Cigar Coop Prime Time Show

PCA 2025: La Galera Cigars / IndianHead Cigars (Audio)

There was quite a bit going on at La Galera Cigars and its parent company, IndianHead Cigars at PCA 2025. La Galera Cigars is a premium cigar brand owned by Jochy Blanco. Based in the Dominican Republic, Blanco was best known for many years as a tobacco grower and owner of Tabacalera Palma. In 2015, Jochy decided to enter the market with his own brand. He would acquire IndianHead Cigars from Bill Bock (who had decided to retire). At the time, IndianHead Cigars was primarily focused on value-priced cigars. Blanco added a premium brand to the portfolio, which was La Galera. This year, we saw a new release from La Galera, as well as a couple of new releases under IndianHead's Rough Rider brand. Finally, IndianHead introduced a new line of accessories.

Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wRx

 

PCA 2025: La Galera Cigars / IndianHead Cigars

There was quite a bit going on at La Galera Cigars and its parent company, IndianHead Cigars at PCA 2025. La Galera Cigars is a premium cigar brand owned by Jochy Blanco. Based in the Dominican Republic, Blanco was best known for many years as a tobacco grower and owner of Tabacalera Palma. In 2015, Jochy decided to enter the market with his own brand. He would acquire IndianHead Cigars from Bill Bock (who had decided to retire). At the time, IndianHead Cigars was primarily focused on value-priced cigars. Blanco added a premium brand to the portfolio, which was La Galera. This year, we saw a new release from La Galera, as well as a couple of new releases under IndianHead's Rough Rider brand. Finally, IndianHead introduced a new line of accessories.

Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wRx

 

PCA 2025: Topper Cigar Company (Audio)

Topper Cigar Company is a regular stop for the Cigar Coop Coalition team at the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, and 2025 was no exception. Last year, Topper Cigar Company made a significant release with the Topper 1894 line, a cigar celebrating its 130th anniversary. This release came just three years after the company launched its 125th-anniversary cigar. The reason for this accelerated timeline is that Topper has historically traced its company's founding back to 1896. However, Chris Topper, President of Topper Cigar, discovered historical documents indicating that the company’s inception dates back to 1894.  As a result, Topper is established as the longest-standing family-owned cigar company in the United States, solidifying the company’s rich history in U.S. tobacco. This year, Topper had a couple of line extensions to both the 125th Anniversary and 1894 lines in the form of a 4 1/4 x 43 vitola called the Shorty.

Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wQm

 

PCA 2025: Topper Cigar Company

Topper Cigar Company is a regular stop for the Cigar Coop Coalition team at the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, and 2025 was no exception. Last year, Topper Cigar Company made a significant release with the Topper 1894 line, a cigar celebrating its 130th anniversary. This release came just three years after the company launched its 125th-anniversary cigar. The reason for this accelerated timeline is that Topper has historically traced its company's founding back to 1896. However, Chris Topper, President of Topper Cigar, discovered historical documents indicating that the company’s inception dates back to 1894.  As a result, Topper is established as the longest-standing family-owned cigar company in the United States, solidifying the company’s rich history in U.S. tobacco. This year, Topper had a couple of line extensions to both the 125th Anniversary and 1894 lines in the form of a 4 1/4 x 43 vitola called the Shorty.

Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wQm

 

PCA 2025: Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co (Audio)

The 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show saw Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. go back to its roots with its two new releases.  Over the past decade, Oscar Valladares has built a significant factory and farming operation in Honduras. One of the first people Valladares started working with was Jim Robinson, a Pittsburgh retailer. That project would be the Leaf by Oscar. Subsequently, Valladares would then produce the line synonymous with Robinson, Island Jim. Today Robinson's lines are now part of the Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co portfolio - and this year the company would have no releases around Leaf by Oscar and Island Jim.

Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wQt

 

PCA 2025: Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co

The 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show saw Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. go back to its roots with its two new releases.  Over the past decade, Oscar Valladares has built a significant factory and farming operation in Honduras. One of the first people Valladares started working with was Jim Robinson, a Pittsburgh retailer. That project would be the Leaf by Oscar. Subsequently, Valladares would then produce the line synonymous with Robinson, Island Jim. Today Robinson's lines are now part of the Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co portfolio - and this year the company would have no releases around Leaf by Oscar and Island Jim.

Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wQt

 

Prime Time Episode 342 Audio: Billy & Gus Fakih, Artesano Del Tobacco

For Prime Time Episode 342, we are honored to welcome back the Artesano Del Tobacco guys, Billy and Gus Fakih.

Billy and Gus are the folks behind the brands of Artesano Del Tobacco. This includes Viva La Vida and El Pulpo. It’s been a little while since we last had them for a full show, and tonight we will get updates on the latest on what’s happening. Plus we will have our special “Under the Sea” segment, FSG Beef, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa This Day in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments.

Prime Time Episode 342: Billy & Gus Fakih, Artesano Del Tobacco

For Prime Time Episode 342, we are honored to welcome back the Artesano Del Tobacco guys, Billy and Gus Fakih.

Billy and Gus are the folks behind the brands of Artesano Del Tobacco. This includes Viva La Vida and El Pulpo. It’s been a little while since we last had them for a full show, and tonight we will get updates on the latest on what’s happening. Plus we will have our special “Under the Sea” segment, FSG Beef, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa This Day in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments.

PCA 2025: Serafin de Cuba (Audio)

The 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA Trade Show marked the third consecutive one for Serafin de Cuba. This year, Serafin de Cuba introduced a new limited-edition cigar. Unfortunately, before the Trade Show, they had to swiftly rebrand this product to Reserva 2506 to avoid a potential trademark issue. Fortunately, Serafin de Cuba completed the rebranding and was able to highlight this new release at the 2025 Trade Show.

Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wPa

PCA 2025: Serafin de Cuba

The 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA Trade Show marked the third consecutive one for Serafin de Cuba. This year, Serafin de Cuba introduced a new limited-edition cigar. Unfortunately, before the Trade Show, they had to swiftly rebrand this product to Reserva 2506 to avoid a potential trademark issue. Fortunately, Serafin de Cuba completed the rebranding and was able to highlight this new release at the 2025 Trade Show.

Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wPa