Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy leave the studio and go live on location at Big Hoffa’s Barbecue in Westfield, Indiana for an Old Forester night—because if they’re going to do remote, it should involve bourbon and a smoke-ring.

Since cigars aren’t allowed inside the restaurant, the show focuses on one bourbon: Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond (100 proof) from the Whiskey Row series. Fingers pulls pepper, dark fruit, oak, and a hint of cinnamon, while Tony finds the pour bigger than expected and debates where the warmth actually lands—eventually settling on the now-official tasting location: the tum-tum.

They’re joined by Madison Tragesser from the Brown-Forman family (Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniel’s) for a crash course in Old Forester history, the legacy of George Garvin Brown, and why the Whiskey Row series is meant to be a “taste through history.” The conversation also turns to what bourbon drinkers obsess over that may not actually matter—high proof—a take that does not go unchallenged.

From there, it’s all barbecue. Adam Hoffman, owner of Big Hoffa’s Barbecue, breaks down what it takes to produce consistent brisket at scale—flat vs. point, trimming fat so smoke and heat can do their job, slicing against the grain, and how a restaurant turns out 50–60 briskets a day without letting anything subpar hit a plate.

Also in this episode:

• the great Heinz “dipper fry box” debate (and an Indiana ketchup line drawn in the sand)

• a look at NFL coaching shakeups and the patience problem in modern sports

• and Fingers’ early-morning casino trip that ends with the most unsettling sentence ever overheard in public

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It’s Cigars of the Year time — and the guys do it the only way that actually makes sense.

No points.
No rankings spreadsheets.
No pretending they can quantify enjoyment with decimals.

On this Happy Hour episode of Eat Drink Smoke, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloyoffer part 2 of their annual Cigars of the Year conversation by laying out the rules, the philosophy, and the reality of how these lists actually get made.

The short version:
They like what they like — and what sticks, sticks.

Along the way:

• Why Eat Drink Smoke waits until the year is fully over before doing year-end lists

• The only real requirement for Cigars of the Year: we had to review it on the show

• Why price, size, wrapper, and hype don’t decide anything by themselves

• A deep pour of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and why it’s an always-in-the-cabinet bottle

• Dessert debates that spiral into crème brûlée, dried fruit, and general confusion

• The claim that America is “falling out of love with pizza”… and why that doesn’t pass the smell test

• Shrinking restaurant chains, rising prices, and what people are actually reacting to

• Cable TV viewership collapsing — not because people stopped watching, but because they stopped watching that way

• And why Happy Hour exists: so the show can wander a little and still land on its feet

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They do it the right way.

No shortcuts.
No calendar cheating.
No pretending December 15th is “close enough.”

On this Happy Hour episode of Eat Drink Smoke, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy kick off their Cigars of the Year conversation — after a full year of reviews, arguments, surprises, and more than a few humidor debates.

Along the way:

• Why Eat Drink Smoke isn’t just a bourbon show (and never really was)

• The only real rule for Cigars of the Year — did it move you?

• Why price, size, wrapper, and hype don’t decide the list

• A deep pour of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and why it’s an always-there bottle

• Cream, caramel, dried fruit, crème brûlée… and whether any of us know what dessert we’re actually talking about

• How a $9 cigar nearly stole Cigar of the Year

• Why surprise matters more than pedigree

• Tony’s early reveal of his #3 cigar of the year

• Fingers’ philosophy: value first, enjoyment always

• And a brief, spirited disagreement over whether America could ever fall out of love with pizza

This is the relaxed, wandering version of the show — part cigar talk, part spirits talk, part food world detour — exactly how Happy Hour is supposed to be.

Light something up.
Pour something you like.
They'll take it from there.

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In this Best of 2025 episode of Eat Drink Smoke, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy reveal their Top Cigars of the Year (2025)—and they do it their way: they wait until the full year is finished before ranking anything.

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy also pair the cigar conversation with Woodford Reserve Double Oaked (90.4 proof), breaking down the bourbon’s flavor profile and making the case for why it belongs in a liquor cabinet year-round.

The episode features two separate top-three lists with zero overlap, plus plenty of signature Eat Drink Smoke banter, food-world news, and culture commentary.

Featured in this episode:

• Woodford Reserve Double Oaked tasting notes, including caramel, dark chocolate, dried fruit, and a crème brûlée debate

• Tony Katz’s Top 3 Cigars of 2025

  • HVC Hot Cake “Fresh Out of the Oven” (Connecticut Broadleaf)

  • El Rey del Mundo “Appointment” (high-value standout)

  • Ferio Tego Timeless TAA Exclusive 2024 (Tony’s cigar of the year)

• Fingers Malloy’s Top 3 Cigars of 2025

  • Rocky Patel Thirtieth Anniversary (Mexican San Andrés wrapper, box-pressed premium)

  • La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet Lancero (wrapper-forward, high flavor ratio)

  • Micallef Red Toro (value pick with San Andrés Habano wrapper and Pennsylvania Broadleaf binder, Fingers cigar of the year)

Also covered:

• A debate over claims that Americans are “falling out of love with pizza”

• Chain restaurant and fast-food shifts, including a spirited argument over curly fries

• Cable TV ratings drops, cord-cutting, and how media consumption has changed

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It’s 2026, and we’re finishing what we started: Bourbons of the Year (even when they’re not all bourbons… because of course they aren’t).

In Part 2, Tony Katz reveals his Top 3 from everything we reviewed this year — bourbon, rye, rum, Irish whiskey, whatever. We also keep smoking the Oliva Master Blends 3 and get into the important questions:

• Why five-pack cigar packaging looks like it was designed by a committee of raccoons

• Why “does it work neat?” is the only real test

• And why your retirement account may be quietly setting you up for a penalty

Tony’s Top 3 (and yes, it gets weird):

• #3: Espy House “The George” 1794 Bourbon — $60.99

• #2: Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey (110 proof) — $44.99

• #1: Bacoo 12-Year Rum — $35.99

Plus: what’s coming in 2026 — Cigars of the Year next week, more food, more tequila, and maybe finally Let’s Go Grill and the cookbook.

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New year. Same rules: we don’t do a Top 10. We barely do a Top 5.
We do a Top 3 because we’re grown and tired.

In Part 1 of our “Bourbons of the Year” special, Fingers Malloy lays out his list — built on one sacred principle: keep it under $50… because we live in a world where “affordability crisis” is a real phrase people say with a straight face.

We’re also smoking an all-time favorite: Oliva Master Blends 3 (Churchill, 7x50) — Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Nicaraguan binder/filler — and breaking down the flavors (with the official Eat Drink Smoke Notebook Method).

Fingers’ Top 3 (Under $50):

• #3: Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond (Costco) — $27

• #2: 2XO American Oak — $49

• #1: Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye — $35

Tony also explains why he’s still mad at Vegas… even though he can’t wait to go back.

Part 2 drops next: Tony’s Top 3.

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A new year is here, and Eat Drink Smoke does it the only way that makes sense — by waiting until the calendar actually turns.

In this episode, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy reveal their Top Three Bourbons of the Year, based not on hype or releases, but on everything they actually reviewed on the show in 2025. No Top 10 lists. No arguments about rankings. Just the bottles that stayed with them.

Fingers lays out his value-driven list, keeping every pick under $50, including:

• Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond from Costco

• 2XO American Oak

• And his top pick: Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye

Tony counters with a memory-based list that ignores price entirely, featuring:

• Espy House George 1794

• Keeper’s Heart Irish & American Whiskey (110 proof)

• And a surprise number one that isn’t a bourbon or a rye: Bacoo 12-Year Rum

Along the way, they discuss:

• Why 2025 was a strange year for bourbon

• How palate changes affect what sticks with you

• The difference between “good” and “memorable”

• Why value still matters — even when it doesn’t

• And whether calling it “Bourbons of the Year” still makes sense

They’re also smoking the Oliva Master Blends 3 Churchill, breaking down flavor, strength, construction, and pairing as the conversation moves from reflection to anticipation.

Next week: Cigars of the Year.

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Christmas week calls for something familiar.

So Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy go back to the well with Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Rye (Voyage 26, Double Barrel, 96 proof) — sweet, lush, easy-drinking, and absolutely the kind of pour you reach for when you’re fighting off a cold and trying to pretend you’re “fine.”

Also in this Happy Hour:

• The IRS finally bumps the jackpot reporting threshold (about time)

• Why Vegas keeps charging more while giving less

• Costco’s possible redesign… including scanning your membership card for the food court (hot dog security is real now)

• And a story so weird it has to be true: an Amazon driver allegedly petting a porch cat… and then walking off with it

This is Eat Drink Smoke in peak form: cigars, bourbon, food, travel complaints, retail therapy, and a little “what is wrong with people?”

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As the calendar flips toward the end of the year, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy settle in for a Happy Hour episode of Eat Drink Smoke.

The guys light up the Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich “Off Menu” TAA exclusive, a bold Pennsylvania Broadleaf box-press with unmistakable earthiness, bonfire notes, and serious heft. Fingers and Tony break down flavor, construction, pairing ideas, and whether this cigar earns a permanent spot in the humidor.

Along the way, they cover:

• A surprising ice cream recall involving… small stones

• What slowing bourbon consumption could mean for distilleries big and small

• Why Beam is pausing production — and what that says about changing habits

• The impact of Ozempic, mocktails, and generational shifts on drinking culture

• Airports are allowing non-travelers past TSA for the first time in decades

• And why airline security still feels like theater instead of protection

It’s cigars, drinks, food, travel, and culture — with plenty of side commentary — exactly the way Eat Drink Smoke does Happy Hour.

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Eat Drink Smoke closes out 2025 with a bold pairing: the Knuckle Sandwich Off Menu, a TAA exclusive cigar from Espinosa Premium Cigars and celebrity chef Guy Fieri, and Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Rye (Voyage 26, Double Barrel Dry).

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy smoke the 6x54 box-pressed Knuckle Sandwich Off Menu, featuring a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper with a Nicaraguan binder and filler. The cigar delivers a full-bodied profile with earthy, smoky notes described as bonfire and wet leaves, making it one of the most distinctive Knuckle Sandwich releases.

The bourbon is Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Rye, Voyage 26, a 96-proof double-barrel rye known for its sweetness, creamy mouthfeel, and lighter rye spice—an ideal holiday pour.

The episode also covers the end of the bourbon boom, industry production slowdowns, TSA security theater, airport guest passes, Vegas travel costs, Costco changes, food recalls, and one of the strangest news stories of the week.

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