The guys smoke Wild Hunter Oscuro by Oscar Valladares while they discuss whether it's bad form to keep the label on or off of the cigar. They also blind-taste 3 top-rated bourbons in search of the Wild Hunter's perfect match, interview Erik Espinosa about the impact of winning Cigar of the Year, and Ivan shares the backstory of the very first Cigar Snob fashion shoot.

Should you keep the band on or off the cigar? + blind-tasting bourbons!

Join the team from Cigar Snob Magazine — along with our guests — as we share cigars all manner of snobbery. We'll talk travel, booze, the news of the day, and also recommend some of our favorite food, books, movies and products.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

The title and direction of this show was taken from listener feedback asking, "Can you define the difference between a premium cigar vs a non-premium cigar?" We took a stab at that one while smoking the Aganorsa Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro, very much a premium cigar. We then paired that cigar with 4 dark beers and interviewed the up and coming, cigar-loving country singer, Orlando Mendez aka The Cuban Cowboy.

What exactly is a premium cigar? + Beer, glorious beer and an interview with Orlando Mendez

From construction, to flavors, to fermentation, the guys break down all of the factors that unequivocally mean that your cigar is a bad one. Did they miss anything? Let us know in the comments. Also, they smoke the Stillwell Star from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust and were joined by Cigar Dojo's Eric Guttormson to discuss the upcoming Top 25 lists.

What makes a cigar bad? + We blind taste 3 California Reds and smoke the Stillwell Star

A perfectly synergistic episode where the cigar, question, spirit selection, and interview guest all revolve around a question sent in by a listener. The guys smoked the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT, drank high-end blended Scotch, and sat down with Joya de Nicaragua's Juan Martinez.

Does wrapper color equal strength? + Blended Scotch + an interview with JDN's Juan Martinez

We sat down with Rocky Patel to talk about his latest influences in cigar blending as well as his upcoming release of the highly anticipated Conviction. Back in the studio, the guys paired the Rocky Patel DBS with 3 top-shelf bourbons and answered a great listener question.

Rocky Patel is in the House + Bourbon Pairing

The guys answer an excellent listener question about why different vitolas of the same blend have different flavor profiles and even strength differences. During the show, the guys enjoyed the Illusione OneOff along with 3 fine tequilas. Later in the Share a Smoke segment, Ivan and Erik sat down with Manolo Santiago, the master blender for Casa 1910 Cigars.

Should you keep the band on or off the cigar? + blind-tasting bourbons!

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