Cigar Rebel

PCA Trade Show

• Cigar Rebel

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 1:02:40

You are listening to the Cigar Rebel podcast. In this episode of Cigar Rebel we are coming to you live with an update about the 2026 PCA Cigar Expo. 
Join the conversation as we take the time to enjoy one of life’s luxuries on this quirky journey we call life.

Thanks for joining us. Don't forget to subscribe to stay up to date on all things Cigar Rebel!

Like and follow us on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, and join the conversation on the Cigar Rebel Community on Facebook.

SPEAKER_00

Welcome to the Cigar Rebel community, where indulgence meets authenticity. This is more than a podcast. It's a gathering place for those who savor life's luxuries with unapologetic passion. Here we celebrate the fine art of living through rich flavors, bold spirits, exquisite cigars, and unforgettable experiences.

SPEAKER_09

Welcome, Cigar Rebels, to the podcast. I'm Mel.

SPEAKER_06

And this is Kevin, and we're coming to you live tonight from Story Cigars and Lounge. And we just returned from the PCA trade show in New Orleans. And this just isn't a normal episode tonight. This is part live, part field report, part industry update.

SPEAKER_09

Yes, so because this week is one of the most important weeks in the cigar world, the PCA trade show. So we spent the last few days with cigar manufacturers, brand owners, retailers, and other owners from Story Cigar and Lounge over in New Orleans.

SPEAKER_06

Absolutely. And so we're really excited because we had some amazing food, some fantastic cigars, and even better conversations. In addition to the trade show, two huge reports broke in the cigar industry over just the last several days, the last week, really. Um, and all of those are impactful for you rebels out there. And we're excited to share those with you tonight.

SPEAKER_09

Yes. So tonight's episode will be kind of like Kevin said, a mixture of live discussions, some interactions, and uh also with those of you on live stream. We also have our audience here at the lounge, and then we'll have clips from the PCA trade show, sales floor specifically. So, Rebels, it's time to cut, light, and settle in.

SPEAKER_06

All right, but first, Mel, what are we smoking tonight?

SPEAKER_09

Tonight we are smoking the Bighorn by Big Sky. It has a San Andreas Maduro wrapper, uh, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan filler.

SPEAKER_06

Sorry. What are you getting on the cold draw?

SPEAKER_09

I was it was Yeah, you were a mid-cold draw when you asked that. Yeah, so um, so for me on this one, just off of one cold draw, now I'm gonna take a second. It's sweeter. It's gonna be a sweeter cold draw for me. Um maybe a little bit of either chocolate or vanilla. I don't get any earthiness, which I've gotten off the last several cold draws for the podcast.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, this one's a very sweet tobacco flavor. Uh John says, Wish he was there. Killman, good to have you tonight. Um maybe next year, John. Uh, but for this cold draw, it was really good, but I'm excited to light it up and get into the episode. And so we're going to go ahead and light our cigar tonight. That lighting is brought to you by Big Sky Cigars.

SPEAKER_03

Back in 1905, on the Montana skies. 1007 factories, roll smoke but the wise. Reminers, the ranchers like one bring now. Big sky cigar because bringing that spirit back in.

SPEAKER_02

Yellowstone River to the bold arm fold. Madison Burr flags what we know. I leave from Nicaragua. San race to the Ecuador.

SPEAKER_03

And every box soul helps our veterans, man. With warriors and quiet waters, we lend a friend's hand. It's heritage burning and every draw. Big sky skates, Montana's pride and low.

SPEAKER_02

Big Sky Cigar. We're heritage full, we'll ever draw. Find your rare red big sky cigar to pop. Ask your local tobacco.

SPEAKER_09

As always, a thank you to our sponsors. So now that we have the cigar cut, I know you're still working on yours a little bit. Um, I've taken one or two draws off of it. Any of you cigar rebels out there that are smoking the same cigar along with us tonight, feel free to drop in the comments what you are getting uh on the lighting of the cigar. So on the first initial light for me, um, it still has a little bit of that sweetness that I had on the cold draw. You know, it's a little bit of that creamy caramel. Oh, a little bit of the shoulder came off there.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, it's my fault. That's what I don't mind too. So just getting an initial lighting, there's a little bit of a light leather that wasn't there on the cold draw. Um, I really noticed that, and a little bit of those hints of that chocolate, and it's really the bitterness of the chocolate there on the back end. Um, but really excited to get a little bit deeper into this and really let it begin to develop and open up a little bit.

SPEAKER_10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

And so we're excited tonight to be coming to you to talk about the PCA. And so, Mel, let's jump right in. And not everybody knows about the PCA or what PCA stands for, that it stands for the Premium Cigar Association. And so I want you to dive into that for us. But first, if you're watching live, if you're here in the audience with this, there's only a few people here tonight. We had a full house last week. Um, there's several of you guys online. Go ahead and post in the comments what you're smoking tonight, maybe what you're drinking or pairing with it. Let us know that you're here. Love to see that Richard just jumped on. Good to see you, buddy. Um, but Mel, why don't you go ahead and explain to us what is the Premium Cigar Association?

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, so at its core, it is the trade organization that represents cigar retailers, uh manufacturers, and really just the cigar, uh, the premium cigar industry as a whole.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, absolutely. And once a year, it really kind of becomes something else.

SPEAKER_09

Yes, so it becomes really the center of the cigar world.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, and the PCA is where new cigars are launched, brands meet with retailers, deals are made, and conversations are had about what might be.

SPEAKER_09

Yes, and uh, if you want to know what people are going to be smoking in a few months from now, that this is often where that starts.

SPEAKER_06

Absolutely, it is where it starts. We saw so many cigars over the last few days. We're gonna share some of those with you here a little bit later, um, along with a few interviews. Um, but it really all starts one weekend on the show floor.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, so it's not just a convention, it's gonna be networking, there's gonna be some storytelling, brand building, and honestly, it's a lot of walking and also a lot of cigars.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, it's a lot of cigars. We smoked probably 10 to 12 a day, sampling different cigars, talking to manufacturers. Um, there was a lot of accessories. I'm here for stories. We bought a ton of accessories to kind of get a complete refresh, and a lot of vendors in general when it comes to all things around cigars, not just cigars. We saw packaging, we saw cutters, we saw bags, cumidors, all kinds of things.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah. So here's how it's gonna work tonight.

SPEAKER_06

Um, we're gonna I thought you were gonna keep going there. Sorry. No, you're gonna No, it's great. So, yeah, so we're back in Lufkin tonight. We're sitting at story cigars, um, but we're actually gonna be talking about the things at PCA, and then what else are we gonna be doing, Mel?

SPEAKER_09

We're also going to be cutting to the PCA show throughout the episode. It was awesome that we had kind of uh we were with the other owners and uh mostly Chris, but also Tony took a lot of video for us while we were there, which was amazing.

SPEAKER_06

Absolutely. And so we're gonna have a lot of different conversations, reactions, some real insights. Um, we're gonna show you some video footage from the show floor. We're also going to show you those interviews that Mel and I did. Um, but like I said, as of right now, before we get to PCA, we had this big news that came out late last week. Um, and on top of one of the biggest weeks in the cigar industry, it seems to have happened that way the last couple of years. Big news came out right before PCA. So, Mel, tell us about the first one.

SPEAKER_09

So the Cigar Rights of America released the final 2025 import numbers.

SPEAKER_06

And really, it's a huge headline.

SPEAKER_09

Yes, it is. Uh, the market is stabilizing, uh, but it is still strong. So we're still hovering around that 400 million cigar mark annually, which tells you something really important.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, so while the numbers stayed flat, this is still a significant accomplishment. Now the numbers have remained over 400 million for five straight consecutive years. What this is telling us is we've gone from a boom or a roller coaster to a sustained market.

SPEAKER_09

Yes, so these are some quick stats for all of you rebels out there. Nicaraguan cigars account for 60% of all premium cigar import imports. That's up 2% from shipments in 2024. Uh, the second largest producers of cigars for the U.S. market is the Dominican Republic. They shipped 93.7 million cigars, which is down 12% from 2024 shipments.

SPEAKER_06

Which was shocking to me.

SPEAKER_09

That surprised me too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

So number three, I'll jump in. Number three is Honduras shipped just over 74, 74.5 million cigars, which was an increase of 11% over what was shipped in 2024. That was not shocking to me as we've seen a lot, a lot more cigars with Honduran tobacco or produce in Honduras. I was just surprised it came from the Dominican side. I thought it would be a more even split.

SPEAKER_10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

Other cigar producing countries and that shipped into the United States really all combined for less than 1% of the premium cigar market. Um, these are countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, among others. Um, but it's interesting.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, definitely interesting facts. The picture overall is going to tell you something important, and that is the post-2020 boom didn't just disappear. Um, it kind of has leveled off and it has just become stable.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, right. And so we're no longer in this explosive growth phase where everything is just flying off the shelves and everything produced is getting purchased. Now we're in a way more mature phase within the cigar industry.

SPEAKER_09

And I think honestly, long term, that is probably healthier.

SPEAKER_06

Absolutely. Because one of the things that we're seeing or the takeaways from all this coverage is that retailers are still showing strong numbers. There's been a little bit of decrease because of economic and tariff pressure, but as a whole, there's still a steady growth within the cigar industry. And even if the pace is not as wild as it was a few years ago, it's still pretty good.

SPEAKER_09

Yes. Uh, experience has told us that a stable market usually leads to better cigars, better experiences, and a more thoughtful release or release releases, really.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, absolutely. In the end, I truly see this as a positive stable market. It's sustainable, it's not doing this anymore, but it's kind of leveled out in a way. But that leveling out was not in the 300 million, it was still well over 400 million cigars, which is awesome. Before we jump into um the next one, let's catch up. Addie said she's smoking the big sky bitter root, which is an awesome cigar. Um, Mark smoking the big horn. Um, Richardson is wanting to see what Dunbarton will be launching, and there were several of those. Richard, um, and then he asked if we had smoked the Chama brand. I don't think we have. Um, didn't see that out there. And then Douglas is smoking the stories number two anniversary edition, which is a fantastic cigar.

unknown

Yep.

SPEAKER_06

So, Mel, why don't you get us into the next big topic?

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, so next we want to kind of go over a little bit the cigar rights of America versus the FDA.

SPEAKER_06

And this is big, guys. The Cigar Rights of America just secured a major court victory over the FDA just at the end of last week.

SPEAKER_09

Yes, we have been following this as closely as we possibly can, probably for a long time. And so, what it means in real terms is that we finally have the legal clarity, regulations, and uh what defines what the definition is around what a premium cigar includes.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, absolutely. Because for years, our biggest threat to the cigar industry has been the regulation without clear definition, therefore, it was just lumped in with all other tobacco products, even though it is nothing like them. Yes, and really that affects everybody, right? It affects manufacturers, retailers, lounges, and ultimately all you rebels out there.

SPEAKER_09

Yes. I mean, it definitely is a very good definition moment.

SPEAKER_06

I mean, yeah, it really is. And this rule helps establish what separates premium handmade cigars from other tobacco products, and that's really huge for the future of the industry.

SPEAKER_09

And so here is the actual definition. Any cigar that meets all of the following requirements is not subject to the FDA's deeming regulations. Um, and here are some of them listed out. So it is wrapped in whole tobacco leaf, it contains a hundred percent leaf tobacco binder, it contains at least 50% of the filler by weight, uh, long filler tobacco, which is whole tobacco leaves that run the strength, the length of the cigar.

SPEAKER_10

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_09

Uh, it is handmade or hand rolled, so no machinery is used apart from the normal tools you would use when you're hand rolling a cigar, so scissors or tobacco that you've caught prior to rolling, uh, has no filter, non-tobacco tip, or non-tobacco mouthpiece, does not have a characterizing flavor other than tobacco, and contains only tobacco, water, and vegetable gum with no other ingredients or additives, and weighs more than six pounds per thousand units.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, absolutely. And so this is a great definition. What some in the cigar industry are a little concerned about is this definition still excludes infused or flavored cigars. That there's a lot of arguments in the industry that they are premium cigars. Some will call them not premium cigars. But what it absolutely does is it defines a premium cigar as the hand-rolled product and separates it from those gas station cigars, the backwoods, the swisher suites from cigarettes, from chewing tobacco, from pipe tobacco. And it really gives us the opportunity to run forward in the cigar industry. It opens up a lot of opportunity for growth. And the reality is growth in the industry is good for everybody. When the tide rises, all the boats rise. So this was a great victory.

SPEAKER_10

Yes.

SPEAKER_06

Um, this definition was one that was presented in a previous court case in a federal court, and some actually say it was hastily presented. Um, others say it was very well presented. However, Judge Mehta, which is who made the ruling late last week, adopted this definition as a part of the litigation brought by three different trade groups against the FDA: the Cigar Rights of America, the Cigar Association of America, and the Pream Cigar Association. So we are grateful to all three of those organizations and all those out there like Rocky Patel, the Fuente family, Placentia, that all helped contribute to the expense of this multi-year, maybe a decade-long court case.

SPEAKER_09

Yes. Another import conversation uh centered around this victory is that it removes premium cigars from the tobacco marketing and advertising bin, um, as it's no longer defined as the same as other tobaccos that you just mentioned.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, and so what's doubtful we're gonna see any change in advertising, like what's the right word? Like the way that advertisers allow cigars to be advertised, we probably won't see a change. Um, however, there is some opportunity, and in the famous words of Lloyd Christmas, so you're telling me there's a chance.

SPEAKER_09

Oh my goodness, yeah. Hopefully, yeah. Oh, I mean, there's a chance. There's a chance.

SPEAKER_06

So, like Facebook can legally allow us to share cigar content now. Yeah, Instagram, television commercials, the same way you see alcohol, that was restricted under the previous law. It is no longer restricted. Will they change? I don't really know.

SPEAKER_09

It's hard to say. I mean, it'd be interesting if they did, but uh we'll just have to wait and see on that one.

SPEAKER_06

Yep, absolutely.

SPEAKER_09

So why don't we move now a little bit on to Kevin? Why don't you uh show them a little bit of footage from the PCA show?

SPEAKER_06

All right, perfect. So we're gonna go and cut to PCA footage here for a few minutes so that you guys can see a little bit what was going on on the show floor this past weekend in New Orleans.

SPEAKER_09

Absolutely for anyone who is watching. Uh, at one point you saw sitting with uh Al and And Bob and Dan.

SPEAKER_10

Correct.

SPEAKER_09

And at one point they handed us two packs of like the number two cigar. He had told us they don't exist. And it was the number two cigar, but it was wrapped in a Maduro wrapper. So yeah.

SPEAKER_06

So the most exciting thing is they launched White just a few weeks ago at PCA over the weekend. They launched the new McAuliffe Silver, also known as number two. While we're sitting there with Alan Dan, he reached into his briefcase and pulled out the next version of the Silver, which will be the Maduro version. So we already know that Orange is coming out later this year. So this year they're going to have come out with four different cigars. I don't know about you rebels out there, but absolutely ecstatic and exciting to see that. And it was the only 10 in the world that existed. And as you saw in that video, Mel and I had the privilege to hold them. I don't know how many people they shared that with. They may have shared it with everybody that sat down over there, but I felt extremely humbled and very exciting to be able to sit down and look at that. This Maduro, obviously, I don't think anyone smoked because it was the only 10 in the world. So my guess was that was probably something he brought to show, and they will be smoking them in-house here in the next few weeks.

SPEAKER_10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

Lots of other great things you saw there, and some new Claro products coming out. Lots of different cool booths. I know John said, Oh my God, so cool. John, we agree. It was a fantastic show floor. And Richard said, Did you guys see Agnes from Two Guys? Richard, we absolutely did. And matter of fact, here in just a few minutes after the break, we're going to go to some of the interviews that we did with several different individuals from HDA. Mel interviewed Agnes, somebody from McAuliffe, and more. But before we get to all that, we're going to take a quick break.

SPEAKER_11

We fell in love with cigars not because of the flavors or smoking experience or perceived status, but because it allows barriers to fall between other humans and build deeper connections. For that reason, we've been super intentional to curate a space where people can find community and enjoyment with others, and cigars just happen to be the way we're doing it. For that reason, we are found to be the one and only cigar retail store and lounge on downtown Lovkin. A good story is one of the most powerful tools used to connect with another human. Sharing stories fades out differences and highlights similarities found in the details, or with the storyteller. Over the years, we have seen some of the best stories told over cigars and thus, new friendships are made, passions shared, encouragement given, and so much more. The impact storytelling has on the human connection is why we've decided to name our store and lounge stories. Because behind every good cigar and conversation is an even better story.

SPEAKER_09

As always, thank you to our sponsors. Before we get further, let's go ahead and take a look at upcoming shows.

SPEAKER_06

We have a lot more here about the PCA in a few moments, but for next week, April 27th, we have Beyond the Cigar, Developing Your Cigar Circle, or How Do I Find Other Cigar Enthusiasts to enjoy this passion with? And we're going to be smoking The Rose of Sharon by Southern Draw.

SPEAKER_09

And then May 4th, which can't believe that we are in May already, but we will be doing Develop Your Palette number three, and this will be palette building techniques. And on that one, we will be smoking the 20th anniversary Perdomo.

SPEAKER_06

Yep. So on May 11th, cigar deals, the thing of the past, or are they hot? We're gonna be smoking Camacho Ecuador.

SPEAKER_09

May 18th will be Tobacco 101 Premium Cigar Tobacco Varietals and Remings, and that will be uh smoking the number two McAuliffe on that one.

SPEAKER_06

Absolutely. So for all you cigar pack um cigar pack, Rebel pack, um subscribers out there. Um, this will be one of the first opportunities for you to have the brand new McAuliff cigar in your hand. So we're really excited to get those shipped out here. Honestly, in just a couple weeks, we're only waiting to ship that pack out because we're waiting for those to come in for McAuliffe here in the next couple of days so that we can get those in your hands for May. Um, also, if you're watching live or listening to us um on a streaming service, go ahead and click that subscribe button. If you're watching this on the replay fam, we would love for you to go ahead and do hashtag replayfam and let us know what you're smoking so that we know you can that you're following along with this journey. Um super excited to continue talking about this tonight. Um, we're gonna have a lot more pictures from the show up on our social media over the next couple of weeks, probably a few days as well. I mean, a couple few days as well as the next couple weeks. If you don't follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you can always find us at Cigar Rebel, or you can click that notify button right here on YouTube that lets you know the show is coming up.

SPEAKER_09

Yes. Uh so real quick before we jump back in, let's check in on this cigar. Um, I am through the first third starting the second. Um, the first third was pretty consistent for me based on you know, in the beginning when we were talking about um what we got off of the light. The second third is still kind of hung on to that, the same kind of unsweetened cocoa like you were talking about. Uh, there's a little bit of nutty leather-ness to it.

SPEAKER_06

A little bit into the cigar meld, there was this almost mild coffee, mild roasted type of flavor. I wouldn't call it like a medium roast or a dark roast. I don't know that it's that defined. It was just hints of it, but it was really, really good. Yeah. Um, as the retro hell here, as we kind of got into the second, third, there's almost a nutty leatherness. And what I mean by that is there's that light kind of nuttiness to it. Um, but there's also to me, what kind of the remembrance of that leather, like a baseball glove you might have stuck in your mouth when you were a kid to reach down and pick something up. Um, this cigar always has a little bit of a pepperiness to it to me. Um, it's just very, very mild and just right on the back of my tongue, but not enough to really coat my mouth or anything like that. So let's jump right back into tonight's topic and deal with a handful of things from PCA.

SPEAKER_09

Yes, so the PCA trade show, that video made it look like it was a lot of fun, which it was, but it's not all about just be fun in games and just smoking cigars all day. Uh, there is a lot of really quick work that is being done. There's big decisions that are being made by a lot of people and many in the room. And so it can be it can be stressful sometimes. It can be tiring, tire tiring, and then also a little frustrating at times. For sure. Um, not too much frustration, but sometimes maybe a little bit. But it also provides an excellent opportunity for Kevin and I to connect with our friends from the industry and chat with brands and manufacturers that we know, and also meet some new individuals and companies, which we also were able to do this year.

SPEAKER_06

Absolutely. We got to meet and kind of connect with three different companies in a little bit more meaningful way, which is really great. Um, and it was really pretty excited. I got to smoke one of their small cigars almost kind of uh almost an extra petite. I mean, it was a four by 36 of their larger blend, um, which was really great. And then we have a couple of their larger cigars that are gonna be smoking on a fresh palette here over the next couple of days. Um, Mel met with Tatunka, I believe was the name of it. Um we both smoked a Maduro yesterday, which is fantastic. Um, Mel has one of their Connecticut to smoke later today. We met with a um German company uh that we had never seen before and just had some of those interesting conversations. And what we're really looking for is who are some of the cigar brands that we can partner with in the future for both here at Cigar Rebel, um also at our cigar shop, Story Cigars and Lounge. And so lots of tiring work. I'm telling you guys tonight. I'm exhausted, I know Mel's exhausted, but someone's gonna do it.

SPEAKER_09

Right. Uh in just a moment, we are going to share some of the new stuff that we got to smoke while we were at PCA. But first, we want to share some of the interviews from the showroom floor.

SPEAKER_06

Absolutely. Before that, Leslie jumped on and said, Hey, sorry I'm late. How is PCA? Uh, Leslie, it was fantastic. We just showed a video. You'll have to go back and catch that of the showroom floor. I'm gonna tell you guys, there was so much more to it than what we showed. We actually came home with over 20 gigs of video footage, 161 different videos. Um, our cameraman was walking around behind us, uh, Chris Lenigan uh was the one back there behind us doing the great work and keeping up with everything. Tony jumped in and helped out. Um we just couldn't show it all. And so we'll have snippets of that probably over the next month or so that we'll um cut in for different things. But Leslie, you jumped in right at the perfect time because we're gonna go and jump right into some of the interviews that we did at PCA.

SPEAKER_08

Hey cigar rebels and stories, we are here with McAuliff Cigars with Lauren. How are you doing today? I'm doing great, I'm doing great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah, so why don't you tell us about the new cigar you guys have coming out? Okay, fabulous. So uh to follow up, we decided to release our McAuliff Light before PCA, so we had to offer something extra. We didn't want to leave everyone hanging. So we are releasing our McAuliffe. So, with the you know, popularity of the color series and the success of it, uh we had a lot of remnant tobacco. So we decided to funnel this all into a new cigar to keep it sandwich, so we have short and long fill in it. Fantastic Havano, really good medium body, comes in a gordo and a toro. And yeah, it's a new fun bundle of smoke. It's the hundred dollar bundle. So a lot of our smokers love to have that nice, convenient uh you know we call it a yard stick or whatever, you're doing the lawn or everything. So this is the next one.

SPEAKER_08

Beautiful, and we can get this band is awesome. It's got some um what is the word? Uh iridescent. Yes, iridescent, uh different colors in there to mimic all the colors.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah, it's kind of like an homage to the color series. So we didn't want to make it like a straight rainbow. We decided to, you know, gizz it up a bit.

SPEAKER_08

That's awesome. This is an awesome cigar. Uh anything else that we wanted to add?

SPEAKER_06

No, so we've got to smoke this cigar before the band was created. At HQ with uh Dan and Jason a few weeks. Chris got to share it with us. So absolutely excellent cigar. So we're really excited for people to try this. Yeah. Um, tell them about Cigar Fest and how this is the bundle that they're getting with their connoisseur pack.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, so that's a great point on here. This cigar, if you are coming to Cigar Fest, which is just about a week away, we offered a ticket where you got a bundle of this with your ticket price. Nice. And so it was an additional percent off if you bought pre-bought it. And I think everybody at the loung is everybody who's coming, super excited about it.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, it gets it down to around$2 a cigar.

SPEAKER_09

Oh, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_07

Yeah, you can't beat that. That's not a bad price. Yeah, absolutely. I love a I'm a growing budget. I love a good deal. Right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Me too. Awesome.

SPEAKER_06

Well, Lauren, I know you're busy here at PCA, so thank you for your time.

SPEAKER_07

Oh, thank you so much for the price. Yeah, you guys have a good show. Thanks. All right, here's Hansa. You guys got to try it before a man, yeah.

SPEAKER_06

Hey guys, this is Kevin with Cigar Rebel and Story Cigars and Lounge, and we're here with Zach from HDA Cigars and smoking the brand new Robusto size of their line. So, Zach, tell us about this next iteration.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, man. So, when we started the the brand back in 2024, uh, we launched with the Toro's on our three core blends. 6x54 Toro. This past Veterans Day, uh, we released each of our core line in a 5x48 Robusto. Tweaked the blends a little bit to fit that that smaller that smaller size, and uh yeah, now we have a 5x48 Robusto, 6x54 Toro that make up our our our core line.

SPEAKER_06

Awesome. And tell us about each of your core lines, remind us of the names.

SPEAKER_05

So we have uh what you're smoking there, that's our cataclysm. That is an Ecuadorian Maduro, excuse me, that is our Ecuadorian Habano. Um that one is a hundred percent Nicaraguan filler, the uh Veiled Mutiny, that's our Ecuadorian Maduro. Um, and then uh the gray band, uh, that's our descending shadows, it's an Ecuadorian sun grown, also 100% Nicaraguan filler.

SPEAKER_06

Perfect. And you guys have something special coming up in just a few weeks, maybe a couple of months.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, so this uh this June we're gonna be releasing our second um LE. Uh we like to do a limited edition every 4th of July. Um so this one is gonna be called the Sentinel. It's a Mexican San Andreas and a 6x50 Toro. We're working with Lee Marsh of Stolen Thrones. We put this project together. It's gonna be rolled out of the Rojas factory. Um, it's they've already been rolled and they're sitting and resting in uh in Nicaragua. We're really, really excited to bring that to everybody this summer.

SPEAKER_06

Awesome. So tell us one last thing, and why everybody at Stories um should be smoking your cigars.

SPEAKER_05

Well, hopefully you're gonna smoke the cigars because they're damn good. That's ultimately what it comes down to. That's that it boils down to the fact that we try to bring you guys as uh the cigars that Andre and I really, really enjoy. Um, and we've been very fortunate that people have gravitated towards them and actually really enjoyed our cigars. So uh hopefully you're supporting the brand uh because uh the cigars are great. Hopefully Andre and I are good people too, and you you want to support us just uh just because we're good people. So we try and support small, we try and work with small, uh small shops all across the country, um, and we try and work with other small brands and doing our merch and and and fun stuff like that. So we try to we pride ourselves on doing things the right way.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, absolutely. So one last thing. Um when we're looking at the cigar industry and the big news that came out this week around the definition of premium cigars, what does that mean for the industry in your opinion?

SPEAKER_05

Um I would say it feels like it's a obviously it feels like a big win for the cigar industry. It feels like uh the way that I it's funny, I was explaining this in my understanding of it to my wife, and one of the things I said was it's it's a great way to really uh create a hard distinction between premium cigars and other tobacco. Cigarettes, uh smokeless tobacco, vape, nicotine pouches, anything like that. So I think it really helps us separate ourselves from all other tobacco here within the you know, that are available uh here in the States. So I I think it's a big win for us in having the FDA kind of out like leaving us alone is always nice too.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, 100%. Well, guys, if you're out there watching, look for this at Story Cigars and Lounge in your local brick and mortar. If they do not carry it, ask them to reach out to Zach at HDA or John Aldi. Um great guys that are really putting together excellent cigars. For the cigar rebels out there, these will be in your rebel pack in just a few weeks. We look forward to enjoying them with you. Hey guys, we're here with Jonathan Carney with Hooten Young. Um, you guys have seen him on the podcast before. If you've been around Story Cigars and Lounge, he's been in our lounge. Um, amazing whiskey, but today we're here to talk about cigars. So, Jonathan, tell us about what's new this year, what you're excited about.

SPEAKER_04

Well, excited about everything. The the big thing I'm excited about, I we all know I believe red, white, and blue. Uh, used to dress like American flag all the time when I traveled around. Uh, but this year we're celebrating uh the 250 years of America, that's uh 250th birthday. Um, you've probably seen around it's kind of a running theme around the show, yeah. Uh but we're veteran-owned and uh founded, and we've got to do it the best way we can. So we've got an America 250 project that we're doing that ties into our right to bear orange cigar. It's called the American 250 Reserve. Uh, we're sampling that here today. Uh we have an interactive process that people are going through. They can scan a QR code and give us feedback on the cigar. We're gonna be producing that at the end of uh June. It'll be coming out right before the 4th of July. 250 numbered boxes, and for a lot of people, the brand's relatively new to them, even though we've been around for nine years. This last year and a half, uh, we've been making a lot of news, uh news, and noise with a new ownership group that came in, headed up by Norm Hooten, uh the original founder. Uh so really for us, this is uh is a real new presentation for a lot of people. So everything's kind of new. Right now, you're smoking our 2020 selection. That celebrates the selection of a very special unit uh that was made in 2020. There's only four uh four gentlemen that were selected for that unit, and uh that celebrates those people and uh kind of a hat nod to them. That's amazing. We've got a lot of exciting things. The company was founded uh off of really moments that were made to remember. Um, and everything we have has a story. So our Gothic Serpent 25th, for example, was the first cigar that was made um in 2018 to commemorate the 25th year since the Operation Gothic Serpent mission in Mogadishu, uh, where 19 gentlemen had died uh in that mission. And uh that cigar is what started the company. Norm sat down with some friends to remember these gentlemen, and everyone enjoyed the cigars, and they had some whiskey, and they said, You really ought to turn this into something that allows you to tell this story forever. Uh and that's really what started Hooton Young. Uh so it's it's fun to be here representing it. 250th year is a great time to be representing it as well. Uh so uh there's always people here that it's like a gauntlet. Yeah, absolutely. Everywhere you go, it's like every if you know somebody. Uh so I had an interview earlier where we had like five people that walked in to like say hi to me while I was talking, and I'm like, you see, we're on camera right now. Uh but the way it works. Yeah, yeah, and it's perfect. It's a it's it's that's what's real here, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_06

So what's really great about this and about Hootin Young and about you being involved with Hoot and Young is that we truly believe it's cigar rebel and it's stories that every cigar is great, but the experience and the stories told over the cigar is what makes it memorable. And that's really the basis of what y'all are trying to do is create great tobacco, excellent cigars, but tie it to that memory of those who have fallen so we get to enjoy them.

SPEAKER_04

When you're gonna sit and have a special moment, it's what stories are what create the experience that you're around. And I I say with us, the only thing that that goes beyond the story is the quality of the product, so you can allow you to remember that the right way and celebrate it. And it really is every product we make starts story first, and then we build in behind that. So I I think we've done a phenomenal job. We got a great team. Uh our whiskey, we got some great whiskey stuff coming up that's gonna be announced in May uh from our whiskey team. But you know, I it for me every day I wake up, uh, it's a it's a real nice breath of fresh air to be representing something that has that story, that history, um, and that you know, camaraderie behind it. So it's been real special to be here at the show uh with Hoot and Young and really present it the way that it should be presented.

SPEAKER_06

Awesome. Let me ask you one other question that is maybe controversial, but I think all of us want to hear what your opinion is. Is so just a couple of days ago, the CRA versus FDA definition of premium cigar was kind of finally set in a way that is gonna let us drive forward with more certainty. What's your take on that?

SPEAKER_04

Well, the one thing you said, it was so that definition existed. There'd been a ruling on it, and this from from my watching and reading it and following it for 15 years now practically, um this just was uh the end of an appeal on it for the FDA, so it's it's kind of over. Uh and I I believe from what I've been talking, it's uh they they anticipate the next two to three years being very loose. Yeah, and then when you have administration changes, you know, everything no matter how you look at things politically, when administrations change, they all come in with their own agendas, and whether you like it or not, it's a different story. Uh, but it does seem there's gonna be a two to three year gap where it's gonna be a really good direction to go. And then really, what you in my opinion is you start lobbying more now to make sure it stays that way. Absolutely. Um, so no, a really big thing, it it kind of settled an issue that was already settled. Yeah, absolutely. So uh yeah, no, I uh great work. The only thing I think is funny about it is the last two years, I don't know how this is planned like this, but it's been like the trade show every year. The last two years they've announced this lawsuit thing. Yeah. So I'm like, is this being held back or what's going on? Or is it just like impeccable timing? So that's the thing I was trying to like, how how do they do that on the first day of the trade show? It had to be planned.

SPEAKER_06

It was also impeccable timing that the CRA announced 2025's final numbers just about 30 hours before the show. Yep. Um, you know, and it stayed relatively flat, um, which is a good sign, really, in a lot of ways, because you know, just a few years ago, 300 million was a huge number. Five years of 400 million is just showing the quality of cigars, but more than the quality of cigars, it's showing that cigar interest is staying steady for companies like Hooten Young that's growing, that is a great sign.

SPEAKER_04

And so true, and we had a you know, this it's been a really great five, six year run, specifically 2020 to like 24. Everybody had record-breaking years, everybody. Um, there was just a lot of new cigar smokers, people that were enjoying it were enjoying it more. Uh so what what last year I I kind of felt like there was a little retraction, not across the board as an industry or whole, but kind of regionally. So, whenever you have flat, that's really stabilization. So, what that shows me is the number we're at is pretty realistic. I agree. Um, so with that, then you you know you grow up and down, and then companies like us, we're just trying to eat a little piece of that pie. So if it stabilizes, you know. That's a positive thing, and then I think you'll start to see growth in the second half of this year slightly. And I think 27 is going to be some significant growth on some geopolitical things.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, I think it shows that this isn't an outlier.

SPEAKER_04

This is a trend, as you said. Yeah, it trended up and it got to where it's at. But without COVID, in my opinion, we wouldn't be where we're at with this. That 2020, 21, 22 put us to a level where we wouldn't have experienced uh without it. And you're 100% right. It stabilized and it flattened for like two years. It's a real, it was that's real growth. That wasn't uh, it's here to stay. So I I think it's you know, no better time to be part of the premium cigar industry. Um authenticity is what's so important to me. Yeah, uh, you know, I urge people that are at the show here really seek out authenticity and the branding and the way the products are made. Um, that's the thing I would advise retail partners to be in is don't uh don't get caught up in bringing bringing everything, yeah, but really in this moment hone in where you're at because that can have some great success for your long-term with a channel.

SPEAKER_06

Have great partners that want to invest in you and you invest in them, right? Yeah, well, I know you're busy and you got a lot going on, but thank you for your time. Absolutely, we always appreciate you.

SPEAKER_04

Bring it in. No, absolutely, you guys are the best. We're gonna be out at your uh festival here over the summer. We uh we're really excited, and you guys have been great partners and personally big supporters of me personally, too. So I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_06

Absolutely, we'll talk soon.

SPEAKER_09

All right, hey Rambles, we're here at PCA. I'm with Agnes with United, having the wonderful Red Anchor.

SPEAKER_08

And I wanted to talk to you because I'm coming to see you June 2nd to be your first lady's night, correct? Thank you guys.

SPEAKER_01

Why don't you tell us a little bit about that? So, June 2nd, it will be a live show with Mel. You will Mel will talk about her line of cigars and how she got into industry because we always excited about women in the industry, and then we'll have a little snacks and gathering of women and smoke and enjoy the company and be there and have like a lovely event. Awesome.

SPEAKER_08

Yeah, I am super excited and really glad to be here today. Um, for the United Line, I know you have a couple great things coming out.

SPEAKER_01

You want to share a little bit about those? Yeah, so we have a firecracker, which is to celebrate the Independence Day 250 years, and we rolled it at uh Dominican factory that is done now, I tolly shooter one, but never mind. The ashtray, it's the best part, so it's a count box of 12, and then when you flip it over, it's a functional ashtray, so you don't have to throw it out, and it's a true form of firecracker to celebrate things, little fused but demands your attention, so not a boring stick at all. Now I remember Arnold Andre rolled it for us, and it's the oldest factory in Germany, but they have production um bubble.

SPEAKER_08

Awesome! No, that is awesome. I am super excited. I've seen lots of your guys' stuff around here today. Beautiful, awesome stuff. Thank you so much for joining with us, and I will get to see you in about a month. So I'm excited. All right, thanks. Beautiful, awesome stuff. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_09

All right, yeah, so that just like took me back to that day, to be honest. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06

What a what a great set of interviews. We have a hand few more to um share with you over the next couple of weeks um with some new brands that'll be connected to some of the cigars we're releasing, some of the cigars that'll be in the Rebel packs. And when we smoke them that night, we'll go ahead and show the interview um from PCA for that night. Um, before we get out of here tonight, we're almost at time, but we wanted to take just a few moments to share with you guys a few new things that we're excited about that are going to be coming into both here at Story Cigars and Lounge, but also that we got to try that were spectacular. And I'm gonna start with something, Mel, that isn't our typical smoke, and that is the Tuscanello brand. So this is the Lemoncello and the Tuscanello hazelnut. Now, these are small cigars that are dark fire cured, but also have some of these flavors in there. So it's not a true infused cigar, although they're pretty infused. I will tell you, I smoked them and actually really enjoyed the lemoncello, um, which is surprising, but I really did. Um, Mel for stories, we picked up six different flavors of Tuccionello or Tuscanello, and we're really excited about it. But not only are we bringing in the Toscano into our lounge, we have a few things that'll be shared with you, cigar rebels, through the Rebel pack, and that we really think you should reach out to your brick and mortar and ask them about. One of those is the Brenta by Toscano. Um, this is kind of a unique flavored um and shaped cigar. It is not fire cured by them, it is more of an Italian um premium cigar, which is just absolutely excellent. Um, excited to smoke. I have a couple of those left for Mel and I to share in the next couple of days. Also from Toscano, um, something that they came out with and we're excited um to bring in and again share with many of you rebels is the Master Age Blend Series Four and Five, which will be a really well nice round out to cigars that we've had and loved for a while, which is the um their kind of core original line, um, the extra vecchio. I think that's how I said aged for nine months. It's five cigars, um, and really excited to be kind of working on those. So, Mel, what's a cigar that you were excited about?

SPEAKER_09

So, there were a lot of cigars that I was excited about, to be honest. Um I was excited to meet with the uh races, is that how you pronounce it that we'll be bringing into the humidor? Um, I cannot remember the sample that I had there because I didn't take a picture of it or save the band, but I've got one other one I had not had from them to go ahead and try. Um, it was the 1840s. Oh, the 1948 18 or 1948. 1941. Yeah, and it was a phenomenal cigar.

SPEAKER_06

The 1941 is their new cigar this year. Really excited about that cigar. It was fantastic. We have a video with Ralph from there when we smoked that on the show. Um, also by them is the C5, and this is one of those cigars that is just absolutely beautiful. I want to see if I can get a close-up. It is a beautiful band, Dark Maduro, that we're really, really excited um to share with you guys.

SPEAKER_09

Yes. Why don't you share one of the other ones that we so next I'm excited and am really excited for two reasons. One, because they're a great company, but also to see them again was German Engineering. Um, so this is a sample pack that they went ahead and kind of were debuting at PCA, kind of showing off how they do their sample packs.

SPEAKER_06

So we're gonna do a little bit of an unboxing here. So this is a cardboard box that's the sample pack.

SPEAKER_09

And I have not even opened this box, so you're seeing it live for the first time.

SPEAKER_06

But it comes in these sealed pouches that you just punch the back out. The cigars are not cellophaned or anything, yeah, and you punch out it is vacuum sealed for freshness, just like they do in the food industry. And so here's the deal, Mel. This is going to be a big hit, and cigar companies are going to absolutely copy it, or it's going to be the biggest flop of PCA 2026. I'm not sure which one, but I can tell you this: I am super excited to open this and try some. Yep. And one of the cigars in here, Mel, that you did not get to smoke at PCA, but I did, is this one right here, and then their 2026 release Craftworks. Um, this cigar is phenomenal. And I'm gonna tell you guys something. If you're a Roma Craft fan, this one might take the cake and take over the Crow Magnum or the Maya Stranza because it was fantastic.

SPEAKER_09

So I was able to sneak a couple of draws from yours, and I really enjoyed it. So I am excited to have that have that one in there to have a sample of. Um, these guys are gonna be at our cigar fest on May 2nd, and we met with them last year, and then we also were able to meet with them this year, and they just have some great ideas and good guys from you know, from when we talk to them. So I'm I'm excited about them.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, absolutely. Leslie said that's awesome. Um, also there, they're talking about um that cigar pack, how awesome it is, and also about Leslie coming to the ladies' night.

SPEAKER_10

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_06

Um, we would love that. Um, the cigar blister packs are absolutely just the craziest thing out there. Like I said, it's either gonna be the biggest thing or it's going to be a flop. I'm not sure. I'm super hopeful for them. I love the guys at German Engineering. Um, they're gonna be at Cigar Fest with us here in just a few days, um, one of their reps, and we've got three different sample packs of their cigars um that are just gonna be fantastic for us. Um, Richard said, I hope it's easier to get off than that little full cap on the ketchup. Um, we did see it opened while we were there. It opens very, very easily, um, but it is a really cool thing. Um, I wanted to show you guys tonight, and some of you guys may have seen this before, but they had announced a while back the McAuliffe number two, or I like to call it McAuliffe Silver, um, was going to be debuting at PCA. And Mel and I got to smoke it a few months ago with Dan Thompson there at HQ. Um, you saw in the video earlier, and Mel mentioned that they showed us the Maduro version. But something else that we found out just a few weeks before PCA was not only were they releasing the Toro, but they already had the Gordo ready. And so the amazing thing about this is this is going to be a bundle cigar. The Toro comes in right at$100. Um, it's coming in right about$120 for the Gordos. Um, so fantastic yard cigars, you heard Lauren say earlier. Um, I cannot wait to get this cigar in your hands. I cannot wait for you to pick them up at your local brick and mortar. If um the brick and mortar near you or you don't live near one, you can always go to two guys cigars website and pick these up. I know they already have them on there with the notify button. Um, we would also love to see you pick those up here at Stories if you're local. Um, we have a lot of them coming and we're super excited for you to smoke. Is there anything else over there, Mel?

SPEAKER_09

Well, there's a lot of things. I don't know that we will actually get through all of them. Uh, this is the Hooton Young that you saw the interview with that we did with Jonathan Carney. Jonathan Carney. Super excited about those ones as well.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, absolutely. And one of the things that we're super excited about is we met with two different companies um that we've smoked a couple of their cigars. We're going to smoke a couple more that are introducing this value cigar, is kind of their entry line around$8, their luxury cigar, which is around$12, and then their premium luxury, um, which is more of that$14.15. And each of those are really good. We're excited to bring those in and share those with each of you. Um, Richard said they mentioned that bundle during the release of the McAuliffe White. Um, absolutely. They mentioned that the Tora was there in the in the um Gordo, but we'd been hearing that the Gordo wasn't gonna be ready for PCA, and then about 10 days ago, talking with those guys, they said, hey, it's gonna be at PCA, you're gonna have it. I think they were thinking they're gonna have them ready to ship, which shipping takes place here in the next several days to weeks, um, but they weren't sure they're gonna have them to smoke at PCA, so I was really excited. I have not lit one of the gordos up. Um, I did bring it home. I wanted to smoke it on a fresh palette. I did smoke the number two um Toro while we were hanging out with Jason, their um inside sales rep, as well as Lauren, Amanda, Al, and Dan. Um forget Bob, which is always a pleasure to um speak with. Um Richard said he likes the white, but the black is his go-to right now. Absolutely. Um fantastic cigar. Mel, is there anything you want to share with the rebels out there before we wrap up this episode tonight? Maybe something about PCA, or maybe what was your favorite moment of PCA?

SPEAKER_09

It's hard to choose a favorite, to be honest. Um, I feel a little bit like you are going off of the adrenaline a little bit when you first get there. And it's a lot of walking, um, it's a lot of talking, it's also a lot of just straight standing. When you are meeting with people, usually you're standing. Sometimes you're sitting. Um, but honestly, getting to connect with some people that we don't see a whole lot, but we talk to is great. Uh, getting to look at what's going on and talk to other people who are in the cigar industry, um, those are always really great things to be able to kind of have that conversation and camaraderie with.

SPEAKER_06

Absolutely. And the guys that we love around the industry that we we really feel like we have a connection with was excellent to see and connect with. And we didn't get video of everybody because some of those conversations were just conversations. Not that I mean, everybody we got an interview with, we have a great connection with, and we specifically ahead of time and said, Hey, can we interview you? We're gonna be there. Um, it wasn't like we walked up and go, Hey, let's do an interview. Yeah, uh, we tried to prep them, and some people knew there they were just gonna be too busy. Like we got a great opportunity to talk with Dave Groffalo and Ed Santamaria, but that was just a great conversation, just to spend a handful of minutes because me and Dave's busy at the show.

SPEAKER_09

Just happen to see them. Like sometimes you just run into people you don't even think you will.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, is Scott Lewis is another guy we get to see when we're there, and we see him often. He's not far from us here in Texas, but it was great to bump into him. Um, and it's always a little funny to be like, hey, you're here, everybody lives somewhere different, or we just saw you a couple of days ago in Texas, and now here we are at a trade show on the sales floor, and we get to sit down and say, How's your show going? How's it going? What's any what are you seeing exciting? Um, we did get a chance to look at the new Rocky Patel, the new Drew Estates, Deadwood. Um, there's a new sister coming out. I know many of you guys watching aren't infused people, but a new sister was announced and released. Yeah, the new Chubby Unicorn from Dunbarton, the new Suburmacer Brulee from Dunbarton. So there is a lot of things coming, but the biggest news the CRA versus FDA ruling, the import numbers remaining flat and the industry stabilizing, all of this is great for us, and it was all a huge week that capstoned at PCA.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_06

So, Mel, before we get out of here, what's your final thoughts on the bighorn by Big Sky?

SPEAKER_09

I mean, this is a good cigar. The construction's been good, the burn has been good, uh, the ash has been has held. Um, I've ashed it just so I don't wear it. Um the flavor notes for me, honestly, throughout the entirety of it were pretty pretty pretty stable. They didn't I get didn't get tons of different transitions. Yeah, absolutely. But it it's it's a good cigar, nice, nice flavors. It is a really good start.

SPEAKER_06

Richard, I did we did not see the world strongest at the United site, unfortunately. Um, we did see lots of other great things, um, things that we're excited to bring in and to sell at our shop, but then also for us to enjoy. Um, so on this cigar, Mel, on the retro hell, the red and black pepper have picked up a little bit. Um, there's not a heavy, I wouldn't even call it an earthiness. There's just a stronger note that I can't really put a note to um that's picked up in this last one. Um, I kind of feel like I'm drinking a black cup of coffee on the finish, but I don't get that on the palate. Um, so and then one last question uh from Leslie before we wrap up tonight said, What's the new sister? So they came out with the Drur Estates Dominicana last year. This is gonna be the Dominicana Nocha. Um, and so it's another sister, it's almost an extension of that line. Um, I didn't smoke it, we didn't have any samples for us to try, but I'm not a big infused person. I will oh we got to share the most. We ran into a cigar company, and man, they were trying to sell cigars, and we love to talk to people. And typically, I won't take samples from somebody that we know we're probably not gonna work with. They were a primary infused cigar company that we just don't need a lot of that right now. But she really wanted me to try their new espresso light mint iced coffee cigar. I cut it, I lit it, I smoked it for about 20 minutes with her as we walked off. And man, is it sweet and is it infused? Uh, it was a great burning cigar by Lucky Scars. Um, and so we may have to make an order from them just to support them a little bit, but uh that was a crazy one. But for tonight, that's kind of our show.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, I agree. Thank you guys for joining us today. If you liked this episode, please leave us a review, share with your cigar friends, and hit us up with any topics you would love for us to dive into in future episodes.

SPEAKER_06

Absolutely. And so next week we're gonna come back to you live with the great episode as we talk about beyond the cigar, how to really build your social network, and a cigar fest preview just right before the show.

SPEAKER_09

Yes, so don't want to miss that. I'm super excited for Cigar Fest coming up, coming right off the tail end of um the PCA trade show. It's just a full couple of weeks. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06

But thanks for tuning in tonight, guys. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this with your fellow cigar smokers.

SPEAKER_09

Yes, we will see you next Monday at 7 p.m. Central. Until then, keep your cigar lit, your ash long, and your palate curious.

SPEAKER_06

Good night, Rebels.