July 10, 2026· 53m

ACHP Episode 570 Pilot? Where Is The Pilot?

Episode Summary

Mikey is out, so Alex from the Cigar Guys Podcast takes the wheel with Mike "BDP" Palmer on engineering and Greg "Triple G" in the hot seat for Episode 570. The trio works through listener comments, a batch of off-the-rails current events stories — including a genuinely dark Argentina flight-instructor tragedy, the new Reese's Pieces with Chocolate Cookie flavor, the United and Delta class action over "window seats" with no windows, and a Chinese zoo escape after a typhoon — before getting into the cigar news.

On the industry side, they cover the debut of Martello Cigar Co. from Michael Martello Jr., whose first release, the Ortolan, is a 6x50 Toro with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler (including medio tiempo), rolled at El Titan de Bronze in Miami, priced at $26 and limited to 750 porcelain jars of 10, with City of Palms handling distribution. Palmer offers a retailer's honest gripe about cigar jars — they look great but are a nightmare to merchandise on angled shelves — recalling past Viaje jar releases. They also break down EGM Cigars, the Swiss brand made in the Dominican Republic, adding German distribution through Cigar Kings in Munich under the EU's track-and-trace rules, and note EGM's recent US expansion after a strong PCA showing. Tax talk rounds it out: California's cigar tax rate drops from 54.27% to 51.08% of wholesale, with Ohio going up two cents and Kentucky cutting its rate by more than half.

The episode closes with a round of What's The Score using a 2012 Half Wheel review by Charlie Minato of the Viaje Platino Samurai Maduro pre-release — a Honduran-made, San Andrés-wrapped 6x48 Petit Corona Gorda that originally sold for $8.50. Clues about rich cacao and dark chocolate notes plus burn and construction problems send the guesses on a wild ride from 88 down to the high 70s before the actual 85 is revealed, sparking a debate about Half Wheel's scoring methodology and an open invitation for the outlet to come explain it. Along the way there are plugs for the July 24th Sampere guided tasting at Cigar Hustler (Blue Petit Corona and Purple Villicosa), the CH Pod Patreon and shop, and an upcoming Cigar Guys episode with Davidoff brand ambassador Tristan Alex Weghorn.

In This Episode

01
Guest Host Shuffle and Listener Comments
Alex from the Cigar Guys steps in for an absent Mikey while Triple G takes the hot seat, and the crew reads listener comments, bot-account jokes and Sumatra scores.
02
Argentina Flight Instructor Tragedy
A dark news story about a Cordoba flight instructor who jumped from a Cessna 150 mid-lesson, leaving his student to land the plane alone.
03
Reese's Pieces With Chocolate Cookie
Hershey's first new Reese's Pieces flavor in a decade launches nationwide, prompting a tangent on dark chocolate snobbery and cacao percentages.
04
United and Delta Window Seat Lawsuit
A federal judge lets a class action proceed over paid 'window seats' that sit beside blank cabin walls on 737s, 757s and A321s.
05
Martello Cigar Co. Debuts the Ortolan
Michael Martello Jr.'s first cigar is a $26 Ecuadorian Habano Toro with medio tiempo rolled at El Titan de Bronze, limited to 750 porcelain jars.
06
Why Retailers Hate Cigar Jars
Palmer explains the merchandising headache of jar-packaged releases like past Viaje jars versus traditional boxes.
07
EGM Cigars Adds German Distribution
The Swiss, Dominican-made brand partners with Cigar Kings in Munich for 11 EU track-and-trace compliant SKUs, plus its growing US presence.
08
California Cigar Tax Decrease and Other States
California's wholesale cigar tax drops to 51.08%, with Ohio rising two cents and Kentucky slashing its rate by more than half.
09
What's The Score: Viaje Platino Samurai Maduro
The crew guesses Charlie Minato's 2012 Half Wheel score for the San Andrés-wrapped Viaje Platino Samurai Maduro pre-release and argues over the 85 it earned.

Brands & Cigars Discussed

Martello Cigar Co.EGM CigarsViajeSampereDavidoffEl Titan de BronzeCity of PalmsCigar Kings

Martello OrtolanViaje Platino Samurai Maduro Viaje Samurai Sampere Blue Petit CoronaSampere Purple Villicosa

Linked items are in our shop. Mentions without a link aren’t currently stocked or couldn’t be matched with confidence.

Transcript

All right, everybody, one, two, three, action. Welcome to Cigar Hustlers Podcast, where cigars are just a starting point. Join me, Alex, from the Cigar Guys, with Mike, BDP Palmer in the Engineering, and Mr. Triple G in the Hot Seat.

It's very strange that Mikey isn't here, and Disney is revealing that. Okay, we're just getting right into it, aren't we? Well, that's just a little blurb in the thing, make fun of people. Oh, so, hold on.

First of all, if we're going to make fun of people, it should be more natural. It's natural. I can make fun of Mikey for skipping his own show and putting me in the seat. Nice hat, by the way, Mike Palmer.

Oh, thank you. You're welcome. Big fan. Big fan.

Cigar guys. I'm in the fan club. Yeah, I'm in the fan club now. I like that.

Yes. Very good. So are we getting into this right now? Disney's revealing the newest gorilla at Animal Kingdom as we dive into the latest cigar industry news, sports, current events.

Oh, we should've stopped right there. That's why Mikey's not here, because they're revealing the biggest gorilla. They have a new gorilla for Animal Kingdom. That's right, so it's both Disney and Gorilla, two things that he enjoys, so...

Well, he's the Gorilla. Oh, now I understand. Now I get it. It's rough when I gotta explain these jokes to you guys.

Now I get it. Does that mean that the joke's not funny if you have to explain it? No, it means you just didn't get it. He was gonna shoot the bottles anyway, Greg.

He was gonna shoot the bottles, that's got nothing to do with what we're talking about. " I feel like you need more explanation than that. Maybe I'm not in the know. I can't keep up with, you know, daily shows.

I call him a gorilla often, so, you know, it was a thing, so that's okay. The fans will get it, the fans will understand. All right, so please continue, please continue. Thank you, sir.

As we dive into the latest cigar industry news, sports, current events, business, and whatever crazy stories, we are making the headlines. Whether you're a seasoned cigar smoker or just looking for entertaining conversation, expect honest opinions, plenty of laughs, and a few unexpected detours along the way, which there definitely will be. On today's show, I'm pretty sure that's not how this works. T.

likes yum. What's a window seat with no window? Mommy, is that a zebra in our yard? In a Chinese accent, sorry.

You're supposed to get it in Chinese. Anything. You had to put that first. Anything in parentheses is a direction.

Why does nobody get this? Yeah, he can't read it and then like, I was supposed to do that in a Chinese accent. I just read that. Sorry.

com Right now, when you buy two shirts, you get 40% off the second one, and if you spend over $100, you'll score free shipping. Be sure to check out the brand new You Went the Wrong Way BDP shirt. It's available now and already getting a lot of attention. com, A Cigar Hustler Podcast, that's where we dive into the inside baseball of the cigar industry, talk about what's really going on behind the scenes, and cover the stories we can't always fit into the regular show or should talk about.

Alright, now we have comments Comments, comments, comments Comments on the show Read the comments Read the comments Alright, we have Comments, alright, from T-Money I feel like Ronnie is I heart BDP, he's got that kind of time I don't think so I still think it's Mike Palmer I definitely think it's Mike Palmer I'm glad that Alex is chiming in It's definitely something that we would do And I feel like it's something that Mike Palmer would do. Yes. Who is going to openly admit to putting "I Heart Big Dick Palmer"? You did your head the way we said not to do it.

Your eyes are green. All right. I'll keep. All right.

The next one. Put it on you. Put it on you. Oh, sorry.

The literal meaning of "screw the pooch" from "Real Smoke Pod"? Yeah, that's true. That was on yesterday's show. Yeah, that would be the literal meaning of "screw the pooch".

That's very true. All right, from Rooks Coding. Oh, our buddy Charles. Yes.

I love this podcast. Keep it up, guys. I look forward to this every morning. Great guy.

He does watch that every day. Yeah. Every day. Yep.

Except Saturdays, where he watches the Cigar Guys podcast. Ah, there you go. True story. Right after our podcast.

Wait, do we have a Saturday podcast? I don't even know. I'm talking shit. I have no idea.

Yes, yes. Three solid episodes in a row, he's at We now. All right, from RealSmokePod, I love the Sumatra, we scored it pretty well last week on the show, you all did a great job, yes they did, thank you very much. Very nice, thank you.

Let's see, now from the Buzzinator19, Palmer should auction off his sexy USA overall shorts for charity. That's a great idea, they're just sitting in the back of my car, maybe we'll do that. Yeah, let's do that. All right, and then from iHeartGGG-Mikey-BDP.

Wait a minute. I thought there was a Boots on there, too, but I can't read all of it. It might be. Can't tell.

I think the Cigar Guys need a few bot accounts, too. Well, there you go. Well, maybe just throw that out there. You'll be I Love Alex will be up here tomorrow.

All right, All My Love Boys. 2, I'm going to need another box soon, and it's not me, I mean, it's Palmer. Score for the, I don't know, Triple Wheeler, anybody know who Triple Wheeler? No.

Never heard of him, but great rating. Right? It is a good cigar. Good rating.

I would have given it a 92, but. All right, one more from Datacash2004. Phew, The Executioner's Song. That is way obscure.

The movie came out in 1982 and starred a young Tommy Lee Jones. Did you watch it last night, Greg? No. No, but I did look it up.

I didn't have time to watch it last night. Did you find out which streaming service it was on? No, I didn't even get it. All it was a Google search on the phone to figure out what it was.

Didn't quite make it to streaming service. Oh, oh, we do have one more. From Florida Man, 1888. Triple G in the house.

Keep up the great work. We want Jacks back. I think that's Rob. Is it?

I think it is. Yeah. Well, he loved having you on. Congratulations.

Everyone loves Triple G. Everybody loves Triple G. Can I stop doing this now? No, no.

Can I leave now? You're on again tomorrow. Tomorrow. You're on again tomorrow.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow is technically Friday for us. Right.

Right. Okay. Which puts you into next week, so you might as well do next week, too. Now I have to do next week.

Well, it all depends on when Phil comes back. That's when Phil comes back from his maternity leave. Congratulations to Phil, by the way. Yeah, well, Phil is technically the uncle.

Interesting. Yeah, Boots is the father. Yeah, Boots is the father. It would be weird if, you know, the whole mask during procreation thing, just odd.

If she had to look at that. Yeah. Maybe she prefers it. I mean, it'd be cool for me, but, you know, for them, I think it's a little weird.

For the normal people? Normal people, it's weird. They don't like the mask. The regular sex people?

I'm happy to be with you. I'm happy to be with you. I'm happy to be with you. I'm happy to be with you.

I'm happy to be with you. I'm happy to be with you. Argentina. Argentina.

Okay. Didn't you write this? No, I didn't write it. I cut and pasted it, but please continue.

I'm trying to act like, you know, you did the news. Right. It's all about movie magic, Alex. Movie magic.

Read the stage directions. I'm tired of the smoking mirrors. Okay. This guy, Bertazzo, was on board the Cessna 150 aircraft with a 22-year-old student named Rosario, CNN affiliate, TN.

The student said that Bertazzo told her, "You know what you have to do. " Before taking off his headset and seatbelt, opening the door, and jumping out of the plane, he end-recorded. Oh my God. I thought it was gonna go some weird sex way when he says, "You know what you have to do," right?

And then he's just gonzo. I was thinking that, and then I was like, maybe he's about to pass out or something. Like, I don't know what's going on. The final in that class is a little extreme.

That's amazing. Geez. Oh my god. This is a real story?

It's a real story. Oh my god, that's awesome. Well, not for the teacher. " Oh my god.

Okay, so he's committing suicide, I'm guessing. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I thought he may have had a parachute.

I was holding on to a slim glimmer of hope. Well, you started with he's dead, right? So, that clue's out of context. No parachute.

Parachuting accident. Oh, I guess, maybe. All right. Anyway, Bertoza had gone to a flight with another student earlier that day, Alvarez said.

He made this tragic decision on board an aircraft with another person by his side, he said. It's impossible to think about it or understand it, but the human mind is so complex. Bertazzo was a beautiful person with a great smile, said Alvarez. We are surprised that this has happened.

Well, unfortunately, a lot of times it's always a person you don't think. Well, yeah, because the ones that actually do it don't warn you. Right. Yeah.

Super sad. Crazy. Crazy. What a way to go.

Imagine the student. Oh, my God. Yeah, that's traumatizing. What do I do now?

There's a solid 45 seconds where they're just questioning reality. Like, did that just happen? Am I still here? Who am I?

All that just goes through your head. Well, also, if they're still a student, they're technically this Urtazo guy who put their life in danger because they're not technically licensed to fly or anything. I'm sure, obviously, they're fine, but things are a little more extreme in Argentina. " - You've done this a few times.

- The first guy he flew with, maybe he thought he can't land. - Right, that's what it was. He went up with the first one and he's like, "There's no way this dude can fly and land the plane. Let me go back down and pick up Samantha.

" - I gotta wait on Rosario to come in at noon, I guess, so. - Oh my god. - Terrible. Wow.

"Opening the door of a plane in mid-air is extremely difficult," explained Alvarez, who compared it to trying to open the door of a car traveling at 200 miles an hour. Okay. Sure, yeah. It is.

It's hard to do. It's even hard to open the window. Like you've tried to open the door on your Cessna because you're rich? Well, it's hard to open the window.

Yeah, of course. So the doors can't even be heard. Of the plane? Yeah.

You've tried? Yeah, we have a friend who's got a plane that we fly with. Mike Palmer travels private. I travel private.

Very often. You know, it was funny. " And I go, "I don't know. " He goes, "Well, you have a flight.

" And they go, "Oh, no, no, we fly private. " Yeah, total trip three hours from here to where were you again? North Carolina. Nice.

I couldn't drive it that fast, I'll tell you that much. Nine. Nine hours by car. Oh, I believe it.

It's the only way to travel, Greg. Yeah, well, I mean... You should get a license. If I had your money, I'd throw mine away.

I work for you. You could hit more cigar shops if you, like, flew private everywhere. He has offered, if I have, like, a down and back I need to do on a day or something, Or something he would he would take me wow so we could have leveraged that for this trip mikey just made well he's not gonna fly mikey he's gonna flame me oh i see that's i get it thank you it's not available to the entire company oh he's my friend oh okay i do want to clarify that this actually says 200 kilometers an hour which is approximately 124 miles an hour that's that's still did he look that up we were talking that's still roughly terminal velocity that's that's as fast as you would fall from a plane that's as fast as i've driven And, you know, when I was 16, so it's pretty fast. Yeah.

16. 16. 125. You?

Is that what you're saying? No. Fastest I've ever driven? Yeah.

Ooh. I don't know. I did that whole Daytona experience. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, whatever that was. That was-- Streetcar. In a streetcar, 148. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, I was 16 years old and I was on 44, actually. I think I tapped out at about 125. That's 16.

Hey Alex, you just have microphones, it's rubbing on your shirt, I think. It's rubbing on my shirt? Yeah. It probably is what it is.

Oh, it got tucked in. Alright. Okay, there we go, much better. Let's see here.

Rosario, the student, managed to land the plane safely despite being in "complete shock," he added. "The plane was undamaged," Alvarez said. Bertazzo was highly experienced and had also worked as a flight instructor in neighboring Chile, TN reported. Prosecutors will now investigate the exact details of the incident that led to Bertazzo's death.

Wow. The incident is, I don't want to live no more. Yeah, I think it's pretty straightforward. The details were he opened the door and jumped up.

Pretty much it. " Like, did he think what I thought at first? Like, this is going to be like a bad sexual experience up in the air? Well, it was a she.

Was it a she? Was it a woman? Rosario. Oh, okay.

No. It said he. Yeah, did he? I think it was a dude, yeah, yeah.

Nevertheless, I mean, you know, a warm mouth is a warm mouth, maybe the instructor didn't care. I think it's like shock, like confusion, and then as he's going to open the door, it's just like mouth wide open, like, did that just happen? What, is he just letting a little air in? Like he's going to take a piss or something?

Yeah, that's the bad part, there's no bathrooms. We don't know how big this plane is. Wild. Well, if it's a student plane, I doubt it at a bathroom.

Fair enough. But maybe that's, you know, open the door, like... Have you ever, like, you know, pissed off the side of a boat? Yeah.

Yeah. Same thing. Well, you should go to the back. At 124 miles an hour.

Usually the boat's not moving. Really? It depends on... Yeah, I've never pissed off of a moving boat.

Oh. I've pissed off of a boat. Right. Not a moving boat?

But usually it's like, no. Yeah, you go stand on the back. While it's... Well, you tell the pilot, or you tell the captain, you go, "Look, I'm gonna go peek.

" Hmm. Okay. Hmm. All right.

I can't say I've done it, but there's always tomorrow. Right, I mean, maybe you're free tomorrow. So yeah, tragedy, yeah, crazy. Maybe the next story's a little lighter.

Oh, good. I know, I'm glad we started with like, you know, jumping out of a plane. Yeah, we get that out. Even though it was very dark, it's still far better than, you know, raping the family dog, so.

We got that going for us. That was yesterday, so. Jeez. Oh, yeah, it was good.

Oh, I'm glad it was yesterday, so now I can actually find it, and I'll just scroll through, like, five pages of episodes to find something you guys talked about. Yeah, we're trying to fix that. You can do one podcast a week, that's how you fix it? Oh, no, we can't do that.

Okay, well then. No, we've committed now. We're trying to figure out how to do eight in a single week. Good luck to you guys.

Thank you very much. On to our next story. A new Reese's Pieces flavor is hitting stores for the first time in a decade. See a lighter story.

I love Reese's. On July 8th, Hershey announced Reese's Pieces with "Chocolate Cookie", a new flavor combining the brand's iconic peanut butter flavor with a crispy chocolate chip cookie in the center. That sounds good, according to a news release. What are you watching?

Are you noticing that I'm looking at something? Is that what it is? Yeah, I cut to you and you're looking this way. Alex is that way.

Are you watching him on TV? No, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be distracted. There is something very large moving in that window and I have no idea what it is.

It's quite disturbing. If you want to check it out, Yeah, go ahead. I would. Is it Bigfoot?

I don't know what it is. So just peel the curtain from the right to the left. Oh, there's a lizard. Is that what it is?

Yeah. All right. The shadow it was casting was massive. It looked like it might be something quite larger than a lizard.

It's a little salamander. All right. That's fine. I feel better.

The iguanas are migrating. Oh, I feel so. Okay. Now back to the Reese's.

Here we go. Yes. Sorry for that technical break that we were being attacked by a lizard. Sorry I slightly get distracted a little bit.

I thought we were being attacked by something. It was a bird. Look, a bird. A bird.

Weasley, Palmer's over there like what the fuck is he looking at? I thought you were watching the TV. All right, sorry Alex, please go ahead, please go ahead, please go ahead to Reese's. We're never gonna get through this fucking episode.

He's going, this is why I do my own show. Reese's has always been known for its signature peanut butter and chocolate combination. And with its innovative product, we're excited to give consumers a fresh way to experience it. Some senior brand manager said from the Hershey's company.

Mint? Is it mint? No, they said chocolate cookie. Chocolate cookie.

So it's chocolate peanut butter with chocolate chip cookie combined. Because it can't have Reese's without peanut butter. I think Reese's Pieces is just peanut butter, isn't it? Yeah, on the inside, isn't it?

Well, it's like chocolate outside, peanut butter inside. Oh, there's a chocolate shell? I always thought it was just peanut butter. No, no, no.

I think they do have a version of that. So this is cookie with it in between, or is it cookie inside? Well, inside, because they're so small. So I imagine it's like chocolate outside, peanut butter, second layer, like the crust, and then cookie inside.

A little piece of cookie in the inside. I imagine. A little cookie. Here's where to find the new candies, and then we can find out for ourself.

Initially available in Reese's pouches, or in pouches, Reese's Pieces with chocolate chip cookies will launch in stores nationwide on July 17th. The candies will be available on the Hershey's website starting July 25th, and a king size will follow later this year. So that's a significantly lighter story, I like this story so much better. Back and forth, back and forth, I can Tina, I can Tina.

So Reese's was my candy of choice growing up. That was number one for me. Reese's, peanut butter cups, the regular? Yeah, the OG peanut butter cups, absolutely.

Dark chocolate, specifically. That's more of a recent thing, I'm pretty sure. You're very sophisticated. I only eat dark chocolate.

I only eat dark chocolate, that's it. That's it. 60% or more. And I'm fancy.

Yeah. 60% or more doesn't qualify. Anything below 60%. He has regulations.

60% of... Like cocoa. 60% cocoa. It's not pronounced cacao?

Cacao! Not that sophisticated. Right. That's what I was trying to bait you to get you to say that so then I could make the joke and then you totally reversed it on me.

God damn. I just feel like you guys brought me on here to set me up. Like, first the telecofter, now you want to make jokes and stuff. com.

Why is he smoking the bigger one? It's a micro-penis thing, remember from the last show? Something like that. That's an excellent cigar, by the way, the Purple Carlotta.

Yes, it is. That's like top three in my list. I hear there's an event here coming up. There is actually, yes.

Yes. On July 24th, one day before Reese's Pieces releases their stuff on the website, more importantly, you can come to Cigar Hustler 724 at 6pm, we're going to have a guided tasting with two Sampere cigars, the Blue Petit Corona and then the Purple Villicosa, which Greg is currently about to smoke, guided tasting, charcuterie board, it's going to be a great night, we have some great deals going on as well. I think people too that come get a credit for cigars as well, it's a great deal, $75 ticket, I'm going to be there, the cigar guys are going to be there, and there's already a list of people that are signing up. There is, yes.

There's a lot of people coming, so it's going to be a great match. Tickets are selling fast. Absolutely. Did Sweeney work out the travel budget thing?

It's still a question mark whether or not he's going to be able to make it. We don't know if he'll be here or not. But if he's not, he'll be missed. If he's here, he's quite a character to add to the mix of the room for sure.

I really do enjoy him when he's around. He makes me fuckin' laugh, that's for sure. Great guy. Yeah, for sure.

Great guy. How do we feel about Reese's on the panel here? It's one of my favorites. So, we're talking about the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Yeah, just in general. Right. So, but they also make the Reese's Pieces, which is like their version of the M&M. Which is what we're talking about.

That's the one that we're talking about. Okay, so I've always really enjoyed those, for sure. Yeah. Yeah, I definitely, definitely like those a lot.

But now they're in several forms. They make a candy bar, and they make like a Twix-type thing where there's multiple candy bars in it. Yeah. Oh.

I didn't know about the Twix version. Well, it's not made by Twix. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's like that.

Instead of just one candy bar, there's two inside. Ah. I just had that the other day. So when it comes to Twix, which one's better, the left or the right?

Yeah, I never really got that joke. It's not a joke. It's a very serious thing. It's a very serious thing?

Yeah, they're very different. They are very different? Yeah, and if you can't tell the difference, then you don't have a sophisticated palate. Is that what the joke is?

There you go, right. Yeah, what level of cacao is in a Twix bar? Not enough. Below my standards.

He doesn't even touch the quiz. He doesn't touch the quiz. He can't do it. No, no, no.

Well, the fact that the inside is mashed up cookies or mashed up candy wires that didn't pass inspection. So it's just like this perpetual loop? Yes, they're like eating themselves. So, wait a minute.

It's the leftovers from the other cookies that were produced that's then crushed up. Correct. So what came first, the cookie or the egg? Right, yeah.

I feel like we're being lied to. You think so? Yeah, it had to start somewhere. Right, it had to start somewhere.

All right, Alex, keep going, buddy. On to the next story. Oh, no, not the plane story. Someone raped and murdered a dog.

On a plane. United Airlines, this is gonna be good, must face a class action lawsuit after a federal judge rejected the airlines attempt to do a He dismissed claims from passengers who said that they paid extra for window seats. That had no actual windows. Mmm, that's happened, has this happened to you before?

No. That's happened to me once before. Not on United, but there's like a quote-unquote window seat and there's no window, it's like at the very back. Anyway, who cares.

The lawsuit, which also names Delta Airlines, alleges that the airlines missed It's led customers by failing to disclose during booking that some window seats on Boeing 737s, 757s, and the Airbus A321s are located besides blank cabin walls instead of windows. Yeah, this is like very back. Generally, at least in my experience. This is so silly.

The only winners are the attorneys, man. Like how much more did you pay for the ticket? 50 bucks, 60 bucks to sit at a window? So after the attorney gets done taking his fee, what are you gonna get?

20 bucks out of the deal? - I've never seen window seats cost more than any other seats, in my experience. They usually have, you know, like, obviously first class, business class, whatever, but I've never seen, like, the option where it's more expensive. - So, the way that most airlines are doing it these days is, like, you buy your ticket, and then if you want to pick your seat, you pay whatever the fee is, right?

So, de facto, a window seat would cost more than a random seat because you got the opportunity to pick it. Gotcha. Okay. So they're just talking about picking seats in general.

I thought it was saying, like, the window costs more than the middle or something. No. It does. Does it?

Yeah. When they lay out the diagram, you know, and you're looking to see what's here, the aisle and window cost more than the center seat. Really? Yeah.

But by how much? Like 10 bucks? I mean, the number's getting even smaller and the attorney's making all the money. Yeah, it's not a significant amount.

I mean, you know, but, you know, when you're looking, you go, oh, well. Yeah, but if this class action lawsuit were to go through, we could all make, you know, $5 off it. Right, basically. Right, right.

You get half our money. Buy half a cigar. let's see judge james wait hold on a second does this open up for like on cruise ships where you get you know i pick a a window view room and then you find out you're behind the lifeboat you can't see anything to probably would assume i booked a window suite on a cruise and i look outside and there's water what the hell man what are we doing here there's supposed to be supposed to be it's a I can't believe it. I'm going to file a lawsuit against the Royal Caribbean.

I can't believe it. I can't believe it. I can't see any land. I'm scared.

Can I continue now, Palmer? Yes, please continue. Sorry. I apologize, sorry.

I'm sorry. Judge James Donato in San Francisco rejected Chicago-based United's argument that the window seat refers only to a seat's position, not a guaranteed outside view. That's a good attorney right there. I like this guy.

This is a judge. Oh, the judge did. Oh, I like the judge too. Yeah, the judge is agreeing with this.

It does not mean you get a window. It's just that is the location on the plane where windows would be. Actually, so real quick, the judge denied this argument. So he's saying that if it says window seat, there should be a window.

Uh-huh. Their argument was that it's the position of the seat, meaning it's on the edge. Out of seat. Donato rejected United's argument that federal law blocked the passengers.

What? Oh, Block the Passengers Claims. Okay. Saying that the airline's own ticketing terms, boarding passes, and reservation screens promised window seats to customers who paid for them.

So the judge is basically saying, you buy a window seat, you have a window seat. com and the United app to enhance the customer's experience, In 2025, we added more details about our seat selection process, so the customers can have more information about what to expect when they choose a seat. Not a window. Here's a window, but you don't see anything.

Right, you're not going to expect a window. " I wish they just took the time to take a photo of what it looks like to the left of the chair. I was just thinking that too. Right, so you can just open up, this is what you're going to get, dude.

Like on Google Street View. It's like a Google Street View. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Perfect.

If you're sitting down and you turn your head left, you see the side of the plane. Turn your head right, you see some guy from Duluth. Every photo, the person to the right is a morbidly obese, sweaty man. And it's the same guy for every photo.

Like, I'm not sitting there. I'm not sitting there. I'm not sitting there. Well, this guy's moving like I am.

A federal judge on Monday allowed a lawsuit to move forward against United Airlines over passengers who paid extra for window seats that had no actual windows. A Delta spokesperson said that the airline declines to comment on pending litigations, and the passengers filed proposed class action lawsuits in August, suing United Airlines in federal court in San Francisco, and Delta Airlines in federal court in Brooklyn, New York. Delta is also working to get pending lawsuit dismissed. Nice light story.

Okay, I feel clean now. You feel better now? I feel better after. Yes.

You got one more or two more? Um, there's more, but wait, there's more, I think you can just skip the rest of the story, I think, I think we have summarized, that's quite a long story, so, um, rather, you know, there's so many windows, there's some interviews, interviews of people in each seat with and without windows. So, to recap, United Airlines and Delta Airlines are both being sued, uh, for giving you a window seat with no windows, and it's like one or two seats on the plane. The total payout was like $12.

Right, right. But you have to prove you're on a plane between this day and that day. Have you booked a United Airlines or Delta Airlines flight in the last five years? Provide evidence and we can give you a payout for $12?

He's still reading the article. No, I'm not reading it. I'm just making that up. Oh, okay.

All right. Is this Cigar News next? I don't even remember. No, there's another story.

All right, what is it? Read the first line. At least 100 animals, including alpacas, miniature pigs, and zebras escaped the zoo. Escaped the zoo in southern China's region.

I'm not reading that. No, no, skip through it. It's a cute little story in case we needed time. I added an extra story.

So a lot of animals got out in a Chinese... Oh, is there an advertisement? Oh, no. No, there was an advertisement probably in a story.

They eat everything there. Well, see, that's the funny part of the story. They probably round up... I'll summarize the story.

There was a hurricane, their version of a hurricane, they call it Typhoon over there. Right. The zoos got a little flooded, so the zebras are loose. The unicorns are loose, there's some weird raccoons loose, 900 snakes.

Yeah, those snakes are dinner, bro. They're eating little snakes. Well, all the things are. Zebras, there's some zebras running around the city.

So they're trying to ask everybody, if you see one, you know, call this number so we can come get it. Everybody's like, I don't know what your zebra is. I've never seen a zebra. What are you talking about?

Come look at my new jacket. Isn't this nice? It's just walking around in black and white striped jacket. I've never eaten zebra.

I didn't ask you. They have new belts on them. Right, those people are eating all that stuff. Oh, they're eating everything.

There's some weird new guinea pigs or something. I mean, yeah. A guinea pig isn't that bad. I've had guinea pig.

I've never had zebra, though. Maybe you're next year. Maybe next year. Maybe next year.

I'm buying a United Airlines flight to China as we speak. To go eat the zebra. That's how I used to fly back in the old days. That was the best one to go on.

Yeah. Now in cigar news. Cigar news. Martello Cigar Co.

debuting next month. Next month, Michael Martello Jr. will release his debut cigars. His Martello Cigar Co.

plans on releasing the Ortolan in late August. The Ortolan is a 6x50 Toro that uses Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers, some of which are medio tiempo. The cigar rolled at El Titan de Bronze in Miami. Each cigar has an MSRP of, guess?

Usually I say 16, but I'm going to go a little bit bigger this time, I'm going to say 18. - $26, and production is limited to 750 porcelain jars, cigars of 10. - Ooh, they're in jars. - Medio 10.

- Can I pause for a second? Like, I love the artistic perspective when people do cool things in this industry, but as a retailer, the jar is just a pain in my ass. - I never thought about that. - Where do you put it?

How do you present it? All of the shelves are at an angle. All of them. At least in most stores.

It forces you to put it on a table where you have to display it. Right, right. Also, is this someone I should know? Is there a reason?

Well, obviously he's brand new, right? Hence the beginning of the article. I did not recognize the name. Yeah, I didn't know.

I recognize the manufacturer, obviously, you know, but no, I don't know the brand of that cigar at all. Yeah, I didn't know if this was like a Nick Malillo situation where he left someone and like... I didn't recognize the name. My brother does.

I mean, he's in the industry, I'm not, so he'll have to chime in on the comments. Yeah, he's the industry insider. Insider. Right.

Mediotiempo is part of some plants, but not a seed. Okay. Typically, the individual leaves grouped into tobacco plants are divided into three vertical sections: the secco, the viso, the ligero. On some plants, described are less than 10% of another group of leaves will grow above the ligero, the leaves known as mediotempo.

Due to its location on the plant, those leaves tend to be small but more intense than the other leaves. So, basically, because of the rarity and the scarcity of these types of leaves, he's using that to justify $26 a cigar. Well, I mean, it's also a cigar that's made in the United States. Right, right from there, it's gonna be more, and you gotta pay for the jar.

The jar is expensive. The jars are expensive. Yeah, jars are expensive. Not like it's a box.

Yeah, very expensive. But it's, you know, it's an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper on a Nicaraguan binder filler. How many of those do we have? Yeah, but, I mean, that's a halfway fair point, because you can change one ingredient in a cigar and have everything else remain the same, and it is drastically different.

For sure. I agree 100%. I don't know. Every time I read Hikadori and Hibana now, I'm like, eh, you know, everyone's got one, including us at Basta Cigars.

We did it first. And so do we. I'm smoking one right now. We did it first.

Oh, God. As I begin to learn more about tobacco and the care required to produce it, I've found distinct parallels between cigar making and the structure, discipline, and respect I have learned in the kitchen. So this guy's a chef. Ah, okay.

I have never felt a dish belong solely to the chef. There were so many people who cared about the product before it ever reached me. Tobacco feels the same. City of Palms is handling distribution for Martello Cigar Co.

An ortolan is a type of bird, perhaps best known for how it is eaten in French cuisine. Oftentimes, a napkin is used to cover a person's mouth as they discard the bird's bones from their mouth. See, I'm not even this sophisticated. Like, this is another level.

The French have perfected their sophistication. Alternatively, a scene from the television show Succession has Tom and Greg covering their heads with napkins while eating the bird. He's not eating the bird. Interesting.

Okay. So weird. The Chinese also spit bones. They have a spit bowl.

I remember that while we were there. Yeah, but they don't cover anything. No, no. They just...

Right. Yeah. The French are a little overboard, you know. They got like two different napkins, five different spoons.

Do not look at me. I am going to spit the bones, no. Do not look over here. Dinner is like five hours long.

Greg likes that. He likes those big meals. I do enjoy a multiple course meal, yes. Wealthy man.

I don't have that much money. Very wealthy. I don't have that much money, no. It's when they kill the virgins at the end, I think, is the extreme part.

But that's what he said happens. I like it when they cry. Have you ever cried? And I pick dark stories, right?

How many times have you guys brought in, like, the cigar jars into your shop? So, I mean, there have been a couple LPs that have been made. I distinctly remember Viaje did a couple of them. And they were really cool.

It's really cool, one was black, one was white, skull and bones on it, that was interesting, but again, it's problematic, it just logistically, it doesn't work really well on the shelf, so if it's like a one and done thing that you can wind up selling them as a whole set, great, love it, but if you've actually got to, you know, parcel it out and individual units put on the shelf, it's a pain in the dick. Yeah, that makes sense. Another brand that made cigars in a jar at one point, we're about to talk about now. EGM Cigars adds German distribution.

EGM Cigars, a Swiss brand whose products are made in the Dominican Republic, is now available at stores in Germany. The company announces that Cigar King's CMBH & Co, based in Munich, is the company's new German distributor. As of yesterday, July 1st, which was a few days ago, there are 11 SKUs available, all compliant with the European Union's track and pace tracking. So with track and trace policies, more SKUs are expected to be added in the future.

I think I know this guy. That name sounds familiar. I think that's Philippe that we met over at the PCA. Nice guy.

I liked him. The German distributor? Yeah. Yeah, cool dude.

Very cool dude. Oh yeah, the younger guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, the whole fact that the European Union has their whole track and trace thing, it's like ridiculous. Their regulations are ridiculous. It is wild. It is wild.

For sure. Quote, "We're delighted and genuinely honored to bring EGM Cigars into Germany with a partner as dedicated as Cigar Kings," said the CEO of EGM Cigars. Germany is the heart of the European cigar trade, and this is just the beginning of what we plan to build here together. Have you had EGM Cigars before?

I don't think that I have. They're actually pretty good. Really? Yeah, they're very, very good cigars.

Must be high-end if he's smoking. They've gotta be. Very high-end. - Yeah, they meet the standard of, you know, cigars that I would smoke.

- Sophistication. - So, like, just 60% chocolate. - So, obviously, how much cacao is in that cigar? So, but this is something that is available in the United States as well, then, being that you were fast to say that.

- Yes, so, as of a few months ago, they were, I think, like, right before PCA, they became available in the United States, and then they had a very good year at PCA, and they've got a bunch of new retailers in the United States. They've been in Europe for a while, to my understanding. And then some places in Miami picked them up and then they kind of spread out. So last time I was in Miami, I picked a couple up and tried them.

They're very good. Ecuador and Habano? No, it's all Dominican tobacco, Dominican Piro. Oh, okay.

See what I did there? Allegedly. I did see what you did there. And they do have Maduro, I think.

I don't remember what wrapper that is, but yeah. All right. Very cool. That's that story.

So UGM cigars available in Germany now. Go check it out. It's a slow news day for Tobacco Zone. The transition is just so fluid.

It's amazing. Alex, you're doing a great job. I'm not picking on you. You're doing fucking great.

I appreciate it. Great work. I'm doing the best I can with the ChatGPT teleprompter. Yeah.

And the instructions after the execution is always good. Exactly. I was supposed to read this entire thing in a German accent. Next time, next time.

Next time, next time. Next thing. California's cigar tax rate is decreasing today. What?

It won't change California's spot on the list of highest cigar tax rates in the country, but for those who buy their cigars in the state, rest in peace, first of all, today's decrease is the cigar tax rate's small victory. 08%. Ah, big number. Very big.

They're big, the biggest numbers I've ever seen. I was waiting on a Trump thing because of the hat, and thank you. Oh, this hat? Thank you because now I feel better.

Yes. Make cigars great again. I love it. I had my first customer decline us because we're not on the UTL yesterday.

Okay, well, we can discuss that. California. So, this change will save consumers at least a little bit of money. 84.

Congratulations. Since California's tobacco tax rate is a percentage of the wholesale price, the higher the MSRP, the greater the savings. Sure. Anything to justify.

Every year, California adjusts its cigar tax as it is based on the cigarette tax. And how the, and how that rate relates to the average price of a pack of cigarettes. Stupid. That's what I was gonna say.

Stupid. 87 remains the same, and the price of cigarettes goes up, that change, that changes the tax rate on cigars, okay? However, when legislators or voters approve a cigarette tax rate increase, that also changes the math on the cigars tax rate. 08% in 2017.

It's fucking un-American. Absolutely un-American. What a dictatorship communist state that we have in our country. Today has seen several states change their cigar tax rates, with Ohio's going up by two cents, and Kentucky's rate being cut by more than half.

Good job, Kentucky. You did something cool. All right. Now it's time to play: What's the Score?

I guess we should have read that Chinese animal story. Nah, we're good. Keep going. All right.

What's the score? Players hear clues from Half Wheel Cigar Review and try to predict the score. Before it's revealed. As more details are shared, the challenge gets easier.

Or does it? The closest guess to the actual score wins. Hmm. Can you read between the lines and predict the score, Greg?

I'm not very good at this game. And there's no fireworks set up today. I'm a little bit... We're not allowed to use his fireworks.

We're not allowed to use his fireworks. The one time I come on the show, and I always win this game, by the way, there's no fireworks. Well, you're not actually playing. You're going to want to be actually...

No, no, no. How is that possible? I'm the one who got all the information together. I don't know how these things work, Palmer.

You two play, I have the cigar here. Hold on, it says right here, Palmer, do you have today's cigar? Well, yes, I do, Alex. Wait, pause for a second.

Did it tell you to read that in an accent after the fact? Irish, it said Irish after the fact. Irish was supposed to be Irish. So if you could do it again in Irish, that would be great.

That's not my best accent. Okay. All right, let's just go with, what is your best accent? American?

Is that what we're working with here? Yes. You can do a pretty good Trump, you let into it a little bit, you do it in Trump, the character's fine. Palmer, do you have today's cigar?

Well, yes, I do. Today's Cigar, Greg, is from 2012. 2012. Reviewed by Charlie Minato.

Charlie, very low score, very low. It is a Honduran Cigar, the Viaje Platino Samurai Maduro pre-release. Okay, what year again? 2012.

2012, okay. Alex, you go first, you are the guest for the day. 83. Gregory?

Wow, that was a really low open. I'm going to start with my solid 88. All right, here's the information. It is called the Viaje Platino Samurai Maduro.

Country of origin is Honduras. Factory, Fabrica de Tobacco, Recis. Wrapper is San Andreas, Mexico. Binder, Nicaraguan.

Filler, Nicaraguan. Size, 6x48 Itacarona Gorda. 50 back in 2012, release date March 5th, 2012, number of cigars released 99 boxes of 25 cigars for 2,475 total cigars. They smoked three cigars for this review.

Alex. 86. I'm going to stick with 88. No pertinent information there.

Caused me to change course. No change course. That's what you think. You have to read between the lines.

Like I said, I'm not very good at this. I dropped clues, Greg. I didn't catch any of your clues. All right.

Clue number one. The flavor profile sounds rich and engaging with layers of sweetness, cedar, earth, cacao, dark chocolate. There it is. 60% or more.

And black pepper creating a bold, full-bodied smoking experience. The return of the dark chocolate is the final third, adds a nice touch of complexity. Oh, he really likes the cigar. Wow.

This is a very drastic change of information here. I'm going to go 89. Right up Alex's alley there. I just feel like it's such an Ike and Tina type of situation that it's going to wind up ending on a low, so I'm going to stay at 88.

Boring. You've got to fluctuate the numbers. I justified why I did not. If there was justification for me to move, I will.

Clue number two. Construction wasn't flawless, but the draw and smoke production were consistently excellent for most of the cigar. The strikingly dark San Andreas wrapper and the contrast with the band also make for an eye-catching presentation. Looks, just to summarize, looks good, tastes like chocolate.

No, but also you missed out, so visually pleasing, however, construction issues. Yeah, well, I didn't miss it, I just didn't say that. Well, you didn't, when, when, when surmising. I just surmise the parts I want.

I'm not gonna steal your 88, so I'm gonna go 87. Ah, so we are going down. Yes. I'm gonna say 86.

Mmm. Clue number three. The biggest drawback appears to be the burn performance. Frequent touch-ups and uneven burn line and relatively stagnant flavor developments keep the cigar from reaching its I mean, it's full potential, especially considering it's premium price point.

Mmm. Yes, because back in 2012, that was a lot of money. 85. No, no, no.

82. Mmm. 82. Here we go.

Here we go. Hold on, I need the final thought. Apparently it did not make it over. Put it back on you.

No, put it on, uh, you. Oh, beautiful. I love me. - Man, so we flip-flopped here.

I started at 83. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - I think my initial instinct might have been correct. - Hmm, could be 83.

- It could be 83. - We're moments away from finding out. - Moments away, Erik. - How many moments?

- Two whole moments. - All right, do it. - One million years later. - For the Wi-Fi.

- He finds the fucking final thought. - Hello time for the Wi-Fi to fall. - God damn. Alex, tell us again about the, about the, uh, about the event.

Which event? Oh, the Saint-Pere event, the cigar that I'm smoking currently. Plug, plug your, uh, podcast too, I've been doing it in here. So the Cigar Guys, by the way, have a great, fantastic podcast, it's called the Cigar Guys Podcast.

Who's on your show this Saturday? Jesus Christ, let him finish the sentence! Yeah, for real. Actually, Alex Weghorn is gonna be on our show this Saturday.

Who? Great episode. Uh, oh, you wouldn't know, Davidoff Brand Ambassador. Oh yeah, no, I wouldn't know, I would not know.

Oh, that's so true. Yeah, he's not in the industry. I'm not in the industry. The best brand ambassadors in the industry are named Alex, myself, Alex Gonzalez, and Alex Weghorn, but his name is actually Tristan, so technically, I'm the best.

Why does it go by Alex? He told me at one point, and I can't think of it right now. Oh, his parents decided to call him Alex for some reason, even though his full name is Tristan Alex Weghorn. I know him.

Have you guys already showed that show? Great God. No, that's coming out this Saturday. Oh, is it live?

No. Oh. But we record, and then we upload. So this Saturday, in the same day, holy shit.

Okay, you're not allowed to talk. This is the way that this works. I just read the teleprompter, I guess. So, since the Cigar Hustlers podcast doesn't upload an actual episode on Saturday, you can tune into the Cigar Guys podcast and watch us talk about Davidoff cigars and how Alex got started in the cigar industry.

It's actually a great episode, great conversation. He's always a great time. You've already recorded it? How'd you know?

Oh, you weren't listening when I said that. No, I was just taking a nap. We already recorded it, yeah. Yeah, we already recorded it.

Okay, so it is a good episode. Yes, it is. I'm not just telling you that it's a good episode. It is a good episode.

It is a good episode. There is not a Cigar Hustlers podcast that takes place on Saturday? We do all the B-rolls that go up on Saturday. Saturday morning cartoons, we call them.

Oh, that's fun. Look at that. Very good. So we're gonna have one of Alex's crotch shot then.

Yes. Yes. All right, beautiful. All right, I love that.

I figured you'd say that for the Patreon, but I'm honored. But I'm honored. Honestly. Patreon goes up on Thursdays.

Thursdays. Who keeps track? I don't. I do not keep track of any of this.

Is it every two weeks? The Patreon? Yeah. No, it's every Thursday.

m. All right. I've got it right here. I've got it right here.

I've got it right here. I've got it right here. One million years later. All right.

Here we go. The bottom line. Much like Brooks' thoughts on the Viaje Samurai, this cigar has a decent flavor profile that didn't do a whole lot of developing. It wasn't flat or boring, but it also left a This is a decent amount to be desired.

Easiest way to describe this, a beefed-up version of the Viaje Samurai, the sourness and black pepper both seem to have transitioned over, although the dominating earth note seems like a new feature. Overall, I had a lot of hopes from the Mexican rapper, but the sweetness I had hoped for just wasn't anywhere to be found in the Viaje Platino Samurai Maduro. " Opened the door and jumped out. God.

Oh, man. I'm 79 for now. Yeah, right. Yeah, no, it can't be great.

Because it's like, you know, whoever's closest. I'm gonna go 78. He said 79, you said 78? Correct.

You went the wrong way, Gregory. Oh, I'm so bad at this game. The score was 85. He had it.

How could that cigar get an 85? How? Not only did it have construction issues, but he didn't like the way that it tasted. This is insanity.

I don't have to get angry. I'm angry. I'm angry. Charlie, we need to do constructive surgery on your palate or something.

I mean, this is crazy. Or is it a mental thing? I mean, if I read a Half Wheel article, first of all, Half Wheel, you do a fantastic job. But if I read a Half Wheel article...

Let me just put that out first, because I'm about to say you suck. No, all I'm saying is, especially if Charlie writes it, I'm reading all the notes and stuff, I'm like, dang, that sounds like a great cigar, you know, and then it's like, 83, but then you read this article, and he gives it an 85, I'm like, what? You just never know. There's no rhyme or reason to it.

I think the intention of the half wheel sometimes is just to rage bait and cause reactions such as Greg with three G's. It was so temporary. I'm not that emotional. I'm over it.

So they have a certain way they do this. There's a method to their madness, and the local guy, Mike, what's his name, Brian, was going to come on the show and explain it. Oh, that'd be great. Yeah, I thought it'd be great, too, but he said, I have to get permission, though, from Charlie to do it.

I'm sure he'll get permission for it. No, Charlie said no, he couldn't do it. To explain the process? Apparently, it's on their website somewhere.

If you dig around a lot, you can find it, and it explains how they do it, but Charlie did not want him to come on. I think that would be a great conversation. Yeah, I thought it would, too. I thought it'd be great for the show.

Oh, Charlie, reconsider, please. What we will do is we will have the Cigar Guys come on your show and explain exactly how we rate cigars, Much better than Hatfield does. Well, we only like you, so, I mean, if you want to come on and explain. Well, I am the Cigar Guy, so.

You are the Cigar Guy. I will gladly come back on your show anytime. Alright, you plugged the show, you plugged the event. Greg, you had anything else to add?

No. We hope you enjoyed your, what's, edumatainment? Edumatainment. Edumatainment.

We appreciate you guys listening. Mikey will not be here again tomorrow, so we'll have more fun again for the next show. So, thank you very much, we gotta go. Thank you very much.

We gotta go. One more thing. One more thing. Cigar Guys officially endorses James Fishback as Florida governor.

Go out and vote. What the hell was that? Very political. No, I gotta cut something out.

This got very political. Do we have to cut that out? No, we won't. No, I don't think we have to cut that out.

All right, here's what I need you to do, Alex. There's Fishback signs around the corner. It's fine. Alex, I need you to point the remote at the screen and act like you're turning something off.

And make the noise boop. See you later. Boop. There you go.

Show Notes

On Todays show….. Im pretty sure thats not how this works? E.T. Likes Yummm! Whats a window seat with no window? Mommy is that a zebra in our yard (Chinese accent). Then in cigars. Finally less taxes, Ve….Have taken Germany (German accent) and then a couple new cigars