Friend and American tea master Michael Ortiz paid a visit to Cigar Snob HQ and brought a couple of guests along: Frank Baroudi, who came with a treasure trove of pre-embargo Cuban cigars in tow, and Kunikazu Mochitani, a matcha producer who brought along some of his own teas. Together, the three of them led us on one of the most unique tasting sessions we've ever experienced.

Music in this episode:
"BossaBossa" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Tea and pre-embargo Cuban cigar tasting w JoJo Tea founder, American tea master Michael Ortiz

Join the team from Cigar Snob Magazine — along with our guests — as we share all manner of cigar 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

Jim pitches his zany business idea for safe cigar disposal while Erik and Ivan point out some of the best and worst places to enjoy a cigar on vacation. Throughout the show the guys review the Villiger Miami and pair it with a vertical lineup of Benriach single malt Scotch. Finally Dr. Corina and Lucien Villiger share their insights on what it was like growing up as a member of the Villiger family.

Jim's million dollar cigar business idea + Cigar friendly travel destinations

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.

Tea and pre-embargo Cuban cigar tasting w JoJo Tea founder, American tea master Michael Ortiz

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