Cigar Coop Prime Time Show

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.

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