PCA 2023: Forged Cigar Co.
If you’ve been paying attention to halfwheel news, you’ll likely be aware of Forged Cigar Co. and what it is. If not, here’s a relatively short and hopefully easy-to-follow background for the company and how we’ve arrived at the Forged Cigar Co. booth at PCA 2023.
In 2021, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) created a new distribution company called Forged Cigar Co., splitting existing brands under the STG umbrella into two groups. Bolivar Cofradia, Chillin’ Moose, Diesel, La Gloria Cubana and Partagas brands were placed under Forged, while CAO, Cohiba, Hoyo de Monterrey, Macanudo, Punch and any other remaining brands would be under the previously existing General Cigar Co. company portfolio.
Backing up chronologically a bit, General Cigar Co. was one of the companies that announced in early 2020 that it would no longer be exhibiting at the PCA Convention and Trade Show. Last year, one month before PCA 2022, STG bought Matt Booth’s cigar company, Room101. Since Room101 already had booth space at PCA 2022, STG sent employees to assist and even sold non-Room101 Forged products.
With slightly more time before PCA this year, STG acquired Alec Bradley, which had previously purchased a sizeable booth space for PCA 2023. Taking that booth space, it was decided that Forged Cigar Co., with both Room101 and Alec Bradley now under the distribution company, would exhibit at the show.
Forged’s new booth structure looked very reminiscent of the booth that Alec Bradley used in 2022. It is clean and nicely laid out, with three corners of the booth space dedicated to walls that have shelves displaying the different brands, the fourth corner being utilized for a storage area, with seating throughout or sit-down meetings. Between the four sizeable walls and how close the booth space was to other structures, it was virtually impossible to get a full picture of the booth’s interior, thus the much more in-depth walkthrough video above. The Alec Bradley brand was housed in one corner of the booth, with Diesel and La Gloria Cubana sharing another corner, Room101 and Partagas the third corner, and various other brands in stand-alone display cases.
Alec Bradley Fine & Rare BCN-143
The latest release in the Fine & Rare series is the BCN-143. Utilizing 10 different types of tobacco, each Fine & Rare release is a unique blend and uses a secret code as the name, with some connection and special meaning to those who worked on that specific year’s release. Along the lines of special meaning, the release date of November 11 is the date the original Fine & Rare shipped. With 10 different varietals and/or sourced tobaccos in the blend, for the sake of formatting, it is easier to copy and paste the entire list from the press release here:
A Honduran Trojes Criollo 98 wrapper from the La Vega Coyol Farm in Honduras. The cigar’s double binder is comprised of Honduran Trojes Criollo 98 and Nicaraguan Esteli Criollo. The filler features these ligero tobaccos: Honduran Jamastran Criollo 98, Nicaraguan Jalapa Criollo 98, Honduran Trojes Criollo 98, with Honduran Jamastran Criollo 98, Honduran Trojes Corojo 99, Honduran Jamastran Corojo and Nicaraguan Jalapa Corojo 99, all from the viso priming.
- Wrapper: Honduras
- Binder: Honduras & Nicaragua
- Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua
- Alec Bradley Fine & Rare BCN-143 (7 x 50) — $25.99 (Box of 10, $259.90)
Production: 2,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (25,000 Total Cigars)
Release Date: Nov. 11, 2023
Alec Bradley Magic Toast Fifth Anniversary
In celebration of its fifth anniversary, Magic Toast release is getting another limited-edition perfecto, aptly named Magic Toast Fifth Anniversary. It will be produced at Fábrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L. in Danlí, Honduras.
- Wrapper: Honduras (Trojes Maduro)
- Binder: Honduras (Trojes Criollo) & Nicaragua (Estelí Criollo)
- Filler: Honduras (Jamastran Corojo, Criollo) & Nicaragua (Jalapa Criollo)
- Alec Bradley Magic Toast Fifth Anniversary (7 x 54) — $14.49 (Box of 10, $144.90)
Production: 2,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars)
Release Date: September 2023
Alec Bradley Post Embargo Blend Code B15
Originally released back in 2015, the Post Embargo line when the U.S. was easing some of the restrictions related to the Cuban embargo. Eight years later, a second Post Embargo line is being released with a nod back to the 2015 date.
Bradley Rubin, brand ambassador for Alec Bradley, noted that the packaging was what the original Post Embargo was supposed to use. Alan Rubin, founder and then owner of Alec Bradley, decided to go with more traditional packaging instead. Between the name and the packaging using the original design, the Post Embargo Blend Code B15 is not just an extension of the Post Embargo line but also a celebration of it.
- Wrapper: Honduras (Trojes Criollo)
- Binder: Honduras (Jamastran Corojo, Trojes Criollo)
- Filler: Honduras (Jamastran Corojo, Trojes Criollo) & Nicaragua (Jalapa Criollo)
- Alec Bradley Post Embargo Blend Code B15 Gordo (6 x 60) — $10.99 (Box of 24, $263.76)
- Alec Bradley Post Embargo Blend Code B15 Robusto (5 x 52) — $8.99 (Box of 24, $215.76)
- Alec Bradley Post Embargo Blend Code B15 Toro (6 x 52) — $9.99 (Box of 24, $239.76)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: August 2023
The idea behind Diesel Vintage Series is to deliver an aged, quality cigar at a reasonable price point. Featuring tobacco that has between 5-10 years of age, the Vintage Series is the first regular-production cigar from Diesel since 2020. Also, giving the blend room for expansion, each size is part of a sub-line indicating the length of the cigar, e.g., the Vintage Series 500 Robusto Gordo pictured above, which is five inches. The idea is that in the future if a 5 x 52 robusto were to be released, it would also be part of the Vintage Series 500.
- Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Binder: Nicaragua (Estelí)
- Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa)
- Diesel Vintage Series 400 Gigante Nub (4 1/2 x 60) — $8.79 (Box of 20, $175.80)
- Diesel Vintage Series 500 Robusto Gordo (5 x 56) — $7.79 (Box of 20, $155.80)
- Diesel Vintage Series 600 Toro (6 x 52) — $7.99 (Box of 20, $159.80)
- Diesel Vintage Series 600 Rabito (6 x 46) — $9.29 (Box of 10, $92.90)
- Diesel Vintage Series 700 Double Corona (7 3/4 x 49) — $8.79 (Box of 20, $175.80)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 1, 2023
During the whirlwind tour of everything under the Forged banner, the new Shade Grown line from the El Rey del Mundo brand was missed and, therefore, not pictured. It was there, however, as you can see in the booth walkthrough video. This new blend is the first time a blend under the brand has featured a Honduran Connecticut shade-grown wrapper.
- Wrapper: Honduras (Connecticut-seed)
- Binder: Honduras (Jamastran Valley)
- Filler: Honduras (Copan & Jamastran Valley)
- El Rey del Mundo Shade Grown Robusto (5 1/2 x 50) — $5.99 (Box of 20, $119.80)
- El Rey del Mundo Shade Grown Toro (6 x 52) — $6.29 (Box of 20, $125.80)
- El Rey del Mundo Shade Grown Lonsdale (6 1/2 x 44) — $5.89 (Box of 20, $117.80)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 1, 2023
La Gloria Cubana 8th Street (2023)
The 8th Street release from La Gloria Cubana is returning for the second year, using the same blend as the 2022 version but this time coming in a new size.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
- La Gloria Cubana 8th Street (2023) (6 1/2 x 48) — $22.99 (Box of 10, $229.90)
Production: 3,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (35,000 Total Cigars)
Release Date: September 2023
La Gloria Cubana Serie S Maduro
While I didn’t get to talk to anybody about the El Rey del Mundo I mentioned above, I was shown the LGC Serie S Maduro. However, when I was covering the booth, there were many retailers in the booth, which made it hard to get the pictures, and this one was forgotten about in the hubbub. What’s notable about this cigar isn’t the fact I forgot to photograph it, but instead that it is the first La Gloria Cubana line to use a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper.
- Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
- La Gloria Cubana Serie S Maduro Robusto Gordo (5 1/2 x 56) — $7.99 (Box of 24, $191.76)
- La Gloria Cubana Serie S Maduro Gigante (6 x 60) — $8.49 (Box of 24, $203.76)
- La Gloria Cubana Serie S Maduro Presidente (7 x 56) — $8.99 (Box of 24, $215.76)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 1, 2023
Los Statos Deluxe Maduro
After joining STG last year, Matt Booth helped revamp the Los Statos brand, with the Los Statos Deluxe debuting at the 2022 show. This year we get the follow-up with another maduro treatment. Another collaboration between Booth and Justin Andrews, the Deluxe Maduro is made at STG Danlí in Honduras.
- Wrapper: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Dominican Republic (Piloto Cubano) & Honduras (Jamastran, La Entrada)
- Los Statos Deluxe Maduro Churchill (7 x 49) — $9.99 (Box of 20, $199.80)
- Los Statos Deluxe Maduro Gigante (6 x 60) — $9.99 (Box of 20, $199.80)
- Los Statos Deluxe Maduro Robusto (5 x 50) — $8.79 (Box of 20, $175.80)
- Los Statos Deluxe Maduro Toro (6 x 52) — $9.49 (Box of 20, $189.80)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: Aug. 1, 2023
I’m not sure I can say Mexican San Andrés is this year’s theme, but it seems to be the direction Forged has taken. Valle Verde, Spanish for green valley, refers to the lush valleys in Veracruz where the San Andrés wrapper is grown. While the rest of the current Partagas lines have packaging themes in red, black, yellow, white and gold, the bright green of the band and box stick out, look good, and fit in perfectly with the theme of the cigar.
- Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Binder: Cameroon
- Filler: Mexico (San Andrés) & Nicaragua (Estelí & Jalapa)
- Partagas Valle Verde Robusto (5 x 50) — $7.99 (Box of 20, $159.80)
- Partagas Valle Verde Toro (6 x 52) — $8.49 (Box of 20, $169.80)
- Partagas Valle Verde Double Corona (7 1/2 x 54) — $9.49 (Box of 20, $189.80)
- Partagas Valle Verde Belicoso (6 1/2 x 52) — $9.99 (Box of 10, $99.90)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: July 1, 2023
Room101 14th Anniversary
What has now become a yearly tradition, as anniversaries tend to do, Room101 is releasing this limited edition to celebrate the brand’s 14th year.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Room101 14th Anniversary (6 x 52) — $13.99 (Box of 20, $279.80)
Production: Undisclosed
Release Date: July 2023
Having already brought back The Big Payback line once Room101 relaunched, we’re now getting a new addition in a size that hasn’t been sold since 2016, but this time with a new blend.
- Wrapper: Honduras (Olancho San Agustin)
- Binder: U.S.A. (Connecticut Broadleaf)
- Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras & Nicaragua
- Room101 The Big Payback 70s (7 x 70) — $8.99 (Box of 30, $269.70)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: June 1, 2023
Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Redux
Last on our list is the rerelease, or redux, of the Johnny Tobacconaut line. Booth was so excited for people to try this rerelease that he was literally throwing them at people.
Or perhaps I was the only one getting cigars thrown at me, but regardless, there were at least three heat-seeking missiles that didn’t launch into orbit as the name would suggest but pelted me in the chest instead as I approached Booth to talk about all the new Room101 releases.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut Shade)
- Binder: Mexico
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Gordo (6 x 60) — $10.99 (Box of 20, $219.80)
- Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Perfecto (6 x 56) — $15.99 (Box of 20, $319.80)
- Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Robusto (5 x 50) — $8.99 (Box of 20, $179.80)
- Room101 Johnny Tobacconaut Toro (6 x 52) — $9.99 (Box of 20, $199.80)
Production: Regular Production
Release Date: August 2023
Brian Burt
I have been smoking cigars since 2005 and reviewing them as a hobby since 2010. Initially, I started out small with a 50-count humidor and only smoking one or two cigars a month. Not knowing anybody else that smoked cigars, it was only an occasional hobby that I took part in. In March of 2010, I joined Nublive and Cigar Asylum, connecting me with many people who also shared an interest in cigars. Reading what they had to say about brands I had never heard of, I quickly immersed myself in the boutique brands of the industry and it was then that cigars transformed from a hobby into a passion.
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