The Cigar Industry Report is a one-stop place to catch up on the activity here at Cigar Coop. It is a combination of the news reports, cigar reviews, and assessment updates we do throughout the week. In addition, each week we will look back at Cigar Coop history. Look for this report every Saturday morning at 8am Eastern Time.

Cigar Industry Report: Edition 540 (6/3/23)

The Headlines

Chazz Palminteri, Epic Cigars, and Paul DiSilvio Team Up for “A Bronx Tale by Chazz Palminteri” Cigar

Epic Cigars has announced a cigar for Oscar-nominated actor Chazz Palminteri. It’s titled A Bronx Tale by Chazz Palmintieri and it’s named for the highly acclaimed play turned motion picture A Bronx Tale. The play was written by Palminteri and he starred in it. The play also went on to be adapted into a motion picture. Keeping to the spirit of A Bronx Tale, Epic Cigars has teamed up with Paul DiSilvio of La Casa Grande Tobacco Company located in the Bronx to produce the cigar.. We’ve got the details here.

Ashton to Release La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut

Ashton Distributors has announced a new addition to its La Aroma de Cuba line, the La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut. We got the details here.

The News

Product Reports

Drew Estate: Announced the Limited Edition ACID Kuba Kuba Assortment Gift Set
Aganorsa Leaf: Announced the Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario Connecticut
C.L.E. Cigar Company: Announced it has shipped the Eiroa Dark 11/18 TAA Exclusive
E.P. Carrillo: Announced the Escapade by E.P. Carrillo Project
Selected Tobacco: Announced it will launch the Alfonso Gran Selección at PCA 2023

Other News

El Septimo Geneva: Announced its Corona Cigar Company’s new Sarasota location will be its latest branded lounge
Nsolo Consulting Group: Named Ryan Gallimore Director of Business Development

Cigar Reviews

Assessments

Espinosa 10 Years Anniversary (Toro)
Red Anchor Admiral by United Cigars
Ultimate Cigars Club by Carlos Nodal Liga 223

Agile Cigar Reviews

Arturo Fuente Rare Pink Vintage 1960’s Signature
VegaFina Nicaragua Gran Vulcano

The Smoking Syndicate

None this week

Features and Blog

Feature Story

None this Week

The Blog

None this Week

Prime Time Podcasts

Prime Time Show

Prime Time Episode 270: Juan Lugo & Garret Robinson, Don Doroteo Cigars

Prime Time Special Edition

None this Week

Prime Time Jukebox

Prime Time Jukebox Episode 99: In Memoriam: Tina Turner

Upcoming Schedule

On This Date…

On this date June 3:

Jun 3, 2011: We re-posted a press release announcing that Graycliff Cigars maning Torano Family Cigar Company as its official USA distributor.
Jun 3, 2013: We re-posted a press release on Dona Flor U.S.A’s. “Going Green” Technology to Preserve Cigars
Jun 3, 2013: We posted an Assessment Update on the Tatuaje Apocalypse.
Jun 3, 2014: We reported on CRA naming Robert Levin its new Chairman.
Jun 3, 2014: We reported on the REINADO Grand Empire Reserve Ecuador Edition.
Jun 3, 2014: We reported on Miami Cigar and Company’s new look.
Jun 3, 2014: We assessed the Rocky Patel II-XXVI 2014.
Jun 3, 2015: We reported on the Viaje Summerfest 2015
Jun 3, 2015: We reported on the Viaje TNT and C-4 2015 Editions
Jun 3, 2015: We reported on Black Label Trading Company’s Morphine 2015
Jun 3, 2015: We assessed the Ortega Larceny by Sean Williams.
Jun 3, 2015: We reported on Sosa Cigars’ bringing back Imperio Cubano.
Jun 3, 2016: We assessed the Serino Royale Maduro Belicoso.
Jun 3, 2016: We reported on Maya Selva Cigars’ Flor de Selva Maduro Grand Pressé
Jun 3, 2016: We broke news on Jack Toraño rejoining Toraño Cigars
Jun 3, 2017: We published Cigar Industry Report: Volume 6, Number 28 (6/3/17)
Jun 3, 2018: We assessed the Casa Turrent 1880 by A. Turrent Cigars
Jun 3, 2019: We reported on return of the Viaje TNT and Viaje C-4 for 2019
Jun 3, 2019: We reported on the 2019 Davidoff Golden Band Award Winners
Jun 3, 2019: We reported on the Fratello Space Fresh Pack
Jun 3, 2019: We assessed the Davidoff Florida Selection Limited Edition 2018
Jun 3, 2019: We reported on the Mombacho Casa Favilli release
Jun 3, 2019: We reported on the Gurkha Marquesa Magnum
Jun 3, 2019: We reported on the Antigua Esteli Segovias
Jun 3, 2019: We reported on the Gurkha Nicaragua Series
Jun 3, 2019: We reported on the Gurkha Real
Jun 3, 2020: We assessed the Timeless 2019 Limited Edition
Jun 3, 2020: We reported on the Drew Estate Tabak Especial Lonsdale
Jun 3, 2021: We reported on the Crux Epicure Maduro Short Salomone
Jun 3, 2021: We reported on the Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa
Jun 3, 2022: We reported on the Ace Prime Maria Lucia
Jun 3, 2022: We published Casa Magna Colorado Toritos
Jun 3, 2022: We reported on the  Alec Bradley Double Broadleaf Experimental Series
Jun 3, 2022: We reported on Bellato Premium Cigars’ Knockaround

Every year since 2010, Cigar Coop published its annual Cigar of the Year Countdown.  This is a project where we count down the Top 30 Cigars of the year. On Friday December 9, we kick off the 2022 edition of the Countdown. Each day we will unveil a cigar from the top 30 cigars selected by Coop in reverse order ranking. We will take a break on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. On January 9th, we will unveil our choices for #1 and #2 Cigars of the Year.

As we did last year, there will be audio and video components available on YouTube, Odysee, Podbean, Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast catcher.

Look forward to everyone following along on this end of year tradition!

Originally posted on December 4, 2022 @ 9:18 pm

Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments where we use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we are looking at in a different size. Today we look at the Micallef A Gordo. This is a cigar blend previously assessed in October 2020 in the Churchill size.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory Micallef Cigars S.A.
Gordo: 6 x 60

The Micallef A Gordo is the second vitola to be released in Micallef’s A line. Back in March 2020, Micallef had a cigar they wanted to introduce for the one-year anniversary of the Micallef Ambassadors program. At the time the cigar had not been named, but Micallef opted to release the cigar under the name Micallef To Be Named (TBN). In the meantime, Micallef would work with the ambassadors to name the cigar. Along the way, the TBN was a huge hit – selling out in 36 hours. Eventually, the name Micallef A was selected with the “A” honoring the Micallef Ambassadors. In August 2020, Micallef A was originally released in a 6 3/4 x 54 “Churchill” size and continued to be a huge hit for the company. Fast forward one year to August 2021 and Micallef decided to add another size to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Micallef A. That cigar would be a 6 x 60 line extension to the line, the Micallef A Gordo.

Blend-wise, the Micallef A Gordo utilizes the same tobaccos as found in the rest of the line. The cigar is highlighted by a Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper over an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. Production is handled out of the Micallef Cigars factory in Nicaragua. The 6 x 60 Gordo was the second release, and this was recently followed up by the petit-corona-sized Micallef lowercase a.

The Micallef A Gordo opened up with a combination of earth, chocolate malt, coffee, tannin, and mineral notes. Early on the earth and chocolate malt notes moved into the forefront. On the retro-hale, there was a layer of mixed pepper notes. By the second third, the coffee notes moved into the forefront joining the earth notes. There was a creamy undertone to the coffee notes. Concurrently there was a gradual decrease in the malt chocolate notes. It was during the second third that the mixed pepper also surfaced on the tongue. In the second third, the coffee notes receded into the background and lost their creaminess. By the final third, the earth notes were primary. These were rounded out by red pepper, coffee, tannin, and mineral notes.

The flavors delivered by the Micallef A Gordo were medium-bodied countered by medium strength. The draw was slightly open, but not loose. As for the burn, the Micallef A Gordo required multiple touch-ups to maintain a straight burn line and straight burn path.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop

Originally posted on October 5, 2022 @ 5:17 pm