[E044] Are Cigar Subscription Clubs Actually Worth It?

[E045] The Box Pass Gets a Kelner 80th

It was a Definition Cigars night in the garage and Joe Macko showed up before we even lit anything. He put together a cigar pack for every member of the crew and sent it over with no warning and no ask. That set the tone for the whole episode.We spent time going through the new releases out of PCA 2026 - the Crown Heads Moonflower has everyone talking after Sean from The Burnable came back raving, the Drew Estate Undercrown El Tigre Dominicano is already showing up at brick and mortars, and a German company called AKUT showed up with cigars packaged in blister packs like pills. We also got into what PCA actually is, how the economics work for new exhibitors, and why some first-timers don't make it to year two.The box pass is three stops from home and it's been one of the better things we've done as a show. A first-timer just dropped a Kelner 80th Anniversary into it without being asked. Joe Macko is up next. We couldn't have scripted it better.🌐 Read the full blog post: https://stogiereview.com/2026/05/23/smoke-and-steel-episode-045/👉 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.comCAHPTERS0:00 Welcome to Episode 0450:41 What Everyone Is Smoking Tonight3:23 Joe Macko Gets His Shoutout5:10 Listeners of the Week6:12 The Smoke and Steel Spotify Playlist7:19 New Releases From PCA 202614:00 New Exhibitors and Why Most Don't Survive23:08 What PCA Is Actually For27:36 The Press Pass Question30:19 Pocono Cigar Festival Preview32:07 Definition Cigars — First Impressions33:04 Box Pass Update39:52 Anybody Buy Anything This Week43:35 The Tabernacle Pyramid Situation47:51 Johnny Tobacconaut Makes the List53:19 Merch Store Update54:05 Cinco de Mayo Episode Preview56:04 Eric's Streak and the Pre-Show Episode59:45 Prison TikTok Tangent1:05:15 Deck Season and Fire Pit Talk1:10:23 Mark's Tuesday and Oxygen Deliveries1:12:00 Cluster Headaches and Oxygen Cures1:15:05 Elephant Cigar Lounge Visit1:16:19 Back to the Smokes1:19:18 Coffee Corner1:26:17 Sergeant Major's Dental Situation1:29:01 Remembering Chief1:31:19 Closing Arguments

[E044] Are Cigar Subscription Clubs Actually Worth It?

Episode 044 of Smoke and Steel gets into something a lot of cigar guys have opinions about - cigar subscription clubs. Which ones are actually worth your money, which ones are padding boxes with whatever they couldn't sell, and how do you tell the difference before you're three months in and canceling? We've been running the LA Cigar Collective and Small Batch packs for a while now, and we give you our honest take. Beyond the club conversation, Eric just got back from the Dominican Republic with stories from the Don Lucas factory floor, a Cuban he handed his brother on the beach, and some thoughts on the guys trying to sell cellophane Cohibas for five bucks on the shoreline. We also get into the Discord crackdown that wiped out some of the biggest cigar communities online. The box pass is almost home, the merch store is coming along, and the Smoke-onos Festival in the Poconos is three weeks out. Sticks around the garage include the LFD 30th Anniversary, Plasencia Alma Fuerte, H. Upmann Heritage by AJ Fernandez, Stolen Throne Yorktown Fleet, and a new upstart called El Mago that had some things to prove and didn't quite get there. 👉 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 CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro & What We're Smoking 1:25 El Mago First Impressions 3:32 LFD 30th and the Night's Lineup 4:08 H. Upmann Heritage by AJ Fernandez 4:40 Sean from The Burnable Returns 9:42 Merch Store Is Happening 15:09 Fans of the Week 17:54 Discord Box Pass Update 25:06 Eric Won an LACC Lotto 29:40 Discord Crackdown — What Happened 35:58 Eric's Dominican Republic Trip 39:04 Smoke-onos Festival Preview 41:24 PCA Recap and Definition Cigars 42:08 Charlie from Abbina at PCA 44:00 YouTube Shorts and Channel Updates 48:51 What Everyone's Been Buying 1:05:29 Cigar Subscription Clubs — Worth It? 1:13:21 Sports Corner 1:13:51 Gris Gris Lonsdale vs. Toro Debate 1:16:29 Rare Smokes — Do You Smoke Them or Save Them? 1:23:43 Second Cigars and Tatuaje Talk 1:24:29 West Tampa Devil Crab 1:28:07 Vitola Pricing — Do You Buy Up or Stay True? 1:36:06 Wrap-Up

[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