Nick Syris

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…

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Episode 97: The Smooth Draws Reunion

Nick and James are pleased to present the Smooth Draws Reunion Show. Nick welcomes part of the old Smooth Draws crew back: Chad “the Hangman” Potiers, Valerie Bradshaw, and William “Cigar Coop” Cooper. We find out how they started with the Smooth Draws radio show, some of what they did during their time with show,…

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Episode 96: Island Jim

James and Nick welcome Island Jim to the first video show. Jim talks about how he got started in the business and his humble beginnings. We ask him about the industry, boutique cigars, and much more!   You can now WATCH Simply Stogies Podcast on YouTube or Rumble!

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Episode 95: Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 & Cigar Media

Nick and James tackle Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 of 2022. Is it pay to play? Was choosing a Cuban cigar a slap in the face to the non-Cuban (New World) cigar industry? Is it fair to keep out “boutique” cigar brands from their review process? Does James just like to rant? We give our opinions…

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Episode 93: The Cuban Sub-Series Finale with Nick Syris

We wrap up our Cuban Sub-Series with our friend, and new Simply Stogies Podcast host, Nick Syris of LH Cigars. Nick and I wrap up our sub-series in a nice big bow by giving you the latest news out of Cuba, and then spend a good amount of time discussing the current state of Cuban…

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Episode 92:The Cuban Sub-Series Cohiba’s 55th Anniversary Interview

I welcome Nick Syris, owner and blender of LH Cigars, back to the show. Nick discusses the impact Hurricane Ian had on Cuba. He also lets us know if Cuba has improved since his visit earlier this year. Nick then dives into Cohiba’s 55th Anniversary event in Cuba last month. We focus on his interview with…

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Episode 89 The Cuban Sub-Series: Cuban Soil & More

James is joined by his Cuban Sub-Series host, Nick Syris of LH Cigars, as they discuss what makes Cuban cigars so unique…the soil. Before they discuss the unique properties of the soil in Cuba and the different growing regions around the island, Nick catches us up on some of the news coming our of Cuba….

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Episode 84: The Cuban Sub-Series: The Impact of the Cuban Embargo

I am joined by Cuban cigar expert and the owner of LH Cigars, Nick Syris, as we discuss the impact of the US embargo on Cuban cigars. The conversation begins with some news coming out of Cuba and quickly turns to the Habanos SA price increases. Nick gives his thoughts on why Habanos SA has…

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Episode 82: The Cuban Sub-Series: The Innovators of Cuban Cigars

I am joined by Nick Syris, owner of LH Cigars, my co-host for our Cuban Sub-Series. We discuss the latest news from Cuba: The explosion near Hotel Saratoga in Cuba, the Biden Administrations change in Cuban policy, and Habanos S.A. dramatically raising Cuban cigar prices. We then talk about the innovators of Cuban cigars: Christopher…

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Episode 81: Bonus at My Old Kentucky Herf

For this bonus episode, I chat with Luciano Meirelles of Ace Prime Cigars, Andy Yaffee of Micallef Cigars, Oscar Valladares of Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co, Nick Syris of LH Cigars, Greg Free of Fuerte y Libre Cigars, and Dwight Adkins of FatAsh Cigar Lounge and My Old Kentucky Herf. We find out why Dwight…

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