PCA 2023: Hooten Young

Hooten Young attended its first Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show in July 2023. The company was founded by Special Mission Unit Master Sergeant Norm Hooten & Tim Young. Norm Hooten served in the military for over 20 years. He was part of the elite Delta Force during the Battle of Mogadishu (that story was told in the motion picture “Black Hawk Down”). The company’s theme pays tribute to those who served in the military and pays homage to the campaigns they participated in. Hooten Young makes both whiskey and cigars, and the company has been growing its cigar business. They have partnered with Cordoba & Morales and now Eladio Diaz to produce their cigars. We appreciated that Mr. Hooten and Mr. Young took the time to learn about what the Cigar Coop Coalition team does before we interviewed them. These first-time exhibitors at PCA easily fell into the category of a revelation of the 2023 PCA Trade Show.

First up, we take a look at Operation Neptune Spear. This cigar is named for the mission to take down Osama Bin Laden. The cigar features a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder and Nicaraguan fillers from Estelí, Condega, and Jalapa. Production comes from Cordoba & Morales in Nicaragua. Operation Neptune Spear comes in one size – a 6 x 50 Toro. The cigars are presented in ten-count boxes. Prices are set at $15.00 per cigar.

Also being released is The Operator. This cigar pays homage to those who serve in the U.S. Special Operations Forces. The Operator features an African Cameroon wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and undisclosed fillers. Production comes from Cordoba & Morales in Nicaragua. The Operator comes in one size – a 6 1/4 x 54 Royal Toro. The cigars are presented in ten-count boxes. Prices are set at $25.00 per cigar. The cigar is shipping in August.

Finally, there is the Operation Gothic Serpent 30th Anniversary cigar. Operation Gothic Serpent was a military operation conducted in Mogadishu, Somalia, by an American force code-named Task Force Ranger during the Somali Civil War in 1993. This is the second cigar to commemorate the anniversary of Operation Gothic Serpent. Five years ago, Hooten Young paid homage to the 25th anniversary with the Operation Gothic Serpent cigar. Now Hooten Young pays homage to the 30th anniversary with the Operation Gothic Serpent 30th Anniversary cigar.

To produce the Operation Gothic Serpent 30th Anniversary, Hooten Young is working with Tabacalera Diaz Cabrera, the factory owned by Eladio Diaz. The blend features a Sumatra wrapper over a San Andres Mexican binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic. The Operation Gothic Serpent 30th Anniversary is being released in one size – a 6 1/4 x 54 Belicoso. The cigars will be presented in 20-count boxes. Pricing is set at $15.00.