Simply Stogies

James and Nick welcome Andrew Considine and Dave West, from Small Batch Cigar and Avowed Cigars, back to the show. We ask Andrew and Dave their thoughts on this year's PCA Convention and Trade Show in New Orleans. They tell us about what upcoming releases caught their eye and what new releases they're looking forward to. We also dive into how Small Batch Cigar is able to find some of the hidden ge...

James, Nick, and Tim give you their thoughts (sans Day 3) of the 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show in New Orleans, Louisiana.

James and Nick welcome Charlie Minato of halfwheel.com back to the program. This special bonus episode and all of our 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show is sponsored by Small Batch Cigar Our coverage is also brought to you by My Old Kentucky Herf. We ask Charlie what halfwheel will be looking for in New Orleans. It goes much deeper than what's this year's wrapper leaf of choice...it goes to the...

Tim brings James and Nick back for another Simply Stogies After Show. Last week James and Nick interviewed Vance Taylor, founder of Stoic Cigars. The three talk about the troubles of finding good balance between the brand, the cigars, and the customers. Tim pleads his case that he was not scrolling Only Fans as they further discuss the seriousness in the cigar industry and how Stoic Cigars can fit...

James and Nick welcome the owner and founder of Stoic Cigars, Vance Taylor, to Simply Stogies. Vance tells us how he was first in the cigar industry with LUJ Cigars, and how his first PCA trade show was in New Orleans. Bringing things full circle, his first trade show as an owner will also be this month in New Orleans. He discusses Stoicism and how that plays into his approach to the cigar industr...

Tim, James, and Nick are back for another after show. The three discuss cigars that may be meaningful enough to hold on to or smoke them to enjoy them when you can. They discuss some of the things behind the scenes to bring the latest episode of Simply Stogies Podcast with Michael Knowles of Mayflower Cigars to the show. James admits he may have been a little nervous about the interview but quickl...

James and Nick welcome Michael Knowles of Mayflower Cigars and The Daily Wire to the program. Michael discusses how is passion for cigars began and shares why cigars and Mayflower Cigars are very personal for him. He tells us about how he launched his career, writing his first book, and smoking cigars at The Daily Wire. Michael does a few impressions and has some fun while also waxing philosophica...

Tim brigs James and Nick back to the stage to dig deeper int the latest episode of Simply Stogies Podcast with Riste of JSK Cigars. The three talk about controversial figures, the differences in the way JSK does things compared to the rest of the industry. Tim, James, and Nick also dive into a a little bit of information technology and how it could impact the industry. Of course nobody knows exact...

James and Nick welcome Riste Ristevski of JSK Cigars. Riste talks about how he got into the cigar industry, what's changed over the last ten years, and some of the risks that he's taken to make JSK what it is today. Riste talks about switching to his newest factory and what that entailed, as well as what it has done for his brand. We discuss the cigar industry at large, some of the problems that c...

Tim brings James and Nick back for another episode of Clear the Air to talk behind the back of last week's guest, Vlada Stojanov of SOMM Cigars. The three work their way through technical difficulties while traveling down rabbit holes of tasting notes from fast food to cigars. Tim asks where in this country is the best place to live and enjoy cigars all year round. Nick gives us his inside on the...

James and Tim (sitting in for Nick who is in Costa Rica) welcome Vlada Stojanov of SOMM Cigars to the show. Vlada discusses being a new father, what scares him, and how he'll help his daughter develop her palate. Vlada also discusses if there are objective flavors to a cigar, romanticizing tasting, and if cigar reviewers deserve a bit of grace when it comes to their reviews. The discussion turns t...

Tim brings Nick back to the microphone to discuss some of the topics covered in the last episode of Simply Stogies Podcast with special guest, Josh Habursky. The discussion focuses on some of the good times at the PCA Trade Show. They talk about PCA/TPE cigar exclusives, and the importance of being aware of laws that may affect your enjoyment of cigars. They quickly talk about laws moving from the...

James and Nick welcome the Executive Director of the Premium Cigar Association, Joshua Habursky. The trio discuss the big wins for the cigar industry so far in 2025, and the importance of being vigilant against government overreach. Josh explains how the PCA, CRA, and CAA have all worked together to keep the government from taking the choice to smoke hand rolled, premium cigars away from informed...

Tim welcomes James and Nick back to the microphones in order to dig deeper into the latest episode of Simply Stogies Podcast with special guest, Michael Herklots of Ferio Tego Cigars. Just as you would expect, it's an episode of rabbit holes that lead the three deeper into the world of "Herklotsisms". Seriously, how often to you get one of the best dressed men in the industry to dump a load of cig...

James and Nick welcome Michael Herklots of Ferio Tego to the show. Michael has been in the industry on the retail side and the manufacturing side; so, it's no surprise that the discussion turns to B&Ms and cigar lounges. Michael talk about customer service and what consumers should expect from their retailer and cigar lounges. Yes, there's a difference between a cigar retailer and a cigar loun...

Back to the microphones, Tim welcomes James and Nick to dig deeper into the latest episode of Simply Stogies Podcast with special guest, Sean Williams, Brand Ambassador of Cohiba Cigars. It's an episode of making sausage without telling you how it's made, or not. Tim lets James know how proud of him he really is. It's funny how much bigger the world is when you open your eyes. Nick gives insider i...

James and Nick welcome Sean Williams to the show. Sean explains how he began in the cigar industry with his own brand, Premiere Mundo. The discussion turns to the pros and cons of boutique cigar companies vs the pros and cons of larger brands. Sean shares his passion for Cohiba and the blends he's done with them. We talk about the Cohiba Serie M, their collaboration with Weller, and the Spectre. W...

Tim brings James and Nick back to the microphone to discuss the latest episode of Simply Stogies Podcast with guest William "Cigar Coop" Cooper. While James tries to go right into his opinionated rants about a very well known cigar publication, Tim and Nick bring it back to a few food related stories of our own. Nick instantly regretted that decision. The three talk about friendships in the cigar...

James and Nick welcome back William "Cigar Coop" Cooper to Simply Stogies Podcast. The trio begin by discussing limited edition cigars, differences between limited edition and annual releases, and where the limited editions come and how much effort goes into them. The conversation then pivots to the Cigar of the Year lists, criteria, and what 2024 looks like. We talk PCA Trade Show, James asks Coo...

Tim, James, and Nick are back to do what they have trouble doing, talking behind people's back. It's hard to do when the guests of Simply Stogies Podcast are so good. After James and Nick sit down with Dave and Andrew from smallbatchcigar.com, the three reflect on only a small portion of the great conversation. It didn't make sense to create back to back 2 hour shows. They cover a few of the incon...

James and Nick welcome Dave and Andrew from smallbatchcigar.com to the show. The quartet quickly jump to it as they discuss the new tobacco laws in California. Andrew's answer was insightful and gave some much needed context and perspective that seemed to be lacking in the coverage up to this point. We then talk about their magically fast shipping and packaging practices, how they maintain relatio...

Tim, James, and Nick are back to continue the journey down the rabbit hole where the of “Relax and enjoy” still hold true. The three don’t spend too much time talking about their favorite TV shows but reflect on Nicaragua being on their bucket list of places to visit. Join a discussion where digging deeper into different tobaccos from various regions of the world will product something similar but...

James and Nick welcome Enrique Sanchez of 1502 Cigars to the show. Enrique talks about how he got into the business and working with the Plasencia family on his first release. He shares his passion for Nicaragua and the differences between InterTabac and the PCA Trade Show, and his philosophy of "Relax and enjoy." Enrique also discusses being a boutique brand and what separates them from the "big...

As usual, Tim gets all the facts wrong but luckily James and Nick are back to help set him straight as they discuss the latest episode of Simply Stogies Podcast with special guest Hector Alfonso Sr., the blender and Director of Factory Operations for Espinosa Cigars. The three reflect on getting old as they continue to enjoy their cigars. Tim tries to revive the greatest movie quotes and punchline...

James and Nick welcome blender and Director of Factory Operations for Espinosa Cigars, Hector Alfonso Sr., to the show. The trio discuss the cigar industry at large: the differences in B&M's, the internal politics of lounges and how one or two "Alpha Dogs" can sway others in the lounge, and what differentiates "cigar slingers" from those who actually sell cigars. They also discuss why Simply S...