Smoke and Steel

[043] PCA Week, Pipe Memories, and $22 Vegas Coffee

PCA is in New Orleans this week, and Mark, Jim, and Walt have thoughts - on who's there, what's being launched, and where the show goes next. But like most weeks in the garage, the conversation refuses to stay in one lane.From dealing email FOMO on expired cigar deals, to pipe smoking war stories, to the uncomfortable reality of $22 Starbucks coffee in Vegas, this one covers a lot of ground. The guys talk PCA industry news including Espinosa, Rojas's Cinco de Mayo street taco release, and the ongoing Cigar Page brick-and-mortar build-out before going deep on Crown Heads, La Flor Dominicana, Ave Maria Requintista, and the Plasencia Alma Fuerte line. There's also a legitimate debate about whether torpedoes are worth the trouble, a salsa analogy for cigar aging that actually makes perfect sense, and a fond look back at pipe smoking - including a corn cob pipe incident that did not end well.Fair warning: they also spend a meaningful amount of time on SOS, red-eye gravy, Longacre's milkshakes, and Butcher Bill's jalapeño cheddar hot dogs. No apologies.👉 If you enjoy this video, please like, comment, and subscribe for more cigar talk every week.🔗 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: https://stogiereview.com/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StogieReview/📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stogiereview/💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/8h5tuYaqJV☕ Support us on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/stogiereview👕 Check out our NEW MERCH: https://www.stickermule.com/stogiereview📧 Email: Walt@StogieReview.comCHAPTERS0:00 Cold Open: Expired Cigar Deal Emails1:33 Box Pass Update3:49 PCA New Orleans — Industry News5:10 Community Shoutouts5:51 Santa Clara at PCA & Vegas vs. New Orleans9:17 Vegas Food Prices & Sticker Shock12:04 Longacre's, Diners & Cheap Eats Nostalgia18:33 Back to Cigars: Morning Smokes & Connecticuts21:41 Smoking Cigars at Work25:32 LFD, Crown Heads & Cigar Aging Talk38:47 Crown Heads Lineup43:44 Grilling Season & Butcher Bill's Hot Dogs48:27 Rojas Street Tacos & Cinco de Mayo Release51:36 Cigar Page Brick-and-Mortar Update53:42 Pipes, Meerschaum & Corn Cob War Stories57:33 Wrap-Up

[E042] The LACC Heavy List: Are We Playing Favorites?

Episode 042 gets into something the guys have been dancing around for a while - three LACC cigars have now landed on the Smoke and Steel Top 25 Cigars of 2026 list, and someone had to say it out loud. Are we playing favorites, or does LACC just keep delivering? The crew debates it honestly, and the answer might surprise you.Beyond the list talk, this one covers a lot of ground. The New Dawn earns its spot at number two, the Definition Cigars Big Iron gets added as an LACC exclusive that caught everyone off guard, and the Ashton VSG makes its case above both. The guys also float the idea of an "ass list" — the 25 worst cigars of the year.The community box pass gets a full update, including one member who took 13 of 15 cigars in a single pass and somehow still left the box in great shape. There's also a solid stretch on the cigar industry itself - boutique brands getting swallowed by corporations, what happens to the quality when they do, and the reps who get caught in the middle.PCA is right around the corner, Fog Box drops some exciting news about a collaboration with artist Robert Glick, and Cigar Page's new Bethlehem lounge is officially breaking ground.Full crew in the garage tonight — Walt, Marky Mark, Eric, Rob, Aaron, and Jimbo the Godfather back from his hiatus.👉 If you enjoy this video, please like, comment, and subscribe for more cigar talk every week.🔗 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: https://stogiereview.com/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StogieReview/📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stogiereview/💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/8h5tuYaqJV☕ Support us on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/stogiereview👕 Check out our NEW MERCH: https://www.stickermule.com/stogiereview📧 Email: Walt@StogieReview.comCHAPTERS0:00 Welcome to the Garage0:51 What's Everybody Smoking Tonight1:53 Top Cigar List Updates7:00 Big Iron and VSSG Join the List9:55 LACC Heavy — Are We Playing Favorites?13:17 Novelty Bias or the Real Deal?15:00 Kamacho, Quality Drift, and Old Favorites17:40 What Did Everybody Buy This Week?22:19 Cigar Page Deals and the Fuente Opus Package24:06 The German Cigar Company and El Mago Update26:52 Community Box Pass Update31:38 The Discord Has a Life of Its Own36:04 Padron Soaking Theory and Why They're Untouchable40:03 Sean's Breaking Bad Package for Walt42:23 PCA Next Week — Who's Going?43:29 Fog Box x Robert Glick Collaboration Announced46:09 Cigar Page Lounge Breaking Ground in Bethlehem51:38 Smoke and Os Festival Preview52:44 Industry Talk — Reps, Brand Sellouts, and Room 10157:34 The Beer Industry Parallel — Who's Buying Who59:35 Dave Portnoy, Barstool, and the Art of the Sellout1:01:01 The Ass List — 25 Worst Cigars of the Year?1:03:38 Cigar Bibs, Burn Holes, and Smoke Stories1:06:38 Sports Corner with Jimbo and Eric1:08:09 PCA Preview and Vegas in Two Years1:10:44 Round Two Cigars — The Lunatic Hysteria1:13:35 LACC Buildout and the Growing Community1:14:36 Final Thoughts and Sign-Off

[E040] Would You Buy a Damaged Opus X at Half Price?

Eric's back after a rough stretch with Flu B — the garage is at full strength and the cigars are lit. Tonight the crew is smoking the Intemperance Volstead, Placencia Alma Fuerte, Gran Habano Black Dalia, Padre Eligido, and the Gris Gris Lonsdale, and the conversation wastes no time getting into what everyone's been buying while the Cigar Page deals were stacked.The episode hits a stretch that'll get any cigar guy thinking: if a premium stick had minor foot damage and was selling at a steep discount, would you pull the trigger? The crew debates scratch-and-dent cigars, what CI used to do with their damage barrels, and how that logic changes when the cigar in question is an Opus X BBMF.From there the guys cover Cuba's ongoing blackouts and what a potential U.S.-Cuba deal might actually do to cigar prices - probably not what you're hoping for - along with an update on the community box pass, a first look at the Gris Gris Lonsdale tubes that surprised even the guys at LACC, and Steve Saka's Muestra de Saka Chubby Unicorn, a 5×60 perfecto from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust set to debut at PCA.The Discord and YouTube communities also get their due - the fan interaction has gotten to the point where keeping up is a genuine problem, and the guys wouldn't have it any other way. Cinco de Mayo fan appreciation night and exclusive merch are right around the corner.👉 If you enjoy this video, please like, comment, and subscribe for more cigar talk every week.🔗 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: https://stogiereview.com/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StogieReview/📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stogiereview/💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/8h5tuYaqJV☕ Support us on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/stogiereview👕 Check out our NEW MERCH: https://www.stickermule.com/stogiereview📧 Email: Walt@StogieReview.comCHAPTERS:0:00 Welcome Back & Eric's Flu B Story3:27 What Is Everyone Smoking Tonight6:07 Recent Buys & Cigar Page Deal Stacking13:33 Discord-Only Deals & the LACC Collective Pack15:25 Local Shop Talk — Frank Smith, EPS & Cigar Hunting19:19 Cigar Etiquette — Handling, Cello & Shop Psychology23:17 Nat Sherman, White Gloves & Old School Shops30:00 Scratch & Dent Cigars — Would You Buy a Damaged Opus33:02 CI Stores vs. Brick & Mortars40:00 Box Pass Update — Progress, Rules & Sam's Idea49:47 Cuba Blackouts & What They Mean for Cigar Prices52:42 PCA Preview — Chubby Unicorn & Community Cards56:49 RIP Chuck Norris & Movie Talk59:17 F1, Isle of Man TT & NASCAR Safety1:09:23 Knuckle Sandwich 58 from the Box Pass1:12:46 Discord & YouTube Community Growth1:22:53 Social Media Fans of the Week1:28:06 Crown Heads Vow — Hella Hands vs. New Dawn1:30:12 Cinco de Mayo Fan Appreciation & Merch Teaser1:33:04 Eddie on the Streets & In-the-Wild Stories1:38:40 Wrapping Up — Baseball Season Starts Tomorrow

[E039] What Happens to Your Favorite Cigars If Cuba Goes Dark?

What happens to the cigar market if Cuba goes dark - and stays dark? The guys dig into the real-world ripple effects of Cuba's ongoing fuel crisis and what it could mean for supply, pricing, and the cigars we actually smoke every day. It's the kind of conversation you don't hear enough of in this hobby, and it goes places. Beyond the geopolitics, this one's packed with the usual Smoke and Steel tangents - Walt opens with the West Tampa Tobacco Co. Maduro from Rick Rodriguez and wastes no time singing its praises. Jim's on a St. Patrick's Day candela from Cavaliere, and the guys get into a broader candela debate that gets honest fast. There's a deep dive into the Crown Heads Thunderkiss - specifically whether the second batch holds up to the first (short answer: not quite) - plus talk about the Blood Medicine B Positive expansion, humidor builds, cigar of the month clubs, and how the pricing model for boutique cigars actually works once you start pulling the curtain back. Skip Martin drops a comment on a recent Rojas short that sparks a genuinely great conversation about what's actually inside your cigar - stems, veins, bunching order, and why the roller's sequence matters more than most people realize. Eric also recaps a 2,600-mile road trip that included a Buffalo Trace distillery tour, and somehow that connects back to cigars too. 👉 If you enjoy this video, please like, comment, and subscribe for more cigar talk every week. 🔗 Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: https://stogiereview.com/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StogieReview/ 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stogiereview/ 💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/8h5tuYaqJV ☕ Support us on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/stogiereview 👕 Check out our NEW MERCH: https://www.stickermule.com/stogiereview 📧 Email: Walt@StogieReview.com 0:00 Welcome & What We're Smoking Tonight 0:25 West Tampa Tobacco Co. Maduro First Impressions 1:38 Cigar of the Month Clubs - Why We Joined 4:15 The Problem with Falling in Love with a Limited Cigar 6:23 St. Patrick's Day Candela & the Candela Debate 10:27 Crown Heads Thunderkiss - Batch 1 vs. Batch 2 17:14 Blood Medicine B Positive Line Expansion 19:29 Avowed New Dawn - The Favorite So Far 23:17 Construction Issues & the Cigars That Fought Back 25:44 Humidor Talk - Hydrometers, Oasis Systems & DIY Builds 35:15 Building Your Own Humidor with Spanish Cedar 43:51 Sir Stogies, Cigar Box Lamps & Four Years Later 46:19 Local Shop Report - Epps, Frank Smith's & Hidden Gems 1:06:03 Skip Martin's Comment & What's Really Inside Your Cigar 1:09:25 Bunching Order, Roller Technique & Trade Secrets 1:20:25 Buffalo Trace Distillery Tour Recap 1:31:24 Cuba's Fuel Crisis & What It Means for Cigar Smokers 1:39:00 Global Cigar Markets, Tariffs & the Ripple Effect 1:43:37 That's a Wrap - Good Night

$55 for a Padron Black? We Need to Talk | Smoke and Steel Ep 038

Fifty-five dollars for a Padron Black. Seventy-eight dollars for a Hemingway that canoeed on someone at the lounge. At what point do cigar prices stop making sense? We had that conversation on Episode 038, and nobody held back. It started with a Padron Black on the table and turned into one of the more honest discussions we've had about where the line is between paying for quality and just paying because the market says you have to.Beyond the pricing debate, we covered a lot of ground. The Hallowed Hands by  Avowed Cigars made another strong showing, the Gris Gris versus Padre Elegido debate from LA Cigar Collective  came up again, and we talked about where to still find genuinely good deals, including why your local beer distributor humidor might be the most underrated cigar resource in your area. We also got into the CRA fundraiser packs,  CigarPage  bundles,  HDACigars  , the JC Newman American Cigar, and a Drew Estate Nasty Fritas that had been aging long enough to earn some serious respect.Officer Pinto stopped by after his shift, the box pass is rolling toward Ohio, and we announced a fan appreciation episode filming on Cinco de Mayo. Come hang out.👉 If you enjoy this video, please like, comment, and subscribe for more cigar talk every week.CHAPTERS0:00 Cold Open & Intro2:17 Welcome to Episode 0383:14 What Are We Smoking Tonight?4:18 EPS and Frank Smith Cigar Deals5:27 The Lynx Beverage Honey Hole8:01 Did Anyone Buy Anything Good?9:57 New Worlds Are Done — Breaking News11:08 Box Pass Update12:02 Cinco de Mayo Fan Appreciation Night13:14 Trump's Tavern and the Liga H99 CI Exclusive15:19 Pappy Van Winkle and Drinking Again18:29 Are Cigar Prices Too High?20:11 The Padron Black and the CRA Pack23:28 Gran Habano Is Back25:02 The Collective Pack and Small Batch Update26:05 Avowed Hallowed Hands vs. the Line28:12 The Goat and What We Won't Drive For32:29 Fans of the Week34:07 Early Release and Editing 600 Cuts36:15 Memory, Age, and the 70s Don't Exist38:16 Old Tech: Atari, Betamax, and VHS41:18 TV Channels, Midnight Signoff, Scrambled Channels43:06 Smoking in Grandpa's House44:54 Listerine, Rock and Rye, and Old Remedies48:05 Kids, Helmets, and Getting Soft49:06 Golf, Dogs, and the Vet Bill51:47 Broken Bones and Bad Calls54:39 How's the Smoke Halfway Through?56:41 Cigar Page Customer Service58:25 Atlantic Cigar and Being Nice About It1:00:03 Personal Fax Numbers and Old School Business1:01:00 Officer Pinto Arrives1:04:29 Eagles Talk and Five-Win Seasons1:06:34 Gris Gris vs. Padre Elegido1:08:22 Is Town Tobacco Closing?1:09:26 Cars, Trucks, and Lexus Money1:11:51 Toyota Reliability and Million Mile Trucks1:14:33 Beanie Babies and the Long Game1:15:40 Antiques Roadshow Star Wars Moment1:17:30 The Last Episode Got Serious1:18:55 Your Humidor When You're Gone1:20:04 Round Two Cigars and Nasty Fritas1:22:05 Bill Cosby, Jell-O Pudding, and Capital Punishment1:24:12 New Lighters and Chinese Duponts1:25:04 Fan Appreciation Night Planning1:30:08 Views, Followers, and Discord Growth1:31:36 Eddie on the Streets at Costco1:33:42 Wrap Up and Sign Off🔗 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: https://stogiereview.com/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StogieReview/📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stogiereview/💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/8h5tuYaqJV☕ Support us on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/stogiereview👕 Check out our NEW MERCH: https://www.stickermule.com/stogiereview📧 Email: Walt@StogieReview.com