Cigar Hustlers Podcast Episode 317 Company Of The Year
Transcript
Welcome to the Cigar Hustlers
Podcast, Episode 317, The number
one cigar podcast with the world
famous cast 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 Stefan Kovich and
Director of Social Media for
Cigar Hustler Mike BDP Palmer
are two dynamic individuals who
Co host the Captain Cigar
Hustler Podcast and me, I'm
Phil.
So grab your favorite smoke, sit
back and join us for another
exciting episode, Cigar
Hustler's podcast.
I'm too.
Angry Where?
My Papa, My Papa.
Bring me a titty number one
please.
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ACHP.
A Cigar Hustlers podcast.
That's the tattoo.
That's a tattoo of mine.
Oh, that's nice.
Get me two, please.
Thank you.
Oh.
You get the Cigar Hustlers
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Turbo.
Show day, You're committed.
Show day.
I appreciate your commitment.
OK.
Yes.
So do you want to get right into
reviews, yada yada stuff or you
like?
Can if you went to, nothing
exciting happened.
I mean, Sunday we did nothing.
Oh, absolutely nothing I did.
By the fire.
At my Oh well that's on patio
though.
That's nice.
Where their chest.
Well, they would, no.
There was Greg gave being a
signed cigar for my wife to
smoke and to give him an opinion
of.
It.
Did you see the picture of the
cigar?
What?
The cigar he was smoking.
Oh, the iceberg.
I wasn't doing.
My wife smoke.
No, no.
Yeah, she she smoked one that
that guy left that came in last
week.
I forget who he was.
Yeah, Mike Denny's.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It was a craft.
Yeah, I smoked a craft.
Oh, to.
Find out what year it was.
You dropped a crap.
Yeah, no, I have no idea.
I.
Have no idea.
Damn.
You must think you're getting
close to the end, huh?
Like you're about to die.
Yeah, I'm.
I'm smoking the good smoking the
good shit, right?
Yeah.
Oh my goodness.
Smoking some of the saved ones
it.
Looked like a 20.
What's?
I don't know.
What was the shape?
It was short.
There's a little Rabusto guy.
Yeah.
OK, Yeah, I think.
That's green, green near the end
like I think.
It's a 20.
I thought it was a 22, but I'm
not sure.
Yeah, I thought it was.
I'm gonna tell you.
I'm.
I'm gonna tell you right now.
The best one was the best.
The LA Campania de Panama.
La Campania Panama de Soberania
cigar.
That was the fucking best.
What is that?
Was the OG crap before they were
called crafts.
The fuck.
When did they start making them?
I don't.
You know what, dude, I can't
calculate.
I think dude, you.
Know the reality is that I can't
calculate life anymore.
You know, when I when I carried
the one and brought my Abacus
out and realized that I've been
in the cigar industry for now,
14 or 15 years, I was like, holy
shit.
How's it feel?
Terrible.
I feel old.
I see that you went back to your
stand.
We got rid of this.
It was a good run with the.
Stand now we're back.
Well, we don't either.
Don't choke.
I had it down for a previous.
Yeah.
I think it looks better with the
arm.
It's more comfortable.
I don't know if I'm just used to
it or not.
I did like not having to look
through it to see you, but.
That's OK.
But the wire going across the
table here kept.
Bothering you?
Yeah, it's like.
Because I'm used to putting my
arms on the.
Table.
I had a very fun, fun filled
weekend.
Yeah, we had two football games.
Back-to-back.
Yeah, my, my, my defensive coach
had to leave early.
Sadly and sadly.
Is there a problem?
Well, he had to go play
football.
Oh, he plays football.
Yeah, they got.
They were upset the the coaches,
the coaches were upset that he
was on the field.
They're like our our quarterback
can't understand that he's a
defender or coach.
I'm like, OK, what?
How about was he Little Jack?
Oh, Jack.
Jack.
Oh, yes, Jack.
I was like, OK, like can you can
you put on a different shirt or
something that's not?
A bad idea.
So I did.
But I never.
Sure you want a safety vest for
him.
I got a yellow safety vest.
I'm.
Going to get him like these
stilts.
Oh, make him taller.
Yeah.
He's not actually on the field,
is he?
Oh, yeah.
Oh, you the.
Coaches at your end, Yeah, I.
Think.
I think people were just mad
that he's a coach.
So he, I mean, we were doing
well.
Then he left and we wound up
tying.
So it's really not you, It's
him.
Yeah, so he's no well on the
team.
Well, I went back and I looked
at the film and there were
definitely some mistakes that
were made there.
We made some mistakes and what
happens?
Not him, You.
Yeah, him.
Well, for one, I'm a big
believer in always owning
things, you know, and the
reality is that that.
It's choking.
He's fine.
I'm.
I'm sorry, what's so funny?
I think.
I think.
I think it was you.
I think it was you.
It was.
Definitely me.
He's saying it was him.
He's talking about owning.
Owning a mistake?
Yeah, I mean, he works.
He's under me.
He's not sorry he's going to do
better.
Yeah, OK, right.
You're like the Tom Brady.
Yeah, so, I mean, you know,
like, I think that.
So I looked at the film and I
and I saw the mistakes that we
made on defense, especially that
I made when I was running the
defense by myself, right?
And we're going to make some
mods.
He's got some cool ideas that I
think we're going to implement.
And you know, there are things
that happen when the team on the
other side gets excited and
rowdy and people are going nuts
and your kids kind of implode,
and you got to learn how to
cultivate those kids through
that.
So it was a tie.
It's a good, it was a good tie.
You know, I think even a loss
can be a good loss.
You know you learn something.
Exactly.
So we're going to take from this
and we're going to move forward.
I mean, I didn't sleep for two
nights.
I was angry, but I got over it.
The new rule is Jackson's not
allowed to leave.
Well, yeah, he can't leave.
Well, he had a game.
Can't fucking leave.
Doesn't matter.
Yeah, like you're gonna have
busy.
You're gonna have to choose
what's what's more important,
the team or.
You just love the fact that.
I gotta be honest, I love the
fact.
Oh, he's a coach.
He's a coach, but he's a kid you
gotta.
Play again.
Are you fuckers done?
We're not allowed to talk.
No.
Oh, we're not allowed to talk,
Phil.
We'll just let him go.
I just love the fact that I get
to coach.
Oh, I'm going to put it on
camera 3.
You know, it's thank you.
It's pretty amazing.
You know it's it really is.
And you know, it's hard to
because I'm very commanding,
especially because of my kid.
And then I look back and I'm
like, damn, I just should have
just let him do his thing.
Like I need to let Jax, Jax, you
know.
So this next game we're going to
let Jax, Jax a little bit more
so and this is going to be a
tough game, so I'm looking
forward to it.
And then what did we do
Saturday?
I don't know what happened
Saturday, Something Saturday.
Well, but I could tell you that
Sunday we went him and I went to
the basketball game, went to the
Heat Magic game.
Are you ready to talk?
Just don't run me over, you
fuck.
Don't be assholes.
Is it OK?
Is it OK now we can talk?
Now, OK, you're back.
OK, good.
Thank you.
Put it back on camera too.
So we went to.
So one of his best friends
there, his dad took us to the.
Magic game.
Yeah, the Magic game.
The heat.
Magic, the Heat.
And he got he got photos with
Paulo.
Oh.
Nice.
And then and they got a card
autographed.
He's converted.
Yeah, I think it's dude.
We got a Jalen Suggs towel.
Jalen Suggs threw him in the
towel.
Oh, it was sweating on it.
Yeah, they did.
They got high.
Like, you know, here's what's
cool.
I'm gonna tell you this and
like, this is, this is life
advice.
So write this shit down.
I'm gonna tell.
You all right?
I'm writing it.
Down Go ahead when you have
shitty people in your life.
When you have OK, got that
shitty, go ahead.
I I.
You need to cut them out
immediately.
All right, bud, you ready to go?
I'm I'm going to tell you right
now you have to because look, if
you remove those people.
If you remove those.
If you remove those negative
people.
You.
Give room for good people to
come in.
I tell my wife that all the
time.
And, you know, the reality is
that we have told some people to
fuck off right over the course
of the years, right?
And now because of that, we have
these great opportunities.
I mean, like, I'm working with a
dad or, you know, I get to go
and hang out with a dad who's
just as as invested as I am in
my kid, which I don't see that
often, you know?
And, you know, this guy is all
about making sure that the kids
have a great experience, right?
So he made sure they were on the
court.
He got to do, you know, like
high fives to the to the team.
You know, they hung out
afterwards.
They got to meet Paulo, which
worked out great.
He got Kayla Martin on the heat.
They got a signed basketball
card from that.
So, you know, his kid had all
these cards when they got
signed.
He gave them to my kid.
He gave them my son.
Oh, nice.
Yeah.
Two or just the one?
No.
Yeah, he just had one.
Caleb Martin.
Here you go.
Like, you know those are the
type of kids and the people that
I want around my kid, right?
And if you keep the bullshit
around your family, you're going
to continue to have bullshit.
So I'm very grateful for the
friends that that we've
acquired, you know, over the
course of giving us that
freedom.
And man, it was just, it was
just amazing.
You know, this dad was running
around like making sure that
they had everything perfect.
He was up ground.
I'm like.
You know, it was a great
experience for the children.
Yeah, they had a, they had a
well, his kid has had, he's had
a lot of those experiences,
right?
So he's a little more dialed in
with that.
So like MO Wagner going off the
coming off the court, he calls
the kids name out and gives him
a high five, you know, like
something like they know him,
which is awesome.
You know what, That's got to be
a great feeling for him, sure.
But you know, just the whole
experience was absolutely
fantastic.
And that's just because of the
fact that, you know, you got to
surround yourself with good
people, man.
So very grateful for that
experience for sure.
Awesome for sure.
Good.
Glad they had a good time.
Yeah, it was fantastic, man.
Did he had he had on the magic
jersey?
No, no.
So here, so remember the magic
shirt that I bought when I was
with you?
So I came out, I said hey,
should I wear this or should I
just wear this regular black
T-shirt?
And he goes, no, you got to go
put on your way, Jersey.
And I said OK, like I don't give
a fuck.
Like, you know, I'll do whatever
he wants me to do, you know,
like I am.
I am with you the goal.
So, so yeah, we were rocking.
But he's got a a magic jersey.
Oh yeah, he's got a he's got
Apollo jersey and he wasn't
wearing it when he met him.
He's going to be wearing it now,
though, because he's converted.
I'm sure that he's.
The sign card or the experience
of the person in front.
Of you.
Oh my God dude.
He would not on the on the ride
home.
He would not stop talking about
it at the house.
He would not stop talking about
it like he was.
Yeah, Smit, dude, he had a
blast.
He had a fucking blast.
So nice.
That's what it's all about, man.
That's what it's all about.
It makes an impression as a a
child.
Yeah, you know, I don't know.
Did you, did you ever go to
basketball games or football
games when you were a kid?
Fuck no.
Man, when I used to go with my
grandfather.
I know you're upbringing.
It's kind of funny.
They went to the liquor store.
They went to the Piggly Wiggly.
No.
I used to go with my grandfather
when Shaq and Penny were there
and Nick Anderson and all those
guys, and I met Nick Anderson
when I was a kid.
And that was like, the biggest
thing ever for me, right?
I never met any other player
except for him, right?
So like.
Still waiting on his jersey.
Yeah, now I see him, you know,
all the time.
Like, Oh my God, it's Nick
Garris.
I'm I'm freaking 36 years old.
Right.
I mean, that's a problem.
But you know, that's totally
different.
Now he's a little obsessive.
That's telling.
And there was another There was
a baseball player there,
Vladimir Guerrero or Vladimir.
Putin Oh, yeah.
Toronto.
Merjays.
Oh, not a different Vladimir.
Totally different guy, totally
different black.
Yeah, I.
Like Putin's black.
So yeah, nice.
That sounds like a good time.
So, hey, smoking tobacco, we're
going to talk about that real
quick.
Sure.
So they did.
They did their review.
Their, their.
They did their.
List, yes, yes.
And we briefly tapped on it last
week.
Right.
You were #13.
Yeah, the, the Connecticut.
And then they reach out to to me
after the show.
Mitchell.
Or.
Mitchell did, Yes, Mitchell.
Did yes, He thanked me for the
shout out.
And.
We talked this all day Friday.
Did you really?
Hi, very chatty, young, so he's
in Canada.
It's cold.
There's not a lot to do.
That's true.
Poor Canadians.
I know it's cold up there.
Yeah, they step outside, they
get taxed.
Right, Yeah.
So let's give.
An ICE tax.
So I wanted to give oh.
Did you Did you previously set
this up?
Yeah.
Oh, because Mitchell knew
nothing about.
It oh, I was calling Matthew
Tobacco.
Oh, I understand that.
Is Mitchell's last name tobacco?
No, he is not related.
Oh, his real last name is
Tobacco, by the way.
No, I know.
I asked him that at the show
last time.
I was like.
Oh, where That's weird.
Did I do your?
Last name.
Your last name is tobacco.
Is legit tobacco.
Yeah, it is.
He's like, yeah, I'm like,
you're lying.
You got to change it as well.
So is it just the fluke that you
fell into the cigar this year?
So so I want to go.
I used to sell cars.
I wanted to give them a buzz.
My last name is tobacco.
I thought I smoke cigars.
They're.
Gonna work out.
All right.
It was either that or vaping,
and I think he chose the right.
One, Is there tobacco in the
vape?
I can't connect.
Hit me.
I feel like it was like Pixie
dust.
Oh, Tom Parish connected to
somebody.
Let me see if it's.
If it's on mine, I'll disconnect
and then you can connect because
I called somebody last week on
the other show, Bluetooth.
Yes, I am connected.
I have disconnected.
Oh, delicious.
That's not like what follows
that.
Did you get the new, the new
things on there or no?
No.
By the way, Phil, last week was
fantastic.
I don't know who you guys were
judging.
We haven't seen him in a while.
The the Phil won and I, you know
sometimes he's a little on edge.
I didn't want to upset him but
next week though.
Yeah.
I'd like to talk talk about the
other ones after this other. 1.
The other rankings?
Sure that we're not on.
No.
We're not on anybody else's.
Let's not take away from this
segment.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
You're on the air, Sir.
Say the phrase.
It pays.
What's up, Matthew?
Tobacco.
Smoking tobacco.
How are you Sir?
I'm well.
How are you, fine gentlemen,
this Monday afternoon?
We are doing fantastic.
A little warmer.
We're doing fantastic.
So I wanted to, I want to tell
you a little something.
So I was kind of surprised that
I we didn't get top 25 on some
of these guys list like the how
about that cigar and I mean
developing palettes we haven't
seen yet correct.
Correct.
That still does they're.
So they still have time tonight.
They're holding tight and then
coop.
Well, he's the the cigar bid
cigar page.
He's a little bit crazy with his
reviews.
We'll talk about that.
But you know, but we did.
We did, you did.
Give us a nod, man.
And I, you know, we really
appreciate that.
How did you, how do you come up
with your ship?
Because I don't give you any
money.
Well, I don't play for.
I don't pay for ad space or
anything like that.
So.
He would like to talk to you
about that song.
So I'm just kind of curious as
to, So what do you do?
Tell me what you walk us through
the process, the Matthew Tobacco
process.
Smoking tobacco.
It's a show.
The smoking tobacco.
Of the ranking.
Ranking.
So as you guys probably know, we
we have a, we have a whole team
now we've evolved from just more
than Nicole and myself.
Yes.
So I mean look I we're going
through a lot of changes.
You know we've brought three
other people in in the last year
and a half who are doing most of
the reviews.
The goal is that in the long
term hopefully for this year
that we have more of the the
half wheel and coupe model of
the list is completely based on
all of the cigars that were were
reviewed in the year.
It's the most fairway.
The last few years obviously we
we haven't been able to do that
because we just haven't had the
capability to review that many
cigars in calendar year.
You know, you know this year in
particular it was, it was pretty
straightforward, you know that
the team was told like hey you
know we're putting the list
together.
Obviously it's that time of the
year and you know everyone's
going to you know submit what
they like and all of this.
And you know then we kind of go
over it 1 by 1 and it was kind
of easy because you know
everyone submitted stuff and
half of it we all had, we all
agreed on.
So we're like all right, well
that's on the list.
We all agreed.
And then there was the ones that
I had, Nicole had and then there
was ones that, you know, maybe
they had that we didn't.
And then from there it's like,
all right.
And it just kind of went on the
voting system and you know, it
got enough votes and the
majority of the team liked it.
And so we were like, yeah, going
to go on the list.
And it was, it was a good cigar.
It was a great release.
I know that people who went to
Pure of Sabor, I know that cigar
was included in the Pure of
Sabor sampler kind of before it
was officially launched.
And I know that right out of the
gate last year I I wasn't happy
with the war, but you know,
several of us were and I know
people were talking about it.
And so I said OK, this is
definitely one to keep an eye
on.
We saw you guys at the show and
you know we we knew it was
coming out and all that.
And then just you know through
the course of the year as we you
know go through all the new
releases and smoke the cigars,
you know, guys were smoking it
and you know we liked it and I
made it on the list and that's
that's pretty much it.
It's not not too complicated
other than that and we just try
to be as fair as possible.
That's that's, you know, it's a
great cigar and everyone loved
it.
Yeah, we got to find a good spot
for it on the list and that's
that's about it.
I mean, you think that that's
exactly how it would go down.
You just think that, hey, we
smoked a bunch of good cigars,
we figured out what we thought
was really good and we just kind
of went from there.
Right.
Yeah.
I mean and and and you know,
obviously there's there's some
that kind of stand out as being
higher on the list.
There's some that stand out as
being good.
Want to be on the list, probably
not at the top of the list.
The middle of the list is really
the trickiest part, 'cause
that's when you have a lot of
cigars that are pretty close.
And I'd say the hardest part is
just trying to figure out, you
know, if we put this one here
and that one there, it's, it's
tricky.
And that's where going forward
doing it all based on reviews,
we look at the scores and be
like, all right, and kind of
whittle it down from there.
I mean, obviously it's it's not
foolproof.
I mean you're going to have
probably 5 cigars that all
scored, you know 90 and you got
to figure out, well, we're at
all 90, we're all the 90s
though, they're all 90.
But you know, you'll you'll go
through the reviews and kind of
break it down and and kind of
try to figure out which ones
were better than the others,
even though they got the same
score.
And it's it's pretty uniform
that way.
Right.
Are you going based solely off
the taste, or do you look at
like you know how the cigars
made the band all that stuff as
well?
Yeah, I mean I I we take we take
everything into consideration.
You know you have to taste the
flavor profile that the
construction cigar, how well was
it made the quality of the
tobacco packaging, I think you
know it, it does have a small
percentage.
I don't like to say it doesn't
matter, but I also don't like to
say it's a huge thing because at
the end of the day, the tobacco
and the cigar and how it's
rolled and all that, that's the
experience, not the, not the
band.
But as you guys know, packaging
is.
It's eye-catching.
It's it's it's people, people
like it, you know, So it it's
hard to just leave it out
completely.
But yeah, we we take all the
factors into consideration.
Do you think that Palmer's
trolling of Coop affected my
chances of being on Coop's top
25?
List.
Absolutely not.
I mean, because Baez comes into
play at some point, right?
We're going to see Dean Martin
concert now.
Hold.
On I want to hear Matthew
Tobacco's.
Opinion.
Sorry, sorry man.
No, no, no.
You guys are good.
I mean, no, look, I mean Coop
does his thing.
I love Coop.
He's, you know, you know, on a
personal level, him and I are
very close.
He's been there for me and and
and and taught me a lot.
I would I will say about Coop is
I know he he's very particular
and he's very conscientious
about you know how he puts all
his stuff together.
And I I can't really speak to
how he he how he came up with
the cigars in the bliss.
I mean I know he does it based
off his reviews for the most
part of the year and kind of put
this together that way.
But you know personal factors
decide.
I mean I I don't know.
I mean it's it's hard to say.
You think maybe a little passive
aggressive.
By not including me, I mean just
a little bit.
What do you think?
This is awesome.
I don't know.
Maybe I know.
I know who can hold a grudge.
I know, you know.
I know.
Who can hold a grudge?
Because he was one of the first,
he was one of the first guys
smoking from Permisibor.
Right.
Yeah, and I think he was super
excited.
I think it was.
I think he said it was good.
It was a really good cigar.
That good.
This is great.
And then I feel like there was
trolling involved.
It was, you know, like he
wouldn't acknowledge you on the
social media thing.
And then he was like, you know,
this could be on the list.
But Palmer's a pain, but.
Palmer and then I.
Don't I honestly I don't think.
I don't think that.
I don't think that situation
would would be enough.
I mean there.
Oh, you know, there's far
there's.
Far greater beats that Coupe
has, do you think I.
Do you think if I had ad space
would that have helped me on the
top 25?
List Does he have AD space?
Does New World have AD space?
Everybody.
Everybody else does.
You don't think so?
You think it's, you think it's
entirely unbiased, like.
I mean, look, I've had
conversations with Coupe on that
subject, you know, allegedly and
did.
You specifically ask him about
us and me, and then tell us at
the tell us at the PCA, you know
what he said.
Yeah, I'll bring it up.
You know, I'll just say, hey,
you know what happened there.
You know, I didn't make.
The look Was it that Palmer
pissed you off?
I can't.
Wait, I can't wait to see
Matthew.
I'll bring him a present to PCA.
Can't see.
Mad at HPC?
Honorable mention fucker.
Just bring him, just bring him a
nice fresh slice of junior
cheesecake and.
That's it, Junior Cheesecake.
Write that.
Down.
Write that down, Junior
Cheesecake.
We got to start.
I got roasted.
As you guys know, I got roasted
because I walked into a junior
cheesecake last year.
Had no idea that it was a big
deal because I'm not from New
York, I'm from Boston.
I didn't know anything about
Junior Cheesecake went there
for, but it's a.
Brand.
Yeah.
Oh, I thought.
I thought.
You meant like a small piece and
he held it over my head and saw
everything to myself.
I'm going to bring him a little
piece of Look, this is Junior
Cheesecake.
I told you it is.
Junior Cheesecake Accessible in
Vegas, Or Is It Just in New
York?
They actually, no, they
actually, they opened the
Junior's cheesecake at Resort
World, which is the host hotel.
So.
We need to schedule our dinner
with him.
Oh, it's a it's very easy.
It's right there.
Fantastic.
We should bring him one every
day.
We're going to fuck.
We're.
Sorry.
We're going in with honey.
We're not.
We would like an application for
an ad too, maybe if you have
those with you.
We're going to go in, he.
Would like to be on the 24 list
somehow.
I don't know how he always
becomes our whipping post, but I
I do enjoy he's he's really a
great.
Guy the top of the heap in the
cigar media.
He's a very nice, yeah.
He's fucking amazing.
He makes it easy.
The man, I gotta give it to him.
He's the.
Man, I mean his reviews is top
25 list is suspect but.
All he's gotta do is just rank
you on the top 25.
We want to be a whipping post,
yeah.
Well, to be fair, he also
doesn't do a top 25, he does a
top 30, so.
I mean, yeah, it's even worse.
We'll take it.
Yeah.
We're below 30.
Thanks a lot Coop.
We're thirty.
We could be. 31 Like, I
understand that, you know,
everybody's kid is the best kid,
you know what I mean?
So it's like, you know, if
you're going to ask me what's
the best cigar, I'm going to
tell you, right?
Well, the fucking ones I make, I
think, are the.
Best because we're not in the
consensus, right?
Right.
That's what we don't qualify.
We don't qualify for the
consensus.
Even though we do.
To be to be fair to me, that's
the guard.
It's getting me.
That's the guard Nicosueno
correct?
Yes.
Yeah, I mean so his quincorn
scenario was on the list.
The the Volt said was it barely,
barely missed the list.
It was it was almost this.
I mean you mean this, this is a
handful of good cigars that were
in consideration that you know
some made the list, some didn't
you know for us this year that
came out of that factory so.
And well, if it barely made Miss
Koop's list, probably could have
made the list with some
cheesecake.
Probably.
Yeah, yeah, but you know, like,
do you remember what was that
movie?
Ah shit.
Shawshank Redemption when he
dropped off the pie with the
cash or whatever.
That's a that's.
How cake?
With the money, yeah.
That's how we got here.
Here have this Junior's
cheesecake.
We'll get him cheesecake and put
a Connecticut under it, yeah.
Like try this out.
Try this, Yeah?
And a little.
A little stack of money on top.
A little.
Pairing.
A handful of change.
All right, brother.
I won't keep you for much
longer, but I do want you to
plug your show.
Please.
How can people find you?
Let us know.
Go ahead.
Yeah, no, I appreciate it guys.
Great to talk to you both, you
know Smoke and Tobacco Smoke and
tobacco.com.
That's where you can find us for
all of our news, reviews and
other content covering the scar
industry as well as all the
links to our shows.
Both of our Shows Everywhere
podcast can be found on all the
podcast apps on our YouTube
channel.
Both of our shows, the Smoke and
Tobacco Show as well as the
Spare Notes series that features
none other than Yarpoo.
Every other Saturday night 9:00
PM Eastern.
We're actually we got one this
week and then Wednesday nights
at 8:00 PM Eastern, a regular
show and as well as you know
social media you can find us
Facebook, Instagram, all that
stuff.
But yeah, biggest thing on the
website smokingtobacco.com.
Perfect, bro.
Well, thank you so much.
Mitchell up for some shirts.
He has our sizes, just so you
know.
Yeah, we'll wear them on the
show.
We'll wear them on the show.
Yeah, we'll we'll get those out
there, no problem.
So we, I appreciate you dude.
Thank you so much for giving us
a review and putting us on your
list.
You know, it is a lot of hard
work.
It's not something that I take
lightly.
So it is it is really
appreciated to get a nod from
other people in the industry.
So thank you so much dude, and
thank you for doing what you're
doing and keep up all the good
work bro.
Absolutely.
Thank you guys too.
You guys do a great job and I
appreciate the time.
Thanks.
All right, brother I'll.
Talk to you at the show.
Goodbye, I'll.
See you at the show.
Bye, bye.
There you go.
Matthew Tobacco.
I'm smoking tobacco, not the
tobacco.
What if his last name was like
Smith?
If it would have been smoking
Smith.
Matthew Smith.
He would have never smoked
cigars, he.
Probably would have never
touched.
It he'd been like, you know what
cigars are?
Gross those.
Are gross.
I don't.
Think I'm going to take this
vape?
Right, take this vape.
His wife met him and goes.
I don't want the last thing
tobacco people don't like, call
him tobacco.
What if they call him tobacco?
Like people call me Palmer.
That'd be fine.
What's up?
Tobacco?
What's up?
Tobacco?
What's up?
Tea.
You know.
Tea.
When he tells people last name,
they probably think like he's an
owner of like some big cigar
company.
Grows tobacco somewhere, right?
I am with the Placencia and the
Oliva family.
It's only right?
I'm the tobacco family, We are
in between.
I wonder if he goes through his
ancestry like he would find.
Some guy picking tobacco way
back when from.
They own field too.
Or something.
Oh my uncle's fuente.
His grandfather probably sounds
like Ho Chi.
Oh.
Do the Ho Chi Go?
You mean who's the?
Who's the Who's the Hiroshi
Hiroshi?
I said.
Hello, you said Ho Chi.
Oh, that's what I call them.
Hello and.
Horoshe or Albano from Bella
DeMar.
Hello, de Rio.
Hello Del Rio, yeah.
So there was no other rankings?
I thought there was one from Oh,
you're talking about shows?
Well, we're.
Talking about general.
Rankings are there.
No, we're talking about general
media.
Did the Miami Dolphins put out a
cigar ranking or something?
It.
Was 1/2 wheel one.
Wheel.
Half wheel is a ranking.
That one counts.
There they are a the place to
go.
Yeah.
There's cigar.
They're.
The big dogs.
I didn't know this is one of the
one of Palmer's things.
It's on.
There no half half wheel is a
real thing.
Yeah, half wheel exists.
Half wheel is.
I've not.
Yes, I've concocted this
elaborate scheme.
There's fucking just gotten so
mad that he's just going to
start editing everybody's
fucking top 25.
Yeah, I thought about
screenshotting and making you on
the half wheel list, but I
didn't know if you're listening
to it or not today.
The consensus?
Oh yeah, it would have been easy
to plug you in.
Match up the font.
Well, it would only been, you
know, it would only been on the
2.
What you should do next year,
yes, is take a screenshot of the
one this year, edit it, and then
next year release it before they
release thirds.
Oh, I got this.
Yeah, Secret.
I got this.
There we go.
So your house's podcast releases
Half Wheels?
Concessions, consent, we could
probably the day before.
I'm going to tell you right now,
we could probably put together
the top ten easily for one
soccer.
We'll take one and two.
I'll just start, yeah.
Third year in a row.
Yeah, big shocker.
Soccer is going to take one and
two.
But pick his worst cigar and put
up on it.
Whatever is, lead the Umbagog.
Not that it's a bad cigar, but
it's probably the least selling
of the sign.
It'd be a todas Las Dias, I
think is this.
Where?
So there you go.
Let me put down.
Umbagog would probably be a good
seller.
Because it's cheaper, right?
But they're not on the list
anyway.
They didn't make anybody's list
'cause it does the value.
Cigar.
Yeah.
Or apparently skip cigar.
Didn't he get value?
Cigar somewhere?
No, he was pissed that he was.
Pissed.
But the next day, somebody made
him the value.
Cigar.
Me.
Industry.
Then no, no, I think it was
somebody else.
Was it you, Phil?
Oh yeah, it was.
It was not Coop.
It was.
How about that cigar?
I think it was.
Could have been, could have
been.
I didn't see their list at all,
unfortunately.
You weren't paying attention.
Without, without Garrett on the
show, I just, you know, follow
him anymore.
Will we see Garrett at PCA?
No.
We won't, no.
Yeah, but how about that cigar
is a fish stick, right?
No fish stick is Aaron Lumba's
undeveloped me palace.
Jeez.
No, it's Matt Tye.
And then that guy always
confused for somebody else.
I mean.
Raul, Julia or whatever.
So we get to call him industry
if he doesn't.
Well, that's Phil.
That's Phil.
Oh.
Yeah, I have Phil.
That's no idea.
Better than your brother
upstairs.
Both me and Edgar were telling
him something the other day.
He had no idea what we were
talking.
About He doesn't even know
cigars anymore.
Oh, I know what it was.
Gran.
Habana would come in to see him
and we told him what they were
known for.
They were making their rounds
because they were.
They hit up cigars in the end,
too.
So we told them what they were
famous for, like, well,
carefully, If he gives you this,
don't, don't take it.
And he goes, why not?
Ed and I looked at each other
and go because they're famous
for this.
Yeah.
No idea.
No idea, No idea.
Later on, smoking one.
So he must have liked it.
Honey.
That's.
Probably a big fan.
Greg only knows 3 cigars.
He's probably taken on a.
That's right.
Yeah, Agadorset, Connecticut.
And everything goes on you.
It's the only cigars.
He knows he's probably taken on
a full panel.
Probably, yeah.
I got these at a deal.
Yeah, we're wiping the we're
wiping this whole section out of
these padrones.
They said diesel's all better.
Yeah, got a deal.
It's such a deal.
Oh my God, please don't.
They're really big in Norway.
They're really big in Norway.
Buy for the polar bears love
them.
The polar bears love those.
Well, Robora Craft got halfway
as company of the year.
Oh.
I saw that.
I think that's spot on.
It is I I totally agree.
Yeah, I totally agree.
They said in a year that I value
consistency more than ever I
have before, it seems necessary
to acknowledge how we feel about
this company and its main
factory.
Since 2018, Roman Craft Tobac or
Nikka Sueno has either won or
been a finalist for Company of
the Year or Factory of the Year
since 2018.
While the award may not be a
prestigious as winning top 25 or
even consistently finishing in
our top five today, Roman Craft
Tobac's best finish with #3 in
2016, I think the above streak
is probably tougher to
accomplish.
Random Chances has a much
greater impact on the blend than
it has on the six years of work.
Yep, it's so true that.
Was nice.
I think it should be the most
prestigious because if you're
winning company.
That's what he's.
Saying that's what he's saying.
He's saying it's harder to get
this than to show up on
anybody's.
Risk.
Are you in the room?
I was listening, he.
Doesn't pay attention.
Even though it's not as
prestigious.
He asked me.
He asked me a question about an
episode 3 weeks ago and he
didn't know it.
He.
Had no idea?
He doesn't.
Remember doing it?
Not a fucking clue, you.
Might need to get looked at.
Maybe he needs a red light.
I'm tired.
He might need a red light.
We're all tired.
Probably everybody's tired.
Anyways I think it's.
I think that's a great.
I think that's spot on because
the cigars that come out of
there, the upgrades that he's
done, the way he treats his
employees, everything as a whole
is just right great.
I mean when there was a guy,
funny thing when we were down in
smoke on the water, remember the
guy that knew of Nicosuena?
No.
Wasn't that the guy at the
table?
Oh yeah.
Omar no Pedro.
No, this was like just a random
guy.
Yeah, he was from Nicaragua.
Yeah, he said.
And and it was so funny because
we sat at the you know my buddy
brought him in right.
And he goes, you know one of
have you.
He was one of my favorite
cigars, my cigar companies that
I like to smoke.
Have you ever heard of Roman
Craft?
Oh, he said this.
Yeah.
So I look at, I look at my buddy
Sean and I go, is he fucking
with me?
He's like, is this really going
down right now?
Like is this a fucking joke?
And I go, yeah, they're we work
with them.
They're the same factory.
Those are my guys.
You're.
Like you're smoking.
Would you like me to get him on
the phone right now?
Yeah.
I I could FaceTime him, but he
would just chastise me.
FaceTime.
I don't.
I don't.
And we every once in a while he
does.
Yeah, I know he has been doing
that lately.
Yeah, he's getting.
He's, you know, it's getting out
of his comfort zone.
That's good.
It shows growth.
Yeah, it does.
You know what I mean?
It.
Is it's nice to see you.
Yeah, it's good for, good for
him.
Yeah.
And when you say he, it's not
just he because I think that
there's a lot of moving parts
there.
You got to acknowledge Michael
Rosales as well and Alex that
helps work on that factory is
you know and the expansion, the
vision you can give Skip a lot
of the credit to, but you know
it really does take a team.
It really.
Is a team game, so.
I think that they, you know,
this last year was fantastic for
them.
I think that they did a lot of
things really well.
Releasing that Volstead.
I think that thing was money.
It's a fucking banger.
Quin Quan Gennaro.
Even though it wasn't made in
Nigo Sueno, it was made in the
Dominican Republic.
It tastes like it was made in
Nigo.
Sueno.
It does taste like he made it at
his factory.
Which is amazing.
You know, they made our maybe.
He took some factory where they
went.
Right.
They made our cigars with our
blends.
I mean, we had our back and
forth, we had our arguments,
which I love, you know, because
I don't want to work with
somebody that says OK.
Yeah, OK.
Yeah.
Yes, ma'am.
Fuck that.
Like I, you know, I have my
vision.
Get off the phone.
Do what I told you to do.
Know what He said, right?
I have my vision, he has his
vision and you know, we figure
it out.
We navigate through it together,
like that's the people I want to
work with.
I don't work with somebody that
says AB or C fuck out of here
with that bullshit, and I don't
really know too many other
factories that would do that.
He's a he's more of a build to
suit factory, is what you're.
Saying well, I just think that I
think just think real recognize
real bro like he's 100% in and
he's invested with people that
are also invested in 100%.
Well, that's the only people he
works with.
Yeah, something that's not
fucking around.
You can't just walk in there and
go.
I would like a cigar.
I you will make me you know I
really like.
What do you want to taste like?
I don't know.
You make.
Makes this cigar give.
Me choice.
I think we'll.
Put your name on it.
That will go good.
I mean out of, you know, all the
factories and stuff that are
making cigars, I can pick up
anything out of Nicosueno and it
tastes great.
Yeah, you know, versus other
companies, not bad mouthing or
anything, but you know, you pick
up, there's a couple cigars that
you don't like.
They're just not good, you know?
So they.
Just don't fit your palate.
Yeah, I I mean, I guess, yeah.
Yeah, OK.
Yeah, see that smoke is going
over it.
See that?
We were talking.
That thing sucks from the
bottom.
Maybe you got to clean the
bottom.
Well, I wiped it out the other
day when I wiped the entire
outside off.
Something is.
Wrong.
You mean maybe?
Well, I think the fact that it
put it on the years old have
something to it, I don't think.
I think I'm gonna take the TV
down and move it up, yeah.
I don't think that's the case.
I think that there's something
wrong, honestly.
Well, that's good.
I'm, I'm glad I didn't see that
they won that.
That was great.
Absolutely.
And.
Then you got #15 Michael and
#20.
I did.
On the half wheel list, that was
very nice.
I got a two Fer baby 15 with
the.
Connecticut Perfecto and 20 was
the Vogitech. 2023 Vogitech The
Vogitech.
Yeah, nice.
I, you know, look. 2 great
cigars.
Posonia doesn't give any money
to have will.
We don't pay for Ad Space, You.
Used to do, you just don't
anymore.
No, we never paid for ad space
with Posonia.
Well, not at oh, no, after the
cigar.
Oh, cigar Hustler.
Yeah, Cigar hustler.
And all it was, was a mention at
the end.
Yeah, we were attached to their
link and stuff like that.
That isn't so, you know, it was
it was awesome.
I knew something was was up.
When I got to back-to-back 91, I
was like, holy shit, I mean that
week was that was a tough week
for me to process because I had
never like 14 years in the
industry.
Retail 10, this is our 10th year
as wholesale, right?
And you know, it's a lot of
fucking hard work.
I'm gonna tell you right now,
and I've never really gotten the
all right.
Yeah, you guys are fucking doing
something.
You never got the nod.
So that was really hard to get,
to not only get those 290 ones,
but then to have people like
big, big guys in the industry,
reason, I'm like, hey, Congrats.
Hey, I'm fucking, you know,
like, oh shit, oh oh oh God, you
know, like.
You're not the new kid on the
block anymore.
Well, thank you, Luciano.
It's nice to hear from you.
Like I'm just not used.
To I would like to take your
cigars, though.
I'm like, I'm just not used to
that.
I'm not used to, but like I'm
just used to others.
I'm used to praise.
Yeah, I'm just used to fucking
getting the shit kicked out of
me and just keep moving.
Forward, because you've never
had the nod did.
You make coupsless last year
ESBC.
I might have.
I think it did.
I might have, you know, so.
But even still, it was like,
like, I can take some
positivity.
I don't know.
This is fucking weird, right?
But like, I can take some, like,
hey, good job on this or what?
I'm like, oh, thanks, man.
That's really nice of you.
But like, when it became a lot,
I was like, oh God, you know,
I'm not used to that.
Too much so.
Would you like us to give you
more praise?
So you're so I.
Can get accustomed to it.
I I started processing it, it
took some time.
We will.
I'll make it another great job.
I'll tell you what a great job
at least once a week.
I mean, I'm, you know, it's.
More accustomed.
This is why I fucking hate you
guys, because I'm being honest
and I'm being open about a
situation to.
Help you grow, Michael as a
person.
Yeah, I'm gonna help you grow.
It's nice to be acknowledged.
It was not.
It was.
You'll get tired of.
Hearing it was fantastic to get
acknowledged, you know.
You've been going through the
years working your ass off.
Yeah.
And.
And you don't only do one side
of things, you know, just making
the cigars.
You do making the cigars.
You do the wholesale side, you
do the retail side, you do the,
you do everything.
Yeah, everything that comes with
the cigars and everything.
You don't have a full team
unless you call Greg, right?
A-Team.
But.
And you know.
It's nice.
I'm sorry, But, you know, it's
nice to be acknowledged.
Palmer, you matter.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
No, I'm not used to praise.
Please come.
But I just mean as a whole, like
every day you come into work,
it's just like, fuck me.
I'm just getting the shit kicked
out of me every day.
And then finally someone goes,
hey, great job.
Great job.
Nice.
Work.
I think the easiest way to
reference it, honestly, would be
from goodwill hunting.
You ever see goodwill hunting
with?
Yeah.
And then Robin Williams hits him
with It's not your fault.
He's like, yeah, I know.
No, it's not your fault.
Yeah, I know.
And then, like, he kept doing,
He's like, fucking stop.
Like that.
Like that was a whole thing for
me.
I'm like, OK, all right, I get
it.
You know, Like I had to fuck.
You got to give me a minute to
fucking process that because I'm
not used to it than now I
expected you.
Know, I was just kidding.
Well, no.
It probably goes away back to
your mother, who never.
Told me.
I mean, yeah, let's, let's
unpack all that.
No, I'm just saying like.
No, I'm serious.
I'm probably, you know it's.
Absolutely right.
Of course.
Great.
You're great, Michael.
It's.
You're fat.
Who?
Who are you?
Be better?
You're.
You're still?
Alive.
Fuck God, are we feeding him?
Still, what is?
He finding the snacks.
Rag is so thin he needs more
food.
He's.
Got a good.
Metabolism.
He's the best.
Where are we getting the food
for?
The big one for.
Well, that's good though I.
Never wanted.
To yeah, so fucking kudos the
half wheel, man.
You know, as much bullshit that
we give them sometimes and
sometimes the, you know, we like
to break their balls in their
descriptions and stuff, man.
They fucking put in the work,
dude.
Holy shit.
Not even close.
As far as.
How we said they do the
consensus today, way too much
work.
Yeah.
And what they like the all the
information on the politics, you
know, I they used to do.
I remember they they said, hey,
here are all the trademarks that
are fucking signed up from
everybody on the cigars coming
out this year.
I'm like, holy shit, God damn
who's got that kind of time, you
know?
Well, somebody is doing it every
day, all day.
Yeah, but still, you have to
have a mindset, right?
You know. 42 media outlets sent
them ratings.
Well, inclusive to us.
No, not including us because we
weren't allowed.
We weren't allowed to send any,
but I can't even think of 42
Cigar Media shows.
Which we tapped on before about
how I think it's kind of fucked.
Well, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The way we were excluded, I
mean, I understand the rules
fine.
It's, you know.
Whatever it is, what it?
Is yeah, actually it means now
less work.
I don't even have to do it half.
A year, yeah.
And don't all 42 of you send
information to me, because I
don't so.
Actually, if you just send a
copy, copy and paste version be
a lot easier.
Charlie laughed about some guy
called Bob the Cigar Smoker or
something.
Even sent him his stuff or
something.
Yeah, Bob the cigar smoker.
Something goes.
We even got one from Bob the
Cigar Smoker.
Wow.
Fucking Bob's a legend.
I wonder if he vets the 42
shows.
I'm sure he does.
I.
Bet you he I.
Bet.
You know, I bet they do.
Right.
I bet you he fucking he.
Does.
I think you would have to so
that we'd.
Have to, because, I mean, we
could send one under, yeah, we
could send one under a
different.
Name.
My name is Chet, Stephon, Kevin.
No, don't even put that on.
That's a flag.
The Jen Palmer Show can send one
in next year.
Why do they like pastanas so
much?
Let's just make a new page now.
Three guys smoking a cigar.
There you go.
That's a new show.
Three guys smoking a cigar.
Three guys smoking one cigar.
We'll call it Trace.
I don't want to smoke one cigar.
Trace on both?
No, we're only going to smoke
the one we split with.
No, I don't want to do that.
Three times, yeah.
Boots always go slash no.
Yeah, yeah, hold on, boots here.
There you go.
Good.
That's Phil.
That's Phil.
No, we'll have Boots do it,
though, OK?
Boots is one with the issues.
Yeah, still somewhat normal.
I had to taste that cigar that
Greg gave Adrian because I
couldn't smell anything on it.
I go, is it even sweet?
And she goes, no, not really.
So I tasted it and she had
gotten it all wet and it still
gross me out a little bit.
Yeah, dude, 'cause I didn't
expect it to be that wet.
Yeah, dude.
Like I shove my tongue down your
mouth.
I'm just.
Right, this is this is wet
leaves.
Like, I don't know, it's kind of
strange.
Kind of weird.
I had to tell you.
You can.
You got one.
All right, time for Phil's fun
facts.
Apparently he's getting ready.
Oh, he's panicking.
He's got to get the hat on.
Get that baby out.
It's like it's like 40 minutes.
Swaddle that child.
We're just talking about so much
good stuff.
Welcome to Cigar Hustlers
podcast feature Phil's Fun Fact.
Hello peoples.
Did you know the longest
recorded cigar, Ash, was so
colossal that it earned its own
zip code and started receiving
fan mail?
It became a smoking sensation
with people sitting postcards
just to say Ash, you were here.
Wow.
I'm apparently that's true.
I don't know, but I mean I found
it online so.
It must be real.
Yeah, how to get its own zip
code.
I mean, that takes a lot of work
to get to get them to make you a
zip.
Code wonder what the
requirement?
Is.
I don't know.
We would like to have one here.
A zip code.
How to get your own zip code?
We have our own.
I think, oh, we share one with
the city.
Yeah, I think if you had your
own zip code, you might be part
of those 42, maybe 43.
We have our own zip code,
Charlie, right?
Well 3. 272500 to Charlie Yes,
yes, we have a three guys.
One cigar.
Have It has its own zip code.
That's what we're going to send.
Today, Are you sure about that,
Charlie Mcgong?
We don't see a rating from three
guys and one cigar.
But what?
He sees that the top ten are all
Pastanias he's going to.
Think of cigar guys with their
one puff review.
We didn't ask them about that.
I forgot.
Oh, we didn't ask a question.
Yeah, the ratings weren't as
high as I thought they were
going to be.
What do you mean?
For that show, I thought they
would share it to their Tik Toky
people and they did repost it
twice.
Oh, you didn't ask them?
But.
Can you call them?
We needed to figure out this one
puff thing, no.
No, we didn't bring it.
They're going to come back on or
when we do their show, we can
insult them on their show.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Let's.
Insult them.
That would be more fun than on
our show, because that one guy
was so nice.
Oh.
Jared.
Gonzalez, Alex.
Alex Alex is a nice guy.
Yeah, he was very nice.
The other guy only talked twice.
Yeah, yeah.
Secretive.
He's the muscle.
You know how I always do my, oh,
we do two more, you know?
So I ran into a guy, I was at
the gym and I said, hey, how
many more sets you got?
He goes, I have two more.
I'm like, whoa, shit, I didn't
see that one coming.
Oh, that.
Was a drill voice.
Yeah.
Oh, it's.
Kind of like when SNL did the
Adam Sandler skit where all of
his family came in.
They all sound like the.
Characters, yeah.
You're like, oh shit, that's my.
Character Oh my God.
That's my voice.
I do that.
All right.
I saw an interview with Arnold
Schwarzenegger.
He can do almost a clean
American accent, really.
But people like the other one,
yeah?
Yeah, 'cause I think when he was
in True Lies, he didn't have a
very heavy accent.
No, not that one.
He didn't.
And who's the guy that did that?
Who was the producer on
Terminator?
James Cameron?
Yeah, kind of he.
Told.
Yeah, yeah.
I couldn't think of his name.
I could see his face, he said.
One of the reasons Terminator
did so well is because Arnold
sounded like a machine.
Oh yeah, sounds like a robot.
It sounded different.
I mean, he had the the motion,
The Walking down pad pretty
well, well.
That's the way he walked.
It looks like muscles.
Protrude.
Muscles, muscles.
That's why he got Conan, because
they didn't have to fake
somebody, right?
He was.
He was Conan.
He was, Yeah.
Crush your enemies.
See them driven before you
listen to the lamentations of
their women.
It's just the fucking mode to
live by.
I mean, I don't know what else
to tell.
You we run out of time. 47 We're
getting tight you.
Want to just cut it?
We can cut it.
Let's.
Go.
Let's roll.
We're doing it.
From the four quarters of the
world, all the cigar industry
news you could possibly need.
The Cigar Hustler podcast report
with Mike too.
Luciano Cigars now available in
new.
Zealand.
Oh my God.
Cigars smokers in New Zealand
will soon see a number of cigars
from Luciano cigar portfolio,
whether they wanted to order
them or not, as the company has
entered into a distribution
agreement with Mason Corporation
Limited.
We are told that we are mentally
proud and grateful for the
opportunity to bring Luciano
cigars in New Zealand, said
Luciano Morales, President and
Co founder of Luciano Cigars.
It said that.
Yes, maybe.
We are so excited to continue
growing this company and conning
cigar enthusiasts around the
world.
Conning Cigarth is nice.
In addition to a distribution
operation, Mason Corporation
operates 126 stores in the
country under the name Shosa,
which offers diverse portfolio
of smoky products is now is
called Luciano Cigars.
Shelter stores products will
debut.
HVC is increasing the prices in
February.
Everybody is.
Effective February 1st, 2024,
HVC Cigars will increase the
prices of the Cigars by it's a
it's a dollar amount.
Well, it's not.
It's It's money.
It's not.
It's not a, it's not.
A percentage.
Not a percentage.
I'll tell you.
I'll tell.
You.
Yeah.
So I know you all you do This is
fine.
You go to two who he's talking
to you get.
It's not a no other one is it.
I'm gonna say 30.
Oh wait, Retail $0.60.
Wait, let me go.
Come on.
Sorry. $0.20 per cigar.
OK.
Yeah.
So that's probably wholesale
the.
The changes will affect
virtually every cigar in the
Gummy's portfolio, the one
exception being the relatively
new HVC Hot Cake Maduro Half
Corona.
There you go.
Which won't increase its price.
Yeah, EP Corilio's raising the
prices.
Yeah, let's just jump to the
amount here, bro.
Ain't nothing going on but the
rent 7%, seven percent, 7% along
with increased.
They don't say.
They don't say.
Price going up.
I got news for you.
Plus, signing prices are going
up, too.
Yes.
Cost for everything is fucking
up.
Still, I don't know what to tell
you.
Howard G Cigars has announced
they will not be raising prices
in 2024.
Look at Howie.
In Q 12025 Howard G Cigars has
also announced is ended direct
to consumer sales of its cigars.
Shut it down.
Yes, we got action.
In an e-mail communication, the
company says we have come to a
point in our journey of
expansion where is key to shift
from competing with our
retailers.
We decided to discontinue the
online sale of cigars through
the Howard G Cigars website
effective February 1st, 2024.
This pivot is a testament to our
growth and is a milestone that
would have been achievable
without the steadfast support of
you.
Our value comes.
That guys is out fucking fucking
work, man.
Oh my God, he's everywhere.
He's always.
Hauling ass.
Jason Sharp is always toting his
thing on the social media.
He's.
Going to have a birthday party.
He's having a birthday party.
Cigar house?
Yes.
And Howard G will be here.
Yeah.
We had Howard on the Patreon
last year.
Was oh was on the Patreon.
How we How we?
And he's going to bring Leon.
He's just a good dude, man.
But the other dude to the
birthday party?
He's going to bring Leon.
He's trying.
It's here.
Cigar Hustler.
Nice.
Yeah.
Drew State announces the 2024
barn smoker dates and locations
and another freestyle live pack
is coming next week.
I know.
I don't know if we're going to
buy that one.
We don't need, we need stuff for
next year, so but customer
appreciation.
Thing that's not the freestyle
live thing, That's a pack.
That's.
A oh, this is the one where you
got to you got to buy the pack.
But.
Maybe there also.
Oh, but you do.
You have to pay for these?
Oh, OK, never mind.
I mean, I could buy some.
Thursday evening, Drew State
hosted its first freestyle live
event of 2024 and during the
show announced that it has three
barn smokers planned for 2024.
Don't they normally do three?
Yeah, don't they normally do
4-5?
Something like that.
Did they announce what they're
giving?
Oh.
As well as two other large scale
events.
There you go, there you go.
We'll also be releasing a new
Freestyle live event pack that
will showcase a new cigar that
will that will be announced in
March.
The three barn smoker events
will return to some familiar
sites, first in Connecticut on
August 10th, then in Kentucky on
August 5th, and finally Florida
November 9th.
So the company is not yet
announced specifics on where the
events will be held, but said as
more information is forthcoming
and the tickets will be going on
sale on March 15th.
Why'd you see them get it here?
I don't have a barn.
I think it's a technicality we.
Can get a barn.
We can get a barn.
We could build it.
We could build it.
If you build it, they will come,
yeah.
We just start leveling the
wetland back there, right back
there, worry about the penalties
later.
It's only one day and.
Then we'll put it all back.
Does the trees back?
It's fine.
Well, can we just put up like
those sunshade things?
Call it a barn.
Yeah, of.
Course we can buy like a
greenhouse from Costco or Home
Depot or some shit.
Oh, there you go.
And just throw some tobacco
plants in there.
Right.
You only have to bulldoze for
that.
It'll just let it pop through
the roof.
Yeah, there's a short.
Station.
Yeah, they pop it like what, 5-6
feet something?
Like that?
Hey, let's see.
Finally meant to be announced
that they will be moving into
more of a festival format.
You do not need a barn.
Oh.
Will there be Twister?
That's my only.
Question.
And there will be some new
amenities for VIP tickets as
like Twister.
Perfect, because nothing makes
me happier than grown ass men
playing with a high BMI ratio
doing Twister.
The company will also be hosting
a pair of other events, the
first of which was referred to
as the West Coast situation.
Oh.
Except for July, While the Jura
State family reunion.
That's where they bring in all
the people they fired.
Mike Malilo, Fabian.
You guys should just come.
What?
Can't wait to see you.
Bring all these people.
Back Give you a sandwich?
That'll be fantastic.
The German state family here
will take place September 7th.
Oh, can that Kentucky castle?
What is that which is owned by
Wes Henderson?
That's Nick's house.
Nick Malilo?
Yeah.
Kentucky.
He has a castle.
Castle in Kentucky, yeah.
The Kentucky guys are owned by
oh right here.
Nick Malilo, the Co founder of
Foundation Cigars, says that
rounding out the news in the
show was a new freestyle live of
Impact will be heading to stores
on Monday, January 10th.
More cigar holders, cigar
stands, lighters and some
unidentified cigar.
Oh, I suppose so.
That already happened.
Oh, along with a key chain
luggage handle.
Oh, a lighter, not a cigar
cutter.
Oh.
That also functions, so that
already happened.
Oh yeah, it happened.
No, it happens today.
It's today.
Did they ask?
So I guess we didn't buy this.
No, I guess not.
Unless the box comes in.
Today's you.
I wonder if the secrets are is
the Underground 11?
Maybe.
Oh my God.
It could be the the rooster.
What?
Mika.
Rooster Green Edition.
Red or green?
Nothing was disclosed about the
cigars during Thursday show, but
Willie Herrera, master blender
for Drew Estate who is still
employed there, did say that
it's something that I've been
very, very excited to work with
in referencing the blend.
Willie Herrera.
Went the wrong way let's.
Keep going.
That's it.
That's all I got.
Herrera.
Cigar Hassler is the got them
fucking.
Best.
That's why it's here.
That's why Pedro.
That's what Willie Herrera said.
Thank.
You so much that's.
Not Willie.
Oh, sorry, And a follow up
interview, Pedro was heard
saying.
Cigar Hassler is the got them
fucking best.
That is what exactly?
Thank you Pedro.
OK, is handmade in Estellini
corrupt?
Yes, it is cigars or handmade in
Estelline, Nicaragua that.
Was the best show that never,
never.
See the light of day Favorite
show?
Who would you like to have on
this year?
We have a minute here.
How many what time we had over
there?
55.
Yeah, here we go.
We got 5 minutes.
Who would you like to have on?
Or do you have a listener in the
week?
Let's skip the listener week and
do who.
Who would you like to have on
this year?
Who have we not had on?
Who would I like to have on this
year?
I can't.
Well, you know, I think I hit
the button every time you do
that because there's a sound
there that.
Yeah, it does have a.
That's on the board.
Who would I like to have on this
year?
I don't know.
I'd like to have coupon.
I know, I know he's been on
before setting that up, but I
would like to, yeah, I'm
throwing that out there.
Coop, we would like you to do
the show in the 2024 calendar
year next time you're rolling
through.
Florida.
Can you get Charlie?
Like in here.
In here, In here.
Not on the phone.
You want a in person.
Where you can't leave.
He comes to Florida, right he?
Comes to Florida all the time.
He's just here 2 weeks ago and
drove the professor around Tampa
like he was an Uber.
Do we lock the door on him?
So again Lee or?
Phil just slides back.
Yeah, I'll stand in front.
He gets up.
Phil slides back.
Now you get cancelled.
We get us some cheesecake, We
just slip in money.
Hey, we'd like to make you wish.
Really think that number one's
important, so we'll.
Go for top We need you to sign
this contract, right?
Now, I mean if if cheesecake's
involved, I'm going for at least
top five.
OK, top five.
We just haven't.
We just, you know, ask him what
does it cost?
What's it going to cost?
How much cheesecake, cash.
Cigar.
What do you do You want Phil to
blow you?
We're going to.
We're going.
To.
Get down to the nitty gritty.
Phil.
Commit to the team, Phil.
I don't think so.
Whatever it takes.
Whatever it takes, Phil, I guess
one.
For the team, I guess we'll get
second Phil Quinn here to do
that.
Problem is that you'll take
pictures while he's blowing
them.
It'll be on the fucking screen
up front.
Sure I'm not.
Going to be blowing anybody.
You might be not knowing now you
just give me that idea.
Hey, I love how how you put the
Jesus came on.
Yeah.
Yeah, I figured I'll rotate that
for.
Wait, what did you do?
At the end of last week show the
credits run and you.
Don't watch the show.
There's the disclaimer.
No, he doesn't.
There's the disclaimer, you
know, that runs.
So I threw the Jesus one at the
end Over.
There Disclaimer Cigar Hustler
#1.
Oh, the the the cameo that.
Yeah, yeah.
The cameo that's that's cool.
Oh.
Yeah, that was good.
I don't know if I should love
all three.
I like that one.
I want to say that.
One that one was pretty, that
was.
Nice and clean.
Awesome.
I didn't want to shout out again
real quick too.
I wanted to shout out Matthew
Tobacco from Smoking Tobacco.
He was going to be my listener
of the week.
Yes #1.
You know, all these guys do
listen to.
That's nice.
Yeah.
Yeah, that was cool.
That is cool.
Matthew Tobacco, listener of the
week.
And for the shop of the week, I
would like to acknowledge smoke
rings in Merritt Island.
That's where we're all going to
be Thursday night.
And who's going to be there?
Thursday night, we're going to
have a.
Cut cutting light.
At Smoke Rings Merritt Island.
Besides us.
Shirtless Mike.
There he is.
Is that what you're saying?
About Well, it's his event.
He he He set it up.
He'll be closed, Mike, though he
won't.
I never.
Knew the name of his place until
that came out.
Smoke rings.
Oh really?
Yeah, Greg will be.
Greg is doing his first event of
the year Thursday night.
He's going to be at City Wine
and Cigars over in DeLand.
His first ever event.
No, this year.
Oh, it might be his first event
after.
We don't ever let him out, yeah.
He's never done one by himself.
Before we didn't have, didn't
he?
Do one once up north somewhere
these Polish people own the shop
or something.
It was years ago, before my
time, I believe.
In Ohio.
I think so.
I don't think he did.
He went and the lady didn't show
or something.
I.
Don't know, maybe.
Thank you.
Remember telling me that story?
Maybe.
All right.
Greg will be doing this first
ever event it.
Had to be like 10-12 years ago.
Well, we've only been in the
industry for 14.
Wholesale's been 10.
Well, how long is your cigar?
It would have been for your
cigar 10.
So maybe it was 10 years ago,
back when he thought he could
still do events.
Yeah.
So, so who's gonna have on the
show you never said?
Who do I want to have on this?
You.
Just want to shout out Matthew
Tobacco, which we did, he's
listening to like smoke greens,
that's.
Kind of a tough question for me.
Who haven't you know?
Because, like, here's what.
Mess this up.
Yeah, don't.
Don't move that.
Here's what I would look for.
You run the show on a shoestring
budget.
You know, I need people to kind
of be so open and honest that I
don't.
If I smell your bullshit, I'm
like, oh fuck I'm.
Not well.
You're just in the show, like
you did on those other people.
Am I alright?
Let's do that.
I think three times.
I'm like, OK, thank you so much.
Over the last.
Year this was.
Have a good day.
Yeah, you know, so.
Palmer wants coop.
Who would you like to have,
Phil?
I would like Dean from Epic.
Dean from Epic.
OK, that.
Probably wouldn't be hard to
you.
Know.
I think it would be kind of
cool.
Especially we got him like when
he was a little fucked up, maybe
like high or something.
I don't know.
I don't know if he does
Hernandez like that.
I honestly don't know if he.
Does he does both of those?
I Andre Farkas from Viaje would
be cool.
I know never does interviews.
I don't even know what that.
Is he's a nice guy?
I bullshit with him every once
in a while.
He's with who?
Viaje when we?
Hit him up at the show.
He ain't coming, he.
Doesn't go to the show.
Or he can.
Oh.
He's there, he's there, I'll
talk.
He'll we'll have a good.
We'll we'll, we'll, we'll.
Bullshit.
Like, you know, I have a good
conversation with him all the
time when he's there, like we
just catch up on whatever.
Then after that, you know, I
don't know.
I don't know.
He says no, he doesn't do.
It he doesn't do interviews.
No.
Right.
Interesting all.
Right.
Well, those are three I.
Think that'd be fun?
I.
Don't know anything about him.
You know, I like some of my old
the old school dudes.
You know, I like having Hector
and Jack on.
Yeah, but we have them on all.
Yeah, I like having Matt Booth
on.
Yeah, I love having Skip on.
Yeah, you know, I would like to
have Alex on again.
See hey, what's going on?
Talk about production, all this
other stuff.
Oh, we have to have lightweight
heavy because he did request,
remember?
Yeah, I thought we had him on.
We had him on, yeah.
But then he want to do an in
person too if.
He wants to if.
He comes in town, absolutely.
I'd love to have him on.
I see he's got his own Facebook
and all that now.
Facebook page for lightweight
heavy.
Yeah, we had.
Oh, it was just his regular
Facebook then.
Yeah, he acts a little more like
Greg.
I don't think so he's gonna be.
Hanging out with Greg too much.
He's been gone for like 2 weeks
and this is what.
Hello.
I had to call him today.
Asked him if he was even doing
the show.
I was totally disconnected.
You didn't ask me that.
Yes, I did.
Did.
You, yes.
Oh, when I called you.
Right.
No, I called you.
You did.
You don't even remember that.
I called you.
No, no, I called you.
Or whatever.
Does have no idea.
It doesn't know which guy.
Yeah, oblivious, oblivious.
It's just it goes upstairs
blindly in the blind.
I know.
Yeah, it's crazy.
Maybe we should make him go
with.
I'm not going with Greg.
Why not?
Why you just got so angry?
Because I'm going with you guys.
I'm not going with Greg.
Greg needs help.
No, there's no help.
There is no amount.
Alex will be there, You don't
want to help, but he's not
allowed.
He's not allowed to go out at
night without.
He's not allowed.
To leave, yeah.
He's yeah, they'll be fine
together.
He can't go without a 5 foot
vicinity.
He'll be OK.
Yeah, he'll just be sitting
there smoking and drinking wine
like he's just out for a night.
Yeah.
Yeah, this is more more wine for
my wife.
It's Friday.
I would like the filet, please
and the $5 potato.
Oh, it's tapas.
Oh.
Oh shit.
This is going to be hard because
I'm trying to get the group to
go to smoke rings, but now
there's an event.
Locally.
Local.
Well, maybe if you drive a bus.
Well, it sounds like there's
like four or five of them
coming.
Take your wife's truck, pick
everybody up and take them.
Out grab the fifth wheel, Stick
them all in there.
No, no, I let the fifth wheel
out of the Raceway.
You left it there.
Yeah, it's theirs now.
No, it's mine.
Oh, so do you sleep there?
Yes, yeah 'cause I work until
1:00 AM, right?
And then start working at 7:00
AM.
What do you do?
For what do you work?
What do you do there?
Me, I'm just supervising the
crews.
Oh, oh, so you are.
So your pictures are what you're
doing walking around, watching
the race, smoking a cigar?
Yeah 'cause there's six.
1,000,000 feet by the fire I.
Have a guy sitting in the
infield the whole race, yeah,
And I go down there, get him
food or check on him or if he
needs help, like they had a.
What's he doing in the A?
Leaky toilet.
So I went and fixed the toilet
for him, the guy in the infield.
So most of the guys like what we
got contracted for was trash
duty.
So you know, emptying trash
cans, picking up trash out the
ground, making sure paper towels
and toilet papers and all the
bathrooms and stuff.
But it's kind of turned into
because the guy knows I do more.
Got you.
And so, like more of a mate,
that's.
How that works?
Yeah, so it's always how that
works.
Well, they've they're having
trouble.
Cigars upstairs, Michael.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's true.
That's true.
That's true.
I.
Smoked cigars upstairs.
Yeah, but now I'm director of
social media because I smoked
cigars upstairs nine years ago.
Yeah.
Well, yeah.
It's hard starting.
And you're an engineer for the
most successful cigar podcast
because you smoked cigars
upstairs.
The number one.
Yeah, I'd say the most
successful.
We're not technically number one
anymore.
Yeah, we're just the most.
Successful.
Most successful?
Listen.
Coop Last time I checked, coop
was still #1.
He can't be #1.
Sure he can.
I don't know how Feed Spot does
it, but the rankings change.
Listen, like I'm the number 5
midlife crisis show.
I don't know how that happened
either.
He's. #5 probably.
Because Coop's ranking him.
He sent me an e-mail.
Congratulate.
Him.
He didn't give many.
He didn't give him any
cheesecake.
Yeah, I didn't give him.
Cheese.
He doesn't have to you.
Gotta give him cheesecake.
They're like the same age.
He doesn't cheesecake.
Maybe maybe you should put the
Jesus thing on Coop's page.
I'll.
Upset the man enough, He thinks.
Now it's it's affecting his
rankings, yeah.
I I think that you know guy was
excited about the Connecticut
and he said, you know I.
Don't know.
That's why I was.
That's why I was mentioning to
him.
Like, how did New World get
ranked over Pasani?
It's the cigar coop New World
studio now, yeah?
Coming at you live.
On at You Live from the New
World Studios.
I think it is actually.
I'm not saying that's why, but I
think I think it is something
like that.
It's a good way to get ranked.
It is.
It's a great way to get ranked
like Tabish.
Better pick you to be the number
one.
Hey, yeah, they have time.
I'm.
Going to tell you right now, you
fucking leave John alone, OK?
I talk to John all the time,
which takes back and forth.
John, if John doesn't, he's my
friend.
I'm going to tell you right now,
if John decides not to rank me,
it's because he felt that it
wasn't warranted.
I don't think that'll happen.
I.
Don't think he either.
Fish, Stick and John are going
he.
Speaks very high on you, not so
much fish stick, but John speaks
very highly.
John.
Is a great he doesn't like.
Him because he calls him fish
stick.
They're both bodybuilders.
Aaron Loomis is a bodybuilder.
He used to be a weightlifter.
Yeah, volleyball.
He has no idea.
No idea who Aaron Loomis is.
Yeah, fish.
Sticks with the glasses and bald
head he is.
He bald.
One thing.
He's bald.
Yeah, he's bald.
Oh, then yes.
Did you not listen to the
conversation?
We were at dinner with him in
Vegas.
He's mixing it up with the other
guy, he.
Is.
Who's the other guy?
The guy from Don Dorito, Yeah.
No, is that.
It wasn't the Don Dorito again,
No.
Well, it wasn't Garrett.
So Matt's high.
No, it's Matt.
Tie's a tall guy with the beard.
I'm drawing a blank right now.
It was Justin.
Oh, oh, Justin.
Yeah.
The other bald guy that's a
bigger beard.
That's Justin.
Yeah.
I am mixing them up.
Thank you.
Yeah, Justin used to be a
bodybuilder.
Yeah, now he's a beard grower.
Yeah, now he's a beard grower.
Right.
He has a huge beard.
He has so many hobbies in life.
They stick him out.
That poor guy just sits by the
snow blower.
All right.
That's.
Well, he has to run that right
after the show.
Minnesota.
All right, now go take care of
the drive.
Take care of the driveway so we
can all leave.
All right, it's been episode 317
Cigars podcast, the most
successful podcast on the cigar
world.
All right.
Bye.
Bye in Africa.
We listen to a Cigar Hustler's
podcast every week because it's
the number one cigar podcast
Squared, Squared, Squared.
Show Notes
Welcome to Episode 317 of A Cigar Hustlers Podcast!
This week, we dive into the well-deserved recognition of Roma Craft Tobac as Halfwheel's Company of the Year, exploring the remarkable st
reak of achievements since 2018. From consistent excellence to their recent triumph, we dissect why Roma Craft Tobac stands out in the cigar world.
In a special segment, we connect with Mathew Tobacco of Smokin Tobacco to express our gratitude for our spot on his Top 25 Cigar list – cheers to the hustle!
But that's not all! Luciano Cigars is making waves in New Zealand, HVC and E.P. Carrillo announce price adjustments, and Howard G Cigars shares updates on pricing and sales strategies for 2024.
And of course, don't miss the exciting news from Drew Estate about the 2024 Barn Smoker dates and locations, along with a sneak peek at their upcoming Freestyle Live Pack. Tune in for your weekly dose of the latest cigar industry insights, laughs, and all things smokin'!