5月28日，第二屆大煙熏遇見威士忌盛會（Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest）將在佛羅里達州好萊塢的塞米諾爾硬石賭場酒店（ Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino）舉行。活動上午開始，安排了一系列研討會。會議由《雪茄愛好者》雜志社的編輯們主持，邀請了雪茄制造行業的一些知名人士。研討會將介紹一系列頂級雪茄，還安排了會場觀眾參與的品鑒內容，年度第一名雪茄將和《威士忌倡導者》（Whisky Advocate）雜志評選出的年度第一名威士忌搭配。

幾個研討會的議題如下。

1、尼加拉瓜：最熱門的煙草國家

地球上沒有哪個國家的手工雪茄生產量能超過尼加拉瓜。每年美國進口的雪茄有一半以上是尼加拉瓜制造的。它不僅是雪茄生產大國，也是煙草種植大國。研討會上將探討是什么使得尼加拉瓜如此特別，會有一些著名的雪茄制造商介紹他們公司的雪茄如此出眾的原因。出席的嘉賓有小卡洛斯·富恩特（Carlos Fuente Jr.），來自富恩特雪茄公司，這是一家總部在多米尼加的雪茄制造商，在尼加拉瓜有一家大型雪茄生產廠。還有塔圖阿赫（Tatuaje）雪茄的品牌所有人皮特·約翰遜（Pete Johnson），他的大部分雪茄是在尼加拉瓜生產的。還有洛基·帕特爾（Rocky Patel），他的雪茄也基本是在尼加拉瓜卷制。

2、蒙特的世界

蒙特是世界上最著名的雪茄品牌之一。1935年在古巴哈瓦那創立。我們將回顧蒙特品牌漫長而傳奇的歷史，從卡斯特羅執政前的由梅賽德斯家族出品，一直到如今這個品牌的非古版本在美國煙草旗下的遍及多個國家和地區的雪茄廠生產。為了理解如今的蒙特，我們將現場品吸蒙特1935周年尼加拉瓜2號，這款評分為95分的雪茄當選了《雪茄愛好者》雜志2021年度評選的第二名。和我們一起點評這款雪茄的是拉斐爾·諾達爾（Rafael Nodal），他是美國煙草的產品能力負責人。

3、家族趣事：亞歷克布拉德利的故事

亞歷克布拉德利雪茄公司的創始人艾倫·魯賓將與他的兩個兒子亞歷克、布拉德利一起聊聊家庭企業出品雪茄的故事，聊聊孩子們如何追隨父親腳步進入雪茄行業的故事。魯賓用兩個孩子的名字來命名雪茄公司，如今他們自己研究煙葉混合，包括他們將和觀眾分享的這款雪茄：得分92分的金津木大皇冠，2021年度的Top25雪茄。

4、年度雪茄遇上威士忌

作為研討會的壓軸戲，沒有什么比用最好的威士忌和雪茄搭配品鑒這個環節了。帕德龍雪茄公司的豪爾赫、《雪茄愛好者》雜志執行編輯大衛·薩沃納將一起品鑒帕德龍1964周年系列魚雷，這款雪茄是2021年度雪茄，評分97分。我們將用樂加維林的一款11年奧弗曼限量版（Lagavulin 11-year-old Offerman Edition）來搭配這款雪茄，來自樂加維林的酒類專家也將出席。

隨著研討會的臨近，也可能會安排更多的參會嘉賓出席。購買研討會門票的，可以登錄https://www.bigsmokewhiskyfest.com/。

附參考文章：

The second-ever Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest will take place on Saturday, May 28, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida—the one with the giant guitar. That morning, kicking off the event, will be a series of seminars featuring some of the biggest names in the cigar world, hosted by the editorial team at Cigar Aficionado. The seminar features a host of top-rated cigars, and will culminate in a very special tasting of the No. 1 Cigar of the Year paired with Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year.

Nicaragua: The Hottest Tobacco Country

No country makes more cigars by hand than Nicaragua. The Central American country is responsible for making more than half the premium cigars shipped to the U.S. every year, and it’s not only a cigarmaking powerhouse but a major source of serious tobacco as well. We will have a panel of prominent cigarmakers on stage to discuss what makes Nicaragua so special, along with cigars from their companies:?

? Carlos Fuente Jr., Arturo Fuente Cigar Co., a leading Dominican cigarmaker who is in the process of opening a new, large cigar factory in Nicaragua

? Pete Johnson, owner of the Tatuaje brand, who has most of his cigars made in Nicaragua

? Rocky Patel, Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, who makes many of his cigars in Nicaragua

The World of Montecristo

The Montecristo cigar brand is one of the world’s most famous, founded in Havana, Cuba in 1935. We will look back at the long and storied history of Montecristo, showing it in the pre-Castro days of Cuba when it was made by the Menendez family, and take us to the present where the non-Cuban version of the brand is made in a host of countries under Tabacalera USA. To get a true feel for where Montecristo stands today, we will smoke the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2 (95 points), Cigar Aficionado’s No. 2 Cigar of 2021. Leading us in a description of the cigar is Rafael Nodal, head of product capability for Tabacalera USA.

A Family Affair: The Alec Bradley Story

Alan Rubin, the founder of Alec Bradley Cigar Co., will be joined by his sons Alec and Bradley for a discussion about making cigars as a family, and how the sons are following in their father’s footsteps. The elder Rubin named his company after his sons, and today they are making blends of their own, including a cigar they will share with the audience, the Alec & Bradley Kintsugi Corona Gorda (92 points), Cigar Aficionado’s No. 25 Cigar of 2022.

Cigar of the Year Meets Whisky of the Year

What better way to conclude this seminar than with a tasting of the very best cigar and the very best whisky? Jorge Padrón, president of Padrón Cigars Inc., joins Cigar Aficionado executive editor David Savona in a tasting of the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Torpedo, our 2021 Cigar of the Year, which rated 97 points. And we will be drinking the Lagavulin 11-year-old Offerman Edition: Guinness Cask Finish, Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year, joined by a spirits expert from Lagavulin.?

More speakers may be added as we get closer to the seminar date.

Last year the seminars sold out well in advance of the show. To buy tickets, visit https://www.bigsmokewhiskyfest.com/