If you’ve ever taken a glance at our YouTube page, you may see a playlist dedicated to the 2019 IPCPR trade show. Both Nick and Greg spent little less than a week in Las Vegas interviewing almost every cigar manufacturer in the business. They interviewed the likes of AJ Fernandez, Pedro Gomez of Undercrown, and the wonderful Omar de Frias of Fratello cigars!

Shortly after the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show, Nick was truly missing the excitement and fun he left in Las Vegas at IPCPR. With the cigars that were showcased at last year’s tradeshow not available yet at this time last year, Nick decided to turn the clocks back a bit and re-visit some of his favorite cigars from the 2018 Trade Show that really made a lasting impression. Here is the official list of Nick’s Top 5 2018 IPCPR cigars. Make sure to click the link below to get the limited time sampler today.

When My Father La Gran Oferta debuted at the 2018 IPCPR, we were extremely excited to be getting another top-rated blend from the legendary Father and Son team of Don Pepin and Jaime Garcia. The My Father La Gran Oferta translates to “the great offer”, which is the perfect name for this cigar from My Father. The top-notch tobaccos within the La Gran Oferta will leave you surprised and wanting more with every puff you take.

Manufactured at their very own factory, the My Father La Gran Oferta in the toro size has an Ecuador Habano wrapper, while the filler and binder tobaccos hail from Nicaragua. The key flavor notes you get while smoking the La Gran Oferta are Black Pepper, Citrus, and Wood! This medium to full-bodied smoke was one of the most highly anticipated smokes to make an appearance at the 2018 IPCPR. Since its inception, it hasn’t disappointed any of the My Father cigar lovers out there.

Manufactured at the famous A.J. Fernandez Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, the Foundation the Tabernacle No. 142 is a hybrid of Havana and Connecticut-seed tobaccos created by the one and only Nick Melillo. Foundation Cigars founder, Nick Melillo, cherishes Connecticut Broadleaf to its core and continues to utilize this potent leaf to the best of its ability. This complex and demanding blend of tobaccos will leave your mouth salivating and yearning for more.

As mentioned, the Tabernacle No. 142 in the Connecticut Robusto size is cloaked with tobacco that hails from Havana. The tobacco that makes up the binder is Mexican San Andres, while the fillers are made up of tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua. This medium to full-bodied smoke has tantalizing flavor notes of spice, espresso, earth, and sweetness throughout the smoke. This highly sought-after smoke from Foundation had a great buzz at the 2018 trade show that has lasted up until the present day.

The Crowned Heads CHC Reserve XVIII limited edition line from Jon Huber and Crowned Heads pays tribute the brands loyal customers who’ve followed them for years. Crowned Heads legion of supporters has been respectfully referred to as the “Court”. Hence the name “Court Reserve” for these specific gems. Knowing that he had to make a splash at the 2018 Trade show, Jon Huber had the Court Reserve XVIII manufactured at La Alianza factory in the Dominican Republic, alongside his good friend E.P. Carrillo. Jr.

The Court Reserve XVIII in the Robusto size has a Mexican San Andres wrapper, with a binder from Ecuador, and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. This medium to full-bodied cigar has an abundance of rich flavors that include pepper, earth, toasted almonds, and sweet coffee. If you know us here at JR, we love everything that Crowned Heads makes. But the CHC Reserve XVIII is one of their top-notch smokes that we cannot get enough of every time we sit back and enjoy one.

Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust had quite the showing at the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show. Alongside the Sin Compromosio, Saka revealed the Todos Las Dias Mas Fuerte, the Muestra de Saka #NLMTHA, and the Muestra de Saka Unicorn. But since the Sin Compromiso had a drastic change in our life (for the good I may add you), we figured we’d cover this specific gem from Steve Saka and the boys at Dunbarton.

The Sin Compromiso No. 7 has a San Andres Mexican wrapper, with a binder from Ecuador and fillers from Nicaragua make the taste buds go crazy with each and every puff you take. This full-strength cigar has full flavor notes of chocolate, caramel, wood, pepper, and dark roast coffee. We couldn’t get enough of this cigar all through 2019 and are very grateful for Mr. Saka to have created such a phenomenal blend that is the Sin Compromiso.

Warped Cigars made an appearance at the 2018 IPCPR Trade show after a three-year hiatus. The most talked-about cigar under Warped that year was the Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988. The year that appears in the cigars’ name signifies the year Warped owner, Kyle Gellis was born in.  Another interesting fact about the Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 is that the numbers on the band that read “976212” have a special meaning to the Gellis family, something Kyle prefers not to reveal to the public.

This Nicaraguan puro in the Robusto size is a full-bodied cigar and handmade to perfection.  Some flavors that flow through the Gran Reserva 1988 are spice, leather, caramel, and natural tobacco sweetness to finish things off. Like all Kyle Gellis creations, the Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 was produced in small batch fashion to uphold the all-out greatness in quality and taste.