Cigar Coop Prime Time Show

Coop and I (Ben) drove down to New Orleans form North Carolina for the PCA trade show and, while on the way, we stopped by The Cigar Shop in Biloxi, MS for a visit.  As most of you know, this is my first home shop. My home away from home.  During our visit, a particular light caught my eye.  In the glass case was a slim lighter with a striking copper and gunmetal color scheme that I thought looked really great. I asked, Rob, one of the tobacconist there if he could bring it out of the case to let me check it out.  Soon as he put it in my hand, it never made it back in the case. That light was the Rocky Patel H. E. lighter.  The light was very sturdily built with a good heft.  Its a single flame lighter with a stronger pinpoint flame.  I don't know the type or name of the jet flame, but I've seen it before in other higher end lighters.  It has a blue ring inside and the flame has a flower shape when ignited at the bottom.  You've probably seen these as well.  For more details on what I think about the lighter,

Prime Time Jukebox Episode 163 features the music of Disney. Dave and Coop explore the history of music in Disney going back nearly a century and talk about the trends and artists for some songs during that period. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 163 Playlist References Dolly Parton Announces Special Limited Engagement at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas Bobby Sherman, Heartthrob Singer and TV Actor of the 1970s, Dies at 81 The Whispers’ Walter Scott Dies at 81 | Pitchfork Developing Palates: Team Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA

For Prime Time Episode 344, we welcome back Jonathan Carney as our special guest. Jon is currently the CEO of Bentley Tobacco | USA, but he also is wearing a lot of other hats including working with Hooten Young. We’ll catch up with Jon on his projects. We will also have our FSG Beef Segment, Altadis USA Ties the Bind, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa This Day in Sports History, and DTT Industry Deliberation segment.

On Prime Time Special Edition 177, Bear and Coop look at the Consiglieres of the cigar industry. A consigliere is an advisor to a high ranking person. We will look at some of the standout cigar industry people who play the role of consigliere. 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. References Four-year-old Credited with Saving Her Teacher’s Life at Tennessee Daycare Historic Tokyo Bridge Liberated from Concrete Overpass Will Shine Again Thanks to Grassroots Campaign 

Prime Time Jukebox Episode 162 features the 1971 album, There’s a Riot Goin’ On by Sly & the Family Stone. With Sly Stone’s recent passing, we decided to go back and explore this landmark album. Much like an archaeologist digs and hunts for gems, on Album Archaeology we dig deep into an album. We examine each of the tracks of this album looking at the music, lyrics, and stories behind this album. Tune in to the premiere of Prime Time Jukebox Episode 162: Album Archaeology 19 – There’s a Riot Goin’ On, Sly & The Family Stone on YouTube on Monday 6/16/25 at 8pm ET. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 162 Playlist References Prime Time Jukebox 55: Album Archaeology #8: Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys The Drawn Out’s Swallow my Pride: A Triumph of Indie Rock with the Soul of a Songwriter

On Prime Time Jukebox Episode 161, we look at “Things We Automatically Like in Songs.” There are certain features and characteristics that we are drawn to in a song. Tonight, Dave and Coop explore some of those features they like and come up with songs that hit the pattern. Plus, we’ve got music news, cigar news, New Music 45, and the music pairing of the week. In this episode, Dave smokes the Edge Maduro, and Coop smokes the El Pulpo Belicoso Grande As always, you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 161 Playlist PCA 2025 Playlist

Tonight two shows for the price of one as we present Take 332 of El Oso Fumar Takes and The Smoking Syndicate Roundtable 22. Tonight it’s the Cohiba Riviera Lancero. When it was introduced, Cohiba Riviera marked a couple of firsts for the Cohiba brand: Cohiba Riviera is the first Mexican wrapped and first box-pressed offering. With the Lancero line extension, it now introduces another first – the first Lancero in General’s Cohiba brand.

For Prime Time Episode 343, we welcome Ra’ed Saqfelhait of The Leaf Master of Dubai as our special guest. Ra’ed is a partner in The Leaf Master of Dubai. The Leaf Master is a leading importer and retailer in the GCC region. He also has become one of the leading ambassadors for the industry in the world. Tonight we will learn Ra’ed story of how he got to where he is. Plus we have our FSG Beef, Altadis USA Ties That Bind, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa This Day in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Industry Deliberation Segment

On Prime Time Special Edition 176, Bear and Coop go back to Mount Rushmore and find out what Crowned Heads cigars should get the honors on that monument. The origins of a cigar Mt. Rushmore go back with the Cigar Coalition team, and we do it with a unique spin. We identify companies that should have cigars on the monument and then map them to the Presidents. In addition we will also have a segment where we have a wish list for future Hand Rolled movies 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.

We conclude our coverage of the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show with a visit to Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars. As always, Johnson took this opportunity to unveil most of his upcoming releases for the year. This year, the Coalition team had a mantra of #lesswrapperbinderfiller, which resonated throughout many of our interviews, including this one. While we do touch on some of the new products, Pete shares a wealth of insights, particularly regarding the industry and the Trade Show itself. To wrap things up, Bear Duplisea presented Pete with the El Oso Fumar Takes #1 Cigar of the Year award. We hope you enjoy this packed “22 Minutes with Pete Johnson.” Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wU4

The number of new releases from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust (DTT), at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show was expected; however, the wide variety of new offerings was surprising. When considering the material released prior to PCA, it was noteworthy that almost every brand in the DTT portfolio saw new releases, with the exception of Muestra de Saka. Additionally, this year marked the tenth anniversary of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. Owner and founder Steve Saka had much to discuss during this year’s installment of "40 Minutes with Steve Saka." Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wTt

Each year, visiting S.T. Dupont as part of the Coles of London booth provides a distinguished experience, and the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show was no exception. This year's event showcased new production innovations, intriguing collections, and several significant collaborations. These partnerships span a wide range of sectors, encompassing both the cigar industry and various lifestyle brands. The displays were not only visually striking but also effectively demonstrated the exceptional craftsmanship for which S.T. Dupont is widely recognized. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wSu

The 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show was the fifth one for Howard Gumbs and Howard G Cigars. One theme we had seen around PCA 2025 was the introduction of humidified Fresh Packs (or Humi-Packs). Fresh Packs played a crucial role in Howard G's expansion in the marketplace. Over the past few years, Howard G Cigars has begun appearing in locations like ABC Liquor Store and smaller lounges that have limited space for boxes. Fresh Packs not only addressed this issue but also provided an opportunity for consumers to become acquainted with the Howard G brand. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wSk

If there were a theme for ADVentura Cigars at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, it would undoubtedly be "something special." This is because each of the new releases includes a unique element. This year, ADVentura introduced its new Captain's Collection sampler, which features a distinctive size and provides a sneak peek of a brand-new blend for 2025. Additionally, the new Blue Eyed Jack's Maduro will be available in a size that has never been released by ADVentura before and will also include a special challenge coin. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wSp  

We had such a great time visiting Natura Tobacco & Cigar Company at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show! The story of Natura is really one-of-a-kind. This year, they’re excited to introduce two new cigars: the Altura Second Harvest and the Natura 5th Anniversary. Both of these cigars play an essential role in the history and evolution of the company. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wRY

There was quite a bit going on at La Galera Cigars and its parent company, IndianHead Cigars at PCA 2025. La Galera Cigars is a premium cigar brand owned by Jochy Blanco. Based in the Dominican Republic, Blanco was best known for many years as a tobacco grower and owner of Tabacalera Palma. In 2015, Jochy decided to enter the market with his own brand. He would acquire IndianHead Cigars from Bill Bock (who had decided to retire). At the time, IndianHead Cigars was primarily focused on value-priced cigars. Blanco added a premium brand to the portfolio, which was La Galera. This year, we saw a new release from La Galera, as well as a couple of new releases under IndianHead's Rough Rider brand. Finally, IndianHead introduced a new line of accessories. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wRx  

Topper Cigar Company is a regular stop for the Cigar Coop Coalition team at the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, and 2025 was no exception. Last year, Topper Cigar Company made a significant release with the Topper 1894 line, a cigar celebrating its 130th anniversary. This release came just three years after the company launched its 125th-anniversary cigar. The reason for this accelerated timeline is that Topper has historically traced its company's founding back to 1896. However, Chris Topper, President of Topper Cigar, discovered historical documents indicating that the company’s inception dates back to 1894.  As a result, Topper is established as the longest-standing family-owned cigar company in the United States, solidifying the company’s rich history in U.S. tobacco. This year, Topper had a couple of line extensions to both the 125th Anniversary and 1894 lines in the form of a 4 1/4 x 43 vitola called the Shorty. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wQm  

The 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show saw Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. go back to its roots with its two new releases.  Over the past decade, Oscar Valladares has built a significant factory and farming operation in Honduras. One of the first people Valladares started working with was Jim Robinson, a Pittsburgh retailer. That project would be the Leaf by Oscar. Subsequently, Valladares would then produce the line synonymous with Robinson, Island Jim. Today Robinson's lines are now part of the Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co portfolio - and this year the company would have no releases around Leaf by Oscar and Island Jim. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wQt  

For Prime Time Episode 342, we are honored to welcome back the Artesano Del Tobacco guys, Billy and Gus Fakih. Billy and Gus are the folks behind the brands of Artesano Del Tobacco. This includes Viva La Vida and El Pulpo. It’s been a little while since we last had them for a full show, and tonight we will get updates on the latest on what’s happening. Plus we will have our special “Under the Sea” segment, FSG Beef, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa This Day in Sports History, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments.

The 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA Trade Show marked the third consecutive one for Serafin de Cuba. This year, Serafin de Cuba introduced a new limited-edition cigar. Unfortunately, before the Trade Show, they had to swiftly rebrand this product to Reserva 2506 to avoid a potential trademark issue. Fortunately, Serafin de Cuba completed the rebranding and was able to highlight this new release at the 2025 Trade Show. Full PCA Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-wPa