Cigar Hustlers Podcast – Episode 387: "Tariffs, Tech, and Trademark Turmoil"
Transcript
The red lights on.
I'd say so.
Red lights are on.
Welcome to episode 387 of the
Cigar Hustler Podcast.
Hello, Michael.
Michael, how are you, Sir?
Fine.
How are you?
I'm very excited about today.
Good.
Oh, because today we are
officially announcing that we
are about to launch.
Wait, officially.
Not that we're about to do
something.
Yes.
We're at the official launch it.
We're very close.
To officially announcing.
To officially announcing that
we're about to launch something,
that we're going to launch our
merch store.
Oh yeah.
I'm waiting on Mr. Palmer here
to open up a bank account.
And once that happens, it's
done.
Done.
Oh, he's ahead of the game.
Oh.
Boy, we might be ready to go
come next week.
Why in a whole nother week?
When we announce it at the show.
At the show, on the show, I
thought we were going somewhere.
Yeah, at the show, on the show,
yes.
So we we built one shirt.
Did you build a shirt?
Yeah.
So it's limited production.
It's 50 shirts total.
That's it.
Very excited.
We'll see how it.
Goes various sizes.
Various sizes.
Are you wearing the shirt next
week?
I will be wearing the shirt.
Oh oh.
As long as we get it all ironed
out, yeah.
But we only got the small.
That's the size you like to
wear.
I'll make it work.
Also on June 22nd, we're having
a beer tasting upstairs in the
lounge.
Ziggy is back.
Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy.
Ziggy.
Ziggy.
Ziggy is back and he's going to
do a beer tasting with dark
beers.
Gonna buy tickets upstairs.
Go to the Facebook page for the
shop For more information.
People have a lot of fun with
those beer thingies.
They do.
He's not doing it as a class.
He's doing it as a tasting.
OK, changing it up a little bit.
Nice, something a little
different.
Right.
OK.
And what else you got?
Anything else kind of exciting
going on?
End of the month we have a
Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust
event with Miss Edgar.
Edgar is back.
OK that is on the 30th.
I believe it is the last Friday
of the month and.
What are we doing for the
Patreon?
I don't know yet.
You don't know.
No, I imagine a tatwa.
Hey cigar, we just got those in
Smart.
I don't know which one because
the one with the red dot we've
done before.
We're going to we're going to
review a tetwaji.
Tetwaji.
Tetwaji it's that's how you
pronounce.
It altatus or whatever the.
Altatus.
Yeah, the the the way that
Mister Rui likes to say it.
Altatus.
Altatatus.
Altatus.
Did you say he's stuck out in
the middle of the ocean
somewhere?
Who?
Fred Rui.
Is he?
He's not really stuck, he's on
some world round cruise thing or
something.
He's living his best life, that
Fred.
He was.
He's in the publishing business
now, so, you know, a lot of free
time publishing.
Is that how that works?
Well, you can only publish a
magazine once a month.
What do you do the other 29
days?
Floating a boat I guess.
Apparently.
Live your best life.
Putting together content, maybe
just drawing those great little
cartoons that are in the back of
the Cigar Press magazine.
I I feel like we're in some type
of publishing.
Is this publishing?
Is this?
Technically, I guess.
Yeah.
Yeah, you publish an episode
every week.
Yeah, we publish.
We publish 2 episodes every
week.
Oh yeah.
Right.
Yeah, yeah.
And yet here we are.
No boat, no boat, no cruise
boat, No cruise.
Yeah, sitting in a private
studio or a private.
Life living our living our not
our best.
Life.
Not our best life, no.
All right, well, tell me the
topics, buddy.
Let's go.
All right, we're going to break
down the headlines that people
are talking about, the ones you
didn't see coming on this
episode.
The trade war may finally be
cooling off.
US and China have agreed to
drastically slash tariffs and a
historic move that could ease
inflation fears and reset global
markets.
We'll unpack what this means for
you and your wallet in the world
economy.
Also, Siri is spying on.
You. $95 million Apple
settlement could have your name
on it.
Get your checks.
We'll tell you how to check and
see if you're eligible.
And then we have sports with
boots, we have cigars.
Courtroom drama.
Boots has the latest football
buzz luxury world of new limited
edition cigars from Avoud,
Maria, Lucia and Perdomo.
Plus, the fiery legal battle
over the Cohiba trademark just
took a dramatic turn.
Things are heating up.
That's all you have to.
Say, and I got one social media
thing too.
Thank goodness, because I
looked.
Couldn't find a damn.
Thing I got a good one.
It's a doozy.
OK then stick around.
It's going to be a packed
episode.
Let's get into it.
I like the Doo Doo Doo Doo.
That was nice.
Trade war has an end insight.
The US and China said Monday
that they have agreed to slash
reciprocal tariffs as the
world's two biggest economies
seek to in a trade war that has
fueled fears of inflation and
recession and disrupted
financial markets around the
globe.
Well, like I said, it's better
than what you said before.
Well.
What else you got?
Is that it?
Oh, hey, no.
We're supposed to stop and then
you comment and then I keep
going.
That's the way you said you
wanted the show.
I'm sorry, Well, I don't have
anything to say at this current
time because you didn't really
hint towards anything and.
Well, because you came in and
sat down, there was no time to
go over the show.
See, here's the thing.
I walked into this, the studio
today, and I'm going to tell you
right now, Mr. Palmer was very
aggressive, extremely violent.
You were late again.
I was.
I was late.
We're late.
I'm sorry for being late.
Well we were supposed to have
time to do the pre show before
the show.
I apologize for my lateness,
that's all right, But I'm here
now.
Yes, I have no excuse.
I'm trying to run the show like
we have planned and you're
fighting me tooth and nail.
Yeah.
OK, I'm late.
I don't know how many times you
want me to say I'm.
Sorry you're fighting me every.
Day I'm OK.
All right.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bassett
told reporters that two sides
had agreed that tariffs would
come down by over 100 percentage
points. the US will cut.
I'm sorry.
Would you like to talk?
If anybody would like to talk,
I'll just stop and talk because
we want people.
To see what I mean, do see what
I?
Mean no, I was.
I was encouraging him to speak.
Normally he doesn't, but if he
would like to that would be
great.
What do you think it is?
What do you think of his boots?
What?
What?
I don't know.
Did you know, like I'm not
commenting, did did he wipe his
ass and he got like some paper
towel, some toilet paper stuck
in there or something?
Maybe there was no toilet paper
he had to do with paper towels.
Did he find himself pooping and
then he was out of teepee?
Yeah, maybe he had to do with
his hand and then wash it.
Who knows?
And that set him off today,
maybe in the wrong direction.
Yeah.
And he's like, you know what?
I'm going to choose violence
today.
I.
Had a rough wiping this morning.
Yeah, and now I'm mad.
See, I don't know to keep
reading them because I don't get
to control the camera, so I'll
just sit here and let them talk.
Back maybe his Maybe he woke up
this morning, gave his wife a
kiss, wished her happy Mother's
Day, and she just like, smacked
him across the face or
something.
Yesterday was Mother's Day.
What was your Mother's Day
today?
Oh, happy continuation.
Every day should be Mother's
Day, Michael.
Oh yeah.
Gotcha.
What do you think?
It is Boots?
What do you think?
It's definitely a combination of
all those, yeah.
It's probably the the TV.
Everything.
Slapping Okay, well if you're
ready to proceed, Michael, we're
we're all in a happy mood over
here.
We would like you.
Yeah, you get leisurely.
Just take your morning and just
show up whenever you.
Want we would like you to join
us in this happiness.
Well, the US will cut extra
tariffs it imposed on Chinese
imports in April to 30% from
145%, while Chinese duties on US
imports will fall to 10% from
125%.
The new measures are effective
for 90 days.
Both countries represented their
national interest very well.
Besides that, we both have an
interest in balanced trade. the
US will continue moving forward
to that.
The deal comes days after the
Trump administration announced
the deal with the United
Kingdom.
Bessette and Trade
Representatives Jameson Greer
began meeting with their Chinese
counterparts in Geneva on May.
President Donald Trump later
that day hailed Great Progress,
describing the discussion as a
total reset and saying the two
sides agreed on many issues.
Well, that's pretty incredible,
30% and 10%.
Right.
I'm surprised the Chinese went
lower for our end.
They're supposed to.
Yeah, that's what this whole
thing was.
About yeah, yeah, I know.
But the Chinese with the wanting
to save face and everything, I
mean, they've just now said you
guys are better than us.
I don't think they said that
we're better than them.
I don't think they.
They're putting a 10% tariff on
our stuff.
We're still keeping a 30% tariff
on their.
Stuff because we import more
than we export to them, right?
So that's how it's supposed to
work.
You know what I mean?
So like you'd.
Think it'd be even if we're
charging them 30, they should be
charging us 30.
No, because the numbers going in
are not the same.
I know that they're the same to
you because, you know, 2 billion
and 6 billion are completely the
same number.
But that's not how it works.
Like let's say I sell life
insurance, right?
And you're a realtor, right?
And I bring you 10 sales a year.
Like, hey all, I'm here.
I got a person who wants to buy
a house.
I got a person who buys a house
when a person buy a house,
right?
And you bring me every year, you
give me just one person for life
insurance, right?
But I get 10% Commission on
bringing you a realtor.
And you and the dollar figures
the same on both sides.
And then you give me to, I'm
like, it comes to a point where
I'm like, listen, I'm bringing
you all this business.
This isn't fair, right?
So you either A got to bring me
more business or B I want.
Pay you a higher percentage.
I want a higher percentage
Commission.
But the dollars are the same,
right?
Gotcha.
And that's all they did.
That's that's sounds like makes
perfect sense to me.
Yeah, it's a balance.
Look, we just got to even this
out I.
Understand now.
We can still do business, we can
still operate accordingly.
But here's what I want.
I want it to be even, right.
This is a 90, sounds like a 90
day trial, but I think that's a
step in the right direction.
I think that's what everybody
wants.
All right, right, right.
What do you think Boots?
Yeah, just move forward and make
sure things are fair.
It's a fair playing field, you
know.
Yeah, do your best to keep the
scales even.
For many years, it was uneven.
It was all in China's favor.
Right.
And who?
No, listen, I'm not.
What the fuck am I, you know,
like I just think that
realistically it makes sense to
me.
Like this whole approach.
You don't.
Do you think it doesn't make
sense, 3010?
Well, the way you explain it,
yes, I mean they're doing it on
dollars, not percentage.
So OK, right, they're keeping
the dollars the.
Same, right?
Here's the amount that's coming
in, here's the amount that's
going out.
Like the math doesn't math.
Math ain't math, right?
Sure.
So even it up, baby, right.
I think that's good, you know?
Yeah.
I'm excited about it.
Yes.
Market's happy today.
Everybody's, you know, back up
the stock market's almost,
almost the.
Almost back.
To where it was, yeah.
Yeah, it's almost back to where
it was and it's all time high.
Well, don't talk about it too
loud, because Siri is listening.
Tell us more.
Apple Siri eavesdrop on your
call.
Find out if you're eligible to
be part of a $95 million
settlement.
Anyone who's owned an Apple
device since 2014 may be
eligible to receive part of a
$95 million class action
lawsuit, which is which accused
the tech companies famous Voice
Assistant of spying on users.
The lawsuit, Lopez versus Apple,
was filed in a California
federal court in 2021 by users
who alleged their private
conversations were being
recorded by their Apple device
after unintentionally activating
Siri.
Although a settlement has been
reached, Apple has denied the
allegations made it the made in
the complaint.
According to the legal notice
obtained by USA TODAY, if you
owned or purchased a Siri
enabled device and experienced
an unintended unintended Siri
activation during a confidential
or private communication between
September 17th, 2014 and
December 31st, 2024, you should
read this notice as it may
impact your legal rights.
The legal notice states OK.
According to the legal notice,
iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches,
Macbooks, IMAX, Homepods, iPod
Touches and Apple TV's are Siri
enabled devices.
The lawsuits FAQ page says a
court hearing to approve the
settlement is tentatively
scheduled for August 1st.
If the settlement amount is
approved, those who claimed
devices will be sent their part.
The eligibility requirements are
broad but are open to anyone who
has owned or purchased a Siri
enabled device in September
17th, 2014 and December 31st,
2024 to opt in.
You will swear underoath that
you experienced an unintended
Siri activation while having a
private conversation.
I swear.
Right, that's all you have to
do.
So it doesn't tell you the
amounts.
It's it depends on the number of
people.
So I was reading a a clip off of
NBC and they were saying that
it's gonna probably amount to
$20 per device and you can only
get up to five devices per
person.
Yeah, it's not gonna be a lot of
money.
It's gonna be so.
Many wait a second.
So were you 100 bucks?
So were you reading a clip or
were you watching a?
Clip.
I'm sorry.
Like a clipping.
Like a news clipping.
You say you're reading a small
article clip.
Yeah, OK.
I'm just just wanting a
clarification there.
Yeah, it wasn't a video.
OK, so you can get up to 100
bucks. 100 bucks per person
basically.
Do you think that's what they're
assuming the average is going to
be so many people?
Yeah.
Right, 95,000,000, you know,
divided by 95 million people,
everybody gets a dollar.
I mean, do you think your
phone's listening to you right
now?
Oh, I, you know, like when you
go like you and I talk about
something upstairs, we're
talking about sneakers or
something.
Yeah.
And all of a sudden, all the ads
on my Facebook are sneakers.
Sneakers.
Facebook's watching.
Yeah, well, Siri told Facebook.
Or they're all connected or
something.
Do you think, do you think your
phone's listening to you?
Of course.
So what the hell is this lawsuit
about?
I don't know.
Somebody is suing because they
shouldn't be.
Yeah, it's infringement on
personal.
I assume the Alexa's at home
personally too.
Yeah, my refrigerator's
listening to us right now.
Yeah.
I mean, it could be, who knows,
right?
I'd like 10 craft ice balls
please. 10 Craft ice balls.
And they start shooting out.
Yes, boots.
I mean, you've got an Apple
Watch on.
We all have iPhones sitting on
these tables.
He's got an Apple Watch.
He's got an Amazon Watch.
I'm going to be getting Amazon
stuff these.
Are smart lights.
Yeah.
Well, plus they're cameras that
are connected to the computer
which is connected to this.
So they see everything, they
know everything.
They.
Yes.
Who are they?
That's the problem.
We don't know.
We don't know who they are.
We don't know who they are.
They're the guys in the black
suits with the black little they
have.
The little human.
Hats little.
Playing hats poop and they flash
you.
Into the Men in black.
Yeah, kind of like.
That men in black.
They so they deal with the
aliens as well.
Maybe so they deal with the
aliens and Alexa.
Yes, they walk among us.
Have you ever asked your Alexa
if they're recording you?
No.
What does it?
I'm guessing you've done this.
This is why you're asking the
question.
Sure, sometimes it says no.
Sometimes it says we only record
when it's diagnostically
important or something like
that, right?
Like how do you know when it's
diagnostically important?
So when we think you're saying
something, you know when you
start to sentence what I want to
buy and.
Alexa, she's so political.
Feels like it's diagnostically
important right now.
Right exactly.
Ring doorbell.
Ring doorbell sees everybody
comes here door.
Right.
I threw out my Alexis.
We abandoned them.
Why is that?
I just think they suck.
Oh, we use ours for playing
music all the time.
They're not connected to any of
the lights anymore.
We're going to move to the new
house.
And you never remember how to
program those stupid little
plugs.
So you do it once you know, and
you've had them for eight years,
you go.
I don't.
Remember how to do this?
Do this again.
We did.
We moved to Sonos.
Oh yes.
Sonos speakers.
Sonos is good.
Oh, so you still have some
system you've just changed?
No, it's just speakers.
It's just music.
But can you ask it to play the
music?
I don't think I can.
So like this thing in here is a
Sonos, right?
That's in the yeah, yeah, you
that's a Bluetooth I think type
thing.
You can't say Sonos play me
country music.
But you can ask your phone to
have Sonos play something on the
speaker.
Oh, can yes, yes.
Oh yes.
Have you one of you tried those
Apple speakers?
A little sphere looking ones.
No, I got to tell you man, Sonos
is pretty bad ass.
Yeah, I like Sonos.
You got an alarm set.
Kids wake up right now.
They're waking up to Eminem.
Oh, till I collapse.
Oh, you can do that with Alexa.
You know, if you you could.
Wake the music.
You can set an alarm on that.
Yeah, yeah, we use the one we
have.
The big round one looks like an
eyeball and makes it a bed.
That's what we use as an alarm
clock.
So you're telling me that Alexa
knows when you're you know?
I guess if it was pointed at
the.
Bed.
It's a speaker.
It's got the mic.
Oh, it can hear.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's under.
Diagnostic watching, Yeah, they
could be part of the diagnostic
problem, right?
After reviewing Michael, you
have sex once.
Cramped 3 weeks back to your
leg.
You should stretch beforehand.
Michael, we are indicating that.
It's time it.
Is time for you to make whoopee.
I don't think they get to
decide.
Well, they're knowing that
they're, they're recognizing the
pattern, Michael.
Oh, yeah.
And they're seeing that it's.
Oh, it's such a random pattern.
It's it's so random.
I bet you that there's an
algorithm.
Could be and Alexa knows it.
There's always an algorithm
possible.
There's always an algorithm.
Always an algorithm.
There's an algorithm for.
Everything factoring in the
menstruation, all right.
All right, next topic.
All right, now we have boots,
trending sports with some
football info.
Football info, which is
interesting because it's
basketball right now.
Not in Europe.
Jeez.
All right, here we go.
Hello people.
Who are you on?
Are you?
Are you on me or him?
On you, yeah.
Go to him because you guys are
going to talk sports all.
Right, I like when he stared at
him all.
Right.
I'm on him, all right?
Conference league finalists Real
Betis will continue their push
for a Champions League spot in
La Liga when they resume their
domestic campaign at home on
Asuna on Sunday night.
Real Betis are currently 6th in
the La Liga table, one point
behind 5th place the rear.
Did you pick this because
everything was hard to
pronounce?
That's correct.
Well, Asuda sit 9th with the
team very much in the mix for a
European finish heading towards
the final stages of the season.
Manuel Pellegrini's side are
therefore just one European
people.
Being.
Victory away from securing some
major silverware, but their
focus for now will firmly be on
La Liga as a team are in the mix
for a Champions League position.
In Spain's top fight, the Green
and Whites are currently 6th in
the table, one point behind 5th
place Viril and 4th behind 4th
place Athletic Bilbo.
While they have already secured
at least the top 7 finish in the
division.
Real Betis have been victorious
in each of the last three LIGO
matches, beating season are
against Rio Valiciano, Atletico
Madrid and Valencia.
The Seville outfit have not
played Champions League football
since the O5O6 campaign.
So there's plenty on the line
for the club in the final stages
of the season, with the top five
spot enough to qualify for the
league stage of competition for
the 2526 seasons.
Catalog almost done.
Los Rajios have not played
European football since reaching
the semifinals of the UEFA Cup
back in 2007, but they have very
much been in the European
argument with just four rounds
of matches left to play.
Asuno will enter this game off
the back of of 4/2 defeat to
Viril, but they have won three
of their last four in Spain's
top flight, overcoming Girona,
Real, Viladed Viladed and
Sevilla.
What is European football?
Is that soccer or?
Is that rugby?
It's soccer.
Yeah, yeah, this is La Liga is
soccer.
What a terrible topic.
The Popomo outfit have lost each
of their last three league of
matches against Real Bettis,
including a 21 defeat in the
reverse match early this season,
while they were being 2 to one
in the last visit on the Green
and Whites in October 2020. 3 So
how do you feel about Euro
football?
The other soccer stories weren't
even in English.
There's nothing in NBA.
There was nothing, nothing
trending in NBA, whether it was
a Pacer, Pacers played somebody,
they did, but there was no
story.
It was just they played and it
was a close game it.
Wasn't a close.
Game.
Was that the one?
Hold on?
Was that the one that had the
lead at halftime?
The Cavs?
I don't know.
I don't remember who it was.
So they were.
Blew them out.
Yeah, they were up by like 60 or
something like that at 1:00.
Point they were they the?
Story was all about the coach,
not about the game.
Oh.
Well, what was crazy is that
there was a, there's a huge feud
between Hunter on the Cavs and I
forget the other guy's name on
the Patriot.
I think it's Michaels or
something like that.
But what happened in the middle
of the game is Michaels punch
Hunter in the sternum, backed up
and then Hunter went over and
pushed him across the court like
almost a half court basically.
And Michaels got ejected.
A Hunter just got a a flagrant
foul.
That was it.
For the punch.
For the no Hunter was the one
that pushed him.
He got a flagrant frown for the
push because his reaction, and
then another guy got a flagrant
for coming over and bumping him
with his shoulder.
Oh, so yeah.
So how do you feel about
European soccer, football,
whatever it is?
The green and white, you're
going to win you.
Think the green and White's
going to win?
What do you Who do you think's
going to win boots?
Real Madrid.
You just read the you just read
the whole article.
I didn't hear Real Madrid in
that conversation.
Yeah, they were.
I heard him mention Madrid.
Yeah.
Fake Madrid.
I thought it was fake.
Madrid, yes, yeah.
No, I mean these.
So these guys are not top
performing teams.
They're like middle class.
OK.
But soccer is really hard to
follow for somebody that doesn't
really know it, right?
Because you have so many
different divisions.
Yeah, you know, it's worse than
basketball.
You know, so many divisions.
Oh yeah, basketball, you've got
like 4 divisions in the East,
right?
You know, in soccer you've got
like 15.
So you think if I took the New
York tour for Alcatraz and the
Statue of Liberty, I'd be able
to then fly over and make a, a
football game?
Maybe.
Yeah, they got sure, it'd be
time.
They'd be time.
Between the two.
They'd be able to handle the.
You should probably do Alcatraz
first and then Statue of Liberty
'cause then you're, you're
already going that direction.
Otherwise, it's, you know,
Statue of Liberty over to
Alcatraz you have to cross.
Even though they're both in New
York.
Right, but they're not close to
New York.
No, they're not close.
No, no one is 1 is to the West.
Of the West in New York.
Yes, Western New York.
Western New York.
Western Way, Western New.
York, that was the best clip.
I just want you to know.
Perfect.
I absolutely died laughing
building that clip.
Did you see the clip?
Yes, I saw the clip.
I'm here to entertain.
Did you like him?
I'm here to entertain.
Hey, listen, I throw myself
under the bus too.
I you know, I did the whole Toby
Keith being dead thing and
didn't know that, right?
Yeah, you're not alone.
You're just saying a lot more
Dumber stuff than I do.
Know he was dead.
You're the ratio is like 1 to 10
perfect, maybe one to five, OK,
one to 8, sure, I'll give you 7
perfect.
All right.
OK, are you about to move into
Cigar News?
Cigar news it is.
Do you want to do your social
media?
I do OK.
So listen, a little while ago we
covered McAuliffe.
Purple, I think, yes, Purple,
yes.
And we had the question of does
McAuliffe have a factory?
No.
Oh yes.
And we thought, no, I think, I
think we thought.
No, I think we thought no.
Yes, yes.
And shout out to Dan Thompson,
because McAuliffe does have a
factory.
Apparently so, yes.
Yes, he has reached out to us,
Yes.
And and then he blessed me with
this gem of a video.
Oh, that's right.
Showing McAuliffe in the factory
like the guy.
It's their factory video, yes.
Yeah, yes.
And we're going to do, we're
going to go a little deeper into
the video.
Yeah, Oh boy, on on to the
Patreon.
But we're going to, we're going
to touch, we're going to scratch
the surface.
I didn't get past the man's
introductory speech.
I guess I should have watched
more.
Oh my God, it is.
It is fantastic he had.
He got so many things wrong in
this video.
Oh, did he really?
And it bodes the question, is he
surrounded by people that just
tell him yes, or do people just
want to see him mess up?
Right, because they could have
edited his mistakes.
There was no editing these
mistakes.
No, I I know they didn't, but
they should have.
Oh my God.
So the guy goes into, he's into
the room where the tobacco was
held, right?
That he called the Pylone room.
Pylone.
But it's not He didn't call it
the Pylone room.
Oh, he called it the Pylon Room.
Oh, perfect.
Oh, mispronunciation.
Yeah.
Oh, the pylon room.
Like that's not even close.
Those are little.
Yeah, it's close to Pylone.
Those are the RN squares, yeah.
For football, the spelling of
the word though is very simple.
OK.
So do you don't think that he
should be surrounded by people,
at least one person?
No, somebody should have said
cut.
Hey, Sir, Sir, it's Pallone.
It's Pallone.
It's.
Yes, the paddle.
Even if they just say the, you
know, stupid American, would you
go it?
Said Pallone, Sir.
What was the factory in America?
Or in the pylon room, it was
really bad and then he was
shaking the leaves.
Maybe it is pylons?
How was?
He shaking the leaves?
How was he shaking the leaves?
And then he goes to smell them.
Well, he's trying to shake all
the water out.
And he's talking about.
That's not how they dry them,
Sir.
He was showing the pears.
He's like, OK, so this person
will wrap, will will load the
pillar, and then the next person
just builds the wrapper, just
hands it all over like.
That's not how that works.
Even I know that's not.
How there's a press you got to
like, what are we doing?
Perfect.
It was amazing.
I highly recommend everybody go
and watch the McAuliffe Factory
video.
On our Patreon.
It's on one of our links it'll.
Be somewhere.
It was an older video though,
right?
Yeah, it was epic.
It was incredible.
I think it's like 8 months old
or.
Something.
Oh, I thought it was older.
Than that, no, it's relatively
new I guess.
Is that man still alive?
Yeah, that's the guy.
Yeah, but I didn't know if he
was still alive.
Or I think he, yeah.
Is that the guy with the toilet
brushes?
That's the, that's, that's the
toilet brush gate.
Yeah, that's the guy.
Wow, we have gone round Robin.
Here it's dude pylons.
So you'll obviously cut it into
the clip.
Oh.
It's going to rain pylons.
This is the pylon room.
Pylons.
So bad.
Oh boy, oh boy.
Is that it?
Yeah.
I that's pretty.
Yeah, that's that's a big one.
For you where I was to make sure
you were done before I kept.
Going yeah, I feel good about
that.
Yeah, I feel better.
Oh my God, I don't know if
Coop's talking to me or not.
Yeah, like we're still.
We still don't know.
If he's back in Abu Dhabi or if
he's banging the same, he hasn't
called so.
Did you leave him a voicemail?
I don't know.
I called.
Yeah, but I mean, if he didn't,
I don't know.
Does he get notifications in?
He knows I called.
That's why I'm asking how does
he know you called?
Put your headphones on.
Oh, doing all right now.
Yes, yes, this is it.
This is it.
This is it.
So excited over there.
Don Headphones.
Like can you turn my speaker
down?
It's very loud.
Oh, is it?
I think I'm #3 your call has
been forwarded to voicemail.
The person you're trying to
reach is not available at the
tone.
Please record your message when
you have finished recording.
You may hang up.
Coop, it's Mike.
Hey Coop, it's also Mike
Podcast.
This is not Mike, but this is
Boots.
And then Boots is here.
Boots is here.
And we heard you're angry at us,
so we wanted to call you I'm.
A show.
We're on the show.
We're on the show right now.
I tell you that we love you and
don't be angry.
See what president you brought
us back from Abu Dhabi.
I'm looking forward to your
gifts.
All right.
So hey, have a wonderful safe
trip.
I hope you're back.
I think you're back.
I.
Don't think he's back.
He went right to voicemail.
I don't know.
I don't think he's the roaming
phone type of guy.
No, no, You think.
He's going to get Wi-Fi on the
plane, no?
I don't think he's Wi-Fi on the
plane guy.
OK.
All right.
Well, there you go.
I'll bet first classes give it
to you.
Bye.
I might think I thought you
record a long ass message.
Look, I've I called, I've
called.
It is not documented.
I've tried to make amends.
He's.
Just going to be like our Justin
Andrews.
We're going to call him every
week.
He's not going to answer the.
Phone.
Now he's, you know, he's angry.
You can you can start releasing
some of his phone number like he
did with Justin Andrews.
Here's how we got him to call
one time.
Shout out to Mitch Smith who
still has part of those numbers.
All right, a vow.
OK, cigar news, we're in the
cigar news now.
Yes, Sir, A vowed, adding the
vow higher calling later this
month.
When A Vowed cigar company
announced its launch.
In February, the company
announced 3 debut blends, 2
regular production lines and 1
limited edition, and teased a
second limited edition for later
in the year.
This month, that limited edition
will arrive at stores.
No way.
The cigar is a 6.29 higher
calling.
Oh, is the 6.29 higher calling?
I thought it was some weird
size.
Yeah, a modified version of the
company's regular production,
the Vow 6.29.
On paper, the blends are very
similar, both using Ecuador and
Habano wrapper and binder over
fillers that include CO2, Corojo
99, Crelolo 98, Piloto, Cubano
and San Vincent Tobacco.
So what is San Vincent Tobacco?
It's very rare.
It's made by Saint Vincent.
It's extreme.
All the fillers are grown by
Monica Kellner in the Dominican
Republic and are described as
higher priming tobacco.
Higher primings.
Like the regular production, the
valve 6.29, the higher calling
is a 6 by 50 Toro each.
Wait what was different?
They never said what?
Was it's a higher priming,
higher priming.
It's a higher calling.
I like higher.
So that's the only difference.
Yes, it is.
I don't keep reading.
The record production, the valve
6.29.
The higher calling is a 6 by 50
Toro.
Each cigar is an MSRP of $20 a
dollar premium compared to the
regular production line to
dollar more.
There you go.
It's higher priming.
And production is limited to 450
boxes of 10 cigars.
The cigars were rolled at
Kellner Cigars SAS and have been
aged for two years, which the
company says creates A creamier
experience.
Little more cream.
Little more cream in there that
way.
Well it says it will ship the
6.29 higher.
Calling during the last week of
May.
They still didn't say what the
difference is other than the
dollar.
It's a higher.
Priming.
Yeah.
But that end, yeah.
And creamier.
That makes a big difference.
Is it worth a dollar?
It's about the experience.
Palmer.
Oh, I'm paying for the
experience.
Yeah, oh, it's the higher
primate.
During the last week of May,
with the aim to have it at
stores prior to June 1st.
Don't you make fun of my avowed
people.
They're my friends.
Not I vow not to make fun of.
Them you vowed not to avow.
Yes, one of my favorite things
about Avowed cigars is that each
of us are fathers, said Dave
West in a in a press release.
Most of the years spent laboring
to provide a better childhood
for our kids, but on Father's
Day, we slow down to take stock
of where we are and how we got
here and where we're going.
Expect to vow to release
something truly special each
year worthy of a Father's Day
celebration.
So this is a Father's Day cigar.
The Father's Day series,
apparently the high pairing.
The higher, the higher priming.
The higher priming.
Not pairing, priming.
The higher priming.
Higher priming cigar for a
dollar more is being released
right before Father's Day.
It makes sense.
It's a Father's Day special.
Do you think they sorted through
it all in the pylon room?
Maybe.
Yeah, that's why it's a dollar
more, right?
The sorting makes sense.
Yeah, and they have to change
the name the pylon.
Yeah, the pylon.
To pay for it.
Maria and Lucia limited edition
PCA 2025 debuts at EE Cigars.
Oh my goodness.
The Maria Lucia Limited Edition
owned PCA 2025 from Constella,
which includes Luciano cigars as
a viewed at EE Cigars in Palm
Beach Gardens.
You know, right over there
keeping you awake.
I thought it wasn't called
Luciano cigars anymore.
No, it's called Costella, which
includes Luciano cigars.
Yeah, they they now own the
trademarks.
They they now own him.
Yes, until further notice.
And all his money and factories.
What money?
What money?
And allegedly.
Alleged money.
Farms.
But the retailer getting the
cigars exclusively for 30 days
before it's shipped to other
stores?
Maybe not 30 days.
Allegedly 30.
Allegedly.
The cigar debuted at the 2025
PCA convention, a trade show
last month and is a modified
blend from the original version
that debuted in August 2020.
Second, everybody's making the
same cigars.
Well, OK.
With higher price.
Yes.
OK.
So why do you think that is?
Let me ask you, why do you think
somebody would take a brand and
make it and replicate the name?
Oh, I can't wait till he calls.
Off they make the name or
replicated the cigar because
they've done both.
Replicate the name of the cigar.
Same reason they redo a movie.
Everybody's out of fresh ideas.
Everybody's out of fresh boots.
Or or.
Wait.
Oh, he's going to take my
answer.
He.
Didn't sell them all the first
time.
There you go.
Oh, you think that's what
happened?
No, that's I don't think that's
the case here.
No, no, because the because the
Maria Lucia was the greatest
cigar that he made.
Yes, right.
And the reason why that was
because he had Nika Swanio
broadleaf, right, allegedly say
allegedly he don't have it
anymore.
That's a modification.
So there's no way that it's
going to taste the same you.
Got somebody else's brother?
So that one pinged.
Well, that one did good.
People love that cigar, right?
Right.
So you're going to ride that
wave, but you're going to make
something totally different and
it's going to.
Poop.
She's going to use the same
name.
Yeah.
Because they're the same rapper,
the same band.
I don't.
Yeah, it's the same band.
Well, that's my theory at least,
right?
Well, that's my theory.
He's also making a limited.
Yeah, but that means people buy
it faster.
He probably doesn't have that
broadleaf.
Well, I'm sure he doesn't.
Right.
So he's making it with the same
name, allegedly.
Allegedly because this limited
get to the Mexican San Andreas
Lejero wrapper.
Oh, so it's not so it's not the
same wrapper.
And a dual binder of Connecticut
broadleaf and Ecuadorian growing
Sumatra seed and a fellow
Brazilian Monofina.
South African tobacco and leaves
from Nicaragua and Peru.
Wow.
So basically it's not, Not even.
Close, so it has nothing to do.
Nothing to do with other than
the names.
But it does have the same name.
Yes, it's.
Not even close, right?
So we made a cigar.
Cigar doesn't cigar.
Cigar does not have anything
that is similar to the original
Cigar as far as components and
we sell.
All these tobaccos are from
countries that will still sell
tobacco to the Luciano.
So he's hoping that the name
sells it.
Yeah, that's exactly what.
He's trying to do yeah, yeah,
yeah, right, Yeah.
Like you make the world's
greatest car in the next car.
You just call it the same thing.
It's offered in a 6 by 52
Sublime Batala priced at $20,
while boxes of 10 cigars are
priced at $200.
Production is limited to 1000
boxes of 10 cigars, a total run
of 10,000 cigars.
Can you think of any cigar that
came out and then it came out
again with a totally different
blend that did better than its
original run?
Go ahead.
Chromag.
Chromag's a good example.
Chromag's a good example.
I know, Thanks.
Any other ones boots?
Don't you have one?
Me.
Yeah, then the broadleaf, no.
No.
I don't know.
Palmer, SBC.
Well, SBC comes out, it's new,
it's a different blend every
year, it's.
Specific, right?
But it's the same name
technically 1618.
You just tweaked the name.
You modified the new year.
You modified the name.
I'm purposely making a new blend
every.
Year I understand that, but it's
the same name.
On top of my head.
Same name, let's see the no.
I guess the newer ones sell more
than the originals did Anything
else?
Any other anomalies?
So you just mentioned 2
anomalies out of the same
factory.
Anybody else?
Nothing.
No last Calaveras you thought
did better.
I'm thinking, I'm thinking, I
know, obviously familiar with
the stuff out of our factory.
I don't want to bring up old
stuff.
The original last Cala was
probably the best one.
The OG.
Oh, the the anarchy came back
out a second time.
OK.
Was it better than the first
one?
I think it was the same thing.
Why didn't they say they was the
same thing?
Yeah, they said it was the same
thing.
Maybe the, I don't know.
So nothing.
Chillin Moose.
No, they make different chillin
moose shade.
Chillin Moose and Chillin Moose
are the red one.
No.
I don't know what, why?
What do you got in your head?
No, I was just curious.
Oh, OK.
I was just curious.
That's hard because you know,
lately people aren't really
releasing what's in the cigar,
right?
So.
Undisclosed.
Yeah, a lot of it's undisclosed,
so you couldn't really tell
unless you know the difference.
Yeah, but if they're making a
But even if you didn't know the
blend, but you knew the blend
was different and you came out
with a cigar under the same
name.
I guess, well, maybe Room 101's.
Which one?
Right.
I mean all his anniversaries,
right?
Are all they have different
dates, 15th anniversary 16th and
those are different?
Yeah, that's just the
anniversary.
Yeah, 75th anniversary.
He doesn't really give it like,
you know, the poo poo.
Yeah.
Poo poo anniversary.
He's in France right now.
Is he?
Well, wasn't that hit and run
redone?
Oh, the hit and run was Redux.
The hit and run was the redux.
How was that?
I don't know.
I didn't like the second one.
OK, so that didn't work.
Yeah, I like the first. 1.
Interesting, very interesting.
OK, moving on.
Caldwell, Caldwell Do 1.
I don't think so.
I don't know, maybe.
I don't know anything.
OK.
All right.
Pernomo Legacy goes on sale.
OK.
The Pernomo Legacy line, a trio
of cigars that Nicholas Perdomo
the Third created in honor of
his father, Nicholas Perdomo the
Second.
It's gone on sale at Two Guy
Smoke Shop, which had an
official launch earlier this
week.
Dos hombres.
The line is centered around a
new Cuban seed Cameroon seed
hybrid, Cuban seed slash
Cameroon seed hybrid that was
developed by Perdomo and grown
in the company's Finca Natali
farm in SLE, Nicaragua.
You ever been to that farm?
No.
The company says that the
mineral rich volcanic soil
created the perfect environment
for cultivating a rich,
flavorful tobacco that delivers
a unique balance of strength,
sweetness and spice.
All the lines use it in one form
or another, starting with the
Pernomo Legacy Nicaraguan Shade
grown, which uses it it as a
wrapper.
Underneath that is a Nicaraguan
binder and filler.
The wrapper undergo 10 years of
Bale aging. 10 years. 10 years.
Wow.
Followed by a minimum of 10
months of aging in bourbon
barrels.
OK.
It's amazing, 10 years, almost
11 years for the cigar, 11 years
before the cigar can get rolled.
Well, I was going to ask a
question, yes.
When was the last time that you
guys know that Perdomo released
a new cigar?
11 years ago.
Yeah, it was 11 years ago.
They've been holding out this
whole time.
The company calls this blend
medium to full bodied and we
have to wait 11 years. 11 years
of age and it's only and it's
medium to full.
It's not mild.
Interesting.
For the Perdomo Legacy
Ecuadorian Connecticut and
Maduro versions, a hybrid leaf
is used for the binder.
As indicated by its name, the
Perdomo Legacy Ecuadorian
Connecticut used in Ecuadorian
grown Connecticut seed wrapper
atop the hybrid binder in
Nicaraguan Filler.
The wrapper also gets 10 years
of age.
Oh.
They must have a room they shut
and only open it once every
time.
Don't don't go in there for 10
years.
This is a medium bodied blend.
Also because they're aging
special described as smooth and
creamy with subtle hints of
spice on the finish and
Nicaraguan grown Maduro leaf
covers the Predomo legacy
Nicaraguan Maduro.
So yeah, they named it that way
so you would know what the.
Wrap is clearly see which.
Clearly understand which one
you're getting.
Makes sense.
The hybrid binder underneath
that and the Nicaraguan filler
making the core of the cigar.
The rappers are age 4. 10 years.
There you go.
But they get a minimum of 14
months in bourbon barrels.
Oh, switch up.
For aging like the Legacy
Connecticut Legacy Connecticut,
it's binder is a new shade grown
hybrid.
It's medium to full bodied with
notes of semi sweet, chocolate
and espresso on the finish.
According to the company, all
three blends are available in
the same 3 sizes and price
points, so we can zip past this
little.
That cigar had nothing but
Connecticut and.
Ecuadorian Connecticut.
Maduro.
Ecuadorian Connecticut.
Cuban seed Cuban seed hybrid.
So how's that a medium?
The full.
I have no idea.
Because of the 14 months in the
barrel.
It's the aging the.
Aging.
It's all about the aging.
They're all around $14.00.
It looks like the Bell Coast is
$15.
So how long do you think it
takes for tobacco to to ferment
in the pylons?
10 years.
Six months, right?
What do you think in ideal
scenarios from just?
From just generally speaking,
generally 6 to 8 months, I'm
going to.
Guess 6 to 8 months.
I'm guessing yeah, I was
guessing 6.
OK, what's what is it I?
Think it's like 12 to 18 months.
OH is ideal.
We have faster tobacco.
Boots tonight, yeah.
Faster ones, yeah.
We get it from the.
Magic tobacco from the top of
the mountain.
That's without like kind of
pressing the options of, you
know?
Well, that's the pylon room.
You're putting yours obviously
in a Pallone room.
Completely different.
So you really think that it
would take 10 years for like
what would it I?
Don't think it'll take 10 years.
I think they forgot and left
these in there.
You can't just leave it in
there.
I.
Don't think they were in there
for 10 years at all.
They.
Forgot you think it was sent in
a pelon.
Hemay, Hemay, we found Cigar
Tobago back here.
It's been there for 10 years.
Look at the dates on there.
We can barely read.
If you're not turning it, it
would just decompose, yeah.
It's almost all gone.
Yeah, the ones on the bottom
here are horrible.
We don't use those.
We don't know.
Use the one on the bottom.
See Bueno.
Bueno.
Now you're Mexican.
I'm Nicaraguan, it's really hard
not to be Chinese.
Give me a break.
Perdomo previously told Half
Wheel that the Legacy's rollout
will continue through May.
Anyone who wants to carry it
will need to take on all three
blends in all sizes and two
additional sizes of something
else and then commit to 17 more
blend from sizes and cigars to
be named at a later date, blah
blah blah.
Sounds about right.
That's about.
My goodness.
Federal court rules for Cuba and
general Cohiba trademark
lawsuit.
This is the big news of the
week, Joe.
This is.
It oh wait a.
Second, this is it.
This lawsuit is over.
So wait a second, this is this
is the Cuba thing?
This is where Cuba is saying
that General is using their
name.
Right, the lawsuit's over.
Lawsuit's over, Cuba has won.
Oh, wait a second, in what clerk
of courts did Cuba win Cuba In
the Cuban one or in the.
Oh, no.
In the American One federal
Court of Appeals federal judge
ruled against General Cigar
Company, the company's lawsuit
against Cuba Cuba tobacco right,
the latest chapter nearly 30
year long legal fight over which
company has the rights to own
the Cohiba trademark.
In the Usus, Judge Leone Brinkma
of the US District Court of the
Eastern District of Virginia
ruled in favor of the state-run
tobacco company and General
Cigar Company Inc versus.
Yeah, right over there, Yeah.
Let's crack my neck.
Oh, thought you were having a
seizure.
It's having a seizure.
And the general cigar company
versus the Cuban tobacco company
a lawsuit filed in 2023 by
general cigar company The two
companies are both engaged in
the sale of cohiba cigars.
General Cigar Company sells the
brand in the US, while Cuba's
state-run tobacco business sells
Cohiba in every other country.
All of.
Them.
All of them.
Since 1997, the two sides have
been engaged in a legal fight
that has spanned the US Patent
and Trademark Office, multiple
federal courts, and their
corresponding appeals courts.
There are a number of contested
issues, but the general central
question of the particular
lawsuit centered around did
General know about Cohiba making
it registered to work before
1978?
Did Cuban tobacco have trademark
protection in Cuba?
And they did.
Would ruling against General
violate the Cuban embargoes rule
against transferring property?
OK.
Brinkman's decision starts by
quickly dismissing General's
objection to Cuban Tobacco's
evidence, describing them as
nothing more than boilerplate
objection, simply citing the
federal rule of evidence under
which the objection is made but
not included any blah, blah
blah.
OK, So what?
What happens?
So what's next?
There are two things that let Oh
wait, hold on, you made me miss
something here.
The judge found wrong way.
Brinkman finds that the evidence
suggested that General knew
about Cohiba prior to
registering the brand.
And I said wait.
There are two things that led
him to this decision.
First, the hiring of Justin
Andrews was an obvious violation
of any laws in Cuba.
And two, the judge found that
firing of Jack Teranio at the
annual Christian Party was an
extreme bad taste and should
have been pushed back till after
New Year's.
Brinkman found that Cuban
Tobacco not only did change the
mark, but also that no third
party complained to the Cuban
Secretary of Commerce, which
would have started the process
of cancelling the mark 'cause
there were no complaints, the
mark couldn't be cancelled and
the Cuban Tobacco enjoyed
protection.
I'm calling Justin.
Oh, he's not going to.
Answer Don the headphones.
He's not going to answer the
answers.
I'll pick up the headphones.
Hey, Justin.
Hey, Justin.
What's going on, buddy?
I can hear ring.
Your call has been forwarded to
voicemail.
If he had answered the phone he
would tell you he's working on a
new cigar project.
The cohibo spelled COHIBO. 100%
change from Cohiba.
It's masculine.
Just not available for comment
even though he was just in
Florida.
I'm it's ringing again.
I'm trying to call him again.
You got to keep calling how he
answers.
Call him one more time.
Yes, third time's a term.
Your call has been forwarded to
you.
Think there's anybody that sits
next to him Is Matt Booth have
the meetings?
Matt Booth is in France.
Matt Booth doesn't take the
meetings.
He.
Doesn't go to meetings.
He's having a meeting with his
wife and son right now.
We're at dinner by the Eiffel
Tower.
There's a riveting podcasting
folks.
The phone ringing.
Your call has been forwarded.
Can I keep calling until he
answers?
So nobody.
There, I like how we just pick
up the headphones like that's
the phone now.
Who's Justin?
Or who's Justin Andrews handler?
Who's his boss?
The guy's name is General.
That's his name, General.
Oh, it's Shaq.
Jack Jack's not his boss.
They didn't work for the same
company, Shaq.
Shaq goes the.
General.
Yeah, Shaq.
Yeah, the general.
He's on a plane to Miami.
So he says.
So you get Texas.
So he can text from Tampa.
He was in Tampa.
He's only from Tampa to Miami,
Yeah.
Oh, I'm super busy.
I'm on a blade.
It takes longer for him to drive
to the airport, fly to Miami,
get a car and get out of the
airport then if he just drove.
Yeah, I agree.
Yeah, it's ridiculous.
Davidoff is closing two stores
in September, Brookfield Place
in Houston.
Oh, really?
Davidoff has announced it will
be closed two of its US stores,
the River Oaks location in
Houston and the Brookfield Place
in New York City.
The company says it is opting
not to renew either lease, but
both stores will keep regular
business hours until September.
The Houston store is located and
what difference does it make
where they're located?
Both the River Oaks and
Brookfield Place stores have
been a treasured location for
our valued clients, but they
don't buy anything, so we're
closed.
So.
We're trying to close them.
This is Lana Frazier, Head of
Marketing and Retail for
Davidoff Geneva.
While we have made a difficult
decision to close these two
locations that don't make any
money, we remain dedicated to
serving our customers at our 6th
Ave.
New York location.
So if they would like to travel
there from Houston to buy stuff,
we would greatly.
Appreciate talking about the New
York location, dude.
We're.
Talking about both of them,
yeah.
We also welcome our customers to
shop with us online at Davidoff.
Geneva dot.
Com there it goes.
Well, they've had that forever.
Sincerely appreciate the
dedication and contributions of
the River Oaks and Brookfield
teams and extend our heartfelt
gratitude to our patrons for
their loyal support and not
buying stuff.
The closure The closures will
shrink the number of company
owned US stores from 4:00 to
2:00.
Well, it's kind of, we're in
kind of interesting times, man.
You know how many people
actually sit in a lounge and
smoke cigars?
And what's the number of people
that sit and smoke at home?
I don't know.
'Cause I know well you feel that
it's just a social thing.
What?
Yeah, we talked about this
before.
You made a comment in the past
saying well it's just it's
social even though you don't
smoke necessarily around people.
Oh, the cigars.
Yeah, because they made some for
people to smoke alone.
Yeah.
So, you know, if these
locations, the lounges, don't
have a lot of activity, what do
you do?
Well, the two that are staying
open are franchises not owned by
Davidoff, so it makes you wonder
if someone else knows how to run
their stores better than they
do.
I mean, maybe there's something
there, there is definitely some
value in as far as partnering up
with somebody who is ambitious
and in a visionary in, in any
type of business.
So you so you know, you partner
with these guys, you can create
a franchise and if they're good
at retail, they know how to
succeed, they know how to pick
the right spots, they know how
to keep the right employees and
all those things.
What are you looking at?
The story I'm.
Trying to have a conversation
with.
You I'm reading the thing on a
thing 1911 flagship stores in
Brooklyn, Las Vegas and
Hollywood, FL.
But each of these stores is a
franchise storage, which
obviously know how to run retail
better than they do at
corporate.
It says that, yeah.
Well, it does now.
It was added.
Oh, good.
What do you think?
Do you think that it's important
to hire people than have that
ability or do you think that,
you know, major corporations
just run on their own?
Yeah, no, you definitely have to
hire people to to do the
visionary as well.
I mean.
Do you know what were sorry
boots, I mean to interrupt, do
you know what was open first,
the the original Davidoffs or
the franchises?
No idea.
I would assume that the original
Frank original was.
Open first, not like the
franchise are doing well.
Then they go, you know what,
we're giving too much money
away, why don't we open up the
stores?
I don't think that was the case.
Well, you get more money if you
open franchises because you're
not doing anything and they're
just giving you money.
Well, it depends on your
franchise deal.
They're not making all the
profits, they're just getting
paid a fee.
Yeah.
But I think that a lot of these
companies, these organizations,
this is kind of where they're
failing, right?
Because they can make good
cigars, or at least they have
consumers for those cigars.
They think that, hey, you know,
even we can cut out that
retailer and replace them with
ourselves, when in all reality,
if you don't know anything about
retail and you're not successful
being a retail person, you're
kind of setting yourself up for
failure.
You Well, you would think if
they were going to open a retail
place they would have hired
someone who knows how to run 1.
I think that the only way that
you can actually succeed in that
particular realm is by acquiring
like an entrepreneur, right?
A, a person that you're, they
don't have to put up the money,
but you, they're going to become
a partner with you to some
degree.
Figure out what the sweat equity
looks like as far as percentage
and value of growth and, and
ownership of the company and
give them the reins.
As long as your vision is the
same as theirs, then you should
succeed.
You know, when you don't do
that, I think that's when you
start to have these issues.
I think that these guys are
going in and saying, OK, we can
just do this, hire a person, all
right, you're the manager, OK,
Like it, you know, that just
doesn't work.
No, no it doesn't.
You see a time and time again
where they fail.
You know your Casa de Monte
Cristos, they've been revamping
them, you know, 75 times at
this.
Point Yeah, they keep redoing.
Those and they're in great
locations where they should be,
where a lot of them can sustain
on their own without, you know,
to someone, you know, coming in.
But if somebody were to come in
and actually run the store and
they made them a partner, I
think that those things, like a
franchise, the store would do
probably 10 times better than
what they're doing.
Yeah.
And I think there needs to be, I
don't know if a lot of cigar
places do this, but it needs to
be training programs.
I mean, any franchise.
Like I used to work for Papa
John's, you know, when I was
younger, and they, a lot of them
are franchises.
Very rarely is there a corporate
store and most of the time for
the franchises, they have to go
to training programs like at
least once a month.
Yeah, and there's a training
store that is one of the
franchises as well, right.
So I don't know if cigar stores
do that or.
Maybe, probably not.
That would probably, that would
probably help in furthering the
business.
Yeah, that's why the franchises
work and that's why the other
ones don't.
Long term, at least my opinion
OK.
Next.
Some more Davidoff from Davidoff
opened the two stores around a
decade ago when the company was
in period of major investment
including expanding its American
store.
At one point there were 9
Davidoff of Geneva since 1911
stores in America, but the last
five years have been seen that
number continue to shrink Into
2021.
The company owned flagship store
in Atlanta was closed in 2022.
The Borschowitz family rebranded
the Davenop flagship store in
operation at Tampa's Tampa to a
Corona cigar company.
Blah blah blah 1 yellow trailer
that is crossing.
Oh damn I have a joke.
Didn't work.
I got a shop of the week.
Where could I cut something out
so?
So there's still stores overseas
though, because they originated
overseas.
These are all just the American
stores.
There have been no mention, but
I believe there, I think there's
one in Hong Kong that I've been
to, I'm pretty sure.
I think look, Davidoff is one of
the most successful brands in
the industry.
You know, the challenges though,
like how do you continue to
grow?
So you look into becoming direct
to consumer.
You have these retail locations
and that's where things kind of
get sloppy, right?
Things aren't working out the
way that they predicted it.
And you know, the online access
makes sense because you can have
your regular consumer that
doesn't care about that customer
service just login, buy their
whatever, then move on.
I just don't think that that's a
great channel as far as growth
is concerned.
It's just more of a
sustainability.
Yeah, just.
Maintain your, You need your
retailers to continue to grow
your brand, right?
And you need their level of
customer service to take care of
their consumers.
So until you partner with
someone that has that ability
and you know, it's got to make
sense, obviously, because in
Tampa they had it and they
severed ways that obviously that
that meant, in my opinion, that
means that the the deal didn't
make sense, right.
Hey, this I there's been.
Rumors about on both sides on
whose decision it was, who
pulled away.
From yeah, whatever the case,
it's and, but, and that's
irrelevant.
The the reality is that if it
would have worked, if it was
successful for both parties,
they would still be doing it.
And they're not sure you know,
so.
Do the other ones only carry
like the one in Hong Kong only
carry Davidoff stuff?
It wasn't a very big place.
Right, but you could only buy
Davidoff cigars.
There's not.
I mean, they didn't even have.
Maybe that's the problem.
Maybe the sustainability is just
not there with just Davidoff
cigars.
Well, but it but like the the
corona one doesn't.
Right, they had everything.
They had everything.
I think that a lot of Davidoff
store, I mean, if it's a if it,
I don't know.
Maybe the corporate stores only
still carry Davidoff.
I don't know.
Yeah, I don't know.
And that would be the problem
'cause that's a higher level
cigar that so you're, you know,
there's certain clientele you
have to have, you know, J Dubs
not walking into a Davidoff
store every day.
New York makes sense.
Sitting there with with Pete and
Ricky.
I think that they would still
have other products on the
shelf.
I think that they would, yeah.
I don't think you could just do
just Davidoff.
I think they'd have other.
Products, I've never seen them.
I don't know how big they are or
anything like that one in Hong
Kong was.
I mean, it wasn't, it wasn't the
size of this room, right?
OK, so what's the shop of the
week?
Shop of the Week Castillo Mobile
cigars in South Carolina.
We've re established connections
with with Mr. Brown.
And we're looking to support and
help, yes, anyway we can every
way possible.
Thank you.
And do you have a listener?
No, you were so kind to come up
with one last week that maybe
you could do.
It again I have a listener of
the week.
You did last week.
OK, I will tell you my listener,
my listener of the week is
Houston Sway.
Yes.
Out of Colorado.
Yes, my dear friend Mr. Sway.
Well, I'll be on his podcast.
Oh, are you?
Yeah, I've already done his
podcast.
Oh, how'd you do?
He is an excellent show.
He does a good job.
It's an excellent show.
Yeah, I will be on there on the
20th.
Good for you.
Wow.
There we go.
All right, anything else to add?
That's it.
So we got this week.
All right.
We got a lot of work to do with
this upcoming week.
We got this merch that we're
about to launch, this new
website that we're about to
launch.
We're very excited and we're
going to do everything that we
can in our power to get it done
and live and running next week.
So we look forward.
Another announcement next week.
We look forward to the
announcement of the announcement
and keep in touch the.
Announcement of the
announcement.
All right, everybody.
All right, guys.
Thanks.
Bye.
See you on the Patreon.
Bye.
Welcome to the Cigar Hustler
podcast.
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Show Notes
In Episode 387, the boys are back with another packed show! We break down the massive U.S.-China trade tariff rollback and what it means for your wallet. Could Siri have been eavesdropping on you? Find out if you're owed a slice of Apple’s $95 million settlement. Boots brings the heat with some football chatter, while Mike dives deep into cigar news—from Avowed’s limited edition “Higher Calling” and the moving tribute in Maria Lucia PCA 2025, to Perdomo’s Legacy line hitting shelves. Plus, courtroom fireworks explode in the ongoing Cohiba trademark saga, and Davidoff closes two U.S. stores. It's headlines, hot takes, and premium cigars—don’t miss it!