ACHP Episode 444 Killer Aligator
Episode Summary
Episode 444 of A Cigar Hustler's Podcast finds Mike Palmer and co-host Mike "Mikey" Shtepankiewicz (with Boots in engineering) working through a mixed bag of Florida news, NFL coaching drama, and the biggest legal story hanging over the premium cigar business. They open with shop banter about the previous day's guest co-host Law, tease the next episode with guest host Terrence Riley of Aganorsa Leaf, and thank returning Patreon supporter "Dak the Mayor."
The news block starts with the Miami Dolphins firing head coach Mike McDaniel after a 7-10 season, the crew arguing he belongs back in an offensive coordinator role and speculating on Jim Harbaugh, the vacant GM seat, and the old Brian Flores tanking/lawsuit saga. From there: a wrongful death suit against The Boathouse at Disney Springs after a diner choked on a piece of steak and staff called security instead of 911, and Florida wildlife officials confirming they identified and euthanized the alligator responsible for a fatal canoe attack — the victim's hand was recovered from the animal. A lighter (and much cruder) detour covers ex-NFL lineman Matt Kalil's privacy lawsuit against ex-wife Haley Kalil over livestream comments.
The cigar news is the meat of the episode. Chen Zhi, co-owner of Habanos S.A., has been arrested in Cambodia, stripped of citizenship, and deported to China, where he faces investigation tied to large-scale financial crimes; the hosts debate what happens to his Habanos shares, whether Altadis and its Dominican factory are exposed, RICO liability, Interpol jurisdiction, and why no other partners have been charged. They also cover Illusione shipping three new products including the Group of 5 SE, a 6x56 Toro Extra rolled at Aganorsa Leaf with Criollo '98 and Criollo '99 tobaccos, priced at $18.60, and speculate that Dion Giolito's earlier delayed release was rejected for not matching his blend.
Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust's 2026 limited edition, Year of the Powsers, honors Alaska cigar couple Michelle and Tom Powser with two 6x48 pigtailed blends in one box — Michelle's a sweeter, creamier riff on Sin Compromiso Paladín de Saka made at Joya de Nicaragua, Tom's a bolder smoke inspired by Mi Querida Black and Muestra de Saka Tricky Tracker using a new Capa Camaleón wrapper (Habano 2000 crossed with Connecticut Broadleaf) rolled at NACSA, 2,700 boxes at roughly $20/cigar, shipping March 2026. The episode closes with a mini What's the Score using Brooks Whittington's Halfwheel redux of the Regius Maduro Corona, which scored an 83.
In This Episode
- 01Cold open and show housekeepingBanter about guest co-host Law, Boots' Navy master-at-arms days, CHPod swag and Patreon shoutouts, and tomorrow's guest host Terrence Riley of Aganorsa Leaf.
- 02Dolphins fire Mike McDanielBreaking NFL news on McDaniel's dismissal after a 7-10 season, plus Jim Harbaugh rumors, Miami's missing GM, and a rehash of the Brian Flores tanking lawsuit.
- 03Boathouse at Disney Springs choking lawsuitA wrongful death suit alleges restaurant staff called security instead of 911 when a diner choked on steak, sparking a debate about bystander training and liability.
- 04Killer alligator identified and euthanizedFWC confirmed the gator behind May's fatal canoe attack by markings, measurements, and a recovered human hand, with warnings about low-sitting kayaks and canoes.
- 05Matt Kalil sues Haley KalilThe former Pro Bowl lineman's invasion-of-privacy suit over his ex-wife's livestream comments, and whether free speech protections apply.
- 06Chen Zhi arrested and deported to ChinaThe Habanos S.A. co-owner's arrest in Cambodia and deportation, and what it means for Habanos shares, Altadis, the shuttered Dominican factory, and industry fallout.
- 07Illusione Group of 5 SE shipsIllusione's second Group of 5 vitola, a 6x56 Toro Extra at $18.60 rolled at Aganorsa Leaf, plus why Dion Giolito likely rejected the first production run.
- 08Dunbarton Year of the PowsersSaka's 2026 limited edition honors Alaska cigar couple Michelle and Tom Powser with two blends, a new Capa Camaleón wrapper, and 2,700 boxes shipping March 2026.
- 09What's the Score mini gameThe crew guesses Brooks Whittington's review score for the Regius Maduro Corona — an 83 — and argues over whether Mikey is cheating.
Brands & Cigars Discussed
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Transcript
Welcome to Cigar Hustler Podcast, Episode 444, Espinosa, I'm Mike Palmer and this is Friday, January 9th, 2025, today with me in engineering is Boots, Espinosa Hibble House, Hello, Espinosa fans. I'm going to kill both of you. You better stop. And my co-host, Mike, I'm fickle as a pickle, Stepan Kavich.
Fickle as a pickle? Why am I fickle as a pickle? I saw the show yesterday. Yeah.
Super fickly. Preston might be out. Law might be in. It's nice having Law on the show.
He's also. I didn't say anything. I mean, I haven't watched the entire show. It got a little embarrassing for you after a while.
Did it? Yeah. How did it get embarrassing? I expected to see you run over here and sit on his lap eventually.
Oh, and now you're getting super jealous of all my guys. I'm not jealous at all. Yeah, you are, Woody. That is right.
I am the Woody of the group. Right, Buzz? Yeah, that's right. First of all, Law drove two hours to come just to be on the show.
Oh, it was very nice for him to be on the show. I'm not belittling him on the show. He did a great job. He's arguably one of the best co-hosts we've had, or we've ever had.
Other than Jack from Espinosa. Well, like, you know, like, I don't know, I think that that's, that, that's close. That's close. Law is pretty good, man.
Jack is not worried about tomorrow's guest host. No. And he has, like, awesome military stories and all those other stuff that we get to kind of incorporate. Oh, dude, it's like I said, I didn't watch the whole thing.
Yeah. It was military stories? Uh huh. Oh, nice.
Yeah. We got to make fun of Boots and his, uh, what is it called? Marital status? Marital status?
What are you called? Is something happening? Is it not his baby? What's your role?
Master at arms. Master at arms. Oh. That's like the guy on He-Man who wore the little gold top.
Master of the universe? With the green hat. Master of the universe? Yeah.
Yeah, there was a master of arms or whatever he just said he was. Oh, yeah. It's the military police. Master of arms.
Yeah, Law was not laughing. That's the term. Law understands that the master at arms is not the fun people when they get to the gate. He's like, oh.
Oh, you work the gate. Well, that's, normally, you know, like the police, they work the gate as well. Oh. So, like, uh.
You're like the guy that takes the tickets at the movies. Well, that's not me, but yeah, but, yeah, that is some stuff that they do. But yeah, he was talking about, like, when he would come back from the bars and stuff. Those are not the funnest people to encounter when you're coming through the gate.
Yeah. You didn't have to get turned to me while I was drinking my Red Bull. Sorry. It's okay.
You do that often. Well, maybe we get sponsored by Red Bull. That would be allowed. Yeah, that would be allowed.
Is it like an Espinosa Red Bull? Dude. Sir. Enough.
Enough. You're borderline getting... Listen, the rage exists in here. It exists in here.
And you're going to bring it out. And then we can't put it back once it comes out. We can't put it back. Don't make me angry.
You will like me when I'm angry. Yeah, it's bad. It's so bad to a point where they're like... You have to walk away slowly, we play that sad music, and you work your backpack on.
Yeah. Like the end of the Hulk show. Right, that's exactly this. Exactly.
You slowly walk away like you're no friends. I mean, there would be no podcast tomorrow, I promise you, because the equipment would not be functional. Don't take it out on the equipment. That's where it is.
For the windows or the pool table or something. Well, you have to understand that this camera is very close to me. Well, step around it as you go. In a fit of rage, I am not successfully getting around this camera.
Yeah, that's a more expensive camera. Yeah, and it's going down for me to get to you. It's a little clearer than Palmer's now. Well, then the show will be over, because we can't afford another camera.
Oh, yeah, it's a plug in your iPhone or something. Well, maybe Preston will buy another camera for him. You'll probably break that too. Yeah.
Preston will buy another camera for him, Palmer. Preston will buy it? Yeah. I'm running the football podcast only.
All right, on today's show, the boathouse may be sinking, Killer Alligator is finally no more. In sports, just how big is it? And then in cigar news, he's finally been caught, couple of new cigars, and then a mini what's the score? What's the score?
Today on episode 444 of a Cigar Hustler podcast, we also have an added on story that was not in the opening that I discovered on the way back and forth to my mother's dentist appointment. Yeah? Yes. Okay.
So, Michael, how do we get some of that CHPod swag? com for all of our swag. If you buy one, you get the second one 40% off, you spend $100 or more, you get free shipping. Also, check out our Patreon, where we review cigars, we talk a little bit more inside baseball about the cigar industry.
Behind the scenes. Shout out to our newest patron on the Patreon, Dak, the mayor, Mr. Mayor. Dak wasn't one before?
No, he was before, but he had dropped off for a while and he just joined back up yesterday. And now he's back. He realized how foolish it was not to hear all the shit that we talked about. Welcome back, Dak.
Yeah, so thank you, Dak, for joining. You know, yesterday, Law did bring up a point that he didn't even know he had a patron. That's why I just mentioned it there. Yeah.
Did he sign up? He hasn't signed up yet. We're not signing up yet. No, but we're going to get Terrence has got to sign up.
Yes. Jack is taking care of that. Yes. Tomorrow we're going to have a special guest host, Terrence Riley of Aganorsa Cigars.
Hmm. I'm going to do the what's the score from over there. Okay. There's no sense in me making it and then have somebody else read it.
Okay. Because then it makes you and Boots play again. Okay. That's fine.
Whatever you want to do, buddy. It's your show. I'm just here living. Am I not playing what's the score tomorrow?
No, I guess we could do a three-way what's-the-score, sure. We kind of did that yesterday with Law, but he didn't get to finish it. Right. Well, he had to read the score at the end.
Yeah, he didn't get to finish the score because he was doing the score, and then once he scrolled down and saw it, he didn't say what it was. He's the one that told us Davidoff plays along when we do it. Oh, really? Yeah.
Some of the people at Davidoff get together and listen to it and play. They play what's-the-score. That's pretty cool. All right, this just happened.
Okay. The Miami Dolphins have fired head coach Mike McDaniel, ending his four-year tenure with a franchise after a disappointing 2025 season. The team confirmed the move on Thursday with owner Stephen Ross saying that after careful evaluation and extensive discussions, the organization needs a comprehensive change to move forward. McDaniel finishes his Dolphins run with an overall 35 wins and 33 losses record across four seasons, including two playoff appearances in his first two years.
Both of which ended in wildcard round losses. The Dolphins closed the 2025 campaign with a 7-10 record, missing the playoffs for a second straight year, and that lack of postseason success ultimately contributed to the decision. Yes. How do you feel about this?
Good. We gotta move on. You feel good about it? Yeah, because now, you know, Harbaugh is lurking.
Harbaugh, that's probably why- They've already been talking to Harbaugh, if I could have kept reading, I would have mentioned that. That's probably why he got fired. " Supposedly, the day he got fired, they reached out to him. Yeah.
Here's the thing that I don't understand. Why can't an organization just keep the guy and put him back in a regular position where he belongs? As the offensive coordinator? Yeah, like this guy, I would want the Bucs to go and get him as the offensive coordinator.
Go get him. I bet you he goes back to the 49ers. They're already talking about Kansas City. Really?
Yeah. As a head coach or as an offensive coordinator? Offensive coordinator. I heard that on the radio that's what they said, that he'll probably become an offensive coordinator again.
Yeah. And he would be great at that. Yeah, he's good at that. Because that's what he's good at.
Yeah. He's not a great head coach. Right. So, Miami was his move up from offensive coordinator?
Correct. He left San Francisco. Yep. Yeah.
He should be a coach. And then they went, this was a stupid decision. We're sorry. It's not, dude, you know, a leader of men is, is not.
It said the first two seasons they went to the playoffs and then the second two seasons, nothing. Yeah, because the system was already set up and then you, then the players get to kind of know you and then they see what they can do and what they can't do and all these other things. What happened to the coach before him? He got fired.
As well. He got fired, Brian Flores, and he was a great coach. I think he'd be a great head coach for any team. Now he's a defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
Why did he get fired? Well, because he's tough. It was a whole DEI thing. Nobody liked him.
He doesn't listen, you know... Doesn't take direction well. The rumor is, yeah, that, like, the GM and the owner wanted him to lose games so they could get a better draft pick. He's not doing that.
Oh, that would be hard for you to think for most coaches. Yeah, and... We need you to throw the game. That's not why he got fired.
Why'd he get fired? He got, it was the whole, you know... Spit it out, boy! Spit it out, boy!
He thought they were being racist, and then it turned into the whole lawsuit, remember? No. Is he a black man? That's not what happened.
I thought that's what happened at the end. Was he black? He is black. Man, you gotta get your DEI stories correct if you're gonna throw them out there.
All right, all right. Okay, he got fired for not doing, not tanking at the end of the season. That's the story. " So that means that the Giants went ahead and gave Brian DeBal the job before they gave, even bothered interviewing Brian Flores, when they were re- required to do so by the NFL guidelines because of the DEI.
But regardless, like push DEI aside and all that, whatever the hell that is, the guy is a great coach. The guy is worthy of being a head coach in any position. I think he did well at Miami. Yeah, I don't think he did a bad job.
Yeah. And then he went to Pittsburgh, I think. Yeah, I think for a year. I'm on the phone.
Yeah, I have no idea what you're talking about. Are you talking about Preston? Preston? Yes, he called, by the way.
Yeah. Okay, so that's my point. Okay. Yeah, I think Harbaugh's in Miami.
That's what that looks like. Because they were like. In the Lamar reunion? We're not getting rid of them.
No, not the Lamar reunion. I don't think that Lamar leaves Baltimore. Lamar was talking about he feels like he's done there. I don't think he leaves Baltimore.
No? No. Not at all. I don't know if Harbaugh's the best.
Well, because now the real question is, who's the offensive coordinator for Miami, and will Lamar fit into that system? Well, if Harbaugh does go to Miami, he will bring everybody who's getting fired, and it'll all be new people. Well, the argument is that he wanted to bring his own GM. Yeah, probably, because they haven't found the GM yet.
So it's a fit in Miami. Right. Makes sense. Miami doesn't have a GM?
No, they fired him too. Oh, they fired him too? Yeah. Oh, yesterday, I mean today, whatever.
No, like a couple months ago. He got, he was fired, yeah, he got shikaned earlier. Oh. Huh.
And he was probably the problem. Yeah, Chris Greer was the problem. Mm-hmm. Oh, yeah, Chris Greer.
I've never heard anything good about him. Yeah, me neither. I've never heard anything, period, about him. I'm just saying, I've never heard anything good either.
Yeah. All right, now onto the regular news. Lake Buena Vista, Florida, a tragic incident at one of the central Florida's most popular dining destinations Has now turned into a lawsuit. A lot of lawsuits in the news.
McRib? They got McRib? No, no. Doesn't have ribs?
No. According to the court records, the boathouse located at Disney Springs is being sued following the death of a customer who reportedly choked on a piece of steak while dining at the restaurant. I did see this. Yeah, it was in the news yesterday.
Okay, he choked on a steak. Piece of a steak. The lawsuit alleges the customer began choking during the meal. Can you act this out?
No. You don't have a camera, unfortunately, Boots. I'm just putting it on Mikey and doing it. Oh, the lawsuit allegations that the customer began choking during the meal and was unable to dislodge the food despite attempts to assist the individual ultimately died as a result of the medical emergency.
Attorneys for the plaintiff claim the restaurant failed to properly respond to the situation arguing that staff members were not adequately trained to handle a choking emergency or provide timely life-saving aid. The suit alleges negligence and wrongful death, stating that faster or more effective action would have changed the outcome. Now, the story is that he started choking. They called security, not 9-1-1.
And then security called 9-1-1. By then, the man had already died. Oh. Okay.
His family tried to dislodge it, giving him the Heimlich maneuver that none of his family were able to. Was he a bigger guy or something? They did say. But nobody from the restaurant stepped up to help.
Usually there's at least one, like a CPR certified... I'm talking Disney Springs, so... What are you going to do, are you going to have a paramedic on standby at a restaurant? No, but, I mean, they're supposed to be trained at a restaurant.
I think we have a brochure hanging in our kitchen how to give the Heimlich Maneuver. Oh, who's trained here? But the fact is, they didn't try. No.
They called the Disney police instead of calling 911. Here's why, because we've built this society of absolute fear where people are terrified to do anything. I mean, there are stories of countless god-awful things happening in front of people and them just watching. Yeah.
Not because they're okay with it, but because they're terrified as to how to react. Yeah, or they may be sued. Yeah, or they're worried about getting sued. Like, realistically, this guy, you can give yourself the Heimlich off of a chair.
Right. I've done it before. Really? But it doesn't mean he knew how to do it.
But like, to walk into a restaurant and expect somebody to be able to take care of the fact that you're choking, I mean, like, that's insane to me. Never worked in a restaurant. I just know we have a brochure here because we are restaurant inspecting. I know, you keep saying that, but I don't, but I'm not, if somebody starts, first of all, I mean, if somebody starts choking here, and I'm here, I'll probably figure it out.
I mean, I'm going to do, I mean, unless it's JW, like, you know, how are you going to fix it? Well, he has a DNR. Yeah, he probably has a TNR. He'll just stick his fingers through that, you know, that extra hole here on the side and just pull it out.
Nothing's gonna kill that man. You know what I mean? So, like, to expect the boathouse to be equipped to handle it, I mean, what, there's nobody at the table that can dial 911? Right.
I don't, you know, like... I just read the stories, I don't know if I can yell at me. No, I'm choosing violence today. This is obviously a reach, though, because it's on Disney property.
Right, that's what it is. That's what this is about. Yeah. Well, they're not asking for a lot of money.
That's a whole lot of money. I mean, there's some unidentified. $20,000? $50,000?
$50,000. $50,000. Plus, you know, plus pain and suffering, whatever that works out. Well, $50,000 is probably like the automatic on the insurance, yeah.
So what attorney takes that case for $50,000? That doesn't even make sense. Well, it's the pain and suffering, and I think there's loss of spousal something. Loss of spousal something?
Well, I forgot. Hold on, I'll tell you what I am. Is it Kissimmee? If we're talking about Kissimmee or Windermere, it's probably more Indian.
No, it was in the other one. This is my version of the story. Whatever, it's like loss of sex, but there's a spousal something word for it. Loss of what?
You can sue if your husband, let's say you're married and somebody kills your wife. Okay. You can sue because you can no longer have sex with her, but there's a word for it. There's a big fancy loss of spousal support or something like that.
Emotional, I don't know. No, there's pain and suffering, loss of spousal, whatever the word is. I feel like I could still have sex with her. I figured that out.
Why, she's dead? Right. Jesus. Then it becomes illegal.
Yeah. I'm not saying you wouldn't do it. Get her taxidermy. He did say he'd be buried alive.
He's cool with that. Would I sue for like the taxidermy fee or something like that? I guess you could. Taxidermy?
Yeah. Jesus. Would you just have a rubber doll made of her? Not the same.
A rubber doll? I want the authentic. Yeah, they can do the likeness, you know, where they make her face look like her and then he picks out the hair and whatever. No, I don't think she'd be okay with that.
You'd have to pick out the hair? But she'd be okay with you doing her dead body? Yeah, she'd probably be fine with that. I don't think so.
I think she would. Why don't you give her a call and find out? Yeah, let's call her in. Here, on the phone today is Miss Brittany Shtepankiewicz.
Brittany, we need to ask you a question. If you, by chance, die, it's a horrible thing, we don't want it to happen. Would you be okay with, Michael, either, one, making a plastic or rubber doll of you and having sex with that, or fucking your dead body? And picking your hair out, because I guess you could do that now?
Yeah, you can modify dolls and stuff. If you buy that, we did a story when I did the Chet and Palmer show, you can have one made that looks just like your wife if you like. Yeah, right. You're too close to this, Palmer.
Yeah. I'm not having one that made it look like his wife, that'd be weird. I didn't say his wife. And they're really expensive, we all know I'm cheap, I'm not paying for that.
Jesus. That's ridiculous. Alright, next door, this is getting weird. I mean, look, this is just wild.
It sucks that that guy lost his life. You know, that's always terrible obviously. Right, yeah. Maybe they can say he didn't cut it up good.
But realistically. It's his fault. I mean, what are we doing here? What are we doing?
How big of a bite did he take? We're choking on a steak and we're going to sue people. I mean, come on. " Put the whole thing in his mouth.
She had the whole porterhouse in his mouth at one time, right. There it goes. Like John Candy in the Great Outdoors. Except he ate it all at once.
Except he ate all. Yeah, he didn't cut it up into pieces. Wild. All right, Florida wildlife officials have confirmed that the alligator responsible for a fatal canoe attack earlier this year has been identified and killed.
They identified the gator out of all the gators. Yes, remember back in May, a 61-year-old woman was thrown from her canoe and killed after the alligator capsized the vessel? Yes. This week, investigators confirmed that the same alligator was captured and euthanized.
I'd like to know the characteristics. What? I'd like to know the characteristics they looked for. Okay.
Pay attention. Okay. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, biologists were able to confirm it was the same animal through a combination of evidence. The alligator matched eyewitness descriptions, the measurements taken at the scene, including its estimated length and physical markings where officials were recovered.
Oh, well, markings matched. And then I think this is the final thing that actually made them realize it was the one. Her hand was found inside the alligator. The alligator.
That would help identify. Right. Fish was also recovered human hand from the animal, which were consistent with the victim. So her hand was missing.
Maybe somebody placed it in there. Somebody placed it? Yeah. Yeah.
Another alligator to push off the blame under this alligator? Could have been. It's a Patsy. Yeah, the Patsy.
Patsy alligator. We knew it. It's a robot alligator. It'll never catch me.
Fish and Wildlife says the alligator's behavior, aggressively approaching and striking a canoe, This canoe was highly unusual and met the criteria for a nuisance alligator. Prompting an immediate response from Travers, the incident has renewed warnings from wildlife officials about the dangers of Florida waterways, especially during warmer months when the alligators are more active and territorial. Canoes and kayaks which sit low in the water can sometimes resemble prey or pose a perceived threat to alligators. So she died?
Yeah, she died. Yeah, this is a story. They found her body later. This is a story he did a while back.
Well, they didn't state that at the time, but... - But now we know. - But now we know. - No hand.
- No hand, no hand, no hand, a lot of bite marks. - No hand for you. - Big and puffy, 'cause you know, the alligator takes 'em down, stuffs 'em in the, you know, thing. - Yeah, they get waterlogged.
- Yeah, good eating that way. - Yeah. - Make it soft. - Make it soft and mushy, right?
- Yeah. - Right. - They got skills, cooking skills. - Mm-hmm.
- Uh, well, I guess, I don't think they cook it, but... - It's their own form of cooking in this soft water. - So if Brittany gets killed by an alligator, are you gonna... - Yes.
With the hand missing, maybe a head missing? I add a hand. You add a hand? I put the hand back.
Oh, so now we're doing the combo of the... At that point, it's like a cyborg, it's okay. It's still her. Don't ask the question you're gonna ask Palmer.
What if you only find the hand? Stop. Can I recreate from the hand? Yeah, you go the hand out, or do you just use the hand?
No, I never love again, Michael. That's the end of it. Oh, I gotcha. So we need three quarters of Brittany for you to be happy.
Minimum, yeah. Minimum of three quarters. There are a couple parts. Well, there are some, yeah, some obvious parts you would, you know, obviously.
I would prefer to be intact. Yeah. Good for you. Yeah.
I mean, you're always at Preston. It's not the same. Not the same? Too tall.
Oh, is that the line? I like them short like you. Yeah. Okay.
Older, too. Older. Yeah. So, hey, Brittany's older?
No, I'm talking about if I deviate it off. Oh, oh, oh. You're my type, buddy. Older, hairier.
I want you to, you're always my number one. Okay. Oh, you know what, he was probably, this is what he was looking for the whole time. I know, that's exactly what he was looking for.
Yeah. No, I had a little skit built in, but yesterday he said if I keep talking about it, it means it upsets me. So I sort of skipped the skit, but a couple of comments pop in my head. Yeah, he still can't let it go.
Still can't let it go. But the skit was funny. Preston was gonna call. You should do the skit.
Because he saw the show yesterday with Law, and he realized he's already moved on, and he's out now. Right. And we were gonna invite him to join our support group for Favorites of Mikey. Right.
Members being Matt Hunt, John Carney, Mike Rosales, and then me, then Boots, then me again, and now Preston. Oh, you're in there twice. Well, yeah, because after he got tired of you, he did come back to me, but then he got tired of me again, so now he moves on to Preston. So it was twice for him.
Oh, you're talking about it's like a line. Well, that was going to be the support group that Preston was going to be joining. Right, right. Yeah, Matt Hunt would have been the founding member.
I'm glad it doesn't bother you, Palmer. I'm glad it doesn't bother you at all. That would've been funny. Yeah.
Alright, a former NFL player has taken an unusually personal dispute into the courtroom. Okay. Did you guys hear about this? No.
It's making national headlines. We're about to hear. Do you guys not read the news at all? We're about to hear.
No, I get the news from you. You say that, but sometimes I ask you things and you have heard about them. Breaking news. Okay, Matt Khalil, K-A-L-I-L, is that how you say his name?
Okay. He's a former NFL football player. Okay. A former Pro Bowl offensive lineman has filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife, model, and influencer, Haley Khalil, Alleging she violates his privacy by making intimate remarks about him during a public live stream.
According to court filings, Khalil claims his ex-wife shared explicit commentary about his body during a November live stream appearance that quickly went viral across social media. He alleges the remarks were deeply personal, unrelated to any public interest, and caused significant embarrassment, harassment, and emotional distress, not only for him, but for his current family as well. She talked about how big his wiener was. This is the guy that says he's got a hog like a can, right, or whatever?
Two Coke cans, I heard they say, yeah. So you guys have heard of this? Well, I heard it today on the radio, and then I looked at it. I saw it on social media, yeah.
The lawsuit argues that the comments cross the line from free expression into what Khalil describes as an invasion of privacy and public disclosure of private facts. He's seeking damages in excess of $75,000 and has requested a jury trial. Khalil's legal team says that the issue isn't celebrity gossip, it's about setting boundaries, after a marriage ends, especially when one party uses a large online platform to discuss its private matters. Haley Khalil has publicly responded, saying she was shocked by the lawsuit and emotionally hurt by the filing.
Oh, double hurt. Double hurt. The hurting offsets the hurting. Right.
She maintains that her comments were taken out of context and notes that she spoke positively about her former husband during the same interview. Yeah, it doesn't seem like negative speaking. Right. Her representatives have indicated they may move to dismiss the case citing free speech protections.
Yeah. Supposedly, if it's true, you can say it. Is that how that works? Right.
That is true. So, all the judge has to do is say, you gotta come and pull down your pants. You gotta pull down your pants. Yep, it's a hog.
Like, what are we doing? This is ridiculous. All right. Does anybody else kind of question why they keep saying public live stream?
This is definitely has to be OnlyFans. No, it had to be on a podcast or something. She was probably on somebody's podcast, I would imagine. Yeah.
She's also a social influencer that goes by Hayley Bailey or something like that. Hayley Bailey? Yeah. So, I mean, it could have been her own live stream.
She might have been sitting there talking to you going, "My ex-husband's got a big wiener. " I don't know if that means side-by-side or one on top of the other. I'm not sure. I mean, look.
More power to you, buddy. I don't see what the big deal is. His new wife is probably pissed. That's what this is.
It says "and his family", so yeah, it's probably the news. Yeah, that's what this is all about. " Right, can you believe she's talking about your dick? Are you going to do something?
And at that moment, you know that as a man, you have to do something. " Right. Perfect idea, you should do that. Yeah, you let her know this.
You only go for $75,000, I want a new Porsche. You let her know that it's my hog now. I don't know. It was on Twitch.
Yeah. It's a live stream platform. It's a live stream thing. Right.
So, that would make sense. Did you Google it so you could see the pictures? Yeah. Of his hog?
No. Yeah. I did not see that. What'd you think of it?
Wow. Is it really two cocaine left to right? Is it like that big a round? Or is it two cocaine on top of the other?
Yeah. What was it? What do you think, Boots? You don't even know who to switch to at this point.
I'm watching you switch. He's going back and forth. You're so stuck. Well, when you and Skip FaceTime tonight, you can ask him, because he's always starved for information and entertainment, so he might watch your Twitch.
Yeah, you can Twitch him. You guys can Twitch together. Do you want to Twitch him? What's wrong with you guys?
Twitch again, like I did last summer. I thought he would enjoy this story. " I had a retailer day that went after me, like went kind of hard in the paint, it was super fun. That was fun for me because I just parried them back.
I'm like, okay, dude, well, you know, I have this question. You know, he was like, well, I am not interested in your product, period. I'm like, okay, well, what are you selling your shop? Did I maybe text him too?
No. Oh, because there was a little overlap today because I was texting from the dentist. Oh, were you? Yeah.
You felt the, you felt the heat, huh? No, I had nothing else to do. I had planned on doing that. Right.
That's good. So, um, so, so like, I'm like, well, I just want to know what you carry, you know, like, What sells well in your store? None of your business. Yeah, well, what retailers don't understand is what sells well in your store is usually what you believe in.
So, like, if someone believes in our product, if you believe in Powstanie cigars, the way that we do, it's going to sell well, right? And that's obvious. So, I'm trying to explain this to this guy, and he's getting mad. He's like, and that's the bottom line.
And then I wrote... Oh, nice. And what do you think I wrote? Oh, so it was a text that I wrote?
Mikey said so? And I wrote, because Stone Cold said so. Oh, yeah. " We were texting.
Oh, that's when he stopped responding. I was like, "You as well, buddy. " What I love is in the beginning, he told you he wanted nothing to do with all of it, but kept responding. Yeah, yeah, I can't, I don't let that go.
" I should do that to my second ex-wife. Oh, angry, okay, ooh, angry person. Get her wound up to where she starts misspelling things. Caps start coming out.
You want me to fire truck, what? Right, yeah. You're in a fire truck. Jesus.
How do I fire truck something? Wow. Because the phone fixes it. It won't let you send the words.
So, yeah, it's all sorts of stuff because she kept trying to do it. Want me to tuck something? Want me to duck? Quack what?
Right, quack, quack. Do you have a video, Michael? I do not, sir. All right.
I sent you guys one. Yeah, I know, but it's stupid. Like the one he sent you. He sent me one yesterday saying it was the one you used, and it was seven.
Did you see it? No. The seven things a woman wants in a relationship. No, that's not what it was.
That's something on your TikTok. No, that's what came on the phone, I'll show them to you. No, it wasn't, I'm telling you. I'm like, there's no way Mikey let him talk about that on the show.
It was Donald Trump and Dave Chappelle, I told you about it yesterday. Oh, yeah. But for some reason, your TikTok's kind of weird, Palmer. You told me about a couple things.
Your TikTok's are a little off, bro. I don't know, they're not funny. The Dave Chappelle, you didn't watch that? No.
Did you watch the one I just sent you? We had to go on through, you might as well go through Polish blackface, which is super weird. That was not mine. Super weird.
Well, you know, like, you know what, I expect you to screen it from your people, you know? I was going through the other day, and I ended up on this young lady, she was a cute girl, she's a paraplegic or quadprolegic, whatever, in a wheelchair, but she had this trial surgery a couple years ago, so she has partial use of one hand and the other, and one arm or something, but she was trying to put a ponytail in her hair, I must have watched it for 15 minutes. Right. " Right.
More in your feet. She got tangled up in the thing, and it was hilarious. That is so wrong. Well, she meant it to be funny, I mean, and she's trying to, like, use her knee and her foot, and it was funny.
" I'm glad that you're not also responsible for sending videos on this podcast. I don't send those videos to people. Yeah. , has been arrested and deported to China.
Got him. Making a dramatic escalation in an international criminal case that has rippled through the global cigar industry and brought forth by a Cigar Hustler podcast. Authorities in Cambodia confirmed that they watched the show and saw Chen was taken into custody, stripped of his Cambodian citizenship, and removed from the country earlier this week. Apparently, he was hiding in Cambodia.
I mean, that would make sense. Why? Because that's where all the money is that he has, right? He's a citizen.
Well, with electronic banking nowadays, you could hide the money anywhere you want. I don't think he had just cash. You don't think he's just walking around with briefcases filled with cash? No, like the drug dealer who burned it to keep himself warm in the wintertime?
Yeah. No. The one your dog's named after? El Chapo?
El Chapo. He did that? Yeah. I mean, his daughter got cold, so they just started burning money.
money smart yeah uh he was placed on a flight to china where he is now expected to face questioning and potential prosecution by chinese authorities it's not gonna go well yeah yeah no he's he's innocent there sure no no no it doesn't matter innocent or guilty they're just gonna beat the shit out of him you think so yeah there is no uh you know no safety over there but isn't he protected there no i thought that he was that's where he did most of the money laundering he's He's not American. He's not American, he's Chinese. Okay, but Americans are the ones that sanction all those things against him, no? No?
But that doesn't mean he's protected in an international jail. Got it. Or prison or wherever. There must have been a warrant out for him in China, too, because the Cambodians sent him to China.
Right. The arrest follows mounting pressure from international law enforcement agencies and financial... Wait, couldn't we just send the army to get him like we did Maduro? Too much money for that guy.
I think if we cared enough, yes. I don't think we care enough. Yeah, this guy didn't have no oil. It seems like, yeah, he doesn't have any minerals or anything.
" Yeah. And he goes, "And the boats? " Right, we took the boats. Taking the boats, too.
Cen had been under scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions with investigations tied to large-scale financial crimes and transnational operations. While details of the charges he will face in China have not yet been made public, officials describe the move as part of a broader crackdown of cross-border criminal activity. For the cigar world, the news has immediate consequences. Chen's ownership at stake in Habano's SA, the global company responsible for Cuban cigar production and distribution, has become a focal point of concern.
Industry Insiders report that partners, distributors, and government stakeholders are now working to distance the company from Chen and assess how his removal could affect governances and international business relationships. As of now, Habano's SA continues normal operation, but uncertainty remains whether Chen's shares will be frozen, transferred, or forced into sale. The situation is still developing, and additional announcements are expected in the coming days. So I talked to Ronnie at Secreto about this.
Yeah, he's really following this. He's got some interesting points. You know, realistically, normally what happens in, like, any type of RICO case or anything, if, you know, if one person is bad in the business, the whole thing is, you're all responsible. Yeah.
Is that just in America, though? I don't know. No, it's not. Because this thing's in Cuba, I mean, what...
You're an accomplice. I don't think Cubans would have to say something's bad. But, like, my point is that, you know, well, like, why does all of this stuff not get to shut down? It's going to be redistributed to other people, other parties, and, like, no one else is going to be held responsible.
Like, oh, that's kind of weird. Unless everybody narked on them. Yeah, but shouldn't it have all imploded at that point? It's supposed to.
Right. But because I think it's just because there's too much money involved that they're not going to let it go. Well, it's kind of like the whole Diddy thing, right? Same thing.
I don't know. Tell me. How does it, like, the Diddy thing? 34 minutes.
For those of you playing along at home, do it. Yeah, 35 in that. And here we are. I watched my documentary.
Go ahead, Diddy. How is it? Well, think about it. Nobody else got in trouble with them.
Nobody else got in trouble. Yeah. It's kind of the same concept right now, right? Like, there's nobody else being brought up on charges.
I mean, that's a good point. They're right. There's no partners, no buddies, no staff members. I mean, definitely, like, I thought when I first heard this story, I was like...
About Diddy? No, no. About Chen Z guy? Chen Z.
But for sure, like, all the companies that he was involved with were all in trouble. Right. I thought, I was like, wow, this is gonna be horrible for the cigar industry. So much to a point where all of the other companies that are just, are kind of affiliated with those other companies, but not directly involved with them, like they're still a separate entity, they didn't want to be mentioned.
Like, to a point where they were sending out cease and desist and stuff. So did the factory in the Dominican Republic go open back up now? I don't know. I have honestly no idea.
" I mean, you still gotta figure out where these funds are going and how they're going to this guy, Zurich and Zurich, they're never gonna find him. On the smallest level, what? They're gonna go to Zurich to switch banking, they're never gonna find him. I think what happens if it's a Ricoh case, right, you guys said that?
Everything gets frozen until the case is over, so the factory probably won't open. Isn't Rico an American thing though? I gotta tell you, I know you keep saying that, I still don't know. I mean, of course we know he hasn't done anything bad in America, nobody, you know, we just talked about him in other countries.
Well, he's linked to a business that does business in the United States. Yeah, but they didn't close their offices in Salesforce here, they closed the factory in the Dominican Republic. Okay, but like... S.
How do you get involved with a guy with a billion dollars and not know that he's into something suspect, right? How have you not vetted this person? He brought a billion dollars, I went. Right, so let's just assume that somebody else knew, right?
And if somebody else knew, that means that there are other criminal acts involved. If there are other criminal acts involved, then these companies need to all be shut down. Yeah. You can't give back Habano's SA, because where does that go?
So that goes right back to Cuba, right? Right. Here are your shares, they're yours. There's nothing we can do about that, right?
All right, whatever. Yeah, do what you want with them. There you go. I guess I understand that to some degree, but as far as everything else, any other business should be closed, should be done.
Altidus should be in trouble, right? Right. I don't know. Yeah.
He's right. Maybe none of the illegal money went to Altidus. They made the cigars in the factory with this guy. Regardless.
Well, right, but, I mean. Until the case is over, they have no clue about that until they do their research. Well, that's kind of my, here's my point. My point is that you can get away with the things as long as there's a B involved.
Yeah. If it's a billion-dollar transaction, and there's, I mean, whatever, what happened to that crypto guy? You know, who stole all the money, did like six months, and then poof, he's back. Still haven't found the money.
Yeah, he's got all the crypto. Right? His mom has it. His mom has it?
Yeah, probably. But, you know, like. He has a tiny thumb drive hidden in her house somewhere. Again, I don't know how accurate I am on these stories, but I can tell you that a lot of these big guys, they never get in trouble, because they got enough money, and even if this is international, there's only one other agency that's going to come after them inside of a RICO case or anything like that.
That's Interpol. Interpol is the only other one. Okay, it's a stupid question, but Interpol only has jurisdiction where? Anywhere outside the US?
I don't think so. I mean, I don't, yeah, I don't think they do in America. They probably don't in China. I don't know, here's the problem.
We don't fact check, so we have no clue. Right, so we have no idea, right. No, but Ben will tell us later how wrong we were. Right.
But here's the funny part, is like, we don't fact check, you're right. But I will tell you this, a lot of these things will never make sense to us. Like, this is what has always gotten, was what I've always found perplexing about our society. Right?
Is that we get pissed off when the rich people get away with things, we get, and then those people normally say the government is the right way, or we get upset about the government screwing us over, and then we say the capitalist people are the right way. The reality is that there are wrong people on both sides, and there are good people on both sides, right? And this is a scenario where these guys have taken advantage of the situation, and they're gonna get away with it one way or the other, right? And that's not okay.
Yeah. That's my problem. Yeah, you're right. That's, well, maybe Cambodia made a bunch of phone calls because there's a There's a lot of different countries involved, there's like, what country can we send him to where he gets in trouble, but all his other stuff, people will be okay?
And then they go, well, China, it's, you know, it's a communist country sort of by itself. Where does his money go? Let me ask you that. Oh, his money goes straight to Trump.
No, it doesn't. It's mine now. It's mine now. This is my money.
Put it in my boat. It goes to somebody high enough up where they just take it. Yeah, exactly. They just take it.
It goes to his daughter because he put everything in her name. What do you think in her name? It's seized, man. It's just like if you don't pay your car note.
Guess where that car goes. Okay. Who seized it? That's my question.
Yeah, I don't know who seized this guy's money. I don't know. Where did it go? We've heard nothing about any money seizing.
We just heard he was sent to China. Right. You heard nothing about that. Nothing.
You've heard nothing about... Maybe you're right. " You've heard nothing about the shares. There's no extradition from China.
Nothing about additional criminal activity from other people. You've heard nothing. Nothing. Yeah, just his one name.
Just one guy. There's no way he could run it by himself. Right. That's my point.
Right. Is his name spelled C-H-I-N? C-H-E-N. Z-H-I is his last name.
Yeah, but his first name. C-H-E-N-Z-H-I. Chen Z. It's wild.
It's wild. No one knows. Nobody knows. We'll probably never hear what the money went.
And you're still going to be able to get your money crystals. S. S. Department of Justice for operating large-scale scams, authorizing, seizing billions in Bitcoin.
However, he was recently apprehended and Cambodian deported to China, where Chinese Ministry of Public Security took him into custody for investigation. So that's who has him right now. Yeah. Right.
And he's never gotten out of there. He's never leaving. Probably, yeah. No.
No, don't send me. I have 12 billion dollars. K. foreign office also imposed sanctions on Chen Xi.
So, I mean, he's pretty much gonna die in jail, let's just be honest, because after he gets out of the China one, if he ever does. But he might not be going to China jail, he might be going to China, give me your money and you live in a palace. Right, we're gonna put you over here. So I'm sure he had bank accounts in America, so the government grabs those, sounds like he had bank accounts in England, that government grabs those, bank accounts, wherever, and they grab it, but most of my money's in China.
I mean, you remember, you remember Nicolas Cage, right? Warlord? Yeah. Lord of War, whatever.
Yeah, Lord of War. He finally got you. He's like, okay, I'm gonna walk out this door and I'm just gonna go work for you. Your phone's gonna ring and I'm gonna walk out of here.
Yeah. And no one else got, no one else is in trouble. The phone rang, somebody told him to let him go, and there he went. Congratulations.
Good job. Thanks. So Chenzi, once he gets to China, he's just gonna walk out the door and start making cigars for China? I don't, I know, I don't know.
Good. I don't know what happens with this guy. Their cigars suck. I don't, I don't know what happens with this guy and I'm not gonna begin to act like I know.
Here's what I do know. I know that, what? " And he just walks out. Right.
No, I mean, like, the reality is that no one else will get in trouble. It'll be business as usual, and someone will suck up the majority of his funds and put them somewhere, right? Somebody rolling cigars in Dominican Republic will find a giant bag of money under a rolling cigars. I don't think it's like that.
I think it's somebody higher up. No, I just meant they hid it, not that he got paid off. Gotcha. He's cleaning, he finds a loose floorboard on the bottom.
Okay. Well, here you go. I'm sure that one will get us in trouble. Go ahead, carry on with the next story.
What is clear is that the arrest and deportation of a sitting co-owner marks one of the most serious legal disruptions a premium cigar history has faced in years, and his full impact is yet to be felt. That's, I'd like to see how much further this goes, because I don't know how much further that goes down the rabbit hole. Eventually, I think people start getting isolated and protected. Right.
That's why everybody's sheltering themselves away from it. We're not involved. We're not involved. I don't know.
Well, somebody else is involved. I've never met him before. I don't know who this man is. He gave you six billion dollars.
Like, pfft. Everybody gives me billions. In cash, everybody gave me billions. Yeah, I don't know what you're talking about.
I think he was with Epstein. That's what I heard. Yeah, I heard he was on the island. He's on the island somewhere.
S. and beyond, expanding its popular Group of Five line and adding new packaging options to its original document series. , the second Vitola in Ellusion's experimental Group of Five family. Unlike the original 5x52 RB Robusto, this version is a larger 6x56 Toro Extra, Extra, giving smokers a beefier, rich experience.
Each cigar arrives wrapped in distinctive teal foil and boxed in. 60. I couldn't understand what I just read, so I wasn't going to get to it. You didn't give us a chance.
I didn't understand what I read. I wasn't going to get to it. He's no longer flipping his texting. No, I love you.
The blend reportedly features Nicaragua and Criollo 98, Criollo 99, tobaccos, and is rolled by the Aganorsa Leaf Factory in Nicaragua. Interesting, Luzione had previously announced that the SE was shipped last summer alongside other releases, but those tobacco stocks never reach retail shelves. Oh, they shipped it, but they never got it anywhere. Yeah, well, Dion is- Maybe he's Gen Z.
No, Dion is notorious for, okay, I'm going to probably screw this up, but, uh-oh. Dion, he's very protective of his brand, right? So, if a product is made and he feels like it's not what he actually blended, he won't allow it to, Oh. " Right, this isn't the cigar that I wanted.
" And rejected it, and rejected the whole thing, made them redo it. Throws it around. They redid it. Has a emulfit.
And now here's your release. That's what I would speculate, is that what happened is to, you know. Makes sense. " You're like, I mean, the guy is very protective of his brand.
He's protective of his brand. I think that's great. We should get him on the show. We haven't talked to Deion on the show.
I don't know if he'll come out or not. He doesn't do events and stuff? No. The one interaction we had with him was a hundred years ago and I don't, and my brothers.
Your brother pissed him off. It was a little rough. Yeah. Yeah.
Well, we hide him in the closet now. Right. He's not allowed to come out anymore. He might be living in a home zone going bad, bad, bad, bad.
Oh, God. Jesus. He keeps that up with his chest pains, man. I don't know.
Oh man, when they said yesterday that there was like a brain-eating cancer or something like that, did you see his eyes perk up? I'm like, oh my God, Greg, you don't have a brain-eating cancer. Maybe that's what I have. It makes complete sense now.
When I hit my head in the car accident in the Jeep and my head went in the swamp. Maybe that's what it was. Maybe that's when I got it. A brain-eating amoeba went in my head.
Jesus. Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust has officially announced its 2026 limited edition project in the brand's unique year of the series titled "Year of the Powsers". Right, "Powsers". "Powsers".
Unlike Chinese Zodiac-based cigars, this series celebrates real people from cigar community and this year's honorees are Michelle and Tom, how'd you say their name? "Powsers". "Powsers", a well-known cigar-smoking couple from Alaska. I have heard of them.
Yeah. So that's their last name? Yes. Okay.
They live in Alaska. But they come every year to the Great Smoke. Right. Down at Abe's.
Nice. And Abe and Soccer are tight, so. Right. Made a cigar for them.
The release consists of two distinct cigars packaged together in a single box. Both are 6x48 Parejos with a classic pigtail finish, but they feature completely different blends based on the Pouser's individual preferences. Got it. That's pretty, that's kind of cool.
Michelle Cigar draws inspiration from her favorite Dunbarton line Sin Compromiso, it's a modified take on the Sin Compromiso Palladium de Saca, crafted to bring sweeter, creamier profile with cocoa and coffee notes, making it approachable, but flavorful. Tom Cigar leans into bolder territory, inspired by his love for mi carita, black, and tricky traca, this version introduces a first-of-its-kind wrapper called the Capa Camelon, a hybrid between Habano 2000 and Connecticut Broadleaf, so he has invented tobacco now. Yes, Saca. Yeah.
Yes. The result is a rich profile with hints of burnt caramel and salty twang crafted to stand out among traditional Dunbarton blends. The two cigars are produced in different factories, Michelle's at Hoya De Nicaragua and Tom's at Nicaragua American Cigars. Essay reflecting the distinct lineage and character of each blend.
Limited production is part of the appeal, only 2,700 boxes will be made with each box containing seven of Michelle's and seven of Tom's cigars. The suggested retail price is set around, per cigar, $22. Boots? Yeah, we're talking about Dunbarin?
Yes. 32. 1975. Really?
Wow, you went way up. That's a lower than 20? Man, I mean, I at least thought it was 20. Barely lower than 20.
Right at 20. And the shipment to retailers is expected in March 2026. We've already had somebody asking for this. Yeah, and we're not getting them.
Right. Yeah, it was a show thing, apparently. Yeah, if you didn't place an order at the show, then you don't get them. Right.
And look, the reality is that Postana's doing better and better every year, so it's harder to get out of that booth and place orders as a retailer. Right. So, you know, I mean, our rep would have to come and see us, but I don't think that's going to happen. I don't think that's going to happen.
The release continues. Dunbarton's personal twist on limited editions focusing on community connection, individual stories rather than traditional themes, making Year of the Posers both a collectible and tribute to passionate cigar culture. Has there ever been a cigar made for, this is basically like a fan, right? Well, he made the Duque first.
But that's not a fan. Yeah, Duque's like in the industry as much as you can be without actually being. But he's the fan. I mean, I guess you could call him a fan, I'm just saying he's a little more involved, like he goes and helps them in events.
Yeah, he works the booth and that kind of stuff, and he comments on everything that mentions Saka's name on Facebook. He's pretty awesome. I like him, because Duque is next level. I can understand a cigar being made for him, right?
Because he's like almost like a right-hand man without being on payroll or if he is or not, I'm not sure. Right. But like these people are not anything like that. Okay.
Right. There may be somebody that hangs out with them and stuff and they comment on all this stuff and buy all this stuff. But has there ever been a cigar made for someone? I'm sure there has been.
Yeah. But, you know, you know, it's really good marketing. Right. Yeah, it's cool.
You know, but realistically, you won't be able to get them here. So, this is what it is. Alright, time for What's the Score minigame? What's the Score minigame?
June 30th, 2018, Brooks Whittington Cigars, the cigar is the Regis Maduro Corona. 85. Oh, you're gonna go first, okay, 89. Cigar reviewed the Regis Maduro Corona Country of Origin, non-disclosed.
Factory, non-disclosed. Wrapper, non-disclosed. Binder, non-disclosed. Filler, non-disclosed.
Length, five and an eighth by 42. 60. And, ooh, it's a Redux, but he still smoked three. 85.
90. The Regis Maduro Corona delivers a rich, consistent flavor profile centered on dark chocolate and earth layered with espresso, leather, oak, and subtle spice with a vanilla sweetness that grows stronger and more impactful in the final third. Boots. 86.
92. Construction is solid overall, featuring a firm roll, an excellent draw, especially with a V-cut, and burn that corrects itself after early issues, allowing for an enjoyable and balanced smoking experience through the final inch. 87. 91.
He's looking it up, by the way. He's got his phone on him. I have my cigar in my left hand. I'm switching your phone.
I'm switching cameras. You had your phone. I did not have my phone. It would take forever to look this up.
I think he's been cheating this whole time. He always cheats. No, I feel like you asked Palmer the number, so that way you don't keep losing. Put your phone over there.
When did he ask me the number? Last night, when he wasn't answering you, and then he finally answered. Put your phone down. He never answered my text message.
Wow. He called me. He was with Law the whole time, I told you. I was coaching.
With Law. But I mean, your brother played into the shit he was talking about. Well, they left at the same time, but I don't think they left together. Thanks, Greg.
That's a lot of help. It was great. Palmer called me. He's like, did he really leave with law?
I was like, I need to know if I have to come by the shop or not and get the files. Like, if law has it, fine, then I don't have to do it. No, but law is the reason why you look so beautiful right now on this camera. I thought it was just because I didn't wear a hat.
Nope. The burn struggles early on, requiring correction, and despite gradual strength increases throughout the cigar, it never fully reaches a true medium body, which may leave strength seeking smokers wanting more. This is not the final thought, right? No.
No, the final thought is what's left. That was the third clue. Okay. Third clue.
I can't go higher than 87. 87. 90. There are plenty of blends that are extremely enjoyable, despite the fact that they are not overly complex.
Unfortunately, the Regis Maduro is more the latter than the former. The profile is full of dominant earth and leather notes, with plenty of black pepper, and while there is some slight vanilla sweetness, especially in the second half, which is easily the best part of the cigar, there is never enough to overcome the aforementioned flavors. Construction was fine, and the strength was non-problematic, but in the end, the Regis Maduro Corona does little to differentiate itself, can't say that word apparently, from the sea of Maduro wrapper blends that are already on the market. Were you sleeping?
No, I was sleeping. He was sleeping. Did he sleep when Law was here yesterday? No.
Of course not. Yeah, it was. It's suicide. Yeah.
Um, 85. Oh, shit. Thank you. I'm gonna go 86.
You went the wrong way. Yeah, baby. 83. Yes.
83. Yep. I win again. He wins again.
He's on a roll. Yeah. He's won every day this week. Did he win yesterday?
Yep. Oh. I hit it on the head yesterday. Oh.
He's been looking it up. My phone's sitting over here now. We need to take his phone. Yep.
Well, you know, tomorrow I'll be sitting over there, so I'll be able to tell. Yeah. And then he'll lose and be like, oh. Oh, I lost.
What happened? Still won four days. Still won four days. Still won four days.
I won four out of five. Damn, 83 from Brooks. That's brutal. Yeah.
Well, they didn't give it, I mean, what country? We don't know. What's the rapper? We don't know.
They said it was good. They said the burn was good, but then the burn was bad. Tastes like vanilla, apparently, a little bit. It's nice.
But it's just mild, right. I think it's Placencia that makes that cigar. I did look it up about that. I think it was Cuban.
Did you look it up? No, the Altidus thing. What? Yeah.
They're in a lot of trouble. Are they? Yeah. , there will be no charges or anything that are, you know, going through for, for anybody.
What do you mean? No investigation, no charges, no nothing. But until then, Altidus is not allowed to use that factory. So they've already dispersed out.
Yeah, they just moved to somewhere else. Right, in Nicaragua. So, until then, they can't go back to that factory. Interesting.
Okay. Anything else to add, sir? No, if you don't want to talk about that one thing we mentioned before, then no, nothing. No, I don't see the purpose.
Okay, it's all right with me. We're a little more lighthearted than that anyway. All right. It's been episode 444.
Really? The Cigar Hustler Podcast. The apology episode. 444.
Thank you very much. We'll see you tomorrow with Terrence Riley. All right. Goodbye.
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Show Notes
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