Stogie

Episode 137: Dan Thompson of Micallef Cigars

James and Nick welcome Dan Thompson, President of Micallef Cigars, back to the show. Dan talks about the new Micallef Red and the manufacturing and research & development that went into the Red and all of their color series. Dan discusses what’s next and teases something new for the PCA 2025 Trade Show in New…

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Cigar Review: Micallef Red Toro

Micallef Cigars, from Weatherford, Texas, has released the Red in their unofficially named color series. This marks the third release in two years. The Red follows the Blue (released at PCA 2024 earlier this year) and the Black (released June 2023). Produced at Micallef’ Cigars S.A. facility in Estelí, Nicaragua, the Red features a San…

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Cigar Review: AGANORSA Leaf Arsenio Toro

In July of this year, AGANORSA began shipping the AGANORSA Leaf Arsenio. The Arsenio is a  cigar named after Arsenio Ramos. Ramos was a longtime blender for Casa Fernandez, now AGANORSA Leaf. Before that, Arsenio worked 40yrs in Cubatabaco. Terence Reilly, Vice President of Aganorsa Leaf, credits Arsenio for much of  Aganorsa’s signature flavor and…

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Cigar Review: Daughters of the Wind Robusto (Pony) from Casdagli Cigars

The Daughters of the Wind Robusto was originally released in 2018. It was the first sub $10.00 ($9.25 MSRP) in the Casdagli Cigars lineup. Since it’s release the Pony, as the DotW Robusto is affectionately known, has undergone some changes. First, it is no longer a sub $10.00 cigar. The MSRP is now  $11.00. The…

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39 Clear the Air: A Simply Stogies Podcast After Show

Tim brings James back to the microphone to discuss the latest episode of Simply Stogies Podcast about Mo Maali of Patina Cigars. The two dig deeper into judging a brand by it’s Connecticut Cigar, cigar journeys, the PCA Trade show, the Oro De Nicaragua, and some business practices of small and large cigar manufacturers. Watch…

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Cigar Review: La Bomba 601 Warhead X

Espinosa Cigars is the cigar manufacturer that I credit with giving me that “oh, I get it now” moment with cigars. I just have not had the opportunity to smoke a lot of Espinosa in the last few years. The exception to that is the 601 La Bomba Warhead series. This seems to be one…

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Episode 136: Patina Cigars’ Mo Maali

James and Nick welcome Mo Maali, owner and founder of Patina Cigars back to the show. We discuss the current economy, its impact on the cigar industry, and how it affects cigar releases and how Patina approaches releases. Mo talks about the Oro de Nicaragua, which factory it came from, and why it was released…

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Cigar Review: Blue Eyed Jack’s Revenge by Adventura

ADVentura is a cooperation that began in 2016 between Marcel Knobel, a Swiss retailer, tobacconist, marketer, and sommelier and the youngest master blender in the industry, Henderson Ventura. I have has several cigars from ADVentura and I really enjoyed The Queens Pearls and The Conqueror. They both had a good amount of complexity and bold…

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38 Clear the Air: A Simply Stogies Podcast After Show

Tim, James, and Nick go down rabbit hole after rabbit hole following the last episode of Simply Stogies Podcast with Nimmer Ahmad of Valacari Cigars. It’s easy to do and that’s what Clear the Air is all about. Join the trio as they talk about many troubles within the cigar industry. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HhT38GHKEHk…

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Cigar Lounge Review: FUMA Cigar Social in Tallahassee, Florida

Just a little over three years ago FUMA Cigar Social was under different management. When the original owners wanted to sell, they approached two of their regular customers and asked if they would be interested in taking over the business. Chuck and Marquis said, “Yes.” Three years later and FUMA Cigar Social has made some…

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