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The lizards discuss the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo Maduro, Balvenie's 14 Year Caribbean Cask Single Malt Whisky and answer a listener email about the origin of the lizard names.
Released every Tuesday, the LOUNGE LIZARDS podcast helps listeners navigate the experience of finding and enjoying premium cigars (both Cuban and non-Cuban) and quality spirits. Episodes range from 60 to 90 minutes and feature a variety of different topics including food, travel, life, sports and work.
The podcast features seven members: Rooster, Poobah, Gizmo, Senator, Pagoda, Grinder and Bam Bam.
This is not your typical cigar podcast. We’re a group of friends who love sharing cigars, whiskey and a good laugh.
Join us and become a card-carrying lounge lizard yourself! Email us at hello@loungelizardspod.com to join the conversation and be featured on an upcoming episode!
Transcript
Welcome to the Lounge Lizards podcast.
It's so good to have you here.
It's a leisure and lifestyle podcast founded on our love of premium cigars as well as whiskey, travel, food, work and whatever else we feel like getting into.
My name is Gizmo and tonight I'm joined by Rooster, Poobah, Senator Pagoda, Grinder and BamBam, a full House of lizards and our plan is to smoke a cigar, drink some Scotch.
Talk about life.
And of course have some laughs.
So take this as your third official invitation to join us and become a card carrying lounge lizard.
Plan to meet us here once a week.
We're going to smoke a new world cigar tonight.
Share our thoughts on it and give you our formal lizard rating.
We'll also answer our listener email and chat about a variety of other things for the next hour, so sit back, get your favorite drink, write up a cigar, and enjoy as we pair a 14 year age balvenie Scotch with Padron 1964 anniversary series.
In exclusivo Maduro?
I would say a pretty foundational cigar for the Wizards tonight.
What is that?
And yeah, kind of fitting with everybody here Dow.
What you say?
And Senator, this was your choice.
This was near and dear to my heart just a little I guess.
History on the the cigar. So the the anniversary series was introduced in 94 to commemorate the company.
30th anniversary
The line has 16 vitolas which I actually did not realize.
I did not know there were that many.
16 vitolas this is the exclusivo, I think universally in this room.
This is probably all of our favorite vitola.
It's basically a robusto.
It's it's 50 ring gauge five and a half inch stick.
A cigar that for me introduced me to great cigars when I was smoking mediocre cigars.
I'll never forget my my first boss, who I I guess you can say I got a little taste of the Mad Men days when we would actually light up cigars inside the office and he gave me one of these I had never had a.
Before and after two puffs, I was hooked.
This became my favorite cigar.
I think all of us are lucky to smoke a lot of great sticks at this point, and this is a cigar.
I come back to practically daily and I cannot see ever falling out of my rotation and I I think.
A lot of guys.
Will probably feel the same way.
It's a beloved beloved cigar in this group.
What are you guys getting on the?
On the nose.
I don't know if there's a cigar that we're all.
As familiar with as we are this one.
Right?
I mean we're cutting.
Yeah, let's cut it.
See, we got on the.
Cold draw here.
No Gizmo cup please.
A little cedar.
Yeah, in cedar.
Cedar and there's an earthiness.
Yeah round yeah.
I feel like on a cold drawn if you even smell the wrapper, that's really nice.
That's awesome, Yep.
It's like a familiar friend.
All right, boys, let's slide it.
So we always smoked the Maduro senator.
I don't, you know, you said there were 16 variations of this.
Does that include the natural and Maduro?
Or there's 16 that each have a natural and Maduro?
So good question.
So it looks like there are.
Here's the list of the different vitolas.
There's the A which we've talked about, the belicoso corona Diplomatico, exclusivo that.
That's the big one, yeah?
We're smoking Hermoso imperial monarca number.
For pyramid Presidente principe Soberano superior Toro and torpedoes, there's there's a lot wow.
And each of those has a.
Maduro and a natural.
That's exactly right, it's crazy.
Now it's a.
It's a great line.
Now the tobacco is aged 4 years in the 64 line. The 1926 series is aged 5 years.
That's really the only difference between the two, which I actually didn't know until just preparing for this.
OK.
I for some reason always thought this was five, and that maybe the other was seven.
It's only a.
Year apart, the two series.
I didn't know that until tonight.
But different tobaccos, though.
Right?
Presumably, yes.
Because 1926 has so.
No, but drones are patrons Ornicar that these are Nicaraguan puros, right?
There there's a rumor though, that the the the rapper is actually from Mexico.
There's a pretty big standing rumor that's not confirmed by Padron and not denied, but that they think they're in action.
They don't really tell you.
About the blend.
They don't really talk about it.
And they keep it pretty secretive.
Well, they also don't they they aid that they aged the tobacco in piles or what are?
They called the illness.
They own it silanis.
You must write thank you they and which is a proprietary process to Patreon so.
For the listener who who may not be familiar with the process, and I'm not.
I'm by not an expert on the process, but their unique per their process is unique to Padron.
I mean the way they age their tobacco.
It's proprietary and I don't.
Think a whole.
Lot of people know exactly how they do it or.
Everyone would be doing it, yeah.
And it certainly they stand out because of it.
Yeah, interesting, yeah.
So our listener asked me earlier today how does everyone cut their cigar in the room?
Oh jeez.
So we're all.
We're all cutting flat cut here.
I think everyone got a straight cut right, but it's actually a good question to ask.
Straight up, Yep.
It is a good question.
While we're smoking a padron because this cigar, unlike most you want to just.
Just get the.
Edge of the cap off the cigar.
I mean the way these box presper drones are are made.
You could almost take your finger now and just peel off the cap at the top where other cigars you actually got to take.
A little bit of that off, just very unique about the drone.
Yeah, good point.
Obviously we had to teach gizmo this, but you know that that's what lizards are for.
Senator, a very good point, senator.
Well, you know a lot of a lot of people, and I did this for a while, but I think just back out of laziness.
I don't like to carry an extra tool with me, but if I have a pun.
Uh, handy how often you say I'll almost always use a punch on a on a on a padron yes, because it's it's perfect for it.
It's going to work every time.
It's going to work. It's going to work every time 60% of the times.
Nice puba
Just like nice like sex Panther by Odeon.
So so I have.
OK, that's a great.
Rooster I have a question for you.
Rooster, yes.
When did you start smoking the exclusivos? How long have you been smoking these cigars? 64.
1964
We'll learn about whole comedy.
Well that gives away.
You ate a while.
I would I would say in the mid 90s.
That does give away age in 90.
There was a long debate about this because.
I think at some point.
You know we're going to what certainly have episodes where we go through each of the lizards favorite cigar, and obviously for for me, this this has always been it, but the debate was Rooster.
Who's the elder statesman among the lizards, saying that he's had this cigar far earlier than I first smoked one of these?
But I my my response.
What year, what year?
It's not a compass, So what year senator?
Did you start?
You smoke this cigar first.
That must have been.
1980
20
I know.
Probably 2010.
2010 so I yeah.
Roosters got you beat?
So Rooster he has me beat.
But but the reason we had this debate was I said to him well.
Well, everyone here.
In fact, here's the story.
So when we all first met a number of us at one of the lounges that.
That we were members of.
Someone sitting next to me asked, do you only smoke padron's and I said well, why would you ask me that? I said I of course I smoke other cigars and they said, well, I feel like I always see you sitting in the lounge with a padron. 64 exclusivo and I said well that's my favorite cigar now I said to Rooster I can probably count on both of my hands the number of times.
I've actually seen him light up in ecstasy both, so I said it.
You may have had it before me, but you certainly don't.
Smoke it very.
Often gizmo the gauntlet has been thrown down I.
I could tell.
So, so I think BAM has known Rooster probably.
Longer than all of.
Us, would you say that you've seen Rooster Smoke?
A lot of ecstasy bows or just?
Love you can I can I respond.
Hold on, I want to hear bad.
No comment.
There we go.
It comes out, it comes.
Out Booster has a pile of cigars.
The fan wants, so he's not.
Oh yeah, you better believe it.
My response to that is.
I've had a lot of pot drones.
Padron is one of my go to brands as well.
It might not just be the exclusivo 'cause.
I used to prefer.
The 1926 Series I like that a lot because I feel that 1926 it's got a little bit more kick strength, more cake, more own fluid.
More omph to it.
So I used to prefer that, but this is a great steak.
Yeah, especially after smoking a lot of Habanos.
A lot of Cuban cigars, you go back to.
This and you're.
Oh, it's phenomenal.
Like wow.
Phenomenal act after yeah.
Yeah, you know so.
And to your point, I feel like I associate the 26 line with Rooster.
I feel like the the the cigar that you probably consume more than anybody.
Certainly more than any of us is the Padron 90th.
You know like that's a full bodied cigar.
Yes, great breakfast cigar yes.
For you.
But that's Roosters palette, right?
That's that's a.
That's a good.
You love full.
Steak that's a full full bodied, yeah?
Whole body body.
Yeah, So what do you?
What are you guys?
Getting on this.
I know we've talked about this cigar so much so so many times, but let's share with the listener like what it lets you know, pretend.
I guess that it's our first time smoking it.
Uhm, no sawdust.
What are you getting?
No scientist, no sawdust on the cider.
Not father.
Do you have a?
Get some chocolate.
This little chocolate.
Deep chocolate, but like dark dark chocolate cocoa.
Like like 98% cacao.
Cow and it has that it has that it has that earthy quality.
I think that's that and in it very smooth.
Yeah, it's just so smooth.
It it the cigar has a lot of merits that go even like the performance of of all patrons are fantastic.
But this this is, uh, inconsistent.
The consistency, right?
Uh, this is a really versatile.
Smoke, I mean you can have it.
Almost anytime I mean I don't.
I don't smoke it first thing in the morning, but certainly after lunch I could.
It's the best outdoor cigar in the history of.
The world in cigars.
You can smoke this thing in a in a tornado and and it'll it'll burn like a razor I mean.
Yeah, it's durable.
It's very durable.
It's durable because that Maduro wrapper and the flavor.
It's like you can if you're riding in a golf cart at full speed.
If you need to put this down in the grass or something for a second and pick.
It up or and it's just.
And the combustion of the cigar.
It produces a lot of smoke.
It produces a lot of rich flavors.
Those chocolate flavors but drone flavors.
They're sweetness to the cigar too.
Yeah, I just like a sweet and sour balance, yeah?
Right, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, you know it's balance.
It's kind of sweet and it's spicy and chocolaty and and just really.
I mean, I'm not a big guy.
You can pull notes out.
If it's not one of these kind of like where you like light up uh-huh bonnesen like Oh well, this is a floral cigar.
This is a or.
This is a baking spices.
This is like a Padron and I I don't know how to put like pinpoint it, but it exemplifies like really, what a drone.
It should taste like it's it's like, and then there's the 80th, which is like a step up from this, which is even more.
It's like this.
Plus it's like this plus plus yeah so I just think this Maduro wrapper and whatever they do creates a cigar that's really smooth.
Really smokable.
And the quality.
Is is of the roll every time, every time, every cigar you ever buy it's always perfect is always perfect always perfect.
That's the thing that consistency.
I feel like all of us have talked about this at one point or another, I think, and tell me if you agree or disagree, but for me pedrone.
It is the most consistent.
Cigar made period.
Never had a bad one.
Has everybody ever had a pod drone that was?
Clogged were burned weird.
No, never.
I've never had a frog or yeah.
Never dive it off.
Never a bad one.
Sure, I've had better that that burned funky is funk.
Particularly like we did.
I think we discussed it on one of the.
Previous podcasts you know that that Toro Shapin Millennium.
You know, it's just, it doesn't.
Smoke properly, I mean.
Oh yeah, yeah.
I mean not just once, not just out of 1 box, but you're like this just.
Doesn't perform right.
Yeah, cannot go with the Toro on that stick, yeah?
Yeah, and you just you try to store it differently at different humidities.
You drybox it, you do whatever.
The thing just doesn't smoke.
Right, I've never picked.
Picked up a Padron any of them and have them smoked?
Funny, by the way, even the 1000 series stuff which I don't smoke anymore but but those that for money for value.
Those are good.
You know, if you're a casual smoker, if you're a casual cigar smoker, the 1000 series.
Those are great.
For drone cigars, if you're just a guy, you want a nine dollar $10 stick.
However much they charge for him, I don't think they're much more than that, really.
You know what?
With a cup.
Of coffee and you know you're doing your thing and you're a casual cigar smoker.
Maybe you smoke two or three cigars a month and it's not just.
It's not like a full on hobby.
That's a hell of a cigar.
I'm glad I'm glad you brought up this sort of value and price point, because when when friends of mine asked me for recommendations, I'm going to a cigar shop.
What should I pick up?
A lot of my friends will say I.
Don't want to spend more?
Than 15 bucks a stick.
And this retails. I think what 1415 is stick, yeah?
Yeah, it's anywhere.
I think if you're buying it online senator, you're going to get it for 13 bucks.
I'm 13, enough.
And then if you're buying it in a shop, paying whatever state tax you may be paying in your respective market, you're probably going to get somewhere you know between 13 and 16.
And that's where I feel like just dollar for dollar.
Or the single greatest value for me in a cigar.
Is this stick?
Yeah so.
I don't think for 1514, even 13 online there is any cigar that's as satisfying at that price point as this cigar.
Absolutely agreed, so I so I just bought another box of these and I'm not like, uh, I mean, I guess I know you.
It's definitely great.
You know GIZ is part of the reason why we call him gizmo.
Isn't just because when you throw water on him he turns into different stuff.
Like a gremlin?
Or he has bad.
Reactions to certain things and then things happen.
Kitty litter or Lori.
Kitty litter.
Maybe he's a little salty.
Yeah, it's none of those things that that he actually comes with instructions like a gremlin.
You need.
You need a container of Kitty litter next time but but he's great at a lot of things.
One is he.
He he produces this podcast, which which we're grateful for, and he's great with technical things and figuring things out and creating fans for humidors.
Electronics and you name it, but he's also really resourceful and he finds prices online, so I'll tell you what I paid.
What did I pay on Atlantic with the VA with the VIP?
Uhm, your order has shipped.
Oh boy.
Are they in an event?
Around 290 or something, yeah?
Well landed, I want to say there were 314, the tax and the land that.
So if you have 290 plus axman.
You could find them even cheaper than that.
Well shipping then.
That's well, that way you know that's going well, that's that's that's my point.
What my my point is, is that.
I think I paid landed 314 or something like that. Just this this week and they shipped yesterday. But you get him even cheaper than that.
Yeah, I.
I think the last box I got was probably about three weeks ago.
I got it for.
About 275 landed landed.
Which is a great price.
Yeah, that's the next it is.
I also want to say something about Maduro generally, 'cause that we're all smoking the Maduro, and I think a lot of us smoked maduros.
I've encountered so many people that are that expect a Maduro because the wrapper is darker to be a really strong full cigar that isn't for them, and so in the Padron line they would gravitate toward a natural wrapper.
And when I've actually given these out and friends have tried them, that normally wouldn't smoke.
A dark Maduro wrapper.
There's a big fallacy, I feel like among cigar smokers that darker wrappers equals stronger cigars, and that's not at all the case.
That's true.
This is one of the smoothest deliveries of flavor in a cigar you can find.
But drones to me.
I actually prefer the natural wrapper on most most.
Most of the lines.
Why that's controversial?
Hey is that God?
Yeah, I don't know, it just hits my it rings my bells a little more than than this Maduro.
Like when the Maduro, when I think of.
Maduro that I.
Love the drew estate Maduro.
To me they make a ******* phenomenal Maduro rap.
And I really, you know, every time I have that cigar T 52 you know legal privada.
Fantastic and it has a has a has a very sweet great taste and I think that's a phenomenal cigar and I love this window wrapper of course, but when I when I smoke the drones, they're so robust that that natural is just it's it's right in my power alley.
It's not too much.
It's it's it, you know.
It works for me.
You know, I'm not a big fan of tristates or legal pravada, but be that as it may.
I I noticed that.
The the look on your face when you.
Were condescendingly starkly smirking, as I say that.
2nd to get up and pour another drink 'cause I love you so much and and the words come in the words coming out of your mouth.
You shook it off well.
Don't align with the type of person you are which.
Puba needed to step away for a moment.
Is a wonderful person.
He did.
I was literally stepped away the way he was, like he had to gather himself.
He said.
I think he was going to say something bad.
I think a part of the drink after that.
He did.
He did the 10 second rule.
The editorial went through state, but anyway.
But but but we smoke a lot of Habanos.
Don't match.
Those are all natural.
Those are all natural wrappers and and and we love Cuban cigars.
But but where I was going was was was the torpedo.
Innatural gizmo.
You bought a box of these and you gave me one of those, and it was excellent.
And then you gave me another one, the corona, the corona, yeah, and they were.
That's good.
They were both outstanding.
Cigars and you know you smoke so many of these Maduro, padron's and these these X and you get used to that.
You go well.
What's going to get?
What's gonna, what's going to be better than this, you know you get into like a routine and you get into your habit and you know I gotta tell you you smoke one of those natural torpedoes for whatever reason it's better.
And I don't know why.
But it's it's much better than than the natural version of this 1964 exclusivo. You know? It's like here.
Take this torpedo, try it and I was like, you know, this is pretty this.
Is really really good.
Maybe that's why you know Padron has that you know 16 by 2.
Do you know all those different vitolas in two different wrappers?
Because they're getting every flavor of the rainbow, you know you know a natural and a torpedo is better than I'm just, you know, I'm just for example, might be better than a natural exclusivo, for example, but.
For me it was.
You know?
Yeah, I mean, for me it was like I would buy a.
Box of those yeah.
And you know what I love about the 64 line 2 is, you know when I'm standing in front of my humidor and I want to make a decision on what I'm going to smoke.
A lot of the times it's the exclusivo right that's the same for a bunch of us, but to reach for a torpedo or to reach for, you know the corona or another size in the line.
Every one of those cigars gives you something that's a little different, even though it's in the same line, and I think that even in the same wrapper even that same Maduro wrapper, it gives you something a little different.
I think that.
It makes the line very dynamic, but it's so consistent like we talked about it's so brilliantly consistent.
It isn't, even though we're all saying that obviously this cigar is full flavor.
It's so smooth the delivery that I feel like would you give one of these to someone who's never smoked a cigar in their life?
Really not, but for friends who occasionally smoke cigars that I've given this stick to, they're they.
They all love it I.
I mean, I feel like it's actually very versatile in the sense that you don't have to be someone who smokes.
Right?
You know several sticks, a a week or or even a.
100%.
Day to enjoy this I gave I I.
You're right.
Had a I had a friend who was asking me.
He was going on a bachelor party recently.
He said.
He said Grinder, I know you smoked a lot of cigars.
I know you have a good palette. I want, uh, this is a good friend of mine. I don't want to get cheap sticks, but I want a good cigar that is good value and I and I said just do the 64 Maduro exclusivo right and he you know all the all the people.
He took these cigars too.
They weren't big cigar smokers, but I asked him after the weekend.
He said it, you know we we bought.
Docs there was five of us.
We went through the ******* box.
We loved it and they are not cigar smokers and like it was.
It was the best cars you know.
All of us collectively.
Said was the best.
To ever smoked? Because I, I think there's your answer right? Because it's it's full flavor, but it's not full strength like a 1926 Maduro.
Right now.
In the same size, which I think is.
The number I.
Six, yeah.
Right that cigar.
I can't smoke it.
Same, I can't smoke. I can't smoke the number 6, nineteen, 26 #6 in Maduro.
I remember buying some at the lounge and saying, oh I I bought some singles and I I just got halfway through one and I said I can't believe the amount of cigars that I smoke that I just can't handle this like I really couldn't handle it.
I was sweating.
I was feeling nauseous.
I had to drink.
Like Coca Cola and get some sugar.
I was like this is nuts like I couldn't get through it and and which like shocked me because.
So yeah.
Of the amount of volume of cigars were able to smoke, I can't smoke that 1926 in Maduro.
So just to piggy, just to piggyback on you puba, since I've shifted from the family reserve.
Two exclusively smoking the exclusivo.
This is the only Padron that I really smoke.
I don't smoke any other padrons except for this cigar for.
It's a **** cigar.
A reason.
It's all it's awful, it's.
Oh, please don't say that's awful now.
Like I said, Rooster doesn't like this cigar.
When I go back to doing a family reserve on occasion, it makes me nauseous.
How good is that?
You mean like an idiot?
Steak come on a family reserve.
No, that's not a family reserve.
The family reserve the 40.
5th I loved.
4445 forty 650
Yeah, so that was my go to but I can't smoke that any longer because my palate is changed.
What's wrong with you?
It's awesome but my palate has shifted to this exclusivo profile and I'll I'll tell you something.
For me, you know everyone here knows I love the Millennium.
The Millennium was a cigar that got me into cigars.
That's why it has a place in my heart.
This little ******* cigars right next to it, yeah, and I've I've picked that up over the years.
This is the late in.
Yeah, yeah.
My life good good everyday cigar it's yeah.
This is you could do this every day.
Yeah, yeah, I I kind of agree.
I I'm just going to have to interject.
It should be in everybody rotation.
You can do this every day now from.
Every other day.
Right, well this is for me in everyday cigar.
No problem, no problem.
It's it's good.
And you don't smoke this every day.
No, but I.
I do, I do I you know, I think exclusives mean different things to different people, but for me, obviously I think with an introduction to a lot of the Members in the in the Lizard Group as well, I remember gears introduced me to the exclusive role I I remember.
We should do the V cut then gaze of your member.
Yeah, and.
And, uh, fell in love with a man.
They are such an easy smoke.
Such an easy draw.
I think if you're new to cigars and you want to try something a little bit more, you know just slightly more bolder in a way, but, but not too strong.
But the quality?
Easiest smoke you'll have.
You'll also smoke that it's it's also a world class cigar that you cannot find a cigar.
Very easy draw.
This better made that smokes better that tastes better my.
Opinion at this level, then exclusivo.
And the reason I I just am in love with this cigar and I I love that Pover brought up that the 1926 line for me.
I feel the same way and that the 1926 line, while it's aged a year more, it's more expensive. I think some people argue it's better for my palette, I actually think.
That it just delivers too aggressive a punch. I bought a little a box of 10 nineteen 26 #6 because I think last year or the year before cigar aficionado had as one of their top.
Five and sorry.
This this has got to be pretty.
Good and I had one, and I felt lightheaded and I smoked several cigars today.
I just I didn't feel great smoking that cigar.
Similar to how Puba felt.
When he had the same.
Stick and so I I eventually I I had it in my locker at our.
Lounge and I gave a.
Bunch to Rooster and Rooster is.
Like what's wrong with these?
I don't remember that.
Why you just give up?
And I gave.
Them to him.
Because for the 26th line he loves that like Rooster.
Do you have more?
Sports the 90th.
Do you have?
Some more I got rid of, I gave them all to you.
I cannot, not, you know, not to interrupt one more thing, if I may.
I mean, I cannot tell you poohbah how well this Balvenie Caribbean cask is 14 year.
14 year how delicious it is with this particular cigar.
It really is.
It's unbelievable.
It's it's so, uh.
It's almost the perfect pairing, it's.
It's well, I believe that it's the Scotch itself to be honest.
Now I'm a Macallan 12 guy like we all are.
We all are, yeah.
It's like it's like, you know.
Except the Kirkland guys.
Wait, we?
You like the Kirkland, we're all.
Kirkland guys on the boat, you know?
Version double.
Well, we were we were.
Do you have a boat?
Do you even have a?
Boat you keep talking about a.
Boat, do you have a?
Boat are there bikinis on the boat?
You guys know how big the boat is.
Come on.
Banban needs to know.
But you guys know how big the boat is.
The yacht.
Yeah, you've all been on the yacht, but.
But in all seriousness though, it's yeah like that that that balcony it because of that rum cask it give delivers a little bit of sweetness.
This pairs great with.
I think any cigar similar to the previous episode when we reviewed the what was it Senator?
Chef division.
The the chefs edition.
What was the Scotch?
The malt
Dalmore the Dalmore cigar Malt Garmoe, which is much more complex than this, but value for money $79.
I think that this is a.
It was a world class Scotch that that would pair well.
I think with any.
Cigar what I love about the pairing.
A sip right after a draw on this stick.
The the flavors you're getting.
It's really spectacular.
It's enjoyable as I mean I can't even describe it, just very tasty very.
I'm very bullish.
Do you dip the cigar in the Scotch?
Bullish on this topic.
No no.
Is that a big no no.
That's a big no no.
Jesus Christ Jesus Christ.
Except arnold's.
Fake no no.
Well, our Arnold doesn't just.
Arnold does it.
Dip this cigar in in this.
Gosh he pours tequila.
All over this cigar, which is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
So it's interesting.
A listener, one of the one list a listener to this cast podcast asked that question.
Seems like lunatic.
Do you dip your cigars?
Do the guys in the lounge dip the cigar?
And I say hell no.
She's a lunatic, Sibuna ticketed steroids, and humped his name.
Yeah, you don't do that.
He's a lunatic.
Yeah, for the listeners listening.
You do not.
Heh heh heh heh.
Do this, he's a lunatic.
He don't disrespect Arnold.
But come on, he dumped a Kennedy.
He dumped Maria Shriver.
He he dumped Maria Shriver, who by the way is who's smart, sophisticated, beautiful Anna Kennedy.
Love is blind.
For for his word, his ugly made, and he impregnated her.
He was in love with.
The maid with the maid.
Yeah, I googled that.
In the end.
Reminds me of the Ben Stiller movies.
It's lunacy.
Complete bonus single day.
I mean he's a total lunatic, so the fact that he takes cedar spills?
This is what the key Lancer Guard now.
Did he?
See here we end up banging a maid while you're married.
2nd Man I grew and I I went to her room and I banged her.
To Maria Shriver.
Come on.
Show us that.
She she was there from Ossetra.
Hello, good morning I'm going to bang you now.
Goodnight, good evening.
Pour some tequila.
So now I'm going to pour tequila on my cigar.
On me
I saw that video that I saw that video cigar aficionado.
Put out of him doing that and it bummed.
Me out so much 'cause I know there's guys all over just pouring.
I lost all respect.
It, yeah we don't.
For pouring drinks all over their cigars.
That's not something you do, it's not something you do.
All right, so we're halfway through the exclusiva.
Most of us.
What do you guys think?
Smooth, consistent, not much change in flavor.
I think that's typical of Padron.
Right stays the same, but very good.
All the way through.
Lots of chocolate, cocoa, notes, deep lot of tobacco, earthy like somebody mentioned earlier.
So dependable too.
If you're on bit going on vacation, well, sorry, sorry.
But if you're going on vacation, you're going somewhere.
And as much as I love the Habanos SA catalog, and it's pretty much as we buy it off party guests and everything, I if I'm going somewhere and I need to put something in my church pocket or in my suit jacket.
And I need is just a cigar and the go guess what I'm taking.
Yeah the exclusive.
Every time.
And you know that to wrap the wrapper is kind of thick.
That's why I totally agree.
It's not a thin fragile.
It's durable.
Up to.
Like a lot of the Habanos.
Smoke, very fragile.
Yeah, durable stuff.
They you know they can peel off like this.
Yeah, it's durable, very durable.
Do they have these in tins or or two bowls?
Just the 90th and constantly.
So there's there's two. There's two 1960 fours that come in two bowls, the Soberano and the Presidente.
They may come in tins.
It's not, no, no, that's not a chip no no, not a 2 bow.
And a box right stop.
It's a beautiful too, by the way.
There's there's a 10.
Absolutely, is it?
And by the way.
It's like a rectangular 10s.
An excellent stick.
He's right of Exclusivos so it's so funny that that Grinder just mentioned this.
Really, I never saw that.
He's exactly right.
So as I was looking.
Bring up just how many vitolas there are of this cigar I see on Padron website this photo of exactly this tin grinder just mentioned that holds 5 and I'm saying to myself why have I never seen this in any cigar shop?
I've seen it at the former labs.
It it sort of looks like the party gas capital tin that you had hooba.
Oh yeah.
It's beautiful, but yet I've never seen in a reseller.
We I have to get my hands.
On that, I've never seen that or.
Same yeah, just buy a couple and then just refill them out of a box and just be on the go on the road with it.
So they they yeah I I have seen it anyway, yeah?
Going back to the.
Durability of the silver, just for a second just.
Commenting on what Pube said that and what Rooster said.
This skin at the thickness of the skin I sit outside on a breezy day and still get every flavor on this cigar.
Or inside it's much more pleasurable because you're getting more of the flavor 'cause the wind is not.
Smoking it.
For you, but it's very durable any it's a durable stick anywhere in or out.
Well, it's very healthy smoke yeah yeah, I mean, it's an easy signal.
Yeah, and the same thing we said about the chef's edition too.
Not a single person has touched the cigar up.
You know almost what, 40 minutes in?
No no, no no.
We can't stop puffing on a thing.
The the burn is always perfectly even.
Yeah, the combustion.
The ash just holds on for dear life I mean Pugazh comment earlier about you could smoke this in a tornado.
I think perfectly sums up just how strong the construction is on.
Yeah yeah, yeah.
This cigar
Exactly and and by the way, and for the for the smoker out there.
Sorry service or the and for the smoker out there who like doesn't keep a humidor.
That's it.
At the exact humidity that it needs to be, like with Cubans, you need to really kind of monitor that to to get a good burn sometimes, and you need to keep probably keep your humidor more like 65.
I mean with these.
Honestly, you could.
Probably you know you could.
There's a range that you can score.
Hey you going higher on this, yeah?
These at you know you could.
You could store them at a higher humidity.
Yeah, yeah.
They're still going to smoke rate and go on vacation.
You could probably go on vacation for a week and not even keep these in the humidor.
Right?
Keep them in a plastic bag. They'll be fine all week in the hotel rooms and and and and you will be totally 100% fine. They just tend to.
Just you.
Know they're always.
They're just consistent and good research.
Sir, no.
I was going to.
Say gizmo, maybe you want to talk about the Miami trip.
When we went.
When we.
Met horipad, Rome.
Yeah, it was a special trip and it actually plays well into smoking this 1964 tonight, because so Rooster.
And I were.
In Miami separately, and we met up for a day and we decided to do some wizarding as we always do.
And we went to the.
Miami Distribution center and I don't want to call it a factory.
I want to call it a distribution center because they don't do any.
That'll make them there.
They don't make any cigars there.
Right?
What they do is they send them in bulk.
They airfreight them in bulk and then they literally pack them and it's brilliant to me because you think you know, I'm sure it dabbed off.
They have massive headquarters and Big C suites and everything else like we would think of a a big company that does the kind of volume.
That these guys do and.
Jorge Padron the.
The son of the founder, Jose Padron, sits in the middle of the distribution center. The sales folks are right around him and 10 feet to his right or the team of people who literally pack every single box of Padron's to send out to retailers and and it was so unbelievable to me that this guy is.
The CEO of one of the greatest cigar companies in the world and he sits 10 feet.
From every cigar that's packed in a Padron box.
Well, he also sits in the same desk that his father's at.
Amazing, you know that's what he said so.
He's surrounded by it's.
All family and maybe a couple of employees that I've been with him for, you know 20-30 years. Not a lot of employee turnover.
There no no.
Can you guys can you talk about how can you talk a little bit about 'cause I think it's interesting?
It's a very good family run.
I was interested by the story when you guys came back from the.
Rip, can you talk a little bit about meeting Jorge Padron and a little bit about going back there and your conversation with them?
'cause I thought it was fascinating and I think it exemplifies your interaction term exemplifies the family oriented kind of brand and the pride that they take in their business and how they run it.
It was incredible. I mean, we so. So when you walk in Padron they have their headquarters and immediately to the left there's a small retail store and at one point you know some some point down the road will smoke the the cigar that you can only buy there which is the Padron Black label 100 which is a little little tour.
Will Cigar Bam is banned from smoking that cigar?
Will smoke it damn well.
When we do.
US he will.
Sit here and watch us for an hour while.
We smoke that cigar.
I will and.
I light up and exclusivo in his place.
Anyway, we get to that sometime down the road, but so we met his nephew.
His nephew was running the retail store at the front rooster and I decided to, you know, start digging around and understand the cigars that they had there and whatnot.
We purchased a couple things and then we kind of slightly asked him because, you know, we're talking middle of COVID so.
So they weren't doing tours, they weren't inviting you into the back to meet anybody you know, et cetera.
So we convinced his nephew he was very kind and nice and and invited Rooster and I to go back and and toward the center.
And it was amazing.
We got back there and were walking around and and then he immediately introduced this to his uncle Jorge, the CEO.
As I mentioned, and he was so busy but but he stood up.
Was very busy.
Took some time out in there.
He said I have a 2:00 o'clock call.
I'm so glad you guys came in prior to my call and he stood there with us for about 20 minutes and asked us.
About what we like about.
The drone what cigars we like.
Our preferences.
You know how long we had been smoking?
Obviously Rooster had some great stories of of his history with Padron because he's been smoking them a lot longer.
Than I have.
And what was amazing was first he asked one of his family members to go get us each a cup of coffee.
So each get a cup of coffee.
Which was espresso or thought or possible.
Was it made through a juror?
Was it to Roosters, fenders?
Well, it was good.
I wasn't wasn't quite out of a juror for.
Hapa John is going to hear this.
Was out of Nicaragua.
Going to say that funky guy didn't like my coffee.
The coffee was very good the.
Cigars were better.
So we he ended up taking us in the humidor and, you know, put drone right now.
Just like everybody else is running on a near like, you know, uh?
Immediate turn over like the humidor was fairly empty.
There weren't a ton of cigars in the humidor that.
And it was kept.
Were ready to.
Very cool, remember how cold it was.
Be shipped out about.
Yeah he keeps.
They said they keep it like right around 50s or 60s or something was very cold and there was.
Yeah, 45 fifth very cold, yeah.
Like a.
Refrigerator and we were talking to his nephew and Jorge said, you know what?
Hold on one second and he goes in the back in a corner.
And he starts digging through bucks.
And he's gone for like 10 minutes.
Yeah, 10 minutes he's going.
Let's go, yeah.
And this is after we explained, you know, we love the explosivo we loved the 1920 six 80th anniversary's our favorites.
Jorge Padron came out.
With two 1964 cigars.
In yellow.
And so so.
Yeah, cellophane 'cause they were so old.
And he said these are prototype 1964 cigars that we had tested out about 10 years ago.
And we never released them. That's fast and he gave. Yeah, he gave Rooster I each one of these prototype 1964 cigars completely shocked me.
That's fascinating, I didn't.
I didn't hear this story.
That's awesome.
I was completely blown away.
Did you smoke?
But I did and I still have it.
Oh my God know.
I I smoked up, I smoked that that afternoon.
I think yeah, I I go.
When I came back.
In patient I'm I'm I have a different patients.
I'd like to hear about that.
Rooster well cigars are meant to be consumed.
Very good very.
Good, I know I'm going.
I'm going to smoke it probably on my birthday or something.
But it was, uh, you know.
To prove this, you know, question about his kindness and generosity and the time he spent with us.
He did not have to.
Stand there and.
Meet two strangers to smokers.
We could have been.
Anybody but he really took the time as if we were old friends to stand there and spend the time.
With us and it was really amazing.
One day he's going to be on this podcast.
Absolutely, we're gonna invite him absolutely.
That's that's quite.
And you know what, I? You know what I found interesting too is do you know what Jorge Padron's favorite cigar that they make is?
It'll be quite the event.
No, he says the cigar. He smokes the most is the family reserve #45 in natural.
Which I found interesting.
Very yeah.
But it was a.
It was a great day and you know, I know Rooster and I still talk about it.
It was such a such an honor and a pleasure to meet him.
I mean, obviously we, we smoked so many of the cigars, but just, uh, just uh, I very hospital.
So anytime you guys want to knock knock me for smoking ******* natural cigars from Pedro and I'm going to say, well.
The boss smokes natural, so suck it.
Let's try.
I've got no argument here.
That is fair.
That's a good rebuttal.
Funny thing on Padron history, did you know that they actually started in Miami, not Nicaragua?
I did not.
Know that I did not know that either.
So this was crazy. I mean, I'm I'm I'm just reading this and in 1964 they founded the company in Miami.
They actually what they were rolling and making was a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. In 1970 they moved the company to Nicaragua and started using exclusively Nicaraguan.
Tobacco, which I I never knew.
Were they doing anything in?
Cuba before they moved from were they into cigars at that time, or?
So, so they were. There's actually a great Jose Padron, the original founder. So Jorge's father. So he's he's was born and raised in Cuba.
And his family, his parents ran a tobacco farm in Cuba.
The farm naturally was controlled by the Cuban government and he clearly was not making enough money to build a cigar empire, so the whole the Padron Hammerwich is their logo his friend gave him a hammer and Jose became a Carpenter and he earned enough money. Being a Carpenter that allows him to raise $600.
To start his own cigar brand and.
Business and so he left Cuba and went to Miami and started Padron and then eventually years later moved it to Nicaragua and.
And that's I feel like what really kicked off the Nicaraguan belt of cigars.
And we and we saw that hammer, that hammer is not display out there conversion sound.
It's a really amazing story.
So I display in the lobby this now wow.
Wow yeah yeah fantastic.
Oh, really, that's.
The other thing that I that I think is interesting too, again, going back to the 1964 is so when when Jorge came into the business in their early 9.
He's the 1964 line was actually Jorge's. First real significant contribution to the line. He went to his father and he said we should start aging tobacco.
You know preserving tobacco, putting it aside for a future release, and that is actually what perfect timing for the the early 90s mid 90s cigar boom was releasing the cigar.
And then you know, once they started showing it off at the trade shows and whatnot the.
Well, did he?
Brand completely blew up.
Did he not introduce all the family reserve lines and?
He did. The family reserve came in the early 2000s, and I think the 1926 maybe a little.
Before that, right?
But there was there was a a good period of years that it was just the 1964 M exclusive.
So was the first cigar that they released.
In the 1964 line work.
What what's the significance of 64 and 26?
64 was when the the company was started. 1926 was the year that Jose Padron was born.
And yeah, so that's how they do that, and but so the family reserve all of those numbers are celebratory of various, you know, milestones in the company and his birthday.
So the 90th.
In the 1926 line was released for his birthday, the 80th, et cetera. So it's all family milestones and company milestones.
Oh wow, wow.
And I believe that 1994 was when the Exclusivo was born.
That's correct yeah.
94th it was their 30th.
30 year yeah 3rd 30 year anniversary.
Out of Australia.
A year after Rooster were smoking them, yeah, great right from inception.
It's just a company.
Rooster, welcome you.
I mean one of the the thing that fascinates me as a supply chain guys how they one they vertically integrate everything which is no one does anymore and well.
A lot of these cigar companies do, but actually no not many do.
But they vertically integrate and then they ******* report they recycle the boxes like I have.
I have four or five Padron boxes in my humidor.
Right now some of them are really banged up.
They're not new boxes.
When you get a Padron box, it's more likely than not.
It's not new because they they they shipped these boxes off to.
To the B&M shops, right. And then they say part of the deal and part of the contract is you gotta you gotta send them back if you're selling.
Lucy's and the Lucy's you know they they sell them in the in the shop and then they send their boxes back and they recycle them and he's cutting out cost and one of the reasons why you can get such a great cigar at such an affordable price is because he's taking that cost out. And instead of putting it in his pocket which he could do, he's taking that discount and giving it to the.
Consumer and saying, you're going to get this great value cigar at a discount.
Essentially a discounted price for what it's value, and we're talking about value.
Earlier they run the company with a Consumer Focus and they don't.
They don't market, they don't they they.
They don't necessarily market.
They don't paint big adage.
In CS, they're not taking, you know, massive massive ads out in CA.
You know they're they're, they're just.
They're just letting it speak for itself.
To your point about that.
I you know when I was there I I certainly had a lot of pride in in the money that I spend on the brand and the money that we spend.
It's it really is.
For how large they are, it really is a family business and you know, I'm proud to support a company like that and a cigar like that.
Not just because of the quality, but because of the story and the one thing about the advertising that I think is interesting.
I don't know if you guys have ever noticed this.
They run the same ads every every month in cigar aficionado.
It's the same two page ad and the last line of every ad is something very similar to thank you.
The last sentence.
This is thank you for the trust that you put in the Padron family name.
Yeah they have.
A it's a great ethos and a great message and but The thing is, they've earned that trust from from from the consumer.
And that's, uh, you know it's earned.
And so they.
I mean they, they they, you know, that's that.
If for any brand earning, earning trust and establishing trust, it goes back to quality and it goes back to consistency and they deliver every time, every time so.
Not not, uh.
Every time 60% of the time.
Every time 60% of the time.
Or is it 60% of the time it delivers every time?
Exactly, it delivers every time.
Surface at this.
Time what OK?
Pogona, so if you're you're very you're an SG conscious consumer, I think this is a great brand to be.
Associated with.
I think the other thing I just love about the brand and this is where I get critical of Davidoff.
You don't see Padron every year come out with limited edition cigars.
Then some new gimmick with a really clever name.
They make what they make and that's it.
And they do not risk ever compromising the quality of their cigars to come out with a bunch of new, flashy limited releases.
And that that's one of the things I love the the packaging is not fancy.
I mean to Davidoff credit, there are some boxes that year.
Or the ACS one of the most beautiful cigar boxes I've probably ever seen made.
But drone doesn't want any.
Part of that they just care about the sticks in those boxes that as grinders said are recycled and that's it.
And I just love the passion and commitment that that fam.
Only has to the stuff.
They make.
All you need is that is that cursive Padron and the hammer stamped like stamped on the ******* box?
It can have dents in it.
That's all you need to to know how you're.
Going to, you're going to get quality and water.
And by the way, in in from a lot of guys in this room, our marketing guys and what do you know?
What a better way?
You can have all the ad agency.
People in the.
World come in and tell.
You how to build the brand?
They built it through hard work and through earning the customers trust and that takes effort.
That takes they'd so roll your sleeves up kind of business that they run.
And what about what a great way to build a brand organically.
Uh, you know, without the fluff the the kind of superfluous marketing messaging and to to to senators point, the kind of.
Thing that Davidoff engages in, which is a lot.
It's not just dabbed off, it's like it's everywhere.
That's that's everything.
So we said.
Well, it's everywhere I look at, look at Rocky Patel.
Just a best at it, that's why.
I mean it's every every quarter.
I mean, you know, I'm sorry.
Every quarter is like a.
New new server.
Yeah, Rocky Patel has a new band that a new thing and new with this and that.
It's it's.
It becomes ridiculous, right?
It's like it's like they've just done it through hard work and quality and just delivering a quality.
Product period yeah.
And and it's like thank you for trusting us and thank you for trusting our family.
Well, they've earned that.
Untrust, the other thing I love about Padron.
This is the only cigar brand that I know of that does this.
The the the label on any cigar is a standard label that they apply across that entire line, right?
So if you get a Monte Cristo band, it's going to say Monte Cristo, who benefits Cuban or if it's non Cuban, it's not going to have that and it's the same.
Across that entire line on Padron, they're so protective of the brand and so serious about trust.
They've got the double wrapper, which the second wrapper, the second band on there has a serial number that they print on every single cigar to make it so much harder to counterfeit it.
It's almost like you know you. You hold a $20 bill up and you can see through it to try to assess whether it's real or not. That second.
Band is so hard.
To replicate, and they produce a unique serial for each one.
I think there's just something really cool about how serious their commitment is to make sure that no one ever even attempts to counterfeit a padron and and and in any way tarnished their image.
That's interesting 'cause you don't see that on any.
Other cigar yeah.
In the world.
Well, I think it's.
I think it's very clear Puba said on the last episode when we did the chefs edition that we are not a Davidoff Fanboy Pod podcast.
I think it's very clear that yeah, we are in fact a Padron Fanboy podcast.
Oh no doubt about it, no question about.
It gives mom. I'm down to about 1/2 inch now. Yeah, and.
It's it's just as delicious on the first light.
It's it's a.
It's a beautiful cigar, absolutely.
So let's go to some listener email here for a second and then we'll do our worldview our our, our formal wizard rating on the exclusivo so Ed writes.
Oh nice.
After the last pod I'm enjoying the podcast.
Can you guys?
Explain the origin of nicknames such as Bam, Bam.
Oh boy.
Boobis feel like.
So prove why this is.
You were the mastermind behind these.
Do you just want you?
You want to.
Just want to go around the ring Kruger.
Let's go around the ring.
We'll start.
With Bam and go, so I will tell you before you say anything.
A lot of guys have asked me the same question on that.
Poohbah gave me my birth name he gave.
All of us.
Sir, all the services.
That lizard
Name yeah well, my goodness I'll pass I'm packed with this.
You were born again.
Or born again.
Morning risers are lizards.
Blend into shells attached.
Narrative OK, let me go into the I.
Come on, dad.
I didn't prep for this, but OK.
Puppy puppy.
Uhm, well, uh.
Big puppy.
He's a he's a formidable man.
Bam, bam, so he's mostly he's he has musculature.
A man.
I'm moving my mic away from my face.
Uh, he
Yes, he's a formidable. He's a formative NIS formidable man. He's a man's.
A man's.
Man, would you say is?
A bam, bam man.
Man well yeah and he's a little yes yeah he's a little bit rough and tumble so I I don't know he he it just so bam.
Bam, bam with this with Bam, Bam.
Thank you ma'am.
Go to.
You know he.
So that's that's where.
That came from he likes to go Bam, Bam on a lot of.
Things God let it loose.
Will you guys?
Yeah, I mean I give you yeah he he goes he you know he likes to.
I give you permission, go ahead.
He likes to swing a stick.
2nd is a good balance for banking rooster.
Oh, let's just let's just say that I'll leave it at that.
Oh God.
OK, so alright.
So as we were.
Hanging out, you know.
So in the lounge.
So getting to to grinder in the lounge.
Great, you know.
So one thing about grinders?
He's got it like this crazy.
He has a crazy insane work ethic, so I you know I would show up at the lounge at like you know, 5:36 o'clock and I'd say 888 o'clock whenever it was, when. How long have you been like?
You're still on your laptop, and he'd be like, yeah, and I'd be like OK.
And then I chew up the.
Next time at the lounge and I'd see him.
He's on his laptop.
I'm like what's up.
He's like what's up and then he like wouldn't talk.
But he he he wouldn't say anything.
He's like super quiet and I'm like what's going on with this guy.
And then I get to know him more and more and he's constantly working on, uh.
Can come.
Slide decks and deliverables.
For for his clients.
So that's how we got the name Grinder go you're.
Always grinding it out baby you're grinding.
I'd say it says Danica what you doing.
Baby hey go out go now I'm working I go you're crying and you're grinding so that's how he got the grinder name and.
And in pagoda to cut so pakoda.
What's the?
Plan, just make sure.
He doesn't have the knife, OK?
Well, no, it does happen.
Live so, uh.
There's there's a scene in the Royal Tenenbaums so so, but without giving too much away, but because Pagoda was was born in India but raised in the UK and.
Great movie.
And he he has this wonderful accent and everything else. And I don't know. I just there's a scene in the Royal Tenenbaum's and there's a character named the Wes Anderson Movie. And there's a character named Pagoda who's like Gene Hackman.
I don't know sidekick Slash.
Nemesis nemesis.
Well, no, they're like friends and pagodas.
This really nice guy and he's this gentle guy.
But then one day he takes out a Swiss army knife and.
He just stops.
It happened in the stomach with the Swiss army knife and he's like you just stopped me.
Why did you just stop me?
And because you know he he's reserved?
In the code, a character in the Royal Tenenbaum is like this reserved pleasant, polite guy, but once in a while.
Oh Shank.
Hill Shampoo, and that's exactly what.
That's exactly.
What the code will do, so that's how.
That's all I can say.
So he's reserved and so polite.
And but then once in awhile will just come out and he'll just stab you with the Swiss army knife.
So that's how I got his point of.
Point of personal privilege as the as the Socialist.
Say the.
I don't really get the get the.
The the nickname until I was shanked.
OK can I?
Said you stupid check it like.
I was I was aggressively.
Shaped yeah by pagoda.
Can I tell that story?
Go ahead, go ahead.
Right, so we're at another cigar labs that we frequent and and I actually had a hard time understanding the pagoda name because I hadn't seen the movie for this context.
But after this story, I very quickly understood exactly why this was a very fitting nickname and I I love it, 'cause that's one.
Of the things I love about Pagoda.
It's just he's the happiest guy.
And then he just has this.
These really witty, sharp, hysterical comments.
Should I just love these shakes exactly?
Yeah, yeah.
They're they're tremendous, and so we're sitting there and we're talking about for some reason, just some of the worst cigars we've ever had.
And pagoda.
Has no context of cigars that either grinder or IR are particularly passionate about or once really liked at all.
And pagoda Sistering goes.
I had this horrible cigar and he.
Goes you know I.
Don't even consider myself an expert, but I just found it to be terrible and he goes.
It was this strange octagonal shaped cigar and it was this Plasencia Alma fuerte.
It was just horrendous.
I would never smoke this cigar again and I'm sitting there practically on the verge of tears because at one point 1 of grinders favorite cigars was the Plasencia Alma fuerte.
Pagoda has no context to know this and so he is sitting there eviscerating this cigar I'm in tears laughing and grinder is just sitting there trying to remove the Shank from.
His side and he's.
Like bleeding out in the chair.
I mean it.
It was just unbelievable.
Senator wasn't even that it was the fact that he kept coming back for more.
It's like like we got it and then he was like.
Just so you know.
It ******* sucks.
And my only defense is that bad shape.
Yeah, it's not the shape that.
I like know.
Fair enough, I I didn't know that I you know, my thought was I was just giving an honest opinion, but it's a God I didn't like.
The 5th.
But at the same time, I think when you have an easy target.
Second, there's a Shank right there.
You see, they're so subtle.
Shake them, that's.
That's why it's it's.
It's the Swiss army knife.
It's not a machete, it's the small.
It's like there's this small like little like ******* pinprick that.
It just say I.
Would call them zingers.
But you know his English don't work?
They are, yeah, but we.
We're using we're using the pagoda analogy, and the knifing and all that stuff, so anyway.
Yeah, yeah.
Absolutely and and and and and so didn't we come to to the senator and the senator got his name because.
He's, well, one.
He's he's, he's the most intelligent man in the room, probably the highest IQ here.
He he.
He's an Ivy Ivy League educated guy and he and he's he's got the silver.
He's got the silver tongue and and.
Does have the silver tongues?
And it has a silver tongue, and so at at the former lounge that at the labs that we used to belong to.
Yeah, they were.
They always kind of like pilot, let's call it.
Politics that would go on.
Things that would happen.
Let's just say we had a contentious relationship with management.
And you know.
So we would.
We would discuss these things and then we would.
We would say, well, what are we going to do about it?
And and the senator got his name because he would say, well.
I'll leave it to me.
I will take care of this conversation and and.
So and he worked on Capitol Hill for a little while and and and has experience.
In in, in politics and things like that.
So, so.
So that's how that's how the senator got his name because he's the senator.
So we would take.
It's a great great negotiator.
He's in a.
Great negotiator, a great negotiator so.
I was about to say.
That any any delivers and it delivers.
And he's delivers on that.
And the log delivers if I may.
Test Senator always delivers.
Yeah, if I may, in the most difficult situations that we experienced at that place.
We all just my head swiveled right to his chair.
He wouldn't have to say a word.
Well, we would basically bring up all the key issues and we'd be like I'm going to consolidate.
Well, no.
But he would get up.
I'm gonna hold on.
I'm going to come up with a strategy and now.
I'm going to go negotiate some.
But Senator would actually get up.
Get the owner on the phone and set him in his place right?
So you could get the.
Extra 15 minutes.
Extra 15 *** **** minutes.
But the silver tongue.
Or Saturday about Saturday hours.
Would come.
That's big.
We did, yeah, that's huge and no.
That was.
Never done before, yes.
One was able to do.
That and then we get.
Then we get to gizmo, so gizmo one he looks like so gizmo.
Which wasn't his original name.
No, this original name was Opie, 'cause he kind of looks like Opie from from the Andy Griffith.
Andy Griffith show a little bit like Ron Howard type look as a boy, but.
As a deaf child.
Uh, is gizmo, so it was originally it was originally Opie, but then it, then it migrated to Gizmo because when you when you when you put certain ingredients into this little gremlin.
Certain things happen.
Kitty litter, yeah, as one cow and Macallan 12.
No well shivis regal.
That she.
She was 18.
Oh so if you put the genesis of it so one night one night, so one night we injected.
That was probably the the Genesis.
Of yeah
Well, we didn't but but but but the local business.
This owner with where we live injected a lot of xevious regal into into into OOP and that was forced fed it to him.
Forced forcefed
And that was when he.
Transform exploded.
Transformed and exploded with vomit.
Yeah, Pero pero.
He was doing better role.
At 2:00 AM.
I still have.
I did have to.
Do paper, I gotta do peril.
At two OK.
At 1:00 AM one.
AM I gotta do peril?
Yeah, all of a sudden he's doing payroll but but but but if you put certain ingredients into gizmo.
Of a sudden he's doing payroll.
Uh, like a gremlin, you know, like if you put a warm water on a gremlin they they they they they freak out so so it also kind of gizmo ladders back to this notion that he's he's great with stuff he's a creator.
Great he he's a creator.
And he can fix anything, makes things.
He's he could fix anything.
Get Gizmo puts the Geek Squad at Best Buy to shame.
Oh, he's.
Yeah, it's ridiculous.
Just for some context here, this was another name that.
There's absolutely.
No doubt no question.
I I I sort of understood.
And I wasn't sold on.
And then over time I'm sitting there saying puba just has this wisdom that he he sees where all of us are heading, because with gizmo that this is a guy.
I who takes some big TV, a 50 inch TV that is basically dead and instead of throwing it out, Alfred garbage.
It's out so garbage.
You know, all of us would have just thrown it out.
It doesn't turn on.
It doesn't work throw.
It in the way places like the entire.
Motherboard or whatever the hell it's called.
And gets the.
TV working this is a guy who creates.
With a battery and some other stuff that he, I'm sure you know, procured.
And made in his own home.
To create a fan in his tower humidor and was actually making this for other lizards, it gets remarkable.
Which is now for Sale by the.
Way he can make.
A1K TV into eight kids TV.
So so basically net net he comes with instructions and he can follow instructions.
That no.
Like a gremlin?
Can we can we make a motion?
To to say net net, on an ongoing basis.
So router.
The what can't name himself.
Can I can I can I at?
Least give this pube story.
Of course, Oh yeah, and we're all going to chime in.
So Puba we went through a few names that we were considering.
I I was actually a fan of the mayor at first, but I think the two achieved the same thing.
I think it matters.
So the puba is meant to be the grandpa.
Grand Buba buba
Ramp over right?
Has a larger than life personality.
He's he's the most fun guy in the room.
We go anywhere in the area we live and everybody knows puba we walk in.
We sit down.
Someone comes over booba hey haven't seen you in awhile puba.
Oh puba.
I just saw you on the golf course.
How's the family?
He knows everybody.
Everybody, it doesn't matter if they're running the security detail for the New York Yankees or if they own 10 restaurants in the area we live.
He knows everybody and and it was only fitting to call the the most legendary of lizards, the poobah.
It's it's a.
It's a it's a number.
Of honor have I have called him Mr Pube from time?
To time flowers.
Sorry, sorry pube.
Sir, I just called I just called I.
I like that better it's.
Boo Boo.
It's been knighted, yeah?
A lot of nights out.
Do we have and then Rooster?
Of course Rooster is the elder statesman.
He's he's.
He's the.
He's the oldest of the bunch.
Probably behind me and bam and are ahead of me and bam and not by much.
Not by much.
But he said, you know, he's the he's the.
So I think Rooster comes from like he's the he's.
This age is this.
He's a sage, he's the sage.
Age yes.
He's the Red Rooster.
He's from India so.
Red Red Rooster.
He's just the Red Rooster.
More brown
Yeah, we're brown.
OK, fine, whatever.
But you get the idea.
It's a shade of it's whatever.
Yeah yeah, but but he he hit.
It's, uh, reddish brown like a Cuban rapper is.
Rooster rooster. Comments level.
His his his.
US is that is that Maduro alright?
Give us.
I think Bam is exactly right as this up.
Yeah, yeah, there's.
There's there's a leveling in his commentary.
And it's second a lot of it's based in.
You ready?
I'm not going to call it a religion, but it's.
A belief, and it resonates from him and it does affect us in a very positive way, without a doubt.
I agree, I think there's a wisdom.
There's a wisdom about Rooster.
Very good very good senator, yes.
I mean Rooster is a guy who shares, right?
You know inspiration and and quotes and is always glass, half full and and there's just something about him that I feel like.
Absolutely right.
There's a there's a presently.
It's really presence.
There's the presence.
That that the the Red Rooster.
Exudes in any situation we love.
You see Elder statesman that about very high.
We love and praise.
We love that.
Yeah, a lot of positive energy.
Well, right and also.
And also he's the guy who if you if you're going to pick up the phone and call somebody or or if you're not feeling well the first person to pick up the phone to call and see how you're doing.
Is always the rooster just?
That's absolutely absolutely.
Don't ever cut him off in traffic.
Right, but that's
Also true to see like a rooster.
Role as another side.
I do that too, like this guy.
He will.
There's another clause.
Scott club, you don't **** with the rooster.
The other thing I would say about the the rooster if and I think this comes with being the elder statesman and the wisdom that Rooster has.
If you need thoughts on power tools.
If you need thoughts on snow.
Are you are?
Blower snow blowers.
Jenny machines and speakers.
Just about anything Rooster Rooster has is very prescriptive about what is an acceptable brand and product to purchase, and that seems like a walking Consumer Reports.
It's experience soundsystems, no doubt, yeah.
Most of the things that he recommends can be found at Costco.
Let's be.
Clear and also the self professed.
Big Costco guy.
Longest tenured smoker of the exclusivo?
Self professed.
Longest tenured on.
Thank you.
Will they concede that that is true?
Yeah, definitely someone knows that.
If I, if I quality, I have him beat but longest tenured I I will concede.
That's true.
There you go.
If I if I were.
To sum up Rooster in a.
Sentence it would be.
What's mine is yours, and I mean that from a generosity.
Standard and what's yours is mine, yeah.
Whenever he acquires and and he is a master of acquiring aged Habanos, it's incredible and when he gets a box, he's not a.
Guy that keeps it a secret.
He throws it in Humidor, keeps it to himself.
He walks in the room and he starts handing out cigars, so cigar sentiment share very generous.
Very kind, yes, but don't.
Push the rooster philosophy to be smoked immediately.
Right, yeah, like.
Regardless of age.
Like I said earlier, cigars are meant to be smoked in concert and she.
Yeah and shared shared share.
Said there, so he goes ROTT right off the truck.
That's right.
But like I you.
Know I walked I I came I came late to the to the pod today and these guys were the the the Wizards have been smoking.
One of the Nice selections that Rooster had recently.
Procured and shared, yeah.
And we're about to light up the Explosivo and Rooster walks over.
He's asking me about my family and my wife and I haven't seen Rooster in.
You know couple weeks and you know he went out of his way to to to, you know, see how I'm doing.
And then he pops, open his, his his box of cigars says here this is what we've been smoking.
I want you to try.
This and I'm I I.
I'll probably smoke it later, but.
I didn't even get to enjoy it with him, but he still was generous enough to say I.
Want you to have this and absolutely.
Alright boys, Ed, thank you for the question listeners.
Please do submit.
I think it's time to give the exclusivo our formal lizard rating.
I think all of us are pretty close to done with it.
So Rooster, what do you give the?
Exclusivo one?
This is a 9.
Puba you know I have to for what it is and these are not again for the listener.
It's not comparative ratings.
You rate it for what it is, it's.
A10 oh
It's a 10.
The Exclusivo was a 10 for what it represents for what it is for what it stands for is it 10.
I got, I got to say poo but did not influence me on this.
I came in expecting to say 9 and all the stories and all the memories of this cigar.
I am also going to give it a 10.
It's so funny you say that gismo, because obviously this is my favorite cigar period and I was inclined to give this a 9 because there are some cigars that I think are slightly more complex and better.
But I think Cuba said it best for what this cigar is.
It's a 10 for me.
Wow pagoda.
A10 a 10A10 and once again it means so much to me to be smoking. This it was actually, I think one of the cigars that really got me involved with the group as well. So it means a lot to me for more than just smoking the cigarettes.
An experience, it's something you could smoke in the golf course in your home, outside in your deck.
It is wonderful.
It's a very, very easy smoke.
It's a pure 10.
Ah, I'll go 9.
Bam, bam I.
Am my mind is spinning right now.
Nine a bunch of 10s and another nine.
I'm at a nine OK now.
For what it is you see, this is.
This is where it gets complicated.
It's such a fabulous cigar.
Could easily be a tent.
But how I'm challenging all of you all of you. 1010 numbers here.
How can you?
Put this in the same league as the 80th, which we all have designated.
Yeah, I was thinking the same.
It's a great question.
I was exactly thinking the same.
Ask great questions.
How do we?
How do we?
Do you place this set of 10?
So so can we first give.
The the the score.
The average is 50.
Yeah, so the average is a 9.6 which is a strong recommend. Very strong link.
Yeah, even even with the chefs edition, by the way.
And one of the strongest.
Yeah, yeah.
Can can I respond first this because as my favorite cigar this was.
Very hard for me.
I've always said to me, the Padron 80th, which is actually the 1926 series but mellowed out where it's not. It's a it doesn't kick your.
*** like some of the other 26 years.
No, it's a refined elegant stick.
That for me has always been a 10 and I would usually say this is a nine and I think.
Who is framing of? It's about this cigar and not comparing it to anything else. OK, and this is where you also for for me just for my rating I had to factor in dollar for value and at $14.00 for this stick the experience that it delivers I. I mean truly if I could not smoke another.
Great dollar life.
Only one more cigar, forever in perpetuity.
And it were this.
I would be thrilled every single day to light this up and there.
Are so few.
Cigars that I would say that about.
I'd say the same about the 80th, but that's what really did it.
For me where?
I would actually put this in the same class as the 80th because either of those sticks if that's the only stick I had to smoke for the rest of my life, I would be thrilled with either of them, even though.
I would, I would say that the 80th is.
More complex and is.
A slightly better cigar, but both would be so unbelievably satisfying more than anything else, I smoke and so that's the only reason that I gave it it.
They are.
OK, they are now on your deathbed.
You've mentioned if I'm dying.
I I would I.
Would smoke this.
This is what's on my list.
Is over the 80th.
I I take either, but that's why they're both tense for me, wow.
We would have to buy twice.
All right, boys once is not enough.
A 9.6 for the Padron 1964 Exclusivo Maduro. Very very strong. Recommend a wonderful cigar. Senator, thanks for thanks for the explosive us tonight.
And we'll see you all.
Next week, thanks, Mark.
Thanks so much for joining us tonight.
Hope you enjoyed it.
If you have any comments questions.
If you want to reach out, say hello tell.
Us what you're smoking?
Email us lounge lizards pod at Gmail com I really appreciate your time and we'll see you next week.