Smokin Tabacco

The Smokin Tabacco Show: Juan Lopez Joins Us Right After a Car Accident!

Juan Lopez, Vice President at Gurkha cigars joins us from Arizona after getting crashed into on the highway on his way to the show! But he is safe and sound and here to talk all things Gurkha including how their reputation is being rebuilt and their business model has shifted away from online mega sites and back towards a focus on brick-and-mortar retailers. We discuss the news brought to you by Micallef Cigars remembering Carlos Torano Sr. who passed away this week. Juan tells us what Gurkha has in store for PCA 2022 and what we can expect from the brand moving forward. Don't forget to Like & Subscribe and visit www.smokintabacco.com for more news and information!

The Smokin Tabacco Show: What Does Charlie Minato Enjoy Outside of Cigars?

This week, Matt and Nicole welcome Charlie Minato fro halfwheel.com onto the show. They get Charlie's back story on how halfwheel came to be and the early days with Brooks Whittington. Charlie then get into the halfwheel Consensus which he explains is losing it's edge and may not continue. We also get into the the highly controversial issue of the "strategic marketing" debate on certain packaging that could be argued by the FDA as direct towards children. Charlie gives his take on the issue and provides more info from what he knows on the FDA side of the argument and how that effects talks between the PCA and FDA. 
In the news, Micallef Cigars announced two new sizes to their Reata line, a toro and a corona extra. Expect these to be in stores this month. Charlie partakes in the Top 3 and tells us some of the things outside of cigars he really enjoys and even gets into a fourth. Listen in to find out more and as always, don't forget to hit the Like and Subscribe buttons and visit www.smokintabacco.com for more news and content.

Spare Notes Series #14: The Trade Show Wrap Up Show

Brought to you by Drew Estate: The Rebirth of Cigars - On this episode of Spare Notes, Coop and Matt talk about the Tobacco Plus Expo and what they thought was good, bad and what the future holds for both TPE and the PCA show and how that could affect PCA down the road. They also talk about some of the marketing that is out there and how the PCA has make a public announcement of the subject matter and is this good for the PCA to announce? Does it just bring even more light to the situation that they otherwise want to hide? Listen in as Matt and Coop dissect the topic. Don't forget to Like and Subscribe and visit www.smokintabacco.com for more news and information.

Does Some Cigar Marketing Go Too Far? Let’s Ask Pete Johnson of Tatuaje

This week we welcome Pete Johnson back to the show to see what's new at Tatuaje. We talk about Tobacco Plus Expo, Pete explains why Tatuaje did not attend the show but confirms they will be at PCA 2022 in July. During our Micallef new segment, we get into some of the cigar marketing and packaging that goes on that some feel is too far or too childish and we get his opinions on it based on his experience with the Monster Series. We also talk a little bit about the cigar documentary, Hand Rolled, that Pete helped to make. In our Room101 Top Three segment, we asked Pete to tell us the three projects he ever worked on that just kind of slipped away and never became successful or never even came to market. Don't forget to Like and Subscribe and visit www.smokintabacco.com for more news and information.

The Smokin Tabacco Show: Live from TPE 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada

This week we are live from Las Vegas for the Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) Trade Show. We talk about the show and who's here, what they are showcasing and what we are excited about. We also share some insight from manufacturers on what their plans are for 2022 including what many are planning for the Premium Cigar Association Trade Show (PCA) in July. We talk some FDA news about flavored cigar regulation for the spring and some forecasts into the potential downsides to the industry we might see this year as a consequence of the previous two year slow downs and other impacts from the pandemic. Don"t forget to Like & Subscribe and visit www.smokintabacco.com for more news and coverage.

The Smokin Tabacco Show: Meet The New Owners of Dissident Cigars!

This week we host and introduce you all to the new owners of Dissident Cigars, Josh and Cynn Coburn! They tell us about who they are, their back stories and how they met. We talk about what their first cigars are and how they came to owning the brand. They also answer the popular question of "What Happed to Ben?" Tune in to find out. They also talk to us about some of the other things that they work in outside of cigars including Josh's book "Shit That Needs Said" and how you can find it. Micallef Madness is here so be sure to fill out your bracket NOW! Also in our Top Three segment, they talk to us about what their favorite tattoos are and what they mean. Don't forget to Like & Subscribe and visit www.smokintabacco.com for more news and information!

Spare Notes Series #13: Why Is This On The List?

Brought to you by Drew Estate: The Rebirth of Cigars - This week on Spare Notes, we debut our new theme song and intro courtesy of Jon Carney. Coop and Matt dive into all of the Top 25 Cigar of the Year lists and pick apart who got what and why some cigars are on the lists we feel shouldn't be. We talk about the changes to the board of the Premium Cigar Association going from 15 to 19 seats as well as the new mission statement. Matt Booth has Matt ask Coop if he would be open to a "sensual sponge bath", listen in to find out if Coop accepts this challenge. We discuss the new Firecracker cigar announcement from United CIgar and talk about how close and accurate we were with predictions. We end our show a bit abruptly due to Coop having technical issues with his microphone interface that prevented him from returning from the show and for that - we sincerely apologize. Don't forget to Like and Subscribe and visit SmokinTabacco.com for more content, news and info!

The Smokin Tabacco Show: Asking The ”Authority” With Barry Stein

This week, Barry Stein of “The Cigar Authority” joins us to talk about his early days in Brooklyn, New York and how he got into the cigar industry. Barry has been at this for twenty-one years and has seen the earlier days of basic cigar media and blogging all the way through its evolution to where it is today. He lends us his opinion on a few current hot topics in the industry including the Top 25 Cigar of the Year lists and how he feels about some of the picks, including ours. Barry talks to us about the retail side of the business and even tells us some fun stories. Find out more and hear what Barry has to say in this all new episode. Don’t forget to Like and Subscribe and head over to SmokinTabacco.com for more news and content.

The Smokin Tabacco Show: Happy Birthday Ferio Tego!

This week, we celebrate the first birthday of Ferio Tego with the 2021 Smokin Tabacco "Man of the Year" Michael Herklots. We talk about the growth of the first year of the company and we check out the new Elegancia and Generoso cigars on the show. We also talk bout the 'Timeless' line comeback and what, other than cigars themselves, challenges Michael faced in getting the company to market. We also talk about his hosting duties during Smoke Inn's 'The Great Smoke' and he tells us how much he didn't know about the job until he arrived! We present Michael with the 'Man of the Year' award after a truly deserving year. Don't forget to Like & Subscribe and visit SmokinTabacco.com for more news.

The Smokin Tabacco Show: Abe Dababneh Talks TGS 2022

Abe Dababneh and Alex Tavella stop by to talk about The Great Smoke 2021 and all of the things they went through to make it happen. We then talk about TGS 2022 and the guys announce they have opened up 100 more virtual tickets, buy them no while you can! Abe also talks us about the Smoke Inn Holiday Cigar Advent Calendar. We then present Abe with our official 2021 Smokin Tabacco Retailer of the Year. Don't forget to Like and Subscribe and head over to SmokinTabacco.com for more news and content.