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Happy New Year! In 2023, Thompson’s Cigar Tour is taking the “new year, new me” mentality to a new level. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, we’re ringing in the new year with an upgraded look to Cigar Tour. Our goal at Thompson is to provide you with the best cigar-buying experience possible; that starts here. Cigar Tour’s mission is to be your guide through the world of premium cigars, beginning with your hand-picked monthly sampler. We want you to know how important this journey is to us, so we gave it a refreshed, premium look. We’ve worked feverishly to bring you a package that allows us to offer you cigars of varying shapes and sizes — and potentially an extra stick or two along the way.
The changes to the packaging aren’t the only upgrades we’ve made. Surely the most noticeable change is in your hands — the newsletter. The new and improved newsletter proves that much like cigars, bigger isn’t always better. So, we’ve streamlined it to bring you a fun, informative experience. In doing so, each write-up focuses directly on the blend at hand. We’re cutting right to the chase and giving you all the information you could possibly need about each blend — including components, tasting notes, and unique nuggets of information — in a more concise format.
Speaking of what’s in the box, let’s dive into the first selection of 2023. We start on the smoother end of the profile spectrum, with a blend that features a mixture of long-fillers hailing from four different growing regions in Nicaragua — Perla Del Mar. Moving up the scale, we have the medium-bodied La Palina Paley’s Vault and the medium to full-bodied La Galera Maduro. Rounding out the selection is the new, full-bodied Rocky Patel Vintage 20th Anniversary and Man O’ War Ruination. Take your pick of what to smoke first while you enjoy our new look.
Back in the 1990s, former lawyer Rocky Patel invested in Indian Tabac Cigar Company; in 2003 the company rebranded itself as Rocky Patel Cigar Company. The first line of cigars released under the new name was the Rocky Patel Vintage series. Since its inception, the Vintage line of cigars has garnered 22 90-plus ratings from Cigar Aficionado and three appearances on the Top 25 list. The Vintage 1990 Broadleaf made two appearances on the Top 25 list, coming in 22nd in 2004 and 16th in 2006 before the Vintage 2003 Cameroon placed 16th in 2017. Each release in the line features a different aged wrapper. As previously mentioned, the 1990 features a Broadleaf wrapper and the 2003 a Cameroon, the Vintage 1992 boasts a Sumatra wrapper, the 1999 a Connecticut, and the 2006 a San Andrés.
Celebrating 20 years of the launch of the Vintage series is the Rocky Patel Vintage 20th Anniversary. The full-bodied blend features a thick, oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper harvested from an exceptional 2007 crop. Underneath lies a Brazilian binder and a mix of all-Nicaraguan long-fillers known for their stronger profile. The flavor profile oozes with complex, yet balanced notes of espresso, cocoa, and spice that will delight your palette. When choosing a pairing for this cigar look for something like a Guinness — a flavorful stout that won’t overpower the smoke.
La Galera Maduro is the first blend Jochy Blanco — the fourth generation of Blanco to work in the tobacco industry — released on his own. Each blend in the La Galera portfolio contains well-aged binders and fillers from Jochy’s farms in the Dominican Republic, along with hand-picked wrappers from all over the world. A thick, dark San Andrés wrapper was chosen for the La Galera Maduro to envelop a Dominican Piloto Cubano binder and all-Dominican long-fillers that come together for a medium to full-bodied smoke that features a subtle sweetness.
La Palina was originally founded as Congress Cigar Company by Ukrainian immigrant Samuel Paley in 1896 Chicago before closing during the Great Depression. The La Palina brand was brought back to life in 2010 by Paley’s grandson, Bill. La Palina Paley’s Vault was a test blend never intended to hit the market. The blend was kept in the factory’s aging room for Bill to enjoy when he visited, before hitting the market in limited quantities. Because of that, not much is known about what makes up the blend other than it boasts a Corojo wrapper.
Man O’ War Ruination is the epitome of a full-bodied blend. The long-fillers and wrapper are all grown from Cuban seeds and are hand-picked ligero leaves from the plant’s top priming. The Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers provide a hearty base to the blend, which is amplified by the addition of an oily sun-grown wrapper from Ecuador. The blend explodes with flavors including notes of leather, cocoa, and oak. Each draw leaves a velvety smoke on the palate that will leave you satisfied long after your take your last puff.
Originally a Cuban brand, today’s Perla del Mar — which translates to “Pearl of the Sea” — is made by J.C. Newman, maker of Brick House and Diamond Crown. As the name suggests, the Perla del Mar Shade is draped in a beautiful shade-grown Ecuador Connecticut wrapper that offers a smooth smoke and a delightful flavor profile. Underneath lies binders and long-fillers hailing from four different Nicaraguan growing regions — Pueblo Nuevo, La Reina, Condega, and Jalapa. Those Nicaraguan tobaccos add a bit of strength, giving this blend a smooth to medium body.
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