Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
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 are normally around 90 minutes long and feature a variety of different topics including food, travel, life, sports and work.
The podcast features eight members: Rooster, Poobah, Gizmo, Senator, Pagoda, Chef Ricky, 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!
Ep. #187: Interview with Justo Eiroa (w/ Aladino Cameroon Robusto & Cantera Negra Tequila Añejo, Has Senator Found the New D4?, Disappointing Unicorn Cigars, JRE/Aladino History and New Cigars & Bam vs. Senator Post-Ratings)
===
Gizmo: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Lounge Lizards podcast presented by Fabrica five. 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. Tonight I'm joined by Rooster Senator, chef Ricky, and bam bam.
And our plan is to smoke a cigar, drink some tequila, talk about life, and of course, have some laughs. So take this as your 187th official invitation to join us and become a card carrying lounge lizard. Plan to meet us here once a week. We are gonna smoke a new world cigar tonight. Share our thoughts on it and give you our formal lizard rating.
We share our interview with JRE Cigars President Justo Eiroa recorded live at PCA 2025, where we discussed all Dino's success and the ties between Honduran and Cuban tobacco. Plus, we debate if Senator has indeed found the new D four, all among a variety of other things for the next two hours. So sit back, get your favorite drink, light up a cigar, and enjoy as we pair Canterra Negra, tequila Anejo with the Aladino [00:01:00] Cameroon in Robusto.
We're back to Honduras tonight, boys with a Robusto Robusto from Aladino. This is the Cameroon in Robusto Robusto. Of course, it's a 50 ring gauge cigar by five inches long. And boys, I would say there are some high expectations tonight, maybe because a certain member of our panel here, esteemed member, esteemed member, has been saying some pretty lofty things, lofty things about this cigar, and we'll get into that, Senator.
But, um, you, uh, you have been, you've become a big fan of the Aladino, Cameroon, especially in Robusto. Apparently only one of us loves Saladino. Not true. I smoke. No, I smoke a lot of all Busto.
Senator: One lizard is a big supporter. I smoke a lot of saladino. I smoked
Gizmo: the classic wine. Not
Senator: true.
Gizmo: But I've been waiting for this review to really.
Dig into this cigar. Dig into this one. So I'm excited about that tonight. You know, I love the band design. I, I think it's very clean, very [00:02:00] crisp. It's a good looking cigar. It's classy. Yeah. I like that. They keep it consistent, but then they change it each line. The color scheme changes. Yeah. But the cons, you know, it's a consistent branding across all of their cigars.
This band's an eye catcher for me.
Senator: I agree. I like the band. Um, we should also tell the listener how we sort of found this cigar. So when we were at PCA, um, after our interview, I had asked Hutto what he smokes most of in his line. Mm-hmm. He said the classic ante like us. Um, but I said what? That we haven't tried.
And the first one he mentioned after that was the Cameroon in Reto. Uh, none of us had smoked it, so he was kind enough, went over to his booth, uh, gave us each one of these. And when we got back from that trip, I lit that cigar in our lounge here. Um, and it completely blew my mind. And, uh, I said, we have to do it.
I
Gizmo: do like the cigar. I think this is a delicious cigar. There is, there's a lot to love about this thing. Yeah. Aldino is doing a great job. Everything I've had that that they, [00:03:00] that they create that I've had is, has been exquisite. What else have you had? Just this in the classical line, the were bristo in the classical, the Len Zero class.
Both are delicious in slightly different ways. Exquisite, and this is, this is great.
Rooster: The Len was rated, uh, I think outta 10, right? Oh yeah. Perfect. 10. Perfect. And I had the len
Gizmo: in this particular line.
Rooster: Oh, you did? I was wondering if, uh,
Gizmo: yep. Uh, Dominican lizard, Dominican Johnny, as I like to call him. That's the only way I could distinguish.
I just call him dj,
Senator: dj, dj. That's better than what some call him, right? That's correct. They call him the drug dealer, uh,
Gizmo: for the
Senator: listener. He's a, he's in pharmaceutical, so Correct. Pharmaceutical rep. Legal. Very legitimate.
Gizmo: But, uh, he gave me the Len Arrow. It was very, very good. They don't do, they don't do anything wrong.
They're batting a thousand so far, boys. Correct. So let's cut this thing. See, we're getting on the cold draw and the wrapper. So this is the second Aladino on the pod tonight. Of course, the boys were just talking about the classic wine in Alleg ante. The LAN [00:04:00] that we did quite some time ago scored very, very well.
So we are back to Aladino tonight with this. For me, it's a very fruit forward, like raspberry almost. I'm getting, it's outrageous.
Rooster: Yeah. There is some fruit on the cold draw.
Gizmo: Take a deep, deep cold draw. You'll get raspberry some kind of a berry. Fresh berry. I agree on raspberry, raspberry. Yeah. It's crazy. It's like a, I think I've said fig Newton before.
It's not quite like that. It's almost like a fig Newton, but it's made with strawberries instead of fig.
Chef Ricky: It's much, it's a little fresher. Yeah.
Rooster: I would say it's more like a lingen berry
Gizmo: go
Rooster: to Ikea recently. I was just gonna say, do they
Gizmo: grow those in New Zealand? So you've gone from Costco to Ikea. He likes big box stores.
Yeah. All right boys, let's like this thing, the all Dino Cameroon. Again, it's a 50 ring gauge cigar by five inches long. Comes in a silver box with red lettering box of [00:05:00] 24. And these cigars, you can find them generally between, let's say $8 and 50 cents and $12 depending on where you get 'em. Box of 24 coming in around two 20 to two 40 depending on where you find them.
And they're pretty widely available. I mean, a lot of retailers have them. A lot of shops have them, and uh, they're doing a great job getting them in more. This is really good on the light. I'm getting that faint berry now. Um, a little bit of cream. El, uh, almost, uh, like a latte thing happening for me too.
Chef Ricky: Yeah. I'm getting a little bit of a oat oatmeal cream. Little as you like to say. Lactic note there. Yeah. A little bit. I said that.
Gizmo: I think you
Senator: created
Gizmo: that term.
Chef Ricky: Yeah.
Senator: Hmm. It's really elegant. Wow. Do you, do you get on the finish baking spice? I don't get any baking spice on this.
Chef Ricky: Not yet, but I feel like it's trying to poke through.
Okay. And I think it [00:06:00] will as we
Gizmo: progress, I will admit this is my only my second. Of this particular cigar. This is my third. I ha I smoked the one that, uh, who still gave us a PCA Me too. I smoked one off the truck out of this box. That was a mistake. We'll talk about that in a little bit. And then this would be my third.
Mm. So I don't have a good gauge on this cigar yet, and I did that intentionally so that we could, uh, discuss it on the pot tonight. Yeah. For me it's not so much baking spice, but it's more of that, um, that latte and very slight berry for me. And I think that oatmeal more tapioca type thing for me.
Rooster: But there is a spice that's coming through.
Senator: Yeah. For me on the finish, like my tongue is tingling. Can I say I'm
Gizmo: getting like cinnamon, like baking spice more? If it's anything, it's not make for me. That's what I'm getting more of. Yeah. I don't know if I would say it's baking spice for me on the palette. I, I feel like I'm actually getting more of that in the retro hale than I am on the palate.
There's a little bit of spice on the palate, but I wouldn't say it's as defined as calling it pepper or calling it baking spice. [00:07:00] Like it's just a little bit of a Yeah. Touch of something there.
Rooster: There's also a little floral note happening. Getting that floral with the, with the spice for me, not me. Just that.
Yeah. Just as touch. Mm-hmm.
Chef Ricky: I think there's something going on between the oatmeal, the fresh berry and the cedar that's coming across. I am getting a little bit of cedar as bacon and spice. I think all of those three combined, it might be a woody thing. Give you, yeah. It feels a little, uh, bakey spicy, but it might develop, uh, Maggie a little bit more.
There you go.
Gizmo: So let's tee up what Senator has been saying about the cigar, and I'm gonna go back to the, uh Oh, you're anxious. I am. I'm gonna go back to the lounge lizards group chat. Oh, I
Chef Ricky: do. You have a, see, the, the part de four killer. You have quotes. I have quotes. Thought our
Gizmo: chat
Senator: was private, but clearly a huge breach of protocol gizmo.
So, uh, Elsa Ado starts, I can't wait till I get to rebut this with some, a gizmos. No, I mean, it's,
Gizmo: I mean, these are all positive things. So he says [00:08:00] all Dino Cameroon re robusto is very good. Must review on the pod, of course. Mm-hmm. D four like notes. So, of course, Senator Mr. Parus referencing the Parus Series D number four from Cuba, which is, you know, you've, it's my favorite Cuban cigar.
Any listener would know that's your favorite Cuban cigar. You smoke. We all love that ton of de fours love. We love too. We all love that cigar. Absolutely. That was your wedding cigar, correct? You know, you, you really like that cigar says, you know, you guys will love the cigar. I'm honestly blown away by the flavor.
A retailer said, this is the bestselling all Dino in their store, which is pretty cool so far. Everything he said is on par. Yes, no problem. And then, ah, senator goes the all Dino Cameroon is the new D four. You heard it here first. Can you, let's put the truck. Brake slam. Brake. Slam the brakes. So I was honestly shocked when you sent that.
Me too, because that is a. That is a heck of a statement coming from any of us, but coming from you who loves that Parus D four. It's very [00:09:00] definitive. That's a, uh, that's a strong
Senator: statement. Yeah, it is. And I, I stand by it. And the reason I say that, we have a member of our lounge who almost exclusively smokes Cuban cigars.
He has only Phil. That's right. Lizard Phil. He has only recently through us. I don't trust his pal. Started, um, only recently through us, has started to dabble with a few new worlds. But he doesn't smoke a ton of new worlds. That's true. I gave him one of these, I didn't say a word to him. Never mentioned D four or anything like that.
No sales pitch. Um, no sales pitch. Alright. I just gave him one and I said, for a new world cigar, I think you'd like this cigar. He lights the cigar, he's sitting there immediately like a kid in a candy store. His face lights up. He's like, this is actually really good. And I said to him, is there any. Cuban cigar that this at all resembles to you in terms of some flavor notes that you get in the cigar, [00:10:00] I swear to you.
And there were other people in the lounge who can vouch. I did not in any way, you know, prompt him and he, he has this look of, he's kind of in embarrassed to say it and then he goes, the only thing that comes to mind, it's a little bit like a D four. And I'm like, holy shit, that's exactly my experience with this cigar.
That's the first thing I thought of and just why it was remarkable to me. As much as I love a D four, I have never smoked another cigar in my life that I've even said slightly resembles a D four. I've never heard you make a
Gizmo: comparison to the particles D four ever. So the language is specific. If it's a little like a D four, then I'd buy it.
I can definitely buy it. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. I'm not saying it's a carbon copy. Believe it. Well, you said it's the new D four.
Senator: As in
Gizmo: As in
Senator: we can't readily Don't get uncomfortable, chef. It's a conflict. Okay. Deal with it. Lemme explain as in we can't readily get D fours anymore. Yeah, that's true. We can't just go on a website and order a box of D fours and have them delivered no's.
They're [00:11:00] ridiculously priced. At this point, you're paying 30 something dollars minimum for a D four. If you're actually in a market, you can buy these in a retailer, you can literally be paying 50 something dollars just for that reto. And so the fact that at $8 and 50 cents, there's something that you can pick up anywhere.
You can buy a cigar in this country that somewhat resembles some of the notes you get in a D four. For me, this will easily slot into my rotation to replace the D four that I wish I could smoke every day like I used to years ago and, and slot in where I would normally smoke that. That's what I meant. I didn't mean a literal carbon copy of a de
Gizmo: default.
I, I then buy the land. I buy it because I can see remnant. Uh, it's reminiscent of a lot of Cuban cigars. But in particular D four. Sure. And I think that that's what we've talked about when we've discussed Reminiscent Aladino in the past. Right. Is it's so close. And we talked to STO about this on this interview that is coming up in the, you know, the second [00:12:00] third of this episode here, the cigar Tonight.
We talked about how close Aladino tobacco and these cigars are to Cuban tobacco. Sure. And we've talked about that a lot with Hondu cigars. Two weeks ago when we talked with, uh, Rob, Iowa and Hamlet in studio here at 10 86, we talked about how their hondu cigars are touching those Cuban flavor profiles.
Mm-hmm. Obviously, Hamlet a Cuban legend, so for some reason, again, and we have another in our hands tonight, obviously we're busting balls about comparing this to a D four. But really this is incredibly close to Cuban tobacco as, as far as New world non Cuban tobacco goes. Sure. This is the closest that we're getting Sure.
Is in. Saladino and Hondura cigars. Yeah, we've said that many times.
Rooster: We all know that the Honduran tobacco taste tastes very, very, uh, Cuban. I mean, it's the closest thing to Cuban tobacco
Senator: on the, the D four comparison. Again, I have never, I mean, one, it's been incredibly sad for me that I can't just pull a D four [00:13:00] every single day like I used to when we all first met, um, when it was so easily accessible and.
In that absence, I've not found anything that even slightly reminds me of one, to just get an ounce of like the satisfaction I get from a D four and this cigar. I mean, I mentioned the experience lizard Phil had who pretty much exclusively smokes Cuban cigars, questionable palate. He disagree, he smokes the same stuff that we do.
I know in fairness, um, he ordered while he was smoking this two boxes to his house. Mm-hmm. He was that impressed with this cigar. There's no doubt that this is a
Gizmo: great cigar. Um,
Rooster: it's, I'm gonna, I'm gonna take this cigar, take this band off and put a D four band on it and give it to Pagoda. Don't, don't tell, don't tell.
Oh, that'd be easy. That's amazing. Tell would be good. Oh, yeah, that would be really good.
Gizmo: How difficult is that gonna be to convince him? It's a D four. Um, oh, I, I think you could pull that off easily. It's gonna be easy. So, for the [00:14:00] listener out there, there's retRobustoution that is required here from Rooster to Pagoda, if you know, and, uh, and a listener from the olden days would know Pagoda pulled a a, a Prank on Rooster and put a.
Cutie 54 Band, I believe on a Xeno Xeno. Correct. Uh uh one of those doff, the lower end Doff cigars and tried to Trick Rooster. And it worked. And it worked. It worked. Rooster smoked the whole
Senator: thing. It said it was great. It's incredible.
Gizmo: So this will be a nice test for Guess on like Xenos. What have we got?
About 3 million listeners now. Something like that. It'll be our secret. Well, pagodas not gonna listen. Getting back to this though, exclusive of the D four comparison. This is an excellent cigar. It really is. It's really something else for nine bucks. Yeah, the Retro Hale is really delicious. And if you let the smoke curl on your tongue and leave it in there, it's almost like.
Like a baked good of some kind. Yeah. Like a croissant. Almost buttery. It's Yep. Crazy dude. Just, yeah, it
Rooster: is. It is. [00:15:00] You get that creamy, buttery note, right? Yeah. You get
Chef Ricky: that. Yeah. Now, now I feel like the baking spices are enhancing you a little bit and I feel I'm getting some caramel coming through. I'm getting a little latte coffee.
I love the butter. Yeah. You know, going back to this, I say butter for sure. Yeah. I, everything,
Rooster: but the D four has a little bit of that cinnamon spice thing.
Gizmo: It's much more cinnamon. Yeah. I think, I think, I think that's the only thing I would say that's absent.
Rooster: Not, I'm not getting that on this, but I also, but there's some other, other familiar notes that are coming through.
I
Gizmo: also get deep espresso on some D fours. Yeah. Um, that's definitely there. I'm not getting that so much on this, but this is a, I think you need, I, I get more coffee than I do deep espresso in a D four. Some of them have got, yeah, I, I could see that. Um, but this is definitely, this thing stands on its own.
It's an excellent, excellent smoke. And I have to say too, the combustion coming out of this re robusto it's wonderful. Is very impressive. And look at the burn line. Yeah. The ashe is outstanding flows. The, the Ashe is incredible. And how much is this? I. $8 and 50 cents correct. To $12. Correct. [00:16:00] Depending on where you get it.
Unbelievable. Pretty amazing. It's quite, so I gotta say that the retro Hale is so flavorful and full in flavor. It's such a rich experience, isn't it? Buttery for you? It's buttery. It's, I, the baking spice is definitely coming through now. It definitely through the retro hill. I'm getting that. I'm getting, I'm still getting some of that.
Uh, I'm not getting any cinnamon or anything. There's no cinnamon. I can't believe you're not getting any cinnamon. I'm not getting cinnamon. I would actually, I would say it if I did, I'm, it's not coming through for me more. It's, again, it's latte butter, like a baked good, but without all of those typical and a little nutmeg, I can say I'm probably getting, so I wanna tell the listener too, it's important obviously in the room here, you know, talking about the Parus D four as a comparison point to this cigar, uh, is one thing inside this room, but also if, if you consider whether or not you've had Parus D four before, that is one of the premier, most successful, most popular cigars probably ever.
Coming out of Cuba, especially from an accessibility and pricing standpoint and availability, [00:17:00] you know, it's, it's even now the ridiculous prices of cubit cigars, it's still a pittance compared to the high-end cohiba Robusto robusto and, you know, it's in line with the others from some of the other markets.
But Parus D four is one of the top selling cubit cigars in the world. So that is also why it's an important comparison point for us, despite our love of it in this room. It's a, it's a really, really successful and love cigars. So to find something non Cuban that you can compare it to is really a huge win.
Yeah. And especially under 10 bucks, there are, like I said, for me, there are elements there. It's not a true comparison. With that said, it has so much more going for it. Yes. It's so interesting and. It's a little savory. It's a little sweet. It's really, yeah. I mean they, you quite something else.
Rooster: There are no two cigars that are going to be identical, right?
No. Right. Ever. That's true. I mean this is Honduran and tobacco. That's Cuban tobacco. Yeah. There's gonna be differences. Mm-hmm. But there's similarities. Mm-hmm. Right. Thanks. Uh, sure. Anytime Counselor.
Gizmo: So let's [00:18:00] go through the other sizes that are we trying available to make a case. Let's go through the other sizes that are available in the Cameroon line from Aladino.
They share the same vitto is across most of their lines. They have the elante, which is the ERO 38 ring gauge by seven inches long. The Lawnsdale 43 reengage by six six. The Queen's Perfecto 46 ring gauge by five and a quarter re robusto that we have in our hand, 50 by five. The super Toro 52 ring gauge by six, and the Gordo 60 ring gauge by six and a half inches long.
How was the lance? Is that what you had or the lawn stale? I had the lanzaro. It's a more concentrated version of this. Like, as you would expect, it was very good. Uh, just as smooth, just as elegant, just as creamy, a shorter experience because it didn't, it didn't have the ring gauge.
Rooster: What about compared to the classic line?
Gizmo: It's, I think a bit richer than that line from the point of view of body and experience. Just a touch.
Senator: So I just have a question on the finish. When you are not drawing this cigar [00:19:00] on your tongue, are you getting like salt and some form of baking spice?
Gizmo: Mm-hmm. I am, I'm getting salt in the front and I'm getting a little baking spice in the back.
Okay. I'm definitely good. That's
Senator: what I, oh, I mean, I've smoked at least 20 of these at this point. Yeah, definitely. That's always what lingers on my palate. And that's like what's so notable. And again, not to say it's a literal D four. Mm-hmm. But in a D four, when you're not drawing this cigar, just when you've had a few puffs, what lingers on your palate is like salt and cinnamon?
The salt's there for me, for sure.
Rooster: Well, I mean there is a, there is a spice note that's coming through. I just can't pinpoint, you know, whether it's nutmeg or what kind of spice it is. Yeah. It's a
Chef Ricky: richer spice. So I think the nutmeg nails it. 'cause nutmeg is think it's more nutmeg than spin. It's, for me, to
Rooster: me it's like an earthy spice, like a Right.
It's like an earthy woody, like a est. Mine is a sweeter spice, really. I dunno what that is.
Senator: I don't find it to be earth for me. It's a sweeter spice. Did you have a cinnamon roll before you came in? No. Like I said, I've smoked 20 of these cigars. [00:20:00]
Chef Ricky: I definitely get salted caramel on this thing. That's, that's great.
Well
Gizmo: that would be a sweeter
Chef Ricky: true. Yeah,
Senator: that's, that's what I'm getting.
Gizmo: Boys, let's go through a little bit of the history of all Dino and specifically the patriarch of the family who we're gonna talk about with STO in our interview coming up in a little bit. And actually there's a documentary coming out about the family, about the Aros, about all Dino, about CLE, which is, uh, owned by the brother of sto, the other son of Julio that they make you know this, this is a major cigar family.
So let's talk about Julio Aro, the patriarch of the family. He was born in 1938 in Pinard Del Rio, Cuba. And then he fled Cuba in the 1960s following the revolution. This is pretty wild. He then, when he came to the United States, he fought in the Bay of Pigs invasion on this side of it, trying to get Cuba back.
Hmm. Wow. Pretty wild. Yeah. Trying to reclaim Cuba from Castro. In the early 1960s, he moved [00:21:00] to Honduras. He was looking for a place to continue his family's tobacco traditions, and then in the 1970s and 1980s, he rose to prominence as a leading tobacco grower in Honduras, and he's a legend for that. In the early 1990s, he acquired the Camacho Cigars brand, which is pretty wild.
He then reintroduced and cultivated authentic Roho seed from Cuba in Honduras, and he is known as the godfather of authentic Roho for that. In 2008, he sold Camacho Cigars and Rancho Hamon his factory to doff. Of course, we know that Camacho is a portfolio brand of Doff, uh, but he retained his ownership of his tobacco fields.
In 2016. He launched JRE tobacco with his son Sto aoa, and they introduced Aldino Rancho Luna. Tacan. So the three brands that they, that they now have on the market since 2016. So it's also pretty wild that [00:22:00] for how long of a history they have here, adino and these other brands have only been around under 10 years, which is pretty amazing.
So, of course over the last few years, he's been dedicated to recreating the Cuban cigar experience with 100% authentic Rojo tobacco. So this cigar obviously has a Cameroon wrapper on it, but the binder and the filler are authentic Rojo tobacco. We're gonna talk about this. You're gonna hear this in that interview that we did with sto, but the Honduran seed that they're using has not been modified.
It has not been changed. It was brought over from Cuba. And it, it's exactly that seed now growing in Honduras. So I think that obviously that's what's creating a lot of these parallels coming out of Honduran tobacco, is it's authentic seed that has not been, you know, turned into various hybrids, hybrids, et cetera.
Obviously there's been iterations of it, but it's the authentic seed leading back to Pinard de Rio.
Senator: Yeah, I, I think that was easily the most shocking part of our conversation with [00:23:00] hu uh, Hutto. And I think that might've come off air actually after we interviewed him, where we were talking about how Cuban esque the tobacco is that, that he uses.
And our question was like, is that by design? Is that by coincidence? And emphatically his answer was, it's by design. And I vividly remember him saying, he's like, there's two things. He goes, number one, exactly like Gizmo descRobustoed, he said. His claim was we are the only brand that uses true Cuban seed.
Mm-hmm. He said, everyone else that says they're using Cuban seed, it's a hybrid. And he's like, that's why our tobacco actually tastes like Cuban tobacco. Yeah. He said, number two, our blending style. He said, on a scale of zero to 10 in terms of strength, he said, every cigar we make is between a four and a half and a five and a half in terms of strength.
Gizmo: I agree with that. That's what, and
Senator: he's like, that's the Cuban profile. He's like, I'm not trying to make a bold, you know, Nicaraguan cigar. I'm [00:24:00] not trying to make something that's so mild that you're not gonna get a flavorful experience. And I was just so impressed hearing him say that. It was like, yeah, he's nailed like what Cuban cigars are all about.
And so for them to say it and actually deliver it. Is really impressive.
Rooster: And he also talks about self pollinating seed. Mm-hmm.
Gizmo: From the point of view of his blending strategy, I think it's a great business idea and business plan. Most people in the world don't want to smoke super heavy forward cigars.
He's right in that sweet spot.
Rooster: Well, as a cigar maker, you want a person to smoke multiple cigars. So if you're gonna smoke a heavy cigar, you might just smoke one cigar. As opposed to if this is a medium bodied or milder cigar, you might do multiple cigars in a day. This is really good. Right? This is so good.
You can smoke this anytime of the day. Oh, absolutely. I agree. Yeah. Can't wait
Chef Ricky: to smoke this for breakfast with a coffee. Yeah.
Rooster: I think this would go well with coffee. Yeah. Agreed. Oh yeah.
Gizmo: So wrapping this up here, boys Julio is of course [00:25:00] a legend not only in Honduras with Roho tobacco, but just worldwide as a tobacco maker and now a cigar manufacturer with his son Sto.
The factory is in Dunley, Honduras. This is pretty cool. It was once an old movie theater. So the factory, they have now used to be a movie theater. He was, like I said, one of the first to reintroduce Roho seed after it was wiped out by disease in Cuba in the 1970s. He also has a seed called Pinar Ino used in the all Dino 85th Ann Sario re Reserva, which is even rarer than the Roho, which is named after his hometown of Pin Del Rio.
So let's talk about the lines that they have in all. They offer the all Rojo. Rojo Reserva, they have a Connecticut wrapped cigar. The all Dino Maduro, the all Dino Cameroon that we're smoking tonight. The Habbo vintage selection. And finally the classic line, which is of course the one that we smoked quite some time ago and rated very highly.[00:26:00]
So I've had the Rojo Reserva, I had that cigar, I've had this one, obviously the Cameroon Robusto Busto, and I've had a few of the classic and all of them have really delivered excellent flavor. And I would agree with what you said, Senator, about what STO said about the strength profile. Mm-hmm. I've not, and I haven't had the Maduro, I don't know where that is in, in, in flavor wise.
I'm assuming it's sweeter, but um, I've not had anything that goes Yeah, same. Sweeter. Sweeter and diesel. Same into a full, even the Reserva flavor.
Rooster: I thought that that's a bit fuller.
Gizmo: It's still, I would say still it was a medium cigar rooster. Have you had that? I haven't, but I have heard about it. I mean, you know, one thing I regret after leaving the show is not.
Going over to the booth and just buying everything. He has at least one or two of each line just to have, they're not for sale. You can't, can't that. You can't just buy one cigar, can't you? You have to be a retailer ba. Oh, that's right. And they're not selling at the show two years at pca. He thought the whole time we could just buy a box
Bam Bam: I
Gizmo: could've asked him for, so he would've given
Senator: them to me.
Bam Bam: I wasn't even [00:27:00] there and I know that. All
Rooster: right. Alright.
Senator: I'm enthusiastic. Alright, so I, I will just say on the line, uh, the next saladino I would like to try is the Reserva and because when I asked Hto what he smokes, most of it was the classic ante this and the third one he mentioned was the Reserva.
Rooster: He also mentions the 85th anniversary cigar.
Gizmo: Yeah,
Rooster: right. He did mention that. Yeah. Yeah. So
Gizmo: I wanna talk about that now. Actually. They just announced that at PCA 2025, the all Dino 85th Ann Reserva. It is a celebration to honor the 85th birthday of Julio Roa. So it's a Honduran piro and it uses that Pinar seed, uh, not the Roho that he's known for. So it uses that special, very, very rare seed.
The Pinar was brought to Honduras by Tino Arden in 1960, but it was known for smaller yields and being more delicate and disease prone than roho. They're offering that cigar in two sizes in a [00:28:00] Robusto robusto, same size as this 50 ring gauge by five at $17 and 50 cents. And they also have a Toro coming out at $20, which is 52 by six.
So very cool. I think you're gonna like the packaging on this. They went with a. All yellow lacquer box on this cigar and inside is a picture of a car that he absolutely loved, which was a 1961 Buick. So, uh, Julio owned, owned that cigar, and that's the front of the box there, boys with a drawing of the cigar.
Beautiful, all yellow, beautiful lacquer box with his signature on it. So celebrating his 85th birthday. So. We'll have to put that in the lineup to review at some point. They also announced three new Camp Aladino blends according to Half Wheel here. And these are those cigars. And, and, uh, hus still mentioned this in the interview, they have that farm program that they offer certain cigars only to retailers who've gone to Honduras and visited their farms.
Mm-hmm. So if you find a store [00:29:00] that it has these cigars available, these Camp Aladino blends, uh, that means they actually have gone to the JRE farm and, and visited and toured and learned about it. So they offer three different blends, the Cameroon, the Roho, and the Maduro. The vila on those is 60, reengage by four and a half inches long.
And the Ola is called the Go Busto. By the company. So those, uh, cigars have an MSRP of $11. So those are also coming out. So that was PCA for JRE and all Dino. Cool.
Rooster: So the whole line is really well priced.
Gizmo: Yes. Everything. Very reasonable.
Rooster: Very reasonable.
Gizmo: And I think we can understand why. I mean, we talk about, again, I keep referencing this, this interview we have coming up, but we talked about how their operation is a real family operation.
Mm-hmm. You know, it's him and his wife, their three daughters. They have a couple reps out in the field, but as far as a sales force on the floor, they didn't have a ton of bodies there. They were doing it themselves. And the booth was super busy. It was the whole time. It was, it was. Um, so I can imagine that that's factoring into their ability to keep [00:30:00] prices down is that Wow.
They're lean and mean and they make, you know, great cigars and they're vertically integrated. Yeah. Don't you think that over time, as incredible as this cigar is and everything that they make, that they're. Pricing may eventually go up as demand increases. It's very well possible. Yeah. But if you look, if you compare it to Padron, you know, who runs a family business vertically, you know, integrated, they've been consistent.
They can, they can sell way more cigars than, than they're making. They just choose not to for quality and consistency purposes. Mm. I have to imagine that STOs gonna keep that policy up for Aldino.
Senator: Yeah. I have to say, I mean, meeting the family, we were there. There's, there are a lot of parallels to the Padron family.
I mean, obviously's true. The, you know, that's a good call out. The Cuban origins, and then just watching his daughters just as much as himself selling these cigars to retailers like the Paon boys, like the Padron family. Yeah. Where they're all there and involved in, um, the, the trade show and [00:31:00] selling moving product.
It, it's, it's just cool to see, you know, I feel like I. Especially something like cigars that obviously is like heavily male dominated. I mean, I couldn't believe to see like three daughters there that knew that product line better than anyone on that trade show floor. I, I just, the whole thing was very impressive to me.
And I think one of the reasons we love supporting Padron, um, as a brand is, is that, you know, family, the integrity that they have as a family and how they've protected that brand so well. And I see, you know, Aladino very, very much in the same light and I hope they continue to be wildly successful as a result.
I completely agree.
Gizmo: All right boys, so before we get to the interview, let's talk about our pairing tonight. We have the Can Negra, tequila Anejo. I have never had this before. This was suggested by Chef Ricky. That's a new one for me. And, uh, what was the impetus to, uh, recommend cheers this tequila. [00:32:00] Cheers, by the way.
Cheers. Cheers. Cheer, we sip cheer. I'm curious, uh, why this one?
Chef Ricky: I've had this tequila maybe two or three times. It's been on the shelf over at, uh, at, at our restaurants at ajo. And, um, I, I don't often sip Ajo tequilas and, uh, so I, it's not something that I go to often lately I've been, especially with the, with the change in weather, I've been more on the blanco repo side.
Uh, but I remember this one standing out and I think what I really enjoyed about this one is its blend of cognac and bourbon cask and knowing that this was a Honduran tobacco and some of senator's influence in there as well. Uh, you know, I think Senator had suggested maybe a don, but since we had already, uh, covered that on the pod, I thought this would be a good parallel.
Uh, and it's new for all of us. It's not something that I drink often, so it's kind of fun for me to revisit it. It's additive free. It, you know, there's not a whole lot of, uh. [00:33:00] Of a backstory to it. It's not a long brand, hasn't been around forever. Um, it's made in a distillery where there's many other brands produced.
But this is, uh, you know, that distillery is known for making small batch tequilas that are added free, most of them anyway. And, um. You know, they use a lot of the artisanal processes. So this is just water blue, we agave and yeast. Um, so they're not relying on wild yeast. They do use a proprietary yeast. Uh, but outside of that, uh, this tequila should be really delicious.
I think we're gonna find nutty caramel, uh, for nodes with some vanilla there. And based on what we're tasting in this cigar, which by the way, I'm kind of right now full on apple cinnamon. Like I'm getting apple on this retro.
Senator: Thank you. I'm getting
Chef Ricky: cinnamon and I can't wait to sip the tequila 'cause I think it's gonna really bring all of that forward.
I'm
Gizmo: not getting that cinnamon, but I do love the cigar.
Senator: One chef has said, said their cinnamon, it's officially part the black. [00:34:00] He's vindicated.
Gizmo: By the way, normally, bam, when Chef says it, bam jumps right on board. It's true. There is a little bit of a bams just wanting to be difficult. That's not
Chef Ricky: true.
Rooster: Ready?
Even if BAM gets us anyone Not, not tonight. He's not gonna say it. He's not gonna say something. Who are you? The attorney pipe down.
Gizmo: So what do you guys think of the tequila Anejo? So I've been, si, I snuck several sips before we actually did the tasting. Yeah, sure. We can tell. I know you don't like that. I get a deep caramel on the finish.
Yeah,
Chef Ricky: it's really buttery. Really round. It's gonna go really a little
Gizmo: salt, salted butter for me on the front. Caramel on the finish touch hot. But I like it. Wow. I, I
Senator: don't find
Gizmo: this hot at
Senator: all. Just a touch. I'm very surprised by that. Yeah. I find this to be extremely smooth. Buttery. Yeah. Which we've been talking about how buttery this cigar is.
I think it pairs exceptionally well. It's a great pair with this saladino. Um, so chef nailed it. I mean, I just, you know, mentioned things that I like to, uh, that I [00:35:00] know and have had that I would like to drink with it. And of course, uh, you know, chef Ricky found something that we hadn't had, and I think perfectly nailed the flavor profile that lends itself to this cigar.
Gizmo: So the price point
Chef Ricky: on this Tequila Boys is $66. So this is what, this is one of the things I love about this tequila. So first of all, it's aged, so it's obviously aged in different barrels and then blended for optimal flavor. But I. Nothing is less, is age less than 18 months. And that's huge because to be in Anejo, you could go as low as 12.
Gizmo: Hmm.
Chef Ricky: Right. So that's, you know, for them to go that far in this process at a minimum, I think that's what's resulting in this really round, buttery finish. Caramel. This is
Gizmo: dangerously easy to drink. Yeah, it's good. It's good. It's so easy to drink it. It's almost like I'm shocked that there's no additives in it because it's so easy to drink.
There's no harshness, there's no weird imparted flavor. I'm not tasting barrels like [00:36:00] it's a very well-rounded onne ho. Like I love the flavor.
Chef Ricky: There's still a little agave coming forward. Like there's still
Gizmo: a little pepper there. There's still a little earthy minerality happening, so. So that's where, I guess I'm saying heat, but it's that peppery from the agave that I'm getting, which I love.
But I'm gonna have to assume that this caramel, vanilla, it's more caramel for me is coming through from the kak barrels.
Chef Ricky: Yep.
Gizmo: Right. Yep. French oak.
Senator: Yeah. Delicious. I just think to all the flavor notes we've been descRobustoing, it's extremely well balanced. Like it leans sweeter, but you're still getting some of, like the peppery notes we were talking about from the agave.
Um, everything is just like perfectly married together and, um, yeah, I, I already would definitely buy a bottle of this and drink this again. Same, and I
Gizmo: think it's very fairly priced at, at 66 bucks, correct? Absolutely. A total wine. It was, yeah. Really easy. Really easy to drink and a great price. Stellar pairing.
So boys, we're coming to the end of the first third here on the all Dino Cameroon in robo. [00:37:00] What's everybody thinking?
Rooster: The construction on the cigar is impeccable. Sure
Gizmo: too. Mine's burning. Great. Well constructed flavor's. Excellent. Are you getting I'm getting a lot of sweetness now in my cigar, which I got in the, this is only again, my second one.
It's like full on sweet forward experience, but very smooth and creamy, velvety. And I love the saltiness on the tongue. I get that in front. I really like that. But that balance is what makes this a sophisticated cigar. And it that savory sweetness on a $9 stick is incredible. And just like the tequila, it's so easy to smoke.
Nobody has pulled out a lighter in almost 40 minutes of recording. I mean, it's really, really for a cigar that's most folks are gonna be able to find under 10 bucks. It's a home run. So far,
Chef Ricky: I love the thickness of the wrap around this. Yeah. I'm really a fan of cigars that have this. This thickness.
Senator: It is robust.
Yeah. It's so funny you said, [00:38:00] it's like you read my mind. I was just sitting here thinking, I've smoked this cigar outdoors in tons of different environments. I'm talking windy, little humid. It has performed walking through the snow. Yes, it has performed perfectly in everything. It's like we usually only say, you know, Padron is able to kind of withstand any of the crazy elements with weather and this cigar.
For me, I've had that experience and I think it's exactly like chef's pointing out like it's got a substantial wrapper that. Just is able to hold up well when there's, you know, not ideal weather conditions you're dealing with. So I love the ability just if you're golfing, bring this on the golf course.
If you're, um, you know, at the beach and it's a little windy, you don't have to worry like you might with certain other, you know, Cuban cigars with much thinner wrappers. Mm-hmm. So, um, it, it just really helps with the smoking experience and the price
Chef Ricky: point makes it right.
Senator: It
Chef Ricky: makes it perfect for all of those occasions as well, you know?
Oh yeah. It's crazy [00:39:00] how good this is.
Gizmo: Yeah. So good. So boys, it's time now to go to our interview with Sto AOA of JRE, tobacco and Aladino that we recorded live at PCA 2025 in New Orleans. And I have to say, so this was the last interview, last conversation we recorded at PCA. We actually had done the episode and we actually were able to get STO to come over at the end of that second day, and it ended up being a really great conversation.
He is such an awesome guy.
Senator: He's great. My favorite, uh, thing was, uh, he met, uh, he met bam bam and thought that the name wasn't, uh, appropriate. That he should have been Fred from the Flint States.
Gizmo: I forgot about that.
Senator: I wish we recorded that.
Gizmo: Oh, I wish we recorded that. Oh shit. I forgot about that. He said, you have the wrong nickname That explains so much motherfucker.
I do love him though. He, it was great. He's so great. So I hope you enjoy this conversation we had with Sto AA of Aladino and JRE Tobacco live at PCA a [00:40:00] 2025, and we'll come back to you at the end of the second, third.
All right. Live from PCA 2025. We are sitting here with a very, very special guest, a new friend of ours, Huo. Hey, how are you guys?
Justo Eiroa: Thank you for having me on board.
Gizmo: I really appreciate it. Yes, thank you for coming by and taking some time outta your very busy day, I must say. It's impressive how busy. Your booth has been for the last two days, it's one of the busiest booths.
Oh, yeah. At PCA. So congratulations for that. We're,
Justo Eiroa: we're very best. Uh, we're very blessed. Thank you. And plus, uh, the whole family works a lot of hard Oh yeah. So that really helps a lot. So we try to treat everybody, you know, with, with, with, with, with a lot of help and help 'em out as much as we can.
Gizmo: It's impressive to see your daughters as passionate as they are for the business.
Justo Eiroa: Oh, they're, trust me. That's incredible. Sometimes they say, Hey dad, get outta the way. Yeah.
Gizmo: So the reason why we asked Huo to join us here on the podcast tonight, uh, is twofold. Number one, [00:41:00] we were very inspired by the story, uh, about your family that the hand rolled documentary folks put together about your family, about Honduras, uh, the legacy, the cigar history.
We were really blown away by it. So congratulations on that. And I can't wait for Thank you so much. It's a
Justo Eiroa: real honor to, to I can't wait for the
Gizmo: world to see it.
Justo Eiroa: Yes. We, we, we were also are waiting for it because. Unfortunately what's cut a little bit short, but I think they'll be done. And these guys at hand rolled have done a a, a phenomenal job.
Gizmo: Absolutely. And of course the second part of why we asked who stood to join us is that we fell absolutely in love with the Eno. I. Classic ante ero. We rated it a perfect 10.0. It's an incredible cigar. Wow. We were blown away. Thank you. That's,
Justo Eiroa: that's awesome. You know what, that's one of my favorite and one of my dad's favorite Vilo.
The ero, you know, and I'll go into it when, when you can start asking too. Oh, his too. Oh yeah. I can't
Gizmo: get enough of him. It's an amazing cigar, an amazing value. And for us, you know, we [00:42:00] smoke both Cuban and non Cuban cigars, and for us, Honduras has really been the closest thing to Cuban tobacco that we've experienced and we love it all.
But there's something about your classic line specifically that lands, that really rings our bell as, as smokers who both love Cuban and non Cuban. So tell us a little bit about that classic blend. I know in the documentary there was a lot of conversation about Cuba. And, and that tobacco and how close Honduras is to that.
Uh, but tell us a little bit about the classic blend.
Justo Eiroa: Well, the classic blend is something that, one, one of the things that we, the way we blend is we follow my dad's tradition, which is the Cuban Way to Blend, which we do cigars with a lot of aroma. We don't, we don't look for power. We don't look for power.
What we want to do is fulfill your palate with notes in aroma, and then let your palate be driven by the flavor of the tobacco and not overwhelm your palate or kill your palate. Just like if you're drinking, you know, a hot shot [00:43:00] of, you know, uh. Of, uh, bourbon, which absolutely will just, you know, overwhelm your palate and it'll make it numb in a cigar.
We do the same thing. We try to make a cigar that at the same time that it gives you lots of flavor so that your palate continues to be healthy, to continue to smoke one cigar or another cigar, and also able to enjoy a drink and also able to enjoy a meal. So this,
Senator: this is why I can smoke three of those in a row.
No problem.
Justo Eiroa: That's the idea. I mean, if I was to give you, you know, 1, 1 1 cigar that will put you away. I mean, I mean, you know, you'll enjoy it if you got like to get, you know, you hammered with a cigar. But in, in our way, we want you to enjoy the experience and it's a social event. So for me, smoking cigar is a social experience.
So to be a social experience, it is something you share with your friends and family. Sure. To be able to enjoy.
Gizmo: This is my second aldino in a row, and it just, it gets better and better. The build on, its incredible. Yes. And as. Gizmo mentioned earlier, [00:44:00] it's one of the most Cuban esque cigars that we've ever had.
Yes. As a group. Yes.
Justo Eiroa: Yes. I actually, when we came out with this lime, we specifically designed it for Europe, and it's probably one of the most successful lines that we have in Europe because we're always, I always enjoy the way Cuban cigars smoke because they're tend to be more towards a middle. Palate and, and, and I like to smoke medium bodied cigars like my dad does.
So I don't like stronger cigars. I get, you know, I, I actually pretty, pretty lightweight when it comes to stronger cigars. I could handle 'em early in the morning, but believe it or not, I rather smoke more often than, than, than fewer cigars,
Pagoda: right? No, absolutely. This cigar is one of the most versatile cigars.
Yes. I've handed it to people who've never smoked cigars to people who've just started it. And obviously at our range where we smoke a couple of cigars a day, in fact, more than a couple of cigars a day and everybody enjoys it. Very versatile. Fantastic.
Justo Eiroa: Yes. And that's what you want to [00:45:00] have something. This is kind of like a, even when you look at a LAN cereal, people, you know, oh, the LAN cereal is a very thin cigar dude.
It's got the most flavor of any cigar that you have. That's correct. I recognize the smoking the most expensive wrapper and the biggest ratio wrapper of any single cigar. I would rather smoke and pay 10 times more for land cereal than a Gordo, because you're smoking filler. The rest of the stuff is filler.
You're feeding right into him. All right, so I've gotten a lot of CRI criticism on this. How much
Senator: did he pay you to say? Correct. I've gotten a lot of CRI criticism stuff. Lemme, it's very
Justo Eiroa: simple. You want eat a, a New York strip or you want to eat a New York strip, you know, breaded.
Gizmo: Perfect. Well said. Yeah, well said.
So we must talk about your family story. And, and as we, you know, we said we, we watched you work at your booth, we've watched your family and I'm completely blown away that it's not overrun by sales folks and hired people. It is the family doing the talking, doing the selling, and you know, educating people about the new products, [00:46:00] about your lines, et cetera.
So tell us about the family dynamic.
Justo Eiroa: Well, the family dynamics is very simple. I'm the man of the house and everything I say goes against me. Yes. So the way to get women pissed off is very simple. Say yes, say no, or say nothing. So there you go. Sounds like my house. Sounds like your house. I'm a
Gizmo: tolerated idiot at my house.
Yeah. Yeah. So that's
Justo Eiroa: the way it is. So I have, I have learned to have selective hearing, but going to the professional side, the girls are very professional, they're very focused, and they're very, I. Uh, how do you call it? They're, they're, they're very eloquent when it comes to taking care of people. They're, they're, they're, they're, I always teach 'em to be very respectful and focus on, on, on, on, on service.
So I think, uh, you know, they're always trying to help you out and guide you the best way they can. And, and you know, that's something that, you know, you just we're, we're lucky to be able to do that.
Senator: How old are your girls? I mean, for the listener. It is unbelievable to just watch. I, we've talked to so many manufacturers who say, [00:47:00] I need a sales force.
I needs to grow my sales force. Who needs a sales force? When you have a family like yours? Unbelievable. Well, we need a
Justo Eiroa: sales force out in the field, but in the house, the oldest one is 30, which is Vivian. It's the oldest one. Then we have Andrea, which is 27, and the little one is 24. Oh, wow. Wow. Yeah. Yeah.
Incredible. You think
Senator: they've been doing this for 10, 15? It's unbelievable. You
Gizmo: can just tell they're very polished. They're very professional, very well-spoken. Yeah. They've got a presence about them. And they're all smoking cigars. They day long smoke cigar.
Justo Eiroa: It's not, and you know what? Not only it's, they'll smoke from a mild cigar to a strong cigar.
Yeah. They don't mess around. That's right. Wow. Yeah. That's amazing.
Gizmo: So tell us about the range of adino and, and your product offering. I know you said you prefer something more mild. Middle of the middle of the road. Okay. If you look at a range, range of our
Justo Eiroa: cigars, we have a lot of range of our cigars.
When, let's look at, at a spectrum, you know, let's, let's put at five, you know, the middle of the range of in, in power of strength. I would say most of our cigars are between four and five and a [00:48:00] half. But then we have on our strong end when, when I'm talking about stronger end, we're looking at the ones that have a little bit more lero, a little bit more content of nicotine.
That will give you a buzz. Now you're looking at a reserv, you're looking at the che. And now we're also looking at the Camp Palino Cigars, which is a small little gore buso. It's a 60 by four and a half. That is only available for the stores that have been to the farm. But the idea is for us. Within all those different ranges of, of gauges that we have is to have different wrappers wrapper changes completely the dynamics of the flavor of the cigar.
So we have Connecticut, we got Cameroon, we got San Andreas, we got Banno, we got Rojo, and we got Sumatra. And we also, one of the, at one part of time in history, we're the largest grower Candela in the world. So we also have some Candela. But you know, it is, it's a very seasonal thing, but there are some followers of Candela's.
Gizmo: So obviously, you know, we, we learned from the documentary and, and having smoked the cigars. Now reading up on Aladino and your [00:49:00] family's story, so thinking about legacy and thinking about the future of Aladino and your business, obviously your three daughters are very, very involved. Do they all handle different things?
What is your involvement in the business? Like how, what is the actual work dynamic and who handles what I.
Justo Eiroa: Okay. So we have basically distRobustouted ourselves pretty much in, in, in, in a, so actually my wife and I have been doing business and working together for business for over 30 years. Wow. We've been married over 30 years, so, you know, I am a survivor.
That's, that's, that's quite a testament to your, to your ability to be patient. So, uh, separate from that survivor, uh, uh, uh, the oldest one lives in Europe and she manages the European market. She's a great sales person. That's amazing. Her personality. It's pretty similar to mine. The second one is more like my wife, more into the administration, but she's also pretty wise when it comes to business.
In the little one, it was kind of a miniature copy of the oldest one and me. [00:50:00] So she's more into sales and sometimes I gotta, Hey, hey, slow down, slow down. That, that, that. But that's the way the dynamics are. Great. So we're, so I'm trying to work two and more in the sales and to the wife and, and my middle daughter more in the administration and, and, and, and, and the, the knit and greet of, of the running of the business.
Wow.
Gizmo: It's a true family business.
Justo Eiroa: Yes, it is. A
Gizmo: lot of folks talk about that, but watching it real time for several days now. You'll have a real true family business. Trust me. It's not always easy. I'm sure it's not, but yes, it is impressive. Yes. So tell us about your blending decisions. How do you come up with a new cigar?
What is the process, uh, for you guys as you're putting together a new release, a new line? How does that, how does that work inside your company? I guess the first question would be, are you putting out a new line?
Justo Eiroa: Well, we are putting out the new line, which is my dad's 85th. Okay. So as you know, it's the one with a yellow box with a car,
Gizmo: right?
Yes,
Justo Eiroa: yes. Uh, and, and that's. Partly very important and very iconic to the hand rolled because that was actually the [00:51:00] original seed that came to Honduras in 1960, taken by the Honduran ambassador in Cuba to Honduras to start the pilot program, which was actually the first pilot program. First started outside of Cuba and Central America before anything started.
And there's documentation that you'll be able to see that. And uh, I have in my phone and I have the original letter with me at home. Basically that project was started and that is the original seed that you're smoking is just like the kojo, but sweeter. So that is, so the 85th anniversary was gonna be my dad's 80th.
Right now he's 87. So he waited seven years to pull the trigger. He said, dad, no longer. It's not gonna be the 90th time to put it out now.
Chef Ricky: Yeah.
Gizmo: A technical question. Is there differences in soil composition between the Cuban soil and the Honduran soil? Well, and how does that affect what you do?
Justo Eiroa: Yes, there are some differences in soil soils will make a difference in the taste profile, but I will, I will, I will.
[00:52:00] I, let me give you a perfect example. Uh, I'm not a wine connoisseur, but for example, you know, I know there is Cabernets and different types of wines, and you have carnet from Argentina, you have Carnet from California, carnet from uh, Australia. And the flavor profile will be in that same spectrum of range of flavors.
But they might be a little bit more sweetness or more, more, more. More tones of something. And I think that's the same thing that happens with, with, with land and, and, and, and the crops that are grown in different land. So they'll, some characteristics will come through, but I always tell people if you have a chihuahua that is born in Russia, in one chihuahua that is born in Mexican, one will drink tequila, the other one will with vodka.
And they're both chihuahuas. That's true. So genetically they're exactly the same thing. Correct? Correct. But they'll just drink different Sure. But, but you know, you know the attitude genetically wise. Right. They'll be very, very similar.
Gizmo: Got it, got it. Yeah. So it's a genetics. It's a [00:53:00] genetics. Got it. Yep. So I have heard, and I don't know if this is true, but your seed that you're, you're planting for your tobacco has never been modified.
It is brought over from Cuba, and that's the only
Justo Eiroa: original varieties. They're, they're self pollinating. So it is every time it's a clone. Oh wow. And
Gizmo: everywhere else that Cuban seed has been moved or it's changed or
Justo Eiroa: No, necessarily when you get a, a, a, a variety. Variety is, is a na a nature's, uh, is a self pollinating plant.
So basically the flower, uh, out pollinates themselves. Do you get a perfect clone every single time? Hmm. So tomatoes, potatoes, and tobacco or are, are from the same family of so ACEs, so they have self pollinating seeds. So for example, if you look at a cherry tomato, you harvest a cherry tomato, you get the seed, you get the same tomato.
It's exactly the same variety because it's self pollinating. The same thing with the tobacco. Now there are some cross breeds where you get cut the stems of one [00:54:00] tobacco plant. Of the flower and you pollinate the, the, the, the, the sack of, of of, of the other flower with the, with with, with, with the pollen of the different variety.
And then you make, you be, you become a hybrid or across.
Gizmo: Very interesting.
Senator: Yeah. So how long has all Ladino been manufacturing? And I say this because especially in recent years, I feel like there's been an explosion in awareness of the brand and people talking about it. I mean that's how we, we kinda stumbled upon Aladino.
Yeah. We had listeners requesting That's right. Us review all That's right. That's how we
Gizmo: discovered you. Was our listener saying please. Oh, thank you. Whoever
Justo Eiroa: was asking that, you guys are very smart and I really appreciate you guys to bring all these guys into the sunlight. Thank you so much. No. So we actually started manufacturing in 2007, 2008.
Gizmo: Okay.
Justo Eiroa: Uh, we had a non-compete after my dad had sold to DT off, and then my brother was able to break off with his company, uh, with CLE in a row. And then my father and I founded Aladino, and in 2008 we [00:55:00] came out with it. So basically as of 2008, we, we came out with Aladino. Yeah.
Senator: Amazing. I also think your, your timing, you know.
As Gizmo mentioned, we review Cuban cigars and new world cigars, Cuban cigar prices have skyrocketed. The demand for New World Tobacco, I feel like has only increased as a result to find something that delivers as satisfying an experience at a reasonable price point, and for your tobacco to be as close to the style of Cuban blending at a incredibly reasonable price point.
And to see you guys in a market like Europe, I can only imagine the growth opportunities for you all there. No,
Justo Eiroa: we're, we're very, we're very super happy with the European growth. I think, uh, uh, the way we're we're tracking is gonna be, is we have a bright future and the girls are doing a fantastic job and all our distRobustoutors are doing a fantastic job.
So we're very, very blessed.
Senator: And I love that you're also sending a clear message to smokers like myself that Lance Ceros need to get more love and appreciation. You know, what you, I gonna tell you, I gotta tell you, is very [00:56:00] simple.
Justo Eiroa: It's very simple. You get Lance's where is at. Wow. It's true. Quite the statement.
Gizmo: So what did the next three to five to 10 years look like in your vision? And I know that's a hard question. Let me finish the trade show.
Justo Eiroa: You're almost done. You're almost done. Not only that, I gotta go and, and kind of make a fool of myself in the next 30 minutes. That a comedy it is Hall FI can help you out with that.
Yeah. So I I I'll need your help. Bam, bam. Correct.
Gizmo: By the way, we have to tell the story. So when we were talking to Sto earlier, he looked at bam Bams name tag. And please tell him, tell us what you said when you said he looks more like, uh, Fred Flintstone.
Justo Eiroa: He looks more like a Fred Flint on. He's not, he's not blonde.
And he's not short. That's true.
Gizmo: That's true. It's all true
Justo Eiroa: and archaic. No, just kidding. I'll take it.
Gizmo: Alright. So very seriously, what do, what do the next few years look like for you guys?
Justo Eiroa: Well, I think one of the first things that you need to do, you need to focus on establishing the core line. As the core line keeps on growing, you are able to bring out some innovations.[00:57:00]
But the thing is, sometimes our industry is always focusing on getting something new. What's the new thing? What's the new thing? And I think everybody is, is is, you know, there's so much new things that you could do, right. So sometimes it's just better to hold off and establish something really well, and then look for the next thing.
So, uh, right now I, I, I do might want to come up something with my 10th anniversary because we're, we're almost there. So that's something that I might be looking at. But for now, I just want to focus on developing the 85th, expanding the line of 85th for the Land Zero and the 85th plan. And, you know, keep on expanding that.
We have next year the Go Busto, which is a four and a half by 60, which is available now only for the farm stores. So that's gonna be transitioning into a regular line.
Gizmo: So let's tell our listeners. I, I met Adrian, who's the rep up, uh, in New York, New Jersey up by us, and he was telling us a little bit about the farm stores, which is an exclusive type of release from Allo Dino that's [00:58:00] only available to retailers who actually go and visit your facility.
Is that correct? Absolutely,
Justo Eiroa: yes. So the people that go to the farm, uh, or the, the, the, the stores that go to the farm, they're able to experience. Basically the, the, the, you know, starting from the seed all the way to manufacturing a box also to making rolling cigars. And they get to spend three or four days with us, which have become a very special, uh, uh, a special occasion for them.
Not only to interact with, with, with, with the different tobacco varieties, smoke, the different blends that we have, but at the same time, they also interact with other retailers and that actually grows the experience of them to understand the industry more and be able to network more. So all these guys, all these farm stores that have been there, are able to get exclusive stuff that makes them a special store for them to go.
And letting you guys to come out as a media. You guys can come out next year with and I, I'll take care of you guys. And there the only thing you need to do is get your tickets and you guys are done. Check mark. That's, that's a done deal [00:59:00] we're definitely gonna do next year. Yeah. We have, we're gladly invited.
We have
Gizmo: totally fallen in love with Honduran tobacco. Absolutely. And Alan Dino is a huge piece of that, uh, because we're constantly been searching for something that, you know, when we sit down to smoke, we smoke a lot of cigars, so. We're not only gonna smoke all Cuban or all Dominican or all Nicaraguan, or all Hondurans.
So there's a kind of slot, a rotation that we work with. And Aldino has found a very unique, important spot in all of our daily rotation. And all the guys at our lounge and our listeners and our friends, it's really turned into something. So it's, it's really been a, it's really been a nice thing to, uh, have found Aladino and your Honduran tobacco.
Justo Eiroa: Well, thank you for those listeners, and I appreciate you all so very much. Thank you so much. You can do so much for the industry, not just for Aladino, but for everybody in the industry and for all the cigar smokers, which are actually brothers of the leaf. Thank you guys.
Pagoda: I. No, I, you know what's really interesting is every time we think about aina, we think it's very Cuban esque, right?
And it's so true. But now you begin to understand the story and [01:00:00] the original seed and just your ethos. It is very Cuban esque in its, uh, profile. So it's fantastic. But what I really like is that, you know, they're trying to. Invite all these retailers over there to try and understand education's such an important part of, you know, uh, just expanding not only the culture, but the interest, the inspiration for people who love and follow cigars and taste cigars.
It's great that you're, you know, continue to educate people or the retailers in this case, but we are trying to do the same thing. Yeah. We are trying to educate, you know, our listeners and through you. I think the
Justo Eiroa: most important thing that you have said right now is that the education and understanding the product that you sell, whatever you do, whether you sell a computer or whether you sell a car, or whether you sell your.
Children, uh, a school or a program, you need to understand it so that way you can sell it. Mm-hmm. Absolutely. So I think for any retailer to be able to participate in one of those things, the only thing you're doing is you're investing in your business, not a separate from investing in [01:01:00] your business, not you.
You're taking that to the next level because you're getting a free education. You're able to take that knowledge and able to convert that into, into, into smokers or something that you're able to teach.
Pagoda: Absolutely. And you know, we, we are trying to accomplish the same thing. In fact, you know, the way this even the podcast kind of evolved is with the idea of sharing our experiences, our thought process, our knowledge, and just expanding it to as many people to share the same interests and enjoy life, you know, while smoking a cigar.
So that's fantastic. Love your ethos. I do have a couple of personal questions. How often
Gizmo: are you smoking a day?
Justo Eiroa: How many cigars do you typically smoke? Well, normally, okay, so when I travel and I'm on the road, I'll smoke easily five to six, seven cigars a day. And now you're talking? Yeah. Okay. Now, normally when I'm at the office, if I'm a little bit stressed out, I'll smoke one or two during the week.
Okay. Right. But since I'm always constantly on the road, I try to stay off of the cigars. So in the weekend, but when I'm with my daughter or my brother Sure. Or my sisters or, well my sister doesn't [01:02:00] smoke, but, but, uh, when I'm with friends, you know, I'll open up a pot of scotch and I'll just smoke a puck, couple of cigars and, and play some dominoes.
So that
Gizmo: leads me to my next question. So what are you typically pairing your cigars with?
Justo Eiroa: Look, I'm really, I'm sure it depends on the time of day. I'm really, honestly, I, I, I, I drink a lot of scotch. Yeah. As do we. Yeah. So, uh, for me, I, I, you know, I'm core like, you know, uh, Macallan or Ador or, or, or, uh, Shivas, I'm, I don't like too much pettiness, so I like a little bit of a sweetness.
Sure. But now my girls are trying to get me into tequila because it's better for my, for my, for my, we have some good recommendations from Okay. So I'm willing, I'm willing, I'm willing to take 'em.
Gizmo: Absolutely. Yeah. And in your entire collection, what are you smoking more of right now? What are you grabbing for
Justo Eiroa: what I grab more the Cameroon.
Yeah.
Gizmo: Oh, really?
Justo Eiroa: I grab more of the camera than anything else. I think we should try that. We need to try that. Absolutely. Yeah. Well come by the booth and I'll hook you guys up with the booth. You don't have to tell me. Okay.
Gizmo: Listen, thank you so much for your time. Thank you so much. Thank you. You guys are really awesome.
Thank you so much. I [01:03:00] really enjoyed it a lot.
Justo Eiroa: I do apologize it took a little bit, but we finally got it done. Oh, I'm
Gizmo: so glad we made it happen. Thank you. Thank you so much.
Justo Eiroa: I appreciate it.
Gizmo: We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Hutto. I know that we really enjoyed it. What a great guy. What a great story. So, so great. As Senator was saying, I love the family story. I love how he talked about his daughters and working with his wife. He obviously made some hilarious quips about being the only man in the house and one of the only men in the business.
You know, uh, it, it, it was a really great conversation and it was so nice of him to give us the time and, uh, to give us some great cigars as well. It was very nice of him. So down to earth, just one of the guys. So boys we're coming into the last third now on the Aladino, Cameroon, and Rob Robusto. How's it smoking for you?
Excellent. How you feeling? Chef? Chef's in heaven over there. He is in heaven. Eyes are closed. I'm, I'm really enjoying the ci. You're whimsical right now, aren't you?
Chef Ricky: He is. I'm enjoying the [01:04:00] cigar and I'm enjoying the pairing very much. Yeah, me too. This is working really well.
Gizmo: Yeah. I really love this tequila. I, the first few sips I was like, wow, this is really smooth and easy to drink. And as I'm sipping it more, my palate is adjusting, it's getting more complicated, interesting, complex, those words that we would normally tie to a very, very rich, uh, experience in a tequila or a pairing.
Mm-hmm. This is a perfect pairing for the cigar too.
Chef Ricky: It's, it's really awesome that you nailed that. 'cause early on I was getting more vanilla, more caramel, and now it's kind of. Leaning savory in an interesting way. Hmm. Uh, and it might be this, the salt from the cigar or, or whatever's happening here, but I'm, I'm liking the direction, I'm liking where it's headed.
Gizmo: Uh, I'm kind of getting like a sugar cookie on the cigar right now. Hmm. That's, it's that sweet for me with the balance of that salt on the front. It's pretty unique. Snickerdoodle. Uh, yeah. Just a very basic sugar cookie.
Rooster: Also very [01:05:00] creamy.
Chef Ricky: Yeah. I definitely, definitely, I tried to lure him into the cinnamon there.
Snickerdoodle is a sugar cookie with cinnamon, not take, not apple
Senator: pie. It's like, look, I'm sorry. All these notes we're talking about, especially even creaminess in a cigar like this, these are notes that we would typically get from aged tobacco. That's, I mean, I have no idea how long this is aged, but I can't imagine it's not much.
It's particularly long at eight 50 a cigar. Mm-hmm. And like it's delivering such a refined. Age, tobacco like experience. Absolutely. And that's
Gizmo: what's so impressive to me about this cigar. It's insane how incredible the cigar is. This is a really rich experience. Yeah, agreed. I, again, I can't believe that we're smoking a cigar that is under $10 that tastes as good as this does that is smoking as well as this does.
Senator, you've commented, you know, as we've talked over the last few weeks about the cigar. You've said you've smoked 20 plus and they've, have they all performed like this?
Senator: Every single [01:06:00] one has burned flawlessly. I haven't had to touch them up and the flavor has been spot on in each of them. So, um, you know, the consistency, I think that's one thing we're starting to discover with all Dino.
I mean, first with the Landero, I don't think any of us have had a lanzaro that has been plugged or never. No. And that's common with Seros. That's true. Cuban landeros especially. We've all been there and even some new world ones, you know, we did that Oliva v Landero and we've talked about how it can, needs to be touched up a ton of time, stuff like that.
I don't think any of us have had any major issues and this cigar for me has been exactly the same. No problems at all.
Gizmo: So boys, let's talk about some news. Uh, I wanted to share with listeners out there that there are some tariff price increases coming announced by a lot of cigar brands, and it's coming, I guess, of as of June 1st.
These are gonna be coming out, so if you're looking to buy some cigars, try to get them, hopefully before some of these [01:07:00] price increases happen, but. We're talking, so let's, let's just say this. So Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which is where most of our non Cuban cigars are coming from, are all being subject to a 10% tariff coming into the country.
So what we're seeing is a lot of companies, Altus Casa Carillo, the Rio Family, CLE, which is an AOA as well, uh, foundation gir. Oliva, Perdomo, Roma Craft, STG, who owns a ton of brands, villager, a lot of brands have announced price increases due to these tariffs. So we're seeing generally in between somewhere around five to seven and a half to 10%, uh, that these companies that we just talked about, but I guess.
What we're gonna see is a lot more of the companies and the cigars that we smoked are being impacted because if you figure, you know, 25, 50 cents, whatever it may be, on a cigar coming into the country on a tariff, it's going to [01:08:00] have to be passed on to us, unfortunately, as cigar smokers. So it seems like our cigars are definitely gonna be going up in price, as you know.
As the summer rolls on here, you know, uh, it's unfortunate, so keep your eye out as these tariff price increases are announced. And you know, of course there's a lot of other costs that are increasing for a lot of these manufacturers. So, you know, normal price increases are gonna happen anyway. But unfortunately, I think they're gonna be exacerbated a little bit by these tariffs.
So let's talk about another news story. Boys. I always like talking about these government overregulating stories, and this one I saw on half Wheel and a bill has come into Connecticut banning online cigar sales. What are we doing? So if you, if you go, if you live in Connecticut, you're
Chef Ricky: fucked. If I needed another reason to not go there.
So,
Gizmo: oh, that's an edit. I'm leaving it in. Oh. [01:09:00] So it looks like they are aiming to outlaw the online sales of e-cigarettes and vaping products, but also that's fine. Premium cigars. That's a problem. So that's not great. So it looks like it's gonna be very difficult to get cigars in Connecticut unless you're buying from a Connecticut retailer or you're crossing a border.
It could
Chef Ricky: be good for the brick and mortars. Yeah. Yeah. So I mean, I guess that's not the end of the world. Why can't
Rooster: they keep the cigars separate?
Chef Ricky: Yeah. Makes no sense. Why
Rooster: do they always kind of combine all the tobacco products into how could you combine like e-cigarettes and vaping with cigars?
Senator: It's so stupid.
I mean, this has been the decades long debate. Yeah. On every single regulatory action that has happened. It gets lumped in with everything else, and organizations like PCA and CAA have to spend millions of dollars lobbying to make clear the difference between the two and [01:10:00] usually, uh, the overwhelming majority of the time, thankfully, eventually.
They will carve out premium cigars. But it's ridiculous at this point that like the same education needs to happen and that these legislators that are so gung-ho to regulate these things have no understanding of the actual market and how there's no minor child trying to purchase an eno, Cameroon re busto to smoke.
They're trying to get vapes and products that are flavored like that. Yeah.
Chef Ricky: Yeah. I feel like we need some gun lobbyists on the cigar side.
Gizmo: This is interesting too. So originally the bills text, you know, had no carve outs. Then the bills text was modified to include an exemption for premium cigar shipments, except that.
The exclusion was pretty crazy. So here, here, here was their definition of a premium cigar. It's handmade check. [01:11:00] It's not mass produced by use of mechanization. Check has a wrapper made entirely from whole leaf tobacco check has no filter tip or non-tobacco mouthpiece. Check is capped by hand check. And then the final one has a wholesale price of not less than $30 per cigar.
Wow. What? Wow, if you figured that this cigar doff,
Senator: doff is like,
Gizmo: great. Yeah, doffs good. We've
Senator: cornered the market. We're the only ones allowed to sell. Now PAC X is good,
Gizmo: but we're talking about a cigar that the wholesale price on this cigar is probably what, three, $4 if we're paying eight $59 retail for it, completely carved out, and then they completely remove the exemption period.
So premium cigars are back in this category. Online sales are not being allowed in Connecticut. Just absolutely insane. Absolutely insane. So hopefully they get their shit together up in Connecticut. And, uh, don't pass this bill. But, uh, we will keep you updated if it does. [01:12:00] And, uh, what happens with that? And this is a, this is a big one for our friend Rooster over here.
Tiwahe has announced that the pork tenderloin is returning for 2025, as you remember, the plant-based version. As you remember, we reviewed that cigar, uh, quite some time ago. I guess it was last year's version or the year before that, maybe 2023. I don't know. Rooster, check your butcher paper. What, what did it say?
So we did the Lme Lme Dedo, which was wrapped in Mexican San Andres in 2023 this year. The 2025 Edition, uh, features the same exact blend of Connecticut broadleaf wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler the pork tenderloin measuring 52 ring gauge by five and one inches long retailing at a suggested retail price of $13 per cigar for 25 325 bucks.
And good News Rooster, it is wrapped in the same meat packing paper as the original. No [01:13:00] boxes, no bullshit, correct. So let's go now to a listener question. I love this question from our friend Lizard Sean. He's gonna be our lizard of the week this week for this great question, and I wanted to share this with you guys.
He says, each of you has smoked a vast amount of cigars. Non Cuban and Cuban. Is there a unicorn from either of those categories or any origin that you haven't tried along those lines? What cigar had you been desperate to try then tried it and were completely let down? Good question. Very good question.
Opus XI. That was gonna be my answer. Opus X on, on the non Cuban side. Yeah. Disappointing. Uh, especially for the price point and the hype machine that has been built behind that cigar line. You'll have a legion of people disagreeing with us, but that's, I agree with you. Well, we live in our, our world of honesty here.
We Correct. We're not bullshitters. I, I've just never [01:14:00] had, yeah. An Opus X, especially a fresh one for me that has performed in any sort of meaningful way that I've enjoyed, but I have never sought them out, never chased them down. I have just never enjoyed an Opus X that I've had. Hmm. So that's a great call out.
Chef Ricky: I, I wanna say this and it, you know, I, I've, I think it'll register with a lot of newbies or some novice cigar smokers. When you first get into this hobby, all you hear about is the bahi. Right? Like, oh, I gotta get my hands on a Cuban bahi. Right. And people just, and not to say that it was a complete, um,
Gizmo: tread lightly,
Chef Ricky: yeah.
It, it, it wasn't a complete miss for me, but I think for all, all of the, the, you know, the hoopla behind it, it just didn't do what I thought it was going to do, especially when we smoked that $750 Baca. 58. [01:15:00] You're talking about
Gizmo: the Baca 58? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, sure. Okay. I want know, you know,
Chef Ricky: it's just like,
Gizmo: but that's not indicative of the other Bahi Ks.
Sure.
Senator: No, but I'm, I'm sorry. I I, I am very glad that Chef mentioned that, 'cause Baki didn't come to mind. But I think in fairness mm-hmm. I mean, even when, you know, Cuban cigar prices were lower, the Bahi K has always been mm-hmm. One of the most expensive, you know, Cuban cigars in standard production you can buy.
None of us have ever said that a Bahi K is one of the three greatest Cuban cigars we've ever smoked. No, never yet. It is more expensive than any of the three greatest Cuban cigars that any of us have ever cited. We've smoked. Correct. And so I actually think it's a very good call out by chef. The hype for that cigar is like the holy grail of Cuban cigars.
It doesn't quite live up to that. It's a very good cigar, but it's not one of the greatest of all time, as far as I'm concerned. I think I agree with chef there.
Chef Ricky: I think it's one [01:16:00] of those things like when you first get into this hobby, you're doing research on what's the, you know, most sought after cigar or what, you know, and, and it just, and I remember just reading up on this and the first few times my mother-in-law went to Cuba and I was like, can you please bring me back a bika?
Of course, not knowing what it really meant to get one, um, or you know, just her chances of even getting a real one. And of course through this pot, I was exposed to it and. You know, it can't touch the Sir Winston that I, the 2014 Sir Winston, I had, you know, uh, there's not many cigars that can, but, uh, yeah, I would say for me that was it.
Senator: I'll go, uh, new World with this first A Bay mm-hmm. Immediately comes to mind.
Chef Ricky: That's a great one. That's a good one. Yeah. That's like smoke a newspaper. I
Senator: met so many guys in cigar lounges that, you know, they call it the, the Cohiba killer and all this hype to price point on them is absurd. I mean, a re robusto of that is like 50, [01:17:00] $60.
And in the new world space, I mean, that's a lot. I don't know of any, I mean, even doff, I don't know of a rab Robusto that Doff makes. That is like standard production. Mm-hmm. Not like limited edition.
Gizmo: Yeah.
Senator: Priced like 50, 60 bucks. And, uh. We did that on the pod, right?
Gizmo: Yeah.
Senator: I mean that was the, the one thing I'll give that brand, we did the
Gizmo: brewhouse, it's called the brewhouse.
Senator: I also somewhere smoked a, uh, one of their retos. What I'll give them. The construction is outstanding. It burns impeccably. The draw was excellent, all of that. But it is so lacking in flavor. It is unbelievable. So for me, that was a massive letdown, uh, for a cigar. I've never smoked a Abe since. Mm-hmm. I never will smoke another Abe.
It doesn't
Gizmo: retain, it doesn't keep your attention. It's not interesting. The smoke, though, I will say is velvety. Um, and pretty good combustion, but it's not a memorable cigar. So that's a good call out on the flavor front. [01:18:00] It's soulless.
Chef Ricky: Yeah, absolutely. There's nothing there.
Gizmo: Uh, doff Royal Release. The Royal, yeah.
And that's an expensive cigar, correct? It is. And for me, another unremarkable experience. Hands down
Rooster: the Rab Boosto or the Solomon,
Gizmo: the Rab Robusto. I didn't find it to be that interesting or special or different in any way than I would rather have the millennium pyramid over that cigar any day. And what is it?
Half the price? Little less than half. So the Royal release wrist, or you would know what, is that 150 bucks for that thing?
Rooster: No, I think it's about a hundred.
Gizmo: Yeah. And the, and the pyramid is only a hundred. Yeah. 38. Yeah. That's like 38 bucks. Nothing crazy. Yeah, it's outrageous. So that's, for me, that's, that's the cigar rooster, what about you?
Some holy grail or unicorn cigars that have disappointed you? Cuban, non Cuban,
Rooster: I mean, I sent the opus, but most, I mean, there's, there's a couple of opuses that, that were good initially, I think when Opus X first [01:19:00] came out, I used to like the, uh, the petite Corona size because I think the wrapper was like, you could really taste the wrapper.
It was different. But that was like, you know, 10, 12 years ago, 15 years ago. But over the years, I think there've been, to me, I think it's, the process is getting rushed and none of the Opus Xs that I have had have really delivered. And especially for the price point that you're paying for them, like $40 and up, I don't think they really deliver.
Senator: Yeah. I'll give one on the Cuban side. Every regional release. Oh, yeah. I have not had a single Cuban regional that I have been at all tempted to buy a box of, and then boxes plural. Like I would keep regularly smoking. Mm-hmm. I have to have that cigar. The
Gizmo: contiki?
Senator: No, no.
Gizmo: By the way, you're, you're not gonna believe this rooster.
You're joking. I literally have that one open to talk about that one being one of my biggest disappointments. But go ahead, Senator. [01:20:00]
Senator: No, and so I, I, you know, I say that because for Liata, like there have been some limit Miatas that I've actually bought multiple boxes of that Ramona Ionis 2019 excellent cigar.
We rated a 10. Um, even in the Anado line, the up, uh, uh, reus to ros, we love that cigar. I think that's one of the greatest Cuban cigars I've ever had. I can't name one regional release I've tried that I've ever said I even need more than that one smoke I've had at that moment. So yeah, for me, that's been my biggest key.
That's a, we're a lot stuff on that for sure.
Chef Ricky: I, I have one unless I am mistaken here. You said you
Gizmo: went, you had your turn
Chef Ricky: already. No, no, no. But the,
Gizmo: you get two, the, the
Chef Ricky: Boulevard Gold Medal. Was that not a regional No, that was, no, that was excellent. That was regular production. That was very, that was a good straw.
It was excellent that I know. It's, it's, I'm saying no, that, well, that's regular product. Oh, yeah.
Gizmo: No, that, that's an excellent cigar. That's,
Senator: and I have a box that, believe me, if it was a regional, I wouldn't bought it. Correct.
Gizmo: So I have, actually, I have two Cuban cigars that I wanna [01:21:00] point out. First is the one that Rooster just called out the Tiki, which was an addision region for Los, the Los Andes.
It's called from El Ray del Mundo. It was a double Robusto robusta with a 1 0 9 head. I chased the cigar, cigar down with Rooster. Rooster because it was so. Sought after people were talking amazing things about it. And it was, can we say it ba you were such a disappointment. Amateurs. Correct. And they're procuring without us.
This is, see that, this is like four years ago. Five years ago. No, this is great. They were h uh, hoovering up frigging regionals. I mean, no thanks. It's an indictment. So the other one that I will say, and I think most of the room is gonna agree with me on this one, one of the first Cuban cigar purchases I made because of hype and because I was told it was a holy grail cigar.
After we had the Vegas, Romania Classicos, I wanted to go down the rabbit hole of Cuban cigars. And one of the first boxes of Cuban cigars I purchased was the Romeo I Juliet the Churchill. Mm. And it [01:22:00] was so bad. That box was so bad. And every subsequent, subsequent one I've had since then has been so bad.
Now I'm hearing specifically from our friend Rob Ala. That the recent run, the last couple years have been really, really stellar. So we're definitely gonna do it on the podcast at some point. But that cigar was such a major disappointment to the point that I ordered an age box. And remember we passed it around at the lounge and our old lounge in North Korea, and it was so, so bad that I think all of us put it down, oh,
Senator: forget all of us.
I wish Uba was here for this. Pupa took maybe two puffs of that cigar and threw it down at the ashtray and gizmo. You know, you, you hand out a cigar, you know, you, you want your friends to have a really great experience. And after a few puffs, I think all of us were, we're gonna give it some time. Okay.
Didn't get off to a great start. If I had a picture of gizmo's face, just watching [01:23:00] Uba, just toss in the ashtray like it was toilet paper worth 2 cents. This cigar right off of delight. I, it was just so funny. But it sucked. I mean, we gave it a chance and none of us enjoyed that cigar.
Rooster: And you know, another one that comes to mind is the Hoyo de Monterey Double Corona.
We have not had great luck with that. Oh,
Senator: that's true. We haven't, but we've all had at least one that was spectacular. Yeah. Yeah. So I can't put that in like massive disappointment because I think we got a taste of the greatness that could be there. We just couldn't replicate it. Remember that white chocolate experience we had?
Oh, on poop's deck? I'll never forget that.
Gizmo: Outrageous. Rooster, do you have any Cuban cigars that have disappointed you? Oh, I have. That you sought after that were unicorns because you have, you know, quite a collection of old stuff and you, you know, you really vacuumed up a lot of, uh, vintage stuff, older stuff over the years.
He helped roll it. Well, they, they have all been
Rooster: great. [01:24:00] Yeah. No, it doesn't, nothing really comes to mind. I mean, I don't, no regional May, I'm used to by so many regionals. Yeah. But I, I don't think the regional, uh, I would say more like the, the La caa de Hano releases haven't been that great. Ohs another one.
Yeah. I mean, most of them have been kind of disappointing.
Bam Bam: I have a particle that I was really disappointed in. Oh, the Somon, right? Correct. Yes. You motherfucker. Yes, that's correct. I think I kind of out outrageously disappointing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That wasn't good.
Gizmo: I'll give you another one from Parus. That was a disappointment was the one we did on the podcast.
Oh, sure. Oh
Senator: yeah.
Gizmo: The Eros.
Senator: Mm-hmm.
Gizmo: In that beautiful box that flips open, like mm-hmm. Really incredible. Yeah. Well done. And that cigar was really, really bad. It was dog shit. It tasted nothing like a parus. No. It was a severe departure and I think that's an L-C-D-H-A La Casa Delano release. Yeah. And the Juan Lopez LCDH release also.
Mm-hmm. That [01:25:00] wasn't good. So boys, a great question there from Lizard Sean. We really appreciate all of our lizards out there. He's gonna be our Lizard of the week. Like I said, anybody can win Lizard of the Week. We're gonna send you some stuff. All you have to do is write us an email. Put a great comment on YouTube or Instagram, et cetera, and uh, feel free to, uh, reach out to us and you can be the lizard of
Chef Ricky: the week.
I think Lizard Sean is a genius because in doing this, he won Lizard of the Week, but we also saved him a ton of money and time. Yes, we
Gizmo: did.
Chef Ricky: That's true. That's a good point. Very good. That's a very good
Gizmo: point. So you're welcome. Lizard Sean got a point. You got a point. So boys, we are coming to the end of our evening tonight with the all Dino, Cameroon and Robusto Robusto and the Canter Negra, or the beginning of my night Telo Anejo.
And I see the bam, him bam bam has lit a second. All Dino Cameroon Robusto. Correct. I see Senator is doing the same. Very rare to see that on the podcast doing two in a row of the same exact cigar. So [01:26:00] boys, what are you thinking about the pairing tonight? What do you think about the cigars? What's the, uh, what's the vibe for you right now?
I think overall the pairing was exquisite. What's cool is, you know, if you put your nose in the glass, if you have anything left, there's a smoky quality to it. That's a good, good point. It's so unusual, but you don't get that, but you don't taste that. Isn't that cool? Very, very unique. What do you think that is?
I think that's the combination of the oaks, how elegant this tequila is to give us that experience. The char on those barrels, the char on the aroma and on the palette is just beautiful sweet caramel and the touch of vanilla. Amazing. So boys, I wanna share something, uh, before we get into our ratings. So this little piece of paper comes in every box of Allo Dino cigars.
And I don't know if you've ever read it, but I wanna read it to you now. I think it's very, very cool. It says What the world needs is a true old fashioned cigar who is the best cat theor you are. You want a cigar you can fully enjoy and is pleasantly relaxing, [01:27:00] and above all is consistent. Each cigar gives you the opportunity to distinguish authentic Cameroon on the All Dino, the most consistent cigar ever.
And that's underlined. Using the word Cameroon is simply not enough. With adeno, you can choose your favorite size for different times and occasions without ever losing its distinction and characteristics. The Cameroon line uses the same authentic Rojo binder and filler as our other all Dino Rojo cigars, African Roots Cuban tradition Cameroon by JRE Tobacco Farm.
And it finishes by saying, make your day. And it's signed by Julio R. That's cool. That's very cool. Pretty cool, right? Yeah, very. I liked I when I opened the box, like it makes you realize like it's a very simple piece of paper. Yeah. You know, printed. I just thought that was very, very cool to have that in every box of Aldino cigars.
Very cool. So cheers to them. Oh yeah. What a great cigar tonight. So, you know, I'm [01:28:00] gonna pinpoint the cookie I was getting at the very end, Lorna Dune. Lorna Dune for me was really, really heavy on that, on that finish of this thing. Incredible. And Lorna Dune is a shortbread, right? It's a shortbread. It's got like sugar glaze that brings some of the buttery ness.
Yep. But there's also like a sugary glaze on it. It's incredible, huh? Incredible. Alright boys, it's time now to move into our formal liquoring tonight on the Can Negra Tequila Ajo. Mm-hmm. Bam. Bam. You're up. I'm gonna affirm 10. You know that. Picking up that smoky aroma, which I didn't capture until the, like, the very last sip of my first drink, which I'm hoping to refill.
And that caramel finish and a little bit of that salty, buttery in the front. I don't think I've ever had a tequila like this. And for that price, I want another bottle. I'm at a 10. All right, chef Ricky.
Chef Ricky: I'm right there with outta 10. You know, I think for an anejo that's age 18 months, uh, at, you said 60 for the bottle.
66. 66 for the bottle. And I've seen this bottle [01:29:00] on sale for less. Uh, it's a great, great deal. Um, you know, the, the body on the tequila is great. Uh, the aroma's wonderful. I love the, the blend of cast that they use for aging. I love how long they go with the aging. Uh, the nose on this is great. It's really well balanced.
I love the way it almost develops as you drink it. And, you know, it starts a little sweeter, and then as you drink more, it's alm it's, it's almost like a cigar in that there's different, uh, you know, parts to, to the spirit. And, uh, that was really an enjoyable experience. So, yeah. Uh, for the price point for, for the beauty that is a tequila, it's absolutely a 10 for me.
Gizmo: So for me it's a nine. It wasn't a perfect tequila for me. I think it did pair very well with this cigar. I do wonder, as I put it next to the other tequila anejos that I think about, that I have at my bar that I like to drink. I don't know if I would be reaching for this over those others, but they're also
Chef Ricky: probably more expensive.
Gizmo: A little bit more [01:30:00] expensive. Yeah. But I probably would be not a little,
Senator: in
Gizmo: fairness,
Senator: a
Gizmo: lot of anejos are like 90 plus. That's true. Yeah.
Chef Ricky: I mean 80 plus. Yeah, for sure.
Gizmo: But for, even for the price Delta, I don't know if I'd be reaching for this over some of the other Anejos, especially as I smoke a lot of cigars.
Mm-hmm. I thought this paired very well tonight. I love the complexity. I did. I was a little taken aback when we first started sipping. Like, this doesn't have additives. It's very smooth. And that's a merit of course. Sure. And I love how it developed, but I don't think that I would be reaching for this, pairing this with cigars.
Most of the time, I don't even know if I'm gonna run out and buy a bottle of this. But for what it is and how I drank tonight, I thought it was very, very good. But it just didn't hit perfect for me and my palate tonight. Still look good. Score. It's a great score. Yeah. So I'm gonna go with a nine Senator.
Senator: Bam. And Chef, you are crazy, right? Ooh. And gizmo is wrong on
Gizmo: this one. Wait. A nine's an elite score. I'm sorry. It's pretty high level score. I'm
Senator: sorry. I don't understand in defense how you can [01:31:00] find flaw in this anejo at this price point. Mm-hmm. It is so balanced, so smooth, so creamy and elegant. It leans sweeter, but then like Chef was pointing out, it's like the more you drink it, you start picking up these savory notes that are somewhere in the background.
I, it's complex. I would pair this with almost any Cuban cigar. I think it is incredibly versatile and I think even most new worlds new world cigars. I agree. I would absolutely pick up a bottle. This, um, I will drink this again. I, I can't find one thing to complain about, so that, that's why I'm just shocked by the nine.
I, I really, I. There's not one glaring misstep. I, I give them a world of credit in what they've done and, um, I'm glad we've tried it because I had never even heard of this brand, neither I, and, uh, it's definitely something that [01:32:00] will, will make its way onto my bar shelf.
Gizmo: That Smoky Aroma is just so unique and that's what I think lends itself to, to, to drink with almost any cigar, new, new World or Cuban.
Chef Ricky: So I wanna put this out there for the listener, just. You know, this is a bottle that is fairly accessible. Uh, you'd find this in many places. Just be careful, uh, 'cause I know Gizmo even, uh, uh, experienced this today. They do have a can Negra coffee.
Gizmo: Yes.
Chef Ricky: And that, and that's just sort of a response to the whole espresso martini graze and, and, you know, uh, agave, spirit forward restaurants, creating their own versions of an espresso martini, using that as their base.
Uh, so when you pick up the bottle, make sure you're not grabbing the can Negra coffee. Uh, you want the, you know, they have a blanco repo and a nijo. Uh, just don't make that mistake of grabbing a coffee.
Gizmo: Bo the formal [01:33:00] liquoring tonight on the Can Negra Anjo is a 9.8. Wow. That's a perfect score. That's a great score.
Yeah, a perfect score for this tequila tonight.
Chef Ricky: And this tequila is highly, it's a little thanks. It just, thanks again. This tequila has won a lot of awards. I usually don't point point those things out 'cause I think that's just a result of like good PR and, and you know, having marketing dollars to, to get in there.
But on its own, the tequila is amazing and it, and it's worthy of those.
Gizmo: All right boys, it's time now to move into the formal lizard rating tonight on the All Dino Cameroon in Robusto Robusto Rooster, you're up. So I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with this
Rooster: cigar. Correct. And there's, I can't, I mean, I can't think of anything.
Gizmo: Yeah,
Rooster: correct. There's, there's nothing wrong with it. I mean, I love the size, I love the wrapper. Uh, I mean the, the price under $10, say [01:34:00] it again. A cigar. Correct. I'm not gonna mention a D four.
There are some similarities, but I mean, the Honduran tobacco, it's a home run, right? I mean, what it delivers the cigar is creamy. It's buttery. You get that salty saltiness, you get, uh, you get that Cuban twang almost out of the cigar that you don't get out of any other. Tobaccos. Mm-hmm. So for all of those reasons, and hold
Gizmo: on, the three of us have lit.
Our second we have lit,
Rooster: and yeah, I mean, it's very few cigars that I light up back to back. It's true. And being that it's, you know, it's a medium bodied smoke, it's not, it's not mild, it's not over, it's not, you know, like great strength. I mean, it's, it's not full bodied, but that's what makes it, it's a perfect cigar to light another one.
And the construction on the cigar is absolutely flawless. So for that reason, I'm at a 10. [01:35:00] All right, Senator,
Senator: let me guess. Since pagoda Pagodas, not since Pagoda is not here, I'll say it. 10. 10 wins. 10. 10 wins. It's a 10. It is perfect. Yeah, it is absolutely perfect. This cigar has brought a joy. To my smoking experience in a way that a D four did when I first discovered that cigar.
That's why like I a RAB Robusto, first of all, is my favorite Ola period. I smoke more ab bustos than anything. I have never found a rab busto that in any way, shape or form, even an ounce resembles a D four. The baking spice that I get in this cigar, the. Smooth and medium yet rich experience that you get like this is so effortless to smoke.
[01:36:00] It's, it tastes like significantly aged tobacco. I mean, there is not a single rough edge at any point. I smoked it all the way down to the nub, nothing there. And that's usually my experience with a D four. And that's where I'm drawing the parallels. I'm not saying the flavors are in any way identical, it's just the fact that there is some, just a little bit.
Similarity in terms of the flavor notes, the construction is awesome. Um, and so versatile. Mm-hmm. So versatile. I mean, I've started my morning with this. I have this many times in the afternoon and many evenings at this point. I smoke this cigar daily. It has firmly cracked my rotation in this coveted slot that I have not been able to replace a D four with anything else other than just being really frustrated that I can't smoke that cigar as much as I want.
This brings me that level of joy in a different but somewhat similar way. [01:37:00] And so, uh, the price point is outstanding for what this delivers. This is my favorite discovery easily of the past 12 months. Mm-hmm. It is a 10 and I'm eternally grateful, uh, to the family for coming up with just such a spectacular blend.
I mean, if I gave this to anyone unbranded, they would immediately assume it's a Cuban cigar. And I think, you know, we have found outside of fabric of five, um, and we've only, you know, most of us tried two aldino cigars thus far. Um, that's really all that we would say that about in a serious way. And so I can't wait to dive into more of the line.
And, um, I, I hope for any listener who loves Cuban tobacco and is looking to, you know, delve a little bit more into New World cigars, this is a home run.
Gizmo: All right. I don't know what, I don't know if I can add anything to that. I don't think you can. I should just give [01:38:00] my rating Correct. And move on. Well said.
I also am outta 10. Mm-hmm. I thought the cigar was excellent and perfect from the cold draw. Just that initial cold draw was so flavorful and interesting. And what I love is that it actually translated to the smoke, but that raspberry at the cold draw. I don't ever remember getting that in any, any cigar.
It's so unusual and I, I feel like that fruity component carried, it does carried through. So I think that's part of the sweetness that I get in this along with like what I would call a baked good that was more creamy and buttery rather than the spice that some of you guys are getting. I'm getting more of that creamy bakery thing happening for me.
Along with that fruit. Absolutely. And I think the retro hail for this, this is a cigar that if you can retro hail, it just adds another, yeah. 10 levels to the cigar. The retro hail is so rich. Yeah. So on top of the, on top of the palate, you know, you had the salt on the front of the tongue, and the second third, the baking spice came in.
For me, that [01:39:00] was excellent. It was buttery. It was fruity. I mean, and for me, so salt forget and the saltiness, of course. Yeah. And it was so easy to smoke. Nobody, you're not gonna hear a single lighter click in this entire episode. Nobody touched up their cigar. That's correct. Not one time. And the combustion was great.
It burned great. And I can't get over the fact that for under $10, we had this experience tonight, I can't get over the fact that senator who has been on and off this podcast complaining that he can't find a rotation substitute. Mm-hmm. For the parus D four that we have. Finally found it after all of these years, four years in a podcast, six, seven years, talking about Parus D four, you even longer than that, looking for something to fill that spot that's not Cuban at a fair price point.
We have found it and it's pretty amazing. Um, I, I love also that the cigar can fit anywhere in the rotation. It could fit in the car. It could fit [01:40:00] on a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee. It could fit at the start of your night. It could. It could fit after Cubans. It could fit at the end of the night.
Exactly. It could fit anywhere. Yeah. And again, under $10, that is a massive, massive win. So I am very, very happy that for our second adino tonight, I'm going to give this one another 10. It's a perfect, perfect cigar.
Rooster: The Saladino D three. There
Chef Ricky: we go. Chef Ricky. Yeah, you guys have said it all. And since Senator is quoting pagoda, I'll quote Senator and say, I'm in lockstep with you all.
And for that reason, and for that reason, it's a 10. Uh, but I, I'll, I'll just shout out some of the things that I got in there that were maybe slightly different. You know, the, the Apple note that I got was wonderful. Uh, you know, some of the lactic notes, the oatmeal in the beginning, that raspberry call out from Bam, on the cold draw.
Uh, there was so much wonderful things happening, so many wonderful things happening in the cigar. [01:41:00] Uh, that, yeah, I, I, I'd like to light a second one too. Uh, and a third and a fourth. And, you know, for a second I remember. Uh, it feels like for the last three weeks you've been, you know, senator, you've been lighting an Aladino, Cameroon every single day.
And I, I, I see the text and I'm like, and, and I say to myself, he really likes this fucking cigar. You know, like, and so when you said we were smoking it today, I'm like, I can't wait for this. And yeah, and I, I, there's no lies being told here, man, that's a num, that's a 10. That's a great cigar. The flavor's wonderful.
The construction's great. I love the thickness of the wrapper. I love the feel in the hand. Uh, it's, it's a beautiful stick.
Gizmo: It's a 10. All right. Bam. Bam. Yeah. So as I smoke my second Cameroon tonight, I, I can't get over how consistent it is. This is only my third. Um, you know, everything I said early on, kind of, I just will carry through.
There isn't much else I can say. It's definitely a 10.
Chef Ricky: Hmm.
Gizmo: Everything [01:42:00] that Allo Dino is doing is a complete home run. And we've only smoked two. I've only had two of their lines. I can't wait to get into the other lines that they have. I can't wait. Yeah. 10. All right, boys. That puts the formal lizard rating tonight on the all Dino Cameroon Robusto Robusto at a perfect 10.0.
Very appropriate. What? So the Senator hype train has delivered. Yeah, partially. Partially. It got a perfect 10. It's not a D four, but yes, it got a 10.
Senator: No one ever said it is a D four. Read the text. It has D four. He just read the text. Actually, please read it again. Gus read it
Gizmo: again. Please do. All right. I have to find it again.
It's the last part of it that you have to read.
Senator: I, I'll read it. I have it. Aladino Cameroon RAB Busto is very good. Must review on the pod D four like notes continue. You guys will love this cigar. I'm honestly blown away by the flavor. A retailer said this is their bestselling Aladino in their store.
Gizmo: But there was
Senator: something else.
Everything's accurate and checks out. There was one more line that I wanted [01:43:00] to wait
Gizmo: till after the re review. The rating,
Senator: the all Dino Cameroon is the new D four. You heard it here first. It's not the new D four. I guarantee that everyone was gonna smoke more of these than they are D fours and that wherever you would've slotted in a D four, this is exactly where you would slot this cigar in.
Gizmo: I don't disagree with any of that, but I can't say definitively that this is the new D four. It's D four like and that there. That's what I said. D four like notes. I'll split in hairs. Well, the new D four, that's pretty. The new
Senator: D four is that you would slot this in these. If I have a shelf
Gizmo: and I got a box of D four, I'm gonna take that box off and put this in it place.
No, no, it's not a shelf new it. It's a
Senator: rotation. Bam. It's a new D four. You said Bam. It's a rotation.
Gizmo: You said it's the new D four. Everyone
Senator: else is able to understand English here.
Gizmo: Yes. Listen. Someone translate for bam.
Senator: Yeah.
Gizmo: So I will say that there was a threat put on the text by saying, oh, I wanna
Senator: read it.
I ha I was gonna go there next. And I can't wait to, so I brought [01:44:00] receipts, my friends a threat. Oh wait for was threat. There was a threat. Wait for this spam. All right, so you, you brought receipts. First of all, I've clearly been vindicated. It got a perfect 10. That is true. Thank you very much. And again, to try to translate for bam in your rotation, meaning when you open your cigar case and you look at your lineup of your daily rotation, you're gonna smoke uhhuh wherever you would have slotted in a D four that now we all don't smoke that much of, because That's true.
It's scarce and it is a ridiculous price. Wherever that slot is in your cigar case, this is what you would put in that slot. That's what I'm saying is the new D four. Okay. Alright. I'll, I'll accept it. Got it. So that's where I was going. Now I also said on our, uh, lizard chat quote, I can't wait to review it.
Anyone gives it less than a nine and we may not be able to be friends.
Gizmo: That was the threat. So that
Senator: to which, to which Gizmo responds? Definitive statement, exclamation point. Well, yes, and I am vindicated. And then bam [01:45:00] responds with a. Kool-Aid man emoji that, that this cigar is just drinking the Kool-Aid.
Y'all drink a lot of Kool-Aid in this room, and I think the Kool-Aid is pretty damn good at a 10.0. By the way, the Kool-Aid ISS delicious.
Gizmo: Listen, Kool aid's delicious. Listen, I have never said that This is not an ex excellent exquisite cigar. Honestly,
Rooster: Senator has had most amount, most number of these cigars.
The camera. Yeah. He's had 20, yeah, I've had maybe two. This is my third. Right. So I haven't had two tonight. Correct. And it is, you know, it's got a redeeming quality. I mean, it it is a very good cigar. It's an excellent cigar. Is it, is it a D four? There is some similar notes in this. Yeah, and I've said that, I mean, the size is identical, which is all I said.
Sure, sure. Yeah. Yeah.
Gizmo: It's similar. There's some similarities. Similar. Yeah, it's similar and,
Rooster: and for the price point, that's incredible. Yes. It, it does fit into that rotation. Incredible. That the D four
used
Rooster: to, that's, that's when I was smoking D four is well before I met any of you guys
Senator: that we [01:46:00] do this together.
That's fair. A D four was eight bucks. Yeah, right. That's what I was paying. It was this price. It was this price. Exactly. It was this size. Right. And it delivered a similar-ish type experience. Right, right. The flavor notes are obviously different, but there's just some of them that you get a little bit of in here.
That's my point about it being the new D four. Alright. Eight bucks re busto and has a Cuban like experience that has a little baking spice. The D four certainly has more. That's all I'm getting at when I say that. And for any new world cigar to be in the conversation of slotting it where you would a D four, if it were as available and as affordable as it used to be years ago.
That is a unbelievable merit.
Gizmo: If he would've said that in the chat, I would've been great with it. That's what I said. So here's uh, all right. So what I wanna say is, of course, this cigar has a perfect 10. Three of the guys in the room, probably four and five, are gonna light a second one. Correct. Let, which, which is very rare, the ledger reflects it.
Correct. [01:47:00] Very correctly. So counselor
Senator: must relinquish his chair. Bam. Bam. Is smoking two of these Aldino Britos. Oh yeah, yeah. Back to back. Rooster is on his second and I'm on my second correct. And
Gizmo: I will be after we stop recording. It's a delicious. It's so good. So the one thing I want to tell the listener, and this is very important, Senator, as we've discussed the cigar and we've smoked them, this
Senator: is a good flag.
Gizmo: Conditioning is very, very important, almost to the point that I would very much compare it to a Cuban cigar. When you get these cigars off the truck, fresh from the retailer, or, or at a brick and mortar, or at a brick and mortar, you must
Senator: bring down the humidity. Must this must, this is non-negotiable as like the ambassador for this cigar.
Please, listeners, do not smoke this immediately upon purchase. Gizmo did it. I did it. It was not a good experience. Mm-hmm. When this cigar is wet, just like a Cuban cigar, it completely muddles the flavor. You're not gonna get any of the distinct notes that we [01:48:00] just called out here. You, my experience has been you want that cigar to sit a bare minimum of two weeks at at least 65, if not even 62.
Three weeks, you're definitely dialed in. You're gonna have a great experience. Who, who kept this box?
Gizmo: So I've had this box, I would say for about six weeks now. So this was in the middle to lower part of my tower, which probably sits around 64. So I specifically put these cigars aside at a lower humidity for about six weeks to make sure that we had the experience that we had tonight.
That's because, because I smoked one out of this box the day, the two days after I got it. Senator did the same. And it's a totally different experience. Just like a Cuban cigar. It's good advice. Good advice. You get a 10. You get a 10. Thank you boys. All right. Correct. Thank you. You do get a 10 'cause you understand my English
well Boys, what a great night tonight. First we [01:49:00] have to, again, thank Huta roa. And the family from Aladino, JRE, tobacco for their hospitality. Hutto, of course, for coming on the podcast tonight, spending some time with us. We really, really appreciate it. We look forward to seeing him again sometime soon. Of course, we have to thank Lizard Sean and congratulate him on winning Lizard of the Week.
Like I said, any listener out there can win Lizard of the Week. You know how, shoot us an email, give us a comment, whatever it may be. Uh, please contRobustoute to the podcast. We love hearing from listeners. Of course, we have to thank our sponsor, Fabrica five. Talk about great Honduran cigars boys. Fabrica five Oh yeah.
Is amazing. Two weeks ago we had Robin Hamlet in studio. So if you miss that episode, check it out. Uh, I think that tonight's episode is a great, you know, cap on three interviews on the new world side in a row. First George Padron, then we had Robin Hamlet, and tonight we had sto. You know, you talk about family businesses, Honduran, it all kind of ties together.
Mm-hmm. [01:50:00] So, uh, it's really, really great that we were able to have this experience tonight. And what an amazing cigar and what a great pairing. A plus boys a plus. Great
Chef Ricky: pun.
Gizmo: Alright, boys, a great night and, uh, we'll see everybody next week. Hope you enjoyed this episode. Thanks for joining us. You can find our merch store and ratings archive at our brand new website.
Lounge Lizards pod.com. That's Lounge lizards, PO d.com. Don't forget to leave us a rating and subscRobustoe on your favorite podcast platform. If you have any comments, questions, if you wanna reach out, say hello, tell us what you're smoking, email us hello@loungelizardspod.com. You can also find us on Instagram at Lounge Lizards Pod.
We really appreciate your time and we'll, uh, we'll see you next week.