The Cigar Of The Year Meets The Whisky of the Year
The best Cigar of the Year. The most exciting Whisky of the Year. The two will be paired together at the Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest seminars, taking place Saturday, May 28 in Hollywood, Florida.
The Cigar of the Year is the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Torpedo, rated 97 points by Cigar Aficionado magazine. The cigar has been in short supply for some time, but since it was named Cigar of the Year in January, the smoke has been extremely hard to find.
Jorge Padrón, the man who runs Padrón Cigars Inc., will be on stage with Cigar Aficionado executive editor David Savona to discuss the history of the cigar, how it’s made, and how Padrón has emerged as a leading producer of cigars. The company makes all of its cigars by hand in Nicaragua and is the only producer to win Cigar of the Year four times.
The high-scoring Torpedo will be paired with the Whisky of the Year—Lagavulin 11-year-old Offerman Edition: Guinness Cask Finish, which was rated 95 points by Whisky Advocate, a sister publication to Cigar Aficionado. The Islay single malt Scotch has a suggested retail price of $80 a bottle.
The Scotch is 11 years old, and it spends four months of finishing in casks that once held Guinness stout. The whisky was inspired by actor and comedian Nick Offerman, best known for his work on the television series “Parks and Recreation,” as well as his love of Lagavulin. It’s been in short supply since being given the accolade of Whisky of the Year.
Rasmus Just, National Educator for Scotch at Diageo Hospitality Division, will be on stage describing the whisky.
Tickets are still available for the seminars, by clicking here.
The other seminar topics are:
- A discussion about Nicaragua, the largest producer of handmade cigars in the world, with panelists Rocky Patel, Carlos Fuente Jr. (who is opening a factory in Nicaragua) and Pete Johnson, maker of Tatuaje cigars. Gordon Mott, Cigar Aficionado’s senior contributing editor, will lead that panel. Arturo Fuente Don Carlos, Tatuaje and Rocky Patel cigars will be given out as well.
- A look at the past, present and future of the Montecristo brand, with Benjamin Menendez, who was part of the family that owned the Montecristo brand in Cuba before it was nationalized by the Castro regime, and Rafael Nodal, head of product capability for Tabacalera USA. A Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2, Cigar Aficionado’s No. 2 Cigar of the Year, will be handed out to the crowd. The cigar scored 95 points in a blind tasting. Managing editor Greg Mottola will spearhead that discussion.
- A conversation with the Rubin family, makers of Alec Bradley Cigars. Alan Rubin and his sons Alec and Bradley will talk about their family business, and share their Alec and Bradley Kintsugi Corona Gorda, the No. 25 Cigar of the Year, with the audience.
For a special offer on the seminars for new attendees, click here.
