Simply Stogies

Episode 61: An Epic Conversation with Dean Parsons of Epic Cigars

I sit down with Dean Parsons of Epic Cigars at the 2021 PCA Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dean and I discuss how his journey from Canadian hockey player, to police officer, to real estate development, to finally finding his passion and starting Epic Cigars. Dean opens up about the industry and the amount…

Read More

Lounge Review: Jeanie’s Smoke Shop is a 73 Year Old Utah Institution

Situated in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City stands Jeanie’s Smoke Shop. First owned by a non-smoking, God fearing, Mormon woman named Jeanie, this cigar shop has weathered the last 73yrs remarkably well. Of course, the shop has seen a lot of changes in that time. Not the least of which (excluding the current…

Read More

Cigars and Coffee Episode 23: PCA Recap, DE Undercrown 10, and BLK and Bold Coffee

James and Tim return to David’s Fine Tobaccos (9759 University Ave, Clive, IA 50325) to talk about what they saw at the PCA 2021 Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. They discuss their experience and all the good…and not so good they saw while attending. There is never a shortage of drama in the cigar…

Read More

Episode 60: On the PCA Show Floor with Scott Weeks of Recluse Cigars and Iconic Leaf Cigar Company

I sit down at the Recluse Cigars/Iconic Leaf Cigar Company booth on the PCA Trade Show floor with owner and blender Scott Weeks. Scott and I talk about his and his family’s background in the cigar industry and how he started Recluse Cigars and Iconic Cigar Leaf Company. We talk about federal regulations and how…

Read More

Lounge Review: The Vintage Whiskey and Cigar Bar Sets the Bar High in Charlotte

Back in May, myself and a friend of the show (Randy Carmichael) took a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to attend the inaugural Queen City Cigar Fest.  Randy was told by Master Blender Nick Syris of LH Cigars, that we should check out a newer cigar lounge named The Vintage while we were in Charlotte. …

Read More

Top 5 Cigars to Look Forward to After the PCA Trade Show 2021

Our first PCA (Premium Cigar Association) Trade Show has come and gone, and it has been a lot to digest. Tim and I had a lot of fun going from booth to booth and talking with those in and around the premium cigar industry. Of course, some of the exhibitors were happy to share with…

Read More

Cigars and Coffee Episode 22: The One Nobody Asked For

James and Tim return to David’s Fine Tobaccos in Clive, Iowa and take on their coffee arch-nemesis…Starbucks. The pair smoke a Crowned Heads Four Kicks Capa Especial LE and muddle their way through the almost unbearable coffee experience. Along the way, James regales you with tales from his high school days, and they talk about…

Read More

Samuel Gawith Skiff Mixture

English pipe tobacco has an incredible depth and breadth. There are smoky Latakia-driven monsters like Esoterica’s legendary Penzance, C&D Star of the East Flake, and Hearth & Home  10 to Midnight. There are tamer, more balanced blends like Presbyterian, Peterson 965, Samuel Gawith Squadron Leader, and Peter Stokkebye’s Proper English. The spicy English is a…

Read More

PCA Trade Show 2021: A Hit or a Miss?

It has been a week since this year’s PCA Trade Show officially ended. I have had to time to look back and reflect on what was good and bad at the year’s premiere industry event. This year was our first year attending the PCA’s (Premium Cigar Association) annual trade show. To be honest, we had…

Read More

Episode 59: The Journey with Nick Syris of LH Cigars

I talk, via Zoom, with Nick Syris of LH Cigars. We discuss his journey from an audio business to his life as a retailer and how he eventually started LH Cigars. Nick talks about what he’s learned and where LH Cigars is going in the future. We discuss the cigar industry, what it means to be…

Read More