Eat Drink Smoke

This week on Eat, Drink, Smoke, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy do what any reasonable adults would do in the middle of allergy season: light up a cigar and pretend that counts as medicine.

They’re smoking a Southern Draw Lady Killer — a special Privada Cigar Club release from 2021 (don’t ask how it showed up… it just did). It’s a 6.5 x 46 Lonsdale with an Ecuadorian Habano Maduro wrapper, a Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 hybrid binder, and Criollo ’98 fillers from Estelí, Jalapa, and Condega. Translation: a lot going on, in the best way. Expect talk of spice, cedar, cocoa, great construction… and also a very serious debate over whether Tony can retrohale without launching an eyeball into low Earth orbit.

On the pour side, they crack open something from right here in Indiana: Starlight Distillery Honey Reserve Bourbon, a limited release finished in honey barrels and coming in hot at 106 proof. It’s sweet, it’s creamy, it’s got big heat, and it may or may not temporarily clear sinuses like a courthouse subpoena. Neat, on a cube, with a little water — they run it through the full “this might hurt your sister” testing process.

Then it turns into classic EDS chaos:

• Tipping culture is out of control (and Texas Roadhouse gets dragged into the allegation zone).

• A deep dive into civil asset forfeiture and a lawsuit claiming the TSA has seized cash from travelers — even when carrying cash domestically is legal.

• The eternal culture war: boneless wings — wings, nuggets, or a crime against language?

• Plus kitchen gear, dull knives, gross sponges, and why some people keep dishware like it’s a family heirloom from Chernobyl.

Also: Tony gets real about sleep, CPAPs, and why a vending machine grilled cheese might be the last thing you eat before “your ashes are blowing in the wind.”

Find the show, the reviews, and everything EDS at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com, and don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube — just search Eat, Drink, Smoke.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During this Happy Hour edition of Eat Drink Smoke, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy go full “more is more” with a bottle that laughs at your double-oaked phase.

They’re drinking Angel’s Envy Triple Oak (92 proof) — finished in a blend of Hungarian oak, Chinkapin oak, and French oak. It sounds like a bourbon and a passport stamp got married, and the result is… surprisingly gorgeous.

On the nose, it’s oak-forward but not overpowering, with a fruit-rich note that briefly hints at something wine-adjacent before it settles into dark fruit, bready spice, and a little ethanol peek—even at 92 proof. Then the first sip hits: a touch of sting for Fingers, almost none for Tony, and they immediately realize they’re tasting the same bourbon through two completely different brains.

The palate offers dark fruit (cherry/plum territory), vanilla ribbon, and a finish that lingers like it pays rent. Tony calls it lush in the best way. Fingers clocks the sweetness as more “brown sugar sprinkle” than sugar-bomb. And the real test comes when Tony drops it on a cube—spice increases, heat spreads, and the verdict becomes clear:

Neat is the move.
But at $75 a bottle? Yeah. Still a yes.

From there, the episode goes where it always goes:

• Minute Maid kills frozen concentrate, and the guys mourn childhood like grown men should: loudly and with snacks

• The eternal war: SunnyD (trash) vs SunnyD (nectar of the gods)

• Valentine’s Day plans get demoted to Applebee’s riblets, which honestly feels more romantic than it should

• Home Depot deal season, Solo Stove obsession, and the idea of grilling steak on wood… including the worst possible wood suggestion

• “Shift sulking” enters the workplace lexicon, which is basically “quiet quitting” with a fresh coat of HR paint

• And the recurring theme of the episode: personal responsibility—for your attitude, your choices, and apparently your steaks

Pour it neat, keep the popcorn out of the freezer, and try not to sulk your way through your shift.

Find everything at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com.

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!

X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this Eat Drink Smoke Happy Hour, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy light up a cigar that might belong on a very short list. 

They’re smoking the Plasencia El Año del Caballo (7x58) — the Year of the Horse — a big, beautifully built cigar with a braided tobacco “horse tail” cap that immediately sparks debate—gorgeous presentation, serious weight, and a feel that’s nearly perfect in the hand.

Flavor-wise, this one hits early and confidently: cedar and wood, baking spice, a creamy sweetness that leans cocoa and coffee, and a richness that keeps evolving as the cigar settles into its first third. Despite the hefty 58 ring gauge, it burns clean, stays lit, and proves surprisingly low-maintenance.

Then comes the real question: Is this cigar worth $60 a stick — or does it earn a permanent spot in the humidor when you can find it closer to $40? Tony confesses to buying two boxes (don’t ask about the mortgage), and the guys break down exactly where the value line is — and why this is a cigar you don’t rush.

From there, Happy Hour does what Happy Hour does:

• An FDA recall of M&M’s (yes, really… because peanuts)

• A spirited argument over personal responsibility

• A serious test of whether freezing popcorn actually makes it better

• And why some influencer advice is just trying way too hard

Big cigar. Big opinions. Zero patience for nonsense.

Light one up, pour something good, and settle in.

Find everything at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com.

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!

X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Eat, Drink, Smoke, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy ride into the Year of the Horse with a cigar that might actually earn a spot on “the list.”

They’re smoking the Plasencia El Año del Caballo (7x58) — a gorgeous, heavy, beautifully-presented stick complete with a braided “horse tail” accent. The guys break down the first-third flavors — cedar/wood, baking spice, creamy sweetness and cocoa — and get into the real question: is it worth $60 a stick, or is the sweet spot closer to $40 if you can find a deal?

On the pour side, it’s the Angel’s Envy Triple Oak (92 proof) finished in Hungarian, Chinkapin, and French oak barrels. Dark fruit, vanilla ribbon, big oak structure — and a surprising twist when Tony drops it on a cube and the spice kicks up.

Then the episode takes its usual sharp turn into “what is wrong with everyone”: an FDA recall of M&M’s because the candy may contain… peanuts (yes, really), the ongoing fight over personal responsibility, and the question of whether parents can sue social media companies because their kids got addicted to doom-scrolling.

Plus: Minute Maid frozen concentrate gets discontinued, Tony goes full elitist with “fresh squeezed,” Fingers defends SunnyD, and the guys finally test the viral “freeze your popcorn” hack (spoiler: someone at Allrecipes might be tipsy).

Also in News of the Week: job numbers, beer sales slipping, Costco’s $20/hour minimum, and the latest workplace trend with a name that makes Tony angry on principle: shift sulking.

Find everything at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a rare day on Eat Drink Smoke Happy Hour when the guys say, “Let’s try a bourbon,” and then immediately pivot to… American single malt.

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy crack open Clermont Steep from the Beam folks — an American single malt whiskey, aged five years, 94 proof, and weird enough (in a good way) to throw both of them off their normal tasting lanes.

The nose hits sweet, rich, and ethanol-forward… but the palate lands ridiculously smooth, warm, and surprisingly layered. They chase notes like honey, toffee, pear, and that unmistakable “malt” character that makes it feel like it’s playing in a totally different sandbox than bourbon.

Then they do what any responsible show would do:
They add a cube, add a little water, and argue about what just happened to the flavor like it’s a playoff call.

Also in this episode:

• The eternal question: Do you have to talk to your Uber driver?

• Tony and Fingers compare their rider ratings like it’s a credit score

• News of the week, including UPS job cuts, AI creeping into everything, and why that’s both fascinating and horrifying

• Pepsi’s snack-price moves and what they might say about the economy

• The correct hierarchy of junk food (and why Cheetos are underrated)

• And the continued push to turn Costco into an accidental sponsor

If you want something different for the cabinet — or a bottle that makes a killer “try this” gift — Clermont Steep might be your move.

Find everything at eatdrinksmokeshow.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Eat Drink Smoke Happy Hour, Fingers Malloy goes full bargain hunter and somehow drags Tony Katz along for the ride.

The guys light up the Ave Maria Excalibur, a Cameroon-wrapped cigar that’s big, beefy, and not exactly subtle — and they do it for one simple reason: Fingers scored a five-pack for about $16.50 total on CigarBid. Yes, total. Roughly five cigars for the price of one.

That leads to a two-part breakdown:

• The CigarBid experience (not a sponsor… and they’re still upset about that)

• Whether the Excalibur is actually worth it once you get past the insane price

Wrapper, binder, filler, draw, spice, sweetness, cracked wrappers, notebook cigar reviews, and whether this is a $16 cigar you’d ever pay full price for — it’s all on the table.

From there, the show does what it does best:

• Why big game parties are terrible for people who actually want to watch the game

• The correct hierarchy of game-day food (and why boneless wings are just nuggets)

• The most dangerous “lazy” football dips known to man

• Valentine’s Day gift ideas that range from surprisingly thoughtful to absolutely questionable

It’s cigars, food, bourbon, bargains, and the kind of arguments only people who’ve known each other too long can have.

Find everything at eatdrinksmokeshow.com.
Light one up and hang out.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Eat, Drink, Smoke, Fingers Malloy goes full bargain-hunter mode… and somehow drags Tony Katz into a cigar experiment that starts with one simple question:

How cheap is too cheap?

Fingers scored a five-pack of the Ave Maria Excalibur on CigarBid for about $16.50 — a price that’s borderline suspicious when the same cigar can run roughly $16 a stick. So the guys break down the whole “Free Fall” bidding experience (and yes, they make it crystal clear: CigarBid is not a sponsor… which they find disturbing).

From there, it’s a real cigar review:
Cameroon wrapper, Habano binder, Nicaraguan filler… and a smoke that comes out swinging with spice, heavy tobacco, and a “big cigar” presence that may or may not justify the premium price — unless you get it at “five for one” levels.

Then the show swerves into everything else you didn’t know you needed:

• Why big game parties are terrible for people who actually want to watch the game

• The sacred truth that a boneless wing is a nugget

• A tour through lazy snack recipes (including a dip that should come with a bathroom warning label)

• A Valentine’s gift guide featuring Lego roses, shower steamers, and the eternal question: should romance ever be described as a puck?

And for the pour: the guys try something different — an American single malt, Clermont Steep (from the Beam family). It’s sweet on the nose, smooth on the palate, and somehow delivers pear, honey, oak, and warm chest heat… then changes again once you add water or a cube.

Also in the mix: bourbon industry turbulence (Kentucky Owl’s parent company moving toward liquidation), layoffs and AI creep (UPS cutting jobs), and the weirdest economic indicator of all — snack prices dropping.

Find everything at eatdrinksmokeshow.com.

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!

X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Hour starts the way a lot of good pairings do—by accident.

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy reach for Old Soul High Rye Bourbon from Cathead Distillery without knowing what cigar it’s supposed to match, and end up finding something worth slowing down for. The nose comes in sweet—vanilla cake, bakery notes, and frosting—before the palate flips the script with rye spice, cinnamon heat, and a surprisingly layered finish that doesn’t behave the way the nose promises it will.

Neat pours, second sips, third opinions, and a full debate over sweetness versus spice follow. Fingers runs the Kentucky Chew. Tony goes back for seconds. Water changes the profile. Oak shows up for one of them and refuses to appear for the other. At just under $45, the real question becomes simple: does this belong in the liquor cabinet?

From there, Happy Hour does what it always does.

The conversation wanders into cooking at home, why easy doesn’t mean cheap, why time matters more than fancy techniques, and why a long cook, a quiet night, and a cigar by the smoker still count as therapy. Winter grilling dreams, wood choices, brisket philosophy, and the value of doing things yourself all make their way into the mix.

It’s bourbon-forward, cigar-adjacent, food-heavy, and intentionally unpolished—exactly what Happy Hour is supposed to be.

Pour something. Sit down.
This one’s about finding the surprise instead of forcing the pairing.

Find everything at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com — and follow along for more episodes, videos, and subscriber-only extras.

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!

X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Hour kicks off with a box-pressed Robusto and a simple question: what happens when a cigar everyone’s been whispering about finally gets lit?

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy fire up the OZ Family Cigars Karatoba Robusto, a 5x52 that wastes no time making its case. Early impressions land on wood, white pepper, and a creamy, nut-forward profile that quickly turns into what may be the most accurate tasting note of the night: chew the cashew. Cedar spice, nutty creaminess, and a steady, easy burn make this one worth slowing down for—and worth revisiting as it moves through the thirds.

From there, Happy Hour does what it does best. The conversation drifts into humidor reality, not humidor mythology—why there is no universal “right” humidity, how winter messes with everything, and why results always vary depending on where you live, what you store in, and how much control you actually have. Rules get challenged. Dogma gets tossed. Notes get written.

Then things loosen up.

Winter storms, busted snowblowers, regional weather envy, and the emotional toll of shoveling your own driveway all make an appearance. So does a surprising deep dive into restaurant bankruptcy, food-court nostalgia, and the sudden realization that Hot Dog on a Stick is a real place with real uniforms and very real debt.

It’s cigars, weather, food, business, and chaos—exactly the way Happy Hour is supposed to feel.

Pour something. Light something. Pull up a chair.
This one’s for letting the conversation wander and seeing where it lands.

Find everything at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com — and follow along for more episodes, videos, and subscriber-only extras.

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!

X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy light up a cigar that’s been getting a lot of buzz: the Oz Family Cigars Karatoba Robusto (5x52 box press)—Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan/Dominican filler. Early impressions land in the sweet spot: cedar spice, nutty creaminess, and that “chew the cashew” texture that turns into an instant running joke. At around $12, the big question becomes simple: is this a daily-humidor staple?

Then they pour something neither of them expected to like as much as they do: Old Soul High Rye Bourbon (90 proof) from Cathead Distillery (with MGP in the mix). The nose screams vanilla cake, but the palate surprises with rye spice, tongue-tingle heat, and a cinnamon edge—plus a full debate over whether oak is even present. Water changes the profile, the pairing clicks, and both hosts land on the same conclusion: at about $45, it’s a yes.

Also in this episode:

• The winter weather misery report (and Fingers’ snowblower betrayal: reverse-only)

• Why humidor “rules” are mostly nonsense—and why your perfect humidity is whatever makes your cigars smoke right

• A restaurant empire with $1.3 billion in debt and a portfolio that reads like a food court fever dream (Fatburger, Johnny Rockets, Fazoli’s, Twin Peaks, Smokey Bones… and yes, Hot Dog on a Stick is real)

• A quick hit on Real ID and the new $45 TSA fee for travelers without a compliant ID

• U-Haul migration rankings: who’s leaving, who’s winning, and why

• The “classy person” list that somehow turns into Frasier, jealousy therapy, and “don’t be weird”

It’s cigars, bourbon, winter frustration, humidor truth, bankrupt restaurant chains, and just enough nonsense to make it feel like home.

Find everything at EatDrinkSmokeShow.com — and follow along for more episodes, videos, and subscriber-only extras.

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!

X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.