Smoke and Steel

We asked the Stogie Review Facebook Crew what discontinued cigar they'd bring back if they could. Thirty-seven comments came in. Then Rob said something that stopped the whole conversation cold - even if you could guarantee the same tobacco, same roller, same run, you've changed too much to love it the same way. That's Episode 050. This week it's a lighter crew in the garage - Walt...

The Padron 1964 Anniversary Series Maduro is officially number one on the Smoke and Steel Top 25 list. We also added the Tatuaje Black Petit Lancero, had a real conversation about where My Father Blue actually belongs, and Padre Bruce brought Mayflower Cigars - a brand most of us had never smoked, hand-rolled at the Oliva factory in Nicaragua. Full house in the garage this week. Between the cigar...

At the Smoke-Onos cigar festival in the Poconos, Walt walked up to Michael Herklots standing alone in his booth, and the first thing out of Herklots' mouth was that Walt was at a cigar festival without a cigar and that needed to be fixed. Thirty seconds later, a Timeless Supreme was cut and lit. Episode 048 is the full Smoke-Onos debrief. Walt, Eddie, and Eric break down how the festival actua...

Eric came in Tuesday night with an Opus X Forbidden X he'd been holding onto for the right occasion. That occasion was eight years of sobriety. The crew gave him a hard time about it. That's how you know it meant something. Episode 047 from the garage in Gilbertsville, PA. We talked about the Don Carlos Blood of the Bull and the retailer pricing conversation that never really gets resolved...

It's Cinco de Mayo in the garage, and instead of a normal episode we brought the fans in. Jason from Connecticut, Joe from Louisiana, Sean from the Burnable, Brad from Jackson Tennessee, and Matt all joined us to talk about what got them into cigars, how they found the show, and - somewhere in the back half - what it would look like if Smoke and Steel ever blended its own cigar. That last conv...

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...

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, an...

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 grou...

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...

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...

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 Sm...

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 pay...

Is a $5 cigar somehow less of a cigar than a $35 one? That's the question we stumbled into on Episode 037 - and it sparked one of our best conversations yet. We dig into the price vs. quality debate, recap an incredible Fuente and JC Newman event at our local shop, celebrate some serious community growth, and of course share what's burning between our fingers tonight. Pull up a chair. Ligh...

Two new faces pull up a chair, some seriously good cigars make the rounds, and we spend way too much time talking about where to buy cigars without emptying your wallet. Episode 36 of the Smoke and Steel cigar podcast - coming at you from the garage in Gilbertsville, PA. This week we welcome Bruce "the Padre", a familiar name from our social media community, and Sergeant Major Mike, back...

Nobody hands you a prescription for it. Nobody puts it in a listicle. But if you've ever walked into a cigar lounge after a long week and walked out feeling like yourself again - you already know what we're talking about. In Episode 35, we get into why cigar lounges do something for men that most other social spaces don't. We're talking real friendships, mental resets, and why a ro...

The juice was flowing after Tuesday's episode with Joe MCO, so we fired it back up on Thursday for an impromptu garage session — no guest, just the crew, some serious sticks, and a lot to talk about. Episode 34 covers the official launch of our very first Discord Box Pass, Jonathan Drew's new venture J'Son & Son, Protocol Cigars getting acquired by Smokinn, our 2026 Top 25 Cigar Li...

What happens when a military veteran, cigar industry insider, and all-around redneck philosopher joins us in the garage? You get one of our best episodes yet. In Episode 33, we welcome our first ever fan guest, Joe Macko, joining us live from his backyard tent lounge in Georgia. Joe works in wholesale cigar sales at Santa Clara (the B2B arm of JR Cigars), and he's also building something genui...

Tonight in the garage — we fire up the Don Emanuel for the first time. The man behind this boutique blend spent 40 years at Davidoff as their master blender, production chief, and head of quality control before going independent in 2021. Fresh eyes, no flavor notes, just lighters. Spoiler: we'd buy it. We also officially launch the Smoke and Steel Discord Box Pass - a rotating box of 10–15 cig...

What happens to your cigar collection when you're gone? In Episode 31, we have the conversation most cigar guys never think to have until it's too late. We lost a good friend a few years back. Big Cheese was one of us. His collection was carefully built over years and deeply personal to him. When he passed, his family had no idea what they were looking at. We watched rare Cubans get tossed into sh...

Cigar lounge etiquette tips you need to know, plus Facebook's industry-wide crackdown on tobacco content and the launch of our dynamic Top 25 cigar list for 2026! In Episode 30, we cover the unfortunate closure of Top Shelf Cigars after 23 years, dive deep into proper lounge etiquette (should you tip your tobacconist?), discuss Facebook shadowbanning cigar pages across the industry, and introd...

Setting a cigar budget might not sound exciting, but it's one of the smartest moves you can make as a cigar enthusiast. In Episode 029, the Smoke and Steel crew gets real about managing cigar spending, finding value at different price points, and knowing when a cigar is worth the premium price. We cover everything from daily driver strategies to limited releases, Cuban cigars, flavor developme...

We're having the conversation nobody wants to have - supporting local cigar shops vs buying online. When is it okay to save money? When should you pay more for the experience? Plus, our honest review of the new Cigar Page Plus membership. In this episode, we welcome Matt to the show, get updates from Big Rob on What's New Wednesday, discuss the Thunder Kiss phenomenon, and dive deep into o...

In Episode 027, we break down Steve Saka's advice on cigar smoking progression for beginners, debate the best coffee and cigar pairings, and review the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 list for 2025. 🔥 WHAT WE'RE SMOKING: La Flor Dominicana Air Bender RoMa Craft Tabernacle Double Corona Nica Rustica Patina Anniversary Crowned Heads Belgian Blue LA Cigar Collective Gris Gris 💡 EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:...

Charlie Albanetti quit his 20-year political career to create something the cigar world had never seen: Abbina Craft Sipping Soda - the first non-alcoholic beverage specifically designed to pair with premium cigars. In this episode, Charlie joins us alongside Big Rob from LA Cigar Collective to break down the science, passion, and craft behind Abbina's four unique flavors. From jerk-seasoned m...

🔥 BUDGET CIGARS ARE BACK! The Cigar Aficionado Top 25 looks completely different this year, and we're breaking it all down in Episode 026!The Padron 60th Anniversary takes Cigar of the Year, but the REAL story is how affordable cigars are dominating the rankings. The Tatuaje Black Petite Lancero at #3 for just $6? Mind-blowing! IN THIS EPISODE:✅ Padron 60th Anniversary Cigar of the Year brea...