Cigar Coop Prime Time Show

Prime Time Episode 292: 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.

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #5: La Flor Dominicana Solis (Audio)

The #5 2023 Cigar of the Year is the La Flor Dominicana Solis. Many cigar companies are family operations, and that applies to La Flor Dominicana and the Gomez family. La Flor Dominicana is known for the blends created by Litto Gomez. Litto’s wife Ines and his son Tony have also been involved with the company for many years. In 2022, another member of the family, Litto Gomez Jr, would get a chance to spearhead his first project. Dubbed “Solis,” the cigar had its debut at the 2022 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show.

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

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #5: La Flor Dominicana Solis

The #5 2023 Cigar of the Year is the La Flor Dominicana Solis. Many cigar companies are family operations, and that applies to La Flor Dominicana and the Gomez family. La Flor Dominicana is known for the blends created by Litto Gomez. Litto’s wife Ines and his son Tony have also been involved with the company for many years. In 2022, another member of the family, Litto Gomez Jr, would get a chance to spearhead his first project. Dubbed “Solis,” the cigar had its debut at the 2022 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show.

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

 

The Smoking Syndicate: Drew Estate Blackened M81 Robusto (Audio)

Drew Estate introduced the Blackened M81 cigar line last year which is a collaboration with Rob Dietrich, master distiller and blender of Blackened American Whiskey, Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate, and lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Metallica, James Hetfield.  The cigar gets it name from the first track off Metallica’s ….And Justice for All album released in 1988 and M81 which M is for Metallica and their founding year of 1981.  All three had a major hand in coming up with the blend of the Blackened cigar.

From Drew Estate about the collaboration:

Dietrich and Drew Estate President Jonathan Drew have been friends for many years. It was Dietrich who introduced Metallica lead singer James Hetfield to Drew.  The idea was floated about creating a cigar brand. From there, the wheels were put in motion to create a cigar that shared the vision of the Blackened Brand. Drew provided cigars from the Drew Estate portfolio to sample and Hetfield and Dietrich kept cigar journals to critique the cigars and identify what they liked and disliked about each one.  Eventually they were able to settle on the flavor profile which was the Blackened M81.

Rob Dietrich also blended the companion whiskey also called Blackened.  Will Cooper also reviewed this cigar in the toro size earlier year and it made #21 on Coop’s Cigar of the Year list for 2023.

• Vitola:  Robusto
• Size:  5 x 50
• Wrapper: San Andres Mexican
• Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Filler: Pennsylvania Broadleaf, Nicaraguan
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
• MSRP:  $9.45

Cigars purchased at B & B Tobacconist in Asheville, NC

Final Score:  91

The Smoking Syndicate: Drew Estate Blackened M81 Robusto

Drew Estate introduced the Blackened M81 cigar line last year which is a collaboration with Rob Dietrich, master distiller and blender of Blackened American Whiskey, Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate, and lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Metallica, James Hetfield.  The cigar gets it name from the first track off Metallica’s ….And Justice for All album released in 1988 and M81 which M is for Metallica and their founding year of 1981.  All three had a major hand in coming up with the blend of the Blackened cigar.

From Drew Estate about the collaboration:

Dietrich and Drew Estate President Jonathan Drew have been friends for many years. It was Dietrich who introduced Metallica lead singer James Hetfield to Drew.  The idea was floated about creating a cigar brand. From there, the wheels were put in motion to create a cigar that shared the vision of the Blackened Brand. Drew provided cigars from the Drew Estate portfolio to sample and Hetfield and Dietrich kept cigar journals to critique the cigars and identify what they liked and disliked about each one.  Eventually they were able to settle on the flavor profile which was the Blackened M81.

Rob Dietrich also blended the companion whiskey also called Blackened.  Will Cooper also reviewed this cigar in the toro size earlier year and it made #21 on Coop’s Cigar of the Year list for 2023.

• Vitola:  Robusto
• Size:  5 x 50
• Wrapper: San Andres Mexican
• Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Filler: Pennsylvania Broadleaf, Nicaraguan
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
• MSRP:  $9.45

Cigars purchased at B & B Tobacconist in Asheville, NC

Final Score:  91

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

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

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

Prime Time Special Edition 153 Audio: Tripp Waldrop

Prime Time Special Edition 153 kicks off the 2024 year as we welcome the newest member of the Cigar Coop Coalition team, Tripp Waldrop.

Tripp is coming on-board and bringing his Let’s Get Pairing brand into the Coalition. As the name indicates, this show will be all about pairings with cigars. We’ll get to know Tripp better and find out more about the vision for Let’s Get Pairing going forward. We will also take a look ahead to 2024, and look back at some of our favorite cigar moments.

Plus, we have our Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group U.S. History segment, Tabacalera USA Great Things are Happening Here, and Espinosa This Day in Sports History segments.

Tune in tonight as we welcome Tripp Waldrop to the  Cigar Coop Coalition!

References

• Maui Jewler repairing/restoring jewelry damaged in fires for free
• Archeologists Confirm Oldest Viking Ship Burial in All Scandinavia–Could Rewrite the Viking Age

Prime Time Special Edition 153: Tripp Waldrop

Prime Time Special Edition 153 kicks off the 2024 year as we welcome the newest member of the Cigar Coop Coalition team, Tripp Waldrop.

Tripp is coming on-board and bringing his Let’s Get Pairing brand into the Coalition. As the name indicates, this show will be all about pairings with cigars. We’ll get to know Tripp better and find out more about the vision for Let’s Get Pairing going forward. We will also take a look ahead to 2024, and look back at some of our favorite cigar moments.

Plus, we have our Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group U.S. History segment, Tabacalera USA Great Things are Happening Here, and Espinosa This Day in Sports History segments.

Tune in tonight as we welcome Tripp Waldrop to the  Cigar Coop Coalition!

References

• Maui Jewler repairing/restoring jewelry damaged in fires for free
• Archeologists Confirm Oldest Viking Ship Burial in All Scandinavia–Could Rewrite the Viking Age

2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #7: Las 6 Provincias CMW by Espinosa Cigars (Audio)

The #7 2023 Cigar of the Year is the Las 6 Provincias CMW by Espinosa Cigars.

CMW is the fourth installment of the Espinosa Cigars Las 6 Provincias series. This limited edition series pays homage to the pre-Castro era of Cuba. The name Las 6 Provincias means “six provinces,” referring to the six provinces that existed before Fidel Castro's takeover of Cuba. It is also Espinosa Cigars’ most premium limited edition series to date. Each installment of the series has a unique blend, size, and associated artwork. The name CMW stands for Camagüey, the second-most eastern province on the island of Cuba in the pre-Castro era. Since the first installment of the Las 6 Provincias was launched in 2018, it has become one of Espinosa Cigars' most successful near-annual limited series releases. The CMW is the third release of the series to land on the Countdown.

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