Cigar Coop Prime Time Show

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #1: My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años Limited Edition Corona Extra

The #1 2023 Cigar of the Year is the My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años Limited Edition Corona Extra.

In 2008, Jaime Garcia created the first My Father Cigar to honor his father, Don José “Pepin” Garcia. A year later, Pepin paid homage to his own father, José Garcia Alayón, releasing a cigar known as the My Father Le Bijou 1922. Le Bijou is French for “The Jewel.” He called it 1922 because that was the year that Pepin’s father was born.

Since the year 2022 marked 100 years since the birth of José Garcia Alayón, the Garcia family decided to create a special limited edition cigar offering to mark the centennial of the elder Garcia’s birthday and called it the My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años Limited Edition. The 100 Años was released in two sizes, but it was the Corona Extra that put this cigar over the top for 2023.

Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-rit

 

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #2: Alfonso Extra Añejo No. 2 by Selected Tobacco (Audio)

The #2 2023 Cigar of the Year is the Alfonso Extra Añejo No. 2 by Selected Tobacco. In 2022, Selected Tobacco launched a fourth brand in the Alfonso portfolio. Alfonso gets its name from Nelson Alfonso, who is the owner of Selected Tobacco. For the past decade, Selected Tobacco has been known for its three other brands: Atabey, Bryon, and Bandolero – all of which are distributed in the U.S. market by United Cigars. Alfonso is an ultra-premium brand that revolves around exquisite packaging and extra aging. The first line to be released under the Alfonso brand was the Alfonso Extra Añejo. The name Añejo is appropriate because it means “aged.” It’s the No. 2 size that lands at the #2 spot.

Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-rim

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #2: Alfonso Extra Añejo No. 2 by Selected Tobacco

The #2 2023 Cigar of the Year is the Alfonso Extra Añejo No. 2 by Selected Tobacco. In 2022, Selected Tobacco launched a fourth brand in the Alfonso portfolio. Alfonso gets its name from Nelson Alfonso, who is the owner of Selected Tobacco. For the past decade, Selected Tobacco has been known for its three other brands: Atabey, Bryon, and Bandolero – all of which are distributed in the U.S. market by United Cigars. Alfonso is an ultra-premium brand that revolves around exquisite packaging and extra aging. The first line to be released under the Alfonso brand was the Alfonso Extra Añejo. The name Añejo is appropriate because it means “aged.” It’s the No. 2 size that lands at the #2 spot.

Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-rim

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #6: Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill 2022 -Take Two (Audio)

*REPOST - The first publication seems to have vanished  on some catchers*

The #6 2023 Cigar of the Year is the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill 2022 edition.

Over the past few years, several Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) brands have been collaborating with various spirits companies, some involving utilizing barrel-aged tobacco. In 2022, Macanudo became one of the STG brands that would collaborate with barrel-aged tobacco. For its project, Macanudo would engage with Napa Valley-based winery Flint Knoll. What was different about this project compared to the other STG barrel-aged collaborations is that Macanudo would be working with a winery as opposed to a distillery – and that the barrels used for aging tobacco would be French Oak barrels that were previously used to age Flint Knoll’s single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-rfX

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #6: Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill 2022 -Take Two

*REPOST - The first publication seems to have vanished  on some catchers*

The #6 2023 Cigar of the Year is the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll Churchill 2022 edition.

Over the past few years, several Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) brands have been collaborating with various spirits companies, some involving utilizing barrel-aged tobacco. In 2022, Macanudo became one of the STG brands that would collaborate with barrel-aged tobacco. For its project, Macanudo would engage with Napa Valley-based winery Flint Knoll. What was different about this project compared to the other STG barrel-aged collaborations is that Macanudo would be working with a winery as opposed to a distillery – and that the barrels used for aging tobacco would be French Oak barrels that were previously used to age Flint Knoll’s single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-rfX

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #3: Meerapfel Richard Double Robusto (Audio)

The #3 2023 Cigar of the Year is the Meerapfel Richard Double Robusto. The Meerapfel family has over 150 years of experience in various aspects of the tobacco business. Today the family is best known for being tobacco brokers and, in particular, for brokering tobacco out of Cameroon, Africa. In 2021, Jeremiah Meerapfel announced he was creating a new ultra-premium cigar brand with the Meerapfel name. In this case, it wasn’t just an ultra-premium brand, but it was one he calls UberLuxury. UberLuxury involves using the highest quality of materials with the highest level of craftsmanship. In the case of this new Meerapfel UberLuxury line, the cigars pay homage to past generations of the Meerapfel family. Specifically, the Meerapfel Richard pays homage to Jeremiah's father, Richard Meerapfel.

Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-rhM

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #3: Meerapfel Richard Double Robusto

The #3 2023 Cigar of the Year is the Meerapfel Richard Double Robusto. The Meerapfel family has over 150 years of experience in various aspects of the tobacco business. Today the family is best known for being tobacco brokers and, in particular, for brokering tobacco out of Cameroon, Africa. In 2021, Jeremiah Meerapfel announced he was creating a new ultra-premium cigar brand with the Meerapfel name. In this case, it wasn’t just an ultra-premium brand, but it was one he calls UberLuxury. UberLuxury involves using the highest quality of materials with the highest level of craftsmanship. In the case of this new Meerapfel UberLuxury line, the cigars pay homage to past generations of the Meerapfel family. Specifically, the Meerapfel Richard pays homage to Jeremiah's father, Richard Meerapfel.

Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-rhM

 

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #4: Black Label Trading Co Deliverance Porcelain Robusto (Audio)

The #4 2023 Cigar of the Year is the Black Label Trading Co Deliverance Porcelain Robusto. Black Label Trading Company and its sister brand Black Works Studio are two brands created by James Brown of Oveja Negra Cigars. James Brown has been known for his dark and full-bodied maduro offerings. In 2018 that would change as Brown would introduce a pair of Connecticut Shade offerings: Black Works Studio Killer Bee Connecticut and Black Label Trading Co Deliverance Porcelain. Both cigars would be hits and would both make their way into becoming regular production offerings: Porcelain would join the regular production lineup of Black Label Trading Co in 2019, and Killer Bee Connecticut would become regular production in 2022. Porcelain was originally released in a Corona Gorda size, but a Robusto was added in 2021 and it's the cigar that lands at #4.

Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-rhs

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #4: Black Label Trading Co Deliverance Porcelain Robusto

The #4 2023 Cigar of the Year is the Black Label Trading Co Deliverance Porcelain Robusto. Black Label Trading Company and its sister brand Black Works Studio are two brands created by James Brown of Oveja Negra Cigars. James Brown has been known for his dark and full-bodied maduro offerings. In 2018 that would change as Brown would introduce a pair of Connecticut Shade offerings: Black Works Studio Killer Bee Connecticut and Black Label Trading Co Deliverance Porcelain. Both cigars would be hits and would both make their way into becoming regular production offerings: Porcelain would join the regular production lineup of Black Label Trading Co in 2019, and Killer Bee Connecticut would become regular production in 2022. Porcelain was originally released in a Corona Gorda size, but a Robusto was added in 2021 and it's the cigar that lands at #4.

Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-rhs

 

Prime Time Episode 292 Audio: Pete Johnson, Tatuaje Cigars

For Episode 292, we are proud to welcome back Pete Johnson, owner and founder of Tatuaje Cigars.

Pete is one again coming off a banner year in 2023 for Tatuaje Cigars and there is plenty to look forward to in 2024. We will catch up with Pete on all of the happenings of Tatuaje Cigars!

Plus, we will have our Alec Bradley Live True Segment, FSG Beef Question of the Night, Tabacalera USA Ties That Bind, Espinosa Today in Sports History, and the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segment.