Cigar Enthusiast

Episode 19: An Interview with The Cigar Madame

Congratulations to Chris Hansen, Gary Mehrl, and Caleb McReynolds on winning the Pupperdor.com contest. A big “thank you” to Pupperdor.com for supporting Simply Stogies Podcast and sponsoring such a great giveaway! I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with @thecigarmadame (Coco Maria) an avid aficionada, cigar enthusiast, great Sister of the Leaf, and…

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Episode 18: An Afternoon Chat with Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars

During an AMA/Virtual Cut&Light for SimplyStogies.club with Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars, I get an opportunity to have a three hour conversation with Pete. We talk about everything from his cigar journey starting in a strip club, to how he looks at the FDA’s overregulation, and everything in between. Pete was generous with his time…

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Episode 17: AMA/Virtual Cut&Light with Jon Huber of Crowned Heads Cigars

Jon Huber from Crowned Heads cigars joins James and some of the members from simplystogies.club for an AMA. Jon discusses his cigar journey, how he got started in the business, and where he sees the future of the business. Jon also talks about what inspires him and finding the reason for cigars to exist. We…

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Episode 16: A Conversation with Jeremy Casdagli of Casdagli Cigars

I sit down with Jeremy Casdagli of Casdagli Cigars, formerly Bespoke Cigars, live from the Clayton in Chicago, Illinois. Jeremy and I discuss his cigar journey, how and why he started Casdagli Cigars, the name change from Bespoke to Casdagli, his family history and how that has influenced him, how he reacts to bad reviews…

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Episode 15: The Hobby Within the Hobby

James begins this episode with several big announcements! James announces interviews with Jeremy Casdagli of Casdagli Cigars and Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars. He also announces a contest with pupperdor.com. Details and rules of the contest are found in this episode! Thank you to Pupperdor.com for sponsoring this contest. Have you ever wondered why there…

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Episode 14: AMA w/Nick Melillo of Foundation Cigars

I get the opportunity to sit down and chat with Nick Melillo, master blender, and founder of Foundation Cigars for a SimplyStogies.club AMA/Virtual Cut & Light via Zoom Meeting. We had a fantastic conversation about Nick’s cigar journey, how he got started, what he’s learned, and where he’s going. We discussed a slew of topics…

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Episode 13: Community

I am pleased to announce the launch of simplystogies.com! I’d like to thank all the hard work put it in by the team (Timothy Allen, Mike Brieg, Wonho Frank Lee, Troy Kelso, and Stephanie Hattan) in order to get the website off the ground!!! Please, check out simplystogies.com and let us know what you think…

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Wineador 101

Wineador 101 Why a Wineador? There are many options available when selecting a humidor, what makes a Wineador special? The biggest advantage is its ability to maintain a programmed temperature. Choosing a Wineador There are 2 things to consider when looking for a Wineador: Size – How many cigars to do plan to store in…

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Humidor Seasoning

Humidor Seasoning This post is to help you to understand why you need to properly season your wooden humidor and how to do so. I recommend that you read the HUMIDOR 101 post before venturing into this to familiarize yourself with humidors in general. Background You just got your first Spanish Cedar humidor. That’s great! You can’t…

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Hygrometers

HYGROMETERS To ensure that your cigars are having the best life possible in your humidor a hygrometer is a must. A hygrometer is a device that will indicate the temperature and relative humidity of its environment. If you go looking for one online, you will find plenty of options at multiple price points. This article…

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