OGT Cigars Live Podcast

"Live In Studio With Zack From HDA Cigars!" Ep. 28 3/14/26

• Eric Drazin • Season 1 • Episode 28

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Live, in studio, join us for a special show of HDA Cigars with co-owner Zack Van Ginkel! It's going to be a wild show as we journey into the world of cigar making, the military, and more! 

HDA Cigars 6 Pack Sampler LINK:

https://oakglentobacconist.com/product/hda-cigars-skull-raffle-6-pack-sampler/

SPEAKER_01

Welcome to OGT Cigars Live Podcast, your neighborhood virtual cigar lounge. Each week we share the cigar experience with the OGT Cigars community. Join Mallory and I as we explore the world of food deep and unique premium cigars. I'm Eric, founder of Oakland Tobaccoist and the OGT Cigar Society. I have a deep passion, and some might say obsession with cigars and cigar culture. Working as an artistic theater director previously inspires me to infuse entertainment into the craft I love. Learning never stops. And I invite you to follow in our cigar journey.

SPEAKER_00

I'm gallery. While I don't ever claim cigar expertise, I've always been a footie who's obsessed with scent and flavor. I can be counted on to provide bizarre tasting notes, such as the Home Depot Garden Center or Grandma's Basement, which always leads to good conversation. And good conversation is truly my favorite part of enjoying cigars with friends.

SPEAKER_01

Welcome to OGT Cigars Live, where conversation lights up. Hello everybody and welcome back to another episode of OGT Cigars Live Podcast. We have a very special show tonight because we actually have a cigar manufacturer guest in studio, Mr. Zach Van Ginkle. Jinkle. Okay, Zach. HDA Zach. Zach from HDA. And uh this gentleman here, Zach, is no stranger to the podcast. In fact, this is your third appearance. Third appearance, yeah. On the show.

SPEAKER_02

Pretty crazy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I feel like we just started working together not too long ago. It's already been over a year. When you have great cigars and great people behind them, you're on the show all the time. So there you go. I appreciate it. But also you get like the official notice of being the first cigar manufacturer in studio. Yeah, it was uh I just happened to be in the neighborhood and uh yeah, it worked out really well.

SPEAKER_02

No, I uh definitely, definitely honored that you would uh have me into the studio and super excited to be uh your first manufacturer on uh on the life.

SPEAKER_01

No, definitely. We're honored to have you. Uh guys, it's gonna be an exciting show tonight because we have a lot to talk about regarding HDA, a lot of special projects coming up. Exciting news, the ones that we can actually talk about, maybe some hints on others and such like that. Um, sounds like it's gonna be a big year for you guys. We're we're we're definitely it's shaping up to be that way.

SPEAKER_02

We're definitely hoping so.

SPEAKER_01

Nice. We definitely are hoping so. Nice, nice. So if you have not tried HDA cigars, this is the cigar brand that you do need to try. Uh Veteran Own fantastic blends, three like uh three core line products as of the moment, all fantastic. We're smoking one right now. And if you haven't tried them, tonight is your night to do so because we have a very special raffle sampler going on right now, which includes every cigar in the portfolio. It's a beautiful lineup. Uh, you have one of each blend in the Toro size, one of each blend in the Robusto size, and then in each and every sampler, we're adding this really awesome like bust, like figurine concrete skull of HDA, uh, which we I want to get into the kind of the story of like where these came from and uh how they're like tied to your brand and such like that.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so we've kind of uh so really early on with the company, we started working with this uh husband and wife out of New Jersey, uh Storks, who make these skull ashtrays for us. Okay. Um we've done anytime we do any sort of um cut and light or any in-person events, we always have these uh these skull ashtrays with us. And um, so it's been really, really popular with HDA fans. Um, and so we we've uh like last month we gave a few of them away. Um and they have this product where it's like a I would almost like a desk toy of a of a of a small skull, and I I fidget with it all the time. I like it. So um I I got mine and I I I asked if we could have a few more and um yeah, you were the very first person that that came to mind uh in in introducing them. So we haven't actually sold them yet or introduced them on our website or even had them at events, so you guys are getting the first look at them.

SPEAKER_01

Nice, nice, yes, and you will have the opportunity to get these first. So highly encourage you check out our sampler pack because we are raffling off the early access to the up-and-coming limited HDA cigar that will become during the summer. Now, this this cigar is shrouded in mystery because we can't tell you exactly the blend, or at least Zach won't tell you. It's it's top secret stuff. We could tell you, but I unfortunately we got to wait about another month and then we'll officially be announcing it. But if you win this tonight's raffle, you get the first access to it from Oakland Tobacchemist. So, how this is gonna work is you get a raffle sampler, we're gonna enter you into the raffle that we're calling at the end of the show. If you pick up our two-pack, you get three raffle tickets that we're gonna add in there, increasing your odds. Now, three different prizes. Uh, prize number three and two are gonna be a five-pack of this limited cigar as soon as it lands. The grand prize is a 10-pack of those cigars. So you'll be the first to try it. Very limited cigar, and you will get the early access to it. So, what I encourage you to do now is pick up a raffle sampler while it's available uh at OGT and enter into your raffle uh, and then we will call that at the end of the show. That is when you need to pick that up now so that you can get early access to the limited cigar. So uh we were just talking, uh hanging out earlier, and we both realized that it's been basically like April will mark one year of HDA cigars at OGT.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's pretty crazy. I uh I I think when you reached out to me, I was actually just getting off of a plane, landing back at home. And you reached out to me, and I think we talked, and I was like in the airport still. And yeah, it's been it's been a great, it's been a great one year. I feel like we've you were on uh the the short list of folks that we were able to get Phantom Fury out to, which was last year's LE. Yes. Um, and you were super supportive. Uh, you know, we were um maybe a quarter of the size that we are now uh that time last year. Which is awesome. Yeah, and you were uh, you know, OGT was like one of the big enablers for us to be able to even do that cigar. That's because you know, we knew that we had kind of like your buy off and that you were going to be a large part of that. So, you know, we definitely owe uh you guys a thank you for for that cigar.

SPEAKER_01

So well, no, thank you. And I mean, everyone in the membership, the OGT Cigar Society, absolutely loved it. And as soon as it was gone, they I had a lot of people upset at me saying, Why is there not more? I'm sure that you received the same message.

SPEAKER_02

Definitely a lot of definitely. I still uh I the amount of people that reach out and say, Oh man, that's my favorite cigar that you did. I'm like, Well, I hate to break it to you. We're not making any more anytime soon. So yeah, that's one of definitely one of the the top comments that we get is okay uh wanting to bring back the uh Phantom Fury. So uh we are gonna do another LE. Yes. Today is gonna be different, um, and we're excited to announce it next month.

SPEAKER_01

Sweet, yes, no, 100%. A little a little bit of like a uh things to come. Um, I see a lot of comments dropping down, and that is what I want to highly encourage you all to do. This is basically the OGT virtual cigar lounge, and it's not just hearing two people talk, but it's also engaging in the conversation. So please drop down those comments. I will do my best to pull them up, whether you're just letting us know what you're enjoying tonight, pairing with something, or if you have questions about HDA cigars or for Zach in the process of uh a cigar brand in cigar making, this is the night to do so. Learn more about the brand. Uh, drop those comments down and I will do my best to pull them up. So let's see here. We got uh Ash Iron Cigar Agency saying we are looking forward to this one. I have been as well. Yeah, I have been as well. It's I mean, come on, having a live show per person in studio, it's great. Yeah, it's awesome. Shout out, Josh. Daniel Frazier saying, been up since 3 a.m. Going to have to catch this tomorrow morning. But I did have two questions. One for Eric, Blood Medicine 2026. Yes, in a few weeks. So if you're hearing this tomorrow, yes. Uh, and then secondly, Zach, if Cuba opens uh to trade, what are you looking forward to with their tobacco trade? If anything, does that affect anything? Do you have any thoughts on that? There's been a lot of rumors and thoughts of like if Cuba's embargo lists, what does this mean? Sure.

SPEAKER_02

Admittedly, I don't think Andre and I have really talked too much about that. Um, we are also all of our cigars are rolled in Nicaragua. Um, we use Nicaraguan filler tobacco for every single one of our cigars. That would definitely be something we'd have to think about in the future, but I'll say right now, man, I think Nicaragua is killing the game. We were talking about this earlier. It's uh, you know, it's hard to go wrong with Nicaraguan tobacco, and we're having a good time playing with what we have access to in Nicaragua right now. So who knows, maybe in the future at some point, but I'll say we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, 100%. And I mean, I'm right there with you. I think Nicaragua is is boasting some of the best cigars that we've seen, uh, especially in our lifetime, sure. Um, as it's going. And I mean, prime example, um, using Nicaraguan uh tobacco to bolster and become like sort of the foundation of blends like uh Vale Mutiny, which uses an Ecuadorian wrapper, but that like that combination of Nicaraguan tobacco and the filler, this I've said this many times. This is my favorite blend out of your guys' core line. Dark rich Maduro, but it's dessert-like, it's got sweet notes to it. Um do you prefer it in the Toro or the Robusto? I I'm always leaning towards a Toro. Um, I do like the the concept of when the Robusto you light it up and there's no warm-up time, it's ready to go right out the gate.

SPEAKER_02

So I do enjoy that, but if like picking out of the two, the Toro's typically a little bit of a longer journey versus uh get you there, get you there quick.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly. Yeah, exactly. And that's the great thing about our raffle sampler because you can decide that yourself when you pick it up. You can smoke them side by side, whichever you prefer, all in Robusto, all in Toro. So fantastic.

SPEAKER_02

And those those Robustos are the Robustos are relatively new, too. We released those uh last November. We we try and do something every Veterans Day, and that was our our Veterans Day release last year. You know, for the first year and a half that HDA was around, it was just the the core three in one size, a six by fifty-four Toro. And last Veterans Day we were able to release the Robustos. Um, and it's uh so they've been around now for almost four months. It's been yeah, it's been great.

SPEAKER_01

Nice, yeah, nice, nice. Yeah, and I mean they they say, of course, in the American market, uh Robusto and Toro and Gordo, last I heard, were the top three sizes. Do you ever think ever about doing a Gordo, or is that not your style?

SPEAKER_02

Or I mean, we're always looking to play with something. Um, I don't know if it'll make its way into a core line anytime soon, but definitely could see playing with something like that for like an LE, okay. Um, or maybe like a uh like a one-off cigar that we end up doing. But I don't know. Uh if we're being honest, we don't have any. This is not me like just holding back. We we don't have any like L, we don't have any core line edition plans as it stands today. So right now we're really focused on a couple of different small LE projects that we're working on, but definitely it's something that we I'm sure consider in the future.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, definitely, definitely. All right, so we got some more comments here dropping as well. Uh let's see here. Uh Jason saying, hello, Eric, and actually not Mallory, Zach. Good to see you. Uh let's see here. Daniel saying, Hey, Zach, fellow veteran and cigar lover. Awesome. And Daniel is uh an awesome dude. He's a regular here. So thanks for jumping on. I didn't know that about you, Daniel. So thank you for your service. Thank you, Daniel. Uh RJ saying, What's up, Eric and Zach? Always love these podcasts to learn about the cigar company owners and their story. Glad to support both of you guys. Awesome. Thank you for support. Also, Zach and Daniel, thanks for your service. Yeah, no, thank you. And thank you always for jumping on as well. Uh, let's see here. We got HDA is truly setting the standard with their incredible blends. Uh, any teasers on the new limited? Is that a thing?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

All right.

SPEAKER_02

So here's what what we can say is much like Phantom Fury, uh, we are uh we are planning to have it in retailers' hands in time for the 4th of July. Nice. Andre and I really enjoy celebrating 4th of July and uh Veterans Day as like our two like two holidays that we want to do something special. And so while we can't share much about the cigar yet, we will be announcing it uh next month. Um, and so at PCA, um, we will make that announcement and retailers will be able to place our orders next month. Um, it is going to be limited, so um, it'll be very similar to like last year, it'll be kind of like a first come first serve. Um, and yeah, I the the plan is uh full announcement at PCA. Um, and then um hopefully six to eight weeks later it'll land in time and be in stores in uh mid-June, mid to late June. Nice. Unfortunately, not many more teasers that we'll have at the moment. Oh, actually, I will I will say this it is going to be in a different Vitola than anything that we've done up to this point.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so that only leaves like 98 other options.

SPEAKER_02

Exactly. It's a little something.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, no, definitely. And it's not a lane zero, yeah, or a seven by seven. Okay, so all right, all right, or a 10 by 100. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, and I will also say I'm very happy to announce that this LE, not only could you win tonight, but also if you're a part of the OGT Cigar Society, that is what is going to be coming later on. Um, I think we definitely saw the success of Phantom Fury, not only in its response, but just overall, I mean, so many things when it comes to cigars here at OGT is the proof is in the pudding and the experience that you have. Uh, and that Phantom Fury was just it was on another level. And it's I I feel like at this point, if you guys have smoked HDA cigars, you know the quality that they're looking for and able to put out. And so for I'm really excited for it. Can't wait for that to drop. Thanks, man.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, we're we're really excited. Uh they are being rolled as we speak, so um, it's gonna, it's definitely gonna be fun.

SPEAKER_01

Uh if you noticed, because you're still what about two years into the company?

SPEAKER_02

Um, yeah, uh April 2nd, we hit two years of when we picked up our very first order.

SPEAKER_01

So are you feeling those like growing pains like issues, or is are things kind of smoothing out in terms of like pacing yourself?

SPEAKER_02

Sure, yeah. I mean, everything is I I don't know if I'd classify it as a growing pain as as much as uh we we learn a lot of lessons, and so okay, yeah, there's a lot of um, you know, you're taking baby steps and now we're starting to take a little bit larger steps. Um, and you you learn a lot of uh sometimes expensive lessons along the way. Sure, yeah, sure, sure. But no, it's it's been great, and um, you know, uh this year has been an incredible year for us. We I say this year because we're in like our 11th month of our second year. So it's been a great year for us. Um, and you know, uh it yeah, we've I would say growing pains are definitely prevalent. Um, but I mean our you know, one of our number one goals and probably the thing that I stress out about the most is making sure that we keep inventory in stock. Okay, and uh Andre and I uh work very hard to make sure that we keep inventory in stock because we don't want a lapse of inventory for our retailers, and uh and Andre, I'm sure I exhaust him with constantly doing doing inventory counts. Our our walk-in humidors in his house. Okay, so I'm like, hey man, can you just uh can we get an inventory count?

SPEAKER_01

Dude, that was one hour ago. Yeah, exactly, exactly. Nice, nice. Uh, we do have a question here uh from Mason uh saying, How do I enter the raffle? So I have to very be very particular on how I word this, being that we're on YouTube, but you need to Google Oakland Tobacconist, uh, and then you will find our raffle sampler. So you need to pick up this sampler from HDA cigars. This is really like one of the best opportunities to do so because not only are you getting a fantastic deal, you will try every cigar in the portfolio from every Vitola. On top of that, we're gifting you one of the uh HDA concrete skulls that is already included in the raffle, uh sorry, in your sampler, and then that will enter you into the raffle. I will then pull your name at the very end. We will have our winner. So that is the best way to do it. Jump in, make it happen. Uh Dapper Prophet saying there is a link on the Oakland Tobacconist place. So thank you very much for dropping that. It's you got to be really, really uh cautionary when talking with uh YouTube as such, but highly encourage you, jump on that. They've been going out. Uh, you don't want to miss out on swag, great deal, but also your chance to win uh that early access. So let's say someone is somewhat new to HDA cigars, you have a lot going on with the brand itself, being that it is uh all coming from Nicaragua, all rolled out uh currently at a uh one factory in Nicaragua. You also have the concept of like the quality behind the brand, and also it is veteran-owned. So, what would you say is like one of the driving forces that if someone is super new that you would want them to know about HDA cigars, the brand, cigar brand?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I would say that um, you know, our company was born from two guys that truly just enjoyed the communal aspect uh of smoking a cigar. Um, oftentimes while we were downrange, deployed. Um, you know, Andre and I separately fell in love with cigars um and went on our own individual cigar journey. Uh and then we just happened to meet up uh in 2017. Shoot, that was almost nine years ago now. Um, and um, you know, we came together, uh, we both realized that we had a passion for cigars, our paths just happened to cross. And uh we originally knew that we wanted to dabble in the cigar industry and try and put that love and passion and turn it into a business. Okay. Um, and so it originally started as uh us opening up the cigar lounge. That's what it was gonna look like.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um, and after COVID, that quickly turned into uh, you know, well, real estate prices are a little high at the moment. Uh there's a lot of uncertainty. Instead, let's go ahead and start a cigar brand. Um, so we spent about two years kind of laying at the groundwork in the foundation. In April of 2024, we received our very first shipment. Um, you know, Andre and I are like, and if you talk to a lot of people in the industry, a lot of you know, a lot of people uh and people that have brands in particular uh have prior work in the industry. Sure. Andre and I do not. We are outsiders. And when we blend cigars, we put some of these these blends together, we our goal is we just want to make a great cigar. So we're not necessarily looking at what is the most popular vitolo or what is the most popular type of tobacco, or what is going to be the biggest mass appeal. We we make cigars primarily focused around our palate. What do we want to smoke?

SPEAKER_01

And I think that's the right way to do it. In fact, I recently heard a podcast uh uh with the guest of uh Rafael Nadal, who was behind Aging Room and such like that. And he, I mean, he works for a huge company, and he was recounting like through history the times that he had had flops in terms of cigars, were when he was trying to appeal to the concept of like a mass market. But I think, at least for me, I will I'll speak for myself as a cigar consumer first. When I can recognize the basically like the vision and the drive that one person has in terms of palette and uh what they want to accomplish in that cigar, it's definitely more powerful. Um, and you definitely when you're putting out a cigar, when you have the three blends that you do, it's always interesting to kind of hear like where that fits on your personal palette and where it does for Andre as well. Um, and just talking before the show, like I said, my personal favorite is Veil Mutiny, whereas yours, I mean, I know it's like asking who's your favorite child.

SPEAKER_02

I that's exactly what I that's exactly how I word it when we do events. People are always like, What's your favorite? I joke that it's like choosing before between my three children. But yeah, descending shadows is like that's I would say if I had my that is my cigar. Vale Mutiny, that's Andre's cigar. And then Cataclysm, Cataclysm was uh kind of our flagship. This was the this was, you know, when when we did a lot of our branding, it was based off of the the black band, the black logo, and that yeah, that is eventually what we ended up putting on the cataclysm. That was the first cigar that we ended up introduced, like when we were smoking through after we got back from Nicaragua, when we were smoking through all of our cigars, that was the first one that we were like, yep, that that has to go, that has to be part of our core line.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, okay, nice. Well, and it seems like too the portfolio uh is definitely all in that full flavor mark. Uh, not the lightest of cigars, not the most mild. In fact, you have launched your brand without having a Connecticut cigar. Now that is true, that is true. Now, that now that is also something I will say, uh, I also understand because it's it's always said, like, oh, yeah, you know, the biggest, most popular cigars sold in America are Connecticut's, which is probably two, but it's not necessarily true of OGT. Typically, a lot of us on the show uh really prefer kind of the stronger stuff, um, or even just like fuller body. And any plans on anything else than that?

SPEAKER_02

Or that is probably the number one question that we're asked is like, when are you gonna bring into Connecticut? And I'll tell you uh we don't have any immediate plans, but not for lack of trying. I promise. Andre and I have been trying, but there's just we really want to make sure that we believe in the cigar. And that's we have played with a lot of different blends, and um that is just one that uh we just haven't felt very, very confident in any blend that we've been able to put together for a Connecticut, but um maybe one day we will see. Like I I think about the you know, uh Andre and I, neither one of us are huge Connecticut smokers, okay. But then I think about the Connecticut's that really resonate with me, and I want my Connecticut to also resonate with me. Sure, sure. Um, it's kind of one of those at this point we've we've waited so long that we better like it better be really good when we do finally release it. So yeah, maybe one day. Okay, okay, and you guys will be the first to get it.

SPEAKER_01

Yes. Now, uh, when it are you able to say like what Connecticut's are ones you're like, you know what, this is a cigar that I enjoy. It's a very small number, okay.

SPEAKER_02

But I will say that I'll say what my number one favorite is. And um, you know, I was talking about this with um one of our good friends this weekend. I absolutely love the southern drawbros of Sharon. Oh, that's a good one. That's a good one. That is, um, in my opinion, that's a Connecticut that uh really uh that really changed it for me.

SPEAKER_01

That is an absolute not all Connecticut's are boring, yeah, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02

And so that's kind of what I use as like a measuring stick, which if we're being honest, it's probably not fair because it's it's an absolute killer of a cigar and it's such a good one. So but that's what I have in my mind that I want to create. It's just okay and hard to create that thus far.

SPEAKER_01

Sure, sure, sure. Okay, so uh drop down those comments if you have any questions about HDA, any questions about the raffle. This is the time to do it. This is your opportunity. Learn more about the brand, learn more about Zach as well, um, and kind of the the movement of HDA cigars and the blends that are there. So I'm sure you get a lot of questions as a manufacturer, as a cigar brand owner. But I and we we've we've done we've gone over some of those questions as you've been on the show, but I'm also want to take this opportunity to kind of get to know Zach as a cigar consumer more so, because that's sounds like where you started out of love of cigars and camaraderie. Yeah, so these are questions that I would often hear like other people ask each other, or sometimes I would get. And I'm curious on your thoughts, uh, in terms of what would you say is maybe not so much like mainstream, but what is one of your favorite, most favorite, interesting cigar sizes, cigar vitolas. Maybe not as traditional or something you're like, you know what, this is just something about it hits.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, yeah, this is gonna be a really boring response, and I apologize. We again, Andre and I, me in particular, I love like a six by 54, 6x52. Okay, and that's what we I mean, that's what that's that's why we launched that size. That was both of we both really loved that that that Toro size, and then we really like a Robusto. So yeah, I don't know if I necessarily have I I'm not a big Lancero guy. Um yeah, I I don't really that's a really boring uh no, not at all, but it's true. I mean, yeah, that's really why we came out with those sizes. Um, we were having a a good conversation with a with a couple uh with a brand that we rely on very heavily for we rely on they they give us a lot of advice. And when we had the Toro, that was one of the one of the pieces of advice that they they gave us was all right, now it's time to now it's time to release a Robusto. Like, yeah, that's kind of what we had in mind, and that's part of the reason we released the uh Fan of Fury in the 5x48, just kind of test the market, priming that well, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, now what would you say is your least favorite cigar size? You're like, nothing is more of a buzzkill. Someone's like, try this cigar and it's in this size.

SPEAKER_02

Well, anything that's like a 7x70, 8x80, anything like that. But that's fair. Um like traditional cigar size. I um I'm not a big Lancero guy. Okay. I mentioned Lanceros earlier, just not a not much of a Lancero guy personally, um, which again makes it really hard. That's another question that we get pretty frequently is when we're gonna release a Lancero for the 70 people in the world that enjoy Lanceros, but boy, they they they they carry a loud stick. So uh yeah, I would say a Lanceros, but okay, one of my least favorites kind of in this same vein.

SPEAKER_01

Uh so uh let's see here. Ash and iron actually asked the same thing, favorite by Tola. Okay. Uh the Daniel wants to know do you remember your first cigar that you ever had?

SPEAKER_02

I remember having my first cigar. I remember having my first cigar with my dis. I don't know if I remember what that cigar was, if we're being honest. The first cigar that I remember having that was actually like a premium cigar that wasn't something. Swish or sweet. Well, it was it was the flavor bombs for me. That's where that's where I it wasn't my first cigar, but that's kind of when I really started getting into cigars. Uh the first cigar that really stood out for me was the Oliva Serie B. That was like okay, that was like I remember going into a cigar shop. Um, I was at 19 at this point, and I kind of started stopped smoking. I was trying to transition into premium cigars instead of uh infused or flavored cigars, and um I didn't really know where to start. And that was one of the rec recommendations I got. Okay. Here's a good place to start. That's not a mild cigar to start with. But and and that would I, if I remember correctly, that was one of the things that I said was like no cigars don't really make me sick. You know, I don't have to worry about strong, medium, uh, or or light. And uh yeah, that was in retrospect, you probably should have pointed me into something a little bit more mild, but yeah, I I that was one of the cigars that I first remember having where that I can remember that yeah, uh something that's not CAO flavor by yeah, nice.

SPEAKER_01

Well, and there's always the question, especially, I mean, we talk about limited cigars, there's always the question of like when is the right occasion to smoke the cigar? Like, I've only got one, or maybe it's that really expensive cigar. Um, and I I think back to moments like you're mentioning, like what made the cigar special is maybe who you're smoking it with or what you were doing. And my response to that question about occasion is always like whenever you cannot be distracted is the right time. Like if you can sit down and enjoy that cigar without the the maybe the television in the back, or maybe wait until the kids are asleep so that you're not distracted, and you can give that cigar the time it deserves. I'm like, that's the right occasion.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Or the right people you're with. Do you remember your first cigar that you smoked? That was not swisher sweet. Um yes, I would because we went through. I want to say, I remember my first like cigar experience when I was like, I'm gonna go buy a cigar and do that. I believe the first cigar that I ever smoked that was like not flavored was a Gran Habano that I had purchased for a camping trip. And I was I was like 19 and I was going with my brother and a few friends, like, let's buy a bunch of cigars and like smoke all night. And I just was like, all right, something bundled. Uh, and I didn't know anything about anything because none of my friends smoked cigars. So I was just like, this looks good, and this costs four dollars, it must be really good. So uh that was like first experience. Um, but my first like aha moment, I was on vacation in Santa Barbara and I picked up a room 101 payback. And very cool. That cigar, smoking that, I was like, there has got to be a way to enjoy this on a regular basis. And back then I was like, this is an eight dollar cigar, and the salary I was making was not there is a way, it's just a very expensive. Yes, yes. So one thing led to another, but that was like the first time I was like, I'm buying this for me and I'm gonna try it. And yeah, that was that was crazy. Uh let's see here. Uh we got a question here. Uh, where did you and Andre have your first cigar together?

SPEAKER_02

Oh um, oh, our first cigar together. That's a good question. I'm 90% sure it was in his backyard. I'm all like 90% sure it was in his backyard. Um it was before we ended up. It was definitely before we went to Nicaragua. Yeah, I'm pretty sure our first cigar was in his backyard and together. It honestly it may have been a black label that we were smoking together. Okay. Um yeah, I'm pretty sure it was like a black label in his backyard.

SPEAKER_01

Now, is there is there any like age difference between you and Andre? Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02

He's gonna get pissed at me for calling him out, but yeah, he's uh I think he's uh about 10 years older than us.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so it's not it's not a crazy amount, no, no, so he's not like old enough to be my dad or okay, but then I definitely imagine there's different perspectives, which helps, especially different palettes. Sure. Um, you say that a lot of the time when you guys are going through it, like palettes are similar. Yeah, very similar. But is there any like what at what point do they deviate a little bit?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I I I would say that um I tend to dip my toe into the the real full body a little bit more than he does. Um I I have um pretty high nicotine tolerance. Um, and so oftentimes uh I can I can uh when we're especially when we're going through samples and we're kind of trying to figure out our you know some of these blends and we're smoking through, I I can we I end up having to slow down for him a little bit. Okay. Um and you know, I maybe I attribute a lot of that too. I I used to chew tobacco way back in the day. So maybe some of it has to do with that, I don't know. But in terms of conditioning, right? I just just set the table. Um no, I I I think uh we have very similar palettes and we we balance each other out. Uh I don't want to say balance each other out, maybe that's not the way it would put it, but we definitely agree on a lot of cigars. There's been only a couple of times where he feels passionate about one cigar that I'm met on and vice versa. Okay. Uh so we tend to see pretty eye to eye on a lot of uh a lot of our flavor.

SPEAKER_01

It makes blending a lot easier, that's for sure. Nice, nice, nice. So uh we're gonna come back to that real quick. We're gonna take a brief brief break because every week we try to, sometimes we're not able to, but we try to highlight a picture that is posted within uh our Facebook group, which is the OGT Cigar Society Facebook group. Check that out if you haven't already. It's a great uh place to post cigars, talk about cigars, what is coming up, uh, what to expect. Um, and so whether you tag us in social media or put post in there, we try to pull it. Recently, uh, this was from Ryan Miller. Now, this is sort of a blast from the past. You'll notice this sort of green candela foot, green uh cap, and then also this like light blue shade. So, this is a project we did last year known as the bleak midwinner number three, known as the bleakest, bleaker midwinter. But that blue cap is actually through our blind bunny uh package. So in the membership, we will actually remove labels and do a blind taste testing throughout the entire club. Now that one's kind of easy to uh spot, but as he placed in the caption saying that this was age the year, wish he had smoked it sooner. It's a fantastic cigar. I thought it was a really cool photo because it has a bit of history with OGT, but also rather relevant because tomorrow night we're gonna be dropping our brand new bleak midwinter number four, which is a fantastic box press bellicoso that I am so excited for. So that's something to look forward to. But Ryan Miller, shout out to posting that picture. Um, that's really awesome and cool to have that on there.

SPEAKER_03

It's a beautiful cigar.

SPEAKER_01

It yeah, it's pretty artsy looking, um, but beautiful and smoke experience. So, guys, we are coming to the end here. Make certain you join our raffle while it's still available. Pick up the HDA raffle sampler, get that bit of swag included in the sampler pack and jump into a raffle before the end of the show to win early access to the limited cigar. So um, let's see here. We got uh another question here. Do y'all have a cigar lounge? Or if not, and if not, would you? We do not.

SPEAKER_02

Um that was the original the original plan. Um, but instead we started uh a started a brand and said we work with a variety of brick and mortar and online retailers like OGT. Um so no, we do not uh have our own cigar lounge.

SPEAKER_01

Perhaps one day we'll see perhaps one day, yeah. And it's crazy to think that like the beginnings, the first thoughts of HDA was a cigar lounge in general. Um, what is one of the big things that like as a consumer drew you to the culture of cigar lounge and that concept?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean, I have a lot of very formative memories of when uh so one of my very first duty stations was in um uh Canon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico. If there's anybody that knows, it's in the middle of nowhere, it's in eastern New Mexico, 25 minutes from the Texas border, as I remember it. It's been a while. Um, but we didn't have a cigar lounge in the town that I was in. Um, so we had the option of driving, our closest cigar lounge was about an hour and 45 minutes away in Lubbock, Texas. And there was a cigar lounge there called Heroes and Legacies. Okay, I don't know if anybody's heard of it in the chat, but Heroes and Legacies in Lubbock, Texas, and that's really where I started like exploring cigars. So it was uh if we could find a weekend that uh a couple buddies um you know, we we we had off, we would work our way over to Lubbock and we would smoke uh cigars at Heroes and Legacies, and it was a very formative memory of mine, and and really it was starting me on that cigar journey. Um, and then eventually we got tired of driving really far. So I actually kind of built like a makeshift uh um cigar lounge in in my uh garage and base housing. Um looking back, that place probably reeked of smoking. I probably I'm I'm kind of shocked that I passed the the inspection to be able to get out. But yeah, yeah. So um yeah, I think you know, uh I feel like lounges and retailers are such an important part of the cigar industry. And you know, as a brand, we're stoked that we're able to meet so many great uh owners and be able to support so many great small businesses, and um, yeah, it it really it really means a lot for Andre and I and it it kind of is like our our our north north arrow, if you will.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Yeah. Well, yeah, and I feel like that's really where like the conversations start. And I think that it's always sad to me when a lounge is dominated by a TV playing. Sure. And so it, I mean, I think too, a big thing is always like where the conversation happens and getting to know someone on an even playing field, that being the cigar as a great vehicle for conversation. So the culture on that um is is like a long, I feel like people don't understand how long of a tradition that really is. It's kind of like it's bit it's it's integral to like history of like how long, like it is just you know, two guys enjoying tobacco, talking and having conversation. And it's it's awesome that it has lasted this long and has continued this long. And I think it's incredibly important for the industry.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I think I even you you for some reason I don't know why it popped in my head. I I'm a big Seinfeld fan. Oh yeah. Do you remember the episode where uh Kramer opens up his own cigar lounge in his in his apartment? And he's uh he was bummed because he had to go stand outside while he smoked a cigar, so he opened up his own cigar lounge in his in his apartment. Yeah, that's uh yeah, I mean it's it's it's a huge part of the industry. Uh I'm as long as I'm sure as long as we've had cigars, there's been people looking for a nice warm place to sit inside and sit down and talk and and burn one.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. So you um you recently have been hitting the road and going all over the country right now. Yeah, uh, you started from what point and went uh as far as what point?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so this has been a fun week. I'm to uh it'll be one one week today that I've been on the road. So um started at home in uh in Virginia, worked my way down, did an event uh last Friday, excuse me, last Thursday, um in South Carolina in Columbia at Cigar Militia, and then uh Friday headed down to Sheepdog Cigars in Blairsville, nice uh Georgia, did an event all day Saturday, um, and then drove down to uh Tallahassee, got to hang out with uh Lou of Lure Cigars, um, and got to go to the Fuma Cigar Lounge there. And then on Sunday, got to no, excuse me, that was on Sunday. On all the days are just blurring in one big block of time. On Monday, we got to swing by uh Smokers Abbey in Jacksonville. Uh they're building that uh cigar lounge out now. So we got to kind of see the the last stages. I think they're probably going to be opening up in the next month or so. Nice. So got to see that. That was that was really nice. And then um spent a couple days in Augusta, Georgia with uh with some fam and then um uh bothering you with uh taking up your uh your your studio here today. No, it's awesome, and then heading back home finally tomorrow. Okay. Any days off coming up? Uh sure. I mean, I well, I mean when you own a business, is there a day off? Trying to carve that out. I don't know. Hopefully this weekend we'll be able to kind of hang tight, hang out with uh the family a little bit and and uh and relax.

SPEAKER_01

And then around the corner, coming up very soon, and this is always a big time. I know for me, like uh before having the shop, I would always tune in whenever like the broadcast would start going live, and that is for PCA trade show. So for those who don't know, PCA trade show is the basically like uh trade show for the industry where manufacturers uh like HDA cigars will uh then be able to reach new customers, but also uh put forward press releases about new projects coming in, sometimes PCA exclusives or limiteds coming up. Um, but it it definitely goes around in terms of like it was uh in uh uh one year in Texas, it was in Nevada, it's now in New Orleans. Um, this is your second PCA going to?

SPEAKER_02

Correct.

SPEAKER_01

Yep. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, last year was our first year. Um we celebrated our one-year anniversary at PCA, and this year uh we'll be doing celebrating our second year anniversary at PCA. Yeah, we're really looking forward to it. Okay, uh it's uh it's an exotic, it's a long four days, three days, feels like five days. Uh it was a long, it's a long three days, but man, it's so much fun.

SPEAKER_01

So okay, we're really looking forward to it. Well, and then that's cool because I especially like around this time of year when we're talking with people about hey, this is coming up, and there's always the question, every manufacturer gets what's new. Yeah, and I'm sure after a while it's like, okay, well, we just released Robustos, or we just released yeah, it's always there, but there's a lot of mixed feelings. Sometimes people are like, you know, I'm really looking forward to PCA. Some people are like, you know, it's just a very long trip, it's needed, and I'm just exhausted from doing it. But it sounds like you definitely come at it a positive side that you really enjoy doing it. We're so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, man.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you know, we we enjoy the heck out of it. We've met some amazing people at BCA. Uh, so last year, I mean, heck, I just mentioned Sheepdog and Blair'sville. We they were the very first account we opened up at BCA nice uh last year. So um yeah, there's been some amazing people that we've been able to meet at the show, um, and really looking forward to uh meeting a lot more this year as well.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we love it. And is there uh going into this, knowing and what you learned from last year and stuff, is there any new objectives for this year?

SPEAKER_02

Um, no, I mean, I mean, our real goal is uh just to continue to spread the HTA word. Okay. Um, you know, we are we'll we'll be announcing, like I said, we'll be announcing our LE, our 4th of July limited edition cigar. Uh so we'll be taking orders for that at PCA. Um, so really I would say the main objective is to catch up with some of the retailers that we don't get to see every day, um, and be able to catch up with them um and then hopefully meet uh a lot of other great you know people around the country. Um it's been it's it's been really amazing being able to bring uh new family members into the HDA fold.

SPEAKER_01

Nice, nice. Well, and I know too, last year uh when Mallory and I went to it, it was not our first BCH trade show, but it was our first time being in New Orleans. And well, there's we've kind of talked there's pros and cons to where it's at. Um Mallory loves it because she is a foodie herself. It's good food in New Orleans. There is. Do you is was there any like spots that you know of in New Orleans? You're like, this is a must go to.

SPEAKER_02

I wish. Uh so we had a good friend of the brand came down with us and was helping us uh work the booth. Um, and he was his name's G. That's his name. That's not in there. He's a real G? Yeah, he is a real G. Um, and he took us to this uh steakhouse. I have a picture of it on my phone, but I cannot for the life of me remember it uh the name of it. And um it was it was like a it was like a$35 steak, so I was kind of like uh and it was one of the best steaks. Okay, I'll be sure to get you that name in a second. Yes, I'll have to text G and make sure I get that name. But that that place in particular really, really stood out. Nice. Um yeah, there's definitely some good some good grub down there. I'll tell you, when you're working the show too, yeah, uh, you get done and you just want Something nice and simple and then just to go home and crash.

SPEAKER_01

That is a long day.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I know we we clocked it. I mean, we were like, all right, we're gonna go to the convention center, so we're gonna find the hotel that's close to it. And they're like, yeah, it is close, but we're on the opposite side of where the entrance was. So we clocked at like 2400 steps or something like that in one day. It wasn't it was nuts.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Uh, and that was also in like uncomfortable shoes. So that's something we learned.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, definitely wear comfortable shoes. That's that's very fair. Fortunately, I pretty much always wear like sneakers, so there you go.

SPEAKER_01

That works out well locked and loaded. There is a place that really impressed us. So you have a convention center that's set up, and then like across the street, there's this like butcher like shop. Oh, I didn't see that. It is incredible. It's kind of like a it has the feeling almost of like a kind of a Chipotle type vibe of like you kind of go through, get your order, and go sit down. Okay. Um, but it's just like you just order like two like main uh entrees of meat, like brisket and like burnt ends, and then your side, and it's just it's incredible and really good price as well. So it's like this is our lunchtime in-between dinner type deal going on. So yeah, there was a lot of like bringing in like a protein bar and a banana for lunch while we were while we were working the show.

SPEAKER_02

I I kept getting yelled at by by John and a couple of the others, like, go walk around. I I think we maybe saw like 25% of the show floor. Okay, yeah, it's it's tough to get around.

SPEAKER_01

And that's something I've always uh been curious about too. Like uh attending the show as a manufacturer, is there ever that like curiosity or ability to be like, okay, I want to see what else is new going on? Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_02

I'm I'm a fan just as much as yeah, a lot of other people are. Man, I was I got to meet Matt Wooth last year, that was pretty sweet. I'm uh I'm hoping to meet Nick from Foundation this year. Nice. Uh I already have kind of tried to like grease those skids a little bit. I know somebody who's working over at the booth, so I'm like, hey man, I need you to get me in. I want to meet them. But yeah, man, I'm I'm a fan. I love walking around and and uh we do cigar trades as well. So we'll bring in some cigars and trade cigars with other brands. And yeah, man, I'm I'm I I'm like a kid in the candy store. I just kind of wish I could walk around the candy store a little bit at times, but no, I I love it. It's so cool to see what everybody else is doing, and I love I love supporting some of the other brands too, man.

SPEAKER_01

It's it's a great time. Now you you talked about kind of like never being nicotine sick, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Kind of going through chewing tobacco got me a couple of okay. Now I've never been sick from a cigar cigar.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, never been nicotine sick from a cigar. Okay, so good. Like, I know for me that at PCA, it's when I like probably smoke the most cigars in one day. Yeah, like you lose track after 10, you're like, ah, I don't know what's going on. But I imagine that pales in comparison to when you go down to Nicaragua and you're going through blends, sure, like what does that process look like?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean, um, so it's kind of a little bit different every time, but um, you know, the first time we went down, it was a lot of smoking puritos, okay, smoking individual leaves. And then um, you know, any time that you were not actively working on a on a blend, you were just smoking a regular cigar. So there was, I think from the time that we got there, from wake up to going to bed, I don't think there was 30 minutes in between in which we weren't smoking a cigar. So it was every smoking a cigar or tobacco of of some sort. So whether it was smoking individual tobaccos or smoking uh, you know, just some some makeshift blends, um, yeah, it you're you're just constantly smoking, which is uh it's it's it's like a dream come true.

SPEAKER_03

I like it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so like as you mentioned, Puritos, like uh I know like for OGT and uh myself as well, we've done experiences like the Agonorse experience where you smoke the Fuma, Proho 99 by itself. Um when you're going through those just a single leaf and getting to kind of understand its profile, are there some that we're like this just not do it for me? Like, sure. And then is there some that you're like this sings, this is perfect.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean it's tough when you start looking at like in like if you look at like, for instance, like like Lijero Tobacco from Esteli on its own can be very overpowering. Heck, Andre and I love Ometepe, but you take Ometepe on its own and it can it can it can on a solo it can be a little it can be a little rough, but okay you know, blend it together, it's amazing how you you you get the strongest notes when you're smoking it by itself, but then you know pairing it with you know with uh with another type of tobacco just really like changes the entire flavor profile of that of that tobacco.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's interesting when those things interact. Like last uh week we had um a friend of mine who's really into wines, works at a winery, and just going through the different wines and what they bring out of a cigar, um when you whenever you're pairing anything, we always think of it in terms I think of that of like pairing with a drink or pairing it with like coffee or even something to eat. But that also happens when you're using two different tobaccos that are interacting with each other and what they bring out.

SPEAKER_02

I'm the worst drink pairer as well. Okay, I get asked all the time, what would you pair with X? And I have zero taste in liquid. I'm telling you, I like people will offer me like a high-end bourbon or whiskey, and I always say, Thank you so much for the offer. I promise you it's wasted on me. It always is. I uh so yeah, my favorite pairing of the with my cigars, or any cigar really is a root beer. As crazy as that. Okay, okay. I just love like the sugar in a root beer. I think it pairs really nicely with the cigar, but yeah, um, I wish I could talk intelligently about wine or alcohol pairings. It's lost on me. So I always lean on Dre for that. Okay, yeah. Dre's Dre's much more the the pairing enthusiast.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, nice, nice. Well, and I know and you say root beer, I know I've heard a lot about like uh cream soda, Dr. Pepper cream soda. Um, I will say, for me, I don't know what it is about my palate, is that coke and a cigar does not work for me. No, and I've tried it with like multiple cigars. I even tried ones with cigars I love, and I'm like, I don't know if I can keep doing this, I don't know what it is. And will you eat?

SPEAKER_02

Have you tried like American Coke or have you tried when they have the natural cane sugar? I haven't tried with it. I've of course had natural cane sugar version, but not with the cigar. So yeah, I I I mean, maybe that has a lot to do with it too, is the actual like real sugar. Um I don't know. Maybe give it a try. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, I think that's where a lot of people go with like rum because of the cane sugar inside there as well.

SPEAKER_02

So that makes sense. That makes sense. Yeah, maybe I gotta try more rum then.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Open up in another expensive habit. Just add to it. All right, guys. So we're coming down to the wire. We're gonna be calling our raffle very, very soon. This is our raffle sampler. You need to head over to OGT, get your name in the raffle by get picking up a sampler pack, as well as get a bit of swag. The uh newest release of swag, HDA concrete skull, is included in that sampler pack. We will then pull your name, and then in a matter of minutes here, we're gonna be announcing our winners. And there will be three different winners who will get early access, or like the first to access, once we get the limited cigar that Zach is keeping very close to the chest. You will be getting that cigar when it arrives. It is a new Vitola. New Vitola. There we go. Um, so uh let's see here. Going uh going forward, oh, here is actually a uh Daniel saying, try Abin's craft soda, specifically made to pair with cigars. I've heard of this. Have you tried any of this? I have not. In fact, uh one of the the gentlemen, I believe if it's the same company, um, was at PCA, and he has basically created like four different sodas to be paired with cigars. I didn't get a chance to try it. I gotta find this guy.

SPEAKER_02

That sounds great. Yeah, I'll have to try it. I wonder what makes it unique to like being optimal for pairing with a cigar. Yeah, I'm uh yeah, that sounds great. I I predominantly uh end up drinking, if if we're being honest, I end up drinking a lot of like like Coke Zeros or a diet out, yeah, and uh or like uh energy drinks, which are not optimal for pairing. I recognize that, but like when it comes time to like like I want to really sit down, I I love like a good like craft brew beer. Okay, like okay, but I'm gonna have to try this. Uh uh soda made QS4 cigars. I like it.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, uh he's saying it's called Abbon's Craft. I have the sampler of four, so yeah, it must be the same company. Okay, yeah, really, really interesting. And I think too, that's always where like people immediately go to for good reason, is that when they think about pairing, it's some kind of alcohol pairing. Sure. Um, but there's a lot of teas out there that work coffee, yeah. There's a lot of different ways to do it, and I specifically prefer like if I have a cigar that has like a lot of sweetness, that normally goes well with the black coffee that I had because you pull that out of each other and it's great stuff.

SPEAKER_02

Which so what's your favorite non-alcoholic pairing?

SPEAKER_01

You don't like coke, but I would I would have to say coffee, like hands. In fact, that might be my favorite pairing overall. Okay, it's just and I and I intend, I don't know if you're similar, but in terms of like as a start of the day, I prefer to warm up the palette, not by going straight to a Maduro, but it's like something I don't know, sweet, spicy, mid-range, and then stair step it up from there.

SPEAKER_02

Um I I I don't know if I ever really put that much thought into it because oftentimes, if we're being honest, I end up a majority of the time I'm smoking HDA, so we don't really have anything that's in that in that that mild to low end medium, everything's medium plus, yeah. Um, and so yeah, I just kind of I'll I'll it's really do I want to smoke cataclysm, it's it's really play flavor profile. Yeah, oftentimes, yeah. I mean, if I had to sometimes start with like a cataclysm, but um I'm I'm I'm really trying to make a conscious effort to drink coffee. I I'm not a coffee guy. I've never been a coffee guy. Now I'll say I was down in Nicaragua a couple weeks ago, um, and uh I was like, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta just just roger up and just have some of the coffee. And it was good, but it's just hopefully it'll grow. I mean, Cuban coffee is still pretty, pretty incredible, too. Okay. Um, that's more like very sugar heavy. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Well, and I think too, and this I it could be just my palate, but I've seen it enough times at the shop as well, is that if you have a flavor profile in mind, even if you smoke a really good cigar, but it's not in that flavor profile, there's some level of disappointment. So it's like your palate will tell you like where to go in terms of like how you're saying, like, maybe not mild, but it's like is it gonna be cataclysm? Something like whatever you're in the mood for, try to assaciate that and not like try to go the other way. It's kind of like when you're like you're expecting a grape and you eat a tomato, you're like, wait, wait, what's going on here? Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. All right, well, we're coming very close down to uh the wire, guys. If you have any other questions, then make certain that you uh drop those down in the comments. We're gonna be pulling our uh raffle here very, very shortly. Um, we're gonna go ahead and pull in last minute uh people who got their order in. Um I will also say uh in terms of traveling through uh the states that you have, is there any commonality you have found from lounges from state to state or anything like that?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I'll say that every maybe not necessarily state to state, but region to region tends to have like their own uh like unique cigar culture. Obviously, every lounge you go into is gonna have like their own unique vibe. Um, you know, you know, we we spend a lot of time in Western PA. The cigar culture in Western PA is very different than the cigar culture, say in Florida. Florida tends to be a lot heavier, focus on your legacy heritage brands. Okay. Uh but yeah, I mean, yeah, it's um it definitely feels like the east, most of the time we spend is on the east coast. It definitely feels like, you know, about a month ago, we were in the Midwest visiting Omaha and Grand Island, and spent a little bit of time at Lincoln, uh, Nebraska. And it definitely was a little bit of a different vibe to what we have out uh out on the east coast. It it it kind of felt like um, you know, as a Midwest guy born and raised, uh, it was definitely more of like a homey, more of like a community feel, oftentimes whereas you know, some of the lounges in in on the east coast can be a little bit harder to like penetrate in terms of like a new guy coming into that sometimes. Yeah, um, I mean that's definitely not the rule. Um, but you know, that tends to be kind of a very generalization.

SPEAKER_01

Well, and I know too, like on the west coast, especially when you get to like Palm Desert, Palm Springs, even Arizona, a big requirement is like it's hey, as long as it's got AC and I can just get out of the heat, that's where I just want to like sit and not move. What's your favorite type of cigar lounge? One that has a ECO exactly. What's crazy is until moving here, Mallory and I never lived in a house with AC. Really? Ever. Wow, that's a concept that I just can't even comprehend. That's different. I mean, we lived in Yukaipo where at night it would be like 95 degrees, no AC. Really?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

There was it it would get so you slept in the window degree heat. It got so extreme a few times that we're like, that's it, we're taking the kids to a hotel and we're gonna stay there because we cannot sleep tonight.

SPEAKER_02

That's what I just I mean, I needed like 67 degrees in my room to sleep. That's wild. I oh I will say, you know, I at one point uh one of my very first duty stations was Las Vegas, Nevada. And uh pretty confident that we didn't have a working heater in our in our apartment, and we just never found out. Um so yeah, so it's kind of the exact opposite for me. That's okay. I couldn't imagine. I couldn't imagine living without conditioning, yeah, yeah. Seriously, like a hundred years ago. I don't know how they did that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, wild. Okay, so uh we have come down to the end, guys. It is time to call our raffle. So shout out to Zach and HDA Cigars. He is the gentleman who has supplied the awesome Skull Swag, as well as the opportunity to win the brand new LE that's gonna be coming this summertime. So thank you so much, dude. Thanks so much for having me. No, of course, of course. So we have everyone's name uh enlisted into a uh random Google generator, and I'm gonna call out our first winner, and this winner will be getting a five-pack shipped to them the moment that cigar reaches OGT headquarters, and that is Frank Kurto. Frank is a uh is a veteran here at OGT Cigars, he has been here with us forever. So congratulations, you uh secured yourself a five pack. All right, next uh winner here. We're gonna be calling right now, and the wheel goes around. And next up will be Michael Tomberlin. Nice. Congratulations, Michael. Of the Ellie. And finally, this is for the grand prize winner. A 10 pack of this Ellie is coming, and that is Joshua Rogers. Sounds like you know this gentleman. Congratulations, Josh. Awesome. Congratulations, Josh. You're getting a 10-pack of that cigar. Um, today posted great things coming from ACA cigars. We cannot wait. Uh, it sounds like you got a lot of irons in the fire going on right now. Yeah, man. We have some.

SPEAKER_02

I 2026 is gonna be a fun year. We have a couple really cool announcements and projects that we're working on, man. So we're we're uh we're really stoked. Awesome.

SPEAKER_01

And I've said this before many times on this channel. Um, I love your guys' cigars. I also um love the idea too of enjoying amazing cigars and also supporting our veterans at the same time. So it's it's it's an awesome win-win situation.

SPEAKER_03

I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01

ACA is definitely one of those brands I highly encourage you guys to support, check out, get to know, uh, and keep your eyes posted because a lot of special stuff on the horizon for that. So thank you again, Zach, for jumping on.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you, everybody, for the support. We we definitely, Andre and I, it means a lot to us. So we really, really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01

Awesome, awesome. Thank you guys for watching. We will be back next week. Everyone have a great week. And uh also don't forget to check out tomorrow's Bleak Bid Winter Drop that happens tomorrow night. It's gonna be a killer cigar. All right, we'll see you guys next week. Thanks for joining us for OGT Cigar.