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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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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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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James and Nick welcome the world’s #1 humidor maker, Daniel Marshall. Daniel tells us how he started making humidors, the trials and tribulations of getting started, and not letting anyone tell you “no” when you’re following your dreams. Daniel discusses the importance of a good humidor; whether you’re aging your cigars or just storing them…
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James and Nick welcome Dan Thompson, President of Micallef Cigars, back to the show. Dan talks about the new Micallef Red and the manufacturing and research & development that went into the Red and all of their color series. Dan discusses what’s next and teases something new for the PCA 2025 Trade Show in New…
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James and Nick welcome Mo Maali, owner and founder of Patina Cigars back to the show. We discuss the current economy, its impact on the cigar industry, and how it affects cigar releases and how Patina approaches releases. Mo talks about the Oro de Nicaragua, which factory it came from, and why it was released…
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Nimmer Ahmad of Valacari Cigars returns to Simply Stogies Podcast to chat with James and Nick about what he has been up to. Nimmer talks about his process of validating blends and the time it takes to make sure they’re ready for release. He also discusses his latest release, the Astronomia. The Astronomia is the…
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James and Nick welcome Eddy Guerra, Head of Brand Marketing for Davidoff Cigars, to the show. Eddy tells the story of how he got in the industry and the type of people that he interacted with. Eddy’s goal was to eventually work for Davidoff, but his journey had a few stops along the way. Eddy…
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James and Nick sit down with Chef Rick Rodriguez and his daughter Sara, of West Tampa Tobacco Co. We discuss what they’ve learned since starting West Tampa Tobacco. From what they thought being prepared looked like, to wearing different hats for the company, to learning to delegate. Sara discusses the stories that she’s making, the…
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Stay smoky, friends.