Cigar Coop Prime Time Show

One company that debuted at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show was ChiMolly Cigars. Each year at the PCA Trade Show, Erron Nielsen scopes out new companies each year, hoping to find a new gem. Very early at the 2025 PCA Trade Show, Erron was immediately impressed by the ChiMolly cigars. While unfamiliar with this brand, we quickly got on board with it after Erron's discovery. ChiMolly is a company that incorporates Chinese culture into the premium cigar line. Zhuofeng Weng blends the cigars from the Mi Havana factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The company has a slogan, "It's all about texture." The company prides itself on having a smooth, creamy texture balanced with rich flavors. ChiMolly had already released two cigar lines to market and introduced its third line this year. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wGs

Rocky Patel Premium Cigars consistently ranks among the busiest booths at the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, and 2025 was no exception. On Day Three, the Coalition Team dropped by the booth, which was still alive with energy. A key highlight was the celebration of the company’s 30th anniversary, a milestone that owner Rocky Patel takes immense pride in. However, this year’s show marked a departure from past events. A decade ago, it was typical for Rocky Patel to unveil multiple new regular production lines. In recent years, though, he has scaled back these usual releases, and in 2025, only three new products were introduced, all designated as limited editions. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wGy  

At the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, Matilde Cigars paid homage to its late founder, José Seijas. Before founding Matilde Cigars, José Seijas was best known for his tenure at Tabacalera de Garcia, where he served as Master Blender and Vice President of Operations.  Seijas passed away in November 2024 from Parkinson's disease. He was 74 years old. This year, José's son Enrique released a cigar with his father's name on it. The cigar not only pays tribute to Seijas, but Matilde Cigars is donating a portion of the proceeds from Para José Seijas to the Parkinson's Foundation in the Dominican Republic (Fundacion Dominicana Contra el Mal del Parkinson - FUNDOCONEDEP). Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wFq

The 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show marked the fourth appearance for West Tampa Tobacco Co, which was established by Rick Rodriguez and Gus Martinez. This year, the booth centered around the theme of limited editions. The first highlight is a new "Chef Rick" cigar that pays tribute to West Tampa’s culinary specialty, the Devil Crab. Following that is West Tampa's most exclusive release yet, a cigar named Dark Time, known for its ultra-premium quality. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wFj

At the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, United Cigars embraced a patriotic theme of red, white, and blue. This year, the company launched a new regular production line, introduced several new Firecracker variants, and showcased its Humibag offerings, all centered around an American theme. In a surprising twist, United also decided to cut prices on its signature line, particularly noteworthy given that many cigar companies are raising their prices in response to new tariffs impacting the U.S. market. Additionally, several brands that United distributes unveiled new releases, making United Cigars a bustling hub for retailers once again. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wEd  

The story at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show at JRE Tobacco Co was Julio R. Eiroa. While Julio was not at the show, his presence was felt from the day the show opened. That is because the Trade Show opened with a preview of the upcoming docudrama Hand Rolled: Julio R. Eiroa. As the name indicates, this installment tells the story of legendary grower and cigar maker, Julio R. Eiroa. Julio is the father of Christian and Justo Eiroa, who are also featured in the movie. However, that wasn't all. This year, the long-awaited Julio R. Eiroa 85th birthday cigar (albeit it is getting released after he celebrated his 87th birthday), and once again, JRE continues its trajectory of innovation. Finally, a new line called Camp Aladino will first be offered to retailers who have visited the JRE Tobacco Farm in Honduras. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wEb

Crowned Heads had a lot of big news at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. One piece of big news is the retirement of co-owner Mike Condor after 45 years in the cigar business. Tim Ozgener is the new CEO, and longtime partner Jon Huber is the company President. Huber remains the creative force of Crowned Heads, and he spearheaded one of Crowned Heads' most significant endeavors to date - the portfolio rebranding. As usual, Crowned Heads has a new line: a Connecticut Broadleaf offering called Broadway. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wD9

After a one-year absence, 2025 marked a return of Alec Bradley to the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. Alec Bradley was not at the 2024 Trade Show because partner company STG decided to alternate between the brands of General and Forged, and 2024 was a year for General. It was odd not seeing Alec Bradley at the Trade Show, as they had been a staple of PCA/IPCPR Trade Shows for as long as I can remember. Therefore, seeing Alec Bradley back at the Trade Show was great. Overall, this was quite an exciting year for Alec Bradley as they have a new line coming out of a different factory for the brand. At the same time, they announced expansions to one of their most successful lines, Black Market. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wCZ

One of the bigger announcements heading into the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show was Luciano Cigars entering into a joint partnership with Empresa Madeirense de Tabacos SA (EMT) to form Constella Group.  While both Luciano and EMT will be integrating operations, each will also keep their own identities. Co-Owner Luciano Meirelles has said Constella Group is like an umbrella company for various Luciano Cigars and EMT brands, much like Altadis and STG, which are holding companies for their brands. In addition, baseball great Adrian Gonzalez is coming in as a full partner in the Constella Group operation. Gonzalez also has a new cigar brand of his own called The Resilient. This is one of four new releases Constella brought into PCA 2025. We apologize in advance for some of the audio issues. We recommend you turn up your volume here to enjoy this great interview. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wAI  

Our visit to the La Flor Dominicana booth at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show continues an annual tradition for the Cigar Coop Coalition team. This year, the difference is that the LFD sales team has a new Vice President in Litto Gomez Jr, and a new branding and marketing Vice President in Eddy Guerra. Since sales is a primary activity at the Trade Show, this was Litto Jr's show. Watching Litto Jr, he handled his responsibilities with poise and confidence. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down with Litto Jr. for our annual interview. There is plenty to look forward to this year, as La Flor Dominicana has revamped the Suave and introduced new packaging for the Oro line. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wAx

Aging Room is one of the brands featured by Altadis U.S.A. at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. What sets Aging Room apart from the others is that it was founded and is owned by Rafael Nodal, who also holds the position of Vice President of Product Capability at Altadis, the distributor of Aging Room cigars. Over the past five years, the standout offering from Aging Room has been the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua, a box-pressed line crafted by AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua. This year, they've introduced a new variant called the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Concerto. Additionally, Aging Room has recently revived an earlier brand from Nodal's portfolio known as La Boheme. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wzs

After missing the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, Selected Tobacco returned to the 2025 Trade Show. It allowed the Cigar Coop Coalition team to award owner Nelson Alfonso and his family the #2 Cigar of the Year award for 2023 for the  Alfonso Extra Añejo No. 2. As always, visiting the Selected Tobacco booth offers an experience akin to that of a luxury car showroom. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wz8

Room101 was one of several brands featured by Forged Cigar Company at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. For as long as Cigar Coop has been coming to the PCA/IPCPR Trade Show, Matt Booth and his Room101 brand have been present. This year was a year where Booth and the Room101 brand could reflect on some accomplishments. First, Room101 is celebrating 15 years in the cigar industry, and second, Room101 is celebrating ten years of one of its popular brands - Johnny Tobacconaut. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wwU  

Espinosa Premium Cigars was once again center-stage at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. The company had a large lineup of products it was introducing.  This year, two brands were highlighted by Espinosa - 601 La Bomba Warhead and, of course, Guy Fieri's Knuckle Sandwich line. This was a big year for Warhead; not only were there four Warhead releases, but Espinosa also debuted a new packaging design for three of the four. Speaking of Guy Fieri, he was again in attendance at the PCA Trade Show, marking the fourth consecutive year he has been there. Knuckle Sandwich also has a new core line joining Fieri's lineup. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wwJ

The 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show was the first for Bentley Tobacco. Bentley Tobacco traces its roots back to 1878, when it started out as a pipe manufacturer. After nearly a century in business, the company broadened its mission to include premium tobacco products, with a particular focus on high-end cigars. Martin Schuster, representing the Schuster family, leads Bentley Tobacco. Until recently, the company primarily centered its efforts in Europe. However, late last year saw the launch of a U.S. division, Bentley Tobacco | USA, with Jonathan Carney, the former Vice President of La Flor Dominicana, stepping in as CEO and co-owner. Although Bentley began its U.S. rollout last year, the 2025 PCA Trade Show marked a significant debut for Bentley Tobacco | USA. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wwf  

At the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, Drew Estate showcased a blend of traditional and innovative elements. On the conventional front, their brands were on display, and sales orders were being processed as usual. However, the real highlight was the non-traditional aspect: Drew Estate introduced its Tour de Liga event to the PCA. This immersive experience, which had previously taken place in Arizona, takes participants through the intricate cigar-making process and includes tobacco tastings paired with various selections. Retailers enjoyed this hands-on experience while also placing their orders. The invitation extended to cigar media was an exciting addition, a chance our team eagerly seized. Not only did we gain valuable insights along the way, but we also got a firsthand feel for the experience retailers had, which truly captured the unique atmosphere of the Drew Estate booth. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-ww1

Much the same as in 2024, De Los Reyes Cigars focused on its Don Julio brand at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. If you look at De Los Reyes' portfolio, you will see two key brands: Saga and Don Julio. The Don Julio line pays tribute to Don Julio Samuel Reyes Fermin, a third-generation member of the Reyes family, who was renowned as one of the industry's legendary growers. Notably, Don Julio is De Los Reyes Cigars' most premium line. This year, the company is releasing the second installment of its Chinese Zodiac series, called the Don Julio Year of the Snake. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wuG

H. Upmann was one of several new brands showcased by Altadis U.S.A. at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. In recent years, the partnership between AJ Fernandez and Altadis U.S.A. has proven to be highly successful. One notable outcome of this collaboration is the introduction of H. Upmann-branded cigars made by AJ Fernandez. This partnership has enabled Altadis U.S.A. to continue innovating within the H. Upmann brand and connect with new consumers. In 2025, Altadis U.S.A. introduced the H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez Heritage Finca Providencia, a limited edition cigar that pays homage to one of Fernandez's many farms in Nicaragua. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wuy  

On Prime Time Special Edition 175, Bear and Coop welcome Lee Marsh of Stolen Throne Cigars to the SE side of the house. On Saturday May 17, the 150th edition of the Preakness Stakes will be run. Stolen Throne Cigars was commissioned to make a cigar commemorating this milestone edition of the race. We will talk about the story behind this cigar, plus give some insights into the race. Plus we will catch up on all of the happenings at Stolen Throne Cigars. Plus we will have our Artesano de Tobacco Under the Sea, Espinosa This Day in Sports History, and Altadis USA Great Things are Happening segments.

Artesano Del Tobacco came into the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show with some newer offerings. The company works closely with AJ Fernandez Cigars to handle its production. While the recent fire affected many of AJ's clients, Artesano Del Tobacco was able to introduce its new products into the market. This year, the big news for Artesano Del Tobacco is the company's first Connecticut Shade offering, which falls under the Viva La Vida line. This follows up on a recent lancero line extension for El Pulpo. Both new offerings, the company says, are the direct result of consumer engagement. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wtS