ACHP -Episode Title: "Cigars, Scandals, and Shifting Politics – Episode 369"
Episode Summary
Episode 369 kicks off the new year with hosts Mike Stepankewicz and Mike Palmer (plus engineer Boots) working through an admittedly slow cigar news week, padded out with a long run of trending non-cigar topics. They open with the Skip Bayless / Fox Sports workplace misconduct lawsuit and use it as a springboard into why legacy sports media and networks like ESPN are losing ground to independent podcasters and personalities such as Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith. From there they cover Justin Trudeau's expected resignation as Liberal Party leader, the tariff dispute and Trump's "51st state" jabs, the Detroit Lions' 31-9 win over the Vikings to lock the NFC's No. 1 seed and Dan Campbell's locker-room speech, and Nikki Glaser's turn hosting the Golden Globes — with a running argument about whether an awards show nobody watches can actually be "saved," compared along the way to Cigar Aficionado's Top 25.
The cigar news segment starts with the ongoing Top 25 countdown rollouts across cigar media, name-checking Espinosa's Las Provincias and Warhead, E.P. Carrillo Encore Black, Rocky Patel Year of the Dragon and a pre-release Mastranza placement. The main releases discussed: J.C. Newman's Jose Gaspar 2025, a 6x54 Toro tied to Tampa's Gasparilla Pirate Festival, using a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper for the first time in the line, made at the J.C. Newman PENSA factory in Estelí, priced at $8 in five-packs and sold at only 17 Tampa-area retailers. The hosts take a long, skeptical detour into whether the pirate Jose Gaspar ever actually existed.
Next up is the CAO Amazon Basin 2025 from General Cigar — a 6x52 Toro with Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Brazil, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, highlighted by the Bragança tobacco that's supposedly harvestable only every three years and shipped out of the rainforest by canoe. The guys have a lot of fun poking holes in the marketing story of an eleven-year-running "limited edition," and note the $14.49 MSRP and line extensions like the Amazon Fumo em Corda, Anaconda and Orellana. They close with Landmark Hospitality reviving the Stork Club name for its cigar lounges, membership club and a Kingsmaker-made Stork Club No. 53 (6x52 Mexican San Andrés over Nicaraguan binder and filler, $15), plus the history of Sherman Billingsley's original Manhattan nightclub. Listener of the Week goes to Jack Taranio and James Garcia, with Espinosa Cigars named brand of the week.
In This Episode
- 01Skip Bayless lawsuit and the decline of legacy sports mediaThe hosts break down the Fox Sports workplace misconduct suit and argue that boxed-in network talk shows are losing audiences to independent podcasters.
- 02Trudeau resignation, tariffs and Canada talkJustin Trudeau's expected step-down as Liberal Party leader leads into tariffs, Trump's '51st state' jabs and how much produce and power the U.S. imports from Canada.
- 03Lions crush Vikings for the NFC's top seedDetroit's 31-9 win, Dan Campbell's Tommy Boy locker-room speech, game balls for Jahmyr Gibbs and Amik Robertson, plus Tyreek Hill's checked-out season in Miami.
- 04Nikki Glaser and whether the Golden Globes can be savedA debate over ratings, relevance and why nobody watches awards shows anymore — compared directly to Cigar Aficionado's annual Top 25.
- 05Top 25 countdown season in cigar mediaRundown of recent placements including Espinosa Las Provincias and Warhead, E.P. Carrillo Encore Black, Rocky Patel Year of the Dragon and a pre-release Mastranza.
- 06J.C. Newman Jose Gaspar 2025The Gasparilla-themed 6x54 Toro gets a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper for the first time, is made at PENSA in Estelí, sells for $8 in five-packs at 17 Tampa retailers.
- 07CAO Amazon Basin 2025 and the canoe storyGeneral Cigar brings back the 'limited' Amazon Basin for an eleventh year at $14.49, and the hosts pick apart the Bragança tobacco harvest-and-canoe marketing legend.
- 08Stork Club returns as a cigar brand and lounge conceptLandmark Hospitality revives the famous Manhattan nightclub name for lounges, a membership club and the Kingsmaker-blended Stork Club No. 53 at $15.
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
*Muchas* Welcome to ACHP episode 369. Recorded live at the Mike and Mike Production Studio in Delta on the floor. This is ACHP, the show where cigars, business, and life collide. Join your host, Mike Stepankewicz, and Mike Palmer as they bring you on filter takes on the cigar industry, insider stories, and a whole lot of laughs.
And me, I'm Boots, your sound and video engineer. That's Boots, spelled B-O-O-T-S. So sit back, light up, light up, and light up. Welcome to the Cigar Hustler Podcast, the show brought to you commercial-free, but a massive shout-out to our amazing patrons on the Patreon.
Thanks to your unwavering support, we're able to do unfiltered, unbiased opinions, all things cigars, personalities in the cigar world. Your backing makes it possible for us to keep it real for our listeners. Cheers to you. If you would like to become a...
com and search the Cigar Hustler Podcast, turn that one up. Maybe I can fix that music manually instead of having him to have to automatically, I mean, instead of him having to pull it down. Yeah, because buttons are complicated. Yes, buttons are complicated.
Nobs, knobs and dials and things. Hey. I can't hear your lovely introduction because the music is so loud. Yeah.
I turned it down a little bit. Dun, dun, dun, dun. Yeah, but it was halfway through. Oh, but he heard us.
Yeah, he heard us. He heard us. He heard us. Turn that down.
Oh, God. All right. First show of the new year. Yeah.
Oh, this show is going to be bananas right here. Oh, a very slow news week in the industry. Yeah. Oh.
Very, very slow. Okay. Seems like that's trending. Well, the year wrapped up and the new year started, so.
We can talk about that. Okay. Trending topics we're talking about. See, we got hairstylist Nao Shen Ferraghese.
I phonetically spelled the name, so that's right. Okay. Nao Shen Ferraghese. Okay.
5 million for sex in a blockbuster lawsuit. Okay. Oh. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau is set to resign, as party leaders polls plummet, a report said.
Some international news. Okay. Lions beat the Vikings to become the number one seat. Big.
Huge. Huge. Huge. Golden Globes was saved by Nicky Glazer.
Really? Glazer. That's how you say your list name, right? It's not glass or glazer.
Uh, yeah, you wanna start with Nicky? Sure. I don't care. No, so, you know, whatever.
Oh, start in order? Whatever you wanna do. Yeah, I don't want you to mess them up. All right, controversial sports pundit Skip Bayless, who I'm not familiar with.
Oh, okay. He's on a show. He is on a show. He used to be on a show.
Now the show's been canceled. Oh, it's been canceled. He's done. Well, it was canceled before, but we'll get into that.
5 million for sex in a Blockbuster Workplace Misconduct Lawsuit, big name, big name, relating to the plaintiff's tenure working at the Fox Sports Studios in Los Angeles, California, Naoshin Faragee's lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of California on Friday and also alleges that Charlie Dixon, the Executive Vice President of Content for Fox Sports, groped her at a party in West Hollywood in January. And that Sports 1 host Jay Taylor contributed to a hostile work environment. Yikes. Okay, so, Boot, you know, Skip is the guy who used to do Stephen A.
Smith, right? Right, yeah, with Stephen A. Smith. Okay, so Stephen A.
Smith, do you know who Stephen A. Smith is? I have no idea. Okay, he's an icon, as far as, like, sports are concerned.
Is he a player or an announcer? No, he's an analyst, like an analyst. Yeah, and he's very angry, all the time. Okay.
And it makes you pay attention. He's not that shirtless guy, is he? No. Or the sleeveless guy?
He's a black guy with a big forehead. He's a black guy with a big forehead. Hair lines all the way back. Wow, and I'm called racist.
Wow. Here we are. Well, you know. I thought maybe that would help.
Okay. Maybe that would help. I've never watched a show before. Okay, so listen.
Stephen A. Smith, he's an icon. Okay. He's a big analyst in the industry.
He's a commentator and he's always gassed up. He's very passionate. Okay. From one passionate individual to another.
He's very passionate. And he keeps his hands to himself, though. I would believe that Stephen A. Smith keeps his hands to himself.
He's also on soap operas. He's everywhere. Oh, everywhere. Is he angry on the soap opera?
Or passionate? No, he's actually, I actually know this, sadly, but he comes in on General Hospital from time to time, and he's like this, he does like the dirty work for the mob guy. Oh! Yeah.
Of course he does. Of course he does. He's very passionate. Yeah.
Very passionate about his mob work, too. From what I can tell. Right. Sure.
When you walk through the room with your wife. No. When it's patio night, when we hang out with patios, she likes to catch up on her general hospital. This is like the show.
Oh, my wife does Days of Her Lives, but that's when I put a headphone in and I do stuff on my phone. So I'm doing stuff normally, but I will still pay attention. Yeah, I'll look up and go, "Holy crap, that lady's old. I remember when I was a kid.
And I'll ask questions. They hate that. I'm like, wait a second. It's a soap opera is usually what I get.
So, Stephen A. Smith did this, there was this whole thing with Skip where no matter, it's like no matter what Stephen A. Smith said, Skip would always disagree with him. And there were times when Skip would talk and you're like, yeah, okay, he's got some points.
And then it eventually got to a point where you just thought, okay, Skip's just disagreeing with Stephen A. Smith, just to fucking disagree with him. Part of the show. And you no longer believe it.
It lost validity, in my opinion. Okay, I got you. So, I don't, I didn't know what happened to him. I didn't know that he dissipated, but apparently he's been out groping individuals.
Uh, well, uh, uh, Miss, uh, how do you say her last name again? Faragees, brings forth the action because of over a decade at Fox, she was forced to endure a misogynistic, racist, and I'll, I'll be it. I'll be it. No, that's not the word.
A-B-L-E-I-S-T. Ableist. Okay. Ableist workplace where executives and talent were allowed to physically, verbally abuse workers with impunity, the lawsuit alleges.
Right. " Apparently, this went on from 2016 to 2024 until the show was canceled. Okay, so the show's gone. Yeah, the show was canceled.
Once it's over, and then she's like, "Okay, now I have this thing. I have to tell everybody. Hmm. Maybe that was the, uh, protect like, uh, Stephen A.
Smith and Shannon Sharp and all them. I don't know. So she waited it out? I don't know.
Right. Until after the show was canceled. I mean, it's terrible if it happened. That's fine.
It's terrible. Everybody agrees it was terrible. But to wait that long? I mean, that's 2016 to 2024?
Well, maybe she, yeah, maybe in the beginning she was okay with the grope and then she's like really thinking about it. She's like, wait a second. Well, really thinking about it when she's out of work? I don't think so.
No? I don't think that it's to protect anybody, because we saw the whole Matt Lauer thing with the Today Show. Right, sure. It didn't affect anybody else.
No, yeah, just Matt Lauer. Yeah, boom. Yeah. Right?
She can no longer do hair. I had to look her up. I didn't know who she was. Yeah, I don't know who she is either.
Right. She's not that cute. Not that that matters. And not for nothing, I don't know if this matters, but Skip Bayless is 73 years old.
Yeah, he's an older guy. The picture is an older, redheaded guy. Yeah, what does that have to do with anything? He's just a dirty old man.
He has a big forehead and hair. Yeah, it's all in the back. The hair's back. But okay, so do you think that she should have blew it up prior to?
I think she should have said it as soon as it happened. Yeah, I think when it happens you should say it. Yeah, you gotta blow it up. It sounds like, you know, verbally abuse workers with impunity the lawsuit alleges.
So maybe she did bring it up at the time, but she could have brought the lawsuit. Is it a class action suit or just a regular? Just regular. Okay.
Well, class action means you have to have a bunch, oh yeah, you have to have a bunch of people. Yeah. Apparently, she's the only hairdresser for this one show. Must make a lot of money.
I don't know. I don't know what hairdressers make. Yeah, but the groping thing. I mean, it's just so fucking tacky.
At a party. It sounded like it was at a party or something. What type of groping? It doesn't sound like this is a one-time thing.
Groped her at a party in West Hollywood in January 2017. I don't know if she specifically lists the year. Remember that one time in 2017 you touched my butt during the Christmas party? Let's define the group.
" Handed her a drink and caressed her fingers as he gave her the drink. Okay. Well, the sad part is, I guess this could go either way. Don't go to any more APS Christmas parties.
I get groped all the time. He doesn't drink. He grabs me all the time. That even makes it more awkward.
Here's your drink. I don't drink. You won't know until the show's over. He gives me a little pat.
" nobody yet you gotta wait till the show's canceled Boots groped me back in 2025 at the annual Christmas party at the APS Christmas party it's crazy we'll have to keep track of this one and see how it develops if it's ever mentioned again in the news I'm sure it will he skips a big enough name I wouldn't say he's a big deal Boots what do you think I mean, he was the pioneer for the talk shows, I mean, pretty much. Yeah, but he's kind of... Mr. Randy Jewsfulness, because they canceled the show.
Well, here's what's happening. This whole media thing is dying. Yeah. Yeah, because all you got left is Pat McCaffrey.
Why is that? I mean, I understand print's dying, but why is video dying? Well, your ESPNs, your all these shows, like, no one's watching this shit anymore because... It's watered down, too.
Yeah, because it's been... Yeah, you know, like, they've been put in this box. They've been told to only say "X", and that's why the guys that thrive are the guys that are the more open and honest. So I think Stephen A.
Smith, you don't have to agree with what Stephen A. Smith says. What is Thrive? Like Thrive, like doing well.
Oh, I thought it was another network or something where you said the guys that thrive, I thought you meant like @thrive. No, the individuals that are doing very well are the ones... What a cool name for a sports show. Sorry.
The ones that are doing very well are the ones that speak how they believe, right? Right. And you don't have to necessarily believe in what they're saying. They believe in what they're saying.
Sure, it's their opinion. Yeah. And they've parlayed that into podcasts and all these other platforms, so their brand continues to grow. And because of that, your ESPNs, your Foxes, your ABCs, your CNNs, your MSNBCs, where you're boxed in and you can only say specific things, those shows aren't doing well anymore.
So they're finding other places to go, the audience and the person on the show. Correct. Not to mention that, look, ad revenue, I think, is down in those things. So because less money's coming in, contracts are less.
If contracts are less, people are like, well, fuck you, I'm out of here. Yeah, I go do a podcast, make more money. Yeah, whatever. I can say whatever I want to say.
Yeah, exactly. So you're seeing this, this whole thing kind of develop, where people are just kind of done with being told what to do, and now they're getting paid less, and, you know, Or being fired. Right. Does ESPN have a series of podcasts that they put out?
I think that they've been making some smart moves where they acquired Pat McAfee, right? Right. Is that correct, Boots? Yep.
And, you know, he's got a pretty big following as far as sport talk. But again, same scenario, he's your guy that sometimes is in a black tank top. You know, he's just… Oh, he's the sleeveless guy. Yeah.
He's always kind of open and honest and just kind of speaks how he feels. And I think that that disclaimer was made when he came onto that show. That show so do you think the sports networks will go away I don't think that they'll go away in their entirety but I think they're gonna lose significant value maybe the talk show parts of it there or the the analyst parts go smaller or less or you have to you have to acquire good talent right and then you have to let that talent say what they want to say sure they're afraid of offending advertisers well that's well that's what's gonna happen is you're right you know like the pendulum swung so hard in one direction now the pendulum is gonna start swinging back right Right. Sure.
And then what happens? What happens? It goes too far in that direction. Right.
Where now all of a sudden you're out of control and then it starts coming back. So that we're at the we're finally at that focal point where this is my honestly my opinion is where we're starting to see that swing back and you're starting to see people be open and honest in these platforms where they, you know, beliefs are being said. And if those broadcast networks don't grasp hold of that, yeah, they're done, but I don't think, I think that there's enough money there where they, someone will come in. ESPN has what, like nine or ten channels or something ridiculous like that?
I mean, that'll probably be shaved down. Right. I think that that's realistic, you don't need nine or ten ESPN channels, and I think that you're going to see a lot of talent being, a lot of hosts being cut back. I have to have a place to watch bowling and darts and...
I gotta watch, dude, darts is big overseas. Right, well, it's huge. huge uh it really is but here it's not so you know and those other plat by the those other platforms are really what's kind of taken off podcasts have taken off the good ones right continue to grow so all right moving on k canadian canadian canadian prime minister trudeau set to resign as party leader canadian prime minister justin trudeau is expecting to announce He will step down as leader of the ruling Liberal Party in the coming days. Canadian media has reported ahead of a general election to be held later this year that he is widely expected to lose.
Trudeau will likely announce his resignation before a key national caucus. They have caucuses. Meeting on Wednesday, sources told The Globe and Mail and Reuters. However, the source stressed Trudeau has not made a final decision.
Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party for 11 years and prime minister for nine, is facing a mounting set of crises He's not the only one. I have other Canadian friends other than John. Right. And disastrous opinion polls.
His resignation would be seen as a Prime Minister choosing to jump before he is pushed. Yeah. Yeah, nobody likes him up there anymore. No.
My friends in Canada do not speak nicely of him at all. Oh, that's confirmed. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I believe that, you know, unless John checks in in three weeks and tells her that.
He's not the only one, you know. I have other Canadian friends other than John. Right. Mike?
Uh... John? Well, there's John, there's Becky, there's Mitchell, from Smoking Tobacco Show. Okay.
Those are my three Canadian friends. There's only three. There's only two guys in a row. Perfect.
That's enough. And all people I know through podcasting, so. Three's a company. So, that's it, huh?
Well, the move would leave the Liberal Party without a permanent leader before the general election, And where polls were polls show it is set to badly lose to the opposite conservative party led by the firebrand Pierre Poulaver, the election would be held on or before October 20th, but could be brought forward. Aha. So Canada's falling apart. Well, supposedly Trudeau came down to Mur-a-Lago and spoke to Trump about the tariffs.
Right. And he said, you know, like he went in stating that he was going to handle this and apparently he left and Trump flat out said, you know, if you want Canada to become the 51st state, Now he's calling Trudeau the governor. Yeah, just kind of sent him backpacking, and, you know, who wants that for a leader? Right, yeah.
Who wants that? Oh, the American guy kicked your ass. That's nice. So it's all gonna work out.
What do you mean it's gonna work out? I mean, it's gonna be fine. We're gonna pay our tariffs and it's gonna be fine. You know, like, there's no...
I don't know. Well, technically, like with the Chinese, if he puts tariff on goods from Canada coming into here, we pay it, not the Canadians. Not the Canadians. Right.
But it makes them less appealing for American companies to buy. Right. Sure. Yeah.
But you know how much power we get from them, I was told? How much power? The entire eastern seaboard gets power from Canada. You know what?
That's kind of a problem. Yeah. I don't think that that's a problem. I don't either.
Is that the going green thing? What? Power? Yeah.
Is that why we get our power from them? No, because we don't make it here. We don't make electricity enough or something, apparently. So, I mean, they have a lot of open land up there.
Yeah. I feel like we got a lot of water on the East Coast. I mean, I think you could make a lot of power. I feel like it would make more sense if we took care of our own power.
Yeah, I didn't realize we got power. I mean, the Midwest gets power from Canada? I just thought we got maple syrup this whole time. We get a lot of vegetables in Florida.
Yeah. From Canada? Canadian vegetables. Canadian vegetables.
That's so far to get them. I know. Could they not find anything closer? Right.
What kind of veggies? Do you know? No, I don't know specifics. Look up the, tell me what the top veggies are that are imported.
Top vegetables imported from Canada. Look it up, but I'm glad because I don't like vegetables. Yeah, he's not a veggie guy. Yeah.
I mean, we only have oranges and beef here and Christmas trees. You know what? Do we need anything else? I'm feeling good about...
No scurvy, a lot of protein, and we have trees at Christmas. What else? Yeah, I mean, I feel like we're covered. You know what I mean?
You know what? Dome, Florida. We don't need anything else. Right.
Just put a fence up at the top there. We have the cows. We have the oranges. Here are some.
Okay, tell me. Dry onions, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, and peppers. That's a lot. Those are the top six or whatever?
Yep. That's a lot of vegetables. We also get bananas, apples, strawberries, and potatoes. We grow strawberries here.
Yeah. We have a old festival. We have a strawberry festival. Right.
There's a high school called the Fighting Strawberries right over in Plant City. What's crazy is those all come from Canada. Yeah, right. How did Canada slide in and get their peace?
I don't understand. I don't know. You know? We're doomed.
We're doomed. We need that 51st state. Well, if we need any, we just call John. Yeah.
It's a great way to solve the tariff problem. Yeah. Just call John? No.
Make it the 51st state. Right. It's not a problem. We're that worried about it.
Come on. We protect you anyway. We all go there and visit. We love Niagara Falls.
There's some of those in America. Yeah, that sounds pretty. Oh. It's just like one side or the other, isn't it?
No, on our side, it's concrete. On their side, there's grass. Speaking of Niagara Falls, the Bills are playing the Bucks next season in Buffalo. Next week.
In Niagara Falls? No, not next week. Slowly I turn. Oh, next season?
Next season. Oh. Yeah. Sorry, we're not doing that story today.
Okay. Alright, but we are doing that the Lions beat the Vikings to become the number one seat. The Lions didn't just beat the Vikings. They stomped them in a 31-9 win.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell shared the immortal words of Tommy Callahan, Chris Farley, and Tommy Boy in his locker room speech Sunday night after the division clinching 31-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings. You know what he said? No. That was awesome.
Yeah, that was awesome. That was awesome. Campbell wearing a ready-to-roll NFC North Champion t-shirt in Honolulu blue. I like Honolulu blue.
It's my new favorite color. Yeah. Couldn't contain his excitement about the victory and what lies ahead. The Lions lock the He picked up the first round by, and the number one seed, and the NFC, oh seed, not seed, Tom, hmm, I got that wrong.
Yeah. NFC ensuring the path to the Super Bowl goes through Ford Field in Detroit. It's a hell of a win, guys, Gamble said, that this has been three years in the making, some of it four, like, that just doesn't happen. That was unbelievable, man, division winners, back-to-back seasons, and the number one seed, that was a total team effort.
Yeah. Was it a good game? I didn't watch it. It was one-sided.
They just decimated it. But I will tell you this. It was fun to watch. Yeah.
I enjoyed the beating of it. I'm not, you know, I don't have anything against the Vikings. Sure. But at this point, I'm rooting for Detroit.
You know what I mean? Did that make it better for your team that the Vikings lost? No. Not one of those.
Didn't change. Carry the one. You know. It only happens in football.
It solely happens in football. That's right. That's why I wanted to ask. What is cool about it, you know, I don't know how you don't root for this guy.
Dan Campbell's just a fucking beast. He's amazing. The guy's got, he's drinking two massive jugs of black coffee. Oh, is he really?
Yeah, he's just, and he's, his mentality, his mindset, the way that he has spoken at the beginning, as soon as he became coach, and, you know, the belief that this team has behind this guy is just all inspiring, man. I'm just, I'm in. I like that he quotes movies in his speeches. I like that he's doing pushups with his team.
Oh, is he doing pushups with his team? I've seen it. Yeah. It's incredible.
The guy is incredible. The guy is absolutely incredible. The team is absolutely incredible. I would love to see them just decimate the Chiefs.
I'm hoping that that happens. He's the best. It's just fun. They're just fun to watch.
They are. And, um, yeah, I'm, you know, I'm not quietly rooting for them. I'm rooting for them to some degree. Now, you know, obviously they run into the Bucs.
I'd like to see the Bucs win. But he's such a great guy. Dan Campbell? Yeah.
He is. Well, if he does push-ups before the game with the team. You know, Todd Bowles does not do push-ups with this guy. No, he doesn't.
No, he's lazy. You know what's really funny? What? Do you know where Dan Campbell was originally?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No. I know. Boots, where was he before they shit-canned him?
Come on. Miami? Tell us. Yeah.
Tell me. He was in Miami. He was a tight end coach. Yeah.
That's because your organization is complete shit. That's why. They're terrible. The Miami Dolphins...
I'm done with football. Tyreek Hill... Oh, the Dolphins are out of it, apparently. Yeah, they are out of it.
They are out of it. I'm on the basketball. And the Cheetah has flat-out... Well, they lost to the Utah Jazz yesterday.
I was there. Yeah, they did. So, but Tyreek Hill has flat-out said, "I'm done. " He's like one of the best receivers in the league.
And this is the first season where he's not going to the playoffs. Oh, he plays for Miami. " Or he used to. He's quit now.
Yeah, wide receivers are pre-Madonna's. I don't disagree with him, though. You know what? He should have never went to Miami to begin with.
He just took the money. That's the problem. Oh, he took the money. No heart.
You gotta do one or the other. Right. You know what I mean? You either gotta take the money, and I don't begrudge him for taking the money.
Nah, how much money are we talking? I don't know. Millions? Oh, yeah.
Of course. Tens of millions? Yeah. I would take the money, too.
Who cares if you win? Okay, so then at that point, then shut your mouth. Right, don't complain, you took the money. Yeah.
Right. And that's really my feeling about Tyreek Hill. It's like, okay. Send him a picture of the check.
You left the Chiefs, you went to Miami, who also got beat yesterday. Yeah, but they didn't start anybody. Nobody played? No.
They played all their third stringers in practice squads. What the hell for? Are they out of it now? They clinched.
They don't care about any of the games. Yeah, the refs make sure that they win every game. Oh, okay. Yeah.
All right, well, we can talk about that at another point. But they can't be like Brady because they went 15-2. Sorry. That's right.
Boots, can you turn the air down, please? It is a little hot in here. It is hot. I didn't turn it down at all.
All right, Campbell gave away three game balls after the game. Okay. He gave one to Jameer Gibbs. Yeah, because this guy had four touchdowns.
Second-year running back, then did 170 yards from scrimmage and scored all four of the Lions touchdowns. Right. He gave one to Amik Robertson, the cornerback-tailed All-Pro Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson, who had his worst game against Detroit since September 22. He did, and I think Amik Robertson is not, I think he's second or third string.
Oh. Yeah. Amik! Amik!
And Alex Anzalone. Close. Anzalone. Okay.
The linebacker returned from injury to a welcoming crowd, and according to Sean Windsor, stitched together the middle of the defense, directed traffic, And ran down runners on the boundary. There you go. Oh, there you go. Minnesota was running for their life.
I mean, it was amazing to watch. Yeah? Yeah. Good.
It was a good game. Alright, Golden Globes is saved by Nikki Glaser. Aha. Did you see her?
She looked completely different from when she did the Brady thing. Like, I wouldn't have recognized her. No, I just caught a clip when she said that trend. So, I looked it up.
I started listening to some shit that she was saying. It was pretty funny. She probably dressed up for Brady, so. Uh, I thought she looked better.
She looked better, yeah, well, she had a fancy dress on her thing, but anyway, it looked like the end of the line for the drunkest, messiest, tackiest, ditziest, and bitchiest of award shows, no network would even air it anymore, but everybody loves a comeback story, right? And lo and behold, the Globes are back, officially kick off awards season. Give it up to the new host, Nikki Glaser, who made the night a blast. She set the tone right from the start, calling the event, Ozempic's biggest night.
Golden Globes have risen from the dead before. The whole franchise was down for the count before. Before Ricky Gervais single-handedly rescued it in 2010 by rebranding it as a savage bitch fest. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler took over for their peerless four-year running.
But last year's host, Joy Coy, was a disaster. Setting the bar so low, the devil's using it as a toilet brush. The stars were depressed, very presently polite, trying to make it a classy, respectable gala it should have never aspired to be. " Apparently he gets drunk at every award show and everybody loves it when he gets drunk.
Oh, he's drunk again. Oh, he's going to yell at somebody. Macaulay Culkin's little brother. Oh.
Kieran Culkin. Nice. Fuller? What did he do?
Fuller! He's been in a bunch of movies. He actually won a Golden Globe last night. Oh, yeah?
For what? We will get to that in just a moment. I've never heard of it before. Fuller wets a bed.
Yeah, Fuller wets a bed in Home Alone. He said if Fuller drinks anything, he's gonna wet the bed and they show him drinking a Coke. Oh, so he was in Home Alone with him? Right.
His brother. Right, he was in one shot in the beginning and then something at the end. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah.
Okay, here's a full list of winners and nominees. Oh, I didn't do the nominees, sorry, it was just a waste, there's too many of them for each one. And that's it. So we have the winners and what they were in.
Okay. I don't know any of these, like that other award show. Okay. Oh, yeah.
All right, best performance by an actress in a supporting role in any motion picture. Zoe Zaldana. Okay. I know who that is.
It's a girl from Linus. Oh, okay. And the green girl from that other woman. What did she win for?
Amelia Perez. Best performance, he said. Yeah, well, that was the movie. Amelia Perez.
Oh. That was the name of the movie. Okay. Never heard it before.
I don't know if I want you to read all these off. Well, there's only five or six. Is there any movies we do know? Yeah, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Jeremy Allen White for The Bear.
Okay. Oh, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Shogun. Shogun was great. There was two winners from Shogun.
Also, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, two different people, but same show. Yeah. Baby Reindeer. All right, you're losing it.
Conclave, Single Lady. All right, let it go. You're trying to slide that in. That's the names in the movies.
All right. I just don't like that these award shows are supposed to be, you know, the movies everybody Nobody has seen and stuff, but nobody's seen any of this. Well, it's just, it's kind of like Cigar Aficionado, top 20. Well, at least we've heard of most of those cigars.
No, well, look, you know, again, here's what's, here's what you're starting, I don't think, do you think Nikki saved the Golden Globes? No, I didn't watch it. Well, I did, I saw it was on, but it's because I looked up trends yesterday, but no, I didn't watch it, yeah. Okay, so you didn't even watch the Golden Globes?
No, I'm not a big fan of hers, but I did see her stuff after the show, and I thought it was good. Okay, so do you think that she saved the Golden Globes? Because you didn't watch the Golden Globes, you just caught the highlights. No, but because she was going to be the host, or host is whatever it's called, because she did so well on Brady's show, a network picked it up.
It wasn't scheduled after last year's flop by Joe Coy. Nobody had picked it up. Okay, so nobody picked up Golden Globes, so it wasn't on anything? No, they did because she was the host.
Okay, Boots, do me a favor. Can you tell me what the ratings were for the past three years of the Golden Globes? Okay. I don't think that she saved...
Here's my point. I don't think that she saved the Golden Globes. And the reason why I don't think that she saved the Golden Globes is because of what you just said. Listen, no one gives a shit about what critics say for anything.
I don't know who picks what. Do critics pick the winners for the Golden Globes? I don't know. I have no idea.
But the fact of the matter is that there are a bunch of shows, for the most part, That nobody's watching, right? You know what I mean? Sure. Was Yellowstone on that, Mark?
No, they were not one of the... Go throw a rock and ask me if, hey, has anybody seen Yellowstone? Right, right. That's my point, right?
Sure. Throw a rock, find somebody who saw a real pain. Right. Did you give any award to Taylor Sheridan just for just absolutely kicking ass in everything that he's done?
I don't know. These are just actors. Well, I guess he was an actor, but he's such a small part. No, but my point is, okay, so let's go on.
Let's go on. Lioness? Yellowstone? Right.
Landman just hit? Right? What else has the guy done? Mayor of Kingstown?
You know what I mean? Like, those are, like, not even one mention? I don't, like I said, they weren't in the list, no. So that's my point.
Sure. So, you know, how are these shows that everybody's watching, that everybody enjoys, not getting a nod at all? Not at all. Well, he said, I don't know how they picked.
There is a People's Choice Awards. They will probably be in that, I would imagine. Right. So my point is that you're not saving the Golden Globes no matter who the fuck's hosting it.
Well, like I said, it wasn't going to be on TV until she was the thing. That's why they're saying she was the host. That's why they're saying she saved it. She at least got it on TV.
Right. Well, yeah, well, because in 2023 it was on Peacock. Okay. Right.
Well, it was also on Paramount last night. So what do you got for Ratings Boots? Okay, so it skips 2022, but 2021… It wasn't when it was the COVID. Oh, okay.
Was it 22? Was it 22? Because maybe there were no movies the year before. Oh yeah, no, it says NBC refused to broadcast the 22 ceremony due to the scandal.
There must have been some scandal. Oh, there must have been some scandal. So 21, 10% decrease from 2019. Okay.
3 million viewers. Okay. 4 million viewers. Okay.
So you're up 20 points from 2019. Got it. That's it. That was the last one.
That, so, but, so this was 2025s or that? No, this was. This was 24. This is 24 show.
Got it. So this show was up 20% than 2019. Right. It's not a big swing.
I don't feel like anything's been saved. Maybe in TV that's a big swing. I don't know. I don't feel like anything's been saved.
I don't think anybody can. Well, I didn't write the article. I like that you're getting defensive about it. I'm not getting defensive.
When I'm just simply saying. Well, I'm not going to show. You're right. And then what are we going to talk about?
See what I mean? See how you're getting. I'm not getting defensive. You are.
You're getting angry. No, I'm not. Yes. No, I'm not.
They didn't say she saved it because of the ratings, they were just saying she saved it because she did a good job, because last year's guy did such a terrible job. Well, maybe, well, yeah, well, comparing, you know, you like apples, you hate broccoli, so if you put an apple on there, you know, you like it better. Right, then the apple saved it. Look, here's the thing.
You need to put somebody real on the show, man. Kevin Hart is hot. Why wasn't Kevin Hart the host? No, I don't think...
Kevin Hart's not hot right now. Okay, here's my point. My point is I don't care who's hosting this Golden Globes. Until the Golden Globes understands...
You would if The Rock was doing it. He doesn't like the show because of the movies they pick. He thinks they're not relevant and nobody likes them. Yeah, that's like cigar fishing out.
It's not the idea of this award show, apparently, to pick relevant movies. I don't know who picks. And that's my point. Whoever pays the most money.
The general masses will not care because they're not watching these shows. Well, nine million people watched it. Nine million people watched it. I don't know what's a good number, Michael.
Right. Look and see how many people watch the the Lions and Vikings game. How many people watch the Lions and Vikings game? Just to compare it.
Sure. It's just, it's football. It's one game Sunday night. Shouldn't be more than nine million.
I have no idea. You would assume. Don't know. I don't know what what decent numbers are for.
Uh, that's a lot. Say the number 43 million, 43 million people. It's a playoff game. It's not a playoff game.
It was regular season. But it got a team into the playoffs. No. It was a battle for the number one seed.
Both of them are in the playoffs. Oh, then what's the number one seed? You're talking 4X. One game.
Okay. Calm down. Nothing is saved. Calm down.
It's a stupid movie awards show. I am calm. No, you're not. You're getting all worked up.
Because you're getting angry. I'm not angry. I'm just matching your energy. I'm not angry.
I'm passionate. You bring it down. You bring it down. Bring what down?
Yeah. Bring it down. I got quaaludes, I got acid, and I got cocaine. We need him on right now.
We need that. That's why they canceled it. He's probably watched all those movies. That was a drama in '22.
Yeah, so Golden Globes, no, I don't think, I just can't wait. Okay, so which award show then do you think is worth watching? I don't think any of them. Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
Yeah, Nickelodeon? Yeah, I'd watch Nickelodeon. Rob Gronkowski was on it, he got slimed. Oh, see what I mean?
That sounds good too. I like the MTV Movie Awards. They give surfboards. Right.
Here's my, all I'm saying is that you're seeing a change in the time. That's all I'm trying to bring to your attention, sir. And to our viewers and listeners' attention. Change of the time?
This thing's been the same show every year. It's just different people. But no. People watch it because movie stars get drunk.
And then the drunk people give stupid speeches. Or they say things that are stupid. Right. That's why people watch it.
Well, only 9 million. 43 million of us were watching the Minnesota Vikings get pummeled by the Detroit Lions. And I was watching the movie. I was watching either one.
Right. What movie were you watching? Was it one of the Golden Globes? No, these probably aren't even on any of the streaming services.
It's nice to see that no one really cares. Because, hey, you can't continue to cram bullshit down our throats, is my point. Well, you can't. How long have they been doing this award show?
This was the 81st. So they've been doing it for 80 years. Yeah. And there'll be another one next year.
Man, there's only 9 million people watching, and that's an uptick. Well, there used to be a lot of, I used to sit down and watch shows like that, the Golden Globes. There used to be less choices. Right.
When you only had three or four choices to pick from. I mean, football's always been on since I've been alive, so. Well, that's since I've been alive. What's going on?
Not since you've been alive? Sorry, it's me. Football hasn't been on since you've been alive? No, they wore those leather things on their heads.
They had the leather things? They didn't have TV. That was still football. Yeah, but it wasn't on TV.
I had to listen to it on the radio. Everybody huddled around the radio. He comes around the corner. Here he comes.
He's got the ball. He's running. He's running. Touchdown, Vikings!
This is where Abraham Lincoln's about to hand out all the awards. Right, exactly. That's when four scored, seven years ago, we made this movie. That's when the words like moxie were big and stuff?
Yes. Yeah. That one's got some moxie on him there. like i'm not uh let's see that one we need this one all right hit the news button oh wait no no you you go next you go that was those are our trending topics yeah that was on yeah we got one for you here we go that's not your trending it's not your button jeez it's a secret oh sorry first first bank of sounds that's not it either boots new it says or boots trending something Boots in the lab, trending.
He can't get these buttons right, but he can be in the lab. This one? It's a little loud. A little loud.
It should be. What did you do? Did you hit the button? I turned it down and it stopped.
Oh, well, just go then. No, I want to hear it. I need to hear it. It's not long.
It's still too loud. Is that like a polka? No, you're supposed to start talking like you always do. All right, boots, trend.
I thought it was going to say something. Here we go, fellas. He can say his own intro. There we go.
I thought he had his own intro. Right. He says, "Hello, peoples" or whatever it says here. Hello, people.
Nice. Hello, peoples. There you go. Oh, my God.
All right. Okay. How the Vivian became a breakout star of British drag. Known to the world as the Vivian, James Lee Williams was one of the biggest breakout stars of the British drag at the Golden Globes.
And it all started with an impression of Donald Trump in 2019 on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK. I don't even want to know how you find these things. This is actually a trendy topic on Google. It was number four.
Like many of the drag queens on the show, the Vivian was unapologetically unique and hilariously straight-talking, but she also had something more. Pizazz. Pizazz. Pizazz.
described by Judge Michelle Visage. Visage. Visage. I don't help him tell you that.
I don't imagine it's Visage knowing the industry. Wow. As the best Snatch Game character in the history of the show. It was the Vivian's President Trump impression, complete with pouted lips, orange makeup, and a floppy blonde wig in the Snatch Game that won her the show.
I think it was a game show. The win consolidated the Vivian's influence in the drag community and her career in the world of TV and musical theater flourished. James Lee Wombs, better known as the drag queen, the Vivian, has died, age 32. Publicist Simon Jones said the performer who died over the weekend was an incredibly loved, warm heart, and amazing person.
32? The Vivian starred in the musical theater and TV productions and won the first series for RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019. The show paid tribute to the drag star on social media saying they were deeply saddened by the news of the performer's death. Cheshire police say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the performer's death.
How'd she... what's the acronym? How'd she die? Apparently, uh, natural causes of some sort.
32? There was no... no foul play. So it's either gonna be a...
he's gonna... they're not saying, but I'm thinking drug overdose, heart attack... Suicide? I guess it could be.
Impaling. Impaling. Impaling. Impaling.
Was he a sword fighter, too? She's Louise. It's a drag queen. So was she...
So was... She was the number one drag star in England. Gotcha. But she died.
So she wasn't on the Golden Globes, then? No. Oh. No, she wasn't on the Golden Globes.
Because he said something about Golden Globes, didn't he? I ad-libbed that. Oh, you guys don't like the ad-lib now? Wow.
Didn't even catch it. Didn't even catch it. So it was complete horseshit. The Golden Globe part was.
Oh. Didn't even hear it. See, he said that, I go, see, that's why you watch, I was gonna say that's why you watch Golden Globes. Oh, because he died on the show?
No, I found him in his apartment. Because of the drags. He digs the drags. Oh.
Gotcha, gotcha. That's the, yeah. Wow. Okay.
32. 32. Damn, that's so young. That sucks.
That does suck. Alright, hit the news button. Welcome to ACHB News, your source for the latest updates in the cigar world and beyond. Here is our anchor, trusted cigar media personality, Mike Pollard, bringing you the stories that matter.
I think it's just an angry cigar media. I don't think so. Yeah, because you're getting upset about the Golden Globes not having interviews. It's a slow news week.
There are only three stories. You got three stories from the news. Three stories and a lot of reviews again this week. Yeah, because you're getting towards, like some of these guys, they're doing their top 25s and stuff still.
Right. The Coop releases today? I haven't seen today's. No, I saw...
Yesterday with Espinosa. Was it yesterday? Yeah, the warhead? No, no, the six.
Las Provencia? Yeah, Las Provencia this year. Well, that's two for him on Coop, right? Because then he had the Warhead?
Warhead was on somebody else, I think. Two other people. Yeah, that was number nine. Right.
Yeah. He hasn't done number eight yet? He hasn't done number eight yet. Oh, I like Roma showing Down to Herfs.
Yeah, number 15. Yeah. Yeah? Yeah.
Roma hit on Down to Herf. Yeah, the Mastranza, the early one. Number 15, that's it? Pre-release.
Yeah, the pre-release. Was it 15 or 5? 15. That's too low.
15. They gave us a 91. Catastrophic failure. Yeah.
But we have yet to... See, their last one they released, they're also slow-dragging it. Everybody's slow-dragging it. Just put the damn things out!
P. Carrillo, Encore Black. I don't know what's going on. Buffalo, they got some interesting taste.
Oh, number 14, Rocky Patel, Year of the Dragon. Oh, I saw that. Can't wait to smoke it. It's in a lovely box.
I saw the box. Yeah, it is a nice box. It's a lovely box. So what did you think of the cigar?
It's a lovely box. It's a lovely box. The band was beautiful. So let's make it number 16 or whatever.
Let's do that. Love the box so well, reigned it in '97. Did you smoke it? No, I would never smoke it.
No, I would never smoke it. I like the box. It's a great box. It's soft.
C. Newen releases the Jose Gaspar 2025 cigar. Jose? Jose Gaspar?
It's Josie. It's not Jose? J-O-S with an umlaut on the E? Yeah, no, it's Josie now.
What do you mean now? Jose transitioned. I don't think so. Yeah, no, it's Josie.
He's a pirate. in transition. He's dead. RuPaul's Red Queen.
You change race. He tweeted. He tweeted? Yeah.
You don't tweet, you X now. Is he still tweeting? Do you still tweet? I think they still call it tweeting.
Oh. No, it's X. For the fourth consecutive year. It's weird to say that you X'd.
I X'd it. What do you mean you X'd it? I X'd it. You should go check my X.
If you X'd it, that means you X'd it. It's gone. You know what I mean? You should go see my X.
I have a lot of good X up there. You gotta tweet it. Oh. You gotta tweet it on X.
You gotta tweet your Twitter? No. You can't put it on Twitter. Twitter's gone.
You got to tweet it on X. C. Newman has created an exclusive cigar for its home market of Tampa and the city's most famous parade, the X. Josie.
Josie. I haven't even said the name yet. Gasparilla. The Jose Gaspar 2025 is a 6x54 Toro that uses the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, the first time that wrapper option has been used.
Wait, wait, stop. What was the wrapper? Connecticut Broadleaf. First time it's been used for this blend.
For this cigar, yes. Not generally speaking. For the first time, here we are, the Newman family. For the first time in history, we are going to use the Connecticut Broadleaf.
I could see somebody saying that. We have never done it before. And here he is, Luciano. He's prepared for it.
Hey, it's his anniversary today. Happy anniversary, Luciano. You're a big fan of the show, I'm sure. Anniversary of what?
His marriage. Oh. 12, 12 years? I'm not going to mess around with that one.
I'm not gonna mess around with that one. She probably doesn't know his real name. It's not really. He probably doesn't know his real name.
It's Lucy. C. Newman Penza factory in Esteli. Like previous releases, each cigar is an MSRP of $8 and is sold in packs of five.
They will only be sold at 17 locations around Tampa. Okay. Not here. Not here.
Not here. Too far away. Well, that makes sense. C.
Newman's there. The other guy has to get it on the other side of the bridge. Oh, yeah? So, the bridge is a cutoff?
Josie already has it, uh, Shai has it? No, no, the, the one, the one whose name we do not say. Ah. He's got it.
The evil empire. Uh, Cigar Castle got it. Yeah. Fine purveyor of post-90 cigars.
Yeah. Can you hit that, can you hit your news button again? I need to hear that song one more time, please. The news or his button?
Oh, his, his, hit yours. Give me the Boots song. I can make it longer. No, it's perfect.
It's perfect. I need to fade. Thank you. I need to fade.
Alright, the name, Jose Gaspar, is a reference to the legendary pirate who inspired the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which is celebrated each year in late January. It's Josie. While he might be one of the most famous pirates in history, and his own Wikipedia page, there's little to no evidence that he transitioned into a family. Golden Gloves.
Each year, Tampa plays host to a festival that begins each January and lasts into March, during which three major parades, The CIAO Amazon Basin gets a 2025 release. Oh, so that's the end of the, that was the end of the Josie one? You want to hear about he's the most feared pirate in the Americas? No, I don't believe that though.
What, is that the most feared pirate? No, yeah. No, there's no actual... Just because it's on Wikipedia doesn't mean it's true.
That's what my teachers always told me. There's little to no evidence that there was actually a pirate named Jose Gaspar. So not only is he not the most feared person, he probably doesn't even exist. He probably didn't even know if he exists.
This is incredible. C. Newman, allegedly. To make the cigar.
Well, for the whole festival. C. Newman's behind the conspiracy of the entire cigar pirate thing. Could you imagine if you made up a pirate, well, I'm not going to tell you guys this.
We should make up a pirate for Deltona. Yeah, we should. Not a pirate, let's do something else. Yeah, yeah, don't bite on the pirates.
Let's do a moonshiner or something, a famous moonshiner. Or gangster. What is Deltona famous for? Anything?
Holmes. Spanish. What over there? Spanish people?
It is, look it up, they call it Del Rico. He's gotta have a Spanish name. What? He's gotta have a Spanish name then.
Juan Ponce. Jose Del Rico. Jose's already been taken. That's why we're going to copy it.
We'll get the name recognition when they go search it. He needs three names. They search it on the Google, it'll go to... Josie.
Three names. Josie. Josie Del Rico. A transgender...
Yes. Pirate. No. No, no.
Pirate. Moonshiner. Moonshiner. Moonshiner.
Drug dealer. Drug dealer. No, we need some type of revolutionary that happened in Deltona that no one speaks about. He's a drag.
He's a drag. Gin maker. You know, like something where he had to barricade off troops or something, yeah. Barricade off troops?
Yeah, he had to save lives. Espionage, he could be a spy. Yeah, CIA operative. Oh, escape from the castle up in St.
Augustine. I am a spy. Yeah. Swam from there, ended up in Deltona.
And we could start a parade. Right, have a parade. That wouldn't take much. We'd just go, you know what I mean?
I'd just get in my car. Right. A couple of cars. A wave a little bit.
Right, sure. And then what is this for? This is for Jorge. No, Josie.
No, Josie Del Rico. Josie Del Rico. This is for the Believer. The Deltona Moonshiner CIA operative back in the 1920s.
That saved Deltona. You got to go back further than that. 1700s? There's no CIA in 1700s.
No, you just don't want people to look it up because you'd be like, oh, of course it's not on there. It's in the 1700s. What are you talking about? You can make a Wikipedia page.
We could build a Wikipedia overnight for this. Sure. Oh, okay. It's free.
Not only could we build a Wikipedia overnight for this, we could chat GPT it and have such It's such a great story, and put zero effort into it, and then I could grok an image for Josie, the transgender CIA operative. Just put in the old-timey photo. Make it old. Make it old-looking.
I need a transgender CIA operative from the 1920s. That's Spanish. 1900s. Early 1900s.
When did they first make cameras? I don't know, when did the CA, when CA was not found in the 1920s? No, no, just say spy, Spanish spy. Spanish spy.
Okay. Yeah, he spied on Juan Ponce de Leon. I don't think they were cameras when Juan Ponce de Leon was on. You don't know, you weren't there.
Juan Ponce de Leon? That's his name, that's his cousin. You don't know Juan? C.
Newman's first ever broadleaf. Fictitious broadleaf pirate cigar. Yeah, we don't believe it. I gotta call JC.
Newman or just JC? Just JC. You call him JC. JC and Newman.
I call him JC and Newman. Yeah. Just J for short? Just J.
You want to know what his real name is? Uh, I know. Jose, Casparilla. We have now gone full circle.
See that? See that? Alright. The CAO Amazon Basin gets a 2025, a 2025 release.
For the second consecutive year, there will be a shipment of original, Well, CAO, Amazon Basin, they apparently found more of the cigars. You mean to tell me that they went back into the Amazon and they found this tobacco again, roped, and they traded some more goats for this very rare tobacco. Since 2014. They've been doing this.
Yes. They must have Wi-Fi down there by now. Or a good relationship. This is incredible.
Well, they probably have Elon Musk's wife. Starlink? They have the Starlink going? Starlink.
Amazon-based and debuted in 2014 as a limited edition cigar, but its popularity has meant that General Cigar Company has brought its cigar back for subsequent shipments over the years. So limited. So limited that we've been doing it now for eight years. We can continue to get it.
Six, ten years. Eleven years, dude. Oh, 2025, yeah, now it's 11. Yeah.
We've done it again. We've found it. The 6x52 Toro Incorporated in Ecuador and Sumatra seed wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and fillers grown in the deepest of Brazil. Brazil, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.
Boots, hit the boots button again for me, please. However, the highlight of the blend is the Brazilian Fiddler. Very rare. Which includes a tobacco called La Ropa de Braganca.
Braganca. Oh, which General says can only be harvested every three years. And yet here we are producing it every year. Every year for the last 11 years.
It's incredible. The tobacco plants are spaced out further apart from one another than normal, the company says, a full yard. A lot of room in Brazil. A full yard.
A full yard. You think anybody's pre-reading these things after they make 'em up? We're talking about the branca tobacco. And once harvested, the leaves are rolled into tubes called karats, tuba, for six months of aging.
General says the tobacco is then shipped out of the rainforest via canoes. Okay, so why does it take three years if the tobacco grows? Have you ever seen a canoe, Michael? They're very slow.
Oh, is that why? Yes. That's why it takes three years? They're shipped in canoes.
They don't even have paddles. They use their hands. They use the tubes. Do you have a canoe?
I just so happen to bring several canoes with me in order to facilitate this. Well, they get the villagers. Thank God. They have a group that just makes canoes.
Just the canoe makers? Just the canoe makers. Yeah. For this purpose.
They have the plant growers, the spacers, they have guys that are three feet tall that lay down between the plants. Oh, this is a yard. This is a yard, three feet, lay down here. And then they have guys, "We need more canoes!
" So instead of the measurement of a yard, it's like the measurements Danny DeVito's? It's a midge. Yeah, it's a midge. They are exactly one Danny DeVito apart.
One midge. Yes. Of note, when the cigar was first released in 2014, the blend was described as having Brazilian and Nicaraguan tobacco in the filler. General has released a number of Amazon Lines extensions, including the Amazon Fumo Encarda, that's the Burning Rope.
The Limited, yeah. The CAO Amazon Anaconda, the big one, that's the big one. Don't want none unless you got buns, hon. Right.
And the CAO Orleana. What's Orleana? That is Jose Gasparilla's great, great, great, great grandson. Yeah, 1600.
Oh, Orleana? Sounds like a big girl. Yeah, you know, he went, well, originally. Oh.
Yeah, and then later. Oh, he transitioned to the whole family. Yeah, it's a thing. It's a thing.
20 price of canoes. You gotta go up a little bit, you know what I'm saying? Compared to last year's release when the canoes were cheaper last year. When the limited edition that only comes out every three years, that came out last year.
Comes out every year, prices change. Yeah, it was a little bit less. Generalists not say exactly how many cigars are shipping, but they are being made at the STG, Esteli, and Nicaragua, and the packaging for the line remains unchanged. The design remains unchanged, coiled tobacco in lieu of a standard paper band, and the boxes are intentionally designed to look rustic.
That's fantastic. Just like the last ones. When we launched the Amazon basin over a decade ago, we had no idea how much it would resonate with the fans. Tell me it's Justin Andrews.
Said Justin Andrews. Thank you. Brand managers of diesel. And a press release.
Sourcing rare tobacco from the rainforest, transporting it by canoe, and growing it on unspoiled land was a logistic nightmare, said Justin Andrews. But we knew the end result was a cigar worth the effort, said Justin Andrews. We're thrilled to bring back this special blend for 2025 because we have so many. And they answer the calls for the more Amazon basin.
The shipping for the Amazon basin is expected to arrive on shelves this month when the canoes arrive. It's arrived in the past, any indication that there will only be a release of Amazon Basin for, oh, in the past is, in the past is any indication this will be the only release of the Amazon Basin 2025 until next year when we release the Amazon Basin 2026. In January. In January of next year.
Yeah, because it's a three year process. That's when the canoes always arrive, in January. The only reason why we can get away with the one every year release if it's three years is because of osmosis. Yes.
Yeah, certainly makes sense. Stork Club Name Returns for Cigar Concept. Who? What?
Stork Club. Stork Club? Stork, the bird? Yeah.
The one that brings the babies? Yeah. There's a club of them. They've gotten together.
And started a club. They've assembled. And they're making their cigar. Like, oh no.
I know, here we go. Okay, okay, so this is why I'm getting this right. Before you even go further. Birds.
Yes. Storks. Yes. Got together.
Yes. Cigar. Yes. Okay.
Stork Club. It's a boy cigar. Albeit, not the Stork Club. What?
It's not even the Stork Club? But it's back. Okay. That makes sense.
Landmark Hospitality, which operates bars, restaurants, and hotels in New Jersey and New York, Pennsylvania, has brought back the Stork Club, but not the Stork Club. That's not. Name, just the name. Just the name.
The club's not back, just the name of the club. As part of the company's cigar program. The store club, the actual club, was an iconic Manhattan nightclub that operated from 1929 to 1965 when Jose Del Rico was working. When he was an operative.
Due to its prime mid-time location and Sherman Billingsley's reputation for showering celebrities with gifts. Who's Sherman Billingsley? I don't know. Sherman Billingsley.
Is that Mrs. Billingsley's husband? The guy sounds swanky. He does.
And he liked to give gifts. Yeah. It was a celebrity for, oh, he was a celebrity for movie stars, monarchs, and more. Today, the club's location is Paley Park, a private park named after Samuel Paley, the founder, oh, of La Polina.
Oh, yeah. Landmarkers brought back the name for a variety of different uses. First, the company's four cigar lounges are called the Stork Club, but not the Stork Club. Okay.
A fifth lounge is scheduled to open soon. Second, there's a Stork Club Cigar Club, again, not the original. Not the original. Not the same.
Or in the lounge. Got it. This is different. A membership program.
Third, there are Stork Club branded cigars. Again, not part of the original Cologne. Still not the same. Still not the same.
Yeah. It's a totally different set of Storks is what you're saying. Correct. Yeah.
The company has partnered with Kingsmaker Cigars to launch the Stork Club number 53, a 6x52 Toro with a Mexican San Andreas wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers. It has an MSRP of $15 per cigar. It will only be sold at Landmark's Stork Club Lounges, again, just the lounge, not the club, and Kingmaker's website, so basically you can get it anywhere you want. So it's only exclusively at this store, unless you have internet?
Correct. Okay, all right, just making sure. And apparently there are 52 failures of it, that's why they went with the 53. Yeah, the 53 was the good one.
Because even if they wanted it, I mean, they could have made it the 52 and then at least would have matched the ring gauge of the cigar, but why would they do that? They couldn't do that. It wasn't any good. Yeah.
But I mean, they could have not have told somebody. Yeah. Boots, hit your song again. Ah, yes.
This guy was a bootlegger. I love that. Del Rico? Jose Del Rico?
Jose Del Rico? Billingsley. Oh. Oh, you looked him up.
Cups fitting has its own brand, but also partnered with WNBA star, Kelsey Plume, and Midland, A country brand, a country band for private label cigars. You gotta respect a bootlugger. A bootlugger was like the drug dealer back in the 20s, right? My great uncle was a bootlugger.
Yeah, and you gotta respect a drug dealer that gives out turkeys for Christmas and stuff, right? Sure, I saw that. But it wasn't a turkey, it was an Erky. Billings, that's what this Billingssey guy did.
He gave out gifts. Well, he didn't give out turkeys, he gave out baby gifts. I bet you he gave out... That's why it's called the stork club.
If he gave you baby a gift, you were in the club. He gave you a baby gift? Yes. No turkey?
No. stork. Ooh. Slightly.
You could eat stork. Is it a real animal? I think it was popular by the time. Is stork a real animal?
Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much. Play the music.
Thank you so much. Hit that music one more time. Is it a real one? Have you ever seen a stork?
Yeah. Didn't they bring your kids? They brought my kids. Wow.
Wow. Wow. Are storks real birds? He will be a household name.
He continues down this path. It's gonna happen. It will, you will. Oh, he was married to Leave It to Beaver actress.
Barbara Billingsley, that's where I knew the name. It makes sense now. Now it does. That was your favorite show when you were a child.
How did Ward feel about this? Who's that? Her husband on the show. I don't know.
He's probably not happy about it. But you know what? He actually got hooked up with booze because he hooked up with the drug dealer of the 20s. That's right.
Love that Alright that's all I got I got nothing else No that's it Yes Alright you just gave up On La Polina's 52 Story That's the end of the story Who's your shop of the week buddy I have a listener of the week You have a listener of the week But not a shop of the week You don't have a shop of the week Because they're all busy Not buying stuff In December End of December Where'd it go I just saw it James Garcia Yeah He's Listener of the Week. He's Listener of the Week? He's Listener of the Week? Yes.
We already made his Shop, Shop of the Week. We did. Yes. So you got a Shop of the Week?
Let's do... Oh, no, no! I'm sorry! Listener of the Week is Jack Taranio.
I'm sorry. You're right, bro. We have a double. We have a double.
It was a tie. It was a tie. It was a tie. Jack Taranio's Listener of the Week.
Espinosa Cigars is the brand of the week also. Ah. So many gongs. Yeah, so many gongs.
So many gongs. Are we covering the one story? One story. The one you were going to check on?
I don't know what you're talking about. It's Monday. It's at the end of the show. If we don't want to do it, just cut it out.
John Carney. Oh, no, we haven't talked to him yet. Oh, I knew I should have reached out to him myself. What do you want from me?
I'm very busy. No, you're not. You're sending me emails. They're giving me busy things to do.
Ooh, you're getting mad about that. I was just sending it to you. Hold on, listen. It's already been taken care of.
Fucking A. Then awesome. I took care of it this morning. Look at you.
Oh, we got to talk about the other thing, but we'll talk about that after the show. All right, this has been episode 369, the lights in front of the number now, of ACHP. Yes, the Cigar Housers podcast. We don't say the name anymore.
Yes, we can say the name still. No, we're calling it ACHP. Yeah? Rebranding.
ACHP. ACHP. That way it's... Thank you so much.
I was going to ask for it. Oh, God, that's so amazing. It just makes me feel so much better. better.
I'm going to have to loop that. I'm just going to, you know, keep it. Just loop it, make it your ringtone for it? Yeah, I just want it all the time.
Sounds like the beginning of a polka song. I just need it in my life. I forget the name it was. It's Approved YouTube Music.
Nice. We're only doing Approved YouTube Music for now on. Strictly Approved YouTube. Strictly Approved YouTube.
I like that. Are we still recording? Yes, we are. Oh, yeah.
Turn it off. We're done. Alright, thanks. Bye.
Bye. Bye. you
Show Notes
Episode Description: In Episode 369, we bring you the latest from the cigar world, featuring major releases and industry news. J.C. Newman drops the highly anticipated José Gaspar 2025 cigar, CAO reintroduces the Amazon Basin for 2025, and the Stork Club brand makes a bold return in a new cigar concept. We also dive into the headlines, from hairstylist Now-shen Fair-a-geez's explosive $1.5 million lawsuit against Skip Bayless, to the shocking reports that Canadian PM Justin Trudeau may soon resign amid plummeting poll numbers. Plus, we recap the Detroit Lions’ thrilling victory over the Minnesota Vikings, propelling them to the #1 seed, and take a look at the buzz around the upcoming Golden Globes. Get ready for a packed episode full of hot topics!