CIGAR OF THE NIGHT – MARCH’S GUMPRECHAUN SMOKE

Saint Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious celebration held on the 17th of March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. The significance is the commemoration of the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, so if you are Irish, you have that. But here in Texas, we have the Gumprechaun, the Patron Saint of Cigars, and our resident Humidor Master, Gary Flynn, owner of Rigby’s Cigar Lounge in Paris.

What was special about this night was that we presented the 2024 Cigar of the Year trophy to Brad Mcgaw, the Sales Representative Supervisor for Nat Cicco Cigars and Epic Cigars. Every year since we started the COTY (Cigar of the Year) rankings, I have put out these disclaimers. We could re-smoke some of the same sticks and possibly come out with a different end-of-year ranking. The weather, members moods, what they are pairing with it, and what they just ate, can all play a factor in their rating of that cigar at that specific time. For the COTY selection, we strictly go off the total average of all individual members Redneck Ratin’ Cards. The numbers fall where the numbers fall. Our club shows up every month to try something new and it totaled 720 cigars smoked in 2024.

Photo Courtesy: Rigby’s Cigar Lounge

The title of #1 Cigar of the Year for 2024 went to Epic Cigars and owner Dean Parsons. With a Brazilian Arapiraca Wrapper over an African Cameroon Binder with both Dominican and Nicaraguan Fillers, the Epic Maduro Fuerte Compinche (Toro) 6 ½”x54 ended up with a Redneck Ratin’ of 94/100. Only 4 cigars have cracked the 94+ rating in the last 7 years!

For our Gumprechaun Smoke, Brad introduced us to Nat Cicco Cigars, the first time the club has tried and rated that label. From the “About Us” tab on their website, the short version is, Nat Cicco (pronounced SEEK-oh) started in 1965 with a concept that shocked the cigar world’s imagination. They based their model on selling bargain-priced cigars on the same theme as “factory rejects.” However, they are not rejects and use tobacco from some of the most sought-after premium cigars. They dominated that portion of the cigar market for over 30 years until they ran into distribution problems that hurt their sales. In 2007, Zander-Greg, Inc., a Pasadena, California-based importer/distributor, acquired the distribution rights for the entire Nat Cicco lineup of affordable cigars. Their mission statement with this portfolio was to create a full-line brand identity, with cigars that satisfy the entire spectrum of smokers, from value- seekers to connoisseurs with higher level cigar lines. In 2012, Nat Cicco’s Aniversario 1965 celebrates the Rejects’ creation date, and features connoisseur touches … extra aging, pigtail cap, wrapper-enclosed foot and a high-quality Spanish cedar box.

For February’s smoke we had the Nat Cicco Aniversario 1965 Liga No.4 Toro in a 6″ x 52 gauge. It has both the Filler and Binder being Nicaraguan-grown vintage Habano seed with a select Ecuadorian-grown Habano Wrapper. A patiently aged medium-full cigar. With 66 people present, it scored a Redneck Ratin’ of 93/100. So, with a great price point, this cigar is hard to beat!

Pictured: Brad Mcgaw with Nat Cicco & Epic Cigars with Chance Abbott, our sponsor for the night. Photo Courtesy: Rigby’s Cigar Lounge

Our sponsor for the event was Chance Abbott. Thank You Chance for everything you do in the Paris Community and for supporting the club!

Written by: JD Marrs

Hosted by: Rigby’s