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On Prime Time Episode 334, we bring back The Baseball Show for 2025. We will look ahead to the upcoming 2025 Major League Baseball season and discuss some topics affecting the game of Major League Baseball. Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and Bear Duplisea of El Oso Fumar join Aaron and Coop for this show. Plus, we will also have our FSG Beef, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Industry Deliberation segments.
On Prime Time Episode 334, we bring back The Baseball Show for 2025. We will look ahead to the upcoming 2025 Major League Baseball season and discuss some topics affecting the game of Major League Baseball. Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and Bear Duplisea of El Oso Fumar join Aaron and Coop for this show. Plus, we will also have our FSG Beef, Alec Bradley Live True, Espinosa, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Industry Deliberation segments.
Prime Time Jukebox Episode 148 features our 18th installment of our Album Archaeology Series, Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. This album won our 2024 Battle of the Bands – 1970s Tournament, and was the album drafted by Espinosa Cigars' Hector Alfonso. To celebrate Wish You Were Here‘s win, we devote an Album Archaeology to this album. We are also joined by John McTavish of Developing Palates who also participated in this year's tournament. Much like an archaeologist digs and hunts for gems, on Album Archaeology we dig deep into an album. We examine each of the tracks of this album looking at the music, lyrics, and stories behind this album. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 148 Playlist Dave's Top 50 Songs of 2024 References Dave's Top 50 Battle of the Bands 1970s Wayne Osmond, Original Member of the Osmonds Singing Group, Dies at 73 Bob Bryar, Former My Chemical Romance Drummer, Dies at 44
Prime Time Jukebox Episode 148 features our 18th installment of our Album Archaeology Series, Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. This album won our 2024 Battle of the Bands – 1970s Tournament, and was the album drafted by Espinosa Cigars' Hector Alfonso. To celebrate Wish You Were Here‘s win, we devote an Album Archaeology to this album. We are also joined by John McTavish of Developing Palates who also participated in this year's tournament. Much like an archaeologist digs and hunts for gems, on Album Archaeology we dig deep into an album. We examine each of the tracks of this album looking at the music, lyrics, and stories behind this album. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 148 Playlist Dave's Top 50 Songs of 2024 References Dave's Top 50 Battle of the Bands 1970s Wayne Osmond, Original Member of the Osmonds Singing Group, Dies at 73 Bob Bryar, Former My Chemical Romance Drummer, Dies at 44
For Prime Time Special Edition 169, we present our annual CA Top 25 Pre-Game Show for 2024. Next week the CA Top 25 for 2024 list will be revealed. The results of this list will either make some in the cigar industry's hopes and dreams come true, and it will shatter the hopes and dreams of the others. We've assembled members of the Cigar Coop Coalition team and are joined by guest panelists John McTavish of Developing Palates and Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars. Our approach is unique, and probably the most accurate any in the industry. It's also one of our most controversial shows, but as always we will deliver with the utmost respect.` The powerpoint presentation from last year is coming back – with updates! We invite and encourage you to tune in live and weigh in on your predictions. Plus, we have our U.S. History segment, Tabacalera USA Great Things are Happening Here, and Espinosa This Day in Sports History segments. References 82nd Annual Santa Train Stops for Hurricane Survivors Before Giving 15 Tons of Gifts on Appalachia Whistlestop Tour Dick Van Dyke Dances in New Coldplay Video Premiering on His 99th Birthday (WATCH)
For Prime Time Special Edition 169, we present our annual CA Top 25 Pre-Game Show for 2024. Next week the CA Top 25 for 2024 list will be revealed. The results of this list will either make some in the cigar industry's hopes and dreams come true, and it will shatter the hopes and dreams of the others. We've assembled members of the Cigar Coop Coalition team and are joined by guest panelists John McTavish of Developing Palates and Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars. Our approach is unique, and probably the most accurate any in the industry. It's also one of our most controversial shows, but as always we will deliver with the utmost respect.` The powerpoint presentation from last year is coming back – with updates! We invite and encourage you to tune in live and weigh in on your precautions. Plus, we have our U.S. History segment, Tabacalera USA Great Things are Happening Here, and Espinosa This Day in Sports History segments. References 82nd Annual Santa Train Stops for Hurricane Survivors Before Giving 15 Tons of Gifts on Appalachia Whistlestop Tour Dick Van Dyke Dances in New Coldplay Video Premiering on His 99th Birthday (WATCH)
James and Nick welcome blender and Director of Factory Operations for Espinosa Cigars, Hector Alfonso Sr., to the show. The trio discuss the cigar industry at large: the differences in B&M's, the internal politics of lounges and how one or two "Alpha Dogs" can sway others in the lounge, and what differentiates "cigar slingers" from those who actually sell cigars. They also discuss why Simply Stogies Podcast is "legit" and what we do differently than others in the media space. Hector talks about Cigar of the Year lists before we dive in to how he met Erik Espinosa and and how Espinosa Cigars began. He also discusses working with Guy Fieri and how he's just build different than other celebrities in the cigar space. Hector also discusses where he thinks Espinosa Cigars will be in five years.
This week, #ELOsoFumarTakes welcomes the return of 'Mr. Warmth' himself - Héctor J. Alfonso Sr of Espinosa Cigars! In addition to the stellar brands of Espinosa, Hector's fingerprints are all over Protocol, La Sirena, Cornelius & Anthony, Balck Star Line, and the coveted Knuckle Sandwich cigars. We catch up with Hector and see what's up all for #Take297! Enjoy!
We have reached the Final Four of the 2024 Battle of the Bands. This year we did albums from the 1970s and once again invited Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates to join the fun. We have reached the final four and each one of us have an album to represent us in the Final Four. On Episode 135, our team will recap the tournament thus far make the cases for which album should win. Like year one, it has come down to Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin with Floyd landing three of the four Final Four slots. The four albums are: Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd (Hector) The Wall, Pink Floyd (John) Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd (Dave) Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin (Coop) Remember you can vote by following the Cigar Coop X (Twitter) Account! Matchups begin Thursday July 18, 2024. As always, you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 135 Playlist References Battle of the Bands 2024: The 1970s The Dolly Parton Experience Katy Perry Woman's World Video UK Generational Smoking Ban North Carolina Governor and Legislature Advance Cigar Bar Legislation
We have reached the Final Four of the 2024 Battle of the Bands. This year we did albums from the 1970s and once again invited Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates to join the fun. We have reached the final four and each one of us have an album to represent us in the Final Four. On Episode 135, our team will recap the tournament thus far make the cases for which album should win. Like year one, it has come down to Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin with Floyd landing three of the four Final Four slots. The four albums are: Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd (Hector) The Wall, Pink Floyd (John) Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd (Dave) Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin (Coop) Remember you can vote by following the Cigar Coop X (Twitter) Account! Matchups begin Thursday July 18, 2024. As always, you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 135 Playlist References Battle of the Bands 2024: The 1970s The Dolly Parton Experience Katy Perry Woman's World Video UK Generational Smoking Ban North Carolina Governor and Legislature Advance Cigar Bar Legislation
On Episode 129 of Prime Time Jukebox, we kick off the 2024 Battle of the Bands Competition and turn our attention to the 1970s. While last year we selected artists, this year we have decided to focus on albums – specifically from the decade of the 197s. Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates are once again back and participating. The concept works as follows: Dave, Coop, Hector, and John will each pick eight albums. The selections will occur via a “Draft.” Once the albums are selected, each participant will seed them, place them into brackets and you will decide who should move on. We will go through each round on Twitter, until there is a winner from each of the four brackets. From that point, the four bracket winners will square off in a final four. The tournament commences the week of May 27th with two matchups a day to vote on. Each vote will be eligible to compete to win one of three special prizes that will be announced For this show, here are our smokes: Dave: 601 La Bomba Warhead X Coop: Las 6 Provincias ZDT John: Black Label Trading Company Bishops Blend Hector: Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 129 Playlist References Draft Results Hector's Bracket Coop's Bracket Dave's Bracket John's Bracket
On Episode 129 of Prime Time Jukebox, we kick off the 2024 Battle of the Bands Competition and turn our attention to the 1970s. While last year we selected artists, this year we have decided to focus on albums – specifically from the decade of the 197s. Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates are once again back and participating. The concept works as follows: Dave, Coop, Hector, and John will each pick eight albums. The selections will occur via a “Draft.” Once the albums are selected, each participant will seed them, place them into brackets and you will decide who should move on. We will go through each round on Twitter, until there is a winner from each of the four brackets. From that point, the four bracket winners will square off in a final four. The tournament commences the week of May 27th with two matchups a day to vote on. Each vote will be eligible to compete to win one of three special prizes that will be announced For this show, here are our smokes: Dave: 601 La Bomba Warhead X Coop: Las 6 Provincias ZDT John: Black Label Trading Company Bishops Blend Hector: Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 129 Playlist References Draft Results Hector's Bracket Coop's Bracket Dave's Bracket John's Bracket
After a one year absence, the unofficial CA Top 25 Pre-Game Show is making a return for 2023. Next week the CA Top 25 for 2023 list will be revealed. The results of this list will either make some in the cigar industry's hopes and dreams come true, and it will shatter the hopes and dreams of the others. We've assembled members of the Cigar Coop Coalition team and are joined by guest panelists John McTavish of Developing Palates and Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars. Our approach is unique, and probably the most accurate any in the industry. It's also one of our most controversial shows, but as always we will deliver with the utmost respect.` We invite and encourage you to tune in live and weigh in on your precautions. Plus, we have our Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group U.S. History segment, Tabacalera USA Great Things are Happening Here, and Espinosa This Day in Sports History segments. References History Enthusiasts Found a Buried 15th Century Royal Palace All on Their Own– 'Against all odds' 96-year-old scuba diver holds new world record
After a one year absence, the unofficial CA Top 25 Pre-Game Show is making a return for 2023. Next week the CA Top 25 for 2023 list will be revealed. The results of this list will either make some in the cigar industry's hopes and dreams come true, and it will shatter the hopes and dreams of the others. We've assembled members of the Cigar Coop Coalition team and are joined by guest panelists John McTavish of Developing Palates and Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars. Our approach is unique, and probably the most accurate any in the industry. It's also one of our most controversial shows, but as always we will deliver with the utmost respect.` We invite and encourage you to tune in live and weigh in on your precautions. Plus, we have our Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group U.S. History segment, Tabacalera USA Great Things are Happening Here, and Espinosa This Day in Sports History segments. References History Enthusiasts Found a Buried 15th Century Royal Palace All on Their Own– 'Against all odds' 96-year-old scuba diver holds new world record
#ELOsoFumarTakes IS TURNING 6!!!! Today marks the year 6 of #Takes and we're so please to welcome the return of two of our original #Takes to celebrate the occasion. As always, Tim Wong as agreed to return as he has every year to celebrate the festivities. Tim was my guest for my very first #Take and I will never forget it! #MrWarmth Héctor J. Alfonso Sr. of Espinosa Cigars returns as well. Hector has made numerous appearances including in #Take3 on our opening weekend! Six years in the making and I have a feeling we're just getting started! Espinosa Cigars
La Zona Palooza 2023 is coming up the first weekend in November, and tonight we will preview the upcoming event with Hector Alfonso and Jack Toraño of Espinosa Cigars. In addition, we will catch up on the happenings of Espinosa. Plus, we have our Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group U.S. History segment, Tabacalera USA Great Things are Happening Here, and Espinosa This Day in Sports History segments. References 19 Wildcats Set to Bring Back Scottish Highland Species – They're Thriving in a Reintroduction Program Here are the Top 10 most popular Halloween candies, according to Instacart - CBS News
La Zona Palooza 2023 is coming up the first weekend in November, and tonight we will preview the upcoming event with Hector Alfonso and Jack Toraño of Espinosa Cigars. In addition, we will catch up on the happenings of Espinosa. Plus, we have our Vintage Rock-A-Feller Cigar Group U.S. History segment, Tabacalera USA Great Things are Happening Here, and Espinosa This Day in Sports History segments. References 19 Wildcats Set to Bring Back Scottish Highland Species – They're Thriving in a Reintroduction Program Here are the Top 10 most popular Halloween candies, according to Instacart - CBS News
On this episode the guys are joined by Hector Alfonso, Operations Director and Blender for Espinosa Premium Cigars to discuss all things Espinosa! We Find out what its like working with Guy Fieri! The guys share stories about past policing vs current policing, What is the greatest police show ever made and much more! So sit back light up and join us for this great interview! Cigar: 601 La Bomba Warhead IX 2023 Whiskey: Glenmorangie scotch 10 year Follow Us On: Podbean: https://acigarhustlerspodcast.podbean.com Buzzsprout: https://downtoherfpodcast.buzzsprout.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKhxsobU8k8EAyYBgWoCBaQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/downtoherfpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downtoherfpodcast/
For the fourth year in a row, we are bringing the Virtual Trade Expo Concept back. The concept is very simple. We give a cigar company a 15-minute slot to come on and talk about their summer/upcoming releases. This is the first of two shows over two weeks. Here is the lineup from Day One (6/22/23): Hector Alfonso, Espinosa Cigars Brian Motola, Cavalier-Geneve Cigars Justo Eiroa, JRE Tobacco Co Pete Johnson, Tatuaje Cigars James Brown, Oveja Negra Brands Casey Haugen, Crux Cigars Enrique Sanchez, 1502 Cigars Dave Spirit & Jerry Gripp, EP Carrillo Gus Martinez, West Tampa Tobacco Co Mike Szczepankiewicz, Powstanie Cigars Ed Treviño, Luciano Cigars
For the fourth year in a row, we are bringing the Virtual Trade Expo Concept back. The concept is very simple. We give a cigar company a 15-minute slot to come on and talk about their summer/upcoming releases. This is the first of two shows over two weeks. Here is the lineup from Day One (6/22/23): Hector Alfonso, Espinosa Cigars Brian Motola, Cavalier-Geneve Cigars Justo Eiroa, JRE Tobacco Co Pete Johnson, Tatuaje Cigars James Brown, Oveja Negra Brands Casey Haugen, Crux Cigars Enrique Sanchez, 1502 Cigars Dave Spirit & Jerry Gripp, EP Carrillo Gus Martinez, West Tampa Tobacco Co Mike Szczepankiewicz, Powstanie Cigars Ed Treviño, Luciano Cigars
Inspired by Hector Alfonso, tonight Dave and Coop unveil what would be their Personal Soundtracks! Both Dave and Coop take a different approach with the same goal – a soundtrack that best describes then. What's different about this show is we talk about how the songs personally impact us. Plus we have music news, cigar news, and the Developing Palates Review of the Week! On this Episode Dave smokes the Liga Privada Dirty Rat and Coop smokes the AVO LE05 30 Years. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 102 Playlist References Urge Overkill Drummer John Rowan, Who Performed as Blackie Onassis, Has Died Foo Fighters' Rescued: Healing Through Music Pride Month: Have a Happy Pride with these LGBTQIA+ Artists I Need This: 10 Collabs That Should be on Harry's Next Record The Beatles will release a final record, using John Lennon's voice via an AI assist The Rolling Stones 'welcome Bill Wyman back to the band for first time in 30 years The Oscar Connecticut to Make Debut at 2023 PCA Trade Show Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co to Introduce 2012 by Oscar Sumatra at PCA 2023 Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. to Introduce Leaf by Oscar 10th Anniversary Criollo Developing Palates: Team Cigar Review: Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow Tony Manero's Iconic Entrance
Inspired by Hector Alfonso, tonight Dave and Coop unveil what would be their Personal Soundtracks! Both Dave and Coop take a different approach with the same goal – a soundtrack that best describes then. What's different about this show is we talk about how the songs personally impact us. Plus we have music news, cigar news, and the Developing Palates Review of the Week! On this Episode Dave smokes the Liga Privada Dirty Rat and Coop smokes the AVO LE05 30 Years. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 102 Playlist References Urge Overkill Drummer John Rowan, Who Performed as Blackie Onassis, Has Died Foo Fighters' Rescued: Healing Through Music Pride Month: Have a Happy Pride with these LGBTQIA+ Artists I Need This: 10 Collabs That Should be on Harry's Next Record The Beatles will release a final record, using John Lennon's voice via an AI assist The Rolling Stones 'welcome Bill Wyman back to the band for first time in 30 years The Oscar Connecticut to Make Debut at 2023 PCA Trade Show Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co to Introduce 2012 by Oscar Sumatra at PCA 2023 Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. to Introduce Leaf by Oscar 10th Anniversary Criollo Developing Palates: Team Cigar Review: Gurkha Ghost Connecticut Shadow Tony Manero's Iconic Entrance
Tonight we celebrate Hector Alfonso's victory in the Battle of the Bands 80s Madness with Prince's Purple Rain and celebrate the music of Prince. Hector along with runner-up John McTavish of Developing Palates join Coop and Dave for this show Normally the winning album would get an Album Archaeology Show, but because an Album Archaeology was done Purple Rain on Prime Time Jukebox Episode 80, we changed things up and looked at Prince's music as a whole. In this episode, John smokes the Padrón 3000 Natural, Dave smokes the Oscar Valladares McFly, and Coop smokes a unicorn version of the 601 Yellow. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 101 Playlist References Battle of the Bands 80s Madness Prime Time Jukebox Episode 80: Album Archaeology #10 – Purple Rain, Prince & The Revolution Astrud Gilberto, 'The Girl from Ipanema' singer, dies at 83 The Revolution Performs "Mountains" | Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince Superfunkycalifragisexy
Tonight we celebrate Hector Alfonso's victory in the Battle of the Bands 80s Madness with Prince's Purple Rain and celebrate the music of Prince. Hector along with runner-up John McTavish of Developing Palates join Coop and Dave for this show Normally the winning album would get an Album Archaeology Show, but because an Album Archaeology was done Purple Rain on Prime Time Jukebox Episode 80, we changed things up and looked at Prince's music as a whole. In this episode, John smokes the Padrón 3000 Natural, Dave smokes the Oscar Valladares McFly, and Coop smokes a unicorn version of the 601 Yellow. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Episode 101 Playlist References Battle of the Bands 80s Madness Prime Time Jukebox Episode 80: Album Archaeology #10 – Purple Rain, Prince & The Revolution Astrud Gilberto, 'The Girl from Ipanema' singer, dies at 83 The Revolution Performs "Mountains" | Let's Go Crazy: The GRAMMY Salute To Prince Superfunkycalifragisexy
Baseball's back and so is the Prime Time team ready to cover it. Tonight, we bring back our guest cigar industry panel of Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads, The Smoking Syndicate's Ben Lee, and Rob Rasmussen of Cigar Dojo as we preview the 2023 Major League Baseball Season. We will talk about our teams and talk about some of the major rule changes. We will also go through some of the things to expect – plus we will have our predictions – including our famous over/unders. References 2023 MLB Over/Unders and Picks (Spoiler) Florida high school cross country team runs with shelter dogs to help the pups get adopted | Fox News
Baseball's back and so is the Prime Time team ready to cover it. Tonight, we bring back our guest cigar industry panel of Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads, The Smoking Syndicate's Ben Lee, and Rob Rasmussen of Cigar Dojo as we preview the 2023 Major League Baseball Season. We will talk about our teams and talk about some of the major rule changes. We will also go through some of the things to expect – plus we will have our predictions – including our famous over/unders. References 2023 MLB Over/Unders and Picks (Spoiler) Florida high school cross country team runs with shelter dogs to help the pups get adopted | Fox News
Brought to you by J.C. Newman - This week Matt and Mitchell welcome on Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, our 2022 Person of the Year! Hector talks to us about the success of Knuckle Sandwich and how fast it has taken off as well as why this cigar brand is different that other celebrity cigar brands we have seen in the past. We also talk candidly about what it is really like to promote a cigar brand in the business. We also give an update to our 2023 Cigar Family Charitable Foundation fundraiser which as of this writing is at $9,405! The link to the raffle site to make donations can be found here: https://go.rallyup.com/smokintabacco2023/Campaign/Details Micallef News: The Premium Cigar Association Hires Antoine Reid as Director of Content - https://www.smokintabacco.com/blog-posts/pca-hires-antoine-reid-as-director-of-content Don't forget to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE on all of our platforms and visit www.smokintabacco.com for more news, reviews, and updates form the cigar industry! Cutters and Lighters provided by Cigar Blondie Accessories - www.cigarblondie.com For all of your retail needs, head over to www.2guyscigars.com for all your retail cigar needs!
This year the Battle of the Bands Competition turns to the 1980s. While last year we selected artists, this year we have decided to focus on albums - specifically from the decade of the 1980s. Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates are once again back ad participating. The concept works as follows: Dave, Coop, Hector, and John will each pick eight albums. The selections will occur via a "Draft." Once the albums are selected, each participant will seed them, place them into brackets and you will decide who should move on. We will go through each round on Twitter, until there is a winner from each of the four brackets. From that point, the four bracket winners will square off in a final four. The tournament commences the week of March 27th with two matchups a day to vote on. Each vote will be eligible to compete to win one of three special prizes that will be announced For this show, Hector smokes the Knuckle Sandwich 55, John smokes a RoMa Craft CroMagnon, Dave smokes the Rocky Patel Winter Collection Robusto, and Coop smokes the Espinosa Sarsaparilla. Because there are 32 albums drafted, there is no playlist for this episode. References Battle of the Bands 2022: 90s Madness Lorde's Solar Power Concert Review: The Power of the Sun The Harry Styles Concert and Why You Should Support the Opening Act Transatlanticsm, Death Cab for Cutie
This year the Battle of the Bands Competition turns to the 1980s. While last year we selected artists, this year we have decided to focus on albums - specifically from the decade of the 1980s. Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates are once again back ad participating. The concept works as follows: Dave, Coop, Hector, and John will each pick eight albums. The selections will occur via a "Draft." Once the albums are selected, each participant will seed them, place them into brackets and you will decide who should move on. We will go through each round on Twitter, until there is a winner from each of the four brackets. From that point, the four bracket winners will square off in a final four. The tournament commences the week of March 27th with two matchups a day to vote on. Each vote will be eligible to compete to win one of three special prizes that will be announced For this show, Hector smokes the Knuckle Sandwich 55, John smokes a RoMa Craft CroMagnon, Dave smokes the Rocky Patel Winter Collection Robusto, and Coop smokes the Espinosa Sarsaparilla. Because there are 32 albums drafted, there is no playlist for this episode. References Battle of the Bands 2022: 90s Madness Lorde's Solar Power Concert Review: The Power of the Sun The Harry Styles Concert and Why You Should Support the Opening Act Transatlanticsm, Death Cab for Cutie
We wrap up the week as usual..tease you with a little industry news..then the world exclusive Story from Jack Torano and Hector Alfonso!
Coming in at #5 is the Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo Gordo. The Azulejo is the third installment of Espinosa's Laranja line. This is a line that focuses on Brazilian tobacco. The original Laranja made its debut in 2014. It featured the famed Laranja wrapper, which comes from a Habano seed and has a distinct orange tint. This was followed in 2019 with the Laranja Escuro which featured a dark (aka Escuro) Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper. This time the Brazilian tobacco used is Arapirca, a tobacco the company has not used often. In this case, this tobacco is used as the binder. Azulejo is named for the color of a blue-glazed tile that was used on Spanish and Portuguese edifices. Blue is also one of the colors featured on the Brazilian flag. In addition to the Brazilian Arapiraca binder, the blend uses all-Nicaraguan tobaccos and is finished with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper - another leaf Espinosa has been making more use of these days. It's the 6 x 60 box-pressed Gordo size that lands on the 2022 Countdown. Production comes from AJ Fernandez's San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua and the cigar was blended by Hector Alfonso. The Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo Gordo delivered a fantastic combination of coffee, leather, citrus, cedar, and pepper. This cigar delivered on the upper end of medium strength and medium body. It's not only something very different from Espinosa, but it really is an innovative flavor profile when it comes to the Sumatra wrapper. The Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo Gordo is the third cigar from Espinosa Cigars to land on the 2022 Cigar of the Year Countdown joining the Las 6 Provinces LV and Warhead VII. It's also the third cigar to come out of AJ Fernandez's San Lotano Factory. The year 2022 has been a big one for Espinosa Cigars when it comes to the Countdown. Not only is this the third cigar to place on the Countdown from the Company, but this year has marked ten consecutive years at least one Espinosa Cigar has placed on a Cigar Coop Countdown. If you are keeping score at home Nicaragua continues to dominate the Countdown. Of the 26 cigars we have unveiled, 17 of them have come from Nicaragua, and three have placed in the top ten - including two top tens from Espinosa. Full Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-oqu
Coming in at #5 is the Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo Gordo. The Azulejo is the third installment of Espinosa's Laranja line. This is a line that focuses on Brazilian tobacco. The original Laranja made its debut in 2014. It featured the famed Laranja wrapper, which comes from a Habano seed and has a distinct orange tint. This was followed in 2019 with the Laranja Escuro which featured a dark (aka Escuro) Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper. This time the Brazilian tobacco used is Arapirca, a tobacco the company has not used often. In this case, this tobacco is used as the binder. Azulejo is named for the color of a blue-glazed tile that was used on Spanish and Portuguese edifices. Blue is also one of the colors featured on the Brazilian flag. In addition to the Brazilian Arapiraca binder, the blend uses all-Nicaraguan tobaccos and is finished with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper - another leaf Espinosa has been making more use of these days. It's the 6 x 60 box-pressed Gordo size that lands on the 2022 Countdown. Production comes from AJ Fernandez's San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua and the cigar was blended by Hector Alfonso. The Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo Gordo delivered a fantastic combination of coffee, leather, citrus, cedar, and pepper. This cigar delivered on the upper end of medium strength and medium body. It's not only something very different from Espinosa, but it really is an innovative flavor profile when it comes to the Sumatra wrapper. The Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo Gordo is the third cigar from Espinosa Cigars to land on the 2022 Cigar of the Year Countdown joining the Las 6 Provinces LV and Warhead VII. It's also the third cigar to come out of AJ Fernandez's San Lotano Factory. The year 2022 has been a big one for Espinosa Cigars when it comes to the Countdown. Not only is this the third cigar to place on the Countdown from the Company, but this year has marked ten consecutive years at least one Espinosa Cigar has placed on a Cigar Coop Countdown. If you are keeping score at home Nicaragua continues to dominate the Countdown. Of the 26 cigars we have unveiled, 17 of them have come from Nicaragua, and three have placed in the top ten - including two top tens from Espinosa. Full Report: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-oqu
CA has published its Top 25 list and it was embroiled in a lot of controversy. Was this justified or not? Tonight, we will have the Cigar Coop Coalition in the house and will also be joined by Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates for commentary and analysis of the list. Finally, we have our Presidents, and our Great Things are Happening Segments. References The Top 25 Cigars of 2022 (Cigar Aficionado) From Messi to Morocco: 5 Good News Stories From a Memorable World Cup Off-Duty EMT Rescuer Spends Day Keeping Skier Alive After Avalanche
CA has published its Top 25 list and it was embroiled in a lot of controversy. Was this justified or not? Tonight, we will have the Cigar Coop Coalition in the house and will also be joined by Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates for commentary and analysis of the list. Finally, we have our Presidents, and our Great Things are Happening Segments. References The Top 25 Cigars of 2022 (Cigar Aficionado) From Messi to Morocco: 5 Good News Stories From a Memorable World Cup Off-Duty EMT Rescuer Spends Day Keeping Skier Alive After Avalanche
This is a cigar I've been waiting on, rather impatiently. I was given an unbanded sample at the PCA 2022 from Hector Alfonso, THE MAN at Espinosa Cigars who blended this cigar and is an avid Mets fan. This cigar celebrates Espinosa Cigars 10th Anniversary in the cigar business. This 10 Years Anniversary is a Nicaraguan puro blended by Espinosa and made at San Lotano Factory in Nicaragua. The cigar will be available in 20 count boxes. Wrapper: Hybrid Habano Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Vitola: Toro Size: 6 x 52 MSRP: $13.00 Factory: San Lotano Country of Origin: Nicaragua Final Score: 92
This is a cigar I've been waiting on, rather impatiently. I was given an unbanded sample at the PCA 2022 from Hector Alfonso, THE MAN at Espinosa Cigars who blended this cigar and is an avid Mets fan. This cigar celebrates Espinosa Cigars 10th Anniversary in the cigar business. This 10 Years Anniversary is a Nicaraguan puro blended by Espinosa and made at San Lotano Factory in Nicaragua. The cigar will be available in 20 count boxes. Wrapper: Hybrid Habano Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Vitola: Toro Size: 6 x 52 MSRP: $13.00 Factory: San Lotano Country of Origin: Nicaragua Final Score: 92
On Episode 247, we are proud to welcome back Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars Espinosa Cigars is having a huge year and Hector will give us the an update on all of the happenings and more. Hector will stick around for our Cattle Baron, Alec Bradley Live True, Sopranos, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments!
On Episode 247, we are proud to welcome back Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars Espinosa Cigars is having a huge year and Hector will give us the an update on all of the happenings and more. Hector will stick around for our Cattle Baron, Alec Bradley Live True, Sopranos, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Deliberation segments!
Prime Time Jukebox Episode 76 features our ninth installment of our Album Archaeology Series. On his episode, we break down Nirvana's landmark album Nevermind. This album won our 2022 Battle of the Bands – 90s Madness Tournament, and was the album drafted by Espinosa Cigars' Hector Alfonso. To celebrate Nirvana's win, we devote an Album Archaeology show to Nirvana. We are also joined by John McTavish of Developing Palates who also participated in this year's tournament Much like an archaeologist digs and hunts for gems, on Album Archaeology we dig into the Nevermind album. We go deep into each of the tracks of this album looking at the music, lyrics, and stories behind this album. Plus we reflect on the life and career of Olivia Newton John and Archie Roach. On this show, John smokes Murcielago Rabito, Hector smokes an Espinosa test blend, Dave smokes the Knuckle Sandwich Maduro Toro, and Coop smokes the Espinosa Crema Box Press Toro. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Full Episode 76 Playlist References Olivia Newton-John Dead at 73 Australian Indigenous Artist, Activist and Icon Archie Roach Dies at 66 The Blog: Twelve Years 90s Madness: Nirvana Defeats Pearl Jam to Claim Title Nirvana: MTV Unplugged in New York
Prime Time Jukebox Episode 76 features our ninth installment of our Album Archaeology Series. On his episode, we break down Nirvana's landmark album Nevermind. This album won our 2022 Battle of the Bands – 90s Madness Tournament, and was the album drafted by Espinosa Cigars' Hector Alfonso. To celebrate Nirvana's win, we devote an Album Archaeology show to Nirvana. We are also joined by John McTavish of Developing Palates who also participated in this year's tournament Much like an archaeologist digs and hunts for gems, on Album Archaeology we dig into the Nevermind album. We go deep into each of the tracks of this album looking at the music, lyrics, and stories behind this album. Plus we reflect on the life and career of Olivia Newton John and Archie Roach. On this show, John smokes Murcielago Rabito, Hector smokes an Espinosa test blend, Dave smokes the Knuckle Sandwich Maduro Toro, and Coop smokes the Espinosa Crema Box Press Toro. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Full Episode 76 Playlist References Olivia Newton-John Dead at 73 Australian Indigenous Artist, Activist and Icon Archie Roach Dies at 66 The Blog: Twelve Years 90s Madness: Nirvana Defeats Pearl Jam to Claim Title Nirvana: MTV Unplugged in New York
We have reached the Final Four of the 2022 Battle of the Bands' 90's Madness Edition. This year we did albums from the 1990s and invited Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates to join the fun. We have reached the final four and each one of us have an album to represent us in the Final Four. On Episode 70, our team will recap the tournament thus far make the cases for which album should win. The four albums are: Nirvana Nevermind (Hector) Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill (Dave) Pearl Jam, Ten (John) Metallica, Metallica (Coop) Remember you can vote by following the Cigar Coop Twitter Account! Matchups begin 24 hours after this show airs. We will also look back at the careers of Andrew Woolfolk and Naomi Judd. For this show, John smokes the Bass Reeves Maduro, Dave smokes the Espinosa 601 Warhead VII, Coop smokes the Fair Warning Box-Press Toro Rabito, and Hector smokes an unknown blend As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Full Episode 70 Playlist References Andrew Woolfolk, Earth, Wind & Fire Saxophonist Dead at 71 Naomi Judd Passes Away Prime Time Jukebox 90s Madness Tournament Begins Prime Time Jukebox Episode 66: The 90's Madness Draft Show 90s Madness: Top Seeds Nirvana and Radiohead Advance to Elite 8 90s Madness: Top Seeds Pearl Jam and Metallica Score Wins to Advance to Elite 8 90s Madness: Dr Dre and Alanis Score Upsets and Advance to Elite 8 90s Madness: Counting Crows and Wu-Tang Clan Secure Final Spots in Elite 8 90s Madness: Alanis and Nirvana Punch Tickets to Final Four 90s Madness: Metallica Holds off Counting Crows While Pearl Jam Rolls Over Wu-Tang Clan to Earn Final Four Spots Developing Palates: Team Cigar Review: Room101 Namakubi Ranfla Developing Palates: Team Cigar Review: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 448 Prime Time Jukebox Episode 43: Album Archaeology #7 -Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette Rick Beato YouTube Channel Patty Griffin: Living with Ghosts
We have reached the Final Four of the 2022 Battle of the Bands' 90's Madness Edition. This year we did albums from the 1990s and invited Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates to join the fun. We have reached the final four and each one of us have an album to represent us in the Final Four. On Episode 70, our team will recap the tournament thus far make the cases for which album should win. The four albums are: Nirvana Nevermind (Hector) Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill (Dave) Pearl Jam, Ten (John) Metallica, Metallica (Coop) Remember you can vote by following the Cigar Coop Twitter Account! Matchups begin 24 hours after this show airs. We will also look back at the careers of Andrew Woolfolk and Naomi Judd. For this show, John smokes the Bass Reeves Maduro, Dave smokes the Espinosa 601 Warhead VII, Coop smokes the Fair Warning Box-Press Toro Rabito, and Hector smokes an unknown blend As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Full Episode 70 Playlist References Andrew Woolfolk, Earth, Wind & Fire Saxophonist Dead at 71 Naomi Judd Passes Away Prime Time Jukebox 90s Madness Tournament Begins Prime Time Jukebox Episode 66: The 90's Madness Draft Show 90s Madness: Top Seeds Nirvana and Radiohead Advance to Elite 8 90s Madness: Top Seeds Pearl Jam and Metallica Score Wins to Advance to Elite 8 90s Madness: Dr Dre and Alanis Score Upsets and Advance to Elite 8 90s Madness: Counting Crows and Wu-Tang Clan Secure Final Spots in Elite 8 90s Madness: Alanis and Nirvana Punch Tickets to Final Four 90s Madness: Metallica Holds off Counting Crows While Pearl Jam Rolls Over Wu-Tang Clan to Earn Final Four Spots Developing Palates: Team Cigar Review: Room101 Namakubi Ranfla Developing Palates: Team Cigar Review: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Triqui Traca No. 448 Prime Time Jukebox Episode 43: Album Archaeology #7 -Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette Rick Beato YouTube Channel Patty Griffin: Living with Ghosts
After losing our original feed, we're back! This week on the Smokin Tabacco Show, Matt and Jon are joined by Hector Alfonso of Espinosa cigars who starts by giving us a recap on "La Zona Palooza 2022" and tells us more about how it got started. Hector talks to us about the Knuckle Sandwich cigar that was just released in conjunction with celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Hector walks us through Espinosa's ten year history and reminisces of the early days of the company and how he got involved. We also find out what we can expect in terms of Espinosa's 2022 PCA showcase, which may include new offerings for Knuckle Sandwich. We give an update on the fundraiser and Jon gives us his 2021 "Soap of the Year". Don't forget to get your raffle tickets NOW! Visit www.smokintabacco.com for more news and content and always Like & Subscribe! Raffle Tickets: https://go.rallyup.com/smokintabacco/Campaign/Details?fbclid=IwAR3qUPRoBMOBFt-qL0YsuV5RJ-TaeuRMwFg82ycm6Ir56bZSs21JwCzqujA
Baseball's back and so is the Prime Time team ready to cover it. Tonight, we bring back our guest cigar industry panel of Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads, and Rob Rasmussen of Cigar Dojo as we preview the 2022 Major League Baseball Season. Now that we have labor piece, we are ready to play ball. We will go through some of the things to expect – plus we will have our predictions – including our famous over/unders. Finally, we have our One Must Go, and our Great Things are Happening Segments. References Over/Under and Predictions
Baseball's back and so is the Prime Time team ready to cover it. Tonight, we bring back our guest cigar industry panel of Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads, and Rob Rasmussen of Cigar Dojo as we preview the 2022 Major League Baseball Season. Now that we have labor piece, we are ready to play ball. We will go through some of the things to expect – plus we will have our predictions – including our famous over/unders. Finally, we have our One Must Go, and our Great Things are Happening Segments. References Over/Under and Predictions
This week, Espinosa Cigars will be bringing back its annual La Zona Palooza event after a two year absence. This year we will provide pre-game coverage as we are joining by Hector Alfonso, Sr., Director of Operations for Espinosa Cigars. We'll get the rundown on this year's event and give you the information you need to know whether you will be there or not. Plus, we will talk some industry topics with Hector. Plus we have our One Must Go and Great Things are Happening Here segment as well as a special H.Upmann giveaway from Tabacalera USA. References NBA Basketball Star Donates Full Salary This Season to Build Hospital in DR Congo to Honor Father Strangers are Leaving Strollers, Diapers, and Toys at the Border for Ukrainian Refugee Moms (LOOK) David Beckham Hands Over Instagram Account to Ukrainian Doctor: English soccer has turned been turned on its head over the war in Ukraine—with the British government sanctioning the Russian billionaire owner of Chelsea FC, the third best team in the country. Now David Beckham, legend of Manchester United, gave control of his Instagram account with more than 71 million followers to Iryna, the head of the regional perinatal center in Kharkiv. Choosing only to be known by her first name, Iryna is working 24/7 to help mothers give birth safely in one of the conflict's hottest zones.“We are probably risking our lives, but we don't think about it at all,” she wrote. “We love our work.”
This week, Espinosa Cigars will be bringing back its annual La Zona Palooza event after a two year absence. This year we will provide pre-game coverage as we are joining by Hector Alfonso, Sr., Director of Operations for Espinosa Cigars. We'll get the rundown on this year's event and give you the information you need to know whether you will be there or not. Plus, we will talk some industry topics with Hector. Plus we have our One Must Go and Great Things are Happening Here segment as well as a special H.Upmann giveaway from Tabacalera USA. References NBA Basketball Star Donates Full Salary This Season to Build Hospital in DR Congo to Honor Father Strangers are Leaving Strollers, Diapers, and Toys at the Border for Ukrainian Refugee Moms (LOOK) David Beckham Hands Over Instagram Account to Ukrainian Doctor: English soccer has turned been turned on its head over the war in Ukraine—with the British government sanctioning the Russian billionaire owner of Chelsea FC, the third best team in the country. Now David Beckham, legend of Manchester United, gave control of his Instagram account with more than 71 million followers to Iryna, the head of the regional perinatal center in Kharkiv. Choosing only to be known by her first name, Iryna is working 24/7 to help mothers give birth safely in one of the conflict's hottest zones.“We are probably risking our lives, but we don't think about it at all,” she wrote. “We love our work.”
This year the Battle of the Bands Competition has turned into 90's Madness! While last year we selected artists, this year we have decided to focus on albums – specifically from the decade of the 1990s. To add to the fun, Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates are participating. The concept works as follows: Dave, Coop, Hector, and John will each pick 8 albums. The selections will occur via a “Draft”. Once the albums are selected, each participant will seed them, place them into brackets and you decide who should move on. We will go through each round on Twitter, until there is a winner from each of the four brackets. From that point, the four bracket winners will square off in a final four. The tournament commences March 15th with two matchups a day to vote on. Each vote will be eligible to compete to win one of three special prizes. We also pay homage to the late Mark Lanegan. We recap Black History Month, preview Women's History month, discuss Coop's New Oldies #1 selection, and look forward to Record Store Day on April 23rd. For this show, Dave smokes the Oliva Serie V 135th Anniversary Edición Limitada and Coop smokes the Las 6 Provincias Las Villas As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Full Episode 66 Playlist References 90s Madness Draft Results and Seedings (Spoiler) Dedication Show Info Records to Listen to on International Women's Day Black History Month: Records I Love Black History Month: Modern Records That are Required Listening Black History Month: Records that Changed Music History Black History Month: Foundational Women Artists Orville Peck's Daytona Sand: Beautiful Western Glam New Oldies List Tears For Fears' No Small Thing: Wisdom and Whimsy from a Future Top 5 Track of 2022 Digable Planets: Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
This year the Battle of the Bands Competition has turned into 90's Madness! While last year we selected artists, this year we have decided to focus on albums – specifically from the decade of the 1990s. To add to the fun, Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and John McTavish of Developing Palates are participating. The concept works as follows: Dave, Coop, Hector, and John will each pick 8 albums. The selections will occur via a “Draft”. Once the albums are selected, each participant will seed them, place them into brackets and you decide who should move on. We will go through each round on Twitter, until there is a winner from each of the four brackets. From that point, the four bracket winners will square off in a final four. The tournament commences March 15th with two matchups a day to vote on. Each vote will be eligible to compete to win one of three special prizes. We also pay homage to the late Mark Lanegan. We recap Black History Month, preview Women's History month, discuss Coop's New Oldies #1 selection, and look forward to Record Store Day on April 23rd. For this show, Dave smokes the Oliva Serie V 135th Anniversary Edición Limitada and Coop smokes the Las 6 Provincias Las Villas As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Full Episode 66 Playlist References 90s Madness Draft Results and Seedings (Spoiler) Dedication Show Info Records to Listen to on International Women's Day Black History Month: Records I Love Black History Month: Modern Records That are Required Listening Black History Month: Records that Changed Music History Black History Month: Foundational Women Artists Orville Peck's Daytona Sand: Beautiful Western Glam New Oldies List Tears For Fears' No Small Thing: Wisdom and Whimsy from a Future Top 5 Track of 2022 Digable Planets: Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
We are joined by returning guests Hector Alfonso and Tyler Jones from Espinosa Cigars! Hector is the Operations Director and Blender for Espinosa Cigars and he brought the newest release, Laranja Azulejo. Tyler brought a bottle of Smoke Wagon Bourbon for us to review and enjoy. Pour one more...light up another...we'll figure it out together. Please Drink Responsibly byjack.com/bourbonandbs to buy some shirts! Thanks to our sponsors: All of you that have been supporting us! Join our patrons at patreon.com/bourbonandbspodcast to help support the continuing growth of the show and the community. Tinder Box at Easton for the weekly featured cigar and check them out for their current weekly sampler at eastontinderbox@gmail.com Altadis USA for the weekly second cigar and the continued support BS Cigar Company for the continued support! Check them out at bscigarcompany@gmail.com for ordering the BS Gold and BS Silver
We are going to learn a bit about Hector Alfonso, otherwise known as Mr. Warmth. He has a very interesting path to the cigar industry and has dealt with people from many walks of life. We are going to discuss whether or not it is always necessary or not. Pour one more...light up another...we'll figure it out together. Please Drink Responsibly byjack.com/bourbonandbs to buy some shirts! Thanks to our sponsors: All of you that have been supporting us! Join our patrons at patreon.com/bourbonandbspodcast to help support the continuing growth of the show and the community. Tinder Box at Easton for the weekly featured cigar and check them out for their current weekly sampler at eastontinderbox@gmail.com Altadis USA for the weekly second cigar and the continued support BS Cigar Company for the continued support! Check them out at bscigarcompany@gmail.com for ordering the BS Gold and BS Silver
From the 2021 PCA Trade Show, we talk to Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars. Espinosa Cigars is one of the companies that could stake the claim of being the standout company of the 2021 PCA Trade Show. This year saw a booth that showcased Espinosa's high print media cigar ratings as well as one with consistent foot traffic. There are two themes that can be applied to Espinosa Cigars – doubling down and as Bear Duplisea said “building on the foundation”. These themes ultimately played a key role in the success Espinosa Cigars had at this trade show. With many scaling back at the PCA Trade Show and the Big Four skipping the trade show, Espinosa Cigars opted to double-down on this PCA. They stepped up as a major sponsor including co-sponsoring the opening reception, and they opted to come into the Trade Show with plenty of products. The products are all examples on building upon the solid foundation that Espinosa Cigars has established over the years. References PCA 2021: Espinosa Cigars
From the 2021 PCA Trade Show, we talk to Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars. Espinosa Cigars is one of the companies that could stake the claim of being the standout company of the 2021 PCA Trade Show. This year saw a booth that showcased Espinosa's high print media cigar ratings as well as one with consistent foot traffic. There are two themes that can be applied to Espinosa Cigars – doubling down and as Bear Duplisea said “building on the foundation”. These themes ultimately played a key role in the success Espinosa Cigars had at this trade show. With many scaling back at the PCA Trade Show and the Big Four skipping the trade show, Espinosa Cigars opted to double-down on this PCA. They stepped up as a major sponsor including co-sponsoring the opening reception, and they opted to come into the Trade Show with plenty of products. The products are all examples on building upon the solid foundation that Espinosa Cigars has established over the years. References PCA 2021: Espinosa Cigars
This week, #ELOsoFumarTakes welcomes some of the best pinch hitters in the game for #Take172. Ace Prime's Luciano Meirelles, La Flor Dominicana's Jon Carney, Espinosa Cigars' Hector Alfonso, Cigar Federation's Tripp Waldrop, and The New Cigar Coop Team led by William Cooper, alongside Erron Nielsen and Ben Lee (formerly of Stogie Review). We've got everything from a Phillies and Mets fan to someone in El Salvador. This #Take was an entire fluke! Our slated guest was unable to make the show literally last minute. I threw out a 9-1-1, and in true friendship fashion that the cigar industry holds dear - some of the best of the best responded. Some of their responses to my call for help are below. Enjoy! Luciano: "I just landed in El Salvador, I'll be on in 20 minutes." Jon: no response, just showed up! Coop: "I got my studio up in record time!" Tripp: "I'm in, do you still need me on?" Erron: Jumped on after a quick text from Coop Ben: "I'll be there" and the first to respond, Hector: "Give me 10." I am still in awe. For this occasion, our panel and I are pleased to spotlight the ACE Prime Foundation. Please consider donating here: https://donate.onecause.com/relief See the story on Cigar-Coop: https://cigar-coop.com/2021/02/cigar-news-ace-prime-creates-foundation-to-support-nicaraguan-families.html Cigar-Coop: https://cigar-coop.com/ Espinosa Cigars: https://www.espinosacigars.com/ La Flor Dominicana: http://laflordominicana.com/ Ace Prime: https://aceprime.com/ Cigar Federation: https://www.facebook.com/cigarfederation Check us out! And Be sure to subscribe, download & review. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVzGpes143J2yslmEQd4pEw/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elosofumartakes/id1448716988?fbclid=IwAR1r-iP8VQMujDERQeUJ_BFuQRUjD4Ezuhi0ux0pfC5tHEdm1K_8iBCzjDw To the #ELOsoFumarTakes community, I have decided to take part in a survey that is aimed at capturing the influence of our podcast, in addition to other Cigar Industry media. I ask you, humbly, to take a few minutes and take part in this survey. Two major points: 1) No personal info will be asked for or given by you 2) THE GOAL: to see what, if any, influence and impact Cigar Media has on the way you, the consumer, views and takes part in this industry we love. It would honor me to hear and see your thoughts. Thank you in advance. Click here: https://tcu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1X1Pg1Jgp813LRr This is going to be one awesome #Take! Enjoy! Check us out! And Be sure to subscribe, download & review. Be sure to subscribe, download & review.
Baseball’s back and so is the Prime Time Team ready to cover it. Tonight, we bring back our panel of Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads, and Rob Rasmussen of Cigar Dojo as we preview the 2021 Major League Baseball Season. We will examine how Baseball will adjust after a one of kind season in 2020. We’ll look at what’s going to change in 2021 and potentially beyond. Plus we will have our predictions – including our famous over/unders. References 2021 2021 Over-Unders and Predictions (Spoilers) 2020 Over-Under and Prediction Results
Baseball’s back and so is the Prime Time Team ready to cover it. Tonight, we bring back our panel of Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads, and Rob Rasmussen of Cigar Dojo as we preview the 2021 Major League Baseball Season. We will examine how Baseball will adjust after a one of kind season in 2020. We’ll look at what’s going to change in 2021 and potentially beyond. Plus we will have our predictions – including our famous over/unders. References 2021 2021 Over-Unders and Predictions (Spoilers) 2020 Over-Under and Prediction Results
It’s bracketology meets the cigar industry. Tonight on Special Edition 91, it’s one of our most popular annual shows we do as we preview what to expect on the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 this year. This year the show moves to the Special Edition side of the house and we welcome Hector Alfonso as our guest to help us with the analysis. Whether you love or hate this list, it’s our most polarizing one and we will break it down – Prime Time style. Born on a live stream four years ago before there was a Prime Time Show, this has now evolved into an annual tradition. On this show, we bring to you a comprehensive preview on what to expect on the CA Top 25. We will not only be making predictions, but we will look at dark horses, who is on the bubble, and who could miss the list. References 2020 CA Data Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Archive Cigar Coop 2020 Cigar of the Year Countdown #ElOsoFumarTakes Top 10 2020
It’s bracketology meets the cigar industry. Tonight on Special Edition 91, it’s one of our most popular annual shows we do as we preview what to expect on the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 this year. This year the show moves to the Special Edition side of the house and we welcome Hector Alfonso as our guest to help us with the analysis. Whether you love or hate this list, it’s our most polarizing one and we will break it down – Prime Time style. Born on a live stream four years ago before there was a Prime Time Show, this has now evolved into an annual tradition. On this show, we bring to you a comprehensive preview on what to expect on the CA Top 25. We will not only be making predictions, but we will look at dark horses, who is on the bubble, and who could miss the list. References 2020 CA Data Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Archive Cigar Coop 2020 Cigar of the Year Countdown #ElOsoFumarTakes Top 10 2020
La Zona Palooza is once again upon us, albeit virtually this year, and Espinosa is planning a full social media takeover for the week leading up to the event when they dominate the social media landscape. We are excited to be able to kick off this "Takeover Week" as we have Hector Alfonso, Sr. and Jack Torano join us as we talk all things Espinosa and La Zona. We'll be getting down and dirty into the new and special releases that will be coming out around the event, so you won't want to miss this.
Continuing the series of discussions around the Developing Palates sampler in the Smoke Inn Battle of the Bands competition, Aaron sits down with Juan Cancel and Kevin Keithan of Protocol Cigars and Hector Alfonso, Sr. of Espinosa Cigars to discuss the Themis Toro. You can view our sampler here: https://www.smokeinn.com/Developing-Palates-Battle-of-the-Bands.html Please help us out by making a purchase of our sampler as we'd love to win this competition. If we win, we will be giving out some great prizes to some lucky winners that purchased our pack. Contest runs until October 4th, 2020
On this ETC.: Cigars & Wines of the month. Coffee of the Year update. Cigar of the Year look-ahead. A phone-in rant from Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars. A classic episode of a Kaplowitz Radio. something. WOW. yw For more Kaplowitz Media., remember to walk right up to the biggest toughest inmate & punch him right in his stupid ugly face.
This week on Kaplowitz Radio. we have visits from Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Sue Shay of Bluebird Wine, Lee Marsh of Stolenthrone Cigars, & Mike Weinstein of the New Jersey Weinsteins. Four guests! BIG shoe. For more Kaplowitz Media, check out www.Kaplowitz.xyz or hang your head out your car window while going 80 down a side street.
For Prime Time Jukebox Episode 16, we go through U2’s landmark album “The Unforgettable Fire” for the third installment of our Album Archaeology series. We’re joined by special guest Hector Alfonso who will help us break down this album. Much like an archaeologist digs and hunts for gems, on Album Archaeology we dig into the “The Unforgettable Fire” album. We go deep into each of the tracks of this album looking at the music, lyrics, and stories behind this album. We’ll also pay tribute to the late Malik B of The Roots and Pepe Cardona of Alive and Kicking. For the cigars during the broadcast, Dave will smoke the original 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster, Hector will smoke the Warzone, and Coop smokes the Espinosa Red River Valley II cigar. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Full Episode 16 Playlist The Unforgettable Fire Playlist Hector's Playlist Prime Time Jukebox – the podcast that pairs music with cigars. You can catch us on Google Play Music, iTunes, Podbean, and YouTube. As always, be sure to email your feedback to cigarjukebox@gmail.com References 'Alive N Kickin' Honored On Their 50th Anniversary - Marine Park, Brooklyn Alanis Morissette’s Smiling: A Return to Force
For Prime Time Jukebox Episode 16, we go through U2’s landmark album “The Unforgettable Fire” for the third installment of our Album Archaeology series. We’re joined by special guest Hector Alfonso who will help us break down this album. Much like an archaeologist digs and hunts for gems, on Album Archaeology we dig into the “The Unforgettable Fire” album. We go deep into each of the tracks of this album looking at the music, lyrics, and stories behind this album. We’ll also pay tribute to the late Malik B of The Roots and Pepe Cardona of Alive and Kicking. For the cigars during the broadcast, Dave will smoke the original 601 La Bomba Bunker Buster, Hector will smoke the Warzone, and Coop smokes the Espinosa Red River Valley II cigar. As always you can follow along with our Spotify Playlists: Full Episode 16 Playlist The Unforgettable Fire Playlist Hector's Playlist Prime Time Jukebox – the podcast that pairs music with cigars. You can catch us on Google Play Music, iTunes, Podbean, and YouTube. As always, be sure to email your feedback to cigarjukebox@gmail.com References 'Alive N Kickin' Honored On Their 50th Anniversary - Marine Park, Brooklyn Alanis Morissette’s Smiling: A Return to Force
Baseball’s back and so is the Prime Time Team ready to cover it. Tonight, we bring back our panel of Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads as we preview the 2020 Major League Baseball Season. We will examine how the 2020 Major League Baseball season will be different. Will it be a once in a lifetime event, or could it foreshadow things to come. Plus we will have our predictions – including our over/unders. Finally, we also have another contest segment sponsored by Tabacalera USA for our live audience. Once again we are giving away a Romeo y Julieta Travel Humidor and Torch Lighter combo! References Over/Unders
Baseball’s back and so is the Prime Time Team ready to cover it. Tonight, we bring back our panel of Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads as we preview the 2020 Major League Baseball Season. We will examine how the 2020 Major League Baseball season will be different. Will it be a once in a lifetime event, or could it foreshadow things to come. Plus we will have our predictions – including our over/unders. Finally, we also have another contest segment sponsored by Tabacalera USA for our live audience. Once again we are giving away a Romeo y Julieta Travel Humidor and Torch Lighter combo! References Over/Unders
Another YAHTZEE of a BONANZA of a (really big) shoe, gentlepersons. On this EP of Kaplowitz Radio. we have appearances from Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Tim Raney of Split Rail Coffee, & Noel Rojas of Rojas Cigars. All told baseball, terroir, the Cuban black market &&& MORE is/are discussed. Plus, some Kaplowitz Reads Kaplowitz, Tweets I Didn't Tweet, & Shakespeare! + a bonus from the Kaplowitz Radio. archives cassic something yw The BEST cigar cigars coffee coffees podcast on the www today is #KM thx
With many of us missing Baseball, the Prime Time Team has put together a special show to discuss the game many of us love. Tonight we will be joined by Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads Cigars, and making his Baseball Show debut, Rob Rasmussen of Cigar Dojo. We’ll discuss a variety of topics – past and present as we wait to see when the 2020 season will start.
With many of us missing Baseball, the Prime Time Team has put together a special show to discuss the game many of us love. Tonight we will be joined by Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads Cigars, and making his Baseball Show debut, Rob Rasmussen of Cigar Dojo. We’ll discuss a variety of topics – past and present as we wait to see when the 2020 season will start.
Put your seat belts on. Once again we are joined by Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Skip Martin of RoMa Craft Tobac, and Steve Saka of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust – just in time for a panel discussion as a part of our IPCPR Pre-Game Series. We’ll discuss the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show with our panel and a whole lot more.
Put your seat belts on. Once again we are joined by Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, Skip Martin of RoMa Craft Tobac, and Steve Saka of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust – just in time for a panel discussion as a part of our IPCPR Pre-Game Series. We’ll discuss the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show with our panel and a whole lot more.
The annual tradition returns to Prime Time Special Edition. Tonight, we preview 2019 MLB Baseball Season like no one else. We will have the whole Prime Time team in the dugout, plus have two very special guests from the cigar industry – Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads. On this show, we will go around the league and give our thoughts on how each of the teams will do. We will do some over/unders in terms of win totals, and finally, give our predictions on who will be playing in October. References Over/Unders
The annual tradition returns to Prime Time Special Edition. Tonight, we preview 2019 MLB Baseball Season like no one else. We will have the whole Prime Time team in the dugout, plus have two very special guests from the cigar industry – Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and Miguel Schoedel of Crowned Heads. On this show, we will go around the league and give our thoughts on how each of the teams will do. We will do some over/unders in terms of win totals, and finally, give our predictions on who will be playing in October. References Over/Unders
This week two of our favorite guest come in on the same day! Jack Torano and Hector Alfonso from Espinosa Cigars! Sit down and listen to the first podcast version of FTG! See how they turn on "Mike Too"! Things get ugly quick! As always we welcome your thoughts, ideas and suggestions on our Fb page "A Cigar Hustlers Podcast". You can follow the show on IG @cigarhustlerspodcast, Mikey @cigarhustler and Mike too @fcc_Mike. Please remember to rate, review and Subscribe on which ever of our many podcast providers you use!
For Episode 73 of the Prime Time Show, join us for a very special show as we broadcast live from Espinosa Cigars World Headquarters in Miami at the 2018 La Zona Palooza event. We will have the whole Prime Time team a part of this broadcast. Aaron and Coop will be on the ground in Miami while Bear will be broadcasting from Texas. We talk to Erik Espinosa, Hector Alfonso, Courtney Smith, Juan Cancel, Bill Ives, and Tim Wong. Our Debonaire Ideal segment will pose a special question to each of our guests. Finally, we put four contestants from La Zona Palooza to a speed smoking challenge of the Cornelius & Anthony Mistress that has a result you cannot miss.
For Episode 73 of the Prime Time Show, join us for a very special show as we broadcast live from Espinosa Cigars World Headquarters in Miami at the 2018 La Zona Palooza event. We will have the whole Prime Time team a part of this broadcast. Aaron and Coop will be on the ground in Miami while Bear will be broadcasting from Texas. We talk to Erik Espinosa, Hector Alfonso, Courtney Smith, Juan Cancel, Bill Ives, and Tim Wong. Our Debonaire Ideal segment will pose a special question to each of our guests. Finally, we put four contestants from La Zona Palooza to a speed smoking challenge of the Cornelius & Anthony Mistress that has a result you cannot miss.
You've waited long enough! Here it is the hilarious conclusion to the Hector Alfonso interview! Please make sure to rate, subscribe and review on whichever of our providers you listen to the show on! You can leave your comments and show idea on our FB page "A Cigar Hustlers Podcast". Follow the show on IG @cigarhustlerspodcast, Mikey @cigarhustler and Mike @FCC_Mike. Please join our FB group "Hustlers keep Hustlin" for behind the scenes pics and conversations.
The bat is back! Hector Alfonso from Espinosa Cigars, and John The "Cigar Surgeon" join us to pair the new Murciélago made by A.J. Fernandez for Espinosa Cigars with several beers, and shenanigans ensue!
This week, we're talking to Hector Alfonso, Master Blender for Espinosa Cigars and the La Zona factory. We talk about the spectacular run that La Zona had at this year's "Award Season", and get a couple hints about what to expect from Espinosa in 2018.
Hector and Tripp discuss the new re-release of the Murcielago. We see and hear about the new Jamaican brand and The Dread also under the Jamaican brand, just with a little more Jamaican tobacco in the mostly Nicaraguan blends. SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channelhttp://www.youtube.com/user/cigarfederation?sub_confirmation=1 SUBSCRIBE to our Podcast through iTuneshttps://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cigar-federation/id718340445?mt=2 SUBSCRIBE to our Podcast through Google Playhttps://play.google.com/music/m/Ixoykbze232kunykqe6zufxib3u?t=Cigar_Federation VISIT Cigar Federation for the LATEST in cigar news, reviews, contenthttp://cigarfederation.com/ CONNECT to us on SOCIAL MEDIAGoogle+ → https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Cigarfederation1/Twitter → https://twitter.com/cigarfederationFacebook → https://www.facebook.com/cigarfederation/Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/cigarfederation/
Programa de entrevistas de la EWTN presentado por Pepe Alonso. Hoy: El Padre Héctor Alfonso Ramírez, sacerdote mexicano, y actualmente Capellán del Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Fátima en Portugal, nos concede una entrevista especial desde este importante Santuario Mariano. Además, el Padre Rui Manuel dos Reis Marto, Párroco de la Parroquia de Fátima y los Pastorcitos, nos muestra y explica acerca de los lugares claves en la vida de estos tres pastorcitos. Un recorrido memorable en víspera de los 100 años de las apariciones de la Virgen de Fátima. Los videos originales se pueden ver en www.magnificat.tv y en la web de EWTN en español Otros canales de comunicación de Magnificat TV de los Franciscanos de María: Podcast: bit.ly/AudiosMagnificatTV Youtube: bit.ly/YouTubeMagnificatTV Twitter: twitter.com/MagnificatTV Facebook:www.facebook.com/Magnificattv
Will Cooper, Dave Burck of Cigar Jukebox, and Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars, talk about and review five cigars they have smoked. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/stogiegeek Follow us on Twitter: @stogiegeeks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stogiegeeks Instagram: https://instagram.com/stogiegeeks
Hector Alfonso of Espinosa Cigars and Dave Burck of Cigar Jukebox join us, our Debonaire Ideal covers Halloween smokes, we talk hot topics in the industry, and reveal our stogies of the week. Stay tuned!
We are joined by special guest co-hosts Hector Alfonso Sr., Factory Operations Director for Espinosa Cigars. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/stogiegeek Follow us on Twitter: @stogiegeeks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stogiegeeks Instagram: https://instagram.com/stogiegeeks
Hector Alfonso, Factory Manager for Erik Espinosa's La Zona factory makes his Stogie Geeks debut. We learn Hector's role at La Zona and discuss some of the offerings that have come out of that factory during the past year. Follow us on Twitter: @stogiegeeksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/stogiegeeksInstagram: https://instagram.com/stogiegeeks
Interview with Hector Alfonso, Espinosa Cigars Hector Alfonso, Factory Manager for Erik Espinosa's La Zona factory makes his Stogie Geeks debut. We learn Hector's role at La Zona and discuss some of the offerings that have come out of that factory during the past year. Interview with Dave Garofalo, The Cigar Authority / Two Guys Smoke Shop / United Cigars Our friend David Garofalo makes his Stogie Geeks debut. Dave wears many hats - running the Two Guys Smoke Shop stores in Rhode Island, distributing products with United Cigars, and as co-host of The Cigar Authority radio program. We also have Dave take a stab at the Stogie Geeks 20 questions. Interview with Paul Joyal, Mr J's Havana Shop Our surprise guest, Paul Joyal from Mr. J's Havana Smoke shop drops by. Paul Joyal was one of the Stogie Geeks first interviewees and has been a long time supporter of the Stogie Geeks show. We talk about bonding over cigars, sports, and free wifi. Cigar Trivia You have waited patiently for this, we test the knowledge of Stogie Santa with our cigar trivia questions and also reveal the answers. Watch to see if Stogie Santa scores higher than Will. Follow us on Twitter: @stogiegeeks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stogiegeeks Instagram: https://instagram.com/stogiegeeks