James Giehm

Episode 123: Brooks Whittington & Festival del Habano

James and Nick welcome co-founder, author, and editor of halfwheel.com, Brooks Whittington to the show. James asks Brooks and Nick about their time in Cuba for the 2024 Festival del Habano. The trio discuss the Festival, the humidors, and the events; they also talk about the general state of Cuba and Cuban cigars. Brooks explains…

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Episode 122: Cigar Coop on the PCA Trade Show

We are excited to welcome back our friend, William “Cigar Coop” Cooper to the podcast. Cigar Coop, Nick, and James discuss the upcoming PCA ’24 Trade Show in Las Vegas. Coop lets us know what he’s looking forward to the most this year, changes to the PCA over the years, and who will be there…

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Episode 121: Dr. Stefan Lampert of Lampert Cigars

James and Nick welcome Dr. Stefan Lampert of Lampert Cigars. As Nick was traveling to Tabacos de Costa Rica, he ran into Dr. Lampert who visiting the factory, as well. We discuss Dr. Lampert’s vision for the company, how he juggles travel between Europe, the US, and South America. We talk about how Dr. Lampert…

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Episode 120: Scott Pearce of the Premium Cigar Association

We welcome Scott Pearce, the Executive Director of the Premium Cigar Association, to the show. Scott tells us about how he got into cigars, his background before joining the PCA, and his love of cigars. Scott fills us in on some of what the upcoming annual PCA Trade Show has in store for us and…

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Episode 119: Rob Ayala of FOH and Bond Roberts

Rob from Friends of El Habano (FOH) and Bond Roberts tells us how and why he got into the cigar industry. Rob tells of how FOH and Bond Roberts were brought into existence. He discusses the importance of customer service and understanding your client. We talk about the Cuban price increases and how it has…

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Top 10 Cigars of 2023: Number 1 – Highclere Castle Senetjer from Foundation Cigars

Our #1 cigar of our Top 10 Cigars of 2023 is the Highclere Castle Senetjer by Foundation Cigars The Senetjer was commissioned to celebrate the 100yr anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb by Herbert Carter and the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. The box of 12 is a beautiful replica of a box found…

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Episode 118: Tabacos de Costa Rica – A Virtual Tour

Do you have questions about how your cigars are rolled? We’ve all heard “200 hands” touch your cigar, but what does that look like? Nick Syris of LH Cigars and Filipe Leon of Tabacos de Costa Rica walk us through their factory and show us how the tobacco is sorted, what a pilón is, and…

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Top 10 Cigars of 2023: Number 2 – Y Panda Toro from Luciano Cigars

The runner up of our Top 10 Cigars of 2023 is the Y Panda from Luciano Cigars.. Our number 2 cigar was blended by Luciano Meirelles and Linxu “Panda” Yan. They were rolled at Luciano Tobacos SA in Nicaragua. Launched in August of 2023 the Y Panda has a Corojo ’98 Colorado wrapper, a double…

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Top 10 Cigars of 2023: Number 3 – Brothers of the Sabre Forrader from Casdagli Cigars

Rounding out the Top 3 cigars in our Top 10 Cigars of 2023 is the Brothers of the Sabre Forrader from Casdagli Cigars. The Brothers of the Sabre Forrader was named for Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (called “General Forwards” by his men). They were rolled at the Kelner Boutique Factory (KBF) in the Dominican Republic….

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Top 10 Cigars of 2023: Number 4 – Solamente LE 2023 from All Saints Cigars.

In the 4th spot of our Top 10 Cigars of 2023 is the Solamente 2023 Limited Edition from All Saints Cigars. The third and final LE cigar on our list and perhaps the most limited on the list, with only 500 boxes produced. They were rolled at Tabacalera Villi Cuba S.A. and launched in October…

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