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!
Welcome to the Lounge Lizards Podcast presented by Fabric of 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 Roost, Senator, Pagoda, chef Ricky, and Bam Bam, and a plan to smoke a cigar, drink some tequila, talk about life, and, of course, have some laughs.
Gizmo:So take this as your two hundred and fifty second official invitation to join us and become a card carrying lounge lizard planning to meet a suit once a week. We're gonna smoke an American cigar tonight, share our thoughts on it, and give you our formal lizard rating. We discuss ProCigar twenty seven and a major membership change there. We hear a voice memo about a lizard meetup on a cruise, and things go off the rails when chef tries to change a rating, all among a variety of other things for the next two hours. So sit back, get your favorite drink, light up a cigar, enjoy as we pair ArteNOM Selection day fourteen fourteen Tequila Reposado with the Tatuaje Miami Havana Cazadores.
Gizmo:And American Lonsdale on the pod tonight, boys. And we are back after a long absence to Tatuaje. This is the Miami Havana Cazadores, and it's a 43 ring gauge cigar by six and three eighths inches long. And boys, I'm excited to smoke this cigar tonight. I haven't smoked in a while, and I really am dying to find a Tatuaje that will enter my regular rotation.
Bam Bam:Good luck.
Pagoda:That's very optimistic.
Bam Bam:Let's see
Gizmo:what happens. Now, let's not forget the Cabo Iguan that we love so very much is a Tatuaje cigar. So that kind of is an outlier because it doesn't fit in a normal rotation for me. That's like a Saturday morning cigar, but
Bam Bam:And the Petite Cazadores.
Gizmo:Yeah. Petite Cazadores, I haven't had that in a
Bam Bam:long time.
Senator:I think that's fabulous.
Chef Ricky:Finished a 50 cap of that Yeah. Maybe two months
Gizmo:I'm hoping it's in line with this. I
Senator:doubt it. Don't forget Rooster's Lomo De Serdo in butcher paper.
Gizmo:Oh, that's right. Oh, that was a tough one to Porkhorn? You guys did not. You guys didn't give it a chance. Well, you had to take the I like the butcher paper off.
Gizmo:Two puffs in
Bam Bam:here like
Rooster:this is
Gizmo:I still find it comical that the only vegan in the room brought in a cigar wrapped in butcher paper. Mhmm. Oh, the irony. Yeah. Alright, boys.
Gizmo:Let's cut this thing. See what we're getting on the cold draw and the wrapper.
Chef Ricky:Fresh berry, cherry. I'm getting very It's sweet
Bam Bam:kind of Cuban like for me. Cold
Gizmo:draw. My draw, honestly, for how it feels, like if you feel the cigar, it's pretty. It's pretty hard, but the draw is perfect for me. Me too.
Rooster:I like the band. It's very simple. Gorgeous band. Right? Just nice, plain, simple,
Bam Bam:one band. Elegant, handsome. Puerto Vie on it. Understated. But the fruit call out is a 100% accurate on the cold draw.
Senator:Did they change these Tatuaje brown label bands? Because I don't remember it being gold, the edging. It was like a brown, like a
Gizmo:It was like
Senator:a duller brown. Yeah. Like a matte finish where this has like a glossy kind of gold.
Gizmo:I think this is definitely I remember it. For sure.
Senator:I kinda like the old version better, honestly. The simple Yeah.
Gizmo:It was like milk chocolate brown, like a lighter. I don't remember it. This
Bam Bam:is nice though. It's got a kind of chocolate brown with a silver edging.
Gizmo:All right, boys. Let's light this thing. The Tatuaje Miami Havana Cazadores coming out of Miami. United States cigar tonight. American cigar tonight.
Bam Bam:I changed my mind. I think this will be a good cigar.
Gizmo:43 ring gauge cigar by six and three eighths inches long
Bam Bam:as I interrupt you.
Chef Ricky:Very pleasant.
Rooster:I'm gonna buy a box.
Pagoda:I'm surprised you don't have one.
Gizmo:It's off to a nice start.
Pagoda:That's why. I know.
Chef Ricky:Really nutty. I'm enjoying the nuttiness a lot.
Bam Bam:I've a question mark over it right now. It's got a little bit of
Senator:a sharp edge for me. Really? It's drier on the light than I expected it to be. When you mentioned nuttiness, chef, you getting more like walnut? I'm not getting sweet nut.
Chef Ricky:There's some walnut there. Yeah, for sure.
Bam Bam:Very earthy. The retrohale is not pleasant yet for me.
Gizmo:Just retroed it. It was very nice.
Bam Bam:Really?
Gizmo:Yeah. It didn't bite at
Chef Ricky:all.
Gizmo:I'm kind of upsetting my retro.
Rooster:Usually tattoo eyes start off with that spice blast.
Chef Ricky:There is a spice here. Is a pepper spice that's happening, but it feels controlled. It doesn't feel like out of hand right
Lizard Sean:now. Agree.
Bam Bam:How's the retro for you, chef? No spice at all? Like is?
Gizmo:I didn't say there's no spice. I said there's no bite. Bite. There is a little bit of spice and it's very pleasant.
Chef Ricky:There's a little bit of sharpness, but it's a pleasant sharpness. It's almost like a flat cheddar versus an aged cheddar or, you know? Can see that, I guess. That sharpness is pleasant. I'm enjoying it.
Chef Ricky:And I suspect it to kind of balance out even more so a little bit, maybe.
Senator:Flat cheddar. A lot of cheddar at the restaurant today.
Pagoda:Don't know what that is.
Gizmo:Can always tell what he's been working with throughout
Rooster:the day.
Chef Ricky:No, no.
Gizmo:I wasn't working with cheddar too.
Chef Ricky:Actually, no.
Rooster:I was.
Gizmo:Big cheddar day. Exactly. It's subliminal.
Bam Bam:Do you cut it flat?
Gizmo:Why is it called flat cheddar? What the hell does that
Senator:Did say
Chef Ricky:flat Did I say flat cheddar?
Gizmo:You did.
Chef Ricky:You did. Oh, I meant mild cheddar. But
Senator:Okay. That's what I was like, I'm
Bam Bam:learning something.
Chef Ricky:Mild to sharp, flat to I guess flat is the musical opposite of sharp, so that's where it came from.
Rooster:Don't you use a blend? Good color. Pedra and Monterey Jack?
Chef Ricky:At Playa, yeah, for the Bulls, but
Gizmo:can't stand you. Rooster used to work
Senator:there.
Chef Ricky:So Yeah. What
Bam Bam:are you getting, Pavoda?
Pagoda:I don't know. I'm getting a like, it's it's a bit dry. It's leaving some kind of it's a really interesting flavor. Can't identify it right in the front of my palate. I
Senator:There's like a little bit you know, Ben mentioned like an earthiness. There's like a faint bit of, like, mint I kinda get.
Gizmo:Yeah. I'm actually feeling like it's this is the first time I've had another Tatu Tatuaje that kind of reminds me a little bit of the petite Cazadores in that minty Yeah. Getting a little bit of a miss thing doing the petite Cazadores.
Bam Bam:No, the petite Cazadores is dark coffee, chocolate.
Gizmo:Sweet. But is like a freshness about it. Mint, something
Bam Bam:Freshness is accurate.
Gizmo:Like, that's what I mean by mint.
Bam Bam:Like, not really like tea.
Senator:Like fresh net or
Gizmo:Are you in Friginae.
Bam Bam:Are you enjoying the freshness of this cigar?
Gizmo:I think it's really good. I think the dryness is probably be my only complaint right now, but I think it's really nice. I really have nothing to complain about here.
Chef Ricky:Yeah. I like it.
Gizmo:I do too.
Bam Bam:What about you, Rooster?
Rooster:I like it so far. I mean, it's not a total spice blast. I'm on an island Sometimes you get it's gonna change for you, I think. So let's talk It's a pleasant
Gizmo:Let's talk about why you're in a bad mood.
Bam Bam:I'm in a great
Rooster:mood.
Pagoda:So for
Gizmo:the first time on this podcast
Bam Bam:Fuck. Are we gonna actually talk about that? You have to. What? I lost my wallet today.
Pagoda:It's not
Gizmo:that big of a deal. I I think I think that he's coming in here with a negative
Bam Bam:Big time.
Gizmo:Aurora's off the hook. Aurora's off the hook tonight.
Pagoda:Where where were you AirTags?
Rooster:Were you on the subway?
Chef Ricky:Goddess has been dying to
Lizard Sean:see that.
Gizmo:By the way, that is the first thing I said to you when you mentioned it.
Bam Bam:I know. I don't ever lose my wallet. I don't actually ever lose anything. I moved out of my house, moved into the in laws.
Gizmo:It's a lot of action, man.
Bam Bam:And my men are bothering me like children. They're calling me all day. I'm preoccupied.
Gizmo:Let's just clarify. He's talking about his workers.
Bam Bam:Yeah. They're like little kids.
Senator:His men.
Bam Bam:It's constant working. Constant calls.
Gizmo:Yeah. That's a pain in the ass.
Bam Bam:I'm dropping off laundry, picking up. Just I was all over the place today. So I'm very, very disappointed.
Chef Ricky:Alright. Oh,
Senator:boy. Next he's gonna have to go grocery shopping.
Gizmo:Can you imagine?
Pagoda:Oh boy, that's how
Bam Bam:you say it, right?
Gizmo:You're gonna find your wallet. It'll be fine.
Bam Bam:Alright, I'm here.
Gizmo:But just like your partner to the right now, you need to put air tags in your stuff,
Pagoda:dude.
Bam Bam:I want a wallet that acts like an AirTag.
Gizmo:Yeah, told you.
Senator:It's hard to put an AirTag in a wallet.
Gizmo:No. It is. Buy a It's sick. No, you buy a wallet. Either, I have one that connects MagSafe to my iPhone and talks to FindMy, like an AirTag.
Bam Bam:That's
Gizmo:incredible. It's quite built in. There's no AirTag in it. It's built into the wallet. Or you can order a wallet, very thin, that has a bubble on it to put an Works AirTag great.
Gizmo:That's the way to go. So I would recommend everybody grab one of those. But I have one that is just a
Bam Bam:AirTag AirTag wallet. It was a Gucci wallet. I bought it eleven years ago. It hasn't changed. The quality is impeccable.
Bam Bam:Beautiful, supple, black leather. Did it have gold writing?
Pagoda:No. Gold Gucci
Gizmo:or whatever? Very
Bam Bam:understated. I bought it because it was understated, not gaudy.
Senator:I'm so angry.
Rooster:You did lose your phone once for twenty four hours.
Bam Bam:Once, then I found it.
Rooster:Somebody found it. It was here.
Bam Bam:Memory like an elephant.
Rooster:It was here.
Bam Bam:Was it? I don't remember.
Senator:Yeah. Was it in, like, one of the couches here?
Gizmo:Yeah. Yeah.
Bam Bam:Yeah. I remember that. It was in this room, I believe.
Gizmo:Yeah. Yeah. It was over there. Yeah.
Senator:Look at Rooster.
Pagoda:It's impressive. You've got an elephant brain.
Bam Bam:I have an engagement tomorrow night. I don't have any credit cards. I have another one on Thursday. I have no credit cards.
Gizmo:Do you have Apple Pay
Bam Bam:But on your do restaurants take
Senator:Apple Yes.
Gizmo:They're going to
Bam Bam:scan my phone.
Gizmo:Yes. Really?
Chef Ricky:Yeah. Absolutely. Most of them probably have handhelds that they take your orders on.
Bam Bam:I haven't ever seen
Chef Ricky:that. Really?
Senator:I'm with them. Hate using that.
Bam Bam:Me too. It kind of bothers me.
Gizmo:You know what? Alright. Tonight is a little we'll have a little therapeutic session over the next few
Senator:MX though? Like, they'll overnight.
Bam Bam:So I'm gonna wait till tomorrow just to kinda see if someone took it or I I don't know.
Senator:Can I give a piece of advice? Yeah. Regardless of whether you find it or not,
Bam Bam:just call Amex
Senator:and say you lost it and say you need it overnighted, and you will have it next day. And whether you find it or not,
Bam Bam:Will you'll just have a new I have it in time if I do that now, will I have it by 7PM tomorrow?
Senator:No. No. You'll have it the next day. You would have had to call today before Yeah. Like Two four eight.
Bam Bam:Yeah. I need to leave it active so I can use this, what's it called?
Gizmo:Apple Pay? Yeah. Yeah. It's
Rooster:a new thing.
Gizmo:Just Hey.
Bam Bam:I use Apple Pay a lot, but never in a restaurant.
Pagoda:Just make sure you're full of charge.
Bam Bam:That's all. That's correct. Correct. Alright. Let's move on.
Gizmo:So, boys, let's talk about the cigar. The Miami Havana Cazadores, the one we have in our hand, was originally released in 2003, if you believe it, as one of the six original Vitolas in Pete Johnson's first Tatuaje line. We know it as the brown label, but it's technically known as the Selection de Cazador. And there were six original Vitolas, the Havana Cazadores we have in our hands, the Unicos, the Noeos, the Tainos, the Especialis, and the Regios. And those six letters spell the word Hunter, which was the name of Pete Johnson's dog who passed away earlier in the month that he launched Tatuaje.
Gizmo:So the Selection de Cazadores was a tribute to Hunter, and these six cigars have been in production for well over twenty years now, which is pretty cool. So this is his original wine.
Bam Bam:How much was this cigar?
Gizmo:This cigar was just under $11.
Bam Bam:It's good value.
Gizmo:Got it from Small Batch Cigar using our code. Very nice.
Senator:Nice. Did you say this is an American cigar?
Bam Bam:Mhmm. Yeah. What's Like
Senator:an American puro?
Bam Bam:What's the blend?
Gizmo:No. So the it's made American
Rooster:in Miami. Made in Miami.
Gizmo:Made in So the wrapper is Ecuadorian. The binder and filler are both Nicaraguan. So this is made at a factory called El Rey de los Habanos, which is my father's Miami made cigar operation in Doral, Florida, which is also where my father and Tatuaje are headquartered. Doral. Doral.
Gizmo:Doral? Yeah. I I don't know.
Senator:That is English.
Gizmo:I've never been there. D O R A L. Is that you can't say Doral?
Pagoda:Doral. Doral?
Gizmo:You say Doral.
Bam Bam:It's kinda southern.
Gizmo:Never heard of that.
Senator:That's for Trump.
Gizmo:Even has a golf
Rooster:club. That's right.
Senator:Trump Doral.
Gizmo:I have no idea. I'm not a golfer.
Rooster:Trump Doral.
Gizmo:I don't follow Trump's property acquisitions. So most of most of Tatuaje and my father cigars, of course, are made in Esteli, Nicaragua. But this line is made in Miami, and it was designed to be Cuban like according to Pete Johnson in those very early days. So I ask you with that being said, does this feel Cubans esque to you in any way?
Chef Ricky:So I've been smoking a lot of the Fab Five Trinity Robustos and there's a very distinct and I know it's not a Cuban, but it smokes like a Cuban for me and I think for all of us, but there's a very distinct creamy cappuccino like flavor profile in that cigar that I'm getting here. But here, it's a little sharp. Here, it does have a bite at the end. Bam is so crystal Bam is Bam
Bam Bam:not getting any of that. Yeah. Can I get another cigar?
Gizmo:Yeah.
Bam Bam:No. I'm kidding.
Chef Ricky:I'm I'm getting sweet cream here, but it's not as long it doesn't linger, and it's not as long as as it is when in the experience with the Trinity Rebox.
Gizmo:My cigar is very much in line with what he's talking about. It's very good.
Bam Bam:Did you say sweet cream and cappuccino?
Pagoda:Yeah. This is a completely different cigar.
Bam Bam:Yeah, I'm not having the same cigar.
Chef Ricky:Yeah, no, I am. I am. It's not as long lasting as it is in that Trinity Robusto. Here it ends very quickly, but it's still in the background.
Bam Bam:Short finish. Yeah. Yep.
Senator:Yep. So I gotta say, I'm I'm actually with chef in that. The first few puffs, like, there was that sharpness we were talking about, the earthiness. It's now, like, with an inch of ash, it's gotten sweeter Mhmm. Creamier, and the cappuccino call out, I think, is spot on.
Senator:Like, I'm I'm enjoying it. It's actually very good right now.
Gizmo:The fuck, man.
Chef Ricky:Is yours tight? I do wish I had a little better air flow here.
Bam Bam:I like it actually. It's performing beautifully but the flavor profile is nothing like what you guys just said.
Chef Ricky:What did you eat for dinner? Or you didn't eat because you lost your wallet?
Bam Bam:Yeah, I have no money.
Chef Ricky:You don't know how to use apple paste.
Bam Bam:That's also true.
Gizmo:What was
Pagoda:it about? Salad.
Bam Bam:I had a I had a salad, but this is hours ago with grill check. Okay.
Gizmo:So let's just go through the other five sizes. I know I mentioned them, but I'll read them out to you. One we have in our hand, the Havana Cazadores 43 by six and three eighths, the Unicos 52 by six and an eighth, the Noeos 42 by five and an eighth, the Tainos 49 by seven and five eighths. That's a big cigar. Especialis 38 by seven and a half, and the Regios, 50 by five and a half.
Gizmo:So that's the Robusto in the line. So those are the six cigars.
Chef Ricky:Yeah. So the Petite Cazadores doesn't fall on this one. It does not.
Gizmo:Wow. Rusty. Much I think that came later.
Bam Bam:Rusty. Are you getting what they're getting?
Rooster:A little bit. Or I mean, I'm getting that plus
Bam Bam:Is it bit
Gizmo:more beer for you?
Rooster:Plus the spice plus the earth.
Bam Bam:So I'm getting more
Rooster:earth and
Bam Bam:spice. Little of leather.
Chef Ricky:I'm getting
Bam Bam:more of those notes than
Rooster:It's not quite as creamy as chef described though.
Bam Bam:Not for me.
Senator:That's not
Pagoda:for me either.
Rooster:I mean, I do get that
Bam Bam:And you're enjoying
Rooster:it? A dry walt, dry nothing happening. That I do get. I am enjoying it. Yeah.
Rooster:It's very pleasant.
Chef Ricky:It is very apparent to me on the retrohale. That's where I find it most.
Senator:The other things I'll say, the construction is very good on this.
Bam Bam:Is performing nicely.
Senator:Razor sharp burn. My draw is perfect. It's a handsome even looking cigar.
Rooster:It feels good in your hand.
Senator:The smoke output. The other thing, for a small wing gauge like this, the combustion's been awesome.
Gizmo:The combustion is great.
Pagoda:Although the wrapper feels a bit rustic, right? It's not.
Bam Bam:It's kind of cool, though.
Gizmo:I feel like a trademark of Pete Johnson and Tatuaje. I feel they always have a
Bam Bam:Even the Petite Cazadores are rough. Oh, bit.
Rooster:Why is there not a cigar of this size but with that blend?
Gizmo:Yeah. We've said that before.
Rooster:I know so many times you have said it.
Bam Bam:Love that cigar.
Rooster:Is that impossible to make?
Bam Bam:I mean No.
Rooster:That's gotta be a beloved cigar that Cazadores mean, all of us love it.
Senator:To your point, it's weird to me. I can't think of another cigar where the only thing in, like, its entire line is just that little petite Cazadores, that small cigar. There is no larger option of any kind. Strange.
Rooster:I was hoping, like, we would get the similar notes on this, but it's different.
Gizmo:I'm not yet, sir. I mentioned that before, that kind of that's that's not here for me right now. I'm enjoying the cigar, but it doesn't there isn't a parallel Are right
Bam Bam:you with Senator and Chef?
Gizmo:100%.
Bam Bam:Creaming, really?
Gizmo:Yeah. Oh yeah, find it to be very pleasant.
Bam Bam:So the three of you are getting that. Rooster's getting Earth, more Walnut, which is some minerality. I'm getting that, but in full ramp mode and pagoda, maybe you're in between everybody.
Rooster:Are you getting a lot more spice?
Bam Bam:Yeah, I'm getting spice, I'm getting walnut. Are you
Gizmo:guys just smoking faster? Like are you pulling on it too much?
Bam Bam:I don't know.
Senator:I don't think he is.
Pagoda:It's kind of changing right now for me, but what I was getting was something really, I couldn't figure out, but like an extremely, like a dark chocolate, like really bitter dark chocolate. Was getting a little bit of that kind of flavor profile.
Rooster:Biscuit maybe? No.
Bam Bam:Could be like an earthy thing that you're getting. Minerality earthy thing that you're
Pagoda:That's just a little bit.
Chef Ricky:Me, it's clearly changed from walnut to pecan. Damn. Jealous.
Senator:The thing I'll say that I I actually like that this is not like the petite Cazadores in that that to me is more like traditional Tatuaje. Like, it's a it's a bowl, like, flavorful cigar. This is probably one of the most balanced Tatuaje cigars I've ever had.
Bam Bam:So I will definitely agree with that. There it's it's not a punch you in the face type of cigar. I just wish I had a little bit of what you guys are getting.
Pagoda:Crack a bit of sweetness, a bit of cappuccino.
Bam Bam:Touch pecan.
Pagoda:Pecan. I'm getting macadamia.
Bam Bam:I'm
Pagoda:surprised you get it.
Gizmo:So let's go to some news now, boys. We got a couple of things to talk about. I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago. Very exciting. Our friends at Bond Roberts Auctions are moving into the new world space.
Gizmo:And we have some more details now. On September 28, Bond Roberts Auctions will officially launch its New World Cigars division. Bond Roberts is going to welcome their very own John McTavish, who is known to many of us as Lizard Surgeon. So our friend from Developing Palettes is actually going to be working on this project, and it's gonna be the authenticity, all that stuff, making sure the boxes are right and overseeing, you know, those lots going up on Bond Roberts auctions.
Bam Bam:So quality control.
Gizmo:Quality control and authentication. The division will launch with a database covering more than 200 lines of the most sought after new world cigars. Rob says, for collectors, this opens an entirely new category of cigars to discover and acquire through BR. For those considering selling, now is the time to look through your collections and decide what you may wish to consign. There is plenty to look forward to between now and the launch.
Gizmo:So he lists out what he says are 90% of their core listing brands. So I'm gonna read these to you now. AJ Fernandez, Alec Bradley, Arturo Fuente, CAO, Cavalier Geneva, Crowned Heads, Davidoff, Drew Estate, Ipikarillo, My Father, Lucione, Hoya de Nicaragua, La Vieja Havana, My Father, Oliva, Padron, Rocky Patel, Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust, Tatuaje, and Warped. Now, are these
Bam Bam:unavailable new worlds? Are they aged? Is there something that distinguishes them?
Gizmo:I think that's what a lot of it's gonna be. You know, I'm I'm assuming the stuff that's gonna get chased are those old OpusX boxes. You know, I would love to Chef's edition, the original chef's Davidoff.
Rooster:Chef's edition, I'm all in.
Gizmo:Yeah. Yeah. And and, you know, stuff that may be discontinued, like, you love that Grand Cru that's gone.
Rooster:I can still get them.
Gizmo:So Yeah.
Pagoda:But there's
Senator:a component we should talk about. How are you gonna prove age on some of these things?
Bam Bam:I mean,
Chef Ricky:a
Gizmo:lot of
Senator:new world boxes don't have box dates
Bam Bam:or
Senator:codes or anything. Correct?
Rooster:Well, like, you know, like the chef's edition.
Bam Bam:Right? So they Well, they can carbon date them.
Senator:That's a year of stamped them. Of course. But I'm talking about like carbon date them.
Bam Bam:It'll cost a lot.
Senator:I'm talking about like a regular Opus, you know, standard production box. If someone says like they've had it for five years, how do we know that's?
Gizmo:I think that's gonna be hard, and I'm sure they're gonna work through that. But, you know, John will know if a certain OpusX special edition was released at a certain time, he'll know, you know, what to look for in that box, what they should look like, kind of like Yellow Yellow Cello. Yellow Cello. So we are looking forward to seeing Bond Roberts auctions in the new world space. It's gonna be very cool.
Gizmo:There's gonna be a lot more boxes on that new to Bond Roberts section that comes out in you know, a new email every day comes out of new to Bond Roberts, new listings and stuff.
Rooster:Is it still gonna be the 15%?
Gizmo:I'm not sure about that. I would think so. Mhmm. I would think so. Also, I heard that if you are someone who only wants to look at Cuban cigars, you don't have to look at the New World cigars and vice versa, or you can look at both.
Gizmo:So you're going to have that ability to select one or both offerings.
Pagoda:Oh, so they're to have a filter there?
Gizmo:Yeah. There's going be a filter. Yep. Exactly. Another one now, boys.
Gizmo:Two parter here. ProCigar has opened up their registration for their twenty twenty seven ProCigar Festival. The festival next year will take place February 16 through February 19, of course, in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Pagoda and I went this year and it was fantastic. I'm hoping that more of you guys are going to be able to go in 2027.
Rooster:I think I'm going
Gizmo:make that happen.
Rooster:I want to go this time.
Gizmo:It was it was really good, man. It was a lot of fun.
Bam Bam:Is that March, April?
Gizmo:February. February 1619. Okay.
Rooster:Okay. Are you guys gonna go to the Purosabor right after?
Gizmo:That's actually before. That's in January.
Rooster:Oh, it's before that. I
Gizmo:thought it was after. No. So Purosabor is in January.
Rooster:Oh, I'm talking I'm thinking about the Honduras.
Bam Bam:Yeah.
Gizmo:Yeah. January is Porosadores in Nicaragua. February is ProCigar in Doctor. This year, March, first weekend of March, PCA, PCA show is in Vegas and then might have something coming up in Honduras. We'll see about that.
Rooster:We're gonna be gone for a month.
Bam Bam:A lot of frequent flyer miles.
Pagoda:Mhmm.
Gizmo:A lot of traveling for sure. Rooster, are gonna
Bam Bam:go to PCA this year or what?
Rooster:I do. I wanna go.
Bam Bam:Yeah. Well, you've said you want it.
Senator:Want to.
Pagoda:No. I know.
Rooster:I know. I think I'm in this here.
Bam Bam:Yeah. You mean next year?
Gizmo:Market. Yep. Market senator. In your elephant brain. Accountability hour coming.
Rooster:Well, I'm in in for ProCigar for sure. And
Pagoda:because it's a
Bam Bam:vacation. Is that why?
Rooster:I do wanna
Gizmo:go to Purosabor would be cool.
Bam Bam:Yeah. So
Gizmo:the ProCigar Festival combines factory tours and seminars during the day with evening galas at night, of course, traditional gala dinners at Parque De Central, the Monument Of The Heroes, the White Dinner. Of course, that was the one we went to Pagoda we talked about with all the fireworks. The White Party is very famous and is one of the only events that happens in that monument each year in Santiago. And then the Centro Espanol, which is the auction gala. Those are the gala events.
Gizmo:So this is very interesting and this is according to Cigar Coop. So shout out to him for making this easy for us to share. Davidoff has officially left the ProCigar organization. Davidoff and their factory Tabadam Holdings. So the factories are what actually make up the ProCigar organization and there's 11 of them and Davidoff has left and I find that to be very, very odd.
Gizmo:I'm shocked that they would leave. It's weird. I mean, that's a
Senator:big That's a huge deal.
Gizmo:Organization. That's a huge
Bam Bam:deal that they left.
Gizmo:Why
Senator:would they do that?
Gizmo:It's like they're disconnecting.
Senator:Of the factory tours they do, that Davidoff one was always like a coveted It's well sought after. Experience. Yeah.
Gizmo:Wow. I don't know what happened, but, you know, we've talked a lot about Davidoff. Not gonna rag on him here, but it just seems like they're disconnecting from
Bam Bam:It's not
Gizmo:the consumer base. You know, that is a consumer festival, number one. Number two, tons of retailers go to that. So that's an opportunity to have FaceTime with retailers in a really nice, like, cool party gala dinner event as opposed to PCA, which is buying and selling. That's not a consumer event.
Gizmo:So to see them exit this, all the stuff we've talked about with the blenders, the blends, the lines, the tastes mean, that's the
Senator:easiest chance that you will ever have to get a retailer to come out to your facilities. Mhmm. Yeah. The easiest chance you'll ever have. I mean, think of trying to convince someone to find a random weekend to leave The US and fly to Doctor just for that.
Senator:They're already there. Right. I mean, jeez.
Bam Bam:So our former lounge, I've talked to him when we were all in good standing there about these trips that he would take down to their facilities. He said it was a spectacular experience. Things are changing.
Gizmo:The only thing I can think of I'm gonna throw one thing out there, the only thing I can think of is that they are going to, at the same time, throw events that are unrelated to ProCigar or sanctioned by ProCigar, throw their own stuff during the day that people can go visit Davidoff outside of the ProCigar direct affiliation. That's very possible. I think it would be kind of
Senator:I think it's a mistake.
Gizmo:Weird to do that or a mistake.
Bam Bam:They're putting themselves on an island.
Gizmo:It's weird.
Senator:They also years ago left PCA.
Gizmo:Exactly. Then
Senator:when Josh took over, it came back.
Bam Bam:Yeah. Next year they'll have a five square foot booth at PCA. Mark it down.
Gizmo:So I It looks
Chef Ricky:like when you start doing that, you have something to hide or you have things you don't want to discuss or
Bam Bam:you're Well, they're pulling away.
Gizmo:I just don't understand the disconnect. It's very, very odd. So back to ProCigar. Again, according to Cigar Coop, he says they've added two activities to their agenda this year. One is the ProCigar hopping tour, which is a series of short visits to ProCigar's strategic partners that offer insight into the Dominican cigar industry.
Gizmo:The second is the ProCigar discovery tour described as, quote, an immersive journey that invites guests to explore the Dominican tobacco industry from ProCigar's unique perspective. There's also a power talk, which last year was Lito Gomez and Carlito Fuente. They have a ProCigar's women's talk and a beach day as well. Lot of stuff to do at ProCigar. If you're interested, check them out and register for the ProCigar Festival twenty twenty seven, February sixteenth through nineteenth in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
Gizmo:So I I really hope that we're all all there this year. It'd be nice. One more for you, boys. This one I thought was cool to see, and I was wondering what you guys thought of this. Altidas has announced the Golden Four event collection.
Gizmo:So this is gonna be a new event only offering. Four cigars in it, and it's a canister and these cigars are all unreleased and all feature a gold band. So one is from Monte Cristo, one is from Romeo Giulietta, one is from H Upman, and the last is from Aging Room. So this is the presentation. I'll show it to you guys.
Gizmo:It comes almost like you would see like a almost like a whiskey container, right? Where the lid pops off. And then these are the four cigars with their gold bands. So these are going to only be available at special events that Altadis is throwing. So I'm assuming if you go to, let's say, best cigar prices festival each year, Rocky Mountain Festival, I'm that's sure where you're gonna see this kind of stuff.
Gizmo:It's gonna be only for special events. So according to Gabe Diaz, who's the brand manager, said in a press release, the golden four assortment is for the true cigar lover, for the ones who chase what's rare and undiscovered. We've opened the doors to our cedar rooms and pulled unreleased cigars from four of our most iconic brands, giving aficionados a taste of something they can't find anywhere else. So they will start appearing in just a few weeks.
Bam Bam:I wonder how much that will be.
Gizmo:I am I would think that a lot of this is gonna be giveaway stuff. Oh. I I would assume they're not gonna be selling this. I would assume that this is gonna be something that folks are gonna be able to get their hands on just from attending a special event or something like that.
Bam Bam:Nice gift.
Gizmo:Yeah. Pretty cool. That's what it looks like with the lid off, by the way.
Bam Bam:Yeah. Very nice presentation. So
Gizmo:that's it for news today, boys. Get to some more stuff next week. But now it's time to go into our pairing, and we are back to a tequila. This one is the ArteNOM fourteen fourteen tequila Reposado, and chef will talk about this in a minute. But cheers, boys.
Gizmo:Good to see you all. Bam bam to finding your wallet.
Bam Bam:Thank you. I hope so.
Gizmo:Cheers, boys. Very nice.
Bam Bam:Very light.
Chef Ricky:Yeah.
Bam Bam:Very easy to drink. Refreshing. Very drinkable.
Chef Ricky:Very, very. Yeah. This this is a Reposado that, really focuses and and hones in on the agave itself. And obviously, as you could tell from the color, they're not really relying on the wood or the oak here to do a whole lot. It's just resting.
Chef Ricky:I mean, this is one of the lightest repos we had on this podcast, but the flavor is sweet, vanilla, nutty, little salty,
Bam Bam:a little fruit. Yeah,
Chef Ricky:there's some fruit there. This is made at the fourteen fourteen Distillery. So ArteNOM, their shtick is they pick tequilas from specific gnomes. So fourteen fourteen is one of their expressions, which is a Reposado. Eleven twenty three is their Blanco expression that comes from gnome eleven twenty three.
Chef Ricky:And I forget the Anejo.
Gizmo:16 something? I don't remember. I saw it I saw it in a photo too.
Chef Ricky:But, yeah, so I it's it's not coming to me right now.
Gizmo:But it's interesting. You would look at this and think that the brand is '14 14.
Senator:Yeah.
Gizmo:You wouldn't think that it's ArteNOM.
Chef Ricky:Yeah. So the but ArteNOM literally translates to the art of the gnome. Right? So it's a selection from that gnome. It's the art of the gnome.
Chef Ricky:You know, usually with the gnome is the association of the master distiller, the production process. So fourteen fourteen, this is made by master distiller Sergio Vivanka. So he's known for Yave Tequila, which is super delicious. Some of the early expressions of Cimbrazole for tequila nerds out there, that's one of that's an OG twelve, thirteen years ago. People were drinking that before tequila was even super popular as it is now.
Chef Ricky:Grand Grand Ovejo, super collectible bottle. But these guys, you know, they do all of the things right. Stone ovens. This place has a roller mill. It's not a Tohono.
Chef Ricky:Copper pot stills. And yeah, just really good production process, really good agave fields, delicious stuff, really clean, easy to drink. It's it does it for me, it's going really well with the cigar right now.
Gizmo:What's everybody thinking of the tequila and how it's pairing?
Bam Bam:I think it's delicious.
Gizmo:How do you like it with the cigar?
Bam Bam:It's improving the cigar. Actually, my cigar was improving prior to taking this sip, so it was getting just a little bit very faint sweetness, maybe a sweet coffee, but way in the background. Nothing like what the three of you are getting.
Rooster:Isn't it more creamier now?
Bam Bam:Yeah, it is improving, I will say for sure. Now, this spirit has helped it dramatically, but it was getting better prior to the drink.
Chef Ricky:It's interesting because this isn't a tequila with a super long finish. At best it's a medium finish.
Gizmo:I feel like it's sticking around on my palate is for a while.
Chef Ricky:Not super short but not super long. It's not really viscous. It's not super oily. It's it's it's a like a lean finish if you will.
Rooster:Almost looks like a Blanco.
Bam Bam:Mhmm. Mhmm. Slight botanical.
Senator:It looks like a Blanco and honestly if you tasted this blind it could you could think it's
Gizmo:a Blanco.
Senator:So it's very unique in that sense. I like it. I'm happy that it's adding a good amount of sweetness since the cigar is on the drier side. I think it's definitely helping. I do wish it had some more characteristics from the barrel like Mhmm.
Senator:A traditional Repo or closer to even an Anejo just with the cigar. Like, I would like some deeper, richer notes. So pairing wise, I think it works. I think it's good. I just wish there were maybe
Bam Bam:It is light.
Senator:More like whiskey type expression with the cigar, but on its own, I think it's a great Repo.
Bam Bam:Mhmm. It it is light. I think it could go with a lot of Cubans possibly.
Chef Ricky:Agree. That was definitely the thinking behind it.
Bam Bam:I would not have exclusive with this or
Chef Ricky:anything Agree. In that
Gizmo:So boys, the price on this is $75 Sold. I think that's high Hold for
Bam Bam:on. Do you like this?
Pagoda:Yeah, I like it, but it's not like, you know, I think I've rated a lot of tequila extremely high because I've always
Bam Bam:because there was character.
Pagoda:And this, it seems a bit flatter. While it's a little sweeter and it's adding the overall flavor profile with the cigar, it's not exceptionally, you know, oh, wow, what a flavor profile.
Rooster:It's flat cheddar.
Pagoda:Just saying, it's flat cheddar. Feel like it's a little muted. Maybe I'm just getting a muted experience.
Senator:No, no. Flat, honestly, I think is a good way to describe it. When Chef was saying that the finish is relatively short, not super abrupt, but it doesn't linger that long, it kind of is like flat for a Reposado. You would expect something more.
Bam Bam:Are you getting any minerality that could be a touch unpleasant from it? A touch, I'm Not really kind of experiencing pleasant.
Senator:I mean, I get some minerality, but for me in a pleasant way, not as pleasant.
Chef Ricky:Yeah, I don't I don't think there's anything unpleasant about this for me. What I do appreciate is. You know, how sweet it is for a repo that, you know, usually we associate the level of sweetness with, you know, the oak and the oak isn't present. There's not a whole lot of of influence here from the wood. But what you're tasting is just how great the quality of the agave is.
Chef Ricky:You know, it's highland agave. It's supernaturally sweet, a steak grown. It's and you taste it. You know, it's not it's not being masked at all by anything. I think that's why they went so light with the age because they really wanted the agave to come through.
Senator:Mhmm. Jeff, this is like purely just my experience. Is it accurate that I feel like when I've seen that bottle places, it's typically the anejo, like a darker spirit in the bottle. Yeah. Is that like more popular than the Repo?
Chef Ricky:I think it it is, but only because it's on you. I think of the three expressions, the 11/23 might be the most sought And that's the Bronco. And then this this one would be the next one.
Senator:Really? Wow.
Chef Ricky:Yeah. In its original bottling that Anejo used to come from the Tapatu distillery.
Senator:Oh, wow. So the first time
Gizmo:I actually
Senator:had that was with your business partner, Lizard, JP, Yeah, years
Chef Ricky:that that was one of his favorites when he was drinking.
Bam Bam:Yeah. What do you think?
Gizmo:I think it's very good. I think all the commentary so far has been spot on. I'm not getting any of that unpleasantness that you've mentioned. I think it's thinner than I would expect. I I think that what senator said, looking for a little bit more of that kind of barrel character, age character, call it.
Gizmo:But I think it's a really nice spirit. I'm happy with it. I do think it's overpriced, at 75. I think that's too much for what we're having tonight. I would expect that price maybe at the Anejo, which I think the Anejo, from what I've seen, is like 110.
Gizmo:So when we get to that one, we'll see how it performs and if it's up to up to snuff on that price.
Chef Ricky:I think that's what we had.
Gizmo:That's what we had.
Chef Ricky:That's what chef charges. No. No. I was confused as to whether or not we've done an ArteNOM on the on the pod. We have.
Chef Ricky:But I remember drinking a bottle with you guys, and I think it was the Anejo I brought in at one point.
Gizmo:So boys, I can't believe I'm saying this, but we are well past the first third. We are now at the halfway point on the Tatuaje, Miami, Havana, Cazadores.
Pagoda:I think it's really improved, and I think with the pairing, it's really like, for me, it's really improved, especially because where it was a little bit sweeter. I'm also getting a little bit of, like, nutty or saltier, but it's so sweet and It's really tasting very nice.
Rooster:Yeah, it's not that dry like it was No,
Pagoda:absolutely not.
Bam Bam:That's true.
Pagoda:Yeah, it's true. Like now I'm really enjoying this cigar. Think the pairing really helped.
Senator:I also agree that I think at the, like, midway point, it picks up in sweetness, which I really like. And I'm saying that I intentionally stopped drinking the tequila, and I'm still getting a lot of sweetness from the cigar. The just quickly on the tequila, the other thing I I will add, I feel like it's a great summer tequila. Yeah. And it has such a clean finish.
Senator:Like chef was talking about how agave forward it is. I've been thinking with like a lot of different like foods like this would pair really well. So
Bam Bam:Oysters?
Senator:Yeah, even honestly, with oysters, there's It's great. Just beyond the cigar, I feel like there's a lot of utility for this.
Rooster:Can you
Gizmo:name some other dishes that you think that this would go well with?
Senator:I think a lot of fish, seafood,
Gizmo:Is there another tequila that you would pair with a fish?
Senator:Yeah, mean I think No,
Gizmo:mean that seriously because we haven't talked about that before.
Senator:Yeah, no, it's true. Mean I think otherwise
Gizmo:Normally you'd go white wine.
Chef Ricky:You put on your Barbara Walters voice, so it's It just gets funny.
Bam Bam:It's very
Gizmo:attractive right now. You like that?
Bam Bam:I would do sauteed scallops with this. Yeah? Yeah? For sure.
Chef Ricky:Yeah, butteriness. I was gonna go in the direction of foie while it's not fish.
Gizmo:What's that? Foie gras.
Chef Ricky:Oh It's rich and I think that richness It'll will help carry help keep this on the palate longer and extend that finish.
Gizmo:There you go, chef.
Senator:But I just say that because I feel like there are a lot of Blancos that would pair well with shellfish, seafood, fish, all that. Not as many Repos, but this definitely perfectly pairs with I think everything we've described.
Chef Ricky:Giz, is this the 82 or the 80? Because there's a couple bottles.
Gizmo:This is the 82.4 proof, 41.2
Chef Ricky:it's ABV. Slightly higher there. Some of the older bottlings were 80 proof, and the newer ones are now coming in at 82, or I forget if it's the older ones that were 82, vice versa.
Gizmo:I think it's the newer ones are 82. Okay.
Chef Ricky:Yeah, so this is
Gizmo:Well, it's just a little bit hotter.
Bam Bam:I mean, it's
Gizmo:1% hotter.
Bam Bam:Yeah. Everything counts.
Gizmo:I will say on the cigar, I cannot believe how fast this is burning. Am not smoking this like crazy. I'm not. You're smoking. I'm talking.
Gizmo:Fast. Look at Gizz. I'm talking the whole time.
Senator:Just finished almost the whole cigar.
Gizmo:I can't I don't understand what's
Senator:how much more I have left on my cigar.
Gizmo:I don't think you have that much.
Senator:Saying that my cigar's double the size of Gizz's.
Gizmo:No. Pass this around. No.
Chef Ricky:What are you talking about?
Gizmo:Look at BAM's.
Senator:BAM can measure well. No. Tell me his isn't half the size of mine.
Bam Bam:His is a third less than yours. Just over a third, which is almost half.
Senator:Over a third.
Gizmo:A third? No. No.
Bam Bam:It's a
Gizmo:quarter of an
Chef Ricky:inch. It's
Gizmo:a quarter
Bam Bam:of an That's a half inch.
Gizmo:It is. It's a quarter of an inch.
Bam Bam:You're you're You're moving, though.
Chef Ricky:Your heads weren't exactly lined up.
Rooster:True. I saw that.
Bam Bam:Pulse. Helmet party. Oh my goodness. Here we go. On the leather.
Bam Bam:Yeah. That's really flat. There's a table right there, by the
Gizmo:way. Here.
Bam Bam:Oh, look at that. All the down.
Senator:The way down. Look.
Gizmo:You're so full of shit.
Bam Bam:Yeah. Was Come a on.
Rooster:Fucking table. It's about half an inch.
Gizmo:Your measurements. Right. It's about half an inch. Kept the caliber of an
Bam Bam:inch. Three quarters of an inch, actually, on the table.
Pagoda:I don't know what you're talking about. I think he's smoking the same paste.
Bam Bam:On a leather armchair shirt.
Senator:Sensitive about the size of his cigar. Jesus.
Pagoda:It it is just that he did a huge GISC gun.
Bam Bam:I think gives us size.
Gizmo:No. Absolutely not. There's still roundness there. Anyway, it is it is smoking fast. And I By the way,
Rooster:think I think the cigar pairs well with coffee. Yeah? Yeah. Tasty.
Bam Bam:So you've had this before then?
Rooster:No. Right now.
Bam Bam:Oh, you're having coffee now?
Gizmo:Yeah. Wow.
Pagoda:It must be cold coffee.
Gizmo:So, boys, I wanted to go back to a story that we talked about a couple weeks ago, the new Arturo Fuente 09/11 resilient release. Obviously, anyone who's on the Internet and looks at any sort of cigar content, you've seen the uproar about this, the $11 donation amount on the $5.35 MSRP box price, the exclusivity, the scarce we're not going to talk about any of that. What I want to bring up is some things I saw on Facebook today that blew my mind. Okay? I saw three boxes sell on the secondary market for $1,500 a box.
Gizmo:What? Three x. In these OpusX Facebook transaction groups, Guys are selling these like they would any other OpusX for a massive profit. Yeah. And and that, I will be honest with you, that really frustrates me Of course.
Gizmo:With this release. I'll give you one other. A guy bought a box, the the entire box, and sold four of the cigars for $900. What? $225 per cigar.
Rooster:My
Gizmo:boy. A 10 x markup over the MSRP of the cigar.
Pagoda:I think they're having the wrong business.
Bam Bam:I think the buyers are as guilty as the sellers.
Gizmo:I totally agree with you. Why?
Bam Bam:Why would they do that?
Gizmo:I just think it is so it is is so in bad taste to take a box like that and transact it, period, for any sort of profit. But for that kind of profit like you might, another crazy rare OpusX, because there's not a lot of these coming out. Right? So these are in high demand. People want them for whatever reason.
Chef Ricky:I hope the situation is that people see this and they really want to get it to the right person. Like maybe they have somebody who was affected by it, a firefighter buddy or something, and
Bam Bam:they're Pull willing to pay that back a little bit. If you were the maker, if you're the business owner and whatever product you're making and this happens, how do you feel? Do you make a statement? Do you say something? What do you do?
Bam Bam:How Yeah, do increase it's awful.
Pagoda:No, you would price it higher next time.
Chef Ricky:I think you'd get more of the proceeds. You flood the market with more of it, so
Bam Bam:that way the price just Or just increase your donation so that it's actually a legitimate fundraising.
Senator:I'm just gonna say, I just put into ChatGBT what a normal expected price sorry. What a normal expected dollar amount per box would be to donate to charity for a typical cigar release around a charity.
Bam Bam:Chat GPT.
Senator:It says there isn't one industry standard amount, but for a normal commercial cigar release where a portion of each box goes to charity, I'd consider 10 to 25 per box a very normal range with 20 to 50 per box feeling like a more meaningful charitable commitment. Then it gives the example of the That's
Gizmo:what I said.
Senator:OpusX, $11 a box. It says Fuente's rare pink release, which I think I
Gizmo:mentioned Which you mentioned, 13.
Senator:Was 13 a box.
Rooster:Yeah.
Senator:Then it says, there are also much more aggressive charity releases such as Foundations, $480 Tabernacle Knight Commander, where all net profits went to charity. Incredible.
Gizmo:Yeah. Now again, my commentary on this secondary pricing is not a dig at Arturo Fuente the company. It's not a dig at Carlito. This is well after it's been transacted at retail. Right?
Gizmo:So my criticism doesn't we talked about that ad nauseam. I know. But the fact that folks are doing this with this release is just odd to me. I just think it's in very poor taste. I've seen retailers doing some very cool things, auctioning, you know, selling tickets for auction.
Gizmo:All the money goes to charity. Somebody wins that box. Great. But to sell these cigars for $225 apiece, I think is abhorrent. I think it's terrible.
Rooster:Have you read any reviews
Gizmo:on the cigar? No. It just came out. It just came out.
Bam Bam:Are you in the market?
Senator:Has BAM sold any of
Gizmo:these boxes? I wouldn't dare. Anyway, I just wanted to highlight that. You know, I I think, you know, to your point about Fuente releasing the boxes closer to the actual price that they command at market, The Delta is so crazy between the MSRP and what they actually are often sold for. It's like I compare it to concert tickets going on sale.
Gizmo:And artists use Ticketmaster as the bad guy, right? So they'll put tickets on sale for $200. And then all of a sudden, you go to buy the tickets, and immediately at the on sale, they're on the resale, quote unquote, on Ticketmaster being resold for 8 or 900. Right? The actual ticket price is 8 or 900, but the artist is afraid to show that level of price to their fan base because the backlash would be insane.
Gizmo:So Ticketmaster exists to be the bad guy for the artists and their teams. Right? So everybody can yell and scream at Ticketmaster, which we've all seen a thousand times.
Pagoda:But does Ticketmaster give the money back?
Gizmo:Ticketmaster well, Ticketmaster is just a vehicle for Live Nation, is the promoter of the show. Yeah. So that is their ticketing platform. Ticketmaster is a part of Live Nation. It's all one
Rooster:big thing.
Gizmo:So does the artist get the profit? Yeah. So the markup. So let's talk Taylor Swift, for example. If you were to do the math on how many seats can be sold at a Taylor Swift show and the guarantee that she is making for that show, they're assuming a 100% sellout, of course, that number is far greater than if you take those available amount of seats and multiply it by the ticket price that actually went on sale at on sale.
Gizmo:They use Ticketmaster to be the bad face to the consumer. So what I find interesting about this is that why doesn't Fuente and I'm not saying get all the way close to the market. And I would say the same thing for the bourbon people. Why don't they get closer to the actual market value of the product that they're putting out there? Why do they allow the secondary market to do this?
Gizmo:Why do they allow the retailers to do this? Why do they not participate and set the price fairly?
Senator:Once the cigar once the box is sold from the manufacturer to the retailer, and ultimately the consumer, I mean, any additional markup
Bam Bam:The attention rooster.
Senator:Is not going to the manufacturer.
Gizmo:I know that. I think it's crazy.
Senator:I'm just saying there's nothing the manufacturer can do. They put it out at a higher price, people are still gonna mark it up even more and sell it. They're not gonna get any of that extra money.
Bam Bam:That's correct.
Senator:The only thing that I would like to see Afuente in particular do is strictly prohibit retailers, which he can control
Gizmo:That's what I'm saying.
Senator:He decides which retailers to ship product to and how much product goes to them, there should be a cap on how much they can mark it up because in our own area, you look at certain Opus products, Don Carlos, like the eye of the shark, certain retailers will sell those for a small markup. Other retailers, you're literally seeing it for like three x what others are selling it for, and that profit, that additional profit solely going to the retailer, it's not going back to the manufacturer.
Rooster:Of
Senator:course. So I just wish, and I think it's harmful for the brand because, you know, if your intent is for, let's say, Don Carlos eye of the shark to be sold for $20, it shouldn't be being sold at $55 somewhere else that is pricing out so many consumers you hoped to actually try and buy and and and enjoy that cigar. So that's the only piece. But the the true secondary market, like, a consumer, once they buy it, then they're selling it for two times what they
Gizmo:paid by. It's just nothing you can do
Rooster:about it.
Gizmo:All I'm saying is pull pull the reins back on the secondary market. Do what you're saying. Price the cigar appropriately at retail. Control the retail price. Level it like Havana's did across all of their you know, we don't like the Havana's price increases, certainly.
Gizmo:But they did a damn good job leveling that price across the world. And they leveled it to what was happening on the auctions with the age stuff in the secondary, the additional transactions that were happening after the retail point. Right? They took control of that market. Why doesn't the cigar Why we not do that with cigars?
Gizmo:Why do the bourbon people not do that?
Pagoda:This is gizflation at play again.
Gizmo:Correct. I'm trying to be giz deflation.
Pagoda:No. You wanna You're saying make
Senator:the price a thousand
Gizmo:instead No. I'm five saying control the secondary market. I'm saying keep the price 5
Senator:something and just mandate that a retailer can't That's up fair by more
Gizmo:than 10%. Control. That's all I'm saying.
Rooster:Yeah. Limit two.
Gizmo:Alright, boys. Let's go to some email now. This one is a follow-up from our friend Lizards Scott who wrote in about getting into the cigar industry. Remember that email asking us how to get in? Says, good afternoon again, gentlemen.
Gizmo:Thank you for answering my questions and adding to a list of tips to get me up to speed on the cigar industry. Again, I had written in about being interested in getting in as a career. I thought I would follow it up with some details. I'm in my mid forties and a father. Obviously, supporting my family is priority, so anything I do has to make financial sense.
Gizmo:But I'm not expecting to become rich. I've been in the restaurant business as a chef chef since I was 13 years old. A small shop that opened up during the boom got me interested in cigars. We visited it regularly, and it was next to our dry cleaners. The chef owner of the restaurant I worked at got very interested in cigars thanks to that shop owner.
Gizmo:He then started smoking every Saturday at the bar, purchased a humidor, and sold cigars at the restaurant. I've since been a weekend celebration holiday smoker. Recently, about a year and a half ago, our town smoke shop that had a nice selection of cigars got caught selling things that are not cigars, I shall say. I refuse to support them and have been since gone down a very enjoyable road of learning and tasting a lot more. I have Connecticut broadleaf and carrillo plants growing on my property and plan on growing more again next season.
Gizmo:I got a late start. He's growing tobacco on his property. Ideally, I would like to be a part of the blending process and eventually have my own markup. Moving outside The US is not off the table. I think it's best to get into retail to start so I learn and understand every aspect of the industry, hence, growing my own tobacco.
Gizmo:I've been popping into my very few retail shops regularly and even out to Pennsylvania to see what's around. Sorry for the long winded response, but this should give you a better understanding of where I'm coming from and what I'm looking for. Thanks again,
Bam Bam:Lizard Scott. Wow. It's gonna be a great story
Chef Ricky:to start, man. I tell you that much. You know, you
Gizmo:Big go out there and uphill climb. I mean, the cigar industry is very, very challenging.
Bam Bam:And if you're growing your own product in your backyard, you're pretty limited as to what you can produce.
Gizmo:Any advice for Lizards Scott here?
Bam Bam:I just give him credit for his passion.
Chef Ricky:Yeah. That's where I'm at.
Rooster:I do, but I feel like if he really wanted to blend his own cigar, I don't think growing tobacco is the way to do it.
Chef Ricky:I don't know that that's his end goal.
Gizmo:He's
Chef Ricky:he's just just to playing around keep with that.
Rooster:Think he really wants to come out with a line for himself or for his buddies and start out small.
Gizmo:Sure.
Rooster:You got to go to a person who owns a farm, a tobacco farm, and then source the tobacco and then get into the blending. Maybe he can put his input into the blend more than growing tobacco because the tobacco, you know, it's not easy. Yeah. I mean, don't know where he lives. I assume it's No,
Gizmo:he said he goes to PA, so I'm guessing he's around here. I don't remember exactly what he said where he lives.
Bam Bam:Or Ohio coming into PA.
Pagoda:Yeah. But now you have so many private label shops, you can go anywhere in the Doctor or Honduras or Nicaragua.
Rooster:Look. He he can even go to
Pagoda:Fabric of five.
Rooster:Fabric of five and create his own blend.
Gizmo:That'd be incredible.
Rooster:That would be the way to do it.
Gizmo:Yeah. And there's manufacturers like I talked about La Aurora. I went to their facility in the Doctor two years ago now, and you can experience the whole blending process. You get tours of the farm, the factory. You can be immersed in it without the level of risk that comes with everything that Lizard Scott is talking about here.
Rooster:I mean, I assume it's gotta be very challenging growing your own tobacco and then blending it.
Bam Bam:It's not a way to go.
Rooster:You need a lot of tobacco to blend.
Bam Bam:If you're going to go to a maker, there's a minimum buy.
Gizmo:Yeah, it's a huge outlay of cash. And a lot of risk.
Bam Bam:You'll be between, I don't know, 7,000 and $25,000 for your initial order. And then, like you said, Rooster, you're doing test blends and you're flying out of the country, you're going go down to wherever you're going to go. Out of expense.
Rooster:It just depends how deep he wants to go in.
Bam Bam:Sounds like
Chef Ricky:pretty deep. I remember years ago before I met you guys and just early on in podcasting. Camping days? Listening to a podcast that Steve soccer was on, he was talking about the financial commitment needed to even start. And I mean, it was just under $1,000,000 basically.
Bam Bam:It's a lot of money.
Gizmo:Yeah. I mean, you look at someone like Vance Taylor, right? Stoic cigars. He partnered up with Klas Kellner. He is very, very involved in the blending, makes all those decisions with Klas.
Gizmo:Klas, obviously, his manufacturing facility makes those cigars. But still, for Vance even, and he'll say it right out, it is a very time and money intensive process. And to get the cigars done, you're talking if you want to rest them, you're probably talking a year or two before you can even get them in into a position to sell them or even give them away. I mean, it's a lot of time and money involved here. I would argue.
Gizmo:I mean, you know that the restaurant business, I know the music business, but I got to imagine it's in the same level of risk or arguably maybe even worse than those
Chef Ricky:two. You
Gizmo:know, Like they say in the music industry, how do you become a millionaire in the music industry? Start with 10,000,000. Mhmm. You know?
Bam Bam:Can you pass that around?
Senator:Yeah. It it is smoky in this room.
Bam Bam:It is. Dude, the combustion is crazy. Fantastic. Crazy.
Gizmo:How's the cigar for you guys right now?
Bam Bam:It's okay. Yeah. It's okay.
Senator:For me, it's getting back to being drier.
Gizmo:Yeah. It's definitely on the downward for me.
Senator:Yeah. Which I don't love.
Bam Bam:Yeah, I had a glimpse of promise and then it went back to what it was before for me.
Rooster:It's kind of like typical Tatuaje DNA. I hate to say it, but the last third usually doesn't. That's not a good thing. No, I know. I know.
Rooster:I mean, how many tattooas we have had where the last third just kind of fizzles? Actually But this is I mean, it's not bad. It's still I mean, it's good. But the middle, like, the creaminess has gone down. The spices
Senator:picked up.
Rooster:It picked up.
Chef Ricky:Spices picked up and the mintiness for me has picked up. But the creaminess is almost all gone. The nuttiness is almost all gone. Right now, I'm getting sharp spice and some mint and a touch a touch of coffee at the very end. I
Senator:have to say on the other hand, the more I drink this Reposado, the more I really like it.
Bam Bam:I agree.
Gizmo:I think it's really good, man.
Senator:It's so drinkable. You just want more. Has the perfect amount of sweetness, so clean. I really enjoy it.
Chef Ricky:Even as it warms up, it gets better. It's really, really good.
Bam Bam:The second glass is even better.
Chef Ricky:It's almost like it's picked up in body just a bit.
Bam Bam:It's actually a little sweeter for me as my palate adjusts.
Pagoda:Sweeter, absolutely.
Bam Bam:No doubt.
Chef Ricky:It it almost drinks like it's not even 80 proof.
Gizmo:It does drink, actually. I I would argue I I I would agree with you on that. I think it's drinking almost lighter than that.
Senator:Yeah. Very smooth.
Gizmo:It's it's so easy to drink.
Bam Bam:Oh, we'll see you in a few hours.
Gizmo:Let's go to another email now, boys. This one is coming from our friend, Lizard Ray. Says, hello, Lizards. It's been quite some time since I have written in. I don't know about anyone else, but I would love to smoke along with you all through the Fabrica five catalog.
Gizmo:I purchased their welcome sampler in the beginning of the year and have really enjoyed smoking them into the summer. I waited too long to suggest this apparently due to it's not available on Fabrica's site as of now. Maybe a little coordination with the group of Lizards and Rob could make it happen. As Cubans become even harder to source, these could be a substitute as you work through them at set intervals. I would love to compare my favorites with yours.
Gizmo:As always, keep up the excellent work and keep smoking. Sincerely, Lizard Ray. Not a bad idea, Lizard Ray. He wants us to smoke a Fabrica five at regular intervals instead of Cubans. So boys, we're coming into the last third now on the Tatuaje Miami Havana Cazadores paired with the ArteNOM fourteen fourteen Tequila Reposado.
Gizmo:What's everybody's thoughts on the
Bam Bam:pairing right now? Whatever we rate this cigar, it's really performing well. Smokes perfectly, nice. Well constructed. Well constructed.
Bam Bam:Combustion's off the charts. Got to work on that blend and that flavor and all the notes that's missing.
Gizmo:I'm surprised at the downturn this has taken for me at this point. It's not great right now.
Chef Ricky:I feel like for me, it's smoking now like what it was smoking for BAM earlier.
Gizmo:Well said. Wow. Yeah.
Chef Ricky:I'm getting nothing of what I was prior.
Bam Bam:It's improved for me. It's not as bad as it was for me early on, but it's not great.
Chef Ricky:Not for me. It's a lot of spice, mint, and just some bitter, bitter notes. But maybe I'm smoking too quickly. I don't know. I'll give it a, I'll slow it down a little bit.
Bam Bam:Tequila, what's up?
Pagoda:Yeah, pretty much. I think it's become very spicy for me as well. But it's really interesting, like, I don't know whether it's the tequila, as soon as I have a sip of tequila, then I feel a little bit of sweetness. So I think the pairing has really helped the cigar quite a bit on its own. I don't know would that be this far along?
Gizmo:So what do you guys think of Lizard Ray's email and suggestion that we smoke through the Fabric of Five catalog? I would love to. It's not possible. I love it. But I would say that we really, really love the Fabric of Vive stuff.
Gizmo:I think that's obvious. We talk about it a lot. We just did the Lonsdale as a follow-up to the eight ninety eight a couple weeks ago. But, you know, keep doing what you're doing. They have three new samplers up.
Gizmo:They have a new Maduro line coming out. They just released a Maduro Petite Corona. So there's a lot of exciting stuff. We have some stuff coming up in the next couple months. There's a lot of really exciting things happening.
Gizmo:The
Chef Ricky:Von Roberts release with a hat.
Gizmo:So yeah, there's a new it's it's like a new case that the Phenomenos is coming in. It's very limited. It's a really, really nice presentation.
Chef Ricky:So is it the Phenomenos cigar?
Gizmo:It's Phenomenos cigar in a different presentation. Yeah, it's really, really nice. So check that out. Fabric005.com. But yeah.
Gizmo:So thanks to Lizard Ray. It's good to hear from him. Let's go on now to another one. This one is from Lizard Greg. He says, dear Lounge Lizards, my name is Greg, and I have been listening to your podcast from the first episode for a few months now.
Gizmo:I am working my way through the catalog from the start. I have to say it's been so awesome, and I have enjoyed all of your commentary thoroughly. I am no expert in Cuban tobacco as I've only smoked two Cuban cigars so far. I'm 32 and have been smoking for fourteen years. He got started early, 18 years old.
Gizmo:I am hoping to get my hands on some Cubans via Bond Roberts in the near future. I am so intrigued by all of the Cuban brands, and I really wanna dive in. It can just be hard to get them when you have customs fighting against it at every opportunity. I've tried several things because of your podcast. I'm now a huge fan of the Aladino Cameroon Robusto.
Gizmo:Now that is an awesome smoke. I even have a Soda Lo cigar case that my wife got me for my last birthday. I absolutely love it, and I use it often to travel to and from my lounge.
Chef Ricky:It's a great life.
Gizmo:Your recommendations yeah. My wife has never bought me anything cigar related. Your recommendations are so helpful, and I appreciate all of what you gentlemen do. Thanks so much for the info, the laughs, and for keeping the empty chair open for me. I love that line.
Gizmo:I sit in it often to smoke alone as I listen along to the pod. You guys are doing big things. Please keep up the brilliant work. With many thanks, Lizard Greg from Knoxville. I have
Pagoda:a recommendation for Lizard Greg. He better have an ear tag.
Gizmo:Yeah. He's gonna go there.
Bam Bam:And his wallet.
Gizmo:Isn't that an awesome email, though? Yeah. Yeah. I love the line about the empty chair. You know, for a listener who's not familiar with that, we've always talked about that we kinda think about there being an empty chair in the room that the listener's sitting in.
Gizmo:You know, you're a part of the conversation. So to hear that repeated back to us from someone who's listening every week with us, I think, is really awesome.
Bam Bam:I don't remember a smoke filled room in this space in a very long time. This combustion is out of control. Really, it hasn't been like this in a very long time. Am I wrong? No.
Bam Bam:It's crazy.
Pagoda:A couple of weeks ago.
Chef Ricky:It's It's like not cigar that you would think would give off this much smoke.
Bam Bam:Yeah, I mean the combustion is a 10.
Rooster:The aroma is also spicy. It's spicy, so it kind of hits your eyes a little bit more.
Bam Bam:It won't bother you otherwise. The retrohale is a lot better than it was, but there's really no particular note that I can hang my hat on here
Pagoda:at this point. Thank
Bam Bam:God for the tequila.
Pagoda:Yeah. Yeah. The pairing is excellent. I think the pairing has really helped the cigar for sure. Yeah.
Chef Ricky:Yeah, I'm right there with you. You know, Russo, you said earlier how this is very typical Catoire DNA. My most recent experiences have come from the petite Cazadores. And you're right, when I get to the final third on that Petit Cazadores, it's a spice bomb, but it's such a short format cigar that you kind of
Bam Bam:welcome it. But it's a delicious spice, it's very palatable, and there's This a of
Chef Ricky:is a drier version.
Bam Bam:There's discerning notes that you can really pick out. I can't do that right now.
Rooster:That petite Cazadores is a bit of an anomaly with tattoo eyes. Most tattoo eyes, they start off spicy, and then the middle, they get a little creamier, sometimes a little sweeter.
Bam Bam:Well, it's short. It doesn't have time to
Pagoda:No.
Rooster:I mean, even the other ones.
Senator:Devolve.
Rooster:Even the other tattoo eyes that I've had, they get muddled and become more of a spice bomb, kind of like the beginning. They kind of replicate that towards the end.
Bam Bam:Remember that black label tattooaje with that very thin black band?
Gizmo:It's like this, but black.
Bam Bam:Yeah, you gave me one at the former lounge years and years ago. That seemed to be the only decent Tatuaje that I've ever had. I don't remember the name of it.
Rooster:They make a lot of cigars.
Chef Ricky:That's how you know Ben still services that lounge. He calls it the former lounge.
Bam Bam:It is the
Gizmo:former lounge. We call it North Korea.
Bam Bam:I'll call it North Korea then. It was PTSD. Also
Senator:true.
Gizmo:Alright, boys. Let's go now to a voice memo, a very cool one from our friend Lizard Sean. Nice. Always writes in, and I love this voice memo. So check this out from him.
Lizard Sean:Hey, Lizards. Lizard Sean here. I just wanted to share a story that would not have happened if it wasn't for you guys. I've sent in a couple of voice memos to you guys talking about trips that I've been on in which I wouldn't have had if it had not been for the Lounge Lizards. And here's another case.
Lizard Sean:So I recently took a trip out of Philadelphia on the cruise ship, the Norwegian Jewel and on that cruise ship they have a cigar lounge. And if memory serves me correct, Giz, and correct me if I'm wrong, you had your first cigar in this same lounge or you at least had cigars in this lounge. And it was one of the reasons why, you know,
Gizmo:yes, but no,
Lizard Sean:I went to book on this cruise ship because Norwegian is known for having cigar lounges. So prior to the outing, I posted on our Facebook group for the cruise if there's any cigar smokers let's have a meet and greet and sure enough a couple of guys responded and through the course of the week on the cruise we got together multiple times. Some of us just the husbands, some of the couple of the wives joined us for some cigarillos. And it turned out to be such a great experience. On the first night, we're in there and a gentleman comes in and he's like, hey guys, you know, love to join you, but I don't have any cigars.
Lizard Sean:Well, I'm like, dude, I got you covered. So I crack open my case and outcomes a Trinity Robusto. And I said, here you go, my friend. And he said, thank you so much. And he lights it up and it through the course of our, first meet and greet, you know, we're all talking and he's like, guy, this thing is incredibly smooth.
Lizard Sean:I love this. So that kind of opened up the floodgates of, hey, it's from Fabric of Five and, you know, Rabbi Ela and Hamlet Paredes and all of this. And for the next three hours, just deep dive into cigars. And, you know, it was funny because as we're talking and I'm just spouting out the mouth about, you know, all the the podcast and Fabric of Five and Bon Roberts and, you know, all the things that I've learned on the podcast about Cuba and Cuban cigars. These guys were looking at me like a deer in headlights, like, dude, how do you know all this stuff?
Lizard Sean:And I said, guys, I listen to So the Lounge Lizards it wound up being such a great trip. I made friends that I'm going to keep in touch with. And I go back to my original statement. It says that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you guys and the podcast. It's opened up so many avenues and I wouldn't have gone on this trip had it not been for the podcast and in-depth about cigars and, you know, the Norwegians will have a cigar lounge.
Lizard Sean:So, you know, I want to say thank you. I know Lizard Nation thanks you for everything that you guys do and it has been a great experience. So I'd like to give a shout out if I could to some potential new lizards out there who's now becoming a good friend, Lizard Nick. His wife Lizardette Nancy joined us and had some Cigarillos. My wife Lizard Michelle also enjoyed Cigarillos in the lounge.
Lizard Sean:And then there was Lizard Paul and Lizard Steve. So our small group got together multiple times and I'm hoping they now become loyal listeners of the pod. So again, Lizards, thank you so much. It was an incredible experience and just another one in my belt that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you guys. So keep doing what you're doing.
Lizard Sean:It's wonderful. The impact that you guys are having, I don't know if you 'll ever fully understand, but you guys are creating memories for a lot of us out there. So thanks again, and have yourselves a great one.
Bam Bam:Sounds like he was in the engine room of the Norwegian Cruise.
Rooster:Yeah. I was wondering, is
Gizmo:that how loud a cruise ship is?
Rooster:I've never been on a on a long cruise.
Gizmo:I think he was in his car, per
Bam Bam:se. If you're in the engine room, is.
Gizmo:But come on. What an awesome voice
Chef Ricky:mail, right?
Gizmo:I mean, I love hearing this, and, you know, this is why we do it, man. It's like we enjoy getting together and smoking cigars together and to hear other lizards around the world doing this. You're doing this out on the Atlantic Ocean. I think it's amazing, Lizard Sean. And, you know, hello to all the new lizards, hopefully, that have tuned in now because of your soiree when you guys got together.
Gizmo:I will say the Norwegian Jewel is not the ship that I was on. However, it is the identical ship to the Norwegian Pearl.
Bam Bam:You were on Which
Gizmo:is where I had my first cigar in 2014.
Bam Bam:So they have a cigar room.
Gizmo:Yeah. So some Norwegian cruise ships have cigar rooms. They're actually one of the only cruise lines left that have cigar.
Chef Ricky:How does every cruise ship not have cigar Almost.
Gizmo:Royal Caribbean has none. Carnival has none. Disney has I don't think Virgin does either.
Chef Ricky:They never go on
Gizmo:it. Norwegian is the only one, I believe, that still like, large, massive ships, I think they're the only ones that still actually have cigar.
Rooster:I thought you had it on the circle line. So
Bam Bam:in this lounge, is there lounge seating?
Gizmo:So you walk in. It is like a real lounge.
Bam Bam:Wow.
Gizmo:Beautifully done. Beautiful seating. Perfect airflow, you know, air control. They have a humidor. They have attendants.
Gizmo:It's almost like going To me, it reminds me of going to like a La Casa del Habano in Cuba.
Chef Ricky:Do you
Bam Bam:remember what cigars were stocked?
Gizmo:There were Monte Cristo, there was some Fuente, there was some Oliva, there was some Davidoff, you know, those kind
Bam Bam:of brands.
Gizmo:There wasn't any of the no Padrons, there wasn't a lot of that kind of stuff, but cool. My first cigar I think was a Mona Crystal White Label, but I walked in and I sat on the second chair to the right on the Norwegian Pearl. Quite identical. Like it's literally identical to the ship that Lizard Sean was on. So but I love hearing that, you know, taking what you hear on the podcast and what you sit with us and talk about each week and sharing that with a new group of people on a cruise.
Gizmo:I think it's pretty cool.
Chef Ricky:Yeah. No. And trust me, Lizard Sean, we totally get what you mean and what you're saying because we experience it every week. You know, I It's funny, my staff sees me running out of the restaurant to make it to these pods somewhat on time.
Gizmo:Because the text change is a little brutal if you're not.
Chef Ricky:They're like, Chef, do you get paid for that? I'm like, No. You don't understand. This is a big part of my week, getting to see you guys and have this experience together and smoke great cigars most of the time and have great spirits most of the time. But the company and the camaraderie and everything that we experience here is why we're doing it, you know?
Chef Ricky:So yeah, we totally get it and we totally understand. And we're happy to be a part of his experience with that.
Pagoda:And there's no vacation without cigars, meaning you can't go to vacation and not have a cigar, I mean to say.
Gizmo:Great tee up. Right. So I wanna pause here because two lizards in the room, Lizards Pagoda and Lizards Senator, went on vacation recently to two of our favorite cigar destinations. I've not been to Panama, but the Doctor certainly. So I'd love to hear how your experience was.
Gizmo:Pagoda, we'll start with you in Panama. And certainly you guys have been there. We've talked about it a few times. I'd love a cigar update. Talk to us about the current state of Panama for Lizards.
Gizmo:Listen,
Pagoda:Panama is home, really. It's a lot of fun. You know, there's all with the concentration to go buy an apartment and become a resident there. You know, it's one of those places where now we know a few people, we chill, we relax. It's excellent food, you know, you can go there with your wife and your family and you know, you have a lot of things to do over there.
Pagoda:You know, a lot of cafes and a lot of bars and a lot of rooftop bars and restaurants and the quality of food is pretty high. A lot of kosher food available as well, by the way, for those lizards who would like to seek, you know, some kosher food. The one thing I do wanna say is, you know, this time I went to the LCDH there, and it was empty. What? There was nothing there.
Bam Bam:Empty? No inventory
Gizmo:So at guys have talked about this LCDH being, I think, You said it was pretty damn well stocked.
Senator:Yeah. I mean, the crazy thing is
Gizmo:That's crazy.
Senator:We've been there, and we've had reports of what's in other LCDHs around the world when most of them are empty. This spot in Panama always has plenty.
Bam Bam:You had a Rast
Senator:the last time. Oh, every time. Yeah. That's always there.
Pagoda:Rast, the Bunch Bunch, Cudi fifty two.
Bam Bam:So you're you're totally out of stock?
Pagoda:Out of stock. Nothing? I think there were less than 50 cigars,
Senator:No way. Which is crazy. When I say this place sells
Rooster:How do beer you pay
Gizmo:your rent?
Pagoda:And do you know what most of them were? The Cohibas, because they probably didn't sell out. Had $135 for a Cora over there.
Gizmo:135 for a Cohiba Robusto.
Rooster:Not even like New World cigars?
Pagoda:There were no New Worlds. It's an LCDH with only Cubans. Was Quintera, I think, had a couple of boxes, that's it. Not only a couple of boxes, a couple of cigars.
Bam Bam:That's crazy.
Gizmo:All right, so let's say you're the proprietor that owns this LCDH. You have 50 cigars in your humidor. How do you pay your rent?
Pagoda:I'll tell
Gizmo:what I don't understand the math of it.
Pagoda:So this LCDH has a really great bar. So people So alcohol? Yeah. So you can get Havana seven. You can get a lot of local rum.
Pagoda:It's it's a full function
Senator:where I tried Don Pancho for the first time.
Pagoda:Yeah? Yeah. Have Don Pancho over there.
Gizmo:Obviously, La Marialita comes
Senator:out of
Gizmo:there too. Yeah. From Don Pancho. He's the
Bam Bam:Can you order food?
Pagoda:No food over there, but definitely a lot of drinks. Then they have a lot of stuff to purchase, you know, whether you want to buy lighters and you know, any kind of accessories. So it has a store, it's a functioning store, but yeah, meaning in terms of the cigar inventory, was really dismal.
Bam Bam:That's crazy.
Pagoda:Yeah. It was really
Senator:It's sad because you just think of how many LCDHs around the world are in exactly that boat.
Gizmo:Are they worse? They haven't seen cigars come in in months.
Bam Bam:Yeah. Are there other cigar destinations in Panama?
Pagoda:There are a lot of lounges over there, by way. Oh, yeah?
Senator:And one of the lounges we've One of the coolest lounges we've been to anywhere, period, is
Gizmo:there.
Pagoda:That's excellent.
Bam Bam:And they have new worlds there.
Pagoda:They have their own they they do their own private label.
Senator:Lounge we're talking about, they have their own label. It's a member's lounge that they've very nicely kind of allowed us to enjoy. And beautiful tufted leather chairs, like multiple rooms, a bar, food, an outdoor courtyard. There's like a private room that like we basically got in the back. You press a button and a waiter just like appears.
Gizmo:Okay, I like that. Like that. We should Yes. Get that
Senator:It's really cool. It's excellent. No joke one of
Bam Bam:the Listen Danny, I need you.
Gizmo:Well put it on the list. Number 5000.
Bam Bam:Oh yeah. It's a
Pagoda:cool spot. And by the way, like, you know, this time I felt that even, like, Panama's always been reasonably cigar friendly, but we were in a couple of rooftops and everybody brought ashtrays out
Gizmo:So, they were very
Pagoda:you know, you can smoke cigars on the rooftop and the weather's nice
Bam Bam:Did you bring your own cigars?
Pagoda:Yeah, mean a lot.
Bam Bam:Good. How many cigars should bring? That's great.
Pagoda:Smart. Maybe around 50.
Gizmo:Any Cubans? Fantastic.
Pagoda:Yeah, a few Cubans. Wow.
Gizmo:Yeah. Bolt through customs.
Bam Bam:Yeah. Now remember your history.
Pagoda:I got a few unbounded.
Bam Bam:I was gonna ask. Were you able to bring the ones you didn't smoke back or?
Pagoda:Did they take them? No, no. So this time I was really smart. I smoked all the Cubans with
Gizmo:that. There you go.
Pagoda:Then brought all the new worlds back, which was remaining. So.
Senator:Did you get any Havana Club?
Pagoda:No, I did not. They so it was really interesting. I went in, went to the duty free, got a couple of Havana seven. They were ready to purchase it, but this duty free would not deliver it to the gate from where my flight was taking off. So, you know, there was a lot of back and forth, and they weren't able to find somebody to deliver it because my gate was a bit far off.
Rooster:Why couldn't you carry it with you?
Pagoda:No, they don't give it to you.
Senator:Yeah, know they don't.
Rooster:Oh, really?
Bam Bam:No. Interesting.
Pagoda:The duty free people come over there and they hand it over to you. So my Havana seven was just left in the bag of the duty free. He said Did there's another duty free up
Bam Bam:you purchase it?
Pagoda:No, just short of purchasing. You know, they
Bam Bam:were Oh, good. Good. Okay.
Pagoda:When they confirmed the flight, and they look at your passport. Wow. So I wasn't able to get Havana 7 this time. Listen, but I walked so happily through the customs.
Gizmo:Yeah, no Cubans and no
Pagoda:Havana seven. Now you talk
Bam Bam:to me. No deer in heaven. Now you talk to me.
Gizmo:The heart rate was normal. Correct.
Pagoda:And this guy was so nice. He says, Do you have anything to declare? I said, No, welcome home. That's all I wanna hear. Wow.
Pagoda:That's all I wanna hear.
Gizmo:But it's because Confidence. Heart rate is down
Bam Bam:pulse
Gizmo:is And you're walking confident. They have scanners that sense all that.
Bam Bam:You're not sweating.
Chef Ricky:He's not sweating.
Gizmo:You're sweating. Your body
Bam Bam:temperature is developing on the forehead.
Senator:You're not turning to your friend before you go, are you nervous?
Gizmo:Well, I'm glad you had a great time,
Pagoda:man. No. It was excellent as always.
Chef Ricky:What'd we get? One picture from Pagoda the entire You
Gizmo:know, I I don't even wanna talk about Pagoda. We got
Chef Ricky:five. Got five
Rooster:from Senator.
Pagoda:I'll tell you, I really
Gizmo:We got wanted five every day from Senator.
Pagoda:Yeah. I really wanted to send a lot of pictures this time, but what happened is. Here we go. Guys, buckle up.
Chef Ricky:Just like Rooster wants the battery power for Apple Pay. That's what it was.
Pagoda:My phone kept dying. I have, like, one of these old iPhones, and it just kept dying every
Senator:He was on the phone a lot during vacation, though.
Chef Ricky:You could take it to the Apple Store, replace the battery for $80.
Gizmo:Well, you know how much he works on vacation.
Senator:That's right.
Rooster:Did you get on any ATVs?
Pagoda:No. Not this time.
Chef Ricky:He wouldn't need a he wouldn't need an airplane to
Pagoda:get back. You know, by the way, I'm still scarred with those. You know, they look like those Bruce Lee lines, you know, where the tree lines here.
Bam Bam:You still have that on your torso?
Gizmo:Still have scars on your torso? Yeah. Wow. Shit, man.
Rooster:Brutal. Grow a mustache, brother.
Gizmo:Well, I'm glad you had a great time, man.
Pagoda:Welcome back.
Gizmo:And right around the same time, you, senator, went to the Doctor again. I did. Different spot. How was your trip?
Senator:It was awesome. So family trip, went with my son to Punta Cana. Doctor, as we've said, as cigar friendly as it gets, this hotel in particular, I mean, there was anywhere there was a trash can outdoors, on top of it was an ashtray Love it. All over the place.
Bam Bam:Were you smoking next to an ashtray? Next to a garbage can?
Senator:No. No. I'm just saying, like, the beauty is you could just walk around the whole resort with a cigar in
Gizmo:your hand
Bam Bam:Smoke ash wherever you want.
Senator:Anywhere. Ash, you didn't have to worry where you're gonna ash. Like, every however many yards. You just hit a trash can right on top as an ashtray. When you're done smoking your cigar, you're not worried where you're gonna put it.
Senator:Easy access to an ashtray. It it was it was awesome. I mean, there was pretty much no rules. I mean, I was laughing at one point for kind of the room I had booked. There's this kind of special area that's part of the spa where they have like a hydrotherapy massage pool and like these two like cold tubs instead of hot tubs.
Senator:And I say to the guy, I'm like, is it okay if I light a cigar out here? And he's like, yeah, sure.
Gizmo:Why
Senator:not? So I'm in a hydrotherapy pool getting a back massage, and I'm just puffing away at a cigar.
Gizmo:I thought this guy was
Bam Bam:That's actually giving me goosebumps thinking about that. That's pretty cool.
Gizmo:It's incredible. I I would argue, not to interrupt, I would argue Doctor is more cigar friendly than Havana, Cuba. Yeah. I don't I really believe that.
Senator:Yeah. I mean, you could like you know, in the hallways, they're basically open air between the hotel rooms, and like, I'm just walking through as soon as I literally walked out of my suite, like, I'm lighting a cigar just walking through the hallways. There's even ashtrays there like Hallways of what? The hotel? Yeah.
Senator:Like, you could smoke anywhere.
Bam Bam:It's the hell out of here. Unbelievable. That's amazing. That's amazing. Unbelievable.
Chef Ricky:You need wallet.
Bam Bam:Yeah. I need a
Gizmo:wallet. I
Bam Bam:can't get there without a wallet. So they have ashtrays built into the walls of the hallway. Just the ashtrays
Senator:ashtrays built Just into walls, but, like, just every now and then, like, when you're walking down the hall, you'll see a very small, like, little trash can you could throw a trash in and right on top. Same thing. There's an ashtray there.
Bam Bam:It's pretty unreal.
Senator:It's amazing. Super cigar friendly.
Chef Ricky:You too.
Senator:Food was great. And then I asked about the Havana Club because at the duty free at the airport, two one liter bottle well, actually, funny thing is when I landed, my son and I I tell him we've gotta stop at the duty free real quick. And I see Havana Club, and I'm like, great. But I see the price tag, and it says 60 US dollars for a bottle. I'm like, what in the world has got on here?
Senator:Obviously, I left Havana Club, so I'm like, I'm just still gonna do it. So I like pick up one bottle, I go to the register, and then she rings it up, and it says $28. And I said, the sign says 60. She says, oh, no. No.
Senator:Oh. It's a mistake.
Bam Bam:Hold on. I gotta go back.
Senator:And so then then she goes she goes, actually, if you buy two, it's 2 for 45. No. So I'm like, done. So give me two. So I take two, I put that in
Bam Bam:Did you buy another two for Lizard Junior to carry on?
Senator:Literally. So I bought No.
Gizmo:These are my sons.
Senator:I bought two when I landed. I put those in the check luggage. Then on the way out in the airport, I bought two more that I carried onto the plane, which is perfect. So I brought four liters back, which was awesome. Can't wait to drink one tonight.
Senator:No. Doctor, I mean, said this last year was the first time I had visited Doctor and had an amazing experience, and this even topped it. I will probably go back every single year at this point. I'm already planning my next trip. My son told our concierge or butler there that we'll be back every month.
Chef Ricky:That's that's his goal. He literally said that.
Gizmo:Smart man.
Senator:So if I can swing even a trip maybe late this year, I might try to sneak back once more, but for sure, definitely again next year.
Gizmo:Wow. Man, I can't wait to get back to Doctor because Pagoda and I, when we were there, I mean, it is, to your point, I mean, you were at a resort, right? So you'd expect the hospitality and everything. We were just in Santiago.
Pagoda:That restaurant?
Gizmo:The restaurant random restaurants, like, wherever you go, you can pretty much smoke a cigar. I mean, it's unbel like, we're in the monument. Inside.
Pagoda:Inside. Inside.
Gizmo:We're in the monument. Okay? In Santiago. It's one of the only events that happens there. The white party we talked about earlier for ProCigar.
Gizmo:How many people? 500 people?
Pagoda:Yeah. Smoking.
Gizmo:Smoking. I mean, cigars in the middle of the monument in Santiago. That's how, you know, appreciative, I would argue, of tobacco they are because it's such a generator of their you know, for their economy and jobs and everything else. Like, it's awesome. Mhmm.
Senator:And it was cool to see, I mean, the just other people at the resort that were sitting around smoking cigars. Like, we all kind of acknowledge each other. You know, it's, like, nice when you see cigar people. And even the staff. This happened last year, and I stayed at a different resort than and this year where, you know, one of the servers was just super friendly and doing a really great job, just making sure I always had everything I needed and, you know, commented on what I was smoking.
Senator:And last year, had this happen. I was smoking a Padron and, you know, in Doctor, obviously not a Dominican cigar, but the guy, he knew of it, but hadn't had one. And we had such a great conversation. I gave him one, and he the funny thing actually at the I think I told this story last year. I had to write handwrite a note Oh, allow him to take it.
Senator:To allow him to take that cigar. And then his boss came over and like verify it. And I said, please, like, would really like him to have it. And he said, it's fine. Like, thank you.
Senator:He'll take it. And then this year, another guy, I was smoking an Aladino, and he knew it. He's like that it was the Aladino eighty fifth. I sent you guys a photo at the bar when I was smoking it, and he's like, that's a really great cigar. Wow.
Senator:I said, do you smoke cigars? And he said, I do. So I gave him one and like eternally grateful. Exactly like you're describing
Gizmo:Did you
Bam Bam:have to write another letter?
Senator:Here, did not. Good. Here, I did not. To Gizmo's point, there may be no more cigar friendly place than the Dominican Republic.
Gizmo:Because if you think about Havana, a lot of the restaurants we love, you can't smoke a cigar in there. You're Downtown Havana. Doctor? Wow. You could smoke a cigar I'm not
Rooster:going to get food in Cuba right
Gizmo:now. It's bad, man. It's real bad. We're going do an update next week on that. It's a real bad situation.
Gizmo:Well, welcome back. I'm glad you guys had a great time. Senator, you went for your birthday. Obviously, we talked about that last week, but what a nice trip to go on every single year. That's awesome.
Gizmo:Oh, yeah. Nice. Especially with your son.
Bam Bam:Yeah. That's that's special.
Senator:It was fun because he was at an age where he could really enjoy and appreciate everything. And he's he's learning Spanish this fall. Like, I've even enrolled him every weekend. He's taking Spanish lessons. He's practicing it there, which is, like, really fun to see.
Senator:Like, he gets so excited. He's like, dad, I'm gonna speak Spanish to the, like, servers. And I said, go for it. Papa, chicken nuggets.
Chef Ricky:Oh, no. He doesn't do chicken nuggets. He
Senator:eats like a proper lizard. The funny thing is Caviar. Caviar.
Gizmo:The the funny thing is cucumberger?
Senator:He he I took him to this hibachi place for the first time when we were there. He'd never, like, seen, you know, the whole hibachi scene. And they'll, like, make anything you ask for. And, you know, when they see a kid, they're like, oh, does he just want, like, just some chicken and blah blah blah? I'm like, no.
Senator:No. He's gonna want, like, probably everything you're making. And so he's sitting there, he's like, I want the chicken, I want the steak, I want the shrimp, and I want the salmon. And they, like, made him all of it.
Gizmo:Oh, that's awesome.
Senator:Wow. That's cool. Wow. Kid ate like a king.
Gizmo:Good for him. That's awesome. Well, I'm glad you had you guys had a great time, man. That's awesome. Yeah.
Gizmo:Alright, boys. Let's go now to our lizard of the week presented by our friends at Bon Robert Cigars. And our lizard of the week this week is Lizard z, and Lizard z is gonna win a 10 count box of cigars.
Chef Ricky:This is the first
Gizmo:time, Lizard. Friends at Bond Roberts. And Lizard z writes, Gizmo and Lounge Lizards. I hope you're well. I'm a regular listener, and I talk about the show a lot with my two other friends, John in Cleveland and Johnny the Greek.
Gizmo:We go back and forth on episodes the way some people argue about sports. We have some pretty entertaining disagreements about each of your personalities on the panel.
Bam Bam:I'm not liking this.
Pagoda:I'm loving it already.
Gizmo:That's part of why the show works. It feels like we're sitting with friends who don't all think the same way. What I actually wanted to write to you about is this. I fully understand now why you've pulled back from Cuban cigars. A lot of Lounge Lizard listeners are not ultra wealthy, and a lot of us actually smoke, he puts in Italus, cigars instead of staging photos of double banded dollar goblers for social media.
Gizmo:Price, scarcity, inconsistency, and the whole circus around the, quote, Cuban experience stop matching how we live with the hobby. You can love the history and still refuse to pretend the current reality is the same as the romance. This is where the stoic part comes in. We're stoics about cigar smoking in the old sense of the word, not humorless, just grounded. Stoicism, at least as we mean it, is about controlling what you can control and not tying your peace of mind to the things you can't.
Gizmo:Allocation, factory codes, next year's price hike, whether a box is real or not, whether the leaf still tastes like the stories we grew up on, etcetera. We smoke for the hour in the chair, the construction, the flavor, and the company, not for the flex. When a cigar becomes a status object first and a smoke second, the whole point gets inverted. New World doesn't ask you to perform wealth or patience as virtue just to light up something honest. Thank you for putting the good and the bad of New World back in front of us.
Gizmo:That reintroduction has been genuinely useful. It's much appreciated. Keep doing the show the way you do it. All caps. Correct.
Gizmo:Alright. Best Lizard Z.
Bam Bam:Good email.
Lizard Sean:That was a great email. Yeah.
Gizmo:I do want to push back on one thing, though. And I think that, you know, we talked about it a little earlier with OpusX and some other things. I do think there is some new world that does play in that Cuban game of status and wealth and bans and exclusivity and scarcity. And I think Davidoff.
Rooster:Opus. Opus.
Chef Ricky:Well, as you were reading as you were reading that, I was about to say, unless you're Opus. Yeah. Yeah. So
Gizmo:I I think that, you know, most of the cigars that I think we have in our regular rotations don't play in that world of, you know, trying to get photos and status and all that stuff. That's not what it's about. But there are plenty of new worlds that do that. So let's not let them off the hook. But I think, you know, the point is valid here.
Gizmo:I think the interesting thing about Cupid cigars, and I'm curious what you guys have to say about my comment here, is that, like, think about a D four or Upman two, you know, a Mani two. Those cigars are designed for or were designed originally for the everyday smoker. Obviously, now they're not priced as such. And then you have the different category, the bijiques, the regionals, the limited, you know, limitados, etcetera. But the disconnect there in the regular production stuff of Cuba that we love is who it was intended for when it was designed and what it actually costs today.
Gizmo:Would you guys agree with that? Like, do you think that sounds on point? Yeah. And that's the thing that frustrates me is that we're those guys that just want to smoke those cigars on a daily, you know, on a regular basis. But we've been priced out of it.
Gizmo:And that's, I think, what's frustrating is Havana's doesn't care. Yeah. And they price us out.
Senator:You know, it's not like we're unreasonable suggesting that Cuban prices should have stayed at what they were. We were always saying back when we were smoking a ton of them, they were cheaper than New World cigars.
Gizmo:So Yeah. Yeah.
Senator:When we were buying, you know, a d four for less than $10 a stick, none of us here were opposed to paying 15 like we were paying for a Padron, but to be paying 30 something dollars, $40, I mean, that's just absurd. Yeah.
Bam Bam:The frustrating part of it is because we have so many Cubans at home, they're all most of them are still smoking incredibly well, if not better than they were years ago when we bought them. The flavor profiles, I I think, are delicious. You just can't get them anymore. So you're kind of in that twilight zone of, alright, I bought it for x, now it costs three x. It doesn't feel that great.
Gizmo:And you also, you know, compound that with the fact that Cuba's not making as many cigars. I don't care what anybody says. Ask any Havana store. We just talked about the LCDH in Panama. That is the story around the world.
Gizmo:There's distributorships that are getting 25 boxes a month. How do you, as a distributor, tell your retail stores, I only have one box for you this month? I mean, it's it's crazy. So the the Cuba situation compounds all this. But it's yeah.
Gizmo:I mean, I'm glad that I'm glad it's clicked for you as to why we've moved away, and certainly, we've had Cuba cigars on the podcast much less frequently.
Bam Bam:Well, also, to be fair, we've run out of Cubans of smoke. There isn't anything left that we can get.
Gizmo:Correct. That's why we've been revisiting. Mean, there's a lot of cigars out there we'd love to reach for that we haven't tried, but we can't get them. You know, it's just the nature of the situation. So again, thanks to Lizard Z for that great email and comment.
Gizmo:He's gonna be our lizard of the week, winning a 10 count box of cigars from our friends at Bond Roberts. I have one more email for you, boys, and then we'll get to our ratings. This one is from our friend and Lizard Z's friend, our resident philosopher, Johnny the Greek. Haven't heard from him in a minute, so let's see what he has to say tonight. Hello, boys.
Gizmo:As summer starts to wind down, it's about that time of year when those of us up north in The US begin thinking about one very important question. Where am I gonna smoke once winter gets here? I've managed to solve that problem a couple of different ways over the years, so I figured I'd share them here in case anyone else is facing the same issue. My first solution, and while it may not be the prettiest, it's been incredibly reliable for the better part of five years. It's what my family and friends affectionately call the, quote, smoke shack.
Gizmo:I bought an insulated igloo ice fishing tent, and I set it up on my deck beneath a covered gazebo. The floor is insulated with a couple sheets of foam insulation topped with a waterproof outdoor rug to keep everything comfortable underfoot. I mounted a small electric exhaust fan in one of the square window openings for ventilation, then I ran power inside using heavy duty extension cords and power strips.
Bam Bam:Oh, yeah. Sounds good to climb for sure. Yeah. No fire hazard.
Gizmo:I hope the electric the electrical inspector doesn't come over. From there, I made it surprisingly cozy. Two comfortable office chairs, upgrading those however you'd like. A sturdy end table, LED string lights, a 32 inch television with digital antenna, and a pair of oscillating radiant heaters. Pagoda, are you thinking about doing this?
Pagoda:Absolutely. Wonder if I can contract him out.
Gizmo:He can come here and do it for you. Yeah. The radiant heaters make all the difference. Unlike forced air heaters that warm the air, radiant heat warms you, and I've found it to be far more effective when it's 10 degrees Fahrenheit outside. All of my cigar gear lives in a waterproof DEWALT storage bin.
Bam Bam:That's right up my alley. Is it orange?
Gizmo:About thirty minutes before I plan to smoke, I head outside, fire everything up, grab a coffee or something a little stronger, and settle in. Is it perfect? Of course not. But I can honestly tell you I've enjoyed plenty of cigars out there in the dead of winter in complete comfort and without a single complaint. The other option is one my good buddy Lizard Miles has mastered.
Gizmo:He picked up a small camper that's just the right size for two people. Now this is like
Bam Bam:Like an air
Chef Ricky:stream? Mini air
Gizmo:stream. Lizarding right here. Wow. Equipped with heaters and proper ventilation, it's probably a little more reliable than my smoke shack, but we both accomplished the same goal remarkably well. At the end of the day, neither setup is glamorous.
Gizmo:But here's the thing. I've never once had to skip a cigar because of the weather. I think that's what it's all about.
Pagoda:Yeah.
Gizmo:Sure. I could build a dedicated cigar lounge in my basement, but honestly, I enjoy keeping the smoke where it belongs, outside. Plus, there's something about bundling up, stepping into your own little retreat, and enjoying a great cigar while the snow falls around you. So if you live in a cold climate, start thinking ahead now. Winter has a funny way of sneaking up on us.
Gizmo:Don't get caught craving a great cigar without a place to enjoy it. Take care, everyone. Johnny the Greek. Wow. What a great email.
Rooster:Very good.
Gizmo:And also, I mean, it's perfect timing. We're coming out of summer here in The US. Gonna be getting into colder weather, hopefully not soon, but it's coming for sure. That's a great recommendation or a couple great recommendations if you can make it happen, you have the right place for it, if you can afford it. Getting an ice fishing tent or a small camper.
Gizmo:I've never heard of that one before.
Rooster:I've heard of
Gizmo:the fishing tent.
Bam Bam:I like
Chef Ricky:that. Is
Gizmo:Buying a camper
Rooster:is pretty
Gizmo:badass. Yeah. I guess you have to have some property though to store it on.
Chef Ricky:Kinda needs the driveway.
Gizmo:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And you gotta have a wife or partner that's cool with it, you know?
Chef Ricky:Yeah. I mean, if not, dump dump the partner or wife.
Senator:Who cares?
Gizmo:What do you think of him saying Rooster, as someone who smokes in his living room with his family at home, what do you think of him saying that the smoke belongs outside?
Bam Bam:He's totally wrong. Rooster smokes around newborns.
Gizmo:I it's crazy. Living room.
Rooster:It's crazy. Why smoke by
Gizmo:the fireplace? The smoke just goes right up. That is pretty cool.
Senator:So so maybe he is right.
Gizmo:Yeah. Alright, boys. We have come to have come to the end of our evening with the ArteNOM, Selection Day fourteen fourteen, Tequila Reposado and the Tatuaje, Miami, Havana, Cazadores. Can you send us a rating?
Chef Ricky:I need some more of tequila. K.
Gizmo:So, boys, I gotta say, you know, before we get to our ratings, I know you guys are sending your ratings over now. I'm very, very happy with the tequila tonight, and I'm interested to see what's gonna happen with the cigar rating because the dip it took for me in the second half or even really the last third was quite disappointing. Yeah. You know? So we'll see what it is.
Gizmo:And now it's time for the formal liquor rating on the ArteNOM Selection day fourteen fourteen. Tequila Reposado, bam bam, you're up.
Bam Bam:I'm at a nine. I I was in an eight initially, and it has improved and continued to improve. It got sweeter for me as I continued to drink this. You know, when I took my very first sip, I had I got a little cucumber. It was very botanical, but then it it it seemed to get richer as my palate adjusted.
Bam Bam:And, honestly, I can drink this with almost any Cuban cigar and select New World cigars. I think it's a fantastic spirit for tonight. So I'm at a nine.
Chef Ricky:Alright, chef. Accidentally sent you a 10, but I meant to send a nine, so I sent three nines after. Sorry. I was it wasn't changing my rating. I just had a brain
Bam Bam:So twenty eighteen.
Gizmo:Let's go to Pagoda seven.
Chef Ricky:Just had a brain fart.
Gizmo:Was Oh, let's go to Pagoda.
Pagoda:Sorry, chef. You gotta stick to your rating.
Rooster:Twenty twenty seven it is. The rate
Chef Ricky:the rating was never a 10. It was just an absent minded Okay.
Pagoda:It's nine because he didn't didn't say enough. Yeah.
Gizmo:Oh my actually 37 now. Okay.
Chef Ricky:Got it. On my end.
Gizmo:So you're with a nine.
Pagoda:Hey. Hey. By the way, guys, can you just check whether the ratings came after BAM started speaking?
Senator:Yeah. It's an important time stamp.
Pagoda:Or or before the time stamp.
Bam Bam:That's correct.
Chef Ricky:It was during. During.
Pagoda:Oh, during. Oh, that's a problem. Oh, that's a problem.
Gizmo:He sent them a minute ago. Yeah. No good.
Pagoda:Oh, No. No. Good. I'm sorry.
Senator:The original one.
Gizmo:Chef, you you
Pagoda:have to stick to the
Senator:original one. I mean
Bam Bam:but you love this shit.
Pagoda:He didn't he
Gizmo:didn't send three nines. He sent 999.
Chef Ricky:Alright. Three nines.
Gizmo:That's 999.
Senator:I mean, there's no space in between the nines.
Gizmo:Yeah. There's that's not a rating number. Plus 10.
Chef Ricky:I was Alright. You go down. I would my nines out before it came to me. That's But how
Senator:how do you accidentally hit
Pagoda:two digits? Two digits.
Senator:10 when you meant to hit if you supposedly meant to hit one.
Pagoda:Yeah. I think there's there's something You
Chef Ricky:know why? Because I was thinking 10, but I was like, this isn't the greatest Repo I've ever had, but I do appreciate what they've done with what they're trying to do here.
Senator:But you wrote one and zero. Zero. You can't change that.
Chef Ricky:Why did I even say anything?
Gizmo:I would've seen it. He would've seen it.
Pagoda:We would've still held you
Gizmo:a 10. Would've been like, what the hell is nine nine nine?
Bam Bam:You said that a minute ago while I was talking.
Pagoda:While while you were talking, I'm sorry. He has to stick to the real
Senator:score. Alright.
Rooster:It's a 10.
Gizmo:It's a 10. Tell us why. Tell us why it's a 10. You know what?
Chef Ricky:It's a 10.
Gizmo:It's a man.
Chef Ricky:I know
Senator:what you feel like.
Chef Ricky:Correct. Bam's looking at me like, that's right, motherfucker.
Gizmo:Here, let me play this. You can continue your rating. So tell us why it's a 10.
Pagoda:It wasn't a 10, chef.
Chef Ricky:Oh boy. I feel like I'm in eighth grade again. No. This is a delicious Reposado. I think it's a great expression.
Chef Ricky:The fact that they didn't abuse the oak here and they allowed the agave to shine throughout the experience that you're getting here, it was just phenomenal for me. I think it's sweet. I think this is truly what agave should be about. And if you're at all shy or nervous about trying to I find myself going in cadence with the music. This is what it's all about.
Chef Ricky:Listen. This is a great distillery, fourteen fourteen. These guys are responsible for some of Yes. It's like you knew this shit was gonna happen. Oh, yeah.
Chef Ricky:Don't understand. Listen. Great tequila, great juice, phenomenal agave, estate grown. Just end it. $14.14 is a great gnome.
Gizmo:You got two minutes left.
Chef Ricky:Go ahead. For it. Try this. Try Yeyo. Try some of the oats, yum brasil.
Chef Ricky:Good stuff. Enjoy.
Senator:To Jalisco's class of 2026.
Gizmo:There we go. It's a 10. Shep with a 10. Congratulations. That was a great rating.
Gizmo:Pagoda.
Bam Bam:Very abrupt. Yeah.
Chef Ricky:No fade out? No.
Pagoda:So it's a nine for me. I gotta be very honest. It it was a strong eight for a very long time. You know, the price is $75. It felt a bit flat.
Pagoda:You know, I've had some better tequilas. But the one thing I must say is that this tequila is one of those which continue to just and continue to grow in terms of not only the flavor profile, I felt that it either got a bit warmer, once again it was sweeter. I think the most important thing was it added so much to the cigar, right, at the pairing. So considering that it was not only delivering on its own, but it was also in addition really helping the cigar out to a great extent. I'm not saying, you know, some of these cigars are very, very complementary like, you know, with the pairing.
Pagoda:In this case, this was very complementary to the sense that it had an effect which was dramatical, meaning it was, I really enjoyed
Bam Bam:the That's a toilet paper word.
Gizmo:Dramatical? Is that a real word?
Pagoda:I don't know. Is the English is my second language. Is that a drama?
Senator:That's a toilet word.
Pagoda:But yeah, but overall, I think it's always interesting because I always find that I end up rating a lot of the tequilas really high because they do provide such an enhanced experience when you're really, even pairing the cigars for me mostly, right, was an excellent, excellent tequila.
Rooster:Sounds like a 10.
Gizmo:I was say.
Pagoda:It's a nine, yeah. No, I told you, because it was flat in the beginning and it was, well, I think it's also overpriced, like $75.
Gizmo:Flat cheddar. Yeah. I think it was better than flat cheddar, honestly. Yeah. For me, it was a nine.
Gizmo:I I agree so far with everyone except chef who gave it a 10. I'm definitely at a nine. I I thought this was excellent. It drank really well. I am punishing it a little bit because of the price.
Gizmo:I think it it the price is a little bit, you know, away from how the flavor profile is. It wasn't a perfect Reposado. I think it works for certain situations. I think, Bam, you named a few pairing with cigars. Mhmm.
Gizmo:But it doesn't work the gamut that I think a lot of the other Reposadores that we love here, you know, that they do. Again, I I thought it was really, really good. Am I gonna go buy a bottle of this at $75? No. Am I gonna stock this?
Gizmo:No. Would I likely even probably reach for this again unless I found it somewhere for some ridiculous deal or it was given to me? Probably not. But the juice, as you call it, chef, inside that bottle, it's damn good. It was smooth.
Gizmo:I think it drank lower than the ABV at $40.41.2 percent or whatever it was. Really nice drink tonight. It wasn't perfect, but it was great.
Senator:It was a nine. Senator. I wanna start by saying, I'm thrilled that chef gave this a 10.
Gizmo:You want me to hit the music?
Senator:No. No. No. I I'm let me
Rooster:be clear.
Senator:Please don't. Do it. Do it, please.
Bam Bam:Can you fucking do it?
Pagoda:There's another 10 coming up.
Chef Ricky:If anyone deserves this music, it's so
Bam Bam:nutter. There
Senator:you go.
Gizmo:K. Cut. I love it.
Senator:I say that because I can absolutely see why someone would give this a 10, and I was expecting and hoping chef would because I noticed. Even though he did. He had multiple pores, and it's so enjoyable. Like, you don't Yeah. Want to put it down.
Bam Bam:That's correct.
Senator:And there's few spirits that that's the case for. You know, there's a lot of spirits where you have one or two, and you say, it's very good. I enjoyed it, but I'm I'm set. I really don't need to enjoy it any more than that. This is just so good, you kinda can't really stop.
Senator:So I was hoping there'd be at least one ten in the room. Now I'm a nine, and the only reason is the price. It's nothing in the bottle that made me drop that down to a nine. Yep. I take back, you know, the agreement on it being flat.
Senator:I actually don't think it's flat. I think early on because it kinda defied
Pagoda:in the beginning.
Senator:Yeah. My traditional expectation of a Reposado, that it felt flat, but the more I drank it, the more I actually appreciate what it is, and I think it's vibrant. The fact that, you know, there aren't that many spirits that make you start thinking about food that you would pair it with.
Gizmo:I gotta shout out, that was the first time during a tequila, I will guarantee it, even if there's a keen listener who knows every word we ever said, that is the first time we ever talked about a tequila
Bam Bam:That's true.
Gizmo:Pairing with food on a pretty grand scale.
Senator:Correct. And that's why this spirit to me stands on its own in such a spectacular way that my mind immediately went there, and I'm never really thinking of tequila pairings with food.
Bam Bam:This would be great with caviar.
Senator:For sure. There's so many things you could drink and enjoy this with. I mean, it has a lot of versatility. I mean, sure, we're saying that we wouldn't cigar wise pair this with a Padron, but the entire Cuban catalog I would pair this with. And in the New World space, anything that is medium, no question this would be an excellent
Chef Ricky:Any Honduran?
Rooster:Yeah. Any Honduran? Fabrica vibes.
Bam Bam:For sure. Sure.
Senator:Yeah. Adino, I mean there's so many. So Bon Roberts.
Bam Bam:Not the Cameroon, though. I'd do the eighty fifth with this thing.
Gizmo:Think the Cameroon would work with this.
Chef Ricky:I still
Pagoda:think it would. I
Senator:still think it would. So for all those reasons, I really wish this were just $10 cheaper, and it would have gotten a 10 for me, but it's very memorable. Would drink this again. I may pursue this. It's Really?
Gizmo:You're gonna pick some up?
Senator:I might. It's awesome for
Chef Ricky:the summer, and It's an attractive bottle too. We haven't really spoken about the bottle. It's an attractive bottle. It hasn't fallen victim to like, you know, these new tequilas that are coming out that they're trying to overstate things. It's pretty classy.
Gizmo:The only thing I don't like about the bottle, I know senator, you're not finished, but I don't like the fact that when you look at the bottle, you don't see ArteNOM, you see a number. Yeah, but And I you think like like $8.18, like that Kardashian Yeah,
Chef Ricky:I wanna push back on that. That's their thing.
Senator:Their I'm gonna push back on that. So as a marketing guy, I initially was very frustrated with that for exactly the reason you said, Giz. Mhmm. But what I actually respect about it is they're so serious about the origin of what's in the bottle that that's the largest thing on there, then they are promoting their own brand. And that kills me.
Senator:From a brand perspective, it should be the opposite, but I have tremendous respect that they obviously so intentionally made that decision. So I actually think there's some brilliance to it, so I I don't have an issue with it anymore at this point. So again, for all those reasons, I think it is a unique, distinct, versatile, excellent spirit, and the only problem really was price, so I'm at as strong a nine as I would give for tequila.
Chef Ricky:So, Cigar, can I just add on, senator, that was fantastic? You're gonna justify your 10
Pagoda:now?
Chef Ricky:No, don't wanna I justify just need to. I wanna explain what was He
Bam Bam:was at a nine.
Pagoda:It wasn't that you wanted to what rate a nine. This
Chef Ricky:was happening in my head. I typed 10 and as I was typing that, I was like, is this my favorite Repo?
Bam Bam:Are we?
Chef Ricky:It's not Doing this again? It's not my favorite my favorite Repo per se, but it is probably my favorite Highland repo. Now my favorite Lowland repo is a Fortalesa repo. An aristocrat. Right?
Chef Ricky:Guys, that shouldn't be that funny. Come on. Look at it.
Gizmo:Oh, that was pretty funny.
Bam Bam:Oh, God.
Chef Ricky:But I say that
Senator:to say Let's give him an extra tassel.
Chef Ricky:I say that to say that this is a spirit for an agave enthusiast. Right? This isn't for the, I mean, sure, the person who's just going to pick this up and try it because they've heard of it on this podcast, they'll enjoy it. But the people that seek this out is the agave enthusiasts. It's a 10.
Gizmo:Brilliant. I mean,
Rooster:brilliant. Say
Senator:it, Ben.
Gizmo:Bravo. Bravo.
Bam Bam:Bravo. Correct. Incorrect.
Gizmo:Oh, man. The formally the formally creating tonight, boys, on the ArteNOM Selection day fourteen fourteen. Tequila Reposado is a 9.2.
Senator:Just perfect. Yeah. Perfect score. Because it doesn't deserve 90 points. It needed to be above that, which is why I was really hoping there'd be a 10.
Gizmo:Yeah. Which I'm so glad you accidentally sent the 10. You meant to send a nine, but you sent No. The
Chef Ricky:You know what? The whole 10. Clearly meant it. The 10 is the right
Gizmo:Yeah.
Chef Ricky:Is the right score.
Gizmo:It worked out. So, boys, it's time now to reform a lizard rating on the Tatuaje, Miami, Havana, Cazadores, Rooster Europe.
Rooster:So just like chef, I'm also at
Gizmo:a 10. You just want the music, don't you?
Rooster:I'm at a seven on this cigar. I think I usually like some of the Tatuajes more than this group does. I smoke more than anybody else does, I think. My favorite is still the
Senator:surprised by that kiss? No.
Gizmo:In five years, I think I've seen him smoke too, but go ahead. Really?
Chef Ricky:No. No. Smoke at all.
Senator:Really? He smokes a lot of tattoo.
Gizmo:Can I ask you a question? Sorry to interrupt. Even recently, I saw him too. You love that we can review?
Rooster:Yeah. Actually,
Senator:I gave one them. That's the problem.
Rooster:No. Actually, the petite black Lancero, you like.
Senator:That so that's the only one that Rooster's given me that all the way through, I enjoyed. And I We're gonna do it on the We priority should have done that tonight.
Rooster:That was
Senator:on the list I even sent
Gizmo:I know, but I got this before that.
Pagoda:So Right.
Senator:No. I know, but we'll
Gizmo:get it. We'll do both.
Rooster:Yeah. Yeah. I I think you guys will like that.
Senator:I'm just saying, he's given us the Tuxla. None of us particularly love that cigar, that Lomo De Serre Do, the standard black label, not the Lancero, the regular one
Gizmo:That's what were talking about, Pam.
Senator:Yeah. When we met at North Korea, Rooster had recommended it, and I tried it. And I said, similar to every Tatuaje, the first two thirds are good, but the last third really isn't.
Rooster:Usually, that is the case. I mean, same thing with this. I mean, it started out well, first of all, at $11 the cigar, it's fairly decent value. The cigar is a nice size. It feels good in your hand.
Rooster:The wrapper is nice. The band is very simple. It started off decent. I mean, it got a little bit creamier. It got nuttier.
Rooster:It had a walnut note going for it. At the halfway point, it got even more creamier and it got even sweeter. But the last third, typically with Tatuajes, they just kind of fizzle off, the flavor gets muddled, and the spice level really picks up. And that's what's disappointing in this cigar as well. For some reason, I don't know what it is with the blend.
Rooster:Why can't they not make that petite Cazadores in a bigger size? I don't understand
Gizmo:the Or something that delivers that level of satisfaction for the entire cigar.
Rooster:Yeah, I mean, it can't be that difficult to do that. So, I mean, for all of those reasons, I'm at a seven, but the construction on the cigar was flawless. I mean, there was so much smoke output for this ring gauge of a cigar. So I'm at a seven. I'm not gonna buy a box, but I'll get a fiber.
Bam Bam:You rated it a seven? Seven. And you're gonna get a fiber? Fiber.
Rooster:Wow. I think it's worth a fiber because once in a while, kinda want
Bam Bam:Interesting taste. He's a big Tatuaje guy.
Gizmo:I'm not quite Here's my question. You just gave it a seven.
Rooster:Yeah. I would still get a fiber.
Bam Bam:It's a very mild. Once a mild
Pagoda:mild recommend.
Gizmo:Once in a while, I would get a box.
Rooster:I once get a box. No. No. But but
Gizmo:you gave it a seven.
Rooster:So Do you know how
Gizmo:many cigars you've given more than a seven?
Bam Bam:So you're gonna
Gizmo:buy a fiver?
Bam Bam:You meant to say an eight, but you sent a seven.
Rooster:No. It's a seven.
Gizmo:He wants that music.
Rooster:It's a seven.
Gizmo:He does. Honestly, I'm I'm very serious. I'm shocked at a seven with how you felt about it, how it performed.
Rooster:Only thing that was not great on this cigar, I think it's the last third.
Pagoda:I don't know.
Rooster:I think it's smokeable. Mean, the construction was great. The cigar is decent. I mean, let's see how the other scores are.
Senator:Maybe with the rooster aging program, it gets better.
Bam Bam:Alright.
Gizmo:We'll try it.
Bam Bam:After a century, you may need
Rooster:to know. Never know. Then I'll sell it to you. And you can put it up on Bond Roberts.
Bam Bam:And I'll sell it for four times the price.
Rooster:We'll give you another check for $2,700.
Gizmo:Senator.
Senator:So I'm at a 777.
Gizmo:So you're gonna buy a five.
Senator:I sent you
Rooster:three Play the music.
Senator:I agree with Rooster's rating. It's a seven for me. There were I'll start with the thing I'm gonna start with the best parts and get to the worst. The best parts for this ring gauge, I would go as far as saying that I have never had the level of smoke output from a cigar at this size, period.
Bam Bam:That's true.
Gizmo:I would argue that Corona Viva from Liga was right around this. It's a very similar size.
Senator:I still think it this happened.
Gizmo:This was one of the worst smoke situations for our eyes, etcetera It was that we've had in a long time.
Senator:Can't remember when multiple times I've asked us to try to clear some of the smoke in the room because it was burning my eyes that much, and that's a testament to this cigar. Yeah.
Bam Bam:It's a merit for sure.
Senator:The construction, the burned line was razor sharp the entire way through. Didn't need touch ups. The draw was perfect. So construction wise, this is as well constructed as cigars I think you'll find, period. Flavor wise, the first third was kind of, you know, learning someone new.
Senator:Right? Like, there were some confusing elements, some familiar elements, and you were kind of figuring out, is this some someone I'm gonna get along with? The second third became more familiar and more in line with the flavor profile that I pursue, and I think most, if not all of us in the room do. The second third was definitely the best part when it got sweeter, it got creamier, it got nuttier. I enjoyed all of the second third.
Senator:The final third though is when it not just reverted back to the first third, but got even drier than the first third was, and that's what, you know, turned me off. Now all that's to say, and this is why I don't think what Ruzuru said is crazy even though I'm not necessarily gonna, you know, procure a fiber of this. I smoked it all the way down to the nub. I mean, most did. I'm looking in the ashtrays.
Senator:It's not that the final third was so offensive that I couldn't smoke it. There were still, like, some elements of it for some reason that, like, I actually wanted to finish it. I didn't want to put it down early, so it could be a really good cigar. I think it's just a good cigar. It's definitely better than most Tatuajes I've had.
Senator:For some of the guys that were getting a lot of spice, I truly throughout the whole smoke never found spice to be overpowering, never found spice to be dominant. It was very faint for most of the way and somewhat prominent, but not that prominent throughout, which I liked. So there were enough good elements that it's a soft recommend. I think if you're a Tatuaje fan and you haven't had it, there's no question you should try it. I think it's nice to see a firmly medium bodied cigar that's not a pepper bomb coming out of Tatuaje aside from the Cabo Guan that we reviewed.
Senator:And I hope, you know, maybe over time, they tweak the blend a little bit to bring some of that sweetness all the way through because if they did with the the shape, which I like, and the performance, I would definitely purchase this more regularly. So I'm at a a solid seven.
Rooster:And the price is not bad.
Gizmo:Not at all. No. It's a great price. There's no question about that. So I agree with everything you said about performance, you know, combustion, certainly, no question about that.
Gizmo:Construction, how it, you know, burned, etcetera. What blows my mind is that this cigar has been around for twenty three years, twenty four years. Right? And for this cigar to have lasted that long performed like this tonight
Bam Bam:Without any adjustments in the blend?
Gizmo:It's that's what it is. It's mind blowing to me that this is not in the eights or low nines. It's mind blowing to me that this cigar is selling like it must to last that long. It's it's kinda crazy, honestly. I I think there's
Bam Bam:a a significant said is the reason why is because in their entire catalog, it's a
Gizmo:firm A little bit more MCR. A little bit less of a punch.
Bam Bam:It's unusual for what they make. So that is a merit.
Gizmo:It is. There's no question about it. But at the end
Bam Bam:of Is day enough?
Gizmo:It's an okay cigar. Right. It's an okay cigar.
Chef Ricky:It's a good cigar.
Gizmo:You know? So a seven is the right score, I think, on this. Will I smoke this again? No. Will I go out and get a fiver like Rooster?
Gizmo:No. But for all the reasons the senator stated why he gave it a seven, I agree with him. I think the second third was the best part. I really like the light as well. There was I thought this was gonna be an eight or a nine tonight for sure.
Gizmo:But man, that second half point just like dove. Like, it was really bad.
Bam Bam:Yeah. And that's what leaves the lasting memory here.
Gizmo:Of course. And also, for me, I commented on this cigar for me smoked super fast.
Bam Bam:So you're at a seven. Is that right?
Gizmo:Yeah. Okay. It was just not great. I love the price. You know, I love the performance, but the flavor was just not there.
Gizmo:It's an okay cigar. It's a soft recommended a seven, but that's where it stands.
Rooster:It went down in the second half or on the last third
Gizmo:for you? I would argue at the second half, it started to dive.
Senator:I thought you said the second third was your favorite part.
Rooster:Yeah.
Senator:I've never did.
Bam Bam:He's not as good as You got easy hands tonight.
Gizmo:I got easy off hands.
Chef Ricky:Measuring as bammies.
Gizmo:A lot of measuring tonight for me on this cigar.
Bam Bam:We're gonna
Gizmo:The last third was really bad. It started to tail off at the end of the second third. So for me, it's a seven. I will not try this again. I will not buy this again.
Gizmo:It is what it is. Pagoda.
Pagoda:Yeah. It's a seven for me as well. The what I found interesting was, you know, the cold draw had a little bit of berry, and I, you know, I kind of really enjoyed the cold draw a
Gizmo:little bit. I wish, very true. The cold I draw wish is fantastic. Maybe next time we just do the cold draw for two hours.
Pagoda:Then as soon as If it's
Bam Bam:a Tatuaje.
Pagoda:Yeah, it's like as soon as I lit it up, my first third I felt like this, I don't know, a bitterish taste. It wasn't very unpleasant, but it wasn't very pleasant. I couldn't pinpoint it. You know, I think I had mentioned that it was like a very bitter, dark chocolate kind of a flavor thing, which I left right in front of my palate. But it wasn't like, so you know it was definitely very smokable.
Pagoda:What I really enjoyed about the cigar was the smoke output, you know the construction was great, like I think everybody's mentioned it before, know the bone line was excellent, so you know, you continue smoking the cigar and then the second third did evolve into a bit of the sweetness. I finally got the sweetness come through with a little bit of the creaminess and a little bit of you know I guess the nuttiness as well so I don't know whether that's right when I started having the tequila which really kind of enhanced the flavor. But either way, it did become very pleasurable. So there were moments I would argue that
Gizmo:tequila masked the flavor. I don't think it enhanced the flavor.
Pagoda:I really enjoyed that, yeah, the second third, which I think most of us enjoyed. For me, the last third was, it became very, you know, a little spicy, peppery kind of a thing and then muddled. But, you know, I agree with Senator in the sense that it wasn't really strong or overpowering, but it just felt like muddlish with a little bit of pepper spice. I thought the tequila was really helping me. Every time I had the tequila, the sweetness came through.
Pagoda:And yeah, it's a seven for me. I don't know whether I'd go and buy it. I don't think I will buy it. But, you know, for Tatuaje smokers, anybody wants to give it a try, you know, they might find some more positives than that. Alright, chef.
Pagoda:10.
Gizmo:Should I
Chef Ricky:hit No. No. No. No. No, please.
Chef Ricky:I
Senator:get it. I get it. Chef's got five degrees at this rate.
Chef Ricky:I'll keep it short.
Gizmo:I got ten ten wins too if you want that one.
Chef Ricky:No. No. No. I I love Roosters commentary and senators because I I'm aligning 100% with what they have both said. I'm with Rooster in that I'm giving it a seven, but I would buy a five, a fiver of this.
Gizmo:I just can't comprehend this,
Bam Bam:neither can I?
Chef Ricky:I'm saying a fiver. I'm not saying a box.
Senator:Because you're saying like it's a fair like it's a value price.
Gizmo:What moment are you gonna reach last
Pagoda:moment that
Senator:he lights up a butcher paper, like, Lomo Desserto.
Gizmo:In the morning morning with
Rooster:a coffee, I would smoke this cigar.
Chef Ricky:But, you know Exactly. With the
Pagoda:We do wanna see a photographic of that, by the way.
Bam Bam:I'm I'm paying less for an Aladino.
Rooster:It's okay. Like it.
Bam Bam:An aging room.
Gizmo:The fabric of five Lonsdale, same exact size as this. Less money.
Pagoda:How
Gizmo:much? $10? Like,
Pagoda:eight people?
Bam Bam:And what is it? It's an oatmeal bomb.
Gizmo:It's unbelievable.
Pagoda:Yeah. But if you buy a box, you can buy a
Chef Ricky:bundle of that.
Bam Bam:Yeah. Correct. He wants bacon. They want I don't oatmeal. Bacon and peppers.
Bam Bam:You don't eat bacon. But
Chef Ricky:my thing with this cigar is that, okay, the cold draw, the berry draw, that was amazing. Right? It felt great in the hand. It looked handsome. The band was great.
Chef Ricky:It smoked well. You know, I was having a a pleasant experience. You know, we we were having a
Bam Bam:pleasant
Chef Ricky:Are
Bam Bam:you rating it for the cold draw?
Chef Ricky:Part of it. Sure. Yeah. The first
Gizmo:thirty seconds were great.
Chef Ricky:Yeah. Listen, sometimes that's all it takes. You know? I mean but
Gizmo:Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. Oh.
Chef Ricky:No. It was a there were moments of that cigar that I truly enjoyed. Right? I really enjoy that creamy cappuccino. Can you turn the fucking music
Senator:I really sometimes that's all it takes.
Chef Ricky:I really enjoy that creamy cappuccino note that was coming in the midpoint of the cigar. And yes, I do agree that final third was getting bitter, was getting spicy, was getting peppery. But then even through that, because I smoked it all the way through to the knob, there were moments where that creamy cappuccino was trying to punch through and it just didn't. But it was still enough to keep me interested and wanting to finish the smoke. So while this isn't maybe that cigar that I grab if I want a home run.
Chef Ricky:Right. But if it's in my humidor
Gizmo:The cigars like a bunt.
Chef Ricky:It's a sack fly. Right? Like if it's in my humidor, I'm not gonna be upset about it.
Bam Bam:But you it a seven though.
Gizmo:I did. Can't understand these guys buying fibers.
Bam Bam:Well, it's a mild recommend.
Gizmo:It's a recommend. Would walk into a retailer if this was one of the cigars that were available and I had to
Chef Ricky:buy something, I'd it. A thousand percent. If somebody If I walked into If I was on a cruise ship and I was like, I have no cigars and someone pulled this out of their case, I wouldn't be upset
Gizmo:about it.
Bam Bam:Yeah. Because you're on an island, you have no choice.
Chef Ricky:I mean, there's some cigars that I just might be like, okay. You know, I mean, there's plenty, but this cigar wouldn't be
Bam Bam:so over this.
Chef Ricky:I wouldn't smoke a gurk over this. Right? Correct.
Rooster:So you would smoke a baccarat over this?
Gizmo:No. Okay. He's being facetious.
Rooster:Let me clear.
Senator:Brewster is ready to play the graduation music.
Gizmo:Tell me when.
Rooster:Just wait till he writes.
Chef Ricky:This this cigar was a strong seven. I think, you know, with some tinkering, there could be more there could be more there, but it wasn't a disaster. It wasn't completely unpleasant. There's a lot there to keep this interesting enough where you're hoping for more, and sometimes that's enough to keep you smoking. We've had cigars on this podcast where we can't wait for the pod to end so we could start another cigar or we just put the cigar down and light another one.
Chef Ricky:This cigar wasn't that. So, yeah, I'm in full agreement with Rooster where this is is worthy of a fiver, although I gave it a seven. Yeah, and I think Senator's on the same boat. Stand behind that seven, although we'll buy a fiver. I don't think a fiver is a huge commitment.
Chef Ricky:It's less than the price of the bottle of this tequila.
Senator:We're post graduation heading down to the shore.
Gizmo:Correct. Buy yourself a fiver.
Pagoda:And when you finish it, buy another fiver. Joey's surf club.
Gizmo:Bam bam, you're up.
Bam Bam:Okay. I'm a little surprised at the sevens. I'm at a six. Wow. Have to say, I'm loving By
Gizmo:the way, he hated it from the start.
Chef Ricky:He did.
Gizmo:And he lost his wallet.
Chef Ricky:He had a moment with it, and that was about it.
Bam Bam:The wallet had nothing to do with it. The only part of the cigar that I enjoyed was the beginning of the second third. Because I got remnants of what chef, senator, and Giz were getting. That cappuccino, sweet coffee thing, and creaminess, but it was very fleeting.
Gizmo:We were getting that twenty minutes before you got there.
Bam Bam:Yeah, correct. So for me, I think the six is very accurate. The rest of the cigar was completely mediocre. I can't see ever getting a fiver. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, and it's not because I'm a Tatuaje hater.
Bam Bam:I'm not, but it just wasn't an interesting cigar. Other than the performance and how it smoked, and it was a very well made cigar, but honestly, that maybe for me is not the paramount reason why I smoke cigars. I want to smoke a cigar because of the flavor and the notes that I'm getting, But yes, of course, if it doesn't perform well, you're not gonna get those notes. So that's it's a merit for sure. But I think a six is very accurate from my experience.
Rooster:A bit low.
Bam Bam:I don't think so. I think the sevens are just a touch high.
Gizmo:Honestly, I debated between a six and a seven.
Bam Bam:I'll be honest Just a touch. I think that's just me.
Chef Ricky:Is accurate for your experience, but I'm curious.
Bam Bam:But it also goes to show how inconsistent the cigar is then, if that's the case.
Chef Ricky:What other sixes did BAM have? Right? Like, if we could pull that up and see and just get his real time reaction
Bam Bam:I don't know how to set him to say what you're gonna say.
Senator:Cue the graduation piece. Look.
Rooster:We just did the Cuesta Ray, last week.
Bam Bam:I gave that a five.
Rooster:Yeah, we gave it a six. This cigar beats that cigar any day.
Gizmo:For sure. It does.
Rooster:There's no question about that.
Bam Bam:And I guess.
Rooster:Compared to that cigar, this is at least two points higher.
Chef Ricky:I'm rating
Bam Bam:for the experience that I had tonight with this, and it wasn't an enjoyable experience for me. So I'm at a six.
Gizmo:Alright, boys. The formal lizard rating tonight on the Tatuaje, Miami, Havana, Cazadores is a 6.8. Let's compare that to the other four Tatuajes we've done on the podcast. I think that's a perfect score.
Bam Bam:I agree. Yeah.
Gizmo:First up on episode 16, we talked about it a lot tonight. The petite Cazadores was an eight. On episode 41, the Tatuaje reserve of Broadleaf Reggios was a seven. On episode 89, Roosters, Tuxla, Loma DiCerto, the pork loin, was a 6.3. And finally That should be a nine.
Gizmo:On episode 209, the Cuban by Tatuaje in Imperialis was a perfect 10.
Bam Bam:That's a great score.
Gizmo:That was a standout.
Chef Ricky:Yeah. It's the one with the tux the soy ball grades have at.
Gizmo:Yeah. The tuxla did not do well. Wow. So tonight, this falls kinda where we thought it would. I mean, Cabo Iguan certainly an outlier.
Gizmo:Petite Cazadores at an eight, but this is right in line with the other two, you know?
Bam Bam:I don't think those that said they'd get a fiver will ever get a fiver.
Gizmo:I agree with you on that.
Bam Bam:It's not
Chef Ricky:gonna happen get a fiver right now.
Bam Bam:Just add a spike? Just add
Gizmo:a spike. You
Rooster:know what? Get a box. We'll split it.
Gizmo:Yeah. Yeah. And I boys
Pagoda:A box of 10, please.
Rooster:Can't have any.
Chef Ricky:I'm gonna get a box and have gizmo sell it for 4 Good. Good.
Gizmo:What a great night, boys. We have to thank and congratulate again Lizard Z, who's won Lizard of the Week. Of course, we have to thank all of the Lizards who contribute to our program. We really appreciate everybody writing in, sharing their comments, their notes, what they're smoking, their questions, their voice memos, everything else. We really, really appreciate it.
Gizmo:So please keep it up. And, of course, Bon Roberts who is gonna send Lizard Z a 10 count box of cigars of his choice. Really appreciate those guys. Bon Roberts have been amazing. And check out the new Bon Roberts New World Auctions starting September 28.
Gizmo:Boys, the exclusive retail partner of the Lounge Lizards podcast, smallbatchcigar.com. Use our code lizard 15 for 15% off your entire order. 5% back in rewards, free shipping. Does it get better than small match?
Bam Bam:No.
Gizmo:By the way, we got these cigars about a month ago. These cigars came in exactly as we smoked them tonight. They were perfectly conditioned. If we had smoked them the same day they came in, we could have. They were excellent.
Gizmo:So shout out to those guys over there. And of course, our presenting sponsor boys, Fabrica five. They've been with us for so long. Their cigars are so incredible. We smoked at Lonsdale a couple weeks ago after the eight ninety eight.
Gizmo:It's brilliant. I've been smoking about one of those every day. I think I went through an entire bundle in one month. So that's twenty five and thirty days. That's how much I've been smoking it.
Gizmo:Highly recommend the Lonsdale from Fabrica five. And the new Maduro Petite Corona is out, so be sure to check that out. Boys, one more time tonight, the ArteNOM Selection day fourteen fourteen. Tequila Reposado was a 9.2, and the Tatuaje, Miami, Havana, Cazadores was a 6.8.
Chef Ricky:It's a little low. Incorrect.
Gizmo:You should have given it a 10 if you wanted it to go up.
Chef Ricky:It should be a seven.
Gizmo:Boys, what a great night.
Pagoda:Great night.
Gizmo:Lot of fun. I love what we do here. How lucky are we? This is awesome. A lot of laughs tonight.
Chef Ricky:And think there's only one way to go out. That's it.
Gizmo:You wanted to hear it. That's right. There it is.
Senator:Thank you to all the graduates out there, not just the ones in this room tonight.
Gizmo:Alright, boys. What a great night, and, 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, loungelizardspod.com.
Gizmo:That's loungelizardspod.com. Don't forget to leave us a rating and subscribe 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 at loungelizardspod.com. You can also find us on Instagram at Lounge Lizards Pod.
Gizmo:We really appreciate your time, and we'll, we'll see you next week.