There are nights in the garage that just feel different. Episode 36 of the Smoke and Steel Cigar Podcast was one of those nights. We had a packed house, two new faces joining us, some seriously good cigars going around the table, and the kind of conversation that just flows. If you have ever wanted to pull up a chair, light something good, and hang out with a group of guys who genuinely love what they are smoking, this is the episode for you.
Whether you are brand new to cigars or you have been chasing premium cigars to buy online for years, there is something in this one for everyone. Pull up the video below, hit play, and let us walk you through everything we got into.
Table of Contents
Welcome to the Garage — New Faces Around the Table
We had a full crew this episode. Alongside the usual suspects – Mark, Eric the Elder, Rob, and Walt – we welcomed two guys who are long overdue for a seat at the table.
First up, Bruce “the Padre”. Bruce has been all over our social media for a while now, supporting the show and engaging with everything we put out. It was past time to get him in the room. Then there is Sergeant Major Mike, who had joined us once before and came back for round two. Between the two of them, we had some good stories and a couple of solid opinions flowing all night.
We always love hearing how people got into cigars, so naturally that is exactly where we started.
How We All Got Started – Two Origin Stories Worth Hearing
Getting into cigars is rarely a straight line. Sometimes it starts with a bad experience and a second chance years later. Sometimes someone just hands you something incredible before you even know what you are holding.
Bruce shared his story first. He actually tried a cigar back in the early 90s, inhaled, had not eaten anything, and immediately swore cigars off for good. Smart call, honestly. Then 2010 rolled around. He was over at his wife’s uncle’s house, the uncle smoked cigars, and one thing led to another. The first cigar Bruce was ever properly introduced to? A Padron 1926 Serie No. 2. As a starting point, that is like someone handing you the keys to a Ferrari before you have ever sat in a car. He got hooked right away – and has been using the Padron 1926 as his personal gold standard ever since. Every cigar he picks up gets measured against it. If it costs more than a Padron, it better be better than one.
Since then, Tatuaje has become his clear number two – and that is something several of us at the table share. We have bonded over the monster series more than once. The new Mummy release this year did not knock our socks off the way the last few did, but that is a conversation for another night.
Sergeant Major Mike’s story is a little different. He started smoking back in the 80s, beginning with Ashton naturals, and worked his way up from there. At one point he was going through eight or nine cigars a day. These days he is down to one, maybe two if he is lucky. Thirty years in the Army will give a man a little perspective on pacing himself. We appreciated him opening up about his time in the service – and made sure to give him a proper thank you for it.
What We Are Buying – Cigars, Clubs, and Deals
This is the section a lot of you have been waiting for. We talk about what we are buying on pretty much every episode, and this one was no different. There was a lot to cover.
Rob picked up a bundle of Ashton VSGs on sale and snagged a 10-count of ZIno Platinums, which he had already smoked and loved. Eric grabbed a box of Tabernacles and got in on the LACC Collective Pack. Eric is also waiting on an order from Small Batch Cigar, including a sampler from Avowed.
Speaking of Small Batch – this came up big in the conversation. Mark and Eric both managed to get spots in Small Batch’s $50 cigar of the month club, which has had a waiting list for a while. It is one of those things where spots open up occasionally, and if you miss it, you are waiting again. If you are looking for a cigar of the month club review situation, Small Batch is worth keeping your eye on. For $50 a month you get hand-selected cigars shipped to your door, and from what we have seen, the value is solid.
The other big topic was Cigar Page. We have talked about this before, but the conversation came up again because the deals are genuinely hard to ignore. No minimum order, free shipping on everything, and prices that often undercut what you would pay at a brick and mortar. The trade-off on flash sale orders is you sometimes wait a few extra days for them to batch everything out – but even then, it is not long. If you are looking for where to buy cigars online cheap without sacrificing quality, Cigar Page keeps coming up for a reason.
We also had a quick update on the Smoke and Steel Box Pass. The box started with Big Rob down in Louisiana, made its way back up to Pennsylvania to Eddie on the Streets, and is heading south again to Sam Hopkins in Ohio, then on to Jim and Dave West after that. The box is already racking up miles and the community has been really engaged watching everything that comes in and out of it.
Humidors, Storage, and How Often We Are Actually Smoking
We went around the table on this one too. Here is where everyone landed on how often they are smoking:
Mark is usually at two cigars on the days he smokes, but he does not smoke every single day. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and maybe Saturdays in the colder months. When it warms up, that changes.
Rob and Eric are both running about two a day on average, with a third or fourth sneaking in on nights like this one. Walt is usually at one, sometimes two, and will smoke while he is working when the weather cooperates.
Sergeant Major Mike was up at eight or nine a day back in his prime. These days he is at one, maybe two. Moderation, as he put it, is the name of the game.
Cigar storage came up briefly too. Humidors are not a one-size-fits-all situation. If you are newer to cigars and wondering whether cigar storage and humidor setup is even worth thinking about, the short answer is yes – especially if you are buying online and aging anything.
The Best Cigars for Beginners – A Quick Take From the Table
We touched on this indirectly throughout the night, but it is worth spelling out clearly for anyone just getting into the hobby. Both Bruce and Mike came in without a ton of starter experience, and the advice around the table was pretty consistent: start with something good, not necessarily something expensive, but something quality.
The Ashton line keeps coming up as a solid entry point. The Liga Privada No. 9 gets mentioned for intermediate smokers who want to step things up. And if you ever get the chance to smoke a Padron 1926 early on, just know you are setting a bar that is going to be hard to clear. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Some of us would argue it is the best problem in the hobby.
A Few Other Things We Got Into
No episode goes a full two hours without a few detours, and this one was no different.
The US hockey team winning gold was a big topic. A couple of us got a little emotional about it. We will not get too deep into that here, but the conversation was good, and if you grew up watching Miracle, you will appreciate the discussion.
We also talked about the upcoming JC Newman / Fuente event at the local lounge, the possibility of doing a broadcast from a lounge in Reading, and our plans to finally nail down a date for a fan appreciation night. That one is on the calendar in spirit – we just need to make it official.
There was a solid discussion about email lists, specifically, that Cigar Page sends a lot of them, and that is actually a good thing if you want to know about deals before they sell out. The consensus was to get on the list, set your expectations, and enjoy the chaos.
Share This Episode + Shop With Our Affiliate Links
If you made it this far, do us a favor and share this episode with a friend who smokes. Send it to your lounge buddy, your coworker who is always asking what cigar to buy, or the guy in your Discord who is still figuring out where to start. Word of mouth is how small podcasts grow, and we genuinely appreciate every share.
If you want to check out some of the cigars and retailers we talked about in this episode, use our affiliate links below. It costs you nothing extra and helps keep the lights on in the garage.
And if you are not already in our Discord, get in there. The box pass is happening, the trades are rolling, and there is always something going on.
