Smoke Night LIVE - Cigar Dojo

This week on Smoke Night LIVE, we welcome Christian Eiroa of CLE Cigar Co., one of the most influential voices in Honduran tobacco and a cigar maker whose family legacy stretches back more than a century. From his years helping shape Camacho to building CLE, Eiroa, and Asylum into distinct brands of their own, Christian has remained one of the industry’s most outspoken champions of authentic Coroj...

This week on Smoke Night LIVE, we welcome Fouad Kashouty, the founder of Hiram & Solomon Cigars. What began as a fundraising idea within the Freemason community has grown into an internationally distributed cigar brand with a focus on fellowship, tradition, and charitable giving. We’ll talk with Fouad about the origins of Hiram & Solomon, the company’s journey over the past decade, and wha...

Aaron Paoletta of LaVega Cigar Company joins Smoke Night LIVE to discuss the growth of his cigar brand and the unconventional journey that led him into the premium cigar industry. Before launching LaVega, Aaron spent years working as a chef, cooking for restaurants and high-profile clients, while also pursuing a passion for music that included starting a record label and performing in several band...

For more than 20 years, Kristoff Cigars has been a respected name in the premium cigar industry. This week on Smoke Night LIVE, Glen Case makes his first-ever appearance on the show to discuss the journey that has shaped the company since its founding in 2004—the successes, the challenges, and the lessons learned along the way. We’ll dive into what the future holds for Kristoff Cigars, explore the...

Fresh off the release of the highly anticipated Psychedelic Rabbit, Erik Espinosa joins the show to discuss the latest collaboration between Espinosa Premium Cigars and Cigar Dojo. Earlier in the day, cigar fans will have their first chance to get their hands on the new release at JR Cigar, and Erik will share the story behind the project, the inspiration for the blend, and what makes this install...

It’s a special father-and-son edition of Smoke Night LIVE as both Nick Perdomo and Nicholas Perdomo III join the show. Following a huge 2025 for Perdomo Cigars—including earning Cigar Dojo’s Cigar of the Year honors and topping several major industry lists with the Perdomo Legacy—the company is back with a new release: the Perdomo Legacy Father & Son. The cigar is a collaboration between compa...

It’s Juan’s birthday, and we’re throwing a celebration! This episode marks Juan’s 53rd trip around the sun, and he’ll be in-studio for a fun conversation about life, birthdays, and of course—cigars. We’ll also be giving away 53 cigars to one lucky winner, along with our weekly Boutique of the Week giveaway. Join us for the laughs, the stories, and a birthday party Dojo-style!

Now that the dust has settled from the PCA trade show and the year’s biggest cigar releases are on the table, it’s time for the most anticipated episode of the year—Cigar Brand Stock Market. This annual fan-favorite brings together an all-star panel featuring William “Cigar Coop” Cooper, John “Cigar Surgeon” McTavish, and Bear Duplisea, joining Master Sensei, Juan, and the Dojo crew. Together, the...

This week on Smoke Night LIVE, we welcome cigar industry icon Rocky Patel for a conversation about his journey from Hollywood entertainment attorney to one of the most recognized names in premium cigars. After discovering cigars in Los Angeles during the cigar boom of the early 1990s, Rocky left his law career behind and founded what would become Rocky Patel Premium Cigars in 1995. Join us as we t...

The annual Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show has come and gone, and the industry’s newest releases have officially been unveiled. With these cigars now making their way to retailer shelves, the big question is: which ones are worth your time? On this episode, the Dojo crew lights up and rates a wide range of the latest releases—live on the show. Tune in to find out which cigars deliver an...

It’s the final episode before the Premium Cigar Association Trade Show in New Orleans, and cigar companies have been flooding inboxes with press releases announcing their latest releases. William “Cigar Coop” Cooper and John “The Cigar Surgeon” McTavish join Sensei, Jordan, and Juan to break down which of these new cigars or accessories actually move the needle—and which ones fall flat. Tune in to...

What if you owned your own cigar shop… and every inch of humidor space was yours to control? That’s the challenge in this wild episode of Smoke Night LIVE. Industry veteran Jeff Brown joins Master Sensei, Juan, and the Dojo crew to build the ultimate cigar shop humidor—deciding which brands earn prime real estate and which get left behind. Expect bold takes, tough calls, and plenty of debate as th...

The Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival has long been one of the most anticipated events in the cigar world—but this year, things are changing in a big way. From shifts in location to adjustments in timing, there’s been a lot of speculation about what’s really going on. On this episode of Smoke Night LIVE, Tom Bliss, director of the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival, joins us in-studio to break it all down....

What’s the protocol for acquiring Protocol? (Yeah… we went there.) In a move that surprised much of the cigar world, Smoke Inn and Abe Dababneh has acquired the Protocol brand from Juan and Kevin—and he joins us as a special guest to talk about it. On this episode of Smoke Night LIVE, we go straight to the source as Abe breaks down the deal, what it means for the future of Protocol, whether Juan r...

Juan Cancel flies solo this week on Smoke Night LIVE for a special episode inspired by his article Top 5 Boutique Cigar Brands to Watch in 2026. Live guests include Fermin Perez, Nick Fusco, Brandon Oveson, and Daniel Lance, plus a bonus appearance from Dave West of Avowed Cigar Co. We’ll talk boutique cigar branding, media, storytelling, survival, and the future of the category.

Rafael Nodal joins the show to talk about what’s happening across the Altadis USA portfolio, including Aging Room, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann, Montecristo, and more. Along the way, Rafael will help us build the ultimate cigar menu—pairing the perfect cigar for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and even a late-night snack. Grab a cigar and tune in for this special episode.

One of the most talked-about collaborations in Cigar Dojo history returns in a bold new form. The original ReviveR made waves in 2018, followed by a re-release in 2021—and now the story continues. Terence Reilly of Aganorsa Leaf joins Smoke Night LIVE to break down the brand-new ReviveR Maduro, which debuts earlier that same day. We’ll cover the blend, the backstory, the differences from past rele...

It’s hard to believe it’s been more than a decade since Nick Melillo launched Foundation Cigars with El Güegüense (“The Wise Man”), a cigar that helped establish the brand’s identity from day one. Since then, Nick—also known as the “Chief of the Broadleaf” and “Nick R. Agua”—has continued building a portfolio that includes standout releases like Olmec and the 10 Year Anniversario, both earning str...

What started as a simple question from Master Sensei—“What should we call this show?”—has grown into one of the cigar world’s longest-running and most beloved live broadcasts. Now, Smoke Night LIVE reaches an incredible milestone: Episode 500. Over the years, the show has welcomed a true who’s who of the premium cigar industry, and for this special celebration many of those familiar faces return w...

When Steve Saka shows up, something big is usually about to be said. On this episode of Smoke Night LIVE, the Dojo crew is joined by Steve Saka of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust for a wide-ranging and candid conversation. Steve stops by to share major updates on the upcoming 10th Jubilee, developments within the Archive Series Todos Las Días, and what listeners can expect from a full-scale revamp o...

Get ready for a special side-project episode as Patina y Viso steps into the spotlight—the cigar world’s equivalent of Audioslave to Soundgarden & Rage Against the Machine, bringing together the forces of Patina Cigars and Viso Horny in one unexpected supergroup. This week, Mo Maali and Tyler Jeffery join the Dojo crew for a jam-packed (and slightly unhinged) show. We’ll get the full scoop on...

“Ladies and gentlemen… welcome to ROYAL RUMBLE III!” The bell rings, the lists are locked in, and only ONE Cigar of the Year list can stand tall. In our annual year-end showdown, some of the biggest voices in cigar media collide in a no-holds-barred battle for supremacy. This year’s combatants enter the ring: Cigar Coop, Halfwheel, Developing Palates, and Bob the Cigar Guy. Each list throws its be...

On this episode of Smoke Night Live, it’s awards night. Throw on the tuxedo and join us as we roll out the red carpet for our annual Cigar of the Year Awards Show. After a full year of smoking, reviewing, blind testing, and heated debate, the Top 20 Cigars of 2025 have officially been announced—and we’re breaking it all down.

What makes a great fast-food burger? Is it the beef, the bun, the nostalgia—or just how it hits at the drive-thru? This week, the Dojo crew is joined by Michael Herklots of Ferio Tego, Nick Libretti from JR Cigars, and William “Cigar Coop” Cooper for a no-holds-barred burger debate. Together, the panel builds an S-Tier ranking of fast-food burger chains, breaking down which joints deliver consiste...

On this episode of Smoke Night LIVE, Master Sensei, Kid Producer Jordan, and Scotty Braband each reveal five cigars that every cigar hobbyist should always have in their humidor. That’s 15 total smokes the Cigar Dojo crew considers true Humidor Essentials. Tune in, join the conversation, and share your own must-have cigars as we kick off the first show of the new year.