Hey there, Walt here — and yeah, I know, it feels a little strange saying that again after so long. But here we are, doing something under the Stogie Review name for the first time in what feels like forever. Before you get your hopes up, let me be clear: this is a rough start. A test. A “let’s see if this even works” kind of thing.
So, what you’re about to read is the story behind a podcast that’s been simmering on the back burner for years. We’re finally giving it a go—inside a metal box of a garage, with fans whirring, dogs barking, motorcycles zipping past, and maybe the worst cup of coffee I’ve ever reheated in my life.
Is This a Podcast or Just a Guy Talking to Himself?
Let’s call it what it is: a beta test.
I wanted to record under the conditions we’ll actually have. Nothing ideal about this space — it’s just my detached garage, with my motorcycles parked off to the side, a dartboard on the wall, and enough fans blowing to sound like I’m broadcasting from a wind tunnel. But this is the real space where I unwind, light up a cigar, and hang with the guys. So if a podcast happens, it’s going to happen here.
Back to Where It Started
About a year and a half ago, I got a message from Mike Forry — yeah, that Mike from the old Stogie Review crew. He had moved out to the sticks and wanted to start posting videos again. Internet out there was garbage, so we talked about the possibility of doing an audio-only podcast to make uploads more manageable.
I was pumped. I wanted to do something with Stogie Review again, and Mike gave me the motivation. We kicked around a few ideas, I got the backend ready, and… life happened. Mike had a death in the family, and I wasn’t going to pressure him. Weeks became months, months became a year, and the podcast dream kind of died quietly in the corner.
Life Changes. Garages Change Too.
Fast forward to last November — we moved. Same town, bigger house. No more freezing in the backyard shed trying to enjoy a cigar. Now I’ve got this garage: lights, power, airflow, space. A real hangout spot. And little by little, my friends started showing up here instead of the social club.
The garage turned into a regular meeting place. It’s easy, it’s close (literally 15 steps from my house), and the guys like it. So why not lean into that a bit?
Naming the Place: Smoke & Steel
One night, one of the guys said, “We need to name this place.” I shrugged it off at first — I don’t usually name inanimate objects — but he was excited, so I fired up ChatGPT and started brainstorming.
After some back-and-forth with AI, I landed on Smoke & Steel Cigar Lounge.
- Smoke: Obvious — cigars.
- Steel: The garage, the motorcycles, the dartboard — all with a steel kind of vibe.
Tossed in a tagline, “Ash in the tray. Talk in the air.” and suddenly we had a name, a logo, a vibe. All from a joke that spiraled a little further than expected.
Floating the Podcast Idea (Again)
With the lounge “officially” named, I floated the podcast idea to the crew. And to my surprise… it didn’t get laughed out of the room. In fact, people were into it. A few guys started talking about “radio voices” and cracking jokes, but you could tell they were curious — even excited.
One guy asked, “What would the podcast even be?”
Another answered, “Basically this. Just us. Hanging out, talking.”
And honestly? That’s exactly the point.
How Many Hosts Is Too Many?
This was the moment where the reality check hit. I originally imagined two, maybe four people max. Something small I could manage. But if I open the door to everyone who hangs out here, we’re talking six, seven, maybe eight people. And the costs (and logistics) get crazy fast.
So I made a decision: go with a four-mic setup, max. If others want to join, they’ll have to share a mic or rotate in. I’m keeping it simple and sustainable.
The Gear and the Garage Setup
The camera I’m using? A hand-me-down Insta360 I normally mount on my motorcycle. The audio gear? Still shopping. I’m looking at the Zoom PodTrak P4, which gives me four clean tracks, and makes editing (hopefully) less of a nightmare.
This garage isn’t a studio. There are fans. There’s echo. There’s noise. But this is real life. And this is the space we’ve got. So I’m testing with what I have — lights on, fans running, windows open — to see what’s possible without going full soundproof booth mode.
What’s the Podcast About?
Right now, no strict format.
I miss the old YQMA videos we did back in the Stogie Review days — answering viewer questions, hanging out, smoking cigars, and just talking. This could be a little like that… minus the questions (for now). It’s just going to be us sitting around, having real conversations. Sometimes meaningful, sometimes ridiculous, always unfiltered.
If you don’t have a local cigar lounge to hang at, this might be your fly-on-the-wall invite.
What’s Next?
So this is it — the very beginning. The goal is to launch the Smoke & Steel Podcast as a bi-weekly show. If we stay ahead on recording, maybe we even build a buffer. I’ll handle the production and editing. If someone else wants to take on social media, awesome. Otherwise, we keep it small, keep it fun, and see where it goes.
Short-term goal?
10 regular listeners. 100 downloads per episode. Maybe one day a cigar company sends us samples. That’s the dream.
Long-term?
Who knows. Maybe meetups. Maybe merch. Maybe we build something cool together.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve made it this far, thank you. Seriously.
Whether you’re an old Stogie Review fan or someone stumbling across this by accident, I appreciate your time and curiosity. We’re still super early in this journey, and I’ve got no idea where it’ll end up. But I’m hopeful.
Drop a comment. Tell me what you think. Would you listen to a podcast like this? Got ideas? Let me know.
And as always — ash in the tray, talk in the air.
– Walt
