-countdown.html
Cigar Coop Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-lPa
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Coming in at #2 is the ADVentura The Royal Return – Queen’s Pearls Corona. ADVentura Cigars, the flagship brand of ADV & McKay Cigars Co, is a joint venture owned by Henderson Ventura and Marcel Knobel. Henderson Ventura is best known for running the Tabacalera William Ventura factory. A few years ago, he teamed with Knobel to launch ADVentura Cigars. The brand’s theme is The Age of Exploration. In 2020, they released a two-blend series under the name The Royal Return. One was a Connecticut Broadleaf known as King’s Gold and one was a Connecticut Shade offering called Queen’s Pearls. Both were highly rated blends on Cigar Coop, but it was the Queen’s Pearls Corona that really shone.
The Royal Return – Queen’s Pearls Corona is an Ecuadorian forward blend. It not only features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, it also has an Ecuadorian binder and Ecuadorian tobaccos in the filler. The filler also incorporates Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. According to ADVentura Cigars, the tobaccos used have five years of age, and the rolled cigars have been aging for four months. ADVentura says the tobaccos go through a special fermentation process to give them a lighter profile. The Corona is a 44 x 6 size and production comes from Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic.
The Queen’s Pearl Corona delivered notes of vanilla, cream, citrus, toast, natural tobacco, cedar, and black pepper. This cigar definitely has a light profile. The cigar started out mild to medium in body before going to medium in the second half. At the same time, strength-wise the Queens Pearl Corona held mild to medium from start to finish.
In the end, this is a wonderful classic old-school Connecticut and was easily the top Connecticut Shade cigar assessed on Cigar Coop over the past year.
The Queens Pearl Corona lands ADVentura Cigars on the Countdown for the first time in a big way. It’s also the third cigar from the Dominican Republic to land on the 2021 Countdown.
For details of the 2021 Cigar of the Year Countdown, see our 2021 criteria: https://cigar-coop.com/2021/12/announcement-criteria-for-the-2021-cigar-of-the-year-countdown.html
Cigar Coop Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-lPa
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Monday Jan 10, 2022
As we have in the past, we were live on the air as CA unveiled the Top 25 for 2021. Day one saw CA announce Cigars #10, #9, and #8. We have commentary up to the reveal as well as some post game commentary following the reveal.