Cigar Hustlers Podcast Episode 306 - Changing Tides in the Cigar Industry

Episode Summary

Episode 306 of the Cigar Hustlers Podcast opens with Mike Szczepankiewicz, Mike "Boots" Palmer and Phil recapping Lozano Palooza — the free multi-day consumer event they attended on sushi day instead of the pig-roast finale — plus a fun moment where a Powstanie superfan raved about the brand to Boots without realizing he was talking to the guy behind it. The crew also thanks a listener who gifted them Tatuaje Anarchy NFT cigars for an upcoming Patreon review, and Mike gives an on-air shout-out to Miguel Rocha and Adam Acri for stepping up on his charity fundraiser (winners get Apollo Danny cigars and the forthcoming SBC).

In This Episode

1. 01
   Sponsor-Free Declaration & Listener Gifts
   The hosts reaffirm the show will stay sponsor-free and thank a listener who sent them Tatuaje Anarchy NFT cigars for a Patreon review.
2. 02
   Lozano Palooza Recap
   The crew reviews RoMa Craft's free consumer event — sushi day vs. the Sunday pig roast, the haircut line, and paid t-shirts as a new wrinkle.
3. 03
   Charity Fundraiser & Giveaways
   Mike thanks Miguel Rocha, Adam Acri and others for closing out his fundraiser, with Apollo Danny and SBC cigars going out as thank-yous.
4. 04
   Black Star Line Ends Direct-to-Consumer Sales
   Eric Bay's decision to sell exclusively through retail partners sparks a debate about brands competing with their own retailers.
5. 05
   Distribution & Release News
   Haujibubi moves to SLC Distributors, Alfonso Grand Selección ships with French-oak aging, Hoyo de Nicaragua Cinco Cinco and Dalay Nicaraguan by Luciano Cigars arrive.
6. 06
   CRA Freedom Sampler Fall 2023
   J.C. Newman ships the $204 10-cigar CRA sampler, and the hosts gripe that for the first time none of the cigars are new releases.
7. 07
   Delays, Price Hikes and Recalls
   Dunbarton's Polpetta slips to January, Rojas raises Street Tacos prices and enlarges Breakfast Tacos, and STG halts Alec Bradley Gatekeeper Diamond Press shipments over box-press quality.
8. 08
   Cold-Calling RoMa Craft
   After repeated unanswered calls to new RoMa Craft salesman Jason Jackson, the hosts reach Michael Rosales, who jokes the team is in a 'lead generation meeting.'

Brands & Cigars Discussed

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

Transcript

Welcome to the Cigar Hustlers Podcast, episode 306, where we bring you the latest news and insights into the world of premium cigars. In this episode, we dive into the big stories of the week. The King, Mike Steffon-Kevich, and Director of Social Media for Cigar Hustler, Mike BDP-Paul. Mike Palmer and Palmer are two dynamic individuals who co-host the Captivating Cigar Hustlers podcast.

And me, I'm Phil. So grab your favorite smoke, sit back, and join us for another exciting episode of Cigar Hustlers podcast. Turduckin. Turduckin, I can't wait till Christmas.

Maybe you'd like to put your products in front of hundreds, if not, camera one please. Right off the rip. I can't see anything. Maybe you'd like to put your products in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of cigar smokers each week.

Maybe you'd like to partner up and become part of the number one cigar podcast and go down in history as a supporter of our iconic show. Number one. But the fact is, we don't want sponsors. No.

We don't like people telling us what we can and can't say. So as of this past October, the Cigar Houser Podcast is now and forever shall be sponsor-free. Sponsor-free, unless the check's big enough. Forever.

Thank you for your time, and you can kiss the turkey's ass. You can kiss the turkey's ass. But if you like us to wear your shop shirts, send them to Cigar Hustler, care of BDP, and I'll also smoke your cigars on the air for some. We haven't, you haven't gotten those in a while.

No shirts, no cigars from anybody. Yeah. What are you talking about, no shirts? We got shirts right here.

No, no, no, he meant like sent in. Sent in. Other people, other people will send us shirts and cigars, we'll smoke them and wear their shirts. Oh.

Like how Lenny did. Right. Yeah, like Lenny did and Coop sent his shirts. Tobacology.

Tobacology. We've done theirs. Yeah. Next week, we'll wear the fine ass shirts.

Oh, yeah? Yes. Mine's tight. Mine's still in the package.

You should try it on. Then we're all going to be tight. Mine's a large. They're tighter than normal.

Oh, yeah. Yes. We wear them no matter what. I like it.

We don't care. Hey, got a phone call to make you want to do that first? I like it. We have some stuff to cover here real quick.

First of all... What are we doing for the Patreon? Today we're smoking the Don Doroteo... What's that saying?

Piedra Viva. Piedra. Piedra Viva, the salt of the earth. The new one they're shipping this week.

There's two, right? This is the other one. We did the other one already. Okay.

He was showing the cigar. So we can do a couple things here. Yes. We can do that if you want, but I have a thing for you guys if you're interested.

Presents? Yeah. Oh, let's do the presents. So, a good friend and customer of mine, he… Romadroc.

No. Oh, sorry. He obtained a box from me of a Tatuaje… Tatuaje… Tatuaje… Tatuaje… Tatuaje… Yes. Anarchy NFT.

Oh! Yes, we will accept. And he gave me… Extras? Yeah.

Yeah. Are we thanking this man personally? Yeah. I don't want to put this guy on blast, but he knows who he is.

Thank you, friend of Michael. Thank you. Thank you, friend of Mikey. Thank you.

Thank you. Oh, wow. La, la, la, la, la. Here you go.

Oh, yeah. Don't throw it. It's the most expensive thing in this room. Wow.

I don't think so. Thank you. So you guys can review that on the Patreon. Oh!

That was my thought. Did you get one? No. I got two.

Oh. You only got two? Yeah. So you guys smoke them.

I feel bad. Don't feel bad. No, you can have one. I could have fucked either one of you.

No, you can have mine. I don't want it. It would have been funny. But believe me, it's way more important to you guys to try it and smoke it than it is me.

So you guys smoke it. Okay. All right. Good.

Because then I can smoke my pustana. Oh, I'd rather have a pustana. Oh, so we're doing that today. You can do that Patreon today.

Oh, okay. So we're not doing the Don Dorotero. We're not doing this all over the year. Yeah, you do the NFT.

It's the NFT. Oh, okay. The NFT. Get away there.

Bum, bum, bum. Okay, what else you got? That was... Well, we went to Lozona Palooza this past week.

We did go to Lozona Palooza. We fucked up when we went on the wrong day. Why? Do you see the pictures from day three?

No. Ice cream truck. Yeah. Outside, tablecloths, full pig roasted in the back of a police car dinner.

Yeah. Yeah. We went to the... The dinner's always on Sunday.

Saturday. We went to sushi night. Yeah, we went to sushi afternoon. - Sushi afternoon.

- Sushi afternoon. - Sushi afternoon worked for me, bro. - I liked it, it was good. - Well, it was very nice, it was a nice event.

- I mean, the other stuff that they did have was cool looking. - Yeah. - I'm still waiting for my haircut on Thursday. - Did you sign up?

- Are you in line? - Yeah, I was in line. - Oh. - How does that work?

Do you have to go check? " - You have to sort of keep track. - Yeah. - So maybe you got missed.

- Or Jack probably got two haircuts. - Jack didn't get two haircuts. " Oh, I gotcha. " Oh, I'll bump you up?

" Oh, that'd be nice. I don't need that. I liked it, 'cause... You could have just switched with him.

Switched with Jack? I, you know what, I really like my barber, and I felt like I was cheating on him, I don't like that. Aw, you're such a loyal person. He's a good guy, I want you to show him today.

Oh, so you're all trimmed up anyway. I saw my barber yesterday, I'm all trimmed up too. Yeah, oh, we're all cut. Nice.

All set up and good. But Boot's had the Powstanie shirt on. He did. And then that guy came up and started telling him about Powstanie cigars.

But he's a big fan. He was a big fan. Yes. Skip made them for this guy and all the sorts of things and he had no idea who you were.

Yeah. I thought it was funny. I love that. That was hilarious.

Dude, nothing makes me happy. Like he made it for this guy and we're going, yeah, he's right there. In the chair. That's the guy.

Oh, really? Oh. So then I did this race. Right, hello.

Yeah. Hey, you know, I would prefer the brand to stand on its own without some type of face, you know? It was nice, he came over when he saw the shirt. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that was nice.

He hangs out at Match's Cigar Bar. Yes. Oh, okay. Oh, no, he had been there.

Jeffersonville, Indiana. I think that's his spot. Yeah, he knows Hunter. He knows Hunter.

Very well. Hunter. Very well, Hunter. Good guy, Hunter.

So what did you think of it? Of what? Lozano Palooza. I thought it was good.

Yeah. It's a nice event for them to do, for all the peoples. Yeah. And they didn't charge.

No, yeah, that's free. Yeah. That's crazy. Except this year, they did charge for the t-shirts.

He explained that in the beginning. That was really the only difference. Well, that's just a new thing. Well, the little girl didn't lean on you to buy a t-shirt.

She leaned on me in boots to buy a t-shirt. When you get the cigars? Oh, yeah. She held them like, sure, you don't want a t-shirt?

A hoodie? " I went to cigars. " I mean, I got my own cigars. I was just...

I brought my own! I, uh... You're fine. You need more money?

Apparently, that's how they pay for the expense. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it was perfectly fine. I get it.

I get it. And they weren't, uh, outrageous prices either. I'm sure there wasn't. Very reasonable.

I looked at the board. I thought she was going to force me to buy one. Well, I mean, us not buying it wasn't like, it was like a drop in the water bucket, man. Oh, sure.

There was bags with everybody everywhere. Yeah, yeah, well, yeah, all those people buy stuff. Mm-hmm. Yeah, you know.

But we ended up with shit, anyway. We did. We had to connect. Yeah, that's very nice, Jack.

Thank you, Jack. Thank you, Jack. We know the guy. You know, speaking of money.

So, a funny thing did happen to me. On the way to the bank? No, I did. Yeah, I don't go there anymore.

Oh. Married with kids, bro. I own businesses, I'm always running, I'm running that negative on. That drives me, I understand, completely understand.

So I did put this fundraiser up on my Facebook page. Oh, that's right, yeah, yeah, yeah, and then slid it in the Weasel page. I did slide it in the Weasel page, and nobody really responded to it via the Weasel page. Skip liked it, yeah, yeah, but I guess he did not.

So, but it was kind of funny, because, you know, then a few days later, you got a little more agitated Facebook post from me. I'm like, hey, motherfuckers, I know that you guys hit me up for shit all the fucking time. I'm just trying to get the 300 bucks for these kids in there, and I'm giving away cool shit. Right.

And everybody's like, crickets, crickets, crickets. Would you like doing that to the winner? I don't have a winner yet. I thought the one guy was going to win everything.

Well, the one guy, Miguel Rocha, is a fucking awesome dude. How about that cigar? No, he's not. That's not that much?

No. Is that the guy with the same last name? No. Miguel Rocha is, uh...

There's no Miguel in... No, no, the last name, the last name. Ramos? Yeah.

Raul Ramos? Yeah. Oh, different name. Alright, nevermind.

I said it upstairs, you didn't correct me, so I was going with it on the show too. You know that I don't listen to you when you talk. That's true. Except for this one hour a week.

Yeah, that's it, then I turn it off and I carry on. Right, exactly. So, Miguel fucking stepped up and closed all of them out. Nice.

Like, boom. Fucking knocked it out of the park. Good. Is Miguel Rocha the jingle guy?

Is this Michael Graff? No. No, it's Chanel. It's Miguel Chanel.

Apparently, neither one of us know who this gentleman is. You guys don't know who he is. I'm looking. You guys don't fucking know.

Oh, we haven't met him? No, you've never met him. Oh, well, he's a very nice man. Oh.

Nice to meet you, Miguel. This isn't going to change the other entries that I'm going to give away, because I'm still going to give away the post-signing ashtray, I'm still going to give away SBCs, and I'm still going to give away one Apollo Danny. Yeah. Ooh.

But what I am going to do is, Miguel, I'm going to send you five. 5 Apollo Danys. Whoa! I think I only have like 20 of them left.

So, you're getting a big portion of that. Mmm. Delicious. They are.

Mmm. And then I'm also going to send you five of the brand new SBCs as well. Mmm. Delicious.

So, thank you so much for supporting. I really appreciate what you did. And, you know, it's much easier that I don't have to deal with this shit anymore. So, thanks, bro.

Thanks, bro. And thank you for everybody else that contributed too. You guys all, you know, out of the 7,000 Facebook friends that I have, there's like eight of you out there that are cool. That are reading.

That are reading? They're reading. Yeah, so. So, one, I'm going to have three things to give away.

So, I'll give them away. I'll announce those next week. Oh, nice. Exclusive.

Yeah. Well, you just end up press release. See who mentions it. See who mentions it.

Oh, Lord. See if anybody mentions the winner on social media anyway. You guys should just start releasing press releases forever, though. This just ends.

We do! Nobody picks them. Cigar Hauser receives Pellegrino. Two different sizes.

It's amazing. So, I'm gonna call this guy. He doesn't even have my number. That's okay.

He's expecting a number. It's about the right time. It's still 15 minutes. I thought that was him.

Can I call now? Sure, why not? Your voice is very deep compared to your phone. I am the new guy at the Roma.

Oh look, there he is. So you've not talked? So who are we calling? Let's start there.

You don't know his name? What's the name? I figured you'd do the intro. Oh.

The all-knowing Palmer? Hold on, I gotta look up his name. Jason. I wanna make sure I get it right.

Yes, but I wanna get his last name. If it's Smith. It's not Smith. Jason Jackson with Roma Craft Tobac.

We're calling on the phone now. Oh. Jackson? Jackson.

This guy's not answering. I'm gonna tell him. So he's definitely a JJ. That'd be funny if he doesn't answer.

Nobody answers when we go. Oh shit, it's a car hustler. They're probably doing the show. He's not gonna answer.

" He's not answering. Hi, Evers, Jason Jackson with RoMa Craft Tobac, Leave me your name and number, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks. At the tone, please record your message.

When you have finished recording, you may hang up or press one for more options. Hi, we've been trying to reach you about your car warranty. It's super important that you get back to us as soon as possible, because we believe that your vehicle is going to have catastrophic failure at any given moment. So give us a buzz back.

Thanks. Bye. So we'll see if he calls. He's not gonna call.

I did tell him between 3:00 and 3:30. Is he in sales? Yes. Is he?

He's in sales, right? And he doesn't answer his phone? Great choice there, Skip. Hell of a job.

Oh my God. So we went to the land this weekend on Saturday. That's a great interview. We went to the music festival.

Oh, how was that? The land music festival? Apparently it was unintentional. We were just gonna go to the half wall.

And apparently there was a music festival going on. What's the music festival going on? Oh, the peanut butter burger place. The beer place.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, they have really good hamburgers. Ah. But they had, so all the side streets were blocked off.

Yeah. Everyone's wanting to go down. So the main street's open. Uh-huh.

So they wanted you to pay $15 to get this wristband to go down the side streets to see the garage sale people, you know, people with their little booth set up, and to hear the music. Yeah, you want to buy my necklace? Right. Oh, no, I just paid $15 to walk down there.

I'm very sorry. They didn't close the sides, they didn't close the side streets, or the other end of the street. So you just did the other things? Yeah, we just, or just walked by a couple and we just walked through and nobody said anything.

Like, we want to go to that bar over there. Did it give you like free beers or anything with the wristband? No, actually, you got nothing but you get to hear the music. 22 stages or something set up throughout the city and stuff.

I don't know, it was ridiculous. I would have been so pissed if I had a wristband and I'm walking around and I see everybody else without wristbands. Like, you motherfuckers, they got me for 15 bucks, you guys all got away with it. Right.

Just go down... 75, 90, that's fucking... Come in on the side street. They didn't block, you know, terrible job blocking.

I saw you guys went to Issues, was that one of the side streets? Yes. So, yeah, what happens if you want to go to the bar? Well, that one was open because that's where all the food trucks were.

You didn't have to pay for that one. Oh. But there was still a stage at the end of that street, too. Wow.

Somebody definitely didn't plan that well. No, it was ridiculous. It was stupid. It was a nice event and everything, but, I mean, the pay part was just ridiculous.

part was just ridiculous. Didn't see many wristbands anyway. Fifteen bucks. Any big names or just all local?

All local. It was local music. Local music. All the time.

Some of it wasn't that good. I'm sure it wasn't. It's local music. What the fuck do you expect?

So then we got tired of theirs so we went to Sanford. Saw Casey. Oh yeah I saw that on your post. We had a private concert actually is what it was.

Was it the two of you? Well it was me, Adrian, and Megan. There was only three people there. Well Casey Casey was supposed to play outside, over at the regular Celery City, but the girl that was scheduled to play inside Celery City, Cigars, didn't like to smoke.

Oh. Apparently she didn't notice the name Cigars in the name of the place that booked her. So Casey's traded with her. Are you fucking kidding me?

No. I can't with these fucking people. Right. This is so terrible.

So Casey set up in that corner. Wait a second, but you're in a fucking, you're in a business. Right, you're working in bars anyway. What do you only work outdoor venues?

Listen, I don't want to date you, but I remember when I grew up, when I used to grow up, I don't know who we had this conversation with recently, but if you had fucking breakfast on the left side of the fucking diner, that was the non-smoking section. Yeah, smoking and non-smoking. And then if you had breakfast on the right side of the diner, that was the smoking section, and it didn't matter, because smoke was going all over the place on both sides. Well, they used to do that on airplanes, front and back, but I mean, it's all the same air.

And bars, bars sitting here and smoking, you're the seat in front of me, you're not smoking, and I'm blowing my smoke into your seat. I'm gonna tell you right now, that bitch vapes. She's a fucking vaper. We didn't see her.

She's a fucking, she tokes on a fucking battery. She sucks it in inappropriate places. You know, she's walking down with no smoking air. She's like, I'm gonna get it in real quick.

Yeah. So we sat at the end of the bar and he took our request for about two hours and then we went home. Free Bird? No, my wife did yell Free Bird, and he hates that song, so he gave her the finger.

Oh. So that was well received. Yes, he hates when somebody asks for Free Bird. So now I know that.

Oh, well, yeah, I already knew the joke. I'll have to ask Casey every single time. " Wow. Yeah.

Paid for Bird. Don't pre-read those. What are you doing over there? Yeah, dude.

What are you doing, turkey? Let's see if I can read it. You can read it. You can read it.

Just don't block the camera. Can you guys hear me? Yes, we can hear you fine. Well, we had Jax's final playoff games this Friday.

Did he win? Is he the champion? No. He lost by one point in the first round.

It was a heartbreaker. They should have won the game. They were a better team. Was that him calling?

No. Oh. They should have won the game. They were a better team.

Yes. A couple things just didn't go our way. And that's football, baby. From now on, we cheat.

And then I have Justice's. Orange Slices is why they need the Orange Slices. And then I have Justice's playoffs this weekend, this Friday. Uh oh.

Orange Slices for the boys, Michael. That's the trick. Yeah, don't mess up this time. Orange Slices?

Orange Slices. Oh, you think I should do Orange Slices? Yes. Yes.

Not the candy, regular real oranges that you cut up. Regular oranges, I gotta chop 'em. Right. Make sure you cut 'em the right way.

Don't cut 'em, you know, happy. You guys want some Orange Slices? Yes. Energy, sugar, it's very good for them.

I'm gonna get a little weird on you guys. Here's some Orange Slices. Here's some fruit. I'm going to get a little weird on you.

No dum-dums today. We have fruit. Have you guys seen this before? Are you familiar with what this is?

My mother says I'm allergic to fruit. So, yeah, well, that's why you can't catch. So that happened. Wow.

What happened Saturday? Oh, that was Sunday. That was Friday. Oh.

So confused. Oh, Saturday I went out to Cigars on the Ave. Oh. Yeah, yeah.

I had a buddy of mine in town. We hung out, we had dinner at Luke's, and we went to Scars on the Ave. Nice. And then, I started watching the show that Alan recommended from Caribbean, The House of the Fallen, Usher Family.

Oh, you know, I started watching that next door, in between director of social media and podcast producer. Yeah. I got about 15 minutes in, and I wasn't... Oh, really?

Maybe I wasn't really paying attention. Oh, yeah. It's pretty intense. I have jumped.

That fucking show has made me jump like eight times. Really? Is it a horror show? It's borderline.

Oh. It started out at somebody's funeral. It looked like five people's funeral? No, it was three kids.

Three of his kids had died. Those people didn't look related at all. Yes, they weren't. They weren't.

Oh, he adopted all of them. No, no. He just spreads his seed. Oh, several different mothers.

Yes. Five different baby mamas. Six kids total. That was the last one.

And then it looked like the head guy and maybe the lawyer was down in a dungeon or a basement or some really dark room in the house or something. Making some kind of deal? The lawyer? I assumed he was a lawyer.

Maybe it wasn't a lawyer. It was a black gentleman dressed like a lawyer. Oh, he's the district attorney. Oh, so he's a lawyer?

Yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah, well, they're at... The lawyer.

No, no, no, the district attorney, not the lawyer. Oh, sorry. Well, when you say lawyer, Luke Skywalker is the family attorney. That's his real name?

No. Oh, the character, the actor who plays. Yes, I mean... It would have been hilarious if Luke Skywalker was the guy's name.

Yeah. Well, you could have said Mark Hamill or whatever. Oh, that's the guy, yeah. The klepto.

Nobody knows his real name. Allegedly, allegedly. Mark Hamill. Mark Hamill.

That's kind of creepy when he looks at you. Yeah, he did a voice in something, what was he? He was a joker in Batman. That's it.

Yeah, thank you. Yeah. So yeah, I started watching that, that was pretty good. And then, Sunday, Teddy wanted to go to Universal.

Oh. He's on Universal! So we did the carousel and, you know. Just you and her or everybody?

No, the squad, we were on the team. You should have just had a daddy-daughter day. We just had the, I brought the team. The team wanted to go.

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's good. Good.

So, okay. What you got there? Turkey, you're to dark, you're to ducking, tur ducking. Hold on.

Welcome to Cigar Hustlers podcast feature, Phil's Fun Facts. Hello, people. Still doesn't know there's a video intro. You can't see them dance.

Okay. In the world of cigars, there's a term known as the afterglow. It refers to the lingering aroma and flavor that a high-quality cigar can leave on your lips in the air long after you finish smoking. Some say that sharing an Afterglow with a special someone can be an incredibly sensual and romantic experience, making cigars not just a treat for the palate, but also for the senses.

So if anyone would like to Afterglow with me, you can reach me through Cigar Hustler. 3 grams. Nice. That's cool.

That's nice. All right, turkey. I love to eat a turkey. We should try to call him one more time, but let's wait till later.

Or do you want to do it right now? Try it right now. One more time. One more time.

Maybe two more times. We'll keep trying till the end. Call Rosales, probably stay next to him. Oh.

Call Lightweight Heavy, don't call Rosales. Yeah, Lightweight Heavy. Lightweight Heavy. He always likes being on the show.

Yeah, he likes being on the show. Go Lightweight Heavy and go, hey, can you put Jackson on the phone? Hey, do you have a new salesman? Jason.

His name is Jason. The last name is Jackson. Yeah, JJ. JJ.

You put JJ on the phone? That'd be okay. He'd go, man, come on. That's not how he sounds.

I told him not to answer the phone. He doesn't like that either. No, he doesn't. He crossed between the two.

I think that if the two of you got together, That would be the love child would be the voice of Lightweight Heavy. Oh, speaking of love child, Michael, today's our nine year anniversary of our friendship. Oh, really? Yes.

Love child? Nine years? Nine years on Facebook. Shit.

Yeah. Jeez Louise. Did you reshare that? Yes, I put it up on Facebook.

Oh, that's fantastic. Yes. Oh, I'm very excited. Thank you.

You know, it's not quite 10. It's our anniversary. Yeah. It's our anniversary.

Hmm. Hmm. Your wife put the googly eyes up on my post. She put the googly, like the staring at you?

Yeah, yeah, the staring at you. And then what the fuck? Did you try to call him or where were you? Oh, no, we're gonna wait till later.

Okay, I thought, you're looking at your phone if that's what you were doing. It's 255. No, I had, I got an order at the market. Oh.

I'm glad Palmer has now taken the attention away from me, for you now. For what? What? Because every time she calls, you're like, oh, is Boots putting his arm around you?

But now he's getting the googly eyes and stuff, not me. No, what happens is when you call, Well, your fucking voice makes it sound like you're sitting on my fucking lap. She's like, "For fuck's sake, where the hell is he? " Is it your microphone?

No, it's just on the... No, he doesn't say that ball. He says yes. No, he doesn't.

Well, matter of fact, he is, dear. You know, the other problem, too, is you guys... Well, you. You.

Not you. Boots. Not Phil. Boots is totally...

What am I changing? is totally inconsiderate to when someone's on the fucking phone. talking, if you're on the phone, all of a sudden in the background you're like, I'm like, holy shit. What is going on here?

I always start to be real quiet. I turn the volume down in the truck. That's different. It's always in the office.

It's not you. I don't think I'm the loudest person in the office. It's not you, Phil. It's Boots.

No, Robbie Doyle is the loudest person in the office when he's there. But you're there more than him. But I don't think I talk in the corner. You do.

You talk very loud. From the four corners of the world, all the cigar industry news you could possibly need, the Cigar Hustler Podcast Report, with Mike Toon. Owner of Black Star Line Cigars, Eric Bay, states it's time to make a change. We are a bigger company, and we don't need to sell direct to consumers anymore.

When the company started, we sold direct to consumers to help spread the brand. We have grown tremendously, so now we are letting our retail partners exclusively sell our brand. We fully support our retail partners in every way, Bay ads, our website will continue to sell coffee and various other swag for those that want branded items from us. You pussy!

Where is it? Give it to me. You fucking caved, Erik. I'm gonna call him.

He's gonna answer. He'll answer. He'll answer. You caved.

You gave in. Some retailer got ahold of you. Somebody leaned on him. I'm not gonna call him.

That's mean. What is that like? Is that like bad behavior if you do that? " Yeah, you really shouldn't sell direct to yourself, because then you're competing with all your retail.

Well, I think that you could sell direct to everybody else, but the reality is that you should be protecting your fucking brand. Right. You know? So would sell for a higher price?

I mean, how many, but if you think about it, if you actually put, if you actually tried to fucking mathematically put any thought behind the cigars that are in my humidor, you can get them direct. You can get a lot of them direct. Right. From the manufacturer, because they own everything.

They fucking own everything. Right. They own retail shops. They own wholesale shops.

They own fucking all of it. Manufacturers, brand owners, all of it. Right. So, because he's smaller, he has to give in?

That makes no sense. I don't know. That doesn't make any sense to me. Hmm.

Unless he was just tired of fucking facilitating orders. That could be it. If he just said, "Look, I don't want to facilitate the fucking orders anymore. " I don't need to.

I make money the other way. Because you never, if you do it the right way, you shouldn't be making a ton of money on it anyways. Oh, right? Wow.

Are you selling a retail? Well, it shouldn't be. I mean, if you worked at an advantage where you were before retailers or before other brands and stuff like that, and you were selling it before they had received it, then yeah, you would move it fantastically faster. But if all the other consumers are established with retailers, they're going to buy from them.

Which most of them should be for boutique, right? Correct. That's what I'm saying. S.

distribution. How G Booby? Booby. I feel like you completely mispronounced that.

No, because I phonetically looked it up online. B-O-B-O. How G, which is not spelled how G. Hoo-G.

No, it's how G. That's how you pronounce it. I looked it up. Hoo-G-Booby.

Booby. How G Booby. How G Booby. How G Booby.

It's pretty good. Thanks. How G Booby. How G Booby.

Good, too. Thank you very much. They had two boobies? Yes.

Yes. Bob Degobi has announced that his Haji Boobie Cigar brand. No, it's not. Haji Boobie.

It's Haji Boobie time. It's Haji Boobie time. It's Haji Boobie time. Haji Boobie time.

Haji Boobie and Haji Boobie. Please, we gotta give Bob Degobi his respect to cigars. Can I add camera one, please? I'm sorry.

There's gotta be. This is made up. For those unfamiliar with SLC distributors associated with Sir Lewis Cigars. Oh, I like that guy.

You know Boobie? It's a retail store based in Wilbraham, Mass. For the moment, Haujibubi is the company's only national brand under distribution, which is headed up by Matt Jordan. It's a normal name.

Wow. Haujibubi was previously distributed by Vlada Stovanov's Bespoke Company until early 2023. Last week, Lampert Cigars announced that it was ending the distribution agreement with Bespoke Company. Stojevo announced its own brand, Somme, earlier this year.

De Godia was born in the Netherlands, but lived in the Dominican Republic for the last two decades. During the time he started making cigar boxes, blah, blah, blah, to make cigars. Whew, tired of name. You think Mr.

Jordan just feels out of place there, huh? Is that the guy, didn't he do a cigar, didn't he, didn't he do a cigar with Privada? How'd you boobie? Yeah.

Maybe, I don't know. B-O-B-I? B-O-B-I, yes. Oh, he did, yeah, yeah, yeah, there was one.

Yeah. It was called something stupid too, like Zig Zig Boobie or something. I don't know. So many boobies.

The massive boobie. The Ricky Bobby. Alfonso Grand Selection begin shipping. Oh, that's exciting.

Over the last year or so, Selected Tobacco has been releasing new lines that it says are aged in rooms lined with French oak. A nod to the wine world. Earlier this week, the company has begun shipping its newest blend that was aged with French oak. Ooh.

It's the Alfonso Grand Selection, which is a company that is explicitly describing as a sequel to the Alfonso Extra Anejo, blend-wise, With the Grand Selección, using an Ecuadorian Havana wrapper over a Peruvian binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, the company has said that this should be a darker flavor profile compared to the Extra Anejo, like the Alfonso Anejo in the Byron 1950, this line was aged for a total of five years, part of the process is done in rooms lined with Spanish cedar, where the humidity has increased and decreased throughout the process, the final part of the aging process is done in rooms lined with French oak, where the company says it was inspired by white and white. What are you making? Does that make a difference, really? I don't see how.

Maybe. I guess. I don't know. Maybe.

Does it absorb stuff from oak in the walls? Who knows? This whole industry is filled with smoke and mirrors. It could be.

All right. The CRA's Freedom Sampler, Fall 2023, heads to stores. Oh. Oh.

Nice, everybody. The third sampler for 2023, Cigar Rights of America, is heading to stores. C. Newman Cigar Company began shipping the CRA Freedom Sampler fall 2023.

A 10-cigar sampler is made to help fund the cigar trade organization. Very loud over there. Like he's cutting his toenails or something. Like he's sitting on your lap.

Right. Like he's cutting his toenails. Don't cut your toenails during the show. Each sampler in MSRP of $204 includes one of the following.

What? Includes one? Oh, one of each of these. An LFD.

A Padron. Oliva, Series V, La Florida Man, LFD, Andalusian Bull, Diamond Crown, Julius Caesar Pyramid, Fuente, Fuente, Opus X, My Father Garcia, Tatuaia, 15 Anniversary Plus One, Ashton Cemetery, Arturo Fuente, Wear Pink, Padrón, Rocky Patel, for the first time in a while, none of the cigars in the sampler are new. Oh, wow. Three cigars in Oliva, Series V, Padrón Black, and the Tatuaia, 15 Anniversary Plus have not been released outside of CRA.

CRA. So this is the CRA. You know what? Go fuck yourself sampler.

It's like, eh, we're just not going to fuck it. You know what? Right. Keep going.

You can just keep talking. The cigars from Toro Fuente, Jason Newman, and LFD, and Rocky Patel have changed in comparison to the Summer Sampler. In addition, this sampler contains two cigars from Toro Fuente. Summer Sampler had two cigars from Maliba.

Hey, so we really need a new cigar. Yeah, you're not going to get that. All right, there are 4,000 CRA cigar samplers coming out, blah, blah, blah. Is this a, is that a charity thing, or is that just a?

CRA member companies donate the cigars to the organization, which then sells the packs. The proceeds from the sales are used to fund the CRA, one of the three main cigar trade groups. Oh, yeah, so there's a CRA, the PCA, and who's the other main one? The FAA.

Remember the Retailer Association of America or whatever? I don't think that's one of the main ones. The big one, the OSHA Aura or whatever? The big one?

They were called OSHA. OSHA. Don Doroteo begins shipping two salt of the earth blended blends to retailers. Don Doroteo is shipping two blends.

You know, our friend has sort of dropped off the face of the earth that used to work for Don Doroteo. Yeah. I think he's finding himself. Is he?

He decided to walk the earth. Oh, he's on Walkabout. Like Kane in Kung Fu. Oh, nice.

Is he doing Kung Fu? Maybe. That would be nice. I'd like to.

It's like Minnesotan Kung Fu. Right. Yeah. That's a totally different type of Kung Fu.

It's with a jacket on. Yeah. You're not as mobile. Right.

You can't move as easily because it's a big puffy winter jacket. Yeah. I understand. Co-founder Juan Lugio, grandfather's Doroteo Delgado, who grew tobacco for La Roar in the Dominican Republic in the 1930s.

First cigar, Salty Earth, Pedro Angulera, his name for the translates Cornerstone from Spanish. Cornerstone. According to the company, both are made with tobacco from 2016 harvest and includes Andulo tobaccos. Andulo.

Which are native. Oblongato. Yeah, native to the American Republic. Most more of the process rather than specific varietal.

The Andulo tobacco. Oblongato. Tightly enlarged pods known as, oh wait, he did all this for the Y-Goose. Y-Goose?

Yeah, the burrito tobacco wraps. Oh. Remember that from the other store? No.

Because you don't listen. Yeah, I don't listen. Don't listen. It's a weird way to start a conversation.

Yeah. The end result is something that is more or less a large log of tobacco where slices are cut off and more commonly chewed or smoked via pipes. My grandfather and my Dominican roots are the inspiration for the salt of the earth line, which is why we used Andulo in both blends, said Lugio in a press release. Andulo, distinctly Dominican, has been smoked as piped tobacco, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Sounds amazing. Terribly exciting. Delayed Nicaraguan Corona Gorda? Nicaraguan, Corona Gorda, Dalé, Dalé, Dalé, D-A-L-A-Y, it's not Dalé, Dalé, Dalé, Dalé, Dalé, Salir Dalé, no, not Salvador Dalé, Salir, Salvador, no, Salvador Dalé, Salir, while the majority of the distribution agreement stores that appear on this site tend to talk about cigars that are familiar to us, one re-announced the past summer was about cigars from a German company coming to the United States.

Whoa. We like the German cigars. He worked for a It works with Roma. Oh.

You know, have our little podcast and our little web show and, you know, do the best we can before we have. Just because his sidekick bought all your stuff? We're psychic. Yes.

Oh yeah, we're in the same guy. What the fuck are you talking about? Back to the Germans! Back to the Germans!

We need the cigars! As part of the new distribution agreement, a pair of new Dalai branded cigars. Oh, no. We're launched at the 2023 PGA Convention Trade Show in July.

The first was the Dalai Istanbul, a limited edition line that pays homage to Saleh Dalai's Turkish heritage. Gets a wonder list. Oh, the blend features Turkish tobacco in the filler along with Dominican and Kentucky air-cured tobaccos. Oh, air-cured.

Air-cured. Sounds amazing. While the binder comes from Pennsylvania, an Ecuador and Habano Corojo 99 hybrid wrapper completes the blend, It's the blend, which was produced by Davila Galera, Zulchenberg, in the Dominican Republic, obviously German owned. Zulchenberg.

Oh, let's see, his daughter worked on the design, the second release of the cigar is a regular production line made, oh, by Luciano Cigars. Oh, you're kidding me, you're kidding me. The second release in this cigar, hold on, I'm going back and reading the beginning of the line, stop, I'm reading, I didn't realize this, I was looking for a Luciano story this week. Found it.

The second new release of this cigar, the Dale Nicaraguan, which is a regular production line made by Luciano Cigars, and features an Ecuadorian Corojo 98 wrapper, a double binder for Brazilian, Avala Paraca, an Ecuadorian Habano 2000 lead, and a filler that is all Nicaraguan with leaves coming from anywhere Luciano wants him to come from. Any factory at any given time. What Luciano did with the blend is off the charts. Off the charts.

Guys, there's real no paperwork that tracks it, that's why it's off the chest. There are no charts. Said Michael Goscos, Gros-cos, Gros-cos. Boobie's cousin.

Guess so. That's the guy that took the shot at Jack. No, no, that was Mike the Greek. That's it.

Oh, is this him? Oh, that's his real name. You guys, what the fuck are you guys on today? I don't know the real name.

How am I the only person that I've seen? He's the CEO of Dolly. Oh, maybe not. Dolly Dolly.

So what the fuck is your problem, Michael? What are you talking about? What are you on today? You guys are fucking kids.

Mike the Greek owns Dolly. I thought that that was Mike Cabrera. Yes, I want a divorce. Can I have a thousand?

No, I guess we're not making it to ten years. Oh, to ten, we're not making it to ten, apparently. Wow. Just like that.

So, Adrian still has a record at eleven. The cigar is a standout in our portfolio, oh, sorry, the cigar is a standout in our portfolio. Luciano has always been contributing with his knowledge and vast expertise in the tobaccos, And I consider him a mentor, and a friend, working here at Dalai, has proven many opportunities to meet people like Luciano, and work with him and the best. Was that, what accent was that?

I don't know, it turned into Spanish there at the end. You were trying to go German, right? Started German at the beginning, sort of transitioned into Latin, and then maybe even finished in Chinese normally, so I don't know. Let's see, you can get it in four sizes.

Whoa. The Corona Gorda. Oh. The Robusto.

One more. The Gran Toro, the Gran Toro, oh, hello, Gran Toro. Shipping to stores whenever Luciano gets ready to. Whenever he wants.

Whenever he wants. Hoya De Nicaragua Cinco De Cinco Slink Puck begins shipping. The Slink Puck? Hoya De Nicaragua is making a Cinco De Cinco Slink Puck.

Sling Puck. Slinga. Hmm. Nicaragua's oldest cigar factory is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, and to no surprise, is doing something to do.

So, with a special cigar, that cigar, the Hoya de Nicaragua Cinco Cinco, is beginning to ship to stores. Cinco Cinco, Spanish for five out of five, is a new regular production line that is part of the company's Obras Mestras series, and high-end production. And the company, Blendwise, uses Mexican San Andreas over Nicaraguan Binder and fillers from Nicaragua. C.

Newman ships the American Black Bison Cigar Case. A lot of shipping going on. A lot of shipping. A lot of shipping.

It's a time of year when PCA stuff is finally caught up and they're going to ship before the next one in March. Just in time. Just in time. Did we get the Black Bison cigar cases?

That's United. C. Newman. C.

Newman. I don't know. If you like a cigar case, the pair with the American cigars are probably not. You yelled at me.

Oh. Oh, you'll be fine. C. Newman, a new option is heading to stores.

Like, oh no. In keeping with the American theme, the case is all American-made in the USA. Will you stop, please? There's a joke coming.

There's a joke coming. Okay. Well, you won't hear it if you hit the button over the top of me. All right.

The American Black Bison Cigar Case is a three-cigar case. This cigar case, it comes with three, comes with the three, the American Rebuso cigars that were sold in 2020. Each case is MSRP of $350 and production limited 350 numbered cigars. C.

Newman has partnered with Brizzard and Company, a California based accessory company to create leather cigar cases for the American line. This year's case is wrapped in leather from a bison from Ted Turner, Turner's Bison Program, Montana. The case is lined with Spanish cedar, and comes with two Spanish cigar dividers. The case, unlike the cigars, is said to taste very good, but be a little chewy.

That was the joke? That was the joke at the end. So how many cigars? Three cigars, $350, you get the bison leather case, and three of the American Robustos.

Amazing. Amazing. Are you doing the math over there? I'm just thinking about it.

Do we need to tell your wife to get you that for Christmas? No, please don't. The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust delays Polpetta until January. Oh, no.

Oh, no. Oh, no. Just in time. Fans of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust who are hoping to get their hands on the new Polpetta line will have to wait until the new year as a company has announced that the cigars won't hit shelves until January.

Oh, no. Normally delays from intended release dates are the result of either the cigar and/or the packaging not being ready. But this is not the case for the Polpetta. Oh, yeah?

Cigars are ready, they land in their agent in our warehouse, said Steve Sako, founder of Dunbarton Trust & Tobacco, in a press release. It is simply a matter of operational logistics and doing what we believe is the best interest of our purveyors and my staff, he added. And finally added, not to worry, this gives him more time to post about them and fill your social media newsfeed. The Polpetta line debuted in 2019.

That's just a lot of stuff here about that cigar. Rojas Cigar raises prices of street tobacco, increasing ring gauge on breakfast tacos. Oh! This is the one that pissed you off, isn't it?

Where you ordered the tacos, but everybody else got their tacos first, and then you didn't get your tacos? No. This wasn't the one? I've never ordered tacos.

I don't think he's ever... It was street tacos. The first time they came out? No.

I just don't think you remember. I don't think it was them. I've never ordered tacos. Never ordered street tacos?

No. I don't think he's ever ordered Rojas, have we? I don't think so. Rojas Cigars has announced a pair of changes to his popular street tacos and breakfast taco lines of the former getting more of a bit expensive, The latter is getting a bit bigger.

The Roja Street Taco line, which is available in two blends called Barbacoa and Carnitas, will be seeing MSRP of the individual cigars go up by 30 cents. See, that makes sense. The name of the cigar is Street Tacos, and Barbacoa and Carnitas. That makes sense.

The only thing that doesn't make sense is the name Street Tacos, and this is a cigar. Right. Yeah, exactly. Let's see, the increase is due to the consumer seeds will depend upon their local tax rates and how those are applied to the final cost of the cigar.

The change, which went into effect today. What are they, nine bucks then? 65. Yeah.

40. So they went up like two bucks. I don't know, they didn't give us the original prices. I said 30 cents.

30 cents. Oh. Depending on taxes in your area. Oh, New York, you're fucked.

STG stopped shipments of Alec and Bradley Gatekeeper Diamond Press due to quality control issues. Uh-oh. Thank you. After the initial shipments of the Alec and Bradley Gatekeeper Diamond Presses were found not to meet the expectations of Scandinavian Tobacco Group.

In regard to the Diamond Press shape, the company has decided to stop all shipments of the cigars and stop further sales of the cigars. " That was the joke. So... Haha.

Who are you calling? Justin Andrews. Oh, he's not going to answer. So a cigar press has to meet a standard?

Well, that's not what changes. They're supposed to be diamond shaped. My phone doesn't want to ring. And they're not.

They're like octagon. No, diamond. But I'm saying the ones there are probably like octagon. Oh, basically it's a square.

They just turn it sideways and say it's a diamond. Wow! The way we fit it in the box, now it's a diamond, boop, here we go, look. It's, now it's a square, now it's a diamond.

Warps, La Colmenea, Colmenea, C-O-L-M-E-N-A, Michael? Colmenea? My head's tired. Colmenea.

Black Honey. Manamana. Manamana. Manamana.

Manamana. Manamana. Colmenea. Manamana.

The 2023 is beginning shipping. Did we get those? No. Oh, we don't buy Gary Warp, do we?

No. All right, then we're not reading the story. All right, cool. Next!

Did you try them one more time? Who? J. J.

Now it's between three and three. Yeah, we really want to buy some cigars. We'd like to place an order, but nobody's answered. Shit, I don't know that number.

Hello? I'd like to talk to you about your cable. Hi, I'm Jason Jackson with Robocraft Tobac. Leave me your name and number, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Thanks. At the tone, please record your message. When you have finished recording, please record your message. When you have finished recording, please record your message.

I'm your name and number, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks. At the tone, please record your message. When you have finished recording, you may hang up or press one for more options.

Call Lightweight Heavy. We'll ask him about JJ. Yeah, he gives a narrative. He can tell us all about it.

I'm not doing that to Lightweight Heavy. Why not? He likes being on the show. He likes being on the show.

He loves doing our podcast. I'm at a term right now where I'm at Ofer for calling people and nobody answering, so... Yo, make sure you give me a call on the show. Call Rosales.

Call Rosales. He can tell us about JJ. You'll call him. He'll definitely answer.

Maybe not. He's not having a lot of luck. Maybe they're having problems with their cigar presses. Cigar Presses.

Nobody takes his calls anymore. What happened, Michael? You used to be somebody. You used to be my homie.

You used to be my ace. Now they're all going to donate. Hello. Hey.

Oh, it's Michael Rosales. First fucking ring. One ring. First ring.

That's why you're my boy. That's why you're my boy. What's up, my man? Hey, buddy, this is Michael Rosales, Romacraft, back, and thank you for being on a Cigar Messers podcast.

Surprise! It's always a pleasure to be on the app podcast. Yes. The number one podcast.

So we've been trying to call your fucking employee here a couple times, um, Mr. Jason Jackson. We, we're in a lead generation meeting right now. Oh my God.

Everybody's having them. I see what you did there. That's very creative. That's very creative.

He's a listener of the show. Yeah. Um, we had a scheduled, uh, interview with him between 3:00 and 3:30. Yeah.

So I just want that to go as a, as a, some type of mark on him for his credibility. We could talk about how he's doing for the end of the quarter, where he's at as far as promoting and building the brand. Is that in reference to Kipper and Deshaun? No, Jason Jackson.

Jason Jackson. Jason Jackson. Jason Jackson. Yeah.

Yeah. Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit, Mr. Jason. I mean, he's a proud product in Alabama Public Schools.

A proud product of Florida public schools. There you go. Ah, I get it. I get it.

Must have skipped answering the phone. What's the topic of the day? Well, I mean, the topic of the day is actually going to be calling, it's called sales. And when your phone rings and you're in sales, you're supposed to answer the fucking phone.

Not only that. Let's talk about your inventory. Let's put down it. Yeah.

Yeah. This is so easy. And not only that. You're supposed to, when you schedule an appointment to be on a podcast, and they say they're going to call you.

You're supposed to answer the call. You're supposed to answer the call. He got scared. Jeff takes all priorities, right?

However, he should have called and said, hey, guys, can I reschedule? Yeah. Look, I don't want to hear apologies. I just want him to be better.

We need to stop using your phone, Michael. You've got to be intentional about getting better. That's it. Don't be sorry.

Be better. All right. Well, enjoy, enjoy your, uh, lead optimization meeting. No, he doesn't give me a post on your order.

Oh, okay, yeah. Oh, do you hear Skip? He said if you don't give him your post on your order, it's not coming until 2025. I don't know, I figured as much, he's so angry.

Are you going to work on Daniel Barley? Tell him I love him and I'll see him soon. What have you got scheduled for your upcoming releases? Like, what are you, what's going to work for you?

For me? Yeah. I don't know. I'll figure that, I'll figure that out in February when I am in Estelina, and I'm making my order.

You're gonna roll it all yourself. Okay. Yeah. Well gentlemen, have a great day.

All right, talk to you. Thank you for taking the call, Michael. Goodbye. All right, so there you go.

They're in a meeting. Text Ronnie, tell Ronnie to call all of them. All right, you gonna listen to the week, Michael? Uh-oh.

Yeah, I do. Yeah, I do. Who? Miguel Rocha.

My guy. Thank you for the cigars, Miguel. Apparently, we have never met. No, he didn't give you the cigars.

Who gave us the damn cigars? He won't. Oh, that's right, he didn't say the name. That's right, he didn't say the name.

He's the guy that did those things for your kids. So confused. I red-lighted today and everything. Bro, I didn't say that.

Wow. He's a guy. Now, dude, I mean, some other guys. Adam Acri is the man.

He also contributed. He contributed. Adam, thank you so much. It wasn't necessary.

Steve upstairs, he donated. There was a bunch of guys that donated. I know I'm not going to include everybody's name right now, but thank you so much, Sweet Pea. But thank you so much for everybody that donated.

Chop of the Week! Chop of the Week. You want another Chop of the Week? Yes.

Smoke on the Water. Gone. December 9th. Oh.

We will be releasing the SBC at Smoke on the Water. Oh, yeah. In Weston, Florida. Smoke on the Water.

So, if you are available, and you live in the state of Florida, or if you just want to come to one of the coolest cigar stores in the world, come and meet us at Smoke on the Water, December 9th. 9th, we are going to release the highly anticipated SBC 22. SBC 22. We were on two, and now you went back to three.

So confusing. SBC 22. Delicious. We're going to do a podcast from there.

Oh! And I got news for you, Phil. Apparently, it's just me and you. Just the two of you.

Yep. I'll be in Missouri. Yeah, he's not doing it. I can't go.

All right. I'm in. He's not doing it. So, maybe we get Jason Taylor on.

Oh, that'd be great. I would love that. He'll wet himself. Have to put him in a cage.

Yeah. Away from it. Put a leash on him. No more locked doors.

No more locked doors. So, yeah. Wow. December 9th.

December 9th. Anything else, Michael? I feel like there was something else. What?

Hmm. I'm thinking about bringing it up on the, uh... Patreon? Patreon.

Yeah, you guys... You'll tell Booth and he'll bring it up. Yeah. You guys have...

I don't know what's going on with you today. You guys are sharing the same brain cell. Maybe. Just the one.

Sorry for... Alright, well, hey, thank you so much for listening. Appreciate you guys. Welcome my expenses, guys.

Enjoy it. Enjoy it. Alright, guys, thank you very much for episode 306. On to the Patreon.

Alright guys, bye. The show's host, Mike Szczepankewicz, with any feedback or suggestions that you have for their shows. These broadcasts are presented and made public as entertainment in the hope that they will be entertaining to the audience.

Show Notes

In this episode of the Cigar Hustlers podcast, we delve into the ever-evolving world of premium cigars, featuring a variety of exciting developments and announcements from the industry. Join us as we explore the latest trends, shifts, and news that are shaping the cigar landscape.

First up, we have Aric Bey, the owner of Black Star Line Cigars, sharing a significant decision. Bey discusses the company's transition from direct-to-consumer sales to an exclusive focus on their retail partners. Discover the reasons behind this strategic move and how it reflects the growth and evolution of the brand.

Next, we highlight the U.S. distribution announcement by How-G BOBI, a development that's set to influence the availability of these cigars for enthusiasts across the country.

Alfonso Gran Selección also takes the spotlight as they begin shipping their premium cigars. Learn about the unique qualities that make this brand stand out.

CRA Freedom Sampler Fall 2023 is making its way to stores, and we provide insights into what makes this sampler a must-have for cigar aficionados.

Don Doroteo introduces two Salt of the Earth blends to retailers, adding to the diversity of choices for cigar enthusiasts.

We also explore the Dalay Nicaragua Corona Gorda, Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco, and the intriguing Sling Puck cigar, all of which have begun shipping, offering a glimpse into the wide variety of flavors and experiences available to cigar lovers.

J.C. Newman's American Black Bison Cigar Case, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust's Polpetta delay, and Rojas Cigars' updates on their Street Tacos and Breakfast Tacos are also covered in this episode, providing valuable insights into unique accessories and product changes.

Lastly, we delve into the intriguing update regarding STG's shipments of Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper Diamond Press, shedding light on the importance of quality control in the cigar industry.

And finally, we discuss the much-anticipated release of Warped's La Colmena Black Honey 2023, a cigar that has garnered significant attention in the industry.

Join us as we navigate through these exciting developments and shifts in the world of cigars, offering you a comprehensive view of what's happening in the market. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or just beginning your journey with cigars, this episode is packed with valuable information and insights. Tune in to stay updated on the latest in the cigar world!