Cigar Coop

Visiting the Cavalier Genève booth is always fun; the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show was no exception. The past three years have been quite busy for Cavalier Genève. The company has made moves toward vertical integration by opening its own factory and setting up its own distribution. New brands have also been formed, such as Inner Circle and Tres Delincuentes. This year has seen Cavalier turn its focus back to its core eponymous brand. The company came into the 2024 PCA with two new line extensions to its core lines. While sometimes line extensions can be mundane, Cavalier Genève's new ones are anything but that. The company has taken the time to introduce two new sizes that are pretty different from its other offerings. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-sxB

The 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show is the eighth one for JRE Tobacco Co. Every year, the booth is one of the busiest at the Trade Show, and 2024 was no exception. JRE's focus has been innovation over the past four to five years. JRE used the PCA Trade Show to launch two new innovative lines: the Aladino Fuma Noche and Aladino Cameroon Reserva. In addition, a sixth size was introduced to the Aladino Maduro. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-sx9

The 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show was special for Topper Cigars. For starters, the company is celebrating its 130th anniversary. As such, Topper is releasing the Topper 1894 to mark the occasion. However, it's more than just marking an anniversary milestone. Recently, Chris Topper, President of Topper Cigar, found historical documents confirming the company’s inception traces back to 1894. As a result, Topper is established as the longest-standing family-owned cigar company in America, solidifying the company's rich history in U.S. tobacco. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-swr

Chazz Palminteri was at the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show with his A Bronx Tale brand. 2023 saw Palminteri team up with Epic Cigars’ Dean Parsons and La Casa Grande’s Paul DiSilvio for the first A Bronx Tale release. The original Bronx Tale release was a limited edition. This year, Palminteri and company are launching a new line at PCA 2024 – A Bronx Tale Calogero. While it’s still being done in conjunction with Parsons and DiSilvo, the big difference is Calogero is a full-time regular production line. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-svV

Casa de Sueños would celebrate its 5th anniversary at the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. Casa de Sueños was formed in 2018 by a group of cigar enthusiasts based in California called the LG Cigar Club. They hooked up with the De Los Reyes factory in the Dominican Republic to produce their brands. The name “Casa de Sueños” translates to House of Dreams, which is appropriate for this group that fulfilled a dream of launching a cigar company. Casa de Sueños was a part of the De Los Reyes booth at PCA 2024 and unveiled a special limited edition cigar to mark the milestone. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-svx

Altadis U.S.A. was a busy booth at the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. Plenty of new or newly released products were showcased. Leading the way was the ultra-premium Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Noble Diamonte and a special release celebrating the 180th anniversary of H. Upmann. At the same time, there are projects among many of the other brands under Altadis U.S.A. It should be no surprise that Altadis U.S.A. got off to a fast start, given its banner year in 2023. Consequently, this resulted in a 2023 Large Company of the Year award for Altadis and its parent company, Tabacalera USA, and a 2023 Person of the Year award for Vice President of Product Capability Rafael Nodal. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-suu

Tonight on Prime Time Episode 302 we celebrate our seven year anniversary and welcome Klaas Kelner back to the show. Klaas comes from one of the world’s most renowned families when it comes to tobacco. Last year, Klaas took the step into opening his own factory. We’ll discuss how that story and much more. Plus, we have our FSG Beef Segments, Altadis USA’s Ties the Bind, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa This Day in Sports History, and, of course, the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation Segment.

De Los Reyes is always a fun stop at the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, but this year things were even more exciting. For over a decade Cigar Coop has covered De Los Reyes, but for the most part the focus has been on its Saga brand. While there is a new blend for the long-time Saga No 7 line, it’s De Los Reyes’ other brand Don Julio that is taking center stage at PCA 2024. The Don Julio line pays homage to Don Julio Samuel Reyes Fermin, a third-generation member of the Reyes family who was known as one of the legendary growers in the industry. Don Julio has two new releases that are the first major releases under Don Julio in over a decade. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-stN

Coming into the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, My Father Cigars had already had an exciting year. Not only did the company win the Cigar Coop 2023 Cigar of the Year with the Le Bijou 1922 100 Años, but for the second year in a row, My Father Cigars was our Large Factory of the Year. This year, the momentum continued, highlighted by the launch of the Fonseca MX Edition. In addition, there was the national launch of the Don Pepin Vintage Edition and a new size for El Centurion H-2K-CT. Perhaps the most exciting news would be plans for the Le Bijou 1922 100 Años to make a return. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-stf

The 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show marked the return of Drew Estate to the Trade Show. Drew Estate certainly didn't miss a beat when it came to the Trade Show. The booth was chock full of excitement, traffic, and loud music. However, this was still a very different trade show for Drew Estate. In the past, Drew Estate was known for launching a slew of new product offerings at the PCA Show. This year, Drew Estate only came into PCA 2024 with one new product, the Blackened S84 Shade to Black. Despite it being only one product, this year still had all the energy of the days when Drew Estate would launch many new products. In fact, for a large company launching only one new product, I cannot remember any company doing it in a grander way. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-st4

We catch up with Sweet Amber Distilling Master Distiller Rob Dietrich at the Drew Estate booth at PCA 2024.

Kristoff Cigars would use the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show to celebrate its 20th anniversary. As a result, the company is coming with its 20th Anniversary Cigar, the Veinte. While as excited as Kristoff is to reach the 20 year milestone, the company is looking toward the future. At last year's Trade Show, owner Glen Case announced he was doing an overhaul of the packaging and bands of his portfolio. The loose tobacco and rustic elegance that Kristoff has been associated with for two decades is being phased out. This has been replaced by a more sleek, modern look. Kristoff Vengeance is the first of the existing lines to receive the new packaging. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-ssh

Prime Time Jukebox Episode 126 features #16 of our Album Archaeology Series as we tackle Tears For Fears’ 2023 album, The Tipping Point. Much like an archaeologist digs and hunts for gems, on Album Archaeology, we dig into the The Tipping Point album. We go deep into each of the tracks of this album, looking at the music, lyrics, and stories behind this album. Most of the time, we have discussed a classic album; this time, we tackle a new album by a classic artist. It’s one we feel is already an instant classic. We will also recap music and cigar news headlines For this show, Coop smokes the Opus X Super Belicoso by Arturo Fuente while Dave smokes the CAO Flathead Sparkplug 450. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 126 Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7AN7WKml58itrmtIqUggKt?si=a62821e037d4457c References Billie Eilish Unveils Release Date and Title of New Album: 'Hit Me Hard and Soft': https://variety.com/2024/music/news/billie-eilish-new-album-hit-me-hard-and-soft-1235963974/ First Groovin the Moo, now Splendour: why are Australia’s music festivals falling over?: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/mar/30/first-groovin-the-moo-now-splendour-why-are-australias-music-festivals-falling-over Dolly Parton’s Version of Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents” Debuts With a New Video: https://dollyparton.com/life-and-career/music/dolly-partons-version-of-tom-pettys-southern-accents-debuts-with-a-new-video Blackened Rye the Lightning 2024 Edition Released: https://cigar-coop.com/2024/04/blackened-rye-the-lightning-2024-edition-released-news.html Tony Gomez and Jonathan Carney Collaborate for Bull’s Breath Whiskey: https://cigar-coop.com/2024/04/tony-gomez-and-jonathan-carney-collaborate-for-bulls-breath-whiskey-news.html

At PCA 2024, we catch up with Willy Herrera at the Drew Estate booth.

Guy Fieri was in attendance with Espinosa Cigars at the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show as he has been the last two years. Guy has partnered with Espinosa Cigars to produce the Knuckle Sandwich brand. Knuckle Sandwich cigars are produced and distributed by Espinosa Cigars. It's been well-documented that Guy and Erik have changed the game in terms of celebrity-branded cigars, and our team got a chance to catch up with the dynamic duo. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-srA

At PCA 2024, we catch up with Pedro Gomez at the Drew Estate booth.

Cohiba was one of the brands of General Cigar making a return at PCA 2024 for the first time in five years. The brand has maintained its status as General Cigar’s most ultra-premium offering. This year saw Cohiba bring two new releases to the trade show. The first is an all-new brand under the Cohiba M umbrella, the Reserva Roja. Meanwhile the second saw General deliver its first lancero for Cohiba with the Cohiba Riviera Lancero. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-sqM

Over the past few years, Over the past few years, several Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) brands have collaborated with various spirits companies over the past few years, some utilizing barrel-aged tobacco. In 2022, Macanudo became one of the STG brands using barrel-aged tobacco for its Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll. For this project, Macanudo engaged with the Napa Valley-based winery Flint Knoll. Compared to other STG barrel-aged collaborations, this project was unique because Macanudo collaborated with a winery rather than a distillery. Additionally, the tobacco aging barrels used were made of French Oak and were previously used in aging Flint Knoll's single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-sqh

The 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show saw the return of General Cigar's Macanudo brand. It had been five years since Macanudo had a presence at a Trade Show, but they were back on the big stage thanks to General's return to PCA. Over the past few years, Macanudo has certainly seen quite a bit of innovation. This was first seen with the Inspirado series, but things have gone to another level in the past couple of years. Perhaps there was no better example of this than the Macanudo Emissary España launch, a cigar incorporating tobacco from Spain. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-sqh

2024 was the second Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show for the new La Aurora USA business unit. La Aurora USA was established in 2022 to handle the company's distribution. Our team visited the La Aurora booth on day one and found it bustling with activity. La Aurora brought a mix of value products and some ultra-premium products. The value products saw two new blends under the La Aurora Cazadores line, and the ultra-premium saw new vintages of the Hors D'Age and Puro Vintage lines. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-spy

On a special Thursday night Special Edition, we conclude Aging Experiment #5 as we discuss and smoke the Padrón Family Reserve No 46 Maduro. With the "Aging Experiment" Series, Bear and Coop smoke a cigar, smoke another cigar six months later, and a third cigar one year later. The idea is to see how the cigar responds to aging over a period of time. Tonight we check in on the Padrón Family Reserve No 46 Maduro cigars we acquired with over year of age. We will go behind the scenes and discuss some of the interviews for PCA. Plus we have our Rock-A-Feller America History , Espinosa This Day in Sports History, and Tabacalera USA Great Things are Happening Here segments.

The 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show was historic for El Titán de Bronze. Many know El Titán de Bronze as the famed boutique factory in Little Havana, Miami. Over the years, El Titán de Bronze is well-known for producing small-batch cigars for many cigar companies. The company also has its own brands. This year, El Titán de Bronze was at the PCA Trade Show for the first time. They were there as a part of a new distribution agreement with General Cigar Company. Under this agreement, General is distributing one of their brands called Redemption. This year, an all-new Redemption cigar debuted at the 2024 PCA Trade Show. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-soM

The 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show saw some big changes to two of Foundation Cigars core lines. This involved a rebranding of the Metapa line to Aksum. The other big change involved Foundation discontinuing the El Gueguenese and Wise Man Maduro lines out of Aganorsa and replacing them with two all-new blends out of the My Father Cigars factory. Meanwhile company is completing its first decade in business and owner Nicholas Melillo is preparing for the second decade. PCA 2024 Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-snO

Today we announce the winner of our Te Amo - The Original San Andres Cigar Prize Pack. This contest is brought to you by Altadis USA

Inspired by the upcoming Oliva Serie V Melanio Edición Año 2024, tonight we present a QR code Show for Prime Time Jukebox. The concept for the Oliva Edición Año 2024 is based on a musical composition composed by pianist Paul Montag. Montag composed this piece on December 1, 2023, while enjoying the Oliva Serie V Melanio. During his cigar experience, this inspired the composition itself. On the packaging of the Oliva Edición Año 2024, there will be a QR code where you can access Montag’s final musical composition. Dave latched on to this idea and said what if we pick two cigars, build a playlist that was inspired by our smoking experience. To access the QR codes, go to the Cigar Jukebox article at: https://cigarjukebox.com/2024/04/09/announcement-prime-time-jukebox-episode-125-the-qr-code-show/ We will also have music news, cigar news, and the developing palates cigar of the week. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists the old fashioned way: Coop’s List: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2GLdpGo9lLvPebm4dvmTz9?si=49a9e3e9b040409f Dave’s List: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/46EFXdgxT4jDRKA6Ck3YNb?si=134d5efde5c142c6 References J Cole - Might Delete Later (Full album mixtape): https://open.spotify.com/album/57wh3BpvUF2tmvwoGSjUe3?si=cAqE3cvxQHyfKkTZxO-pFg Pharrell Williams Black Yacht Rock: https://blackyachtrock.com/ Developing Palates Team Cigar Review: Espinosa Sumatra Toro: https://developingpalates.com/reviews/cigar-reviews/team-cigar-review-espinosa-sumatra-toro/ Oliva Serie V Melanio Edición Año 2024 Launched at PCA 2024: https://cigar-coop.com/2024/03/oliva-serie-v-melanio-edicion-ano-2024-launched-at-pca-2024-cigar-news.html PCA 2024 Coverage: Cigar Big Board: http://www.cigarbigboard.com/