Eat Drink Smoke

Tony and Fingers review the new Catelli Boxare Habano, a 6x52 box-pressed cigar that proved surprisingly difficult to research. It starts with cedar, pepper, and a little cocoa — but does it develop enough to earn a permanent spot in the humidor?

Then things get serious with Booker’s Batch 2026-02 “Milkshake Batch” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. At 124.4 proof, it sounds intimidating. Instead, the guys find plenty of oak, vanilla and rich bourbon flavor — and start wondering if they’ve found one of the best bottles of the year.

Also this week, Tony gets unreasonably worked up about store-bought baked spaghetti, robo-taxis prepare to hit the streets of Las Vegas, pumpkin spice season arrives way too early, Buc-ee’s picks a trademark fight with a small Ohio mini-mart, and an airline comes up with yet another way to charge passengers for their luggage.

Plus, a listener discovers some very old bourbon in a lake house and asks the dangerous question: “How do I sell this?”

All that and more on this episode of [Eat Drink Smoke.](EatDrinkSmokeShow.com)

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers review the Caldwell Crafted & Curated Savages Malpensante, a rich and surprisingly subtle cigar with notes of wood, leather, walnut and coffee. Is it worth $17 a stick? They have thoughts.

They also pour the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Heritage Barrel, a seven-year-old Tennessee whiskey bottled at 100 proof. It brings plenty of sweetness, oak, vanilla and a little disagreement over whether there is any banana hiding in the finish.

Plus, Fingers introduces Tony to the Pepperidge Farm Coconut Cake of his childhood, Costco faces a class action lawsuit over its promotional emails, and the guys test out a bristle-free alternative for cleaning the grill.

They also discuss rising cigar prices, the future of AI-assisted writing, and some heartbreaking news from their friends at Defiance Beef.

All that, along with brisket experiments, Costco shopping disasters, and a truly unreasonable amount of coconut cake, on this episode of Eat Drink Smoke.

Find everything at [EatDrinkSmokeShow.com.](EatDrinkSmokeShow.com.)

Tony and Fingers take the show outside to enjoy perfect deck weather, the A.J. Fernandez New World Decenio 10th Anniversary Toro, and a Four Roses Private Selection OESQ bourbon.

They break down the Decenio’s Mexican San Andrés wrapper, cocoa sweetness, oak, leather and steady medium-bodied profile before deciding whether the $14 cigar deserves a permanent spot in the humidor. Then they taste a nine-year, eight-month Four Roses single-barrel selection that clocks in at 111 proof but drinks far smoother than expected.

Also this week: steakhouse dress-code violations, whether shorts should ever be allowed near a serious steak, a massive alleged Medicaid fraud scheme, why millions of prime-age men are leaving the workforce, a possible Eat Drink Smoke road-trip to Orlando, pumpkin spice arriving far too early, and the mysterious cyclospora outbreak causing nationwide lettuce panic.

Plus, listener questions, road-trip stories, expensive nightclub receipts and the shocking revelation that Tony may never successfully retrohale a cigar.

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The guys review the Arturo Fuente Casa Cuba Divine Inspiration, the final cigar blend created by Carlos Fuente Sr. Does its combination of white pepper, wood, leather and unexpected nuttiness earn it a permanent place in the humidor?

They pair it with Maker’s Mark Made for the Brave Cask Strength bourbon, a 110.5-proof bottle supporting Project One Vet at a Time. Plus, Snickers Cake Bites wildly exceed expectations, a parasite causes some very unpleasant digestive problems, Tony questions whether you can make real barbecue without a grill, and Fingers reveals the little white lies bartenders tell when the bar gets slammed.

Also: homemade pastrami, permanent daylight saving time, China’s attempt to ban AI romantic chatbots—and perhaps the finest explosive-diarrhea callback in podcasting history.

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The "Summer of Habanos" begins with the My Father La Lealtad, a hefty 6x60 cigar delivering balanced notes of cedar, coffee, tobacco, and subtle sweetness. Tony and Fingers also review Costco’s Patriot Eagle Bourbon, debate the greatest Southern foods, question the purpose of warm potato salad, and prepare themselves for Indiana State Fair creations involving honey buns, melted butter, and absolutely no restraint.

Plus, Walmart cuts prices, Tinder heats up during the World Cup, Adam Sandler causes ridiculous social media outrage, and baby boomers are getting divorced in record numbers.

Find everything at [EatDrinkSmokeShow.com](EatDrinkSmokeShow.com).

Happy Independence Day from Eat Drink Smoke — and welcome to our 400th episode!

America turns 250, Eat Drink Smoke hits 400, and Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy celebrate with fried apple pie, patriotic cigars, cold beer, and a whole lot of fast-food nostalgia.

The show kicks off with the triumphant return of the deep-fried McDonald’s Hot Apple Pie. Is it smaller than it used to be? Absolutely. Is it basically an apple pie egg roll now? Also yes. But does it still taste like Gen X childhood wrapped in flaky, cinnamon-apple joy? Oh, you better believe it.

Tony and Fingers light up the John Adams from Liberty Cigars, a 6x52 torpedo featuring a Habano wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. Is Liberty Cigars just patriotic shtick, or is there something real happening here? The guys break down the flavor profile, burn issues, construction, price point, and whether the John Adams belongs in your humidor.

Since the Midwest heat index is roughly “surface of the sun,” bourbon takes a backseat to beer. Fingers reviews the Dogfish Head Grateful Dead Citrus Daydream Lager, while Tony tries the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale.

Also this week: a TSA traveler allegedly tries to hide smoke grenades in peanut butter, companies second-guess replacing workers with AI, Americans are eating way too many meals in their cars, and a terrifying reminder that wire grill brushes belong in the trash.

Plus, Tony explains why it is Independence Day, not just “the 4th of July,” Fingers admits how many meals he eats in the car, and the guys celebrate America 250 with cigars, beer, apple pie, and sarcasm.

Find everything at [EatDrinkSmokeShow.com](EatDrinkSmokeShow.com).

America’s 250th birthday is coming, and Eat Drink Smoke is getting ready the only way it knows how — with hot dogs, cigars, bourbon and a little bit of chaos.

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy preview the perfect Independence Day setup with Costco hot dogs, the great charcoal vs. propane debate, and whether America can survive another 250 years if people keep putting pets on airplane tray tables.

The featured cigar is the J.C. Newman The American 250th, a commemorative cigar celebrating the nation’s semiquincentennial. Tony and Fingers break down the cigar’s classic American-made blend, its “beefy lancero” feel, and whether it belongs in your humidor for the Fourth of July.

The drink review features the Evan Williams Single Barrel America 250 Commemorative Edition Bourbon, clocking in at a very patriotic 117.76 proof. It brings oak, heat, spice, caramel and enough firepower to make Fingers question several life choices.

Also on this episode: bedbug travel fears, how late is too late for caffeine, Trader Joe’s mini tote madness, M&M’s dropping colors, the Senate taking on housing costs, and why emotional support animals do not belong on airplane tray tables.

Light the cigar, pour the bourbon neat, grill the hot dogs, and celebrate America 250 with Eat Drink Smoke.

Find everything at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com

This week, Tony and Fingers review the Micallef White Label Connecticut Robusto and Puncher’s Chance The Undisputed Single Barrel Bourbon.

The cigar is a 5x52 Robusto featuring a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, and the guys discuss why Connecticut cigars have come a long way in recent years. Once thought of as mild morning smokes without much depth, today’s Connecticut cigars are bringing real flavor — and this Micallef delivers wood, hay, bready sweetness, a touch of pepper, and plenty of value at around $8 a stick.

The drink this week is Puncher’s Chance The Undisputed Single Barrel, a 108-proof bourbon from Wolf Spirit. Tony and Fingers break down the nose, palate, proof, rye spice, finish, and whether this bottle belongs in the liquor cabinet at around $55.

Also on this episode: Fingers brings Tony another unforgettable Gas Station Find — Atomic Boss Blue Riz Hard Punch. It is 12% alcohol, bright blue, sold in a juice box, and may or may not taste like a fluoride rinse mixed with bad decisions.

Plus, Tony and Fingers talk World Cup visitors discovering America, ranch dressing and the TSA, Father’s Day food deals, grilling, beef ribs, Jersey Mike’s knocking Chick-fil-A out of the top fast-food spot, Jersey subs, Indiana tenderloins, family drama, parenting, Prime Day deals, and Defiance Beef.

It’s cigars, bourbon, blue gas station regret, and America’s growing ranch dressing diplomacy.

All that and much more on this edition of Eat Drink Smoke.

Find everything at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com and subscribe to Eat Drink Smoke on YouTube.

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers review the AJ Fernandez New World Puro Especial and Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

The New World Puro Especial brings plenty of Nicaraguan character, with notes of coffee, wood, creaminess, dried fruit, and a medium-plus profile that may play bigger than advertised. At around $9 a stick, is it humidor-worthy?

The bourbon review features Blade and Bow, a 91-proof straight bourbon with a big nose, fruit cocktail notes, oak, heat, and a very cool backstory tied to the historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Is it worth nearly $50 a bottle?

Also on the show: Fingers’ horrifying breakfast choices, dirty soda health warnings, inflation and gas prices, stolen bourbon, Amazon Prime Day confusion, beef prices, brisket shortages, New World Screwworm concerns, AI-designed vaccines, toxic dating gurus, and why a freezer full of Defiance Beef might be the ultimate dating profile upgrade.

All that and much more on this episode of Eat Drink Smoke.

Find everything over at [EatDrinkSmokeShow.com](EatDrinkSmokeShow.com).

This week on Eat Drink Smoke, Tony and Fingers review the Stoic Equanimity Justice, a hefty 6x52 cigar with an Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper, Dominican Criollo 98 binder, and a flavor profile that brings spice, cedar, earth, richness, and a truly ridiculous amount of heft. It is the kind of cigar that makes you wonder whether you should smoke it or use it to break out of a locked car.

The drink this week is Jacob’s Pardon Small Batch American Whiskey Batch #2, coming in at 109.3 proof. Tony and Fingers find vanilla, brown sugar, oak, butterscotch, a little heat, and enough flavor to make it a serious contender for the year-end list.

Also on the show: Beyond Meat wants to become a protein drink company. Is that a smart pivot, or should they lean into brisket-flavored beverages and shock the world? Tony and Fingers talk summer foods, ribs, grilling, watermelon feta orzo salad, frozen grapes, and why kale should maybe just go directly into the trash.

Plus, bourbon layoffs continue as the industry faces a serious slowdown. Is it tariffs, changing drinking habits, GLP-1 drugs, oversupply, or all of the above? The guys break it down.

And in News of the Week: the 2027 Masters ticket lottery is open, the White House Correspondents Dinner has been rescheduled, and the FCC says you may want to turn off Bluetooth when you are not using it.

Light up, pour a drink, and enjoy another episode of Eat Drink Smoke.

Find everything at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com.