James Giehm

PCA 2025 Coverage: Boveda

Nick Syris stops by the Boveda booth at the 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show, to talk to his old friend Tim Swail. View on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r-4zI3l1gf0

Read More

Episode 151: 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show from New Orleans

  James, Nick, and Tim give you their thoughts (sans Day 3) of the 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show in New Orleans, Louisiana.    

Read More

Episode 150: Pre-PCA with Charlie Minato

  James and Nick welcome Charlie Minato of halfwheel.com back to the program. This special bonus episode and all of our 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show is sponsored by Small Batch Cigar Our coverage is also brought to you by My Old Kentucky Herf. We ask Charlie what halfwheel will be looking for in…

Read More

Episode 149: Vance Taylor of Stoic Cigars

James and Nick welcome the owner and founder of Stoic Cigars, Vance Taylor, to Simply Stogies. Vance tells us how he was first in the cigar industry with LUJ Cigars, and how his first PCA trade show was in New Orleans. Bringing things full circle, his first trade show as an owner will also be…

Read More

Cigar Review: Justice by Stoic Cigars

Late in 2024, Vance Taylor launched Stoic Cigars. For those who might be unfamiliar with what Stoicism is, it is the philosophy of self-discipline and self-denial, in order to better one’s. An interesting view in a hobby that aligns more with a hedonistic lifestyle. However, there is an element of introspection that goes hand-in-hand when…

Read More

Episode 148: Michael Knowles of Mayflower Cigars

James and Nick welcome Michael Knowles of Mayflower Cigars and The Daily Wire to the program. Michael discusses how is passion for cigars began and shares why cigars and Mayflower Cigars are very personal for him. He tells us about how he launched his career, writing his first book, and smoking cigars at The Daily…

Read More

Cigar Review: Avowed Awakening Limited Edition Gran Robusto

Avowed Cigars might be a new cigar brand, but the folks behind the brand are not. Andrew Considine and Dave West should sound familiar to our audience, as they are behind Maxamar Ultimate Cigars and Small Batch Cigar. To be clear, Avowed Cigars is not owned by the store, nor is this just a house…

Read More

Episode 147: Riste Ristevski of JSK Cigars

  James and Nick welcome Riste Ristevski of JSK Cigars. Riste talks about how he got into the cigar industry, what’s changed over the last ten years, and some of the risks that he’s taken to make JSK what it is today. Riste talks about switching to his newest factory and what that entailed, as…

Read More

Cigar Review: Circle of Life Toro from West Tampa Tobacco Co.

Back in March of 2024, West Tampa Tobacco Co. announced that they would be debuting the Circle of Life at the 2024 PCA Convention and Trade Show. Unfortunately, beyond seeing it and being able to smoke a pre-release at the trade show, the world had to wait a long 10 months to be able to…

Read More

Cigar Review: Coroneta Habano Earl from Crowned Heads

Jimmy D from The Drawing Room in Davenport, Iowa reviews the Coroneta Earl from Crowned Heads. This robusto features a Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Condega, Estelí, and Jalapa, Nicaraguan fillers.  

Read More