Jake Wyatt Cigar Company was launched in 2020 by Gerard Abajian and Neil Garcia. The company derives its name from the first name of each of the owner's sons. The company quickly established a reputation for making artesian and connoisseur style cigars. The 2022 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show would be the second for Jake Wyatt as a company. Keeping to the reputation of connoisseur cigars, the company announced the Lancero Gourmet Collection, a series of Lancero line extensions to the five blends that make up the Jake Wyatt Gourmet Collection. In this interview, we talk to Gerard Abajian about not only the new lanceros, but get some insights into the company itself. We apologize for the background audio noise, but hope you enjoy the interview.

Coming in at #20 is the Crowned Heads La Coalición Siglo. For many years Crowned Heads had worked exclusively with Tabacalera La Alianza (Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr’s factory) and My Father Cigars SA (The Garcia Family). About three years ago, Crowned Heads added a couple of other manufacturing partners to work with – including Tabacalera Pichardo (ACE Prime) and La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate. La Coalición was the first national regular production cigar that Crowned Heads would make at Drew Estate (this was preceded by the Ohio-state exclusive Buckeye Land). Crowned Heads has at one time or another produced a Connecticut Broadleaf cigar at each of these factories, and that is the wrapper that La Coalición uses. In addition to the Broadleaf wrapper, La Coalición features a Sumatra binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The Siglo is a classic 6 x 52 Toro-sized vitola. The Crowned Heads La Coalición Siglo is going to deliver everything that one would expect from a Connecticut Broadleaf cigar. This includes notes of coffee, cocoa, earth, cedar, mixed pepper, and cream. The flavors delivered are medium-bodied countered by medium strength. This makes the third year Crowned Heads has secured a spot on the Countdown. Nicaragua continues to be a dominant country of origin for cigars making the 2021 list. Of the 11 cigars we have unveiled moving up the Countdown, this is the seventh one from Nicaragua. For details of the 2021 Cigar of the Year Countdown, see our 2021 criteria: https://cigar-coop.com/2021/12/announcement-criteria-for-the-2021-cigar-of-the-year-countdown.html Cigar Coop Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-lEP