Eat Drink Smoke

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy take Eat Drink Smoke outside to enjoy some beautiful fall weather, an Arturo Fuente OpusX Forbidden X 2015, and Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon. Do these sought-after names deliver enough to justify their price tags? Plus, Fingers finds a decades-old bottle of Old Grand-Dad 114, Tony wonders what happened to the bargains at Goodwill, and the guys debate new sod...

Never judge a bourbon by its label. This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy review David Nicholson 1843 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey—a 100-proof bottle with an old-school look and a price that gets the value guy’s attention. They also smoke the Fuente Fuente OpusX ReXilient Churchill, discuss its tribute to the 25th anniversary of September 11th and its support for Tun...

Tony and Fingers review the Plasencia Alma del Cielo cigar and Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon, then try Skrewball PB&J Whiskey in a Gas Station Find. They also get into NFL injuries, a survey on college students and controversial speakers, the downsides of flat-top grills, fast-food chains bringing back personal service, and one question for job seekers: Is bringing iced coffee to an intervi...

Tony and Fingers review the Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario Connecticut Box-Pressed Toro and the ultra-budget Ancient Age Bourbon. Plus, Gen Z is drinking again, AI-powered car dealership scams are getting frighteningly convincing, the Colts are a mess, and a controversial list of tailgate foods has them asking an important question: Where are the burgers and brats? They also tackle the growing backlash...

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers fire up the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua Profundo — a cigar loaded with wood, leather and enough strength to get your attention. They pair it with Indiana Longhunter Straight Rye Whiskey, a four-year-old, 100-proof rye that raises an important question: is this bottle a hidden gem or just bringing heat for the sake of bringing heat? Plus, so...

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers review the AVO Expresivo Toro, a medium-to-full cigar that delivers notes of pepper, wood, coffee and plenty of complexity at a price that earns it a spot in the humidor. They also crack open the brand-new 1792 Kentucky Straight Rye, and at just $42 a bottle, it may be one of the best whiskey values they’ve tried all year. Plus, Fingers explains what...

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers review the Foundation 10th Anniversario Salamone and Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon — a whiskey that definitely splits the room. They also talk about turmoil at Brown-Forman, whether aging rock stars like David Lee Roth and Paul McCartney know when it’s time to walk away, the latest U.S.-Canada tariff fight and what it could mean for American spiri...

Tony and Fingers are back with another round of cigars, whiskey, food and questionable life advice. This week, they light up the El Rey del Mundo King of the World VSOP, a cigar that makes a strong enough impression that buying more is definitely on the table. Then they pour the Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Rye, a 112.2-proof Kentucky straight rye that brings plenty of heat — but even more...

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers light up the Liars Bench Silver Tongue, a 6x54 Dominican puro with a Corojo wrapper, Habano binder, and plenty of spice. It makes a better impression on Fingers than Tony, but both agree Liars Bench is a brand worth keeping an eye on. Then it’s back to one of the show’s longtime bourbon favorites: Old Grand-Dad 114. At 114 proof, it delivers caramel,...

Tony and Fingers review the new Catelli Boxare Habano, a 6x52 box-pressed cigar that proved surprisingly difficult to research. It starts with cedar, pepper, and a little cocoa — but does it develop enough to earn a permanent spot in the humidor? Then things get serious with Booker’s Batch 2026-02 “Milkshake Batch” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. At 124.4 proof, it sounds intimidating. Instead,...

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers review the Caldwell Crafted & Curated Savages Malpensante, a rich and surprisingly subtle cigar with notes of wood, leather, walnut and coffee. Is it worth $17 a stick? They have thoughts. They also pour the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Heritage Barrel, a seven-year-old Tennessee whiskey bottled at 100 proof. It brings plenty of sweetness, oak, van...

Tony and Fingers take the show outside to enjoy perfect deck weather, the A.J. Fernandez New World Decenio 10th Anniversary Toro, and a Four Roses Private Selection OESQ bourbon. They break down the Decenio’s Mexican San Andrés wrapper, cocoa sweetness, oak, leather and steady medium-bodied profile before deciding whether the $14 cigar deserves a permanent spot in the humidor. Then they taste a ni...

The guys review the Arturo Fuente Casa Cuba Divine Inspiration, the final cigar blend created by Carlos Fuente Sr. Does its combination of white pepper, wood, leather and unexpected nuttiness earn it a permanent place in the humidor? They pair it with Maker’s Mark Made for the Brave Cask Strength bourbon, a 110.5-proof bottle supporting Project One Vet at a Time. Plus, Snickers Cake Bites wildly e...

The "Summer of Habanos" begins with the My Father La Lealtad, a hefty 6x60 cigar delivering balanced notes of cedar, coffee, tobacco, and subtle sweetness. Tony and Fingers also review Costco’s Patriot Eagle Bourbon, debate the greatest Southern foods, question the purpose of warm potato salad, and prepare themselves for Indiana State Fair creations involving honey buns, melted butter, and absolut...

Happy Independence Day from Eat Drink Smoke — and welcome to our 400th episode! America turns 250, Eat Drink Smoke hits 400, and Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy celebrate with fried apple pie, patriotic cigars, cold beer, and a whole lot of fast-food nostalgia. The show kicks off with the triumphant return of the deep-fried McDonald’s Hot Apple Pie. Is it smaller than it used to be? Absolutely. Is it...

America’s 250th birthday is coming, and Eat Drink Smoke is getting ready the only way it knows how — with hot dogs, cigars, bourbon and a little bit of chaos. Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy preview the perfect Independence Day setup with Costco hot dogs, the great charcoal vs. propane debate, and whether America can survive another 250 years if people keep putting pets on airplane tray tables. The f...

This week, Tony and Fingers review the Micallef White Label Connecticut Robusto and Puncher’s Chance The Undisputed Single Barrel Bourbon. The cigar is a 5x52 Robusto featuring a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, and the guys discuss why Connecticut cigars have come a long way in recent years. Once thought of as mild morning smokes without much depth, today’s Connecticut cigars are bringing real flav...

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers review the AJ Fernandez New World Puro Especial and Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The New World Puro Especial brings plenty of Nicaraguan character, with notes of coffee, wood, creaminess, dried fruit, and a medium-plus profile that may play bigger than advertised. At around $9 a stick, is it humidor-worthy? The bourbon review featu...

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers review the Stoic Equanimity Justice, a hefty 6x52 cigar with an Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper, Dominican Criollo 98 binder, and a flavor profile that brings spice, cedar, earth, richness, and a truly ridiculous amount of heft. It is the kind of cigar that makes you wonder whether you should smoke it or use it to break out of a locked car. The drink this w...

Tony and Fingers ask the important question: Is your HOA out of control? Fingers has a neighborhood watchdog, a grabber, and apparently a man monitoring street parking like it’s a federal investigation. This week, the guys review the Cuban Seed Cigar Company Cohiba Grand Pyramid and the Cody Road Single Barrel Rye. The cigar is a massive 6.5 x 54 pyramid with a Corojo Habano wrapper and a wood-for...

On this version of the Happy Hour, Tony and Fingers review the James E. Pepper Barrel Proof Decanter Bourbon, a gorgeous bottle with a proof that comes in just under 110 - though you would never know it from the nose. The guys get oak, caramel, vanilla, baking spice, a mystery fruit note they can’t quite pin down, and what Tony describes as a rich custard-like finish. At around $60, both agree thi...

Tony and Fingers light up the My Father La Gran Oferta Lancero, a 7.5 x 38 smoke with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Cuban-seed binder, and Nicaraguan filler. The cigar opens with leather, pepper, spice, and a debate over whether the finish is wood or bitter espresso. Because obviously, this is where civilization hangs in the balance. Also on the Happy Hour: Tony talks about his early-morning Indy...

Tony and Fingers review the My Father La Gran Oferta Lancero and the James E. Pepper Barrel Proof Decanter Bourbon. The cigar brings early pepper, leather, wood, and a mellowing medium profile that makes a strong case for the humidor. The bourbon turns out to be a hidden gem, with oak, vanilla, fruit, a rich mouthfeel, and a shockingly smooth finish for nearly 110 proof. Also this week: Memorial D...

Tony and Fingers pour Mayor Pingree Small Batch Red Label Bourbon from Valentine Distilling in Ferndale, Michigan — a 94-proof bourbon that blends Valentine’s triple pot-distilled bourbon with traditional column-distilled bourbon casks from Lawrenceburg, Indiana. They get notes of vanilla, oak, honey, bread, pepper, citrus, and a little orchard fruit — then find that a cube or a little water bring...

Tony and Fingers light up The K by Karen Berger Connecticut Toro, a soft box-pressed 6 x 52 Connecticut with an Ecuadorian wrapper, Nicaraguan core, silky presentation, light spice, creaminess, cedar, and a little sweetness. They talk about why Connecticut cigars deserve more respect, when this cigar fits best, and whether it earns a spot in the humidor at around $12. Also on this Happy Hour: the...