CigarCoop

For Episode 290, we are proud to welcome Les Mann, the Vice President of Sales for S.T. Dupont as our special guest. Les has a long career in the world of premium cigar accessories with companies such as Colibri and Quality Importers. For the past few years, Les has been running sales at S.T. Dupont. Tonight we will talk about Les’ career and the happenings going on at S.T. Dupont. Les is also a trading card collector, and he’ll talk about this during our Alec Bradley Live True segment. Plus, we will have our FSG Beef Question of the Night, Tabacalera USA Ties That Bind, Espinosa Today in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments.

The 2023 #30 Cigar of the Year is the Byron Seleccion 1850 No. 3 by Selected Tobacco. The Seleccion 1850 became the fourth blend under Selected Tobacco’s Byron line. The Byron brand traces its origins to Cuba in 1850, where the Byron Selección 1850 derives its name. It was in 1850 when the first Byron was created by Selected Tobacco Nelson Alfonso’s great-great-great-grandfather. The original cigar was made in a small factory in Santiago de las Vegas in the Havana province of Cuba. The name Byron honors George Gordon Byron, better known as “Lord Byron,” a renowned English poet. After the brand went dormant, Nelson Alfonso would re-acquire the brand. Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-r21

The newest iteration of the Knuckle Sandwich Chef Special by Espinosa Cigars and Guy Fieri made it’s debut at the 2023 PCA trade show in Las Vegas. This is a follow up on the 2022 release which was a huge hit with the cigar community. This new version features and Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper versus the Ecuadorian Habano from last year and a new blend of filler tobaccos all from Nicaragua with a Nicaraguan binder. From Espinosa Cigars: The Chef Special is a yearly release made available to retailers at the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) trade show. This 10-count box was first made in 2022. Future Chef Special’s will be made with the blend and size change from year to year. For this review, we are going to check it out and let you know how it stacked up to last year’s version. The Chef Special features a different blend than its 2022 predecessor. This includes an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over all-Nicaraguan binders and fillers. Like last year, the Chef Special comes in a 6 1/2 x 52 Box Pressed Figurado. The cigars will be in ten-count boxes with pricing of $15.00 MSRP per cigar and $150.00 MSRP per box. The cigars are made at the San Lotano Factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua. “This is the first LE we did for Knuckle Sandwich Cigars, the size and the blend really hit. So, we are back this year with a new blend in that same great size, it’s an exceptional smoke,” commented Erik Espinosa in a press release. Knuckle Sandwich Chef Special 2023 Vitola: Figurado Size: 6 1/2 x 52 (Box Pressed) Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: San Lotano MSRP: $15.00 Final Score: 89

Tonight Dave and Coop take a look at records that have been given second chances. These are records that were trashed, disregarded by fans or totally forgotten about in lieu of later work. Somehow these records caught on later For this show, Dave smokes the RoMa Craft Quinquagenerio and Coop smokes the Saga Short Tales Tomo VI. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 115 Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/04PzD7Zc5WJtM9WGgFe5Pk?si=eb4f17b5e6f6484e References Dolly Parton FULL Thanksgiving Halftime Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFE6SNXoZuE NFL Fans Absolutely Crushed Jack Harlow’s Dreadful Halftime Show During Packers-Lions - Sports Illustrated: https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/11/23/jack-harlow-halftime-show-packers-lions-fans-react Daryl Hall accuses John Oates of 'ultimate partnership betrayal' in plan to sell stake in business: https://apnews.com/article/hall-oates-lawsuit-ad17e6a0997f01bdf760392d1f5e82e7 Big Suits, Lost Tapes, and Dancing Heads: Inside A24's Incredible 'Stop Making Sense' Restoration: https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/stop-making-sense-talking-heads-restoration-david-byrne-a24-40th-anniversary-1234828312/ Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance:_A_Film_by_Beyoncé Peter Gabriel: i/o review – a glorious, late-career masterpiece: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/dec/03/peter-gabriel-io-review-glorious-late-career-masterpiece StillWell Star Holiday Y2023: https://cigar-coop.com/2023/04/cigar-news-dunbarton-tobacco-trust-announces-stillwell-star-holiday-y2023-release.html Fuente y Padrón Legends Begins Shipping: https://cigar-coop.com/2023/11/cigar-news-fuente-y-padron-legends-begins-shipping.html New Zealand to Repeal Generational Smoking Ban: https://cigar-coop.com/2023/11/cigar-news-new-zealand-to-repeal-generational-smoking-ban.html Top 50 of 2023 / #50 – 46: Spiderman, The Blues and Metal: https://cigarjukebox.com/2023/11/26/top-50-of-2023-50-46-spiderman-the-blues-and-metal/ Top 50 of 2023 / #45 – 41: An Emotional Tribute, A Bunny and a Brit Pop Third Act: https://cigarjukebox.com/2023/12/02/top-50-of-2023-45-41-an-emotional-tribute-a-bunny-and-a-brit-pop-third-act/ Developing Palates Team Cigar Review: RoMa Craft Quinquagenario: https://developingpalates.com/reviews/cigar-reviews/team-cigar-review-roma-craft-quinquagenario/

The Smoking Syndicate Roundtable tackles another set of cigars from the Aura by E.P. Carrillo Shengxiao Collection tonight. We are, once again, joined by a special guest Roundtable panelist, Mr. Fred Rewey! The Aura by E.P. Carrillo Shengxiao is an ultra-premium collection introduced by E.P. Carrillo late in 2023. It consists of 12 blends by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo – each representing a year in the Chinese Zodiac. Tonight, each panelist will take a different blend based on the year he was born. Back in May, we went through an initial set from this collection. Tune in tonight for this unique Roundtable and find out what the panelists think of this release.

Video Credit: ADVentura Cigars, used with permission Following the fire at Tabacalera William Ventura, ADVentura Cigars opens up its own dedicated factory, Tabacalera Mina de Rey

For Episode 289, we welcome back the one and only Jarrid Trudeau of Kristoff Cigars as our special guest. The past two years have been quite busy in the world of Kristoff. We will get some of the updates on what is going on. Plus Jarrid is now a member of the member of the PCA Board. Jarrid also has some of the best airport stories and it’s been a while since we’ve done an airport segment. We will cover this in our Alec Bradley Live True segment. Plus, we will have our FSG Beef Question of the Night, Tabacalera USA Ties That Bind, Espinosa Today in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments.

Tonight we celebrate 150 Special Editions. To mark the occasion we are inviting two companies that have a long history together – Quesada Cigars and the brands of Ferio Tego. Representing the Quesadas will be Manuel Quesada and his daughter Raquel. Representing Ferio Tego we have Michael Herklots. 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. References Birth of Rare Eastern Black Rhino is Cause for Celebration–Watch the Amazing Birth Caught on Camera, With Only 600 in Wild: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/birth-of-rare-eastern-black-rhino-is-cause-for-celebration-watch-the-amazing-birth-caught-on-camera/ Secret millionaire donates fortune to small New Hampshire town: https://www.foxnews.com/us/secret-millionaire-donates-fortune-small-new-hampshire-town #ELOSOFUMARTAKES - 272nd Take: https://www.facebook.com/elosofumar/videos/1047913253212667/

It’s that time of the year as Dave and Coop unveil their music for the Christmas Season for 2022. It will be a mix of classics and contemporary that will help you get into the seasonal spirit from some of your favorite artists. Plus we have music news, cigar news, Dave’s New Music 45, and of course, the Developing Palates Review of the Week. For this show, Dave and Coop smoke the StillWell Star Holiday Y2022 by Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. As always you can follow along with all of our Christmas and Holiday music selections with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 114 Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5sT3Bp2Ipp1wBjoecVhcX3?si=b4e2319de2304bfb References Dolly Parton doesn't plan to ever tour again: https://www.npr.org/2022/10/30/1132676124/dolly-parton-no-tour-again-rock-album Brandy’s Christmas Party for Two: Everyone Deserves a Sexy Christmas: https://cigarjukebox.com/2023/11/15/brandys-christmas-party-for-two-everyone-deserves-a-sexy-christmas/ The War on Disco | Chapter 1 | AMERICAN EXPERIENCE | PBS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmkVdpJrQoo Developing Palates Team Cigar Review: Powstanie Connecticut Toro: https://developingpalates.com/reviews/cigar-reviews/team-cigar-review-powstanie-connecticut-toro

Some of us have been down the road: namely, we pick up an album and it simply doesn’t click. However somehow along the way, the album grows on us, and in some cases it goes on a road to greatness in our personal collections. Tonight, Dave and Coop talk about albums that grew on them – and the stories behind how that happened. In this episode, Dave smokes the Espinosa Murcielago de Oro and Coop smokes the E.P. Carrillo Allegiance Sidekick As always, you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 112 Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4IyJK0V2rj6gQMdWA2ozLF?si=fa51498938a846ff References The Chicks’ Gaslighter World Tour: A Concert 17 Years in the Making: https://cigarjukebox.com/2023/10/25/the-chicks-gaslighter-world-tour-a-concert-17-years-in-the-making/ PBS: The War on Disco Documentary: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/war-disco/ PCA Changes Media Credential Process Including Dropping Badge Fees for Media: https://cigar-coop.com/2023/10/cigar-news-pca-changes-media-credential-process-including-dropping-badge-fees-for-media.html Feature Story: Thoughts on the Changes to PCA Dropping Media Dues: https://cigar-coop.com/2023/10/feature-story-thoughts-on-the-changes-to-pca-dropping-media-dues.html Developing Palates Team Cigar Review: Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante No. 2: https://developingpalates.com/reviews/cigar-reviews/team-cigar-review-montecristo-1935-anniversary-edicion-diamante-no-2/ The Libertines’ Run Run Run: The Brit Pop Phoenix Put a Smile on my Face: https://cigarjukebox.com/2023/10/25/the-libertines-run-run-run-the-brit-pop-phoenix-put-a-smile-on-my-face/

Tonight it’s our 11th installment of our cigar industry panel. This is where we bring in different people from different segments of the cigar industry to discuss cigar industry topics. Tonight’s panelists joining Aaron and Coop are: Jay Davis, Blue Smoke of Dallas; Eric Guttormson of Cigar Dojo; and Erron Nielsen of the Cigar Coop Coalition. We will challenge our panelists and get their opinions on a wide variety of topics. Tonight’s cigar industry panel topics include: -- Pricing and discounting of cigars -- Accessories (Cutters, Lighters, and Storage units) of Choice -- Single Store and event only releases (Coop’s favorite topic!) -- A series of rapid fire questions including: who needs a new release, who shouldn’t do a new release, who needs a packaging refresh, why the cigar industry is obsessed with loud music at events, and more. Plus, we will have our FSG Question of the Night, Tabacalera USA Ties That Bind, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa Today in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments.

On Prime Time Jukebox Episode 113, Dave and Coop embark on their own individual journeys being dubbed “Down the Rabbit Hole.” The two start with a familiar song and then go down the path of selecting a song inspired by that song. Each will go through nine iterations of this exercise and choose a song from the inspired previous song selected. Ultimately, we will see where this journey takes each of them. Plus, it is a huge week of music news going on – including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grammys, the new Beatles Song, the new Rolling Stones album, Dave’s report on the Paul McCartney concert, and the question of whether a Taylor Swift Back Lash is coming. In this episode, Dave smokes the Jericho Hill Jack Brown by Crowned Heads, and Coop smokes the Julius Caesar Toast Across America Shark by J.C. Newman. As always, you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 113 Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vlzqMVZp4T7RRXXOba4ue?si=668d743ff5e94a09&nd=1 References Paul McCartney Got Back Tour Brisbane, 2023: A Spiritual Rock Experience: https://cigarjukebox.com/2023/11/02/paul-mccartney-got-back-tour-brisbane-2023-a-spiritual-rock-experience/ The Beatles’ Now and Then: An Emotional Mix of Art, Science and Soul: https://cigarjukebox.com/2023/11/04/the-beatles-now-and-then-an-emotional-mix-of-art-science-and-soul/ The Rolling Stones’ Rolling Stone Blues: Don’t Let Bad Cover Art Fool You: https://cigarjukebox.com/2023/11/07/the-rolling-stones-rolling-stone-blues-dont-let-bad-cover-art-fool-you/ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2022 ceremony recap: Top performances, photos & more - cleveland.com: https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/11/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-2022-performances-highlights-live-updates.html 2024 Grammy Nominations Announced: https://cigarjukebox.com/2023/11/11/2024-grammy-nominations-announced/ 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Review: A Record that Changed Music Forever: https://cigarjukebox.com/2023/10/31/1989-taylors-version-review-a-record-that-changed-music-forever/ Feature Story: In My Mind’s Eye: Espinosa La Zona Palooza 2023: https://cigar-coop.com/2023/11/feature-story-in-my-minds-eye-espinosa-la-zona-palooza-2023.html

Room101 reintroduced the Johnny Tobacconaut at the 2023 PCA trade show in Las Vegas, NV. It had been off the market since 2015 when Room101 left Davidoff for distribution, but was released in a limited quantity in 2022 for Luxury Cigar Club. Now, with Room101 under Forged Cigars, the Johnny Tobacconaut has made its triumphant return to retailers nationwide. Vitola: Toro Size: 6 x 52 Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A. MSRP: $9.99 Final Score: 92

Tonight we announce the contest winner from the October 2023 contest around H. Upmann. This contest is brought to you by Tabacalera USA - great things are happening here.

On Episode 287, we welcome Arnold Serafin of Serefin de Cuba as our special guest. Arnold’s family has been in the cigar business since the 19th century. Now Arnold is continuing the legacy out of the Tampa Bay Area. Not only will we hear Arnold’s story, but we will hear from a true historian in the cigar industry. Plus, we will have our FSG Question of the Night, Tabacalera USA Ties That Bind, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa Today in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments.

It’s our annual election night show. We ask you leave your politics at the door and join us. Not only only will we cover the races, but we will have 15 BALLOT QUESTIONS related to the cigar industry where we will decide tonight. 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.

In 2022, Avo discontinued the popular Improvisation Series. Avo Cigars still wanted to have a limited release line so they introduced the new Seasons line in 2023. The Season line will be released each season, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, in a diadema size. They will each feature a different unique blend, but will feature an undisclosed 14 year old tobacco. Each Season will have 4000 ten count boxes and will retail for $18.00. Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Binder: Dominican Filler: Dominican Country of Origin: Dominican Republic Factory: O.K. Cigars Vitola: Diadema Size: 6 5/8 x 50 MSRP: $18.00 Final Score: 92

On Episode 286, we are honored to welcome back one of the true legends in the cigar industry, the one and only Christian Eiroa of C.L.E. Cigar Company. Christian is known for his leadership at Camacho, but for the last decade, he has been at the helm of his own venture, C.L.E. In the past couple of years, there have been plenty of innovative projects coming from C.L.E., and we’ll talk about them tonight. Plus, we will have our FSG Beef Question of the Night, Tabacalera USA Ties That Bind, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa Today in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments. Our Deliberation Segment will go in-depth on the PCA decision to lift cigar media dues.On Episode 286, we are honored to welcome back one of the true legends in the cigar industry, the one and only Christian Eiroa of C.L.E. Cigar Company. Christian is known for his leadership at Camacho, but for the last decade, he has been at the helm of his own venture, C.L.E. In the past couple of years, there have been plenty of innovative projects coming from C.L.E., and we’ll talk about them tonight. Plus, we will have our FSG Beef Question of the Night, Tabacalera USA Ties That Bind, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa Today in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments. Our Deliberation Segment will go in-depth on the PCA decision to lift cigar media dues.

La Zona Palooza 2023 is coming up the first weekend in November, and tonight we will preview the upcoming event with Hector Alfonso and Jack Toraño of Espinosa Cigars. In addition, we will catch up on the happenings of Espinosa. 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. References 19 Wildcats Set to Bring Back Scottish Highland Species – They’re Thriving in a Reintroduction Program: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/the-19-wildcats-set-to-bring-back-scottish-highland-species-are-thriving-in-reintroduction-program/ Here are the Top 10 most popular Halloween candies, according to Instacart - CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/favorite-halloween-candy-by-state/

Tonight’s show was inspired by Matt Tye of How Bout That Cigar. Matt challenged us to do a show where we come up with song titles that are in the first lyric of a show. Dave and Coop will respond to the challenge on this show. Plus, Dave’s very excited about the Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie and the news of Dolly Parton performing a Thanksgiving Halftime Show. In this episode, Dave smokes the RoMa Craft Quinquagenario and Coop smokes Trinidad Espiritu No. 1 Toro As always, you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 111 Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6IKvZNeA7M1Iv46tpUbuuR?si=7f485ba240d44097 References Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour - Movie Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xazDS1_3hcU&pp=ygUYQW5keSBTdHVja21hbiBTd2lmdCBFcmFz Dolly Parton to play halftime during Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game: https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/10/17/dolly-parton-to-play-halftime-at-dallas-cowboys-thanksgiving-day-game/71207990007/ Developing Team Cigar Review: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black PapaSaka: https://developingpalates.com/reviews/cigar-reviews/team-cigar-review-dunbarton-tobacco-trust-mi-querida-black-papasaka/ R.E.M. - Shiny Happy People (Official Music Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYOKMUTTDdA&list=RDYYOKMUTTDdA&start_radio=1

Tonight, Ashton Cigars are in the house. We are joined by Andy Green, Vice President of Sales from Ashton Distributors. We’ll talk all things Ashton and learn about Andy’s journey in the cigar business. Plus, we will have our Cattle Baron Steak Question of the Night, Tabacalera USA Ties That Bind, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa Today in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments.

JRE released a limited edition cigar in their Aladino line at PCA 2023 earlier this year. This limited edition cigar is based off quest to blend a birthday cigar for the patriarch of the Eiroa family, Julio Eiroa. This cigar features a unique wrapper, Cameroon tobacco grown in Honduras, and is limited to only 600 boxes. Vitola: Toro Size: 6 x 52 Wrapper: Honduran Cameroon seed Binder: Honduran Filler: Honduran Country of Origin: Honduras Factory: Fabrica de Puros Aladino S.A. MSRP: $16.00 Final Score: 90

Forged Cigars has had the Moose line of cigars for quite a while now and it’s been very popular. Part of that is the low price point and easygoing flavor profiles. Earlier this year, Forged released the Shady Moose as the fourth installment of the Moose series. The Shady Moose features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and retails from $4.79 to $5.49. Vitola: Toro Size: 6 x 52 Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder: Mexican Filler: U.S. American, Colombian, Nicaraguan, Dominican Country of Origin: Honduras Factory: Honduras American Tobacco S.A. (HATSA) MSRP: $4.99 Final Score: 82

Tonight, Aaron and Coop bring John McTavish from Developing Palates, Ben Lee from The Smoking Syndicate, and Matt Tye of How Bout That Cigar for the 16th media panel edition. Tonight's topics include: How successful have cigar and spirit pairing projects been? Is the Government the most significant threat against cigar media? Does cigar media favor smaller, boutique cigar companies? The evaluation of how well five cigar companies promote themselves Our potential nominees for PCA Board Member slots Cigar Celebrity Death Matchups! Plus, we will have our Cattle Baron Steak Question of the Night, Tabacalera USA Ties That Bind, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa Today in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments.

Tonight Dave and Coop take on a challenge – what is that one song that has helped define an artist’s career. Each will select ten artists and then come up with the picks for what song defines the artist. Plus we will discuss Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift, Usher’s selection for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and more talk on The Rolling Stones new album. In this episode, Dave smokes the RoMa Craft CroMagnon EMH and Coop smokes the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 Gran Consul. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 110 Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/561E56YfxCBgcBtL9di91E?si=eeb0e52f81ab4ab4 References Prime Time Jukebox Episode 29: The Taylor Swift Show: https://cigarjukebox.com/2021/02/08/prime-time-jukebox-episode-29-the-taylor-swift-show/ Super Bowl Halftime Show Prop Bets 2024: Usher Will Perform Las Vegas Show: https://www.sportsbookreview.com/picks/nfl/super-bowl-halftime-show/ Hackney Diamonds MLB Albums: https://therollingstonesshop.com/collections/stones-x-mlb?fbclid=IwAR1YTuOhAakeCHax5o3bVm4H90xdXr7elbTJWlRTIK4PLkQAM2sGMz0XO8M Don Conrado Plasencia, Director of Tabacos de Oriente, Passes Away: https://cigar-coop.com/2023/09/cigar-news-don-conrado-plasencia-director-of-tabacos-de-oriente-passes-away.html Developing Palates Team Cigar Review: Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda: https://developingpalates.com/reviews/cigar-reviews/team-cigar-review-black-works-studio-poison-dart-corona-gorda/