EP8 A cigar break from denimheadery, we bring Mike back for a chat

Hi there!
Today we take a break from denim and chat about cigars with our friend Mike.
Fear not, next week we're going back to our "regular" schedule.

You can now find us on Youtube!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJfPfT5ycvkdr0IryecDHxg

Transcript

Hi there, welcome to the Demo Heads podcast on Pasha and I'm Dariush and we thought to invite our friend Mike back for episode 8. What's going on like? Hi everybody hi everyone, thank you for having me back this is. Nice to be actually invited back. I don't know how well we were going to do where I was going to do you guys really? I've been listening to you guys and you guys are certainly getting better every week, but I hope I can keep up. Yeah absolutely. I mean we knew we loved the episode and then it seems as though the the numbers are there too to say that it's in the top. That's cool top three most downloaded episodes, exactly. Shout out to the Dutch denim repair for for giving us a lot of exposure free exposure. We do have cigars on occasion. We know you your tarnishes the person, that kind of got me back into it a few summers ago. It was kind of a fun thing. I think it started really in Greece. We were at a wedding, uh, cousin, Cousins wedding and then I had a Airbnb with a really nice balcony. Gorgeous balcony and and I think they are just brought some cigars from Switzerland and. I went through them pretty quickly. Yeah, and then we ended up finding a place to go and pick up some more. I think it was a. It was a. It was definitely a Monte Cristo Open master if I'm not mistaken. I think you open Master. Yes, that's that. That was crystal. I think that sound right. I'm such an amateur I don't know. I have to check. I'm pretty sure it's it's a Monte Cristo open master. It's not a cohee, but I know that. Monte Cristo yes yes yes. Remember some things first Fact Check of this podcast. Actually, I just pulled 

out my phone so I can check us in real time, yeah, but yeah, there it is with open master and then we had another one. There was a few that trip, some some. Some of those dog walkers. The Hemingway Short stories, Hemingway short stories, gorgeous one that's have you ever had one like. I have not no it's funny you say you just got back in 'cause I was sort of super into it at again a younger age than I should have been and then. Kind of stopped and then yeah, listen if someone has one, I'll grab one or there's an event, I'll make sure I have a special wedding like you said, but as far as being like a casual cigars, I just sort of fell out of it for a little bit. Now. It's basically for like weddings and golf outings. Yeah, that sounds about wrapping for me. It was just sort of. Taking a break from from life. It was just a moment to kind of slow things down. Enjoy a cigar over a period of about 45 minutes to an hour and just, you know, casual chit chat with the cigar, yeah? Hemingways are are are from Dominican brand Arturo Fuente. If I'm not mistaken. Yes that I'm familiar and so yeah they have a thing called Hemingway. Short story which is really small and they quickly call it a dog Walker because that's what you would smoke over a period of about 2025 minutes while you're walking on ice. OK so that was definitely one. I got it at a place in in the city which unfortunately now has closed down. Nat Sherman on 42nd St and at that weight that yeah that close, like forever or for codriver. It's so it used to be on the corner the the well would that be the northwest corner of 42nd St 5th Ave across the street from the New York 

Public Library by the library. And then they moved maybe about 1015 years ago. Almost diagonal two on 42nd St about five or six. Shops in towards Madison Ave. And I was there a number of times, but last I checked, I believe they closed down in September or October, which how I found out was I picked up a humidor there. Alley blue. Gorgeous gorgeous humidor. I mean highly like some real top of the food chain as you would like to say. Type humidor and I kind of email that I wanted to contact them 'cause they sold it to me for support and they were the distributor here in right and I found out that they are closed. I needed some support actually that I circle it over to tie together. It's also where the importer is 'cause it's made in France. If I'm not mistaken, it's actually in like Providence RI. Yes, well, I mean it's funny because I think Colibri the lighter exactly also is based in Providence and a ton of jewelry because the the River that runs through Providence was I guess early or late industrial revolution beginning of American jewelry making was very good for. Power at some point there's a ton of like jewelry stuff, but it's funny you mention that because I had an issue with the Colibri lighter years ago and they sent it back, fixed it. And yeah, that's I know exactly what you're talking about. Yeah, I gotta. I actually had issues with with Colibri as well. Not not. There's nothing wrong with that company or anything, but it's just funny how we know, know, know lighters. And I still have the lighter it's, but I sent it to a place now in Midtown Manhattan. Right and they replaced it for free. It's a gorgeous. I have to think about what the exact name is and I can maybe look it up in a few, 

but it's it's a lighter like with jet fuel and every propane and and with three flames 'cause you want to make sure it's it's nice. And then those are the better ways to delight it. I noticed likes the light it with a piece of wood. 

Well, yeah, when I can I try and it has like a cutter on the back on the other end of it. So like yeah likes to do punch cuts. I'm more of a V cut type of guy. Do you have? I was just gonna say that's that's? That's something we should probably get. You know what? The preferences, but but one that Sherman closure? I wonder if that's 'cause they're a brand. I mean they sell their own cigars, their own everything. That was one of the bigger names, so I wonder if that's you know, did the family or whoever want to be out? Is this a state of the world post covid or do you think that people are getting so much online the same way we talked about? You know, finding Denham in another country or online retailers? I wonder why? That happened, I think it was just a perfect storm of right of just bad concept. I mean, for example I buy. 90 plus percent of my cigars when I buy cigars. It's online from a brand in Geneva actually cigar one shout out the cigar one with their great selection. That's where I get it, and then I think it's also just the idea of indoor ventilation. Covid you know 'cause a lot of these spots like I would go into not Chairman. And there's all these guys from out of town, just kind of hanging out. I can't think of a hotel off the top of my head that's in the immediate vicinity of of that area. Probably Times Square is the closest. And yeah, they would probably just they couldn't see it functional, but I think it's just right was it. Was it just a shop or it was a 

place where you could actually have a cigar sit down? Yeah, most places most places in the states had areas, I mean the humidor was the size of. Some Manhattan apartments. I mean, this was huge, big, big place and they sold everything like Pasha said from start to finish, humidors, lighters, the whole dash tray, whiskey. Yeah, I think it was, I think probably not, but I think it just cigars. But yeah it was. It was one of those sort of revered retailers. I was just checking on my phone. I can't find it, but I'm almost positive you know scent of a woman, the Al Pacino replace the retired general. I think I don't want to listen if you haven't seen it 20 years old, but there's a scene where he needs to get rid of. The kid that's with him and I think he sends him to Nat Sherman and says tell him colonels whatever sent you. So it was one of those places where, like you or I, could walk in, but they had big time regulars an you know, almost like the people that work there, almost like a concierge. So it was a cool place. But back to the cutting I always ever had, just like a regular guillotine cutter. I think I prefer the VI. Don't know why, but I've as I've gotten older I like that better. Does it make it easier to smoke the week? I think it slows it down a little bit, so it's not as hot. As opposed to the whole thing. Yum. And it's funny passion mentioned two things that are very. Standout stories in my fledgling cigar life. One cigar one. The retailer which I was totally unaware of, but have since had some show up at my office. Shania guys work in the same field and live in the same area and he needed to borrow apart on short notice which I had so I see it just come by the office and I gave him what he needed to work on his patient. The next day he goes out. You know I owe you 1 and I probably wasn't paying attention. You'll get your drink or maybe some cigars or something. 

Don't even worry about it. Don't worry. Like a week or two later we get a box in the office like with the Amazon deliveries, and it's addressed to me and it's sent from a random name in Switzerland. And I opened it and it's like it's a 10 pack of Monte Cristo Cuban Monte Cristo's. And I'm saying like what it, what is this? And then my assistant, who I love to death with, borders on the sceptical 'cause it's now middle of kovid. And this was when they were getting seeds like seeds from China and people were planets right? Yeah yeah, yeah I forgot she's like don't open it don't open I want to smoke them don't open them. These are Cuban cigars you can't get these no no you can't open them now now I'm slightly worried. Um, I'm thinking, you know we talked watch is on the last episode is I know I'm on a lot of mailing lists for boutiques and stuff. And sometimes they send out nice gifts. But that's only if you've ever bought a major watch. So that was out. Yeah, I called and then I said I let me let me look into this. So I start a Google. The name of the person who shipped it you like it. Had someone who worked in the store, I tracked that down to the actual Postal place in Geneva where it was dropped off OK and then I'm like alright, maybe this was supposed to be someone else, but then I'm stuck. It's a scam like where they send you the product and you're using and then they send you the bill for $350.00. Yeah yeah, then I panic and I have a good friend who does cyber security for a bank. Oh **** OK. I called him. I'm like just can you can you track this for me? He comes up with all the same stuff I came up with. And then I saw a couple of patients I'm like. Possibly like I know. That could even make this happen. Let me just text him and it turns out it was a thank you from him for bailing him out in a tight spot. And nice. Yeah, I still have a couple left which I'm going to as soon as it gets warm enough out. I'm going to celebrate the birth of my daughter 'cause we had a baby girl 

December 30th. Congrats, thank you. Thank you and I had one as soon as I got home and then I had one. I picked up a watch for my 40th birthday so I had that as a little celebration when this chat thing I saw that picture. On the nice yeah oh nice OK yeah but like you said it was it's a perfect 40 minutes 45 minutes to tune out. And just be and not worry about anything. And I think you have to focus on a cigar. You can't just. Put it down, forget it might go out. There's a little bit of ritual to it, yeah, so you it draws your attention into itself in a good way where you're not worried about whatever you were worried about before you sat down. So even without people, which I much prefer to be. Around people, and this would be an awesome three people to have a smoke with, but even if you're by yourself, it still works a little differently, very much. What do you have it with? Do you have it with something? A drink? Yeah, usually I mean, if it's if it's after dinner. I was always a bourbon guy 'cause my graph my Gran father, my mom's dad was a bourbon drinker and he was of the opinion of if if you want to have a drink with me, you're drinking what I'm drinking so you know in in the states you can't drink till you're 21 but he was very cool with him having a drink. Do you want to drink at like 1718 inch? So yeah. But then my dad and his best friend who really turned us onto cigars because I don't know if you guys got it outside the states, but there's that magazine cigar aficionado. I'm not familiar, but I mean obviously. Zig OK, so it's it's the GL. If it's the GQ, but it's the industry publication, but it's it's a lifestyle magazine, so it's everything. It's high in vices. It's super fancy cars. It's it's men suiting it's cigars. It's wine. I think they've branched out into a wine magazine. It's watch is so in the early, 

I guess late early 90s, late 90s when the cigar boom really hit in America. My dad was into it. You know, they all played golf. It was always golfing cigars. He subscribed to that magazine, which 16 year old me like literally, was devouring and taking notes like I used to know names, countries, ratings. Just because I found it so fascinating. And I guess there was like we talked about last time that the aspirational element of it, like someday I'll be able to have one of those or afford one of those. But um. That was a big they were, but my dad was Big Scotsman so I guess this is my dad. It was a cigar and Scotch. My Gran father was bourbon but yeah usually that or just even a coffee. Like if it's in the afternoon. I'll just we have a very small pool outside. I'll hang in the pool with a cigar in a coffee. But yeah, usually something with it for sure. Usually something that's cool. What about you guys is it? Are you wine guys or you boost guys? Where are you? What would I have it? I mean, we would have it with a variety of. Yeah, I think Scotch was something, but it would probably be a cocktail. I'm trying to think I will have it would be right. I had it I have it with coffee too. Like literally actually probably about exactly a year ago we had. A. 

It was like an 80 something degree Fahrenheit day on a Sunday in January. Here in New York. Yeah, I remember vividly going out to my patio and having a cigar like this is life is good. In the words of future. It's just like, you know, life is good right now. It's 80 degrees on a Sunday. In January. Let's celebrate and I think I had probably my all time favorite cigar, the Boulevard Libertador, that to me, is the perfect. It's just yeah that that's. That's the pinnacle of cigar for me. I love that one. Do you guys do you guys air or lean to the side of darker lighter where your preferences? I 'cause I'm a very light yeah me too. I'm medium I'm I'm like medium ish. Yeah I've had some good ones. The darkest. I mean we've had some under the Cobra boost. Those. I mean we've had some really. Actually, was two years ago that Dariush and I went to I was in Switzerland two years ago and we went to a shop in in either Louisiana or Geneva, Switzerland. Amazon and then we picked up. There's a special Edition 2018 Boulevard had like a what's called deliberate or door and that was one of the darker ones I remember. We were like in his patio and it's like freezing and we're trying to smoke a cigar. It was like it wasn't a good experience but I circled back. I think the first time I ever had that. That particular cigar was. Addie a la Casa del Habano in Montreal. 

The closest one that I know of to New York in terms of driving distance and everything where you can go. And it's like it's an official like Cuban shop or Casa del Habano is like basically the exporter for Cuban cigars and so they will send it to. They have like outposts and a bunch of other cities. There's one actually in Toronto. On Yorkville storage, next to the Speaker, Green Watch shop billion exactly. But the closest one I know of is Montreal, and that was good. That was actually 2000. That was about, yeah, two years ago. It was New Year's New Year's Eve, or around New Years that I was in Montreal 2019. 

So that was the first time you had the Libertador kiss you put under the Libertador soberano. Think I probably would have had in in 2018. I mean, that's roughly around the time that I circled, I came back to smoking cigars. 

But yeah, that was yeah, if you ever get an opportunity like anytime anybody gets out of at least here in America when you're when you're out of out of the country, look for a Casa del Habano. Smoke indoors. 

Yeah, and they have a great selection of exclusive stuff there that you can't get anywhere else like I've been to. I've been to a handful. I think I've been to, like Toronto. There's one in Playa del Carmen, like in the Quintana Roo Cancun area of Mexico. There's I've been to the one in Munich. That's a night. It's small and you could smoke in that one, but it's really tiny one. The one in Montreal is nice. It's like right next to like the Ritz Carlton. They have like a backroom with a bar. I think you have to have like what did I have. I've probably had like a Moscow mule or something like that. I feel like that's a great drink to have, 'cause there's some spice in there, probably right? I'm sure that picks up on little yeah back notes on a single absolutely right. I think for me you know you talk about like whiskey and bourbon. I'm probably along the. The the gin and rum side of things. That's probably OK. My favourites like I can do. Yeah, anything almost rum based, which I always assumed based on location of production is the more traditional pairing exactly, but I think in the states in the states in the 90s, during that boom was not nearly as popular and I think Scotch was the high end drink that. Ended up being paired pricing, so I think like a blue label black label, whatever on the rocks with the cigars just. Sort of. It's a good look. It makes for a good photo probably right? I mean, there's that with a nice watch on. Yeah no, I get that, yeah? It's 

one of my one of my more favorite. It's like my dad smokes dark stuff. He loves the the excalibur's. He likes the Romeos but. I tend to go lighter. But I always remember starting with heavy stuff because in those magazines, Schwarzenegger obviously honor Swarts. Nager is a huge cigar proponents. The law he always ripe, and Arnold was always in all the punch ads and punch has a super cool logo, so I guess as when I was younger, so that looks pretty interesting and it was always this massive close up of Arnold with this big cloud of smoke and those were always way too heavy. I think CIO makes some nice stuff, but some of like I think the CIO Italia. Is the only thing I've ever had that made me literally lightheaded, like I couldn't finish it because it was just so black and so heavy. I I really like macanudos stuff that I think it's the either the cafe or the Hampton Court. I forget the name, but I like those on the on the lighter and. And there are a lot of companies in the states that have like Mail order catalogs, so I still get those 'cause whenever I'm going off and I'll order a bunch so I I feel like I stay up on it through there. I mean, there's there's rating systems. It seems like everything is always in the 90s that they're selling anyway, but I don't know if I can really tell. I think it's more about company, an moment and memory. At some point once you get into that. Mid 90s level of cigar. They're all pretty good. I think. This stuff. The postures mentioned is probably well above that, but for like a solid cigar with in a good place is probably. Mostly what I'm doing, you know there's a lot of. I mean there's a lot of information out there. There's a ton of cigar Youtubers that I would watch. Yeah none right now come to mind, but like I I will watch reviews of cigars and sort of a number of them. Read up on them. Cigar aficionado, of course, is a big one. 

Look at the ratings and then. That's how I sort of learned to educate myself a little bit on these things. And yeah, there's a lot of good information out there. 

It's good stuff, but I know darling. She gets a little lightheaded with some of these cigars. Yeah, I have a lot because he's a lightweight, but I think he has a very solid. You know what I was. I was trying to think about that this afternoon, 'cause I knew that's what we would talk about and I remember I used to. I've been smoking cigars, maybe for the last 7 eight years. I want to say, and it was only maybe you have a good picture of a maybe we could put that up as the avatar for the thumbnail. You have a great picture if I'm not mistaken. Smoking a cigar with a Mr Pierce Brosnan, don't you? We're not smoking. I have a good picture of with him, but we're not smoking the cigar, but there's a cigar in your mouth or hit hit so I could be wrong. I gotta check. I got I gotta check in my in my celebrities pictures. Dive into that archive folder. Yeah, I'll check. Maybe there was a cigar. I don't know. You just look like Hannibal, not Hannibal Buress, but Hannibal from from 18. That's another picture that's not with Pierce Brosnan, but I know which is that right? Maybe I'm getting them completed. Yeah well that's a yeah. But yeah, I get lightheaded. And, uh, yeah I was. I was smoking cigars for the last maybe 7 eight years and two years ago, two or three years ago I got one super super dizzy. Super sick because of 1 cigar. Don't know what happened, I had to lie down on my couch, you know, waited out for an hour and since that day I haven't been really comfortable. I do smoke sometimes, like those bolivars, I can enjoy the first half, maybe at the Max and then I have to put it out 'cause it is just too strong for me. But those are the dog walkers do the short stories or a open master. That's fine 

too, but I have to be now I have to be careful, you know, when I smoke, you know full stomach empty stomach. I gotta be I don't know it wasn't a case before and that happened to me once and it was a disaster that day. And you know? It's weird, yeah, you remember that. Yeah, you sort of body has that, not muscle memory. But yeah, certainly. I mean, people is like that with with alcohol issues too, right? I mean I know people that won't look at a bottle of tequila. Yeah, it's weird 'cause I would love to be able to smoke. Not a lot more. I wasn't smoking like that, but it's just. It was just, you know that Peace of Mind. You can enjoy a cigar with a nice drink. And now I have to be cautious at the least, yeah yeah, but it's fine. It's fine. I'm just like you, you were talking about. You know it's the experience. The people also here. OK now it's winter. I'm not even thinking about smoking a cigar. But you know, May June, July of course end of the day you have a nice drink you put on music and you relax. Of course, now it's the mood is different, of course. Yeah, yeah, I think especially here is because New York you can't smoke in nothing. I was smoking inside I'm like when you went out can't smoke inside in New York anyway I don't know how it's like it's the same thing. You can grandfathered, but there's certain spots which I knew we were going to get was hoping we'd get through. I should say there are certain spots here in New York you can smoke and probably. We had we had to have you took us to a place Carney Hudson Bar and books. No, we went to Hudson Bar and books once after a nice steak night. I think you engineered that trip to Hudson Bar Books we've done. Actually now you should have gone there and maybe he'll tell that story of this one. Encounter 10 a little over 10 years ago we did I don't think. It's a great story basically where the cigar bar and there was like these really attractive girls next to us and we offered to send them drinks but they were not. They were actually having 

a fight with each other and it was just an ultra awkward but that was very awkward. Hudson Bar and Books has like like James Bond going in the background which is great. Nice yeah I could have sworn we've been to Carnegie Club on 56 St between 6th and 7th Ave which it had like the Sinatra. It's possible, I know I've been to another lounge with you know what you might not remember that you may have missed that. 'cause I know with with we went with Christian and a few other people and then we've been to a place called Bar Tabac in Soho. On like what stress, yes, that we know have been. We've been to about. Actually, I think that's pretty much all the major ones that we've ever been to. That's great. Those places are the cool. The cool thing about Hudson Bar and Books, which was a great place to be with, but it was it. I feel like it was a Tuesday, but they do sort of the highest end version of Happy Hour that I've ever seen where very, very exclusive top shelf liquors at night, like not during the five to seven after work. Crowd are half price. OK, so that like I don't remember their right to 75. Yes, after we went to probably almost dead. Now is right there. That's the only steakhouse that I could think of in that immediate right. So so you know, $7500 pores are now 40, so it's like alright if I'm going to do this, I guess I want to do this now with my friends and a nice cigar. So it was a nice way to sort of taste things that you wouldn't usually be able to. I always remember that about that place. I always send a lot of people that are going to be in the city. I hope there still feel like we just talked about Nat Sherman closing. I hope places like that can make it in this top. I know I hope so too. I mean, I don't know how. If you're I guess if you're sitting in a room full of cigar smoke, you're not really of the mind to worry about coronavirus. I mean true, inhaling all that cigar smoke anyway, so 

I don't think you really, it's very true. Yeah, yes true. Hopefully. I mean, I agree, at least. Let's hope there they're still around. I mean, yeah, there's there's a good number of places. But it's a good gift to cigars are great gift. Yes people you know you put it in a nice like bovida pack. With like a one cigar bag, little humidor bag with the Leica. Are you a loyal to like have you heard of Boda packs like I'm not know what those are like these little packets that you know do humidity control. Right, OK, you throw it in there and it has like 6068%. I think is like the Cuban level you want it to be a little bit warmer, around 72 for Dominican and stuff you season. If you get a humidor you see in there like 84% you put about 6:00 or so depending on the size of your humidor. You put a bunch of 'em to season. OK, yeah, checking it out now. Yeah, those are really good. That's like a game changer. One of those things and then. Yeah, I have a similar job like I have a real cheap humidor that just I probably should get a nicer one when I'm have like a place to put it like it's just sitting on my bakers rack in my kitchen, but I have like a jar that I think does similar but these look pretty cool 'cause you can throw him in anything about like it's funny. It's funny you mention this because like for golf outings or when we were younger it was always like. A zip lock bag and a wet sponge or something. Or just a very low 5 version of what those have now been invented to do, yeah, But yeah, I think you said it's it's a good gift. I think it's a good bonding like I'll never go to a round of golf for a wedding or a Bachelor like I'm always bringing cigars because I think one they should be there for occasions like that. And two, it's a. It's a. It's a good conversation starter. It's a good bond of new people like. I think it's it works well 

in a situation where you're meeting new people and it works well where it's. I've known you for 10 years and we're catching up. I think they're universal is probably an overused word, but I think it does both. Yeah, I think it's yeah it goes. It's it's. It's nice, it's good and the devices like you just said those humidor packs that with golf. There are so many devices to hold the cigar because it's it's tough to manage your swing withholding the cigar and everything so you can balance it gently on something that you stick in the ground. You can clip it to the cart. There are always these new things to protect your cigar 'cause you don't want to throw it down in the grass because of the chemicals. And then pick it back up. But yeah, I think almost any image of Michael Jordan is with the guard. His right swinging a club. All the way back to last thing. I mean yeah, it's good stuff. It's the other aspect that I enjoy a lot is. For example, we briefly talked about this vacation we did, and we enjoyed a few cigars 'cause you had, that Airbnb that had this huge balcony. But there was a time where every summer whenever I was going somewhere for the day going to the beach, going to, you know, for walk in the forest or something, you always try to remember and have your back with with you so you have a little cigar. You have something that you're going to be enjoying doing. Say whether you're you know by the water in the forest with just friends or you know, just anything. You just have it in the car. I used to have it in my car at all time and I know it. You know, whenever there's a good occasion that presents itself, you can. You can enjoy it. It's it's not only a social thing, but you're going to enjoy the moment wherever you are basically. Yeah. Yeah, one of my favorite balcony cigar experiences actually might myself my dad, my best friend and his dad who passed away about a year or two ago. We we always vacation together. They had a place in Myrtle Beach which is a big tourist golf destination and then we had time shares where you sort of exchange for different hotels in Hilton Head, SC which is, you know 

a nice golf, tennis place and our property where we had had a nice balcony and remember was the four of us and my friend. Tim's dad was into. Balvenie at that point Scotch and he had gotten this bottle of this double aged in two different Woods and he just kind of put it on the table in the four of us sat out there. With most of that bottle of Scotch and a couple of real nice cigars, and that was really one of the one of the ones I'll never forget, and I definitely have labels from occasions kicking around. Probably stuck in my wallet somewhere that have dates on them from like Father's days at my uncles house. Or just you know, the the the memory of it is is nice to keep and you guys were talking about the card that you can get in your jeans to kind of memorialize when and where. I've always found that you know similar concert ticket. I'll always write the date on on the back of a label just to try to at least remember when and then trigger something. I think anybody that's ever smoked a cigar has to have at least one positive memory, or like one really special memory tribute to that cigar. I mean, depending on the number of, I mean, everybody has like really good memories with it 'cause it again, it's just something that it works. It's like synergistic with with just nice memories and. And yeah, it's good stuff 'cause 'cause it slows everything down. That's probably remember my favorite story though is other than the Cubans via Switzerland. Showing up at my office, my. My senior prom in high school. So in, in in in America there are you graduation. I don't know if they do this elsewhere right? So you know, tuxedos ballgowns the whole thing in my school did it at the Marriott Marquis, which is a very big, very fancy hotel in Times Square in Manhattan. So everyone's in their limos and their tuxedos, and we show up. And you know, when you walk into a hotel that has conferences, they have sort of the Board of conferences. So it 

was like you know, high school prom, whatever 27th floor, 26th floor cigar aficionado 6th annual smokers night. So now we're looking at the sign we're looking at each other, wearing tuxedos we got. We can probably blend. So we run down there and just sort of walk in like we did and it was like just bags like hey try this try this have a shot of Scotch. Sample this room so we did like the one run through of the floor like in Jerry Maguire from start to finish and left with you. Got a couple of drinks and us at a really nice bag of giveaway cigars to bring back to the problem for the for the after party. Yeah it was. It was the craziest thing because it should never have happened. But to have those two places in the same time and to be dressed. Well enough to sneak in was like chance of a lifetime at 17 right? It was great. OK, so so post free cigars and booze of that problem we ended up at a club exit which was this legendary New York nightclub and Pasha was saying that's a big party spot for American Iranian. So God get back to yeah. Yeah, I was just saying that yeah, like the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, or the two biggest concert nights among Persians. 'cause that's like the quietest night, so I guess that's the time where clubs are available and they want to, you know, sort of make a little bit of money. So Club exit was always the place in New York that would have. Uh, uh Persian concert neuron in concert. The night before Thanksgiving. Now you say concert as in performance or like a club event, yeah? Like a like, a little bit of everything, yeah, yeah yeah. I mean there was people there was like our version of of of of entertainers and they were singing. There was like 5 six performance mazing performing. It was it's good. It's like a dance party was it was cool. It was definitely a lot of fun. This is like in the 90s and 2000s. I actually went to high school not that far away. I 

like in the Upper West Side. Club Exit was that where we went together, Pasha no. What's possible when during one of the you know many times it depends on the year though, because those clubs names so many times OK? And there was obviously, wasn't meatpacking OK? OK, like kissing flyer? You talked about that? DJ Khaled night. Yeah exactly yeah I remember that so we actually bumped into like a who wasn't may know who's a proven rapper. I remember like driving like screaming his name out and he was yes whatever. No fun night. Always artichoke artichoke pizza. I'll pass it. You did the right thing by your cousin when you took him out here. Good for you. Whole experience. Did you get into graceful file like 3 hours after that for hot Dog? The recession starts with somebody from San Francisco, so they were even they were having they couldn't keep up. So we just called it a night. I think I like four or five. That's too much. God, I miss one. I'm too old to do that now, but but you can't do that. Nothing is open. That's like I would. I would to go back and be able to have one of those nights. Yeah. Let me just go back a little bit. Something we didn't talk about and that was something that I enjoyed a lot. Is having a cigar with a beer so I don't know if that's something you guys have done. Yeah, actually yeah, yeah. Cigar with the beers is something I have done too. Yeah, I'm not much of a beer guy to be honest. I mean, forget you know what on the golf course though. Yes 'cause that you know when you golf they have. The terrible name for it, 'cause it's it's the cart girl, but it's basically had all golf courses. So if you're playing forward, you're driving in your cart and then they send what is usually a very attractive 

college age girl with a cart that has snacks and drinks and everything and they drive the other way so they will run into you and that's where you know you can always. That's where you get your beers and your snacks in your Gatorade. So yes, so probably those have been very good cold beers on hot days with cigars. On course, but I think if I'm at home I'm going for something more out of my liquor cabinet just based on. Yeah, I'm not a more of a liquor drink and a beer drinker. But yeah, I could see that. Especially being a summer thing. Yeah, yeah, nice. Out on the porch, that's. That's perfect for me. It's just like when thirst quenching carbonation. Yeah, sometimes it really hits the spot. Yeah, in the evening you know, maybe something a little more of a cocktail and stuff, but do you guys? Do you guys know enough about the the pairings of things? Or like like I always find when people are telling me about wines they're talking about notes of this and that I am not either sophisticated enough or don't have enough experience to pick up that or tell you that. I can see the champagne expert. I know that so you have at least the background or the vocabulary by to talk about tasting notes. You know what they say, fake it till you make it. So sometimes sometimes I fake it and sometimes I am able to taste something and tell you know different. I could do that with coffee. Yes, you can do that with coffee. The secret, I think the coffee is, you gotta wait for it to settle a little bit. You gotta wait. Kind of like tea. Yeah, we want to sort of see you wanted to cool a little bit 'cause anything that is all coffee for the most part tastes the same when it's really hot. OK once it starts to cool a little bit that that those tasting notes OK come out. And that's very true. I'm able to do that with coffee and that took a number of years of drinking. You know, like it 

took me about. Three to five years for me to really develop that by no means am I a coffee expert, but you can also start to tell the difference between. Dunkin' Donuts gas station coffee and even Starbucks coffee. Starbucks coffee from like let's say, the counterculture or wherever you know there's there's certain brands you know you can tell right then, that's something I know I can tell good versus bad or like versus dislike, but on the other stuff like like diarrhea said, you fake it till you make it. I will if I'm going to be around where these things being discussed or if I'm buying something, I will study up on it. Almost to sort of teach myself like this, the book said it should taste like this. Let me let me look for that. Well, let me try to find, but I've been around people that are like, Oh yeah, there's the the the spice or the leather or the earth always makes me ******* cracks me crazy 'cause like to me Earth is dirt but you know earthy is always thrown around there. But yeah, it's like that was like oysters 'cause oysters will get tell you that too. And I can't. I can kind of tell the difference between East Coast and West Coast oysters, but OK. I'm always amazed by people that there can do that. I'm always amazed by chefs that can do that, but then I watch a lot of cooking. Competition shows like Top Chef and all that, and they're always outside having a cigarette on their break, which I'm not judging. I just feel like. Wouldn't that diminish your ability to taste or to nuans with? All that heat and smoke, but apparently it doesn't. I mean, I mean I've seen people do the blind taste tests on these competitions and just nail it. Yeah, so I don't know if it's that's a. It's a DNA thing. Either you have those receptors and you can sense those chemicals, or you can't or just study the muscle that you train. Probably right? Yeah, it has to be. Yeah, because it has to be just like some pathway in your brain starts it, it just gets 

reef reinforced each and every time. But there there's a. There's a great Instagram account I just found. It's called the unemployed wine guy. He's a trained sommelier, OK, and it's a comedy and he's testing and giving you notes on the worst, most low end American wine colors like like MD 2020 in Franzia. And then he does the whole thing on like malt liquors like Thunderbird and Old English. I mean, if you've ever had that stuff which is like. The lowest of the low end OK that you can get anywhere. It's funny to see someone who knows these words using them on these things. So yes, let's check out the unemployed white guy, which I just found this week for a friend, but for cigars. I've read a bunch of stuff whenever I was ordering online, and you're looking for something light, something, you know. I don't know you look for those type of words, but I have to admit I was never really able to. Find or two understand those differences. I would go for light versus super powerful stuff. Agree that as far as I can go, unfortunately 'cause I haven't been smoking that much so. But for cigars, I guess it's a whole other, you know, world. If you're able to tell, it's. I think the words are all the same, but yes, the ability to taste it. But I know that I try to train myself that I'll read those notes beforehand and like look for them. Yeah, makes sense of course by myself. 

The and I think the marketing around cigars always fascinated me. I think it's. It's sort of you're always selling aspiration's, but it's very much. To do with. 

Free time because you've made it pretty, you know, like I can afford to put my feet up on the rail of this super expensive yacht while someone else sales it in cooks and have this cigar. Or you know the veranda. This the 7th balcony to the left of my home overlooking the Lake. I think there's there's always a bit of that, or at least there is for me of. A little. Distillation of that life for five minutes for a normal person. Yeah, 'cause it's a real time out. As you said in the beginning, you can't just smoke a cigar. Check your email, right emails and then do a bit of work and everything. That's just not how it goes. I mean, for me at least, and I guess for you guys too. So yeah it does bring that little break and it's kind of intense 'cause you want to enjoy it and you have to smoke it. It requires a bit of. Effort, kind of. 

Anybody hear those those products to save them? Like you could clip them and then use them again? I feel like I've never I've never done that. Tried that, but I feel like I'm just going to have it. I know I'm going to make time to have it and I'm I guess maybe 'cause we don't smoke as much where we would be potentially if there interrupted, but I never really saw the benefit of that for. What my needs? So I find like I can't even manage my own inventory. I'll see something, I'll buy it. I'll throw it in the humidor and I'm hoping I'll get to it like I have stuff that's. Probably have number of years old that's just sitting up there and I have to. That's the other thing maintenance. Yes, other humidors is tough like I have. Couple gallons of distilled water 'cause you gotta put it in. It's not even then. That's kind of why I contacted. Want contact natural was just to see if they could help me out. Help me re calibrate the the humidor because the both packs are great. Because of that, you don't. It's maintenance free, but if you have like a real traditional human word that gets a great seal. Yeah, you have to season it really well and you have to maintain the humidity in it, non refrigerated. It's just like you have to come in. You know this. Otherwise it's just. It's just not happening. New product idea. Anybody anybody ever lost a good one like have you had one that you were saving and then either it dried out or you forgot to put the water in the humidor? I mean, I've certainly had that happened right out. Yes, 'cause yeah. 'cause I have a lower end humidor which I need to upgrade. But you know like left someone something from wedding or something that was didn't get to during wherever I was at school. Use it. I'll save it for next time. And then now it's next summer. It's like, Oh my God, this is like it's flaking apart done yeah, yeah, multiple times could save him though there's there's ways I've heard but you can do it it just takes a lot of time right? I heard you have to like position it in a certain place in the humidor 

and then you bring it back up. I've seen people put them in the fridge for a couple of days. I've always heard of these wives tales or sort of fixes, but I've never been able to accomplish it. I mean, like a little bit of mold, you just take like a damp towel and you can kind of justice. Gently massage it off. OK yeah, but it's never really the same when you cut it then you'll see what really happened to it, so that's usually if it's if it's been dried once. It's kind of tough to bring it back. I don't know. That's what I think. Something that I was and then you have that. So yeah, definitely. Definitely. Um, something that I have always felt As for example, there's this really nice shop, not too far from my office, so every time I show up there, we go into the walk-in humidor so the smell is amazing. That's what brings me back every time is the smell, and maybe I'm I'm too much of a big dinner with cigars that I don't really understand it, but somehow I always. I always thought that OK, I want to buy a few cigars 'cause I want to get that smell again, but. When you actually smoke it, you never get that smell or that taste or whatever it is that you smell when you walk inside a walk-in humidor in a shop or something. It's really amazing 'cause you get. It's really a special smell, but I never really got that back when I was smoking mine. Or do you know just enjoying that right? You're right, yeah. And I get it. There's a very big difference, and maybe because it's. The the the amount of tobacco in a room, right? And maybe just because it it does change states so much between sitting and being lit. But I know exactly that. Since that you saying it's like it's like a cool, almost sweet and it's different than the smoke that comes out of it because you know, like, OK, I could. I could smoke that like 

I could forget. I know we always need the lighter ones, but I know if somehow somebody was to find a way to make a cigar. That kind of get that. That gives you that, that smell that you know that walk-in humidor shop smell that you get. I could enjoy that very much without. Yeah, the whole cigar cultured Lord, you know that everything that that goes with it. I would just enjoy it as it is. Right, there's a there's a lot of candles that do a good job was just going to say he's gotta be somebody there is that figured out it. Sure, it smells like there's. There's a couple there's that I know of the big one. The best one that I know of an truly like again. Top of the food chain helping out with the pronunciation. So yes, we don't exactly nailed it. Ernesto, Ernesto yeah. If you ever get a chance, I know they have. They definitely have a shop or two and you could actually even buy it at Bloomingdale's it's a little bit pricey. It's like $100 a 105 for like a medium sized candle, but that is that's very good. I mean, it's that place. That's another thing that could be another topic. Candles and certain aromatherapy, but they have like room spray. Yeah? But then again you go back to this thing you enjoy so much as you take your cigar you smell it a little bit. You're going to cut it. You want to light it? You know you put your music on. When you have a candle on your table, you OK, it's there. It smells nice, but the whole experience it's. It's missing I get in, that's why I like when you were talking about the site. That's why in some ways it's a blessing that these sort of places are like specifically the Casa del Habano's are not in the US. You kind of attribute it to like a vacation, so I think it's nice to go on vacation. Visit one of these spots and then again it just reinforces a positive 

vibe of this vacation and that smell that's attributed to it. You remember that smell a lot of times, so I think, yeah, it's it's. It's necessary. I remember. I think any every person remembers when they walk into a humidor, yes? I'm trying to like purchase leather armchairs and stuff just to really build it. I love it, yeah. 

Now we I think right Pasha we can now get Cuban cigars in the states. Has that embargo been lifted? Is that true? I thought I read that, but I've never seen them. Does anyone know? So I know we can receive up to a certain amount like I get it. That's how we got it from Switzerland, but but there's no store like I can't drive into the city, right? We're not at that point. You know, you can't buy Cubans just yet, but you you may come new administration, right? But I think you can definitely buy and bring with you up to a certain amount. Each person. The numbers are not completely. I don't know. I don't think it's enforced for one thing, but I doubt it, no. And that was always a big thing on island vacations, like when we went on spring break or we went anywhere. It was always like. You had to bring back cigars, Ann. I remember going to Jamaica in college and friends were switching labels and unwrapping things just to make sure that came through customs without a hitch. I mean, it never ended up being a problem. I'm assuming it could be at some point, but or maybe not anymore, but I remember that was always part of the ritual of being in another country, especially of each country. Absolutely, you know, go find a cigar store and then bring some nice stuff back home for everybody. But it really matters where you buy it too, like buying it at like some bodega right where they don't do a good job of managing the humidor. Or it's like next to like it's not 

right. It's not worth it. 

You're wasting your money. We went to Aruba I think 2015 or 2014 Ann I found was nice enough. Shop near our house. We stayed in a Marriott that was sort of on that same strip as the Ritz that they had just built. There was a nice little shop there and then I went to a really good one in town that had. Is that like oranges Nador engine Arnstein. Yeah yeah so that was right by the cruise terminal was the better shop. And that was a nice little sunset cigar with a pina colada type of move. That was a nice memorable one night. But but yeah, bringing them home was. It's a little nerve wracking, but like in the grand scheme of international smuggling, I think my 10 Romeos were not going to cause a problem. You know? No, because it's for personal consumption. Again, as long as you're buying enough that it makes sense that it's for personal consumption as opposed to like. Distribution, yeah, exactly. That's where they'll. They'll be really upset, but you can pick it up for like an even like vial and you can again Canada. It's a little bit pricey here, but you can. I think I don't think it would have been a problem to buy something from like let's say Montreal or something, then drive it in 'cause Montrose. But if an hour for five hour drive, I do remember the recommendations though for my wife 'cause she did buy a very nice bag for herself down there was to wear it. OK yeah. And so that it was yours that you came with instead of having to declare, you know 'cause the taxes on the on the bag that was, I think. Yeah right. Same thing where you built you Mail the boxes and you wear at home on your arm and your wrist or whatever. Unless you have taxes that you can actually get back depending on which side you are in with very going. So that depends, but yeah. 

Yeah, for us coming back to New York, it was better to yes. 

And she got to showing you back off again. Awesome yes, so that that worked out. That was another good you talked about. Good customer service with Colibri. This was was a Louis Vuitton bag that you know she wanted and it was great and after a year or two something ripped like the can. The finishing on the monogram ripped. And I took her to the store in Short Hills, which is a pretty high end retail mall in New Jersey. And of course, Mother's Day weekend. I don't know why I thought this would be a good idea to go, but we had the time and I wanted her to have the bag repaired and the store was an absolute zoo. People were up there just. I'll take that one and that one give me that, OK? So and she doesn't do crowds. My wife. She's not a good in a crowd, she just shuts down. So I grab the security. But I'm like listen pal, find me a manager. We have an issue here. This woman literally like hopped over the counter the way you would in a bar scene. What happened, I said, you know, we bought this a year or two ago. We bought in Aruba is ripping the bank she was that is not acceptable. I'm swamped, she goes. Give me the bag, give me your name. I will call you on Monday. It was like OK hand it to this. The follow up the customer service. The options for repair and replace were worth what I paid for it but so nice to have that which you don't always get in retail customer service. But this person was great, you know. Sadly the bag wasn't manufactured anymore. They basically said come to the store will credit you whenever you paid and pick out whatever you want and if there's a difference just pay the difference and go so it was. It was a very nice experience. I'm sorry I got off track there with. Smuggling cigars. But yes, custom customer services is still alive and well in certain places. Well yeah, it's still in India as well. Yeah good good good had some pretty good experiences. But anyway. Alright, so will will will. Typo on this bed? Yeah it's been great having you on Mike will probably do this once again in another 

like few more episodes. Yeah we'll see this is fun. This is fun to talk with with you guys. Dash I mentioned it was amazing to be able to meet or make a new friend in quarantine. Likewise, go out and meet people anymore. So yeah, right? So to run into somebody who has similar experiences, who's on the other side of the world and be able to be released? And that's been super cool. I love hearing myself talk so I don't know if everybody else does. People in Jerry happy to hear this stuff once. Once you guys put it on. So yeah, thank you for having me very much. Absolutely cool. We love having you on. Alright, awesome. Until the next time people. This is Pasha. This is Darj signing out and see you guys soon. Ah wait, wait before we do that. If you have any questions or comments, email us.thedenimheads@gmail.com 

and I don't think we've ever really talked about our IG profile. What is it? Obviously_blue. 

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