"This Time Last Year..." Ep 41 6/27/26

Let's take a trip down memory lane. Eric and Mallory look back at a year in North Carolina. This time last year, we were packing up OGT Cigars and taking them across the country! Join us for a very, very special show about the year-in-review! 

Check out the El Mago sampler in this LINK: https://oakglentobacconist.com/product-category/el-mago-limited-edition-cigars/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Welcome to OGT Cigars Live Podcast, your neighborhood virtual cigar lounge. Each week we share in the cigar experience with the OGT Cigars community. Join Mallory and I as we explore the world of boutique and unique premium cigars. I'm Eric, founder of Oakland Tobacconist 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_03 0:44

I'm Mallory. While I don't ever claim cigar expertise, I've always been a foodie 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_00 1:03

Welcome to OGT Cigars Live, where conversation lights up. Hello, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of OGT Cigars Live Podcast. We're uh broadcasting from the sunny east coast of North Carolina. And if you are joining us for the first time, or if you've been jumping on for some time, uh, my name is Eric from OGT Cigars, and with me tonight, my beautiful co-host Mallory.

SPEAKER_03 1:28

Hi, how's it going?

SPEAKER_00 1:30

We're excited for tonight because it is a very special week. Yes. Very special week. Uh, this marks the full year. In fact, it was a year that we left California on the 24th, and it will be a full year uh that we've been here since the 28th.

SPEAKER_03 1:46

Yeah. So it's crazy. It flew by really fast. It's also Eric's birthday. It is my birthday.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

So I get the uh there we go.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

It is my birthday. Uh you know, another year, another year goes by, goes by real fast.

SPEAKER_03 2:00

I think I need the headphones for the applause next time we put it on because it's a little long. It's a long applause for sure.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

Uh, but thank you guys so much for jump jumping on tonight and joining us. Uh, and we're super excited to talk to you guys about uh the journey and what it's looked like and all sort of things like that. Um, if you haven't also birthday episodes. Also birthday, yes. Um if you uh haven't heard last week was really big because we had the newest uh Onyx Knight. I have to check something on the camera, but I want Mallory to talk a little bit about the designing of the band of Onyx Knight.

SPEAKER_03 2:35

Uh I didn't really do that much. Andrew's been providing us with really amazing uh artwork on all of the bands and and for the posters. And so all I have to do is just put some text into place. What is like I'm just I'm just sort of embellishing what's already there.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

Well, the reason this kind of ties in a little bit about tonight is because there's a lot of in-house talent. My brother doing the artwork for it, you creating the label for it. Overall, it was really exciting. So um, we're super excited about that. We have a lot of cigars to talk about tonight, like Onyx Night. We also have uh a lot of like reminiscing to do, and it looks like we have quite a bit of comments. We do have quite a bit of comments. We gotta see what's going on. Yeah, let's pull up and see who's on. Tonight we got Raider Dave on.

SPEAKER_03 3:20

Uh Raider Dave says, Good evening, OGT fam. I want to start the evening wishing a very happy 36th birthday to the man that makes this all possible, who I'm lucky enough to call a friend Eric. Happy birthday, Brah. Cheers.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Well, thank you so much. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 3:32

This is very nice.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

Yeah, it's it's pretty cool, and it's it's also awesome too, especially for like being a year past, uh, like for Raider Dave. We even have, I know Raider Dave knows Steve. Steve is out visiting this week for us. Um, so those relationships continue on, which is really special to us. It is, yeah, which is awesome.

SPEAKER_03 3:49

We're so grateful for this community.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Daniel's also on.

SPEAKER_03 3:52

Says happy birthday, Eric, enjoying my first onyx night and a brisk iced tea. Oh, very nice.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Awesome. Let me know what you think of that ones.

SPEAKER_03 3:58

I want to hear what you think.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

Um, let's see here. It's Scott Nunn says, Good evening, guys.

SPEAKER_03 4:02

Sitting outside of the Doctor's Orders 2 and getting ready to re watch the remake of Cape Fear on HBO, Onyx Night is the Bomb. We have started that as well. Yeah, it's intriguing.

SPEAKER_00 4:13

It's interesting.

SPEAKER_03 4:14

You didn't like it as much as I did.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

I don't know. I don't know. It time will tell. We've only, what, two episodes left?

SPEAKER_03 4:20

I think we I think we watched the first two and then we hit the wall because the new ones hadn't come out yet, and then we got distracted watching other TV shows, and we need to get back to it.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

So we'll see. We'll see. He also says, uh, happy birthday as well. Well, thank you. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 4:33

Daniel is saying Onyx is my favorite of the three so far. Okay, and that's kind of a tall order. It is the other ones have been really good.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

I will also say, Daniel, you're not the first to tell me this either. In fact, Scott Nunn also mentioned that it's his favorite. I think it is been knocked out of the park. But again, it's like, okay, so if uh Lee Marsh like touches it, it's gonna be something really, really nice.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

So yeah, it's got that stolen throne special touch. Yes, that's really good. Uh Andrew is on, Andrew Drazen. Hello, hello. What's up, everybody? Iced tea sounds so good. We we should. In fact, I asked RJ, and he had mentioned uh an iced tea pairing. Um, I think we're gonna need to do this on the show, like in honor of RJ.

SPEAKER_03 5:14

Keep talking about it and summertime.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

Yeah, we should do something like that.

SPEAKER_03 5:17

I mean, I have kombucha in the fridge, but that's not quite the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

I mean well, it is good though.

SPEAKER_03 5:22

Yeah, yeah. I've been on a kombucha kick.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

That's my news for the uh let's see what's RJ saying.

SPEAKER_03 5:29

Uh hello, Eric and Mallory in the chat. Just gone in my Onyx night today and wasting no time smoking it tonight. As usual, pairing it with Crystal Light Ice T and happy birthday, Eric.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Well, thank you guys. Thank you guys for the uh happy birthday uh wishes.

SPEAKER_03 5:43

Got one from Michael Tomberlin too. Happy birthday and congrats on the anniversary.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Yeah, it's crazy for time to pass that much. Um, let's see here. Uh RJ saying, free cigar for everyone. As usual, great job on all on all around on this cigar. Awesome, good to hear that. Uh, and Frazier is on.

SPEAKER_03 6:01

Just got back. Happy birthday.

SPEAKER_00 6:02

Well, thank you so much, guys. We have a great show for you tonight, but it is time, I think, to uh light our own cigar. Yes, enjoy our own cigar. So uh part of what we want to do tonight is kind of reminisce, look back on the last year, but also like this is an opportunity if it's gotten a little confusing or a little congested. We want to give you kind of like a little bit of a breakdown of the new arrivals here at OGT Cigars.

SPEAKER_03 6:25

It's been a very intense back to back to back to back to back with new releases lately.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

It is super exciting.

SPEAKER_03 6:32

It's a good problem to have.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

It is so the first duo I want to talk about because it's what we're smoking tonight, and then we'll get further into what's new, and then we'll jump into kind of like the year-long uh review. But uh, what Mallory and I are smoking tonight is El Mago's newest edition, their number three and number four limited tins uh to arrive. Now, the first two uh went by very quickly. We didn't get as much, but I'm super excited for number three and four. I'll be smoking the jug. Now the jug is a five and by fifty Robusto San Andreas, and it's supposed to be the heavier of the two.

SPEAKER_03 7:07

Okay, why I'm smoking the Calvary.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

Yes, yes. Tell me more about this cavalry cavalry, which is a Corojo wrapper. Uh, I did smoke that one. It's nuanced, it's rich in flavor, medium strength-ish, but uh I was thoroughly impressed. But what also smoking, I'm excited to see what you think because I'm like, this is kind of a Mallory cigar.

SPEAKER_03 7:28

Okay, what makes you say that?

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Clean finish, good complexity, uh, good sweetness as well. Um, but it's just it's it's such a flavor forward cigar and really interesting.

SPEAKER_03 7:37

I'm excited.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

So there you go. The the tin situation collection was uh kind of set off as like this collector set where five cigars are delivered in a tin. This is the creativity I love to see.

SPEAKER_03 7:50

It is so gorgeous. It's it and it's I love that it everything kind of finishes across because you have the tin that's that very like very vintage look. It looks like like a vintage toy kind of. And then the attention to detail in that like the wrappers here are like this matte finish, they're not shiny.

SPEAKER_00 8:11

Oh, the labels, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:12

The labels are like a matte finish, but it's like a pearlized. I I'm being a paper nerd here. It is pretty cool, but it's beautiful. Like I I yeah, I think you can see it up close there, but it's like this really pretty matte finish. Um so like there's this attention to detail like all the way across the packaging, everything, not just like the colors and the design, but everything meshes together texturally, yes, which is just so exciting.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

So, no, it is super exciting. I'm I'm super happy to have these land. Um so let's get a bit of a cold draw. As I had mentioned, you have not smoked the Calvary Calvary yet. And I have smoked that one, I have not smoked the jug, so this will be the first time.

SPEAKER_03 8:54

I am very excited.

SPEAKER_00 8:56

Really good open draw. What were the saltiness uh on the on the cold draw?

SPEAKER_03 9:03

I get a lot of raisins on this one.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

A lot of raisins, okay.

SPEAKER_03 9:06

Yeah, and dried fruit.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

I can definitely see the dry fruit. I also got like uh like a milk chocolate bar or no, no, milk chocolate chips when I had like you know how chocolate chips have that kind of dry nature to it. Okay, that raisin-y as well. I think you're right on the chocolate-covered raisin.

SPEAKER_03 9:23

It's a raisinette.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

There you go. There you go. Which I wouldn't expect on like a Corojo, but let's get these lit up, let's jump into it and kind of see where they land and let's talk more about what we're smoking. Today's cigar is brought to you by the OGT Cigar Society membership. Enjoy a five-pack of premium custom cigars each month at an undeniable price. Join the community and smoke with us on the Oakland Tobacconist YouTube channel as we delve into the rich experience of boutique and craft cigars. You can find out all about the subscription and a whole host of amazing blends by following us on social media. Look for us at Oakland Tobacconist or OGT Cigars. All right. So here's one thing I'll say is that what I really like about this tin series is while we're working with different blends, there's sort of a through line, and all of them are five by fifty Robusto Box Press, which I really think is cool. All the labels are similar type of format. Um, but then you have varying degrees in terms of like what you're being delivered in terms of flavor and blend. Uh the jug definitely starting out peppery, a little bit of spicy, good woods, uh woodsy elements to it as well. But there's also hints of sweetness on the back end, kind of reminding me of like a uh like one of those single origin like coffees that has like kind of like chocolatey aspect, but it's not bitter. It's got like the hints of bitterness, but it's also got this natural sweetness. I don't know. Coffee's the first thing that's going to my mind right now. But um interested to think what see what you're you might be getting like initially. I know it's not like full flavor profile right now, but no, it's interesting.

SPEAKER_03 10:58

It definitely becomes uh more herbal or vegetal almost immediately, which is interesting because we're getting, I was getting like, you know, we were talking like raisinettes, yeah, chocolate covered raisin on the cold draw. This just feels very um maybe a little mineral also, but like in a like I said, you're talking about clean finish. It does feel very clean. So I'm I'm having a hard time separating the like musty, because there is no musty, from something that does take minerally, like um like more like rocks than like earth or something. You know what I'm trying to say.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Yeah, yeah, not dirty earth mineral.

SPEAKER_03 11:34

No, but like uh like a stone or like a little bit of petricore, maybe a little bit of petrichor. We were talking about that.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

There you go. So, yeah, really interesting, different experiences. Let's pull up a few more comments and talk more about uh this new release from El Mago. Uh, let's see here. Daniel Frazier.

SPEAKER_03 11:49

Uh, my Onyx night won't come in until tomorrow or Saturday. Absolutely. But lucky, I mean I still have plenty of others to tide me over.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Nice. Okay. Nice. Yeah. It'll be worth the wait.

SPEAKER_03 11:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

It'll be worth the wait. Uh Andrew's saying, I'm having the jug right now. El Mago has been great to smoke. So happy you brought them in. Which one is your guys' favorite so far? I mean, I haven't tried the jug yet, so out of their whole thing though, out of what you you're probably gonna go with the Lotus Lancero, right?

SPEAKER_03 12:16

Oh, out of all El Mago or out of the tin series? Because I don't know if I got the other tin series, went very fast. Yeah, and I didn't get to have I don't think so. I didn't get to compare them. This is very good. Um, it is it's a rain on a sidewalk type of flavor on this one.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

Nice, but good, and but I like it's it's got some smoothness to it. It's got yeah, we have a couple more comments.

SPEAKER_03 12:38

Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Um what what is your favorite El Mago cigar? Lotus, lotus, lotus. I would say for me it right now it's renegade. Uh the new James Avenue Maduro is really good.

SPEAKER_03 12:48

I still need to try that one. I think you told me I needed to try it and I haven't had it yet.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

It is good, and I also really like the jaguar. Um but this is, I mean, this is grabbing my attention like right out the gate. And this is something I like about El Mago. They all have I've used the word uncuous before, but they have this like juicy quality to it. I have not found across a portfolio in any other brand.

SPEAKER_03 13:09

Yeah, it doesn't turn out. The palette is not dry at all, and I love it. Yeah, texturally, again, it goes, it goes all the way through the process. It seems like like it's just a lot of attention to detail.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Yes, um, I'm really excited for it. So I'm right there with you. Uh, I'm super happy they brought in. Let's see here.

SPEAKER_03 13:27

Michael is saying, smoked both of those Elmago last night. Cal Calvary, Calvary was blueberry cream with macadamia nuts and some funk.

SPEAKER_04 13:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:36

Judge Jug was earthy and chocolatey with a hint of caramel sweetness. Okay, so like the funk, I think is what I'm picking up on blueberry. I need to start like kind of looking for because the fruit I'm still kind of waiting on that. But again, I'm I'm enjoying it. It's like, yeah, brain on a sidewalk, very clean. Yes, I don't, yeah, I'm impressed.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

That clean finish is why I'm like, I think Mallory's gonna really take the cigar. Uh, Daniel.

SPEAKER_03 14:00

Uh, El Mago presentation brought me to try the brand. The blends keep me coming back. Yeah, it's just across the board. 100% really well done.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

And Daniel, I'm gonna say, like, I think based on the profile that you seem to like, I certainly hope you get your hands on the jug. Um, I think you'll really like it. It's got that really dark like sweetness to it, as Michael was saying, some like um some chocolatey elements, caramel, maybe so as well, but it's just it's got some really good finish to it. Uh Mike saying, Happiest of birthdays, Eric. Still waiting to get my Onyx night. Well, thank you. Uh, he also says, good to see you back, Mallory.

SPEAKER_02 14:34

Oh, thanks.

SPEAKER_00 14:34

What are the plans to celebrate the birthday?

SPEAKER_03 14:36

Yeah, what are your plans for your birthday?

SPEAKER_00 14:38

The older I get, they normally result in absolutely nothing. Like, I just want to be able to relax, catch my breath.

SPEAKER_03 14:44

I'm trying to make you celebrate your birthday.

SPEAKER_00 14:46

I mean, I this is a great way to do it, my like also. It's like hanging out with people here at OGT. That's what I like to do as well. Yeah, try some new cigars. Uh, pairs a little bit. We we were able to uh have a cigar and taliskirt scotch, which was really nice. Um, have fish tacos, which was really nice. If anything, we'll probably do something this weekend a little more in terms of like event-wise, but uh honestly, it's been great to just try to relax as much as possible.

SPEAKER_03 15:13

As much as you let yourself, you're always busy.

SPEAKER_00 15:15

There's a yeah, you're crazy.

SPEAKER_03 15:17

Like you got a lot going on.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

It has been a busy couple of weeks.

SPEAKER_03 15:20

It has, no, that's what I'm saying. You haven't stopped moving.

SPEAKER_00 15:22

Well, and which is great, and which is really cool uh in terms of the year-long anniversary, uh, to have this situation and be that busy. So I want to jump into that. So, very quickly, let me just give you a lowdown on what's new at the shop, and then we'll jump into some a little bit of show and tell about the journey of traveling from the West Coast. All right. So, as we mentioned, uh, new releases from El Mago Cigars was the two tins. Uh, highly recommend you guys get your hands on this. Uh, super cool. But also, we tried to make it as easy as possible because we'll be talking uh a little bit about their new quad core line known as James Avenue, four different wrappers Habano, Connecticut, Maduro, and Sumatra. And so to make this as easy as possible, we were like, you know what? Let's just put it in a killer sampler pack so people can try all six new cigars, plus some personal favorites, and then a bit of swag too. Check out that El Mago lighter as well.

SPEAKER_02 16:14

That's pretty sweet.

SPEAKER_00 16:15

So this is like the easiest way because we've talked about this before. Samplers are big thing at OGT. We love to curate that sort of thing, especially if we have a lot of new stuff arrive at the same time. I'm like, man, let's just put it all together, save a bit on the a bit on that. Uh Nick for Fusco, shout out to El Mago. Uh, was able to donate the lighters. So we're like, let's let's make that happen. And so I would highly encourage you guys. Yeah, check it out.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

Check out a great introduction to El Mago.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

And uh, I also have to say, these this new lineup as well as the tins, they photograph really well. Yes, that's probably a silly thing, but sometimes there's some cigars I'm like, it just looks really cool. Photographs, so super cool, guys. Check out the Elmago James Avenue sampler pack, get a bit of swag too. Uh, two other really big things we're gonna be celebrating fourth of July next week. What better way to do that with than with Espinosa's newest warhead independence day that is now at OGT as well? Uh, super excited for this. Probably my favorite warhead out of the series that just released, and then my favorite knuckle sandwich is the newest chef special. Both of these at OGT now. Like I said, it's been a busy week.

SPEAKER_03 17:19

It has been a busy week.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

A lot of a lot of stuff happening. This is really interesting, though, because the chef special uses a Mexican Claro wrapper. Yes, to my knowledge, the only other cigars so far that we've had here at OGT that have that is the Olmec Claro from Foundation. Now, granted, the tobaccos are sourced elsewhere, but like the type of seed varietal. You have that one, and then you also have the uh Cigar Clowns Pagliacci, the Claro version, I believe is also that. So check that out, guys. As I say, busy week at OGT, super excited about these new things. Um, let's see here, Michael.

SPEAKER_03 17:54

I would rank the tin series Calvary, Mr. Almond, Jug, Oyama Almond.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:02

So, okay, in that order.

SPEAKER_00 18:04

So uh I'm glad you put that up, Michael, because I would say I actually did not get the chance to try the Oyama. They went too quickly, but I would say so far, I think I would go Calvary Jug Mr. Almond, personally.

SPEAKER_03 18:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

Um, but I'm only this far in. But I'm just saying, like, this is more my palette. It's a bit heavier, it's a bit fuller. Okay. I like where this is going. But the complexity on that cigar just wowed me when I was smoking it.

SPEAKER_03 18:31

It is really, I am starting to get a little bit of sweetness. Like maybe that that kind of fruit. No. Um, it's really good. I'm trying not to smoke it too fast. This is always my problem.

SPEAKER_00 18:44

On a good cigar, it's hard to. Uh, let's see. RJ is saying El Mago is bringing the heat. Yes, they are. Yes. Just wait till you see later. This can't talk too much about that. Okay, so let's talk a little bit about the massive move that we were facing last year. Yeah. Did you ever envision being here one year later doing this?

SPEAKER_03 19:06

I mean, a little bit, but it definitely was daunting. It was a daunting task. It's funny because uh I didn't, I I don't think I uh added any pictures to our gallery here, but I had one where the kids were all going through their toys, and at the same time, like everything was getting brought down from the shop to go in the pot. We we did one pot, maybe one we went minimal 0.5 pods since we shared one with brother.

SPEAKER_00 19:36

But like we also had to pack up and ship a whole humidor in the same pod as ours. Well, no, no, like the cigars themselves. Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:43

No, that was a whole different thing.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:46

It was crazy, it was crazy, so it was just daunting. I think some of it feels a little bit like a fever dream. Like it's like, okay, like here we are, and this is so great. Yeah, but I almost can't remember last year because it was so like okay, well, we made it. Like that's that was about all it was just all relief. It was like, okay, like anything from from that is up, like it's good, you know.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

I think I think one of the biggest things uh about the move in all the logistics is was like, get how do you pack this? How do you set this when you time the delivery? Like the craziest thing too is like uh I don't know if you guys remember um last year what cigars were coming in and such, but some of them we were like in transition of like, okay, are we getting this before we move to California? Are we getting it when we land in North Carolina?

SPEAKER_04 20:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

Um, I think one of the craziest stories ever. You mentioned the pod, probably one of the lowest moments.

SPEAKER_03 20:39

I was unsure how much we were gonna talk about the pod. I mean, I'd be like we should this is delving a moment into the personal side of the I would like to, in a mini rant, I would like to poll the audience and see what their opinion.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

If you get, I think what was it, 10 feet or 15 feet or 20 feet long?

SPEAKER_03 20:56

To be fair, it was 20 feet long. The company, we won't name the company because it wasn't pod, because we all say pod because moving pods is a company, right? So we don't want to specifically say which company because we're not bashing anybody, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:11

No, but there so just it is a shipping container dilemma, and this is also like anyone listening to this when they move and if they use a pod, maybe you can avoid this problem. But I think it was a 20-foot-long container. If a 20-foot-long container shows up at your house and you're packing all of your personal effects, how much would you guys fill that container? Are you going to fill it from like the back to the front with a lot of pocket space up above? Are you going to fill it from maybe just like lightly and leave some extra feet?

SPEAKER_03 21:46

Or are you gonna Tetris it?

SPEAKER_00 21:48

Are you gonna Tetris and pack it as much as you can? Now, granted, you're trying to move everything in one pod and you're you're you're paying for the the delivery and the shipping. So The pod shows up at your house. It's 20 feet long. How much are you gonna pack that pod? I would like to know.

SPEAKER_03 22:05

Yeah, we need to pull before we so please drop down those comments.

SPEAKER_00 22:09

How much are you guys packing that pod? Uh, I would like to know. Okay, Andrew says it was 16 feet. So he was there during the process.

SPEAKER_03 22:16

It was less than 20 feet. It was very much there during the process. All personal effects are in that.

SPEAKER_00 22:21

So how much are you uh uh okay, okay.

SPEAKER_03 22:23

The cool we got don't forget a large dog we did. Yeah, a large dog.

SPEAKER_00 22:28

I will also say uh a bit of sad news too. The large dog, uh Arcana Corso passed away last week. Yeah, he was old, it was his time, but it was very sad. But we just didn't want him to continue to suffer. He uh he was having issues like walking. I had to pick him up for him to go like use the restroom, the bathroom. So it was tough, but yeah, unfortunately, he made it a full year in a big yard.

SPEAKER_03 22:52

I mean, he was he yeah, he was an old old dog, we should clarify, but he did get the full year in the trees and the and the all the green and to run around. And I think it was fun for me. He caught a possum, which was the highlight of his life, I think. So even in his old age, even in his old age, he caught a possum. All right, let's go back to what we were saying. That was a sad detour. I remember that podcast, like it was yesterday, literally fell out of my chair when you said you were moving here, which was such a blessing to us.

SPEAKER_00 23:19

Yeah, like Scott, I don't know if you know how much like of a comfort it is when you're moving across the the the coast to the other coast, and someone says, Hey, like one of the people in our own community saying, Can't wait till you get out here. Like it kind of feels like, oh, we're not moving all alone. So shout out to you, Scott. It was a really cool to make that connection. Uh so here, Daniel.

SPEAKER_03 23:40

Uh, the absolute resolution and conviction to move your life and family across the country to continue dream is so cool. I worked for ABF for 35 years. You should have used ABF on UPAC. Now we know.

SPEAKER_00 23:52

We should have. Now we know. Let's rewind the clocks and we'll be like, find Daniel, and he's gonna I I I wish we did.

SPEAKER_03 23:58

Uh we will be using a pod when we move in the near future. I appreciate this. Perfect.

SPEAKER_00 24:02

If anything, this episode is for you, Raider Dave, uh, to avoid the pitfalls of what happened to us.

SPEAKER_03 24:08

Uh uh, I don't miss moving every few years. Is from Daniel Frazier. You Tetris everything in when you have to pay for the move. Okay, so that is we did Tetris.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

So we decided we have a 16-foot pod, we have a household of three children, two adults, and we're moving our life in this pod, 16 feet long, and also a bunch of Spanish cedar to help with humidor things.

SPEAKER_03 24:33

We we it wasn't just our we did and got rid of all of our furniture pretty much. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

So so a good example is like uh I don't know if you guys remember seeing pictures of the OGT humidor before we left. This was what it looked like uh when we did leave. Let me get there. You go. I did I built the humidor so that we could dismantle it like this. It's all Spanish cedar, one inch thick. That Spanish cedar uh cost quite a bit of money. So we actually shipped all the cedar, and that's now where all the amazing cigars are resting now in a Spanish cedar, humidor, climate controlled, humidity controlled. But that's what it looked like after.

SPEAKER_03 25:11

So I dismantled this thing and took it down to and there's the great decal that Curtis designed for us for the humidor. Shout out for the oh, that makes me misty to look at.

SPEAKER_00 25:21

Yeah, yeah. It's it's quite quite a feat. So yeah, they did not tell us with this pod though. Oh, by the way, air uh airport rules, if it weighs a certain amount, then you're gonna be in trouble. They just drop it and say, fill it. So we're thinking, okay, we want to fill this pod up. So we we fill we spend days like packing this thing and filling it.

SPEAKER_03 25:42

Like ratchet strapping every third, so that it's pretty much so that so that like this up to the ceiling stuff won't like fall over.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

Um yeah, and so then so with that happening, I at the same time, we're we're still trying to be like connected to our OGT community as much. And uh, and so I'm working and then packing during the day and going up to the shop. And so Mallory gives me a call the day that they're like gonna take this pot away. Yes, and I'm literally in the middle of like helping a customer, packing up other cigars, like moving around, moving around. I get the call, I'm like, Yeah, what's going on? And she's like, they will not take the pot, it weighs too much.

SPEAKER_03 26:21

Yeah, so uh the the truck came up to our driveway, and it's one of those ones that has like these little, like super long forklift arms that like lifts it up in the air and then puts it on the truck. Um, and the poor guy driving the truck tried twice. Yeah, he was cool. Pulls me over to show me. He's like, This is it's it weighs so much that we don't even have any number on the meter to say what it weighs. So I could only estimate, but it's way over what I can lift on the truck. He's like, I if I could do it, I would, but it won't lift on the truck. So I'm telling you, so I'm calling you hysterically because I'm like, I don't know what we're gonna do because he can't get our pod on the truck, and he says this has never happened before.

SPEAKER_00 27:05

So very quickly, just to clarify, Daniel Frazier says, Oh, they airship those pods, surprised by that. Actually, sorry, they don't airship. When I said airport rules, I mean like when you pack your suitcase, it's not you can fill your suitcase, it depends on how much it weighs.

SPEAKER_03 27:16

If you if you're checking a bag, yeah, sometimes if it's overly heavy, you get charged. Right.

SPEAKER_00 27:21

That's that's what I meant by they they truck them out here, but uh so I get the phone call from Mallory, and that it's like that moment in Fight Club when like he he realizes Tyler Durton is him and he's like, We just lost cabin pressure. Like I remember sitting down and being like, We now have five days, six days to get this thing out of California, and we don't even know how much has to come out. Like, we have to remove enough to make so we're like trying to pull things out. Okay, this can't go, this can't. So uh shout out to my brother Andrew, who was there too, because he was able to go over there because I'm working the shop until eight o'clock, eight thirty. And so Mallory and he start dismantling everything we just started like packing up for like two or three days. That gets dismantled. I come home and it's all out on the lawn.

SPEAKER_03 28:07

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 28:07

And we start being like, okay, I guess we're picking and choosing and all uh like all these types of things. And so we I think worked until midnight, and I just said, Screw it, we're going to bed.

SPEAKER_03 28:17

Yeah, like it was pretty everything was still out in the yard. Uh, nothing got stolen because apparently we didn't have anything anybody wanted.

SPEAKER_00 28:24

But um that was that was one of the nightmare. That was hard. And so the next two or three days we chose what could go back in, what couldn't. We repacked it all. He showed up again, and we were like trembling, like fingers crossed. Like, we cannot like leave and redo this because we're gonna run out of time. So that was wild. Yeah, that was wild.

SPEAKER_03 28:42

It was good shift. It was nuts. We have a lot of good comments. Yeah, I wanted to.

SPEAKER_00 28:47

Let's go ahead and pull up some comments here.

SPEAKER_03 28:48

Uh Corey's saying, sorry for your loss. And Mike says, No, Mariana and I are so sorry for your loss. Thank you so much. Thank you, guys. Yeah, yeah. He was a good boy, and we're gonna miss him. Um, Bravehearted said I had to put my six-year-old Pyrenees down two weeks ago. She got bone cancer, and there was nothing we could do.

SPEAKER_00 29:06

Oh, I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_03 29:07

Um, all of it happened within two months' time. Sorry for adding the detour, but we want to share. No, we we want to like that's too bad. I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm so sorry. That's awful, and it sucks. Yeah, Pyrenees are beautiful dogs, they're so cool. They're yeah, I'm I'm so sorry for your loss, too. Um, yeah, it's been it's been very like it's been a sad week for sure on that front.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

That was, I mean, and but we also kind of knew when you have a can of corps, so it's his breed. He gets older, he starts having hip problems, stuff like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's tough, it's definitely tough. Um, but yeah, we we also decided we were making the move, the pod gets shipped out, we're gonna drive across country. So I posted this picture um the other week. This was our caravan style because we fit the rest we could underneath the tarp in my truck, and then all of our luggage on top of the forerunner, and that's us driving out of the uh driveway of where we were at, and we left on the 24th. And for the most part, day one went really smooth. Um and then day two was a bit difficult.

SPEAKER_03 30:16

Yeah, that was how much we wanted to like.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

We just it was it was one of those things I know it was stressful.

SPEAKER_03 30:22

The nightmare road trip. It was like a it was not a nightmare road trip. No, it was like a movie. I still have trouble remembering it. Oh my gosh, all of our kids got sick. Yeah, all of our kids got a sick. They got a cold the day we left the day we left, and it was like a horrible, stuffy yeah, but silver lining by the grace of God, and I don't even know how this was. We both did not get we couldn't, we weren't allowed. There was no way we could stop that trade. Yeah, no, so they all got sick, and then the dog is in the back of the car and he wouldn't stop standing up and uh we're trying to give him C BD to be like, just go to bed, yeah. Like we're trying to like calm him down, and then uh we're going through the Rockies and we couldn't communicate with each other because there was no cell service, so we would have to if something happened and we had to pull over to the side of the road, we'd have to hit the blinker or the uh emergency blinkers to get each other's attention. So, like you had to be looking in the rearview mirror, like every few like I was most of the trip anyways.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

Yeah, I will say too, as much as people like talk about like flyover states, driving through Kansas was like the funnest because it was just like it's one straight road, you can just relax, take it easy, and we're good.

SPEAKER_03 31:33

Yeah, I did. It was just once one straight shot all the way through. River. We took kind of a round, we didn't go through Texas, um, because that would have been the slightly faster route, but we went up through Colorado to visit with Eric's brother and do a little pit stop there and then kept moving. Um, but no, I it was not it was it was wild. It wasn't that bad.

unknown 31:54

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 31:56

It was it was all right. I think the the hardest was the longest drive day was 12 hours, and that that was tough, I think. Yeah, but then we landed here in North Carolina. We reached uh June 28th, we're uh ran landed like four o'clock or so, and then we ended up just picking up food and eating on the floor inside of our house because we had no furniture yet.

SPEAKER_03 32:15

We get pizza.

SPEAKER_00 32:16

Uh no, yes, we did get pizza. We got pizza. We got pizza, yeah. Yeah, so there you go. Now I will say this was kind of cool too. The first cigar I ever smoked was the first cigar to arrive in North Carolina officially from like the manufacturer, and they delivered to our new location. In fact, we were pulling up and it arrived that day. Uh, and that was very favorite of mine, the Aletto by Black Label Trading Company. I took this picture. This is this is the evening of the 28th, and this was the first cigar lighting up in North Carolina. Uh all that green you see behind the cigar was so unlike what we had been used to in California. I was like, oh my gosh, it's just like it's a vision. Yeah, it's amazing. It's just so green. This is crazy. Uh, let's see here. We got a few comments here. Let's see, Raider Dave.

SPEAKER_03 33:04

Uh, did you ship your cigar inventory or drive it with you? Uh both.

SPEAKER_00 33:09

For the most part, I shipped everything via UPS. And what was super cool is I mentioned a guy named Steve, he's visiting here. He volunteered. What I had done is I had packed everything in Bovida into big boxes, like this, like filled a room with boxes of inventory. And then I said scheduled on the UPS to be picked up after we had left so that it would stay safe where it was and would only travel, I think, three or four days, I think three days, basically manufacture time to North Carolina. And he was willing to be there the day got picked up, make sure he got all picked up well, and then it got all delivered. Yeah, some of my personal stuff, some of the more limited stuff uh that I was more worried about.

SPEAKER_03 33:47

We actually drove out there so we could continue checking it pretty much the whole way. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 33:52

Uh let's see here. Uh what's RJ saying?

SPEAKER_03 33:55

Uh, yes, sorry for your loss, guys. Got my first dog four years ago, and they are special animals.

SPEAKER_00 34:00

Yeah, 100%. Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_03 34:02

Uh love you guys, keep doing what you do. Authenticity is what sets you all apart. Oh, thank you so much. We really appreciate this.

SPEAKER_00 34:09

Daniel Frazier's saying that's called grass. Yeah, you hear about this in California. We do. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:15

But uh there, no, there's plenty of grass in California. It's just we lived in a particularly dry spot.

SPEAKER_00 34:22

So one of the other big things that I was like, this reminds me of my childhood in California because it was no longer a thing. We walked into Walmart. No, no, no, and I was like, this is no way. I think I sent this picture to Andrew when I first arrived. But we walked in Walmart and saw uh this at Walmart, and I was like, I remember when I was like eight years old seeing this at Walmart. That's nuts. And so we I just I got a kick out of it because I was like, it's like stepping back in time. So that was kind of cool. I had to take a picture of it. I was like, why not? Um, but yeah, it's uh it's it's crazy. I think too, uh, what's one of the most humbling things for me is that it is a daunting task to make a move like that and to make all that happen. But the fact that our company has grown since then is a major, major blessing.

SPEAKER_03 35:08

Yeah, no, it's uh it's crazy to be able to do what we're doing uh without the aid of a brick and mortar and just this like amazing like nationwide community that we've been building. And like we're so um grateful for that too. And that there's this like continued interaction on the Facebook, on the Discord, on the lives, on Instagram. Like it's just really cool um to and humbling to have so many people invested in us. So that's really that's been a huge, huge blessing.

SPEAKER_00 35:42

Yeah, yeah. Now, another really cool thing, too, I will say that was also different when we arrived, and I had to take a picture of this a week or two later, is I I go to uh the grocery store. Now in California, we're used to like Vaughn's Albertsons, and out here you have like Harris Teeter and you have food line. Behind the food line, like I pick up groceries and I have like two of my kids in the back truck, and I'm like, wait, what is that? So I pull around the corner behind there and I walk into a field of this, and I was like, okay, I get it. Like, this is burly tobacco, this is probably cigarette tobacco, but the fact that this is just a like four to five foot tall tobacco field, just right here that I can walk into. I'm like, this is surreal, it's just so cool. Yeah, I was like, I'm taking pictures. Like, this is this is so cool. Because I mean, it's I guess anyone on the east coast are like, yeah, it's tobacco. We're gross, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:32

It's grass, yeah, it's tobacco. We're just like, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:36

I mean, I told I told some of the guys uh in California, and they're like, What are you gonna film there? You're gonna be and it's like because it is there's this mystique to it. You're like, you just don't grow up around it. So that was really cool too. That was different and really cool. Uh let's see here, Daniel.

SPEAKER_03 36:52

Get a Newfoundland. Oh, they're beautiful. Have a 165-pound big black baby new foo, six years old, so sweet. I would love a new fee. Nice. I've I've I think I've shown you those before and been like, how about that? I don't know what you said.

SPEAKER_00 37:09

Well, yeah, I gotta look more into it. I don't know. I don't know. We're talking about like purebred, maybe not purebred.

SPEAKER_03 37:14

We haven't. I feel like we're not quite ready to think about it quite yet.

SPEAKER_00 37:18

Um Charlie's saying Google Maps still shows you located in CA. I have I've got to look into this. Thank you for letting me know. Uh, Google Maps is weird. I have changed it so many times, and I gotta figure out like why it's not updating. So I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03 37:30

Yeah, we don't we hate we still haven't figured that out. It's just really odd.

SPEAKER_00 37:33

It is weird.

SPEAKER_03 37:34

Um, probably because again, it's not a visitable location, so they're still marking Oak Glenn Tobacconist as like a closed location in Oak Glenn in terms of the brick and mortar. So I think it probably will only change for certain once we have another brick and mortar that's like you can visit as opposed to yeah, the virtual experience we're doing right now.

SPEAKER_00 37:55

Right, right. Uh RJ's saying I'm nervous about setting up a move out of the suburbs 40 minutes away, and you guys did it across country. Any advice? Lots of prayer.

SPEAKER_03 38:05

Uh I I think I mean the the one thing that I'll say that's really positive about moves in general is that it does force you to be like, I mean, I got we got this a little bit. I'm gonna bunny trail. You okay with me bunny trailing for a second? Okay. So in California, with all the wildfires um and the mudslides and the evacuations and the flash floods, because that happened a lot in Oak Glen. And I lived in Oak Glen my whole childhood, so that was also a really common thing. It's to like you, okay, we gotta bug out now, we have to leave. Um, and we don't know what's gonna be happening up the mountain when we get back. And so it creates this sense of like, okay, what is actually the most important things? Like, what would I actually grab if there was a fire? And having had to grab things when there was potentially going to be a fire, um definitely helps you like, okay, what is actually the most important thing that I can't like that I don't want to leave behind? And what is an opportunity to clear out any junk that I have?

SPEAKER_04 39:04

That's true.

SPEAKER_03 39:04

And it's like it helps you like I'm not a minimalist, but it definitely helps me minimize every time we've had to move. So I'm like, I have to be way more disciplined now that we're here for a while because you know, or for for you know, now we're like foreseeable future.

SPEAKER_00 39:17

This is where we're going.

SPEAKER_03 39:19

No, I know, but I was saying I am gonna have to be more careful about how I accumulate stuff because true, yeah, true, true.

SPEAKER_00 39:25

Uh, let's see here. Randy says, Welcome to the free coast. I mean, it is it is not as much as a culture shock as I thought it was gonna be, but it there it is quite different. Yeah, I really enjoy it. Uh, let's see here.

SPEAKER_03 39:36

Faces Orchestra said my Onyx Knights arrived tomorrow. Okay, wait, very cool, just in time for the weekend. Yes, and then Raider Dave says, My wife and I were in Texas a few weeks ago to look at houses, and I see my first firefly. I absolutely lost it with excitement, or everyone around us was laughing. Yes, like we had very few fireflies in our yard, at least, but I've seen a few, and Clark was out chasing them, and somehow he caught one like in his hand first try, and he brings it over, and he's really good about catching. This is our son. Sorry, I'm I'm really babbling tonight. I'm really sorry. Happy birthday, Eric. Your birthday episode, I won't shut up. Um, yeah, it was so cool. He caught a firefly first grab and brought it over and was really gentle with it, was showing me, and like we were we were so excited.

SPEAKER_00 40:21

It is crazy to and I I'm right there with you, Raider Dave. Like when you when you see something like that, you're like, wow, it's real. I mean, it's it's cool, it's really cool. Uh Daniel says, I missed the fireflies, they were all over the place in my childhood. Yeah, I mean, we get a little bit, not as much. Um, so here's Scott not saying, I gotta go. Have a great night. Oh, have a good night, you too. Thank you. Thank you. Uh let's see here, Charlie.

SPEAKER_03 40:43

Onyx Knight arrived today, and 10 bleak midwinners arrived yesterday. Oh, that's a good that's a good mail call.

SPEAKER_00 40:50

Bleak Midwinter is almost completely gone. Completely gone.

SPEAKER_03 40:53

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 40:54

It is it is scary because I thought, like, especially too with like in the beginning, I was like, We'll have bleak for a while, and uh a few other people have kind of caught on. They're like, Man, this is such a good cigar. And I'm like, I think it is a good cigar. And so we're coming down to our last of it. Uh Daniel Frazier, just wait until he pulls a frog or a garden snake out of his pocket.

SPEAKER_03 41:14

Frogs have been okay. We have we have a whole story because uh we've we've seen a couple copperheads. Um and he stops. He's used to like snake awareness because we did have rattlesnakes in Oakland. So he does know to be careful around that. But we he's caught so many frogs, it's just hundreds of frogs since we moved here. That was like his favorite part of being here is that he just won't stop catching frogs, like yeah, it's like his favorite animal, so that that really eases. And he can tell us what all of the frogs are, like he's identified them all differently now, too, and he knows which ones. Yeah, he's very excited.

SPEAKER_00 41:54

Um, okay, so let's talk a little bit about news why we have the opportunity. Uh, and I figured it would be easier to kind of do this in the form of one of the new releases to make sure everyone knows about that. So let's jump into a bit of news. There are thousands of podcasts dedicated to world, national, and even local news. But the best part about sitting at your favorite local lounge is asking that friend what's new with you this week, or what are you smoking? And that's exactly what we want to know. Drop in the comments something notable that happened to you this week: a promotion at work, a cool vacation, or even that new burger joint you tried. We want to know. Get your commenting figures and put it down now. Alrighty, guys. So I thought this was a really cool story. As I had mentioned, uh within our sampler, there's four new lines from El Mago. And some of you guys maybe know the backstory about El Mago cigars and kind of like uh the grandparents on each label uh for Nick Fusco. It's really cool. If you didn't, you can always go back to the podcast, listen to the interview that we had with him. But he recently uh released this set of four. Now, I think the biggest thing with Elmago cigars, it might get a little confusing based on like which one is an El Mago? Are they all regular production? Are they not regular production? Because a lot of them are like in tubos, some of them are not, some of them are in tins. So, especially with the onset of four new cigars coming out, I figured like, hey, part of the news that we need to talk about is this is big happening at OGT right now, and kind of how to determine and what is the story behind them. So, as you'll notice from left to right, uh you have uh four different blends. You have a Habano, a Connecticut, Maduro, and a Sumatra. Now, this is El Mago's new regular production. James Avenue is a regular production, four different blends within the line. They're all released in a six by 54 box press format, and they're the first regular production to not be in uh tubos. So they're more like traditional style, um, which I think the boxes are beautiful. But the reason that they're called James Avenue is because I'm gonna, I don't, I'm kind of paraphrasing here. I want to pull this up uh very quickly, but is uh Nick Fusco has said that he launched El Mago in honor of his grandparents, Maria and Gonzalo, uh, but they had died in the collapse of a uh Champlin Towers south uh uh south of Surfside, Florida. And what inspired this line is that they had purchased a hotel before this known as the James Hotel in Miami Beach, and it was on James Avenue. So it's this kind of continued like dedication to his grandparents. Um, the Habano, and I would say the Maduro, I believe, are gonna be the strongest of the four. Uh, the Maduro is not crazy, crazy strong, but it's got some really good flavor, chocolatey notes, espresso notes, more of like kind of just that classic Elmago. I had the Connecticut this morning, more mild to medium, really good citrusy aspect, and then you have the Sumatra in there as well. The thing I would say that's really cool is that Nick and I both have talked at length about how much we love Sumatra. Sumatra is just one of those tobaccos that I think I really enjoy. As he said, it's his favorite wrapper. And so I think it's cool, especially in um a new brand, to showcase Sumatra tobacco so much.

SPEAKER_02 45:09

Yeah, that's really cool. That's really cool. Yeah, it's really cool.

SPEAKER_00 45:11

And the the design on the labels and such, like the art deco element, uh, I think it's beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 45:17

It's really cool. It's really beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 45:19

So, kind of in bit of news, this is big for El Mago because it's again uh sort of that like uh heritage and like dedication to it, but also if it was a little bit confusing, I was like, you know what, we should probably have that segmented. Outline what it is, yeah. Yeah, can see that. Um, let's see here. Daniel Frazier.

SPEAKER_03 45:36

Hey, my kid was capturing and keeping lizards in his toy box for a few years. We had a good talk about wildlife needs to stay in the wild. Yeah, Clark, we had to do a lot of like talk about catch and release, and now he's very legalistic about it. He keeps them for about two hours, maybe, and then he gets nervous and wants to put them back. So that's been good. But yeah, it's hard when they're like they just want to keep them as a pet. It's like, sorry, bud. When they don't come in the house, no, no, they there's plenty of room outside for all of them. Randy says, get a giant schnauzer. Schnauzer.

SPEAKER_00 46:07

Oh, that would be cool.

SPEAKER_03 46:09

That would be cool. Uh Daniel says, Going back to the DR next week, we'll smoke an onyx night on the beach. Oh, nice. That is that's a great plan.

SPEAKER_00 46:18

Well, I certainly hope you have a great time. That's it's still the bucket list. We made the move to North Carolina. It's the bucket list to get to Nicaragua at some point.

SPEAKER_03 46:26

Nicaragua and Dominican and everywhere. Yeah. See all the stuff. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:30

Take a look. Uh, let's see here.

SPEAKER_03 46:32

Randy is asking, are they similar to the Miami edition?

SPEAKER_00 46:35

So I would say what's cool is that uh for the previous releases of El Mago, especially in the tubos, the Miami, uh, the Connecticut, the Renegade, those of all which have like really set the bar high for El Mago. And they also have a really like high refined to it, also a bigger price point. James Avenue, I'm not gonna say is a budget line because it's no means budget, but it's a bit more affordable and it's a bit more uh I would say like Nicaraguan in terms of its aggressiveness. Um, I personally, for me, I think I tend to like the James Avenue a little bit more just because it is a hint more like heavy hitting.

SPEAKER_02 47:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 47:16

The Miami Maduro, I would say, is more refined, it's more classic Maduro, it's not crazy strong, it's more sweet than it is otherwise, which is it's a really good cigar. But I think, and I also think the box press influences that a little bit, but um definitely uh more approachable, I guess, across the board. That that's where I'm gonna say it's somewhat different. Uh see here.

SPEAKER_03 47:37

Uh Charlie says to Randy, I have a giant Snauzer. I believe he's saying giant Snauzer, my fourth. His name is Argos. That's a cool name.

SPEAKER_00 47:44

That's the same name as Lee Marsh's Canny Corso that passed away.

SPEAKER_03 47:48

That's a good name.

SPEAKER_00 47:49

That's crazy. Beautiful name. Uh let's see here. Starting going to the DR in the 90s, uh, you need to go been there 15 times. Very cool. So cool. That's awesome. That's awesome. Okay, so we also, you had mentioned the Discord earlier.

SPEAKER_02 48:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 48:06

Thought we'd uh share a picture from Jacob in the Discord. And if any of you guys are wondering how to get into the Discord or such like that, message me either on Facebook or Instagram or wherever, and I can send you the invite if you haven't gotten it so far. But he had this set up, I thought was really cool. And he uh Jacob uh had put his collection of El Mago.

SPEAKER_03 48:25

So I mean this I'm right, it does photograph well.

SPEAKER_00 48:29

It photographs well, and they're just there.

SPEAKER_03 48:31

I don't think we intended to make this an El Mago episode, but it did become it became an Elmago episode. That's all right.

SPEAKER_00 48:37

Yeah, you have the those original tins right there, um, Alakazam, full lineup. That like sort of like red and black one at the top is the uh solstice sumatra. That is a killer cigar, very good cigar. So I thought this was really cool.

SPEAKER_03 48:50

Show that's a really great picture.

SPEAKER_00 48:52

Had to uh share that. So shout out to Jacob uh in the Discord, and as always, it's always really cool to have people like um share what they're enjoying, what they're smoking, whether it's Facebook, whether it's Discord, whether it's Instagram, keep posting, guys. It's really cool.

SPEAKER_03 49:06

It seems like the Discord is hopping right now.

SPEAKER_00 49:08

It's starting to it's starting to pick up a little bit, yeah. For sure. For sure. But um yeah, so there I would like to know any closing thoughts on the move one year later. Surprising things.

SPEAKER_03 49:20

I feel like our storytelling was a little disjointed. Um uh yeah, no, I mean I'm just I'm really grateful to be here. I just I I've told you before, it just still feels very surreal sometimes because it's like we made it. Like um and obviously, like there's a lot of people from our in-person community that we still miss very much, and like we've we've been blessed to see a few of them here actually, and have people come and visit us. Um so that's been that's been really great, but yeah, just in general, it's like to be like to wake up here and be like, Oh, we we live here.

SPEAKER_00 49:57

Still feels like a vacation house. Yeah, a little bit, and at the same time too, like it kind of hit me uh the other day. I was like, it's already been a year, like it just flew by.

SPEAKER_02 50:06

Yeah, which is crazy. Yeah, it's crazy, it's bizarre.

SPEAKER_00 50:10

Uh Mike Ross is wondering, are you enjoying southern cooking?

SPEAKER_03 50:13

Yeah, yeah. I I think the problem is though, is that I need, I mean, we've definitely like enjoyed the range of like what fast food is available here, but I don't know that we've found a go-to like sit-down restaurant to go to that's like that exemplifies like southern cooking. I feel like I need to get we need to run a poll here or something for people who are local to North Carolina and tell us where to go eat because I always I if anything, we've gotten more adventurous at cooking at home. Yeah, we've cooked a lot at home, but um there's uh I mean there is some amazing food here. I am we went to Stanbury and Raleigh, and I haven't stopped talking about it since. And I was just like so excited about that restaurant. So um lots of good food.

SPEAKER_00 51:03

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah, we're still in exploration mode, I think, in trying like trying new things and such like that. But if we've definitely enjoyed it for sure. Uh let's see here. Uh Chris is saying any brick and mortar updates. So right now, I feel like we've finally been able to be like, okay, we were able to rest a bit, look into what's uh on the horizon, and we're kind of working through um some ideas during the summer. But I would also say, shout out to Wendell uh Cigar Company, um and uh Jason and Tucker out there. They just opened up a cigar shop. There, it's about like 50 minutes away, an hour away. Really awesome people. Their uh cigar lounge is very welcoming, really cool. And so he and I are been in talks because he's worked real real estate for a very long time. So we're starting to open that doors and kind of see like, okay, how what is our plan of execution? So as more updates come, that will be forthcoming.

SPEAKER_03 51:59

Yeah, we'll definitely let you know.

SPEAKER_00 52:01

It's just but it's starting to see it's starting to like form a picture now instead of just like so out in the distance of being like, Oh, I think so. This we're gonna try. So, yeah, we're we're getting there for sure. Uh, let's see here. Faces orchestra.

SPEAKER_03 52:13

We've been in our new house a year as well. Feels like a vacation house as well. Yeah, it's like it's still definitely getting used to it, and we've been making changes. Uh we've putting in a library, and I'm very, very excited about it because yeah, yeah, separate library. Finally have a place for all of my books in one.

SPEAKER_00 52:30

That's part of why the pod weighed too much with books. Many, many books.

SPEAKER_03 52:34

I thought you were gonna bring that up earlier, but okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:38

Let's see here. Daniel is saying Mayberry OGT. It kind of feels like Mayberry sometimes. Uh Z here.

SPEAKER_03 52:46

Uh, you need to do uh Randy says you need to do an OG trip to Jamaican. I think or to DM.

SPEAKER_00 52:53

I think DR.

SPEAKER_03 52:54

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:55

Yeah, yeah. We do, we definitely do. Yes. Daniel, there's there's an idea.

SPEAKER_03 52:59

When you're out grocery shopping, ask for recommendations. Yes, yes, I need to. I feel like, yeah, we've just been slowly exploring everything in the area, but I feel like I'm not enough of an expert on what counts as southern cooking to be like, okay, this is the place that I like to go to eat regularly. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:16

Good fried chicken.

unknown 53:18

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 53:18

Very good fried chicken.

SPEAKER_03 53:19

Everywhere, yes.

SPEAKER_00 53:20

Uh uh oh yeah, Randy's saying, yeah, a group, yes, DR. That would be really cool. That would be really cool.

SPEAKER_03 53:25

That would be so cool. Uh Charlie says there has to be a local meet and three restaurant close by. Okay. We'll look.

SPEAKER_02 53:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 53:33

Uh Christopher says, come to Charlotte. The food scene is great. We'll, yes. You can show us around.

SPEAKER_00 53:39

That's on the that's on the list is to go to Charlotte as well. Kind of even like branch out local areas.

SPEAKER_03 53:44

Yeah, I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface with Raleigh, so I'm like intimidated to also go to Charlotte. But I would love I'll eat food anywhere. I'm always very excited.

SPEAKER_00 53:54

Try new stuff, yes. Okay, guys. Well, that is kind of our year-in review this time last year landing. And I think our first, I gotta look into it, but I don't think we did our first podcast till like mid-July.

SPEAKER_03 54:06

Uh it took us a little bit to get it.

SPEAKER_00 54:08

Did and I believe it was uh with uh the guys at HDA was our first guest. Yeah, when we did it, we were kind of just like throw up a table and throw up chairs and like whatever microphone we can find and trying to make it happen. So um it's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 54:24

Definitely gone up. The next thing we need is headphones because I need to be able to hear these sound effects if I push on my lesson learned.

SPEAKER_00 54:33

Learning uh, still learning the ins and outs. But uh guys, thank you for joining us tonight.

SPEAKER_02 54:38

Yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 54:38

As I had mentioned, uh, check out the Elmago tins. Uh, or if you want to experience it all together, we have curated a perfect sampler with a lighter as well. And then also celebrating 4th of July with the warhead and the new chef special from Espinoza. A lot of new stuff happening here at OGT. Um, let's take one more comment before we sign off. Raider Dave.

SPEAKER_03 54:58

That's great to hear by the time the BM Brigand Martyr is up and running. We'll be in Texas. It'll be a short flight to North Carolina for the Grand Opening. We're going to hold you to it. You gotta come. That would be so great. We'll definitely have to have a visit.

SPEAKER_00 55:10

Awesome, man. Well, and so excited too for uh you guys on the move. I hope that definitely goes well. You'll be in our prayers. Yeah, can't wait to hear how it goes smooth and it goes well for sure. And uh Chris is saying, got my tins uh tonight.

SPEAKER_03 55:24

Or got my tins night, guys. Good night.

SPEAKER_00 55:26

Awesome. Thank you guys so much, guys. I appreciate all the support. We will see you next time on the podcast. Thanks for hanging out and reminiscing with us.

SPEAKER_03 55:33

And here's to another year.

SPEAKER_00 55:34

Yes, many years and happy birthday. Yes, and we uh thank you. We will uh keep you guys posted on the brick and mortar and new stuff coming. So thank you guys so much and have a great weekend.