James and Nick welcome back William “Cigar Coop” Cooper to Simply Stogies Podcast. The trio begin by discussing limited edition cigars, differences between limited edition and annual releases, and where the limited editions come and how much effort goes into them. The conversation then pivots to the Cigar of the Year lists, criteria, and what…
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James and Nick welcome Dave and Andrew from smallbatchcigar.com to the show. The quartet quickly jump to it as they discuss the new tobacco laws in California. Andrew’s answer was insightful and gave some much needed context and perspective that seemed to be lacking in the coverage up to this point. We then talk about…
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Crowned Heads has put out a Las Calaveras release each year, since 2014. Las Calaveras is made to honor those who were close to Crowned Heads and have passed that year. The Las Calaveras annual release has become on of my most looked forward to releases. Beyond its significance for honoring those who passed, it…
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In July of 2024, RoMa Craft released CRAFT Maquette La Maestranza, a limited edition cigar that was a petite gordo (4-1/4″ x 56). Honestly, that size held little interest for me, but after reading some reviews on it, I was pretty bummed that I missed out. The good news is that RoMa Craft added a…
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James and Nick welcome Enrique Sanchez of 1502 Cigars to the show. Enrique talks about how he got into the business and working with the Plasencia family on his first release. He shares his passion for Nicaragua and the differences between InterTabac and the PCA Trade Show, and his philosophy of “Relax and enjoy.” Enrique…
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Released in June of this year (2024), the OneOff Black is the latest LE in the OneOff brand from Don Giolito and Illusione. I could go through the history of the OneOff brand and how Don Giolito bought it back in 2017, but there’s something about this release that puzzles me. Some retailers have it…
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James and Nick welcome blender and Director of Factory Operations for Espinosa Cigars, Hector Alfonso Sr., to the show. The trio discuss the cigar industry at large: the differences in B&M’s, the internal politics of lounges and how one or two “Alpha Dogs” can sway others in the lounge, and what differentiates “cigar slingers” from…
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Earlier this year, Black Label Trading Co. announced a new core line to their portfolio; Coffin Nails. Coming in at the petite corona size, the Coffin Nails promised to deliver full flavor in a small package. This is something that a lot of cigars have “promised” over the years. Cigar smokers, especially those who live…
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I have always enjoyed the White Series from Cavalier Genève. It was one of he first cigars that I remember pairing with a coffee first thing in the morning. Smooth, flavorful, and a perfect way to start any day. When I heard they were releasing a new size I was pretty excited. You can see…
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Punch (non-Cuban), like so many other cigar manufacturers, have followed in the footsteps of Davidoff by releasing cigars to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. The past few years Punch releases have followed the theme of Chinese take-out orders: the Egg Roll, Chop Suey, Spring Roll, and Kung Pow!. The exception to that theme was…
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