ACHP Episode 414 We are Going To Mars!!
Episode Summary
Episode 414 of A Cigar Hustler's Podcast opens with shop business: the all-black Warbear hats sold out in under 24 hours, more pre-orders are being taken, and the crew jokes about immediately spending the profits on a $2,000 hat press. The hosts also preview their upcoming interview with Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars, recorded after an in-lounge event, and explain why they deliberately avoided the usual "how did you get into the cigar industry" questions in favor of material no other podcast has covered.
The news block runs through Blue Origin's New Glenn launch of NASA's ESCAPADE Mars mission and its first successful booster landing at sea (with a Bezos-vs-Musk debate), the stolen South African mannequin "Beverly" in Nieu-Bethesda, the FAA lifting its government-shutdown flight reduction order, Kai Trump's LPGA debut at The Annika, a long tangent on Boots' daily sports-betting parlays and his "Money Makers" group chat, and the arrest of YouTuber Jack Doherty in Miami Beach. There's also a cigar-industry highlight: Fred Rewey of Cigar Press had a smaller Matt Booth astronaut figure custom-painted, arranged through broker Nick Goss of Goss Tobacco.
The cigar-news segment is the meat of the episode. The guys unpack California's UTL (Unflavored Tobacco List) enforcement starting January 1 — how the burden falls on proving a cigar is NOT flavored, why the importer rather than the retailer or brand owner must file, and the claim that some larger manufacturers quietly benefit from thinner competition on California shelves. They then cover a proposed New Jersey bill (S-4820) raising the state cigar tax from 30% to 50% of wholesale, with a worked example showing a $9.50 cigar climbing to roughly $11.88 pre-sales-tax, and argue it mostly punishes small brick-and-mortar retailers while pushing buyers online or out of state. Other releases discussed: Black Label Trading Company's Lájero Hawaii, a Rare Field Wine Company exclusive now using a Pennsylvania broadleaf wrapper; Viaje's Vampire Dust Red and the returning Zombie Farmer Bill Hatchet; and Crowned Heads expanding Tennessee Waltz to three vitolas with new packaging.
The show closes with "What's the Score?", the halfwheel review guessing game, covering the Maria Lucia Limited Edition PCA 2025 (scored 89) and the Henry Clay War Hawk Lonsdale from 2021 (also 89), followed by Shop of the Week (Boss Cigars) and Listener of the Week (Pete Johnson).
In This Episode
- 01Warbear Hats Sell Out in 24 HoursThe all-black Warbear hats sold out immediately, more pre-orders are open, and the crew invests in a $2,000 hat press.
- 02Pete Johnson / Tatuaje Interview PreviewThe hosts tease their Friday episode with Pete Johnson and explain their research-driven approach to asking questions no other podcast has.
- 03Blue Origin, New Glenn and the ESCAPADE Mars MissionJeff Bezos' New Glenn launches NASA satellites toward Mars and lands its booster at sea, prompting a Bezos-vs-Elon Musk debate.
- 04Beverly the Missing MannequinA beloved swimsuit-clad mannequin disappears from a farm dam in Nieu-Bethesda, South Africa, and the crew hopes kids are behind it.
- 05Sports Betting, Parlays and the Money MakersBoots details his daily parlay habit, his 14-person betting group chat, and turning an original $50 stake into thousands.
- 06Matt Booth Astronaut Custom BuildFred Rewey of Cigar Press had a smaller Matt Booth astronaut figure customized through broker Nick Goss.
- 07California UTL Flavored Tobacco EnforcementA detailed breakdown of why brands must prove cigars are unflavored, why the importer files, and who actually benefits from the rule.
- 08New Jersey's Proposed 50% Cigar TaxSenate bill S-4820 would raise New Jersey's cigar tax from 30% to 50% of wholesale, with real math on what it costs consumers and small retailers.
- 09New Releases: Black Label, Viaje, Crowned HeadsLájero Hawaii with PA broadleaf, Vampire Dust Red and Zombie Farmer Bill Hatchet, and Tennessee Waltz expanding to three vitolas.
- 10What's the Score?The crew guesses halfwheel scores for the Maria Lucia Limited Edition PCA 2025 and the Henry Clay War Hawk Lonsdale.
Brands & Cigars Discussed
Linked items are in our shop. Mentions without a link aren’t currently stocked or couldn’t be matched with confidence.
Transcript
Welcome to cigar us podcast episode 414. Blue origin nails a Mars mission launch and lands in the booster like a bus a whole team is searching for a missing mannequin named Beverly. Welcome to Cigar House Podcast Episode 414, Blue Origin nails a Mars mission launch and lands in the booster like a bus. A whole team is searching for a missing mannequin named Beverly.
com says the word of the year is 67. Kaya Trump makes her LPGA debut, California Targets Flavored Tobacco, and New Jersey wants a higher Cigar Tax. Of course. They want a higher Cigar Tax?
Yes, they want to raise their taxes. We'll get into that in a few minutes. Before we get started, Michael has a small presentation I understand you need to make? I do.
So, we launched our Warbear Hats, all blacked out Warbear Hats. com and we'll set you up for a purchase, or text us at 954-547-5333, say, "Hey, I want a hat," and we'll make sure that you're in line for that as well. But in the meantime, the reason why, we originally made a batch of 25. I destroyed one.
A little melty. I got a melted one. And I'm holding on to that one, actually. Exclusive.
It's an exclusive. A one-off. Oh, sign it. People could win it.
For the museum. And then I set aside a couple others for you guys. So. Oh.
Mr. Palmer. Oh. Oh, beautiful.
Bam. That's a hot item people. And then Mr. Bootsy.
Oh, underthrown, but still you made it. Okay. It's the highest quality hat we can get our hands on. I wanted it to be special.
I don't like doing anything half-assed. So, uh, gentlemen, enjoy your hats. This is the first batch. There's a little bit of a learning curve for me in production, but, uh, I think we figured that out.
I love it. It fits nice. Yep. And thank you, everyone, for, Thanks for your support.
We appreciate you guys all always sticking with us and continuing to help us grow this brand. com-wise, and whatever else we're doing, Cigar Hustlers. If you want to buy a hat, again, reach out to us. If you want to purchase any of our swag, our apparel, if you buy one, you get the second one 40% off.
com, you're going to get free shipping as well. So, please check it out. Buy one, get the second. 40% off.
Oh, did you say that? Yeah, I'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry.
He always rides me on that. Always. He just wants to make sure. He just wants to make sure everybody knows that we're just giving the bank away.
He's taking care of the people. We are. We're giving the bank away. Giving everything.
Free shipping, discounts. Yeah, well, I bought a hat press, and I wasn't really happy with the hat press and how things worked out, so we just bought a $2,000 hat press instead. Oh. Everybody buy hats now.
Everybody buy hats. Buy all the hats you can get, please. We already got some other. Please buy hats.
We're already working on expanding, so we got another. I'm going to sell you this hat for $2,000. Yeah. This is one of one.
This is a game worn hat. The melted one. The melted one. The melted one.
Very rare. Super rare. Okay, what are we doing for Patreon? I don't know, it's in your hand.
We're doing a Hooten Young something. Operator. Hooten Young Operator. The Operator.
How's that? Turn it to the logo. Turn it so you can see the band. Yeah, turn the band.
There you go, perfect. Smooth Operator. Okay. Nice.
All right, this past weekend, we had an event with Pete Johnson with Tatuaje Cigars here in the private lounge. Sure did. How do you think it went, Michael? It went really well, man.
You know, we didn't really get to know Pete, even though we've been in this industry for 16 years. We didn't really get to have any one-on-one time or really kind of talk with him. He was on my list for the guest I wanted us to get. Yeah.
He was the last guy on the list, so now I'm happy we can stop the show. Now you've completed it? I've completed my list. The show is over.
There's no one else? It's like Thanos. We got everybody. That was the last one on the list because we didn't think he would be a get.
Oh, yeah. " Yeah, he was the guy I wanted to get as well. Right. Super nice.
Super nice man. Yep. And it was a great podcast. It'll be, when are we going to open that up?
Friday? We normally do it on the Friday afternoon. Okay. So yeah, that's going to be a great podcast.
Listen, here's what I did is, like I do want, whenever I interview somebody, I go, So, I interviewed, I watched as many, this guy's driving me nuts with his crinkling, I interviewed, I went through as many podcasts, thank you, thank you, Ginger, as many podcasts as I possibly could in a month of where he's been on, and I listened to all the things that he said, all the things that I thought that should have been addressed, and what he likes to kind of repeat, and I wanted to get away from all of those things. So if you want to listen to a Pete Johnson to Twahe podcast that is like no other, listen on this Friday. Also, please like and subscribe to our show. Right.
Yeah, do that too. There were several times where he said, how did you find that out? Yeah. What, are you trying to make me cry?
Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, it was not a cigar interview. No, it was good.
You did a good job. No, I find those things boring. Oh, so how'd you get in the cigar industry? Right.
You can look that up. Tell me about your cigar. You know what, What's funny is when we started up our podcast, how you got on the cigar industry was awesome. No one else was doing that.
And then as time kind of went by, everybody started doing it, and then that's when we kind of pivoted off of it. It's like, okay, well, if everybody else is going to cover that, then we've got to cover something else. Yeah, by the time you get here, you said it already eight times, you don't want to go over it again. So it was a great interview.
Give it a listen or watch. Need the YouTube views. We're so close. - So close.
- So close. - You know, I'm glad that you looked into him before you did the interview, because you were able to come up with questions that nobody else has come up with, and I think that's great, 'cause I don't like watching these other podcasts, 'cause it is the same repetition stuff, you know? - Yeah, I mean, you know, all those other podcasts are important. - They are, but I'm just saying, like, it's nice to see some type of new content.
- Yeah, I think that the reality is that we always try our best to push the envelope, and figure out new things, and reinvent, And kind of make things better. Yes. For lack of... At least different.
Yeah, different. Different. I think different's fair. And better.
And better. Better than some, that's for damn sure. Yeah. Some long ones.
Better than some long ones. See if we can get secret shots in too. Nice. Okay.
All right, let's go. All right, let's get into some trending news. Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin launches a landmark Mars mission in New Glenn Rockets' first big test. Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Amazon multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos, launched its towering New Glenn rocket on a mission that marked its first major - are you gonna keep clicking that lighter over there?
Wow. Apparently he is. He's got to line it. m.
Eastern Time this past Thursday. Blue Origin also landed the first stage of the rocket back on a seafaring platform for the first time, marking a monumental stride forward in the company's efforts to make the New Glenn rocket usable, less expensive, and better competitor for Elon Musk's SpaceX. Blue Origin has been slated to launch the NASA mission called ESCAPADE on Sunday, but cloud cover resulted in the decision to postpone liftoff. The company then had to work with the Federal Aviation Administration, which recently implemented a ban on most rocket launches during daylight hours amid the government shutdown.
Oh, I wonder why that is. No daytime rocket. No daytime rocket. To find a new opportunity to take off the launch of the ESCAPADE, short for Escape and Plasma Acceleration Dynamics Explorers, Of course, escapades much better.
Plasma. Plasma Acceleration Dynamics Explorers. Marked the first flight for New Glenn with a customer payload on board. The rocket completed its inaugural flight in January carrying Blue Origin-made demonstration technology in its cargo bay.
I wonder what that was. Amazon packages? Pretty much. The footage shown during Blue Origin's webcast of the escapade launch shows the New Glenn rocket's first-stage booster landing upright It's been upright on a seafaring platform.
It means it's in the water. Okay. The booster is designed to be recovered and reused to drive down launch cars, Blue Origin, during that January mission. The company failed to recover new...
Musk is already doing that, though. Right. Yeah, but it's the first time they were doing... this guy did it successfully.
Yeah. So, time's moving on. Other people are doing it. Right.
Blue Origin attributed the failed attempt to engines that did not properly reignite. Oh, that would be a problem. But the company did not appear to experience any such issues. He's got enough money.
m. Right, exactly. Okay, failing to land the rocket booster doesn't necessarily affect how companies access the overall success of a mission, as the primary goal of any rocket launch is to safely deliver its cargo to orbit and take off. But Blue Origin had made clear before takeoff that the steps of recovering and re-flying parts on its rocket, re-flying, that's a weird word.
Parts of the rockets are crucial to the company's business model, and Blue Origin said it's spent the past 10 months largely focused on tweaking the new Glenn vehicle in hopes of guaranteeing a successful booster landing. Okay, done? Yes, that's the end. All right.
Okay, so who do you trust more to get us to Mars? Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk? Hmm. How fast do you want to get there?
I just want to know, I want a successful launch. I want it there with the people. And I want, and then I want the back, I want the back, and then people to come back. With a successful landing.
Yeah, who do you think? Well, the only thing they didn't successfully land the first time, Boots, was the rocket boosters, not the actual rocket. Oh. Okay.
So the part with the people doesn't come back. So who do you trust to get it done first? I don't know, you're kind of leaning towards Elon. Yeah?
Why are you leaning towards Elon? I don't know Bezos' background with that type of information, just because I'm not familiar. Maybe he's a scientific genius, too, I don't know, but Elon seems like he's more hands-on, where Bezos pays people to be hands-on. Yeah.
And who do you think? I think Elon. I mean, he's the pioneer of it, right? Yeah, I didn't even know Blue Origin existed till this story.
Really? Oh, really? We covered the... We always cover Elon's.
No, we covered the Blue Origin where the females went up in the air or whatever. Yeah. Oh, was that him? Yeah.
Oh, where they sent the movie stars and stuff up, and then what's her name says now, she's an astronaut? And then Bezos opened the door, and then they, like, reshot it. Oh, I forgot that was him. Like, wait, wait, wait, go back in, go back in.
Go back in, we gotta shoot this, Ray. Like, hey! Yeah, he's been, Blue Origin's been around for a little while. A little bit.
Yeah. Oh. Well, Elon's already been doing it, like, on a regular. Yeah, I think Elon's more advanced.
I think he's a little ahead. SpaceX? Yeah. SpaceX just sounds better.
Yeah. The Blue Origin? Blue Origin sounds like a pill that you take or something. Sounds like Walmart or something.
Yeah. Well, maybe he's the Walmart of the space industry. He is. Kind of is.
He's the Amazon. If you like space travel, try this brand, too. Right? If you really like space travel.
What do you think? When they do space travel, can't afford? Fly Blue Origin. Yeah, they're cheaper.
They're cheaper. Less expensive. It's less expensive. The seats are plastic and they're a little tighter together.
That's right. They have the Air Trans seats in them. But we'll get you there. Yeah, you'll arrive safe, we are gonna charge you for your carry-on.
Yes. Everything's extra. Luggage is extra, oxygen's extra. Oh, you wanted to breathe?
Oh, you wanted to breathe. Oh, that's an up charge. Well, this helmet for $2,000, or $20,000, whatever. We need you to log into your app.
We need you to make an oxygen purchase. I gotta pay for Wi-Fi? Wi-Fi is extra too, sir. And once you reach, you know, 20,000 feet, it's gonna be different Wi-Fi.
All right, so we all trust, and Elon, we trust over Jeff when it comes to getting to space. Yeah, unfortunately, just now, when it comes to my package, right, I don't want Elon touching my deliveries. Yeah, nope, don't touch my stuff. , did you?
Bam, yep. Walmart's making a run for it, they're still, they got a fine tune. Are they in a rocket? They're doing rockets too?
No, as far as Amazon, they're gonna, they're going up against them. Oh, delivery? Yeah. I don't know, but.
Yeah, they're doing like home delivery for free and all that stuff. It'd make more sense, if they can iron it out. If Amazon had a store, I would go. I like going to the store sometimes.
Well, they almost had a store. Yeah. Well, some places, don't they, where you walk in and the cart, whatever you put in the cart, you get billed for? Yeah, it was apparently...
It was a terrible nightmare. It was just people watching or something? Yeah. Yeah, people are watching to see if you're shopping.
It's worse than a self-checkout at Walmart. No, the people watching were scanning the items for you and putting them in your cart or something. Oh, is that what it was? That was the story I heard.
I don't know if it's true or not. That would be funny. Yeah. At the end of the day.
What is that? What are these guys with the binoculars up in the corner? Well, they do like a sidewalk sale at the one here in Deltona. Yeah, the warehouse does.
They sell returns off or something. Yeah. You can go there. They have it all on the table.
Now, you don't know what it is, right? But you can kind of tell by the packaging. Oh, it's a mystery? Yeah, it's like you buy...
They have different sized boxes, I think, don't they? Yeah, yep. It's a mystery box? Yeah.
I can't stop it. No, I swear. Have you done this? No, I have not.
But I know people that do go do this. I've seen it online. Yeah? People, they do unboxing videos.
Like, I just bought this at the Amazon, whatever they call it. And they go, I got a TV and a laptop and, ooh, soap. And how much do they spend? Depending on the size of the boxes, how much you spend.
So there's probably like 50, 100, 200 and up, something like that. We should do it one time and make it like a reel. We should totally get one. We should do that.
Yeah. Let's do this. Let me know when it happens. I think it's only on, like, Saturdays or Sundays?
It's a certain day, yeah. Yeah. All right, we'll look into that and we'll find out. It's every week?
Every week. Oh, that's awesome. I would say, hey, let's go do that. However, we just overspent all of our money.
Yeah, we don't have it. We don't have it. On a $2,000. We need to sell 2,000 more hats now.
The hat heat price, so. Hats, beanies, berets. Beanies are coming. You're getting ahead of yourself.
Any type of hat we can think of. You're getting ahead of yourself. Beanies are coming. Oh, yes.
Beanies. Alright, moving on? Yep. Alright, town pleads for the return of their beloved local mannequin.
Uh-oh. Tourism officials in the small South African town are seeking for tips about the disappearance of the beloved local mannequin, a mannequin swimming in the dam just outside town. Like a mannequin, like in the mall mannequin? Yes.
Somebody stole it. And then threw it in the water? No, they have a small dam that they keep this mannequin in, and it's become like a tourist thing for the small town. Right.
Somebody Stole the Mannequin. Thank God. It's about chest deep in the water, and she's waving as you drive by. Somebody stole it.
Somebody took it. In Nua Bethesda Tourism said on social media that the swimsuit-clad mannequin known as Beverly vanished from her usual spot in the water of a farm dam on the road. Beverly isn't just any mannequin, she's been a quirky, much-loved part of our little town's charm, the post said. I know Grief, a local sculptor and artist, placed Beverly in the dam about two years ago after she was inspired by a Facebook joke about skinny dipping in the small dam.
"On a trip to Port Elizabeth, I found a mannequin in a second-hand shop over there," Grief told Eyewitness News. I thought, "Okay, this is Beverly. She's going to be the one. I brought her back to my studio, dressed her, made a stand so that she doesn't fall over in the dam, and down and put there about two years ago.
Since then, she's become a real presence in the area. Grief said the suspects it would have taken multiple people to move Beverly due to the heft of her concrete base. com. We can try to help them get their Beverly back.
If you know her whereabouts. This is awesome. Yeah. Yeah.
I'm very excited for this. About Beverly? Yeah, about the fact that she was stolen. Why are you excited that she was stolen?
Because it sounds like kids are getting back to being kids. Yeah. Oh. I hope it's kids.
I mean, if it's an adult, if it's adults. Well, not just one, because of the size of the concrete base she was in, it would take several people to get her out of the way. Yeah, so if it's some teenagers, like, hey, you know what we're going to do? Like, let's go get Beverly.
Let's go steal Beverly? That would be absolutely epic. Yeah. And then hide Beverly in this guy's closet.
Yeah. Yeah, or whatever. Put Beverly on the top of your school or something, you know? Do you snap her legs off and just leave the legs somewhere with the concrete and just take her knees up?
That would be easier. Sever the torso? Be easier to move. Yeah, it'd be easier to move that way.
Does anybody check see if the legs are still in the water? Maybe they just snapped her off. I don't know. It sounds like somebody's got a story for life, though.
Hey, do you remember that one time? Yeah. Remember that one time? This is in South Africa, so there'd be a slight accent.
It's in South Africa? Yes. I'm really bewildered by her name being Beverly. Yeah, I don't know why they called her Beverly.
I have no idea. They don't mention how she got her name. His name's Rhino. " Right.
I should take her and put her in the little, it looks like a small baby pool is what it looks like. Yeah. But it's very deep. That's a dam?
Yeah, at a farm, so it's like how the farm waters their crops and stuff. Oh, okay. When you said dam, I'm like thinking, you know, like... " That's not that deep.
I was at a dam for the entire city. Maybe in Africa. South Africa. Maybe South Africa.
I hope it's some kids. I hope it's some kids that did it. We'll try to keep an eye on the story, and then we'll look for updates so that you can be thrilled with how it turns out. Beverly's just going to randomly appear or never be seen again.
I think she'll never be seen again. You think she's gone? They're going to have to get another one to name it Beverly 2. Or maybe Beverly makes trips, like they put her around the world.
Like around the world. Oh, that would be great. Or like a Becky. Yeah.
Oh, yeah. Instagram page. Oh, Beverly. Beverly's Travels.
Yeah. Oh. Boy, they'd have to get that concrete off of her. That's going to be a pain in the ass.
They're going to have to trim Beverly. Take the guy right. All right, moving on. FAA lifts flight reduction emergency order today.
S. air travelers and of many more flights taking off and leaving. m. today at Eastern Standard Time, the government shut down, induced cancellations and delays on 40 major airports, and consigned to the history books.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the staffing levels have stabilized since the government reopened last Wednesday, meaning it is safe to proceed with regularly scheduled flights. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Focus will now return to bringing more air traffic controllers to improve conditions. Well it's about damn time. It is the longest government shutdown in history.
I heard that some Democrats decided to switch their votes or something like that. That's what I heard too. " We're hurting the people. We're hurting the people, so let's just vote with the weirdos over here.
That's what they said, I'm not taking sides one way or the other. Right. " yeah i mean look you're supposed to be for the people you're sticking to your guns about your own policies and your beliefs and like and you know what was crazy is a lot of our customers not a lot but we had a handful of customers that were struggling because they hadn't been paid in months right yeah yeah that's rough can you imagine no like how far does it go before you You start going, losing it. I'm not doing the job.
Not only that, but like... What I don't get is so many people still went to work. They just didn't get paid. Yeah.
So things still happen, but they just did it for free, I guess. Well, they got caught up eventually. Do they get back pay? Yeah, of course.
Do they? Yeah. Oh, well, then I would've kept working too then. Yeah, I think that's the thing.
And if they maybe stopped working, like maybe there was something in their contract where they didn't get paid or, you know, something like that, I don't know. How terrible is it that there has to be a clause in their contract? Mike says, in case the government stops, you have to keep working and we'll pay you later when it comes back. That's so ridiculous.
That somebody thought that one day the government would shut down. Right. I would never fathom that, you know, and now it's like every couple of years it happens. Yeah.
It's repetitive. But this was the most obnoxious one for sure. Yeah, it's the longest. So next time I have to go, we got to go for the record.
We need 42 days. Right. Now, Palmer, you're a little older than me and Mikey. Thank you.
Was that the end of your statement? Pete Johnson let him know that as well. Pete Johnson said I looked older and shorter. Older and shorter in person.
Well, at least he had some characteristics about you. Right, at least he watched. My question is, when you were younger, let's say your 20s, did any government shutdown happen back then? No, it's in what you guys remember a lifetime.
It didn't happen back then. Oh, okay. It wasn't common. Nope.
Nope. They worked together. We worked together. Yeah, isn't that wild?
We worked together. It is wild. Well, we were all against the Indians back then. Yeah, it's true.
We had a common enemy, so everybody fought the Indians. And before that, we fought the Greeks. So, you know, things happened. The Greeks?
Right. Yeah, I go back that far. Oh, really? Oh, wow.
The Americans fought the Greeks? Well, we weren't called the Americans back then. We were called the indigenous peoples. Oh, so you're talking about like BC.
Yes, BC. Yes. What about the dinosaurs? Did you have to fight the dinosaurs?
No, no, fortunately I was after the dinosaurs. You were after the dinosaurs? Right after. Just slightly.
Okay. My parents remember dinosaurs. Your parents remember the dinosaurs? Yes.
Dad used to always talk about the dinosaur he had as a pet. Nice. That's good. Was it a triceratops?
No, is that one where it can, where that fan comes up around his face and it's poison? The spitter? Yeah, the spitter. The spitter?
Yeah, he had a spitter. We know him as a spitter. What was his name? It's a spitter.
Spitty. Spitty the spitter? Okay. My dad's not very inventive.
He wasn't reinventing anything. This is Spitty the Spitter. Spitty the Spitter. Exactly.
Okay. All right. In the world of sports, Kaya Trump is ready to live out her childhood dream in the spotlight. The granddaughter of President Donald Trump will be making her LPGA debut this week in the Annika at Pelican Golf Club.
Oh. Did I pronounce that right? The Annika? A-N-N.
Someone will correct you. Don't worry. Yes. The 18-year-old high school senior already sounds like a pro.
Sounds like a pro. She handled a 12-minute news conference Tuesday with poise and maturity. I think I'm going to learn a lot no matter what happens, Kaya Trump said. I guess it's Kaya.
Yes, I'm just going to go out there and have fun and see which way it goes. I'm going to take a lot away from this. Obviously, competing with the best players is going to be cool to be inside the ropes with them, playing with them, learning what kind of shot they hit. What do you do on the course?
So yeah, just look forward to it and playing with the best. The best. Trump began playing golf at age two and is committed to going to the University of Miami. She received one of three sponsor exemptions for the tournament that are usually given to players who can help promote women's golf.
Trump has more than nine million followers on social media. WNBA star Caitlin Clark is also playing in the tournament. Oh, she's not a golfer. She's a basketball player.
Yeah. So this is like a celebrity. Apparently it is. I'm not as impressed.
Now you're walking. Well, she made the LPGA thing. The LPGA thing. Well, this is the tournament, though.
Like, so there's three sponsors to get attention to it. Oh, she's one of the three. Yeah. Caitlin Clark's one of the other ones.
Right. Hmm. Isn't she hurt? Has she been playing ball?
I have no idea. It was an off and on thing. I gotta be honest, I'm distancing myself from sports. I haven't been just too busy with all this other stuff, with all the kids stuff.
With all the kids sports? Yeah, and... You're just a different level of sports now. Yeah, and it just feels so saturated with sports betting and things being slighted that, you know, at least that's my belief.
It's not really entertaining to watch anymore. The sports betting videos online are just getting ridiculous. Oh, yeah? For the new thing over in Tampa.
Oh, Hard Rock? Hard Rock. So, I mean, every time you're on any of the social media platforms, you're going to see at least one. It's a huge, huge money pit.
Oh, yeah. " Speaking of gambling problems, Boots, do you have a gambling problem? No, I do not. You don't?
No. Do you do parlays? I do. How often do you parlays?
Every day. Every day, every day you do parlays? Yeah. Would you like the Gambler's Anonymous phone number?
It's 888, admit it. Yeah, we have it. Yeah. So, since you don't have a problem, but you do parlays and you do them every day, how much money have you made?
I've probably made somewhere around six, seven grand. Over the entire lifespan of you, you're betting, you've made six or seven thousand dollars? I think we've been doing it for, I've been doing it for probably about six months, seven months. Yeah?
Yeah. And you have it kind of written down as for the fact that this is where I've made money, this is where I've lost money, like you got like an Excel sheet or something? Yeah, in my notes. You have a note?
On my iPhone. You do? Yeah. Really?
I'd love to see that. Okay. I'd love to see that. Yeah, no, I started out just, originally I started out by myself and then Jinge was starting to help me out because he knew a little bit more about it.
And then... Because he's doing the Korean female cricket. Well, we used to do Korean baseball, yeah. But that doesn't, it doesn't work out all the time.
Does it work anymore? No. Okay, not as advantageous. No, those guys are completely unpredictable.
Yeah. And you can't really watch it. Right. You know, it's really hard to follow.
You don't know what the outcome is. Yeah. Oh, I lost to Shinsu. Right.
Oh, I told you to bet on Shushin, you bet on Shinsu. Yeah. Took the under. Damn it.
Yeah, well, and then, and then I created a group. If you win betting on Koreans, do you win Korean money? Yeah. So wait a second, hold on.
You built a group? I built a group. Yeah, Gamblers Anonymous? No, we call it the Money Makers.
Ooh, the Money Makers. A little presumptuous, but okay. Okay, all right, and who's in the, we don't want to disclose who's in the Money Makers? How many people are in the Money Makers?
I think there's 14. You have 14 people in the Money Makers? Yeah, I got 14, but it's like, it's buddies, like from the military. And high school, stuff like that.
Other Navy guys that didn't get on boats? A couple of them were on boats, still on boats. " Or are they just all gamblers like you? No, these guys really, like, are in tune.
They're in tune. Yeah, they're really researching. They have their finger on the pulse of the Korean sports world. All right.
No. There's one guy, he's in tune, but he throws a lot. Yeah. Throws a lot of money, and sometimes we call it going ham, right?
So he starts going ham. When he hits one, then all of a sudden you get like 20 bets thrown in. It's like, oh, man, he just won all that money. Why are you throwing all that in?
Yeah. Well, it's funny to watch sometimes. I see a moneymaker's shirt in our future, just for the record. Do you bet as a group?
No. So we – Oh, we just listen to each other fucking rattle off. Well, I was curious. Yeah, we research as a group, and then each individual puts in what they think would be a good bet parlay, and then if you want to tail off of it, then you'll tail off of it, then you make your own bet on that research.
Is there one guy that's usually right all the time? Maybe like every other day. So 50% of the time. It's a day?
You do it every day? They do it every day. Yeah, that's what he started with. I don't know what a parlay is, and I don't know what this tail thing is that you mentioned.
So you're right 50% of the time and you've made $6,000 or $7,000. How much have you lost? Probably about... $15,000 or $16,000.
No, I've won more than I've lost, but I probably, you know, I started out with $50. Okay. $50 make you holla. And then I had it up to $4,000 and then I went down to like $2,000 and then went back up to $3,000.
So I probably like, if you say as a total, like putting money back in, I've probably lost about around close to the same, maybe around five grand. Okay. So as long as you don't get that back down to less than 50. As long as I'm still playing on my original 50, I'm okay.
So you've never put more money in than the $50? No. No money out of his pocket. All right.
And so you probably have what, like $1,000 or $2,000 in there right now? Uh, so I never keep it in the app. No, I keep it in a separate savings account. Oh, okay.
Yeah. So I don't want to keep it accessible. You know, I want to keep like a three step process, if you will. Okay.
So have you put more money into the separate savings account? No, no, no. Only the $50. Only the one time.
Yes. Okay. All right. Hmm.
Moneymakers. The money makers. Here comes money, money, money, money, money. Nice.
Hey, Mike, you got a video for us to watch today? I can't wait for the We have a lot of jokes to come out on that one. It's gonna be awesome. Yeah, the guy with the math problems is gambling all the time.
You know what's funny is if I ask people to comment on the show, if I give something away, everybody comments. Of course. If I don't... No one comments?
No one comments. The comments become lighter. Somebody, yeah, lighter. I was gonna say, somebody commented the other day.
Alright, so which one are we watching? We have two videos here. I think we should watch both. I meant which one first?
One's kind of an industry one, and one is a, I sent it to you too, Boots. Yeah, turn your volume all the way down. It is, turn your volume down. We had trouble with the music last time.
This one was a big one. Jack Doherty getting arrested in Miami. Did you see this? But I did, but I didn't pay attention because I couldn't remember who he was.
Okay, so I didn't, I, I, you sent me these while I was outside in my truck and I did watch them. Okay. I don't know who Jack Doherty is. Okay, this is amazing because we actually have covered Jack Dougherty in the past.
What did we cover? He crashed his McLaren. Oh, okay, I remember that story. Yeah, he's that douchebag guy.
Okay. Is this the arrest after the crash? No, this is years later. Oh.
And apparently... Arrested for something completely different. Yeah. Oh, okay.
So he is a YouTuber. Yeah. Okay. All right, go ahead.
You can lower it. You don't have to have the phone up in your face, Palmer. Put it down. I don't like it.
There you go. it's so funny i thought you just grabbed the the cop's gun but it's the cop talking top cops i'm like i don't care who you are bro who do you think you are That's amazing. No, you're fucking not. Got pulled him away.
Okay, you're done yelling at him. Put him in the car. Who the fuck are you, bro? So what was he arrested for?
I don't know. I think that he had drugs on him or something like that. Oh. Allegedly.
Allegedly. We'll see. His boy is videotaping him and just pulls him away. I like the fact that his security guard is like standing right next to him and there's nothing he can do about the cops.
Yeah. He'll get arrested. Oh, there he is. The security guard, the large black man?
Yeah. He just walked by and yelled at the camera. " Let's see. He was arrested for drug possession after blocking Miami Beach traffic for social media video police say.
Well, that's stupid. I've got drugs in my pocket. Let me go stand out and block traffic. Miami Beach police announced that the 22-year-old was taken into custody early Saturday on multiple charges, Including possessing amphetamines and marijuana, along with resisting an officer without violence.
Amphetamines? Yep. Miami Beach Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to maintain public safety and order throughout the city, regardless of celebrity status, the agency said. The department will continue to take proactive enforcement action against behavior that endangers residents, visitors, or officers, and will hold all individuals accountable under the law.
So it is guys fucking in the middle of the street. With pockets full of amphetamines, apparently. Yeah. Yeah, it's impeding traffic.
What, is he an idiot? He's a... He's a very rich idiot. Yeah.
But still, I mean, hand the drugs to one of your boys if you're gonna go out and stand in traffic. You gotta bounce, you got a security guy, the security guy should be holding your drugs. Right. Yeah.
Right? That makes sense. If I had a guy, if I had a guy that I paid money, like, he would have the drugs. If I was a drug guy, he would have my drugs.
Yeah, it's like a juice box guy. Like, hey, juice box. And you hand a juice box guy. Yeah, juice box guy.
Exactly. Moneymaker's a juice box guy. Moneymaker's got a juice box guy. Yeah, juice box guy.
Give me a pill. All right, which one you want, blue, red, white? Yeah, hire a pill guy. Here's what's gonna happen.
I'm gonna pay you, and not only am I gonna pay you to protect, you're gonna protect me against everything. Right. Who's you need protection against? Like, if I'm carrying, if I'm a gun guy and I'm carrying heat, maybe I make him carry it.
Well, when you have that much money, Palmer, and you go out in public, like, they all have security guys. Oh, they all have security people whether they need it or not? No, but this guy says a bunch of dumb shit to people all the time. Oh.
Is that his YouTube type thing? He makes the stupid videos? I think, yeah, he's gone out of his way to antagonize people. Oh, he riles people up.
Yeah. So he needs someone on standby. But it works, apparently, because... He's rich, and we just bought a hat press.
Yeah, and we're net negative. We're net negative again now. We were up. We were doing so good.
We were up. We were good. We sold out in a day. We were having a party, and then I realized there's a flaw.
Hey, man, it's progress, buddy. Yeah, no, it's perfect. Three steps forward, two steps back. It's just one step.
It's all progress. As Miguel Rocha said, it's all progress. Thank you, Miguel Rocha. Yes.
If you'd like to invest in our hat business. You leave Miguel alone. Miguel's a great guy. All right, we got another video, and apparently it's about the gold ester.
Yeah, so this was pretty cool. This is the more cigar industry, right? So, Fred Rue acquired one of the smaller Matt Booth. Fred Rue from Cigar Press?
Yes. Oh, I like him. Acquired one of the smaller Matt Booth astronaut things. Okay.
It's like a two-footer instead of a four-footer or whatever the hell it is, or maybe it's like 18 inches or so, and then he had it decked out by this guy, Nick Goss. So, check this out, but don't play the audio. Look at that thing. Wow.
Dude, that's incredible. Think of it as the big one. Down up like that. That's cool.
Fred, if you'd like to come decorate our big one. Fred didn't do it, Nick Goss did it. But Fred, you said Fred arranged it. Yeah.
Nick Goss, the salesman. Yeah, I guess. I don't know. Who's Nick Goss?
I was going to ask who he is. He does sell. He's the guy that wears the hat and he wears a t-shirt with his own picture on the t-shirt thing and is that guy? I don't know.
It looks like something he would do. He sells for Espinosa. Does he? Amongst other people.
So he's a broker? Yeah. This is cooler than the gold one. It's super badass.
Oh, I went hi, techie techie with the video. Yeah, it's that Nick, because his logo's there at the end. That's pretty cool. So Nick Goss is a broker for Espinosa.
Yeah, amongst other brands. He's El Presidente at Goss Tobacco. Yeah, he's New England-y, I think, if I remember correctly. I think he's a broker over that way.
Okay. Nice guy. Yeah, he's in New Hampshire, I think. Yeah.
Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire. Right. Well, Nick, you did an amazing job on that, and it deserved a highlight. I think I read that he had some guy that paints motorcycles do it for him or something.
Oh, yeah? Yeah, he arranged it, but then told him, like, I would like this, I would like that. Well, however you got it done, it's badass. It is very cool.
So, shout out to you, Nick. So, who does it go back to? Does it go back to Fred? Yeah, it's Fred's.
Oh, it's Fred's. It goes in Fred's office. Oh. Wherever that may be.
Yeah, he does invite us over. Nope. Rightfully so. Paul.
Paul does. Yeah, Paul does. It's close. I understand that it's close to where Fred lives.
You can't see it from there, but it's close though. All right, switching to Cigar World of Information. California says initial UTL enforcement will focus on obviously flavored products. That would make sense.
When California's UTL enforcement begins next year, the state says it will focus on going after products, that are obviously flavored, obviously, in parentheses, or quotation marks, sorry. Perhaps more importantly for products that aren't obviously flavored, the state intends to focus on educating companies on how to become compliant and not immediately issue fines to those companies. Just wait. So are they talking about the manufacturer or are they talking about the company that sells it?
It's extremely complicated. Sounds like it. So let's, well, so let's, let me kind of explain things to you. Okay.
Let's say we feel that stuffed animals, bear stuffed animals are no longer permitted to be sold in California. Bears. Yes. I'm with you.
We can't identify stuffed animals as a whole. Right. So what you have to do is you have to submit your stuffed animal. Right.
That isn't a bear and show me that it's not a bear. I'm not a bear, so I can build a list of all the stuffed animals that aren't bears. Gotcha. They're doing that with cigars.
Flavor-infused cigars, as long as you have traditional, submit, show me what it is, so that way I don't mix it up. Ah. That's the rule. Gotcha.
So that rule in itself sounds extremely pointless. Right, because is it anything flavored or is it infused or is it sweet to it? It's just infused, flavor infused. So sweet tip doesn't count.
I don't think sweet tip counts. I'm not sure. I think it would still. But again, who knows?
But they're building that list. So now they're going around saying, well, we're not going to pursue the people, excuse me, the people that are traditional yet. Right. Right.
Okay. However, if you're flavor infused, we are going to submit. Now, here's a caveat. If I make a flavored cigar, you good?
Yeah, I got a yawn. I need to lock in. Wake up. Look, I'm not sleeping over here against the wall, snoring like you do, so just keep rolling.
Was I on camera at the time? Yes. I was not on camera at the time. I'm not on camera, I yawn when you're talking.
If I have a flavor infused cigar, and it is imported by Roma Craft, Roma Craft has to file that UTL with California, not me as the owner. Oh. The importer does. So it's straight from import.
Right. So just to make matters even more complicated. So if I, let's say I have something over there and it's, even if it's not flavored, it's traditional. And they say, hey, you gotta, you gotta file this.
I might not be able to file it. The importer has to file it. Yeah. So it's a complete disaster through and through.
Do you think this kills out infused or flavored cigars? Obvious flavored cigars. Do you think it kills out flavored cigars in California? , but if they have to import the cigar and this person sells a cigar to California, then they have to register it from the import.
Well, you're not allowed to send flavored cigars there at all. Right, that's what California's trying to do, get flavored cigars out of California. Correct. What?
Oh, so then it doesn't matter. What doesn't matter? Because then people just won't, they can't put flavored cigars in California, so it doesn't matter for the manufacturer. But it doesn't matter, but, wait, now I'm confused.
But you don't have to say you are infused, you have to prove you're not infused. Right. You have to prove. So it's not the registering all the infused, the registering all the uninfused.
Right. Right. When somebody makes an infused cigar, right, when they come out with a press release, in the description it would say infused, right? Okay, sure.
Then that would make it infused. So those are obviously not going to California, but we have to prove that our cigars are not infused. Right. Oh, that just makes it harder for the guys that aren't doing the wrong thing.
Right. Correct. It's wild. Wow.
So, I mean, but realistically, if you're a California guy. Yeah. And you like acid cigars, and it's considered infused, maybe you can't get it in California, but if you really want it, you can still get it. Right, like online.
Oh, maybe online doesn't ship to you. Or maybe you worked out a deal with somebody and maybe somebody does ship it to you online. Or maybe you just travel to Arizona or whatever and load up and then come back. So what happens?
It just makes no sense. You're creating a vacuum. Right. Right.
You're creating a vacuum so that other retailers will be able to produce. Now, what's even crazier is that I've heard that some big brands and some manufacturers allegedly want this to happen. Really? Yeah, because what'll happen is they'll file their UTLs for their traditional cigars and they're allowed on the shelf and now it's a lot thinner as far as their competition.
Right? Yeah, that would make it thinner. If you're a bigger business and you can afford it, absolutely. it absolutely if you're a smaller business and you don't do enough business in cali what happens long long term you pay the price right right so go ahead they're messed up over there in galvan oh you just explain the rest of the thing there's no reason to read this story what is it so yeah this is just a um a story about how they've changed the policy to where we're not going after this guy we're going after that guy yeah until we decide to go after that this goes back to the same thing The only thing I said before, no speeding, unless you have the blue car, blue cars are fine, for now.
Yeah, for now. Until Tuesday. Don't worry, we talked to the guy who knows the guy. We talked to the guy who handles the lawn for the guy.
Right. " Right. Wild, man. This is crazy.
It's California, man. Everything's crazy out there. Yeah, but you know what, man? Here's the problem.
Here's the problem. The problem is there aren't enough cigar smokers where people say, "Hey, dude, what are we doing? " Right. Yeah.
You don't have a big enough pool of people to really defend it. Right. Not enough people are mad. So they're picking on the little guy.
And their argument is that they're aiming for something else. They're aiming for e-cigarettes or something. Well, exclude premium cigars. Just exclude them.
All. Yeah, it's easy enough. Well, but then do they have to define what makes a premium cigar? Yeah.
Because that was the FDA's problem. What's the definition of a premium cigar? This doesn't fall under a category of discrimination. I don't know.
I know there are lawsuits pending, but some lawsuits were in the wrong district court, and then they figured out that it's got to go to another district court, and they're trying to work it all out. We put this in the wrong court? I'm sorry. Yeah.
So, I don't know. It doesn't sound like it's going away. No, it seems like it's going through, and we're getting closer to January 1st, so that's when it starts out. Right.
All right, we'll keep you updated as more information becomes available. Well, PCA's in Dubai. Right, PCA's in Dubai right now, they're having a good time. Black Label Trading Company announces the release of the Lajero Hawaii.
Oh, is it infused? As an R-Field Wine Company exclusive. Tastes like pineapple. Oh, they're fucked.
I don't know, it does taste like pineapple. We have no problem with this company. Black Label Trading Company is pleased to announce the release of the La Jero Hawaiian as an Arfield Wine Company exclusive, handcrafted at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua. The La Jero Hawaii is one of my favorite releases from our Arfield exclusive portfolio.
For its release, we changed things up by using a PA Broadleaf wrapper instead of the original Ecuadorian Maduro. This big, bold cigar represents what Black Label Trading Company is all about. The dark, earthy profile is blended with peppery spice, creating an intense but elegant cigar, said James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner of Fabrica, Oveja, Negra, and the Godfather of Zool. Not that James Brown, is it that James Brown?
Watch me! Wow! I got it! Lahara, Hawaii will be available at our Field Wine Company in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Country of origin is Nicaragua, Rappers, Pennsylvania, Binders, Ecuador, Habano, Filler is Nicaraguan. label trading company is redefining the standard for cigars making standards for cigar making sorry with a less is more philosophy black label trading company creates hand premium handcrafted premium cigars of the utmost quality in small batch limited quantities okay so they moved to a pa broadleaf but then they said ecuadorian maduro was the original yes ecuadorian maduro what yeah Ecuador, Maduro, Maduro, Maduro. Ecuador, Maduro, Maduro, Maduro? Yes.
Was it Ecuadorian, was it Broadleaf or something? It's Maduro. No, that doesn't work. I understand that.
Maybe that's how they represented the tobacco. That doesn't make any sense. Maduro doesn't tell you what kind of tobacco it is. What is this?
It just tells you what color it is. This is Maduro. Ah. Ecuadorian.
It's Ecuador. Right. " Right. Well, okay, you just said you like about 75% of what's in this room.
I like the dark ones. So, Maduro is more like a color than a tobacco. Right. So, let's start here.
You like this one? Why don't I have an edit? How about this one? How about this one?
Right. Help me out here, sir. I need a little more information. Just take the Padrón 50.
Let's call it a day. Yeah, this is perfect Maduro for you right here. There's Maduro. There's Maduro right here.
The best Maduro you can get right here. Good Maduro for you. So yeah, so I would hope it tastes like pineapple, but it probably doesn't. Probably doesn't.
They don't seem like a pineapple-flavored cigar company. No, Arfield is a big store in Hawaii. Big wine. Yeah.
Marvin's a good guy. All right, a new bill would increase New Jersey cigar tax to 50%. Really? What happened?
I thought that they were voting somebody in. They were trying to get this other guy who was going to drop the tax. Was that New Jersey? I thought that was somewhere else.
That was in Jersey. Last week, a bill was introduced that would increase the state tax for cigars sold in New Jersey from the current rate of 30% to a whopping 50% of the wholesale price. Senator Joe F. Vitale, Democrat, Woodbridge has introduced S-4820, which would modify the state's tax rate for other tobacco products, including cigars.
Currently, a cigar is charged a state excise tax of 30% of its wholesale price, typically half of the MSRP. 75. 42. 625% sales tax is added at the register.
88 before sales tax. In addition, at 4820, we changed the moist snuff tax rate. Ooh, moist. Moist snuff tax rate.
50 per ounce. Currently, the bill has no other sponsors. There does not appear to be a companion bill in the New Jersey General Assembly. The New Jersey would go from having a 13th highest tax rate for cigars to the 7th highest in the nation.
So the cigars are being taxed coming in, not being sold out? No, you pay the tax when you buy it. So if you go there and buy a cigar, all the taxes rolled into it and you pay it. And then they...
Okay. I got confused when he said the wholesale, and then they tax it on the wholesale. Well, they are. So it's not the retail price, it's taxed on the wholesale price.
Wholesale price. I mean, you're easy to confuse. Let's be honest. It was a matter.
Oh, so they may get lower. I mean, that's not bad. No, they're going for 30 to 50. Because you said they tax on the wholesale, not on the retail.
Right. Yeah. That's how they always tax. Oh, well, I know.
Okay. Yeah. But when you go to buy the cigar, you also get a tax of New Jersey. Sales tax?
Sales tax. Sales tax. Yeah. So sales tax didn't go up.
It's just the... The other tax. Wholesale import tax or whatever. Well, the tax, the sales tax is a little higher because the tax is now on the 30% it's already been added.
Well, it's always going to get passed, yeah, it's always going to get passed over to the consumer. Yeah, I mean, when you walk in there, the price on the cigar already has a 30% added to it. This is amazing. Not like you go ring it up and it, you know, and all of a sudden, cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching.
What is the tax in New York? It's high, it's high. Is it 50%? 60% or something.
It's higher than that. It's high in Virginia, too. Let me ask you this. What's the tax in Florida?
5. Yeah, so what's the tax for cigars in Florida? I don't think there is any tax. Oh, I know, I know.
There is not one. Because Florida doesn't have a... Nope. Zero.
We are in a Texas lawless swamp here. Zero. And that's how it should be. This is a great place.
I don't understand what the purpose is of the taxing. First of all, it makes no sense. Why are we raising a tax on cigars? Just because enough people aren't going to defend it?
We're not going to defend it? Yeah, we're an easy target because nobody's going to get upset. But they said this guy doesn't have any other sponsors, so he made the bill and nobody's jumping on board with it. So why make the bill at all?
Right. Maybe the guys against tobacco, I don't know, who knows? It just, and if only 1% or 3% of people are smokers in this state, right? It's not like you're really making a big nut off of that.
It's crazy. You want to know who it hurts? It hurts your small business retailers in New Jersey. Right.
The small mom and pop. Because what do they do? Brick and mortar stores. They go and purchase online.
They go to New Hampshire. They go to, you know, wherever. Right. To buy where there isn't that tax.
And they save $2 a cigar. I mean, look, if you save two bucks on a cigar, at 20 cigars, it's 40 bucks. Right. That's huge for a guy that's smoking on the regular.
Yeah, it just doesn't make any sense. No, the taxation doesn't make any sense. Right. At all.
They should throw them all into the Bay and have the cigar party. Not only that, I mean, they print the money. I never understood the taxing. Like, you guys make the money.
One, there's a button, there's zeros, you add. No zeros, there's no pennies, no more. No pennies. No, I'm talking about, you know, with the commas.
Yeah, not the decimals. There's plenty of commas. I just don't understand it. Maybe I'm just dumb, you know.
Yeah, what does New Jersey do with all that tobacco tax money? Yeah, what are you gonna put it towards... No, that guy gets a new house. You're going to put it towards cancer funding or something?
No, definitely not. Well, the guys don't cause cancer, so. Well, that's what they would say. Oh, it's for, you know, we'll give it to heart disease or some crap like that.
Cancer research, heart disease. You guys haven't solved heart disease. The no smoking of free America thing, whatever it's called. No Joe Smoko, yeah, that group.
I'd really like to see the transfer in the accounts from the tax account to the heart disease account to see if it really goes there. It's got to be somewhere if they do it. There's got to be a paper trail. The Good Doctor.
You'll never find that paper trail. Oh, I used to like that show, The Good Doctor. Carried a one. All right, Viaje is adding a new Vampire Dust Red, bringing back Zombie Farmer Bill Hatchet.
Yep. Next week, Viaje, Viaje, Viaje and Tatuaje. Two totally different things. Yeah, but they sound very similar.
Once travel, once tattoo. Yeah. We'll be shipping a pair of cigars to retailers, a new line called Vampire Dust Red, and the return of Zombie Farmer Bill Hatchet. The company has kept almost all the details of the Vampire Dust Red under wraps, though Half Wheel has learned a few details and has transferred them over to Cigars for Podcasts.
First, while the blend is undisclosed, it is a different blend from the Vampire Dust Purple. Well, that seems obvious. Good job, Charlie. That came out in 2025.
It will be offered in a single 5x54 Vitola, a size it shares with the Vampire Dust Purple line. So those are the same. Those are the same. There's two sizes with a red.
I just read the stories, Mike. That's incorrect. There's two sizes. What is the second size?
I don't know. It's different. It's different. Pricing has not yet been announced.
Shipping alongside the Vampire Red Dust will be the return of the Zombie Farmer Bill Edgett. 5x54 box-pressed Robusto using a Nicaraguan Criolo 98 wrapper. The Wrapper, is that right, or is that two sizes too? There's the, there's two sizes of Vampire Dust Red, it's a 5x54 called the Weight of Absence, and then there's the Vampire Dust Red, which is a 6x52 Toro, the Silent Invitation.
Oh. When we have to correct Half Wheel, all is lost in this world. Yeah. Where did you find the information?
The invoice for the cigars that are coming to me. Oh, so you're getting the cigar? They're already sold. I was waiting on you to go, well, I looked it up on Half Wheel.
I looked it up, I went to Half Wheel. com. I checked it out. 10 for a box of 30 cigars.
Zombie Farmer Bill Hatchet debuted in 2016. You got the wrong intel. This is from, I got this off Half Wheel today. You said the retail value is how much?
67. 67 per cigar. 50 and 10 cents. No.
How many cigars are there? 88. That's just as if I have, Will. Okay.
Today. Unless you're talking about the... This is the Farmer Bob Hatchet. 50.
All right. So you just calm your jets over there. All right. I'll calm my jets now.
You're right, Charlie. I apologize for my friend there. Please excuse my friend. No, I lost where I was.
The town is back that way! Thanksgiving-themed stuffed turkey cigar. A backstory explained that the character was the person who got the turkey from the farm to the table. The zombie part of the name comes from a line that debuted in 2011 as a follow-up to the company's WMD and Moab cigars.
With the storyline that the same came the people's traditions to zombies after being exposed to the radiation. Oh. Crownheads. Crown Heads.
Do you want to correct this one too? No. Crown Heads adds a new Vitola to Tennessee Waltz. Throughout 2025, but especially in the last couple of weeks, John Huber of Crown Heads has been teasing a new look, new sizes, and new plans for Tennessee Waltz.
5x52 Robusto Extra. Okay. Is that correct? I don't know.
What? That originally was only sold to retailers in Tennessee. Okay. That's correct.
Well, the company is based now. Oh, this is where they're based. Now the line is getting two additional Vitolas and new packaging. This will be offered in three Vitolas, Tennessee Waltz OG, Tennessee Waltz CG, and Tennessee Waltz Toro.
Blatty, blatty, blatty, blatty, blatty. It began as a personal homage to my grandfather, and since its release in 2014, has been our love letter to our home state of Tennessee, said Huber in a press release. The demand from retailers and consumers outside of Tennessee over the years led to us to the decision to expand the brand and finally give this extraordinary blend its full stage it deserves. While Crown Heads has hoped to ship the new line in October, they're expected to arrive in stores nationwide next week, so it's the end of November.
Cigar is named after the song which was made famous by Miss Patty Page. There you go. I like what a lot of Crown Heads is doing. They're doing a lot of things right.
I did not. I like the orange. Yeah. I did not know that they were based out of Tennessee.
Yep. Nashville. It makes sense. Boots, watch your foots getting tangled up on the court as your boss.
Oh, you snagged one. Don't pull it. There you go. Yeah, because that's where, um, what's his name?
Wes. Wes used to live in Tennessee. Makes sense. All right, you guys ready for the hottest game in the cigar industry?
Oh! It's time for What's the Score? What's the Score? There you go.
Today's first cigar, it's from November 16, 2025, so this is the most recent review, from Patrick. Okay. From Constella Group, Limited Edition, Niki Ragwin Reviews, the Maria Lucia, Limited Edition, PCA 2025. Okay.
Why are you guys laughing? I just heard you say Costello Group. Yeah. Well, that was the one at the top of the page.
Sorry. I don't pick, but it's just the way it works. Well, I guess I do pick, but it was the top of the page. Yeah, that's just how it happened.
Cigar Reviews, Maria Lucia, Limited Edition, PCA 2025. It is from Nicaragua Factory. Undisclosed. Luciano Tobacco S.
Anybody know where that is? Yeah. In Esteli, obviously. It doesn't say.
Or in Nicaragua, it says. Somewhere in Nicaragua. Yeah. Okay.
Rapper, Mexican San Andreas Lajero, Binder, Ecuadorian Sumatra Seed, and USA, Connecticut Broadleaf. USA, Connecticut Broadleaf. Yes, USA, Connecticut Broadleaf. Double Binder.
Filler, from Brazil, Montefina, Nicaragua, Peru, and South Africa. Oh, a little bit of South African tobacco there. With Beverly? Yes.
Maybe looking for Beverly. Maybe that's who took Beverly. Maybe he took Beverly. That would make sense.
That would make complete sense. It's a 6x52 shape round. MSRP is $20. A box of $10 is $200.
Came out in 2025. Number of cigars released. 1,000 boxes of 10 or 10,000 cigars. And Patrick smoked three of these little lovely cigars.
Scores, gentlemen? Who wants to go first? You want to go first or you want me to go first? I'll go first.
Okay. Let's go 84. 86. First clue, for the most part, the cigars look good, with one cigar having a pretty rough looking cap that is darker than the rest of the cigar, and not cut with a crisp edge on it on one side of it.
The same cigar also has a slightly jagged seam line hidden on the backside. All three cigars have a pretty typical network of veins, vizzle, but neither distracting nor obtrusive. Mmm. I'll go 83.
83? 86. The first puffs are a mix of minor flavors, specifically... Minor flavors.
Specifically a little creaminess, a little earthiness, a little bit of crunchy edges of well-baked brownies. All finished off by a little black pepper, though the pepper might be better described as a little more than a little. It's an enjoyable profile with what I call a lot of edges. Not that it's sharp, but that there's a lot of texture to the smoke.
He's using edges a lot in this. Very edgy. Very edgy in this review. Mr.
Patrick? Is that it? That is it. That's clue number two.
It sounds like he's enjoying it a little bit. So 84? 87. Oh.
Next clue. Flavor is medium plus, body is medium, and strength is mild. Construction is very good, highlighted by solid clumps of ash, while the draw, smoke, production, and burn lines are all good. Boots?
I'll go to 86. Ooh, slid in there under me. I'll stay 87. All right, the Maria, final thoughts, gentlemen.
Oh, we're already there. Well, after the third clue, you go to Final Thoughts. Okay, quickly. The Maria Lucia Limited Edition PCA 2025 starts on a very good note, coached through its second third with a profile that I did call rather tame, then reignites the flavor in the final third with a couple of different results.
The third cigar was head and shoulders above the others with a nuanced dance between similar and complementary flavors before giving my taste buds a dessert-like sweetness as a parting flavor. The other two didn't reach that level with one putting off smoke that I found irritating and intrusive to enjoy the cigar. Construction in all three cigars was very good and I have no demerits to report in any category. I enjoyed all three cigars, with no real complaints about anything they had to offer.
The only thing I want is more of its best part, as this could produce a really stellar smoke. This is a tough one. It's going to be either 86 or 87. You think so?
I think it's lower. You think? I'm going to stick at 86. Do I think it's above or below 86?
I should have stayed at 86 the whole time. What did you say, Boots? I'm sorry. 86.
86. All right. I'm going to go 87. Good move.
It's 89. Yay! Wow, 89? 89.
He liked it. He liked the one of the three of them. Yeah, but that's 33%. Winner, winner, cheeky and diener.
All right. Second cigar. Yes. From August 1st, 2021.
Reviewed by Mr. Charlie Minato. 12. From Altidus, USA, Honduras Limited Edition Review, the Henry Clay Warhawk Lonsdale.
I don't know if I've ever had, I've had a Henry Clay before. 82. Yeah, are all the Henry Clay's the same? I don't know.
You don't know? If it's like the one I had, I'm definitely gonna, yeah, I'll go like 80. 80? Yeah.
All right, the Henry Clay Warhawk Lonsdale is from Honduras. Factory is La Flor de Copan. Copan. 75 a cigar.
They smoked 3. Sounds light and dry. 82. You're gonna stick at 82 still?
Yeah. Yeah, 80. The first puff for the Henry Clay Warhawk Lonsdale is very similar to the cold draw, medium, full, and intensity, though the flavors don't last very long, I pick up flavors similar to French bread, earth, and fruit. That's medium intensity?
82. Yeah, 80. Sticking an 82, sticking an 80. I find the retro hails to be a bit mushier than the rest of the flavors.
Ooh, bushy. How is a retro? Everything is slightly off, and the individual flavors are more distant from one another. Retro Hale's finished with a sensation that reminds me of raspberry muffins.
I don't think I've ever had a raspberry muffin. Raspberry muffins. Though there are some mineral flavors, saltiness, and black pepper. Flavor is full body, is medium plus in strength, and is medium.
Eighty-one. Oh, you went down one. I did. He went down one.
Push the 70s. Nah, I'm going to be at 80. I don't think it goes under 80s. I think it might.
You think? Alright, clue number three, I believe. Yep. It takes a bit more than two inches, but eventually the Warhawk has a very noticeable profile shift.
While there are some remnants of the first third, the nuttiness has transferred into a more distinct peanut shell flavor. And creaminess remains, earthiness, and something that reminds me of a cheaper white rice, Let's take over as the main flavors. So it has like no taste if you say peanut shell and white rice. I've never had cheap rice, but they're in 79.
Yeah, it sounds horrible. The flavors they picked out are just 79. 79. 79 for the big man over here.
I'm sticking to 80. 79 and 80. Final thoughts. Excuse me.
While this might be one of the simpler blends on paper, it delivers a ton of flavor. If you like the combination of nuttiness, creaminess, and black pepper, this might be right up your alley. It's a bit less earthy than I found the regular production Vitolas of this blend to be and seems to be a tad bit stronger. At least by the end of the cigar, I doubt this will be one of the cigars I think about when I think of Stogie's Exclusive.
But if you put them all on the table and ask me to smoke them one by one, I'm guessing I'll pick this one before at least half the table, half of the cigars on the table. His descriptions are all over the place. Anybody ever eaten a peanut shell? I mean...
I mean, he sounds like it's like a light cigar, but he's saying it's medium, and then he's saying, it almost sounds like he doesn't like it, but then he's like, I'll pick this one up over the other half. I like when Charlie does it, because you can't tell by his description. Right. I hate this cigar.
It's terrible. It burned funny. 752. Right.
86. Oh, yeah, see, he was trying to bait me. No, I listened to the final thought. Oh, is that what it was?
Yeah. I'm gonna go... 85. I root for Boots every week, just so he might win one.
It's an 89. 89? 89. Oh, my God.
" You can do it. We're going to do it. Well, give me like an eye nod or something, like put your eyes up. I can't even see you from over here.
No, I can see you on the screen. Oh, gotcha. Yeah, there you go. Up, up.
Just put your eyes up. Yeah, there you go. Scratch my head up. Yeah.
Or scratch my head down. Right. 89. It sounded like it was a horrific cigar.
Going through the reviews this week, I've noticed all the low ones are Toro Fuente cigars. No, that's not true. He booted us. No, but the, no, but these, those scores on Toro Puente are lower than our score.
Right. Well, do these guys like stronger cigars or do they like lighter cigars? I think Charlie enjoys more Connecticut-flavored cigars. You would think he would rate Puente a little higher than.
All right, Shop of the Week. Shop of the Week. Boss Cigars. Hey.
Welcome back to the family. And then Listener of the Week. Listener of the Week. Pete Johnson from Tatuaje Cigars.
And apparently he's an avid listener. Really? And I look shorter in person. And older.
And older. You can only see your shoulders enough. Yeah. That's why I sit on my feet.
That's why I look so tall. You sit on your feet. Well, you put yourself in that category then. Right.
Okay. It just means he watches, so that's fine with me. Make sure you like and subscribe. com.
com. Com. A dope app. Thank you for watching.
We gotta go. Bye. Thank you. Bye.
Bye.
Show Notes
Welcome to Cigar hustlers Podcast on today’s show we have
Blue Origin nails a Mars mission launch and lands the booster like a boss.
A whole town is searching for a missing mannequin named Beverly.
Dictionary.com says the word of the year is… “67.”
Kai Trump makes her LPGA debut, California targets flavored tobacco, and New Jersey wants higher cigar taxes.