ACHP Episode 511 Inside The PCA
Episode Summary
Episode 511 of A Cigar Hustler's Podcast is recorded live from the PCA trade show floor in New Orleans, with host Mike Palmer joined by guest co-host Greg and a sick-but-standing Mikey — complete with background power tools, no air conditioning, and a running gag about shared hotel rooms, "prison rules," and a recalled batch of Xanax. The opening news block covers a new CAPTCHA-based hacking scheme, the rise of convincing phishing texts from fake DoorDash, Instacart, FedEx and Costco accounts, an FDA Class II Xanax recall, and a Florida Panhandle surgeon facing manslaughter charges after removing a patient's liver instead of his spleen.
The cigar content starts with Marlon Wayans' video announcement that he's bringing Liga Tridente Cigars to PCA for a global launch, including a main-stage conversation with Guy Fieri and interviews at booth 1206 — which the hosts use as a jumping-off point to discuss what separates celebrities who actually work the trade show floor from those who just license their name. From there they cover new-release news: the El Rey del Mundo Appointment Brazil, a Brazilian Arapiraca-wrapped line over Nicaraguan binder and filler made at the STG Danlí factory in Honduras in Robusto, Toro and 5x60 Gordo at roughly $8.79–$9.49, shipping April 20th; and the return of the Diesel Backyard Barbecue series with "Burnt Ends," a 6x52 Toro with a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler, arriving in early May in 10-count boxes at $74.99 — a price point the hosts say signals a broader trend toward value this year.
The heart of the episode is a candid industry debate about the federal court ruling in which Judge Amit Mehta upheld the 2020 premium cigar definition, exempting most handmade, unflavored cigars from FDA deeming regulations. The hosts walk through the full legal definition point by point, then argue that the "win" is incomplete: roughly $100 million in user fees have been paid with no clear mechanism for refunds (and if refunded, the money goes to importers rather than the brands, retailers or consumers who actually funded it), and infused/flavored cigars remain excluded from the premium category. They contrast the celebratory framing from the PCA and CRA with the CAA's position that the fight isn't over, and discuss whether trade groups are protecting large manufacturers or the whole industry — including the risk that registration costs and barriers to entry could squeeze small brands out.
The show wraps with Mirafel (Mi rafel/Mirafel) cigars hiring Eric Vidalia — previously of La Flor Dominicana and Oliva — as its new U.S. sales head, news the hosts claim they broke two weeks ahead of Halfwheel, plus a discussion of what the brand needs to grow in the U.S. market: a real regional sales force, more competitive price points, and retailer-focused events. Then it's "What's the Score," guessing Brooks Whittington's Halfwheel score for the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Brulee Blue Grand Corona — notes of creamy peanut butter, spice, tea leaf, vanilla and citrus, with some wrapper fragility and hard spots — which scored a 92.
In This Episode
- 01Live from the PCA Show FloorMike Palmer, Greg and Mikey record amid saws, heat and no AC, trading road-trip listener comments and CHPod/Patreon housekeeping.
- 02News: CAPTCHA Hacks and Phishing ScamsA new CAPTCHA-based hacking trick plus the flood of convincing fake DoorDash, Instacart, FedEx and Costco messages.
- 03Class II Xanax Recall and a Surgical DisasterThe FDA's Class II recall of non-dissolving Xanax and a 44-year-old Florida surgeon facing manslaughter for removing a liver instead of a spleen.
- 04Marlon Wayans Brings Liga Tridente to PCAWayans' video promo for his Liga Tridente global launch, a main-stage talk with Guy Fieri, and a debate on celebrities who actually put in the work.
- 05El Rey del Mundo Appointment BrazilA Brazilian Arapiraca-wrapped second installment in the Appointment line, made at STG's Danlí factory in three sizes under $10.
- 06Diesel Backyard Barbecue: Burnt EndsJustin Andrews' limited-edition 6x52 Toro with Pennsylvania Broadleaf over Nicaraguan tobacco at $7.50 a stick in 10-count boxes.
- 07Court Upholds the Premium Cigar DefinitionJudge Amit Mehta's ruling keeps the 2020 definition intact — but the hosts dig into unreturned FDA user fees and the exclusion of infused cigars.
- 08Mirafel's New U.S. Sales Head and What's the ScoreEric Vidalia takes over U.S. sales for Mirafel, followed by a score-guessing round on the Dunbarton Sobremesa Brulee Blue.
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
- We're started? - We have begun. - Alright, hold on. Welcome to Cigar Hustler Podcast Episode 511.
- He sounds fatigued. - I'm very fatigued. - It's been a long day. - It's been a long day.
- It's been a long day? - It's been a long day? - It's been a long day? - It's been a long day?
- I mean, it's only been I'm Mike Palmer, your host, and on today's show, we are taping live, well, it's not really live, but we're taping on the PCA show floor, as you can see around us. Pure chaos. With me today is Greg. This is three days in a row.
I didn't sign up for this step on Kevich. Well, now I have nothing to say. Yeah, three days. And Mikey, back from the dead, I was sick.
I was sick. I was very sick. Are you sick? I just sent my wife a picture, she says she still looks sick.
Oh. Well, tell her thank you very much. She's just concerned for your well-being. That's very nice of her.
I'm definitely gonna get sick after sharing this mic with you. Well, you're already sick. Oh, yeah. You just don't even realize it.
He's just sick because you're sick. He's not even... Yeah, he'll just get... He just gets it.
Yeah, he's gonna talk himself into being sick. Yeah. Another bad idea. Whatever.
We're a series of bad ideas. There's so many bad ideas. And on today's show, we got CAPTCHA hacking, a class two recall, A doctor took out the wrong organ, and then in cigars, we have a new PCA cigar portal entry and some good news finally, and then we're ending with a what's the score. Sounds good.
But before we get started, Michael, what kind of illness did you have? I think I had some kind of upper respiratory viral thing. Yeah? Yeah, I just got a note on one of our football group mes that a kid has it.
So it's safe to say that I also... Is viral the contagious one? Don't speak so low. Oh, is viral the contagious one?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah? Oh, good.
Yes. Yes. Ten hours in a closed-up car. He licked the microphone.
Okay. All right, Michael, how do we get some of that CHPod swag? com, where we have all of our latest CHPod swag. Buy one, get the second one 40% off.
Spend $100 or more and get free shipping. com, us, Cigar Hustlers Podcast, where now, Mike, you're not going to believe this. You're giving them away. No, no.
Oh. You can get a yearly subscription on the Patreon. Oh, yes. A lot of people take advantage of that.
You can get 10% off if you sign up for the entire year. Pay in advance. There you go. 10% off for the entire year.
Our YouTube show on the road has been getting rave reviews. Yeah, I noticed that. It's very well-received. Yeah, the chaos was very well received, and I have a few comments from yesterday's show.
Oh, certainly. Uh, starting, excuse me, from the top. Is it the heat? Is it getting to you too in here?
I'm starting to sweat again. It is a little hot. It is a little hot. It's because it's f***ing hot.
Hold on. That's because it's f***ing hot. I'm running out of clean clothes. Can you not say the f-word so much?
We're monetized. We can't say the f-word. Alright, you say it all. I have to edit it all out.
It's crazy. I missed a couple. I like the new camera setup, because I don't have to edit. To do better.
Oh, okay. He's trying to get me off the line. " Yeah, I like the microphone. " And I now have to rewatch just to see how many car haulers y'all passed.
Car tripping gold. " These guys, Triple G would rather be on a cruise and then sitting in the backseat, sin seatbelt, holding an unlit cigar. Probably accurate. And he's not a cruise guy.
Not a cruise guy. Not a cruise guy. Okay. Not a cruise guy.
The cigar guy said Palmer's cortisol levels higher than ever. I'm not even sure what that means. It means you're stressing about... Oh, because we almost died.
No, we didn't almost die. It wasn't even close. It was close. Stephen Wells, 6945 says, "Please, you have to be more careful.
First unlicensed pyrotechnics, and now this dangerous driving. While the show was great, I don't think the thousands of your fans are ready to switch back to Romeo and Juliet cigars. " That was nice. I like that one.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Wells. Thank you, Mr.
Wells. And I gotta give these last two here. And my boy, Miguel Rocha says, "Officially the first show to give me anxiety. " And Lightning 1993, watch the road typing this as I'm driving.
Exactly, 100%. We get it. We're pretty sure we might have broke a law or two. We get it.
Maybe. I don't think so. We're fine. You can't text or drive.
It was AI. It was all AI. We weren't really driving. Yeah, it was a big joke.
It was a big joke. If you want to hear your comment read aloud on the show, just comment below on this episode and we may read it out loud on our next show. I think that covers it. Where are we doing the next show from?
I don't know. One day at a time, buddy. See what happens. I already have a potential guest for tomorrow's show.
Could it be some place with AC? It could be potentially a place with AC. When do they turn the AC on in here? Could it be a spot where we're also able to smoke a cigar?
It's possibly, well, in New Orleans, it's gonna be one or the other. Can I swear? No. You can't do that no matter where it is.
Okay. So, hey, let's get on with the show. All right, now the news. Instead of seeing a standard CAPTCHA, you guys know what that is?
Where you have to click the things? Yeah, the little squares. - They verify you're not a robot? - Yeah.
- All right, hackers have found a way to do that where if you hit the right ones, it gives them access to your emails and everything else. - Oh, really? - Yes. - Type a word or check a box, hackers are tricking people into typing a series of keys that allow them access to the computer.
- Oh, boy. - So don't go to any more websites or be careful where you go. - Okay, that makes sense. - All right.
- Have you ever been hacked? - I don't think so. I know people that have several Facebook accounts and they get them over and over and over. Yeah, and you see.
It's like, oh, so-and-so's got a new Facebook account. Birthday comes up and like, oh, it's 17 different things. Yeah, happy birthday to you. It's because you guys continue to get duped on the Facebook messenger.
Right. Don't fall for it. Are you on Facebook? Just for Marketplace.
So you are on Facebook. I mean, technically to look at stuff. Let's give out his name. Let's give out his name.
But do you have like a Facebook profile picture? No. No. No.
Do you post anything about your private life? No. So you're one of those guys? You're a Facebook stalker?
It's even under an alias. It's under an alias? Barely. What's his alias?
Michael Joseph. Oh, good, good. It's close. I'll never see that coming.
Never see that coming. Alright. I thought it was hacked the other day when people started paying off their Patreons early. Yeah.
I thought they were fake Patreons because, I mean, we don't have like a $108 level or a $54 level. " Like something's wrong here. Something's wrong. People are giving us money.
I figured, well, I thought somebody was trying to take our money. Oh, and then click on it, log in to see what level they're at. I can't tell you how many potential hack emails I get on a daily basis. Oh, really?
" Or Costco, there's a big knockoff one for Costco that I see all the time. FedEx. And they look really good. So it's very easy for someone to fall for this stuff.
Oh, sure. It's crazy that that's the kind of world that we live in, where you have to be prepared to say, "Oh, that's bullshit. " I've been getting a bunch of them from DoorDash and Instacart. Really?
Where they send you a code, and then they call you, and they want you to click on the code and tell them what the code is or something like that. Really? To the point where I called DoorDash. Oh, you almost did it.
Well, I wasn't gonna do it, but I just had DoorDash the night before. " So I did all that, and they're like, "Can you report it as junk? " And then I don't even have an Instacart, so. Right.
But, I mean, like, five phone calls in a row and five text messages from all these people, it looks pretty legit, I don't. Yeah. I mean, I think that that's where, like, we're getting more and more of that, like, is this legit? Right.
Even on social media and Instagram, like, for one, the AI thing, obviously. But even the marketing on there, you're like, oh man, that's, even the marketing things I see, I'm like, that's completely AI, it's not even true. It's not even true. Right.
It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference. Yeah. Thank God my sauna came in, and it was real. Your what came?
My sauna. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I saw the box outside when we picked you up.
Yeah. It's legit. I love it. You thought the sauna was a scam?
Possibly. Once it didn't arrive, after three weeks? Yeah. Three weeks?
You bought it from Amazon? It took three weeks for it to ship. Did you get from Teemu? No.
I mean, might as well. com? Yes. That was the one.
No. It's just a raincoat with a heat lamp. That's what exactly what it is. You're right.
It's the one light bulb. Yeah. Wait, just one light bulb. There you go.
One red light bulb. Okay. All right. All right, moving on with the news.
All right, we got a nationwide recall. It's a class two, not a class one. So there's possibility of illness, but not death. Oh, okay.
But it's Xanax. Xanax has been recalled. Xanax? Xanax.
It's the big PCA weekend. Everybody here is probably on Xanax and nobody can be on it now. It's all been recalled. No one's allowed to go on Xanax.
All the Xanax has been recalled. Your anxiety is doomed. Yes, the FDA classified recalls a class 2, meaning the product could cause temporary medical reversible adverse health consequences. Uh-oh.
But the problem is it doesn't dissolve in your system. Okay, so you take a pill. Right. And this pill doesn't dissolve.
No, but apparently you get sick from it sitting in your stomach for so long. Would you want to be taking a medication that if it sat in your stomach it could get you violently ill? Will? No.
It just doesn't sound like a good time. I mean, that makes me question Xanax as a whole. Well, that's what I recalled. It's supposed to dissolve.
Right. But everything, the coating's too thick or something. Somebody hit the button too much? Somebody hit the button, yes.
One guy. You had one job. One job. You were one job.
You hit the button every two seconds. Right. Screwed that up. Right.
Do you take any medication currently? Yes. Is this something we don't talk about for HIPAA violations? No.
Okay. We're sharing a medication now in the hotel room. Oh, you guys are sharing meds? We are, apparently I'm old now too.
Oh, wait, did you like... I had to bring extras. So like in a pinch, you have to provide more medication for him? Yes, yes.
Oh, that's lovely. So we have to leave on time because my backups are going to be gone. Oh boy. I didn't bring that many extra.
It's a fail safe. Yes. And now you're accessing his... And it's helping him, he feels great.
Yeah? I feel amazing. I like that you're a doctor and you're just giving him medication at this point. Except for the whatever you gave him, that part, I don't have a pill for that.
I have a pill for you. The viral, uh, respiratory infection? Yeah. Yes.
The annoying cough that you have. It's coming. Look, I haven't coughed in the past 12 minutes. Right.
Is your uvula swollen? Because that's something he had this morning. I don't know what that means. The little ball that hangs down your throat?
Yeah. I didn't expect it. No, I didn't expect that. Because he sounded like he was talking with a mouthful of food all morning.
Oh, really? How's your uvula? It's now normal. Would you like to go into the camera and show everybody?
Yeah, you want to zoom in on the uvula? It would just be normal. It would just be a normal uvula. Thank you.
His snoring was terrible last night, but he provides earplugs. I saw that. I saw that you had earplugs. It's very nice.
Oh, because you went into the room. Yeah, briefly. Yeah. It sounded like a werewolf was killing the village.
I mean, it was, it was pretty bad. You know, I'm kind of blessed. I'm, you know, a silver lining. I'm glad that I got the viral infection that I have.
Yes. And then you guys decided to quarantine me in the room with one, one person. Because then you guys get to share each other's misery, which I think is fantastic. We're doing well, actually.
I would agree. It's pretty easy living. It's just like prison rules, you know, you've got to respect each other's space and, you know, not move each other's stuff and be organized. It's not that hard.
Like, he wanted the drawers and I don't use the drawers, so that's fine, but then I get the couch where I can put my suitcase laid out. Do you get to use the bathroom, the facilities? Do you get to poop in there? Yeah, apparently you have a rule where you don't let him poop in the room.
That's a rule, yes. That is a thing. It's poopageddon in our room. It's poopageddon in your room?
So again, like if you were in prison, what do you do? You look at your cell and you're like, "We're gonna fight because you're not gonna shit"? That's a totally different scenario. At that point...
We're going with prison rules. You're going with prison rules? We're going with prison rules. Well, there's ten hangers, I got five, he got five.
Also in prison rules, one bed. No, there's not. No, there's two beds. Just bring them together?
No, there's two beds. Yeah. That's what I heard. Yeah.
No? Nope. Just that you were in the room, it's just two beds. I saw one.
I saw one. I saw one. I saw one. I don't have to tell you.
Alright, well, we're gonna keep updates as to how it's going and your experience of you two together. Alright. So, I'm looking forward to it. I got up and left early so he could have the bathroom just like I do with you.
He didn't even hear me. Nice. Alright. Cool.
Glad that this worked out well for everybody then. Yeah, it's going well. We're gonna get rid of our wives and just moving in together. There you go.
We both love to cook, so, I mean, that's not a problem. Yeah, there you go. Sounds great. Okay.
All right, there's a surgeon on the Florida Panhandle that's in a little bit of a pickle. Uh-oh. He took out a man's liver instead of his spleen. That sounds like a big mess up.
Right. So, apparently, he's doing the surgery. The man came up, he's having problems, and he's supposed to get his spleen taken out. He has an aneurysm pop inside, his gut fills up with blood, and in a panic, the doctor removes the liver, not the spleen.
Okay. " Oh. Sends it off to have it, uh... Analyzed?
Yeah, have it analyzed, tags it as a spleen, the man dies because he has no liver. Oh. So now he's facing manslaughter charges. Mmm.
This, I mean, that's a big, that's a big screw up. Yeah. Do you think he's gonna, um, get convicted for manslaughter? I have zero medical training, none.
I think I might know the difference between the liver and the spleen if you opened up an individual in front of me. So like for him to drop the ball with that one is pretty big. Is he an older gentleman? He's 44.
So he's young. So dementia is not... No, no, no. But the gut was full of blood.
He was in a panic, and he's trying to find the bleeder, and he knew he had to get the spleen out, so he went ahead and cut it. I don't know exactly where the spleen is, but I know where the liver is, so they have to be, you would assume, close together, but you're right. They look nothing alike. They look nothing alike.
And supposedly people in the operating room said... Yeah, the story said everybody knew there was not the spleen. Okay. But, you know, I'm the doctor, I know what I'm doing.
Oops, he's dead. I feel for that guy, too. I feel for the family, for the individual, but I also feel for the guy that made the mistake. Yeah, there's no mention of the first-time thing or...
Yeah, I mean... I mean, or is he just an idiot, or, you know? I mean, realistically, if you killed more than one person, there'd probably be like... Well, killed's kind of a strong word.
If you unalive, it's a person? No, no. I mean, it's a... I can't think of what it's called, but I mean, people dying...
Happens all the time. Yeah, people in hospitals die all the time in surgery. You know, it's not from taking out the wrong thing, but, you know, they didn't survive the surgery. Yeah, there's one thing if they didn't make it.
Right. It's another thing if there was malpractice. Right. I feel like that guy would potentially have a track record of malpractice.
Right, you would think. This is common. Right? Maybe not malpractice, but potentially God complex.
Okay. I like how you call for the mic now. That's very nice. That is nice.
Raise your hand. One word. Oh, we're hitting foots a little tight here in this little corner. We're doing great.
We're doing great. Okay. All right, moving on. Next.
All right, do you have a video for us today? I do. Oh, look at that. I do.
That's good because he's editing. Hold on, one second. Is it picking up the saw? I hope it's picking up the saw.
It's definitely picking up that saw. Oh, yeah, yeah. You forgot to raise your finger. It's definitely picking up that saw.
I'm gonna, I'm gonna send it to Greg right now. Oh, fine, whatever. And then I'll send it to you. Oh, he's not in our little chat group.
Wait, wait, we have a chat group. Send it to that. Sorry, it's too late now. Oh, that's it.
Okay, once you all have it, we'll all start watching it together. You ready? I don't have it. It's coming.
Listen, Wi-Fi here. The Wi-Fi here sucks. The 5G here is no bueno. Well, pretty cool.
The hotel, terrible. Very slow. Very slow. It's coming.
This is great entertainment, I'm sure. Greg has his. Oh, excellent. Should we just share Z?
This was, Here's something that Greg actually sent me. Oh. What's up? New Orleans.
NOLA, NALA, wherever y'all want to be called. Check it out. It's Marla Wayans. This weekend, Friday, April 17th, I'm going to be at the Fillmore Theatre.
Get your tickets now. com. Get your tickets for my show, Wild Child Tour. It's going to be a great show.
It's going to be in a beautiful theatre. We're going to have a great time. But the second item of business, why I'm really coming to New Orleans is, it's PCA, that's right, it's the PCA trade show. So our cigar company, Liga Tradente Cigars is going to be taking over NOLA, Friday, we're going to be on the main stage, having a convo with Guy Fieri, hosted by David Sivana of Cigar Aficionados, and we're going to be talking about, you know, biz, entertainment, cigar culture, and whatever.
It's gonna be a great sit-down conversation, and then Saturday, come to our booth. It's gonna be booth 1206, right next to the PCA Lounge. We're gonna have live interviews with my guy, hosted by my guy, Brad Perry of Brad Perry TV. We're gonna have top retailers, top distributors, and we're gonna be launching globally our Cigar Company.
That's right, it's the worldwide takeover for Liga Tridente. Let's go. Let's all have a great, productive PCA, and let's laugh. Let's smoke and joke.
That's what this weekend's about. Smoke and joke. And then I got some parties that I'm hosting, too. It's gonna be a while.
Marlon Wayans, Liga Trudente Weekend. Pull up! His booth could not be any further away and still be in the same building from us. Okay, so he's on the other side, is what you're saying?
He's way over in the top other corner. Oh, that'll be good for us. Yes. Okay, but he's here.
He's gonna be here. Yeah, he's gonna be here. OK, so, I love this. Obviously, that's why I sent it to you, because it shows a guy that's putting in the work, right?
Too often we see celebrities that just mail it in. That's not what this dude's doing. Yeah, so Marlon Wayans is going to be in the building. Right.
How do you feel about that? I'm not a huge fan, but it's nice that he's going to be here. Because you said he wasn't going to be here. I didn't know.
We all said he wasn't going to be here. Damon Wayans has two new cigars coming out at the show, and he is instead of squat. Squat. Squat.
I mean, thank God it's on video. I mean, to be fair, we all said. You said he wasn't gonna be here. Well, he wasn't at the time, he was not planned.
He was not planned? No. Are you sure? It was not on Half Wheel.
It was not on Half Wheel? No. Maybe it was on the PCA board? I don't know, I get all those emails, too.
Okay. Alright, so, we think that this is a good thing for the industry? Yes, definitely. Okay.
You guys gonna go to his concert while he's here? He's getting paid to be here, too. It's on Friday, he's getting paid to be here by PCA? No, no, he's doing a concert, so, I mean, he did a twofer, you know.
I mean, that's smart. Sure. I don't, you know, that's, I would do the same thing. Hey, I'm going to parlay this, right?
Make a little bit of cash. We should sell tickets to have people watch us do the podcast. Yeah. Yeah, it's a great idea.
There are some podcasts that do that. That's a great idea. Sell tickets. There are podcasts that do that.
It looks like you have a sty forming, too. Over here this side? Yeah. Yeah, it's been hurting for two days.
Oh, yeah. Oh, that's perfect timing. Yeah. And he just touched it.
And then he just touched it. Oh, I've been rubbing it for two days. You think it's infectious? Either side of you here.
Okay. So, I mean, this is great. I think it's kind of to be determined. It's a question of how long he sticks it out.
I'm curious to see how long he's on the showroom floor. He does have new cigars. Yeah. But yeah, I'm curious how long he's gonna stay for the day or just like an hour.
Yeah. What do you think? Do you think there's a line? There's a line.
If he's here for like the day, then you're good? Either way, actually, I'm okay with him just being present, maybe doing half a day or a full day or every single day. that's more effort than I see a lot of other celebrities doing. So yeah.
Yeah. I liked that. He's partnered up with Guy Fieri on Friday. Right.
And here's why, because if you're going to learn from a celebrity, how to make it successful, it's gotta be Guy Fieri, right? He's going to say, Hey, this is what you got to do. You can't just have assets. You got to put in the work and, you know, be available.
Right. Agreed. Okay. All right.
Anything else? We have some cigar news. Okay. So we're going to move on to the next thing.
Great video. Yes. Thank you for sharing that with me. You're welcome.
Okay. El Rey Del Mundo Appointment Brazil coming this month. The non-Cuban El Rey Del Mundo brand is getting a second installment in its appointment line, this time using a Brazilian wrapper. Ooh.
It's called the El Rey Del Mundo Appointment Brazil. Makes sense. Makes sense. And it features an Araparaca.
Araparaca. Araparaca. Araparaca. Rapper grown in the...
Oh, I think I pulled my glasses off. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. It was a big word.
I love it when he has to say big words. It was a big word. Alagos Regen. Did he say that right?
Alagosin? Yeah. I don't think so. A-L-A-G-O-A-S.
I love the grinding guy in the background. It's going to be amazing. Nice saw. Nice saw going out.
He's doing a great job. I don't know. Anyway, underneath that is a Nicaraguan tobacco used for both the binder and the filler. The cigars are made at STG.
J. Fernandez. It's a STG Donnelly Factory in Honduras and offered in three sizes. So let's see what it is, a 5x50 Robusto, a 6x54 Toro, and a 5x60 Gordo.
Okay, 5x60? 5x60. Oh. That's odd.
Why not do a 660? Short and fat. Okay. All three sizes are offered in 20 count boxes with prices ranging from...
What do you think the retail price is? Not a lot. Eight bucks? Eight dollars?
eight dollars yeah i think it's like eight to ten bucks eight 79 there you go 949 so eight to ten dollars the cigars are scheduled to begin shipping on april 20th el rey de mundo appointment brazil is a perfect cigar for this or any moment okay well it's interesting to see uh a brazilian out of paraca being produced from honduras right el rey de mundo i mean sometimes for the price They're not bad, right? Our store sells a bunch of them, because of that, because of that point. It's the one in the white tissue, right? Yeah, right.
White tissue. White tissue. All right, Diesel Backyard Barbecue Series is returning with burnt ends. Ooh, Justin Andrews.
Maybe he's giving away a grill. Probably. Maybe. The Diesel Backyard Barbecue Series is back for second helping this year, serving up a new limited edition called Burnt Ends in early May.
It's a 6x52 Toro, at least it's a legit Toro. Okay. That uses a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper atop a Nicaraguan binder and filler designed to deliver a profile described as bold by design. Ooh.
We want to create something that would celebrate the true spirit of summer, said Justin Andrews, global brand manager and ambassador of diesel cigars in a press release. Okay. Are you excited about the diesel burnt ends? I'm completely distracted by that man using the totally wrong tool for that project and it's just making me very angry.
Listen, that's what he's got, okay? Sometimes you gotta MacGyver some things, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, it's a trade show, you know? Yeah.
You get asked for tools twice today from people, and I don't even know what the tool that the guy was looking for. What proper tool should he be using, Greg? A circular saw. 'Cause he'd be done in 10 seconds.
Correct. This is gonna take him 15, 20 minutes. He obviously doesn't have a circular saw. Is that one of those drywall cutters he's using?
That's exactly what it is. Wow. It's a reciprocating saw. Yeah, it's just a little...
The wrong saw. Right, wrong saw, wrong saw. Well, I'm sorry that he's upsetting you. Alright, how much is the burnt end?
The burnt end, how much do you think... Let's do the box price. How much do you think the, what is it, 20 count box? 10 count boxes.
10 count box? Retail, 140 on a 10 count box? It's gonna be a little less than that, I think we're coming in about 110. 99.
Ooh. Retail? Yep. 750 cigar, 10 count box.
That's low. You're gonna see a lot of that this year. Good job, Justin. No, we don't give him any credit.
He never answers our calls. We don't like him anymore. Did he get the guess you had, Linda? No.
That would be nice. No. All right, the court is now the good news. The court is keeping premium cigar definition the way it is.
Continue. Is the show over? Are we done? What happened?
In the end, Judge Amit P. Mahata, The same judge who's overseen the case since it was filed upheld the same definition used since 2020. That means most handmade cigars that do not have added flavoring are not subject to the FDA's deeming regulations, which include product approval, user fees, blah, all that kind of stuff. So, here's what you have to do to be a premium cigar.
Wrapped in a whole tobacco leaf, contains 100% leaf tobacco binder, contains at least 50% of the filler by weight, long filler tobacco. whole tobacco leaves that run the length of it, that's what it means, is handmade or hand rolled, has no filter, does not have a non-tobacco tip or non-tobacco mouthpiece, does not have a characterizing flavor other than tobacco, contains only tobacco, water, vegetable gum, no other ingredients or additives, and weighs more than six pounds per thousand units. John Carney's behind us. Oh, I've already talked to you today.
He came by. There he is. He's strolling by with his national sales manager friend. Oh, we're gonna rehab his story.
There he is. Hello. Hey, podcasters. Hey, how you doing, guys?
Welcome to New Orleans. There you go. What's up, brother? What's up?
Okay, so do you think that this is good or bad for the cigar industry? Well, it's obviously good. Definitely good. There are going to be other pitfalls, though.
Yeah, I mean, it's progress, but I don't think that it's extremely beneficial. Why don't you think there are pitfalls? Because we gave a ton of money to the FDA, and a lot of people aren't going to want to get it back, I mean, some of the people that do get it back aren't going to redistribute it back to the individuals that actually paid for it. I mean, that's an interesting perspective that I didn't even consider, to be honest.
$100 million in user fees have been paid. What money? " Right, that's what they're saying. There's no program to give you the money back.
Yeah. No, it's worse than that. " If they do give it back, they're going to give it back to the people that paid it last, which would be the importers, right? Now, those importers collected funds from the brands or the manufacturers to pay for it, right?
Now, if you really want to get deep, deep into it, the retailers, when they sold the product, collected those fees from the consumer that then used the money to go and pay for the product. And then the money just flew that way, right? As far as the way that it flows. So realistically, who is supposed to get that money if it's even given back?
So if the importer gets it, the company should be getting it back to some degree, right? You would think, right? If that's the right thing to do. Now, I know the person that we use will do that, right?
I don't know if they all will. No, they definitely, I don't think they all will. Okay. So that's, that's problem number one.
Problem number two is I have an issue with infused cigars not being acknowledged as premium cigars. I think that's a problem. And if you, what's even funnier is that if you read this particular article from the CRA, they say, yay, we won something and congratulations and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But if you read the same article from Half Wheel, Half Wheel discloses: Okay, but here's the problem, like we still, this, I don't think that this is done yet, because infused cigars are not acknowledged.
And there's no, go ahead. Tremendous problem. I agree. Absolutely.
Because infused cigars are very, very important to our industry. Yeah, absolutely. And not only that, but I would consider a lot of those infused cigars premium cigars. Actually, every single one that we carry as a cigar retailer, I would consider a premium cigar, even the ones that retail at four or five dollars.
Agreed. The CAA is the ones that are fighting to have the infused put back in. The CAA? CAA.
" Wait a second, we didn't win. We didn't win, because we missed all these other cigars. " Which is the argument that we, the conversation that we started to have with Scott, the guy who runs CAA. Yeah.
I don't know, I mean, the company that owns Drew Estate is pretty big, right? I mean, they would be considered a big company in our industry, no? Yeah, so the argument is, are they just focusing on that big, or are they focused on everything else? But you're actually making the opposite statement, right?
Because if Flavored Cigars, which is a big part of the Drew Estate portfolio, If we're not saying, hey, we should stop, pause for a second, realize that it's not being included, then aren't they actually arguing without them? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, what's up, bro?
You know, that's a great argument. And what's funny is, I've seen two sides of this conversation. One coming from a big retailer and one coming from the CAA, the CEO of the CAA, and I think they both have valid points. As long as there isn't a regulation or a parameter set, where a barrier of entry is so high that a smaller brand or manufacturer cannot enter into the realm.
Does it make sense? Sure, but if that smaller brand is making a flavored cigar, they can't be included within that group of premium cigar. At this current moment, correct. However, if something is approved, and it follows along the lines, let's say, of the California UTL, and you have to do XYZ in order to be documented or whatever, I mean, that's unflavored.
But if there's some form of documentation that requires regulation, registration dues, or whatever that needs to be done annually, or whatever the case may be, like, your cost could become too high for you to compete in that market against the big dogs. Make sense? Yes. Different topic.
Yes, agree. Multiple variables here, right? Okay. Cool.
All right. We got one last story, then we have what's the score. Okay. I'm gonna get my ass kicked lately, so I better win this one.
S. sales head. Was that just him here? Yeah, he just walked by.
He just walked by. Also, their booth is right there. I don't know if you noticed this massive thing here. Well, they have lots of money.
This big thing. Very large. This is us. This is our booth here.
We have these three chairs. We have this good flag. Sanisafina flag. So we have that.
Marifel family, best known for tie-in gunfire. S. S. Yes.
And apparently he was just here. Yeah. This is very exciting news. You want to know why?
Why? Because we gave this news out two weeks ago. Yes, we did. Yeah, we did.
We did. We certainly did. We met him two weeks ago on the show, and we talked about it. See, so Charlie really needs to be paying attention to what we do every day.
I think he watches the show. You think so? I think so. Obviously not every day, because he would have missed that, he would have got that information.
I think it's hard for a lot of people to keep up with the everyday show. Yeah, I think our viewers are down today because a lot of industry people watch our show and they're traveling today. Ah. Yeah, it's pretty funny.
So did you know that Eric was a national yada yada for Mirafel? No. He came into the shop. Oh.
Oh, the young kid. Yeah, yeah. No, yeah, I like him. Oh, so you didn't know.
The guy that was just right here. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
So, we had that intel two weeks before you, Half Wheel. That's right. Just saying. You should pay attention.
Just saying. We leaked it then. Okay, well, that's exciting news. I think that that's going to be a, that's a great look for Mirafel.
Do you think that Mirafel needs something in order to shape their forward progress in the United States for sales? Yes. Do you? Okay, do you think that this national sales manager is a good step in that direction?
It could be a tool, a part of the components necessary for them to be successful, sure. Okay, what other components, Craig, do you think that they need in order for Mirafel to thrive and be successful in the United States? Their cigars are very expensive. Okay, well, now they have these other things, these family blends that they've also launched as well, that are competitive in a different price point.
What else? Well, that would be helpful. Great, okay. Is there anything else?
No, nothing? What about a bigger sales force? What about people in three or four regions? Maybe.
They had three or four other younger men that I didn't meet when they came by and said hello today. Oh, yeah? They were with him. I don't know who they were.
So, it sounds like they're building a sales team. They could have. There's been two guys that keep showing up to check on the progress of the booth that we had never met before. Okay.
So, maybe they have. Well, that's great. Yeah, so if they start to establish and structure, I think that that will be helpful for their brand as far as churns and recurring sales and all those other things, right? Because then you can do events and specific things catered towards a retailer to help them promote and build the product and create more demand in the United States.
Right. Right? Right? Right, Greg?
Okay. So you think they're moving in the right direction? Yes. Okay.
Perfect. Okay. I like that he's shutting down on us. Yes, yes.
This is a sensitive subject. Don't worry, don't worry. This is a big argument for us. Well, what you're doing is you're getting me on record saying that, yes, I believe that this is all good and there's justification, whereas...
My position is still kind of what it is as far as Cigar Hustler. I 100% am, and I'm glad that I painted you into the corner. Thank you. You're welcome.
No, I mean, look, I believe in that brand. I want to do what we can as a retailer to help promote and cultivate that brand. So, okay. So, we're excited for Mirapfel.
Excited for Mirapfel. Yay, Mirapfel. All right, it's time for the industry's favorite game. What's the score?
You get to go first today. September 30th, 20... One of you go first, I don't care. He has to go first.
September 30, 2020, Brooks Whittington is the reviewer, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, Limited Edition, Nicaragua Review, The Sober Mesa, Brulee Blue. Ooh. Ninety-one. Ninety.
It's the Brulee Blue, it's from Nicaragua, Fabrica de Tobacco, Hoya de Nicaragua, Ecuadorian, Connecticut, Mexican. I have no idea what this is, Matacapen Negro de Temporo, Filler Nicaraguan, length six and a quarter by 46, Grand Corona, there's three of them. They smoked three. They smoked three.
91. I'm sticking with 90, wait, one real quick, did you say who was the reviewer? Brooks Whittington, I said at the beginning. I apologize, you were speaking very fast, Brooks, because that's pertinent, okay.
All right. I don't think you should have given that until I knew it was Brooks. Oh. And it was in 2020.
All right, so you both did, did you say 90? He said 91? Yep. All right, first clue, the flavor profile is layered and dynamic, starting with creamy peanut butter and spice, then evolving into tea leaf, vanilla, and citrus notes, keeping the experience engaging from start to finish.
91. So, you remembered what year it was, you remember who wrote it, what's the probability of you remembering the actual number that it was? I've never looked at the review. He only looks at his own reviews.
Yeah, I never looked at the review, but I heard him say Brooks. I heard him say 2020. I'm listening to him as he speaks. Now I use my ears.
You know, that is unusual that he listens, but he did listen to this. I listen. All the time I listen. What?
What? Yeah. What? Yeah.
What? So what number are you? No, you go first. 91.
All right, 90. Construction is excellent overall, with a razor-sharp burn, strong draw, and above-average smoke production throughout all 3rds. 91, 89. The wrapper appears fragile with a noticeable damage on multiple samples and inconsistent firmness, including hard spots, which raises concerns about durability and quality control.
Uh-oh, 90, 88. 88. Final thought. While I've enjoyed the Sober Mesa Brulee, I have smoked.
There are a number of Connecticut blends I would choose over them if given the choice. However, the Sober Mesa Brulee Blue is not only on a different level, but in a different ballpark altogether. The profile is creamy, rich, and extremely well-balanced flavor bomb, with just the right amount of spice and white pepper to add nuance without detracting from the notes. In addition, the cigar burns quickly without burning hot at any point, while the overall construction is some of the best I experienced than any cigar I reviewed this year, what it would call a light at once and lose your lighter kind of stick, although they are harder to find than many other Connecticut wrapper blends, if you are looking for a great morning cigar to smoke on the weekends or when you have a bit more time, I can't think of a cigar I would quit above this one at this moment.
Ooh, mix. So mixed there. You know what I mean? Yeah, so, I mean, you can go any direction.
You could. Potentially could go any way. Yes, you could. So what are you thinking?
So go right ahead. But why don't you go? I'd prefer for you to go. I'm going to go.
You want me to go? Because I know what the right answer is. I'm going to go 90. I'm going to go 91.
It's 92. Wow. Lost again. Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks, fireworks.
92. 92. Even with the fragility and the concerns of inconsistency. And the hard spots and everything, right?
Ninety-two. Okay, anything else to add? That's it, that's all I got! Make sure you like and subscribe wherever you're viewing or listening to this show.
And thank you so much for your time. Gentlemen, Mr. Palmer, thank you as always for giving up the news. Greg, thank you again for being our guest co-host.
A pleasure. We love having you on, it's amazing. Make sure to watch the next episode and see what new disease the three of us have got. I've got a stye, he's got a viral infection, and his uvula doesn't work.
Yeah, welcome to PCA, let's go. Did I make it through the whole episode without swearing? No, you did one time. At the beginning you did.
At the beginning. Oh, there it is again. There it is again. Beep.
Okay. Alright, thanks everybody, bye.
Show Notes
On today’s show captcha hacking. A class 2 recall, a doctor oopsTakes the wrong organ! In cigars we have new PCA cigars a portal entry and some good news finally! Then ending with a what’s the score!Check Out Our Patreon For More Insider Content:https://www.patreon.com/acigarhustlerspodcast