Cigar News

Episode 126: PCA 2024 Part 3

We end our PCA 2024 Convention & Trade Show coverage from the floor of the show with some great interviews with: Skip Martin of RoMa Craft, John Laurendi of Peter James, Hendrik Kelner Jr. of Smoking Jacket Cigars and KBF, Toscano Cigars, and what a first time retailer thought of the show with Brian and…

Read More

Episode 125: PCA 2024 Part 2

We have quite the lineup for part 2 of our coverage of the PCA 2024 Convention and Trade Show, sponsored by My Old Kentucky Herf. We begin with Nick at the General Cigars booth. He talks with Macanudo, CAO, Cohiba, Sancho Panza, and Matt Booth. Nick then heads over to Freud Cigar Co. and speaks…

Read More

Episode 124: PCA 24 Part 1

James, Tim, and Nick bring you interviews from the 2024 PCA Convention and Trade Show from the Las Vegas Convention Center. All of our PCA 24 coverage is brought to you by My Old Kentucky Herf! This first episode has interviews with Sebastien Decoppet of Cavalier Cigars, Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate, Cigars for Warriors,…

Read More

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…

Read More

Episode 108: The 2023 PCA Trade Show Part 1

This episode is made up from some of our favorite interviews from this year’s PCA 2023 Trade Show. For part 1 we start off with Scott Pearce, the Executive Director of the Premium Cigar Association as he talks about the trade show and some of what’s in store for next year. We then talk with…

Read More

Episode 107: Luciano Meirelles of Luciano Cigars

Nick and James sit down with Master Blender and owner of Luciano Cigars, Luciano Meirelles. Luciano tells us why the Maria Lucia is so special to him and how it fulfills his promise from the 2022 PCA Trade Show. We talk about what’s real in the cigar industry and how Luciano Cigars is helping mentor…

Read More

10 Clear the Air: A Simply Stogies After Show

Tim is joined by Nick and James and the trio dissect the latest Simply Stogies Podcast episode that features William “Cigar Coop” Cooper. There’s a lot of talk around what is “cigar media” and what isn’t. Who should be allowed to cover the trade show? What’s an influencer? What is the “job” of cigar media?…

Read More

Episode 105: Cigar Coop on Media & the PCA Trade Show

James and Nick welcome William “Cigar Coop” Cooper back to the show. This time we pick Coop’s brain about what exactly constitutes “cigar media” and their role in the industry. We also discuss the upcoming PCA 2023 Trade Show in Las Vegas, Coop tells us what his theme is this year, and he gives Simply…

Read More

06 Clear the Air: The Simply Stogies After Show

Tim, Nick, and James discuss the 100th episode of Simply Stogies. The trio discuss Micallef Cigars and Andy Yaffee’s  appearance, and what it takes to be a sales person in the cigar industry. They also discuss the industry as a whole, media, Simply Stogies role, the work that goes into making a podcast, and much…

Read More

Episode 99: Festival del Habano 2023

James and Nick discuss the 2023 Festival del Habano that was held in Cuba from Feb. 27 – March 3. Nick battles through the lingering cough from the “Commie Corona” to walk us through the good, bad, and the ugly of the festival. From swag to cigars and from long lines to overall costs, Nick…

Read More