We head for the sidewalk on Elm St. but the weather is so good that it’s already jammed, so we go inside the front window. The Hidden Herf is identified immediately, the panel is getting too good at this. The podcast Juice is very colorful. We are joined by special guests “Killer” of Castro’s and Theo who we just pulled in from the lounge. Local Sp…

It’s another small-group recording from McGroin Manor where we prepare for this year’s New England Cigar Expo and recount four interviews from the 2023 Expo; Perdomo, Kristoff, Micallef, and Montecristo. Local Spotlight – New England Cigar Expo Controversy Corner – GroundingAv cigarhacks@cigarhacks.com

Back to our regular Friday recording schedule the crew heads over to the Shack where we have a surprise visit from the Choir Boy who has been out of the podcast loop for a while. The Hidden Herf is kind of picked out despite the deceptive practice of the supplier. Local Spotlight – The Tobacco Shack; Rowley, MA Controversy Corner – Naturalized; wha…

This week we have a last minute scheduling issue that cause us to do an impromptu small crew episode on a Wednesday. We could do a spin-off podcast called “Bad Joke Wednesday”. The Hidden Herf is picked off almost immediately. Local Spotlight – The Original Bar and Cigar; North Conway, NH Controversy Corner – The Woke Olympics…

It’s our third summer vacation special from the north country of New Hampshire. See episodes 91 and 297 for the others in this series. The same family members from the 2023 episode join in again this year as we smoke a special set of Hidden Herfs. Local Spotlight – On the lake; New Hampshire Controversy Corner – Skinwalker Ranch and other topics…

It’s the 7th annual summer trip on the barge and we are at the lake house for the fifth year. The weather is perfect, and many cigars are smoked. The catch phrase this year is Boot & Rally! The Hidden Herf stumps the panel and mistakes were made. Summa-Episode numbers by year and location 2018 – 34 Saco River 2019 – 89 Saco River 2020 – 139 Lake Ho…

Direct from the Route One Business Networking Group (BNG) event for our fourth year, we talk with the BNG members while enjoying cigars under the tent on the back patio at the Rosaria Restaurant. We have the band turn it down before we start but by the time we wrap up the volume is way up again. Local Spotlight – Route One BNG at Rosaria; Saugus, M…

Continuing the Garage Series we find ourselves at Chucks’s Palace this week with a cast that was mostly absent from the Domicile. The Hidden Herf stumps the panel and has mixed favorability due to its spice and strength. Somehow, the discussion turns to golf a few times, the podcast juice is a factor. Local Spotlight – Chuck’s Palace Controversy Co…

The original Domicile was our staple location for many episodes during the era of shutdowns. This is the second episode from the new Domicile 2.0, but the first with the regular Hacks crew. It’s an overnight event so the podcast juice is flowing and the panel is well lubricated, which makes for a raucous episode. The Hidden Herf is recognized by ab…

The Tobacco Shack rescues the episode by having us after hours on short notice. It’s brownie sundaes all around. The Hidden Herf is a bit obvious and is pegged right away. Local Spotlights – The Tobacco Shack; Rowley, MA – Leaf & Bean; Pittsburgh, PA – The Royal Cigar Bar & Bistro; Fort Mill, SC – The Vintage Whiskey & Cigar Bar; Charlotte, NC Cont…

Direct from McGroin Manor we do a mid-week episode with a special call-in from JoJo Mo and Luscious Laura, who are on vacation in Ocean City, MD. The Hidden Herf is given enough clues to narrow down the guesses. The New England Cigar Expo is almost sold out, we look back at the interviews from last year. Local Spotlight – McGroin Manor Controversy …

The Hacks drop in to Grumpy’s Cigars & Lounge for the Rocky Patel Cigars Event. We are joined by Mike the Cop and Walter from Grumpy’s. A new hack is sworn in and with enough clues the Hidden Herf is figured out, Local Spotlight – Grumpy’s Cigars & Lounge; Hudson, NH Controversy Corner – Late Night AM Radio…

We are back at the firepit with a cast of what seems like a dozen. Comedy Chris and a mystery guest drop by and then phones start ringing. The Hidden Herf is almost pegged. Local Spotlight – Cigar Raffles Controversy Corner – Smurfs and next steps.Av cigarhacks@cigarhacks.com

It’s the Memorial Day episode so we do a little extra for those who made the sacrifice. It’s a full house of Hacks with a couple of participants in the peanut gallery. The Hidden Herf is an interesting selection, but it still stumps the panel. Local Spotlight – Plaistow Cigar Co; Plaistow, NH Controversy Corner – Who really controls social media?…

After watching the Bruins get eliminated on the big screen by the firepit we load in a few more logs to keep the panel warm. We have a guest who was an impromptu call-in a few weeks back. The hidden herf is a follow up from last week. Local Spotlight – The First Firepit of 2024 Controversy Corner – Candidate Roulette.…

It is playoff season so we are at The Tobacco Shack for the Celtics game. The Hidden Herf is another Florida find from Nurse Rick, it gets a decent rating. Local Spotlight – The Tobacco Shack; Rowley, MA Controversy Corner – Lunar Months.Av cigarhacks@cigarhacks.com

Bar tenders from three of our favorite cigar bars get together with us this week as we talk cocktail trivia and cigar pairings. This is one of our more creative episodes as we demonstrate how the New Hampshire cigar bars are diverse, yet able to come together for one fun episode with The Hacks. Local Spotlight – Castro’s Back Room; Manchester, Twin…

For two weeks in a row we record on an off day. This week we head to the upstairs at Castro’s in Nashua for a conference room style sit-down. We have a call in from Brady of La Rosa Negra Cigars. The podcast juice is flowing and the Hidden Herf knocks it out of the park. Local Spotlight – Castro’s Back Room; Nashua, NH Controversy Corner – Housing …

We find ourselves at Grumpy’s this week to find out what’s new and why things are more grumpy than before. It’s more than just the cigars. The Hidden Herf is a good one, but someone was paying attention and figures it out at the 11th hour. Local Spotlight – Grumpy’s Cigars & Lounge; Hudson, NH Controversy Corner – The nudge.…

It’s the annual Masters Weekend at Plaistow Cigar, but this year it’s with the new brand: 3Leaf Cigars. The Charcuterie pairing is a hit and enhances the Hidden Herf rating. We learn about the 3Leaf Cigars brand, the cigars, and Erik’s journey, over the past year or so, starting a new cigar company. The new Cigar Announcers Test seems to be working…

This episode starts out like any other, but just as we we get the Hidden Herf going we are thrown a curve-ball and have to switch cigars. Two Hidden Herfs perhaps? We drag a few people in from the lounge as we work our way through the regular segments. If you follow boxing, be sure to check out lounge guest #4 near the end of the episode. Local Spo…

Mike the Cop, our local Rocky Patel rep, is just back from The PCA 2024 Trade Show in Las Vegas. We are at the Tobacco Shack’s “Party for the Hell of it 3.0” and it’s a full house. The Hidden Herf is a “yet to be available” PCA release. Ricky calls in from Florida for the last time this season. He is in Ybor City with our friend Anthony from The Ci…

The Reverend Harvey is back, but with a few restrictions. The Third Unit Production Manager organized this week’s location at The Ash Lounge and proceeds to nails the Hidden Herf within the first few minutes. Who knew we had a couple of cross-fit trainers in the group. Nurse Rick calls in with the Florida report. Local Spotlight – Ash Cigar Lounge;…

It’s back to Twins for the St. Paddy weekend episode. Our special guest is actually a Hack but, he has his Twins Manager hat on so he gets special billing. We have a quick call from Ricky in Florida to start things off. The Hidden Herf stumps the panel and receives a decent overall rating. Local Spotlight – Twins Smoke Shop; Londonderry, NH Controv…

We are back at the private smoking lounge this week with a full crew for a high energy episode. Ricky is back in Florida, he calls in from King Corona and puts a couple guys on the line with us. Something goes wrong with the Hidden Herf. We add a new segment to discuss generational tobacco sales. Local Spotlight – King Corona Cigars and Cafe; Tampa…

It’s a short crew recording early in the week as kind of an impromptu pop-up podcast. The Hidden Herf is a bit obvious after too many specific clues out of the gate. We dive into to a couple of New England Cigar Expo interviews. Pat the Law student drops in for a few F-Bombs. Pat McGroin and Nurse Rick tell us about a couple shops in Florida. Just …

We find ourselves at Grumpy’s Cigars & Lounge for the third time in five weeks! The principals from Big Sky Cigars are in the area, how could we not go there again. We sit down with Jess Coleman (CEO) and Brandon March (VP) to learn about Big Sky Cigars. It turns out to be more of a story telling and comedy session while smoking cigars – sorry McGr…

It seems like a small group episode but we eventually manage to have eight people on after we sit down with the shop owner and customer representatives. The Second Unit Production Manager arranged the Cigar & Lounge location and the Hidden Herf that stumps the panel. Pat is back from his Tampa trip and Ricky calls in to fill in the details of their…

Direct from Castro’s in Bedford, NH it’s the 2023 Hackie Awards Show and the Hackapalooza 6.0 recap. With ten on the panel this is one for the books. The Hidden Herf is a special awards show selection. Local Spotlight – Castro’s Backroom; Bedford, NH Controversy Corner – How are the award categories and nominees selected?…

We are two days in to Hackapalooza 6.0 and find ourselves at Grumpy’s to record for the second week in a row. We are joined by the team from Madre Tierra Cigars who made the trip from Florida for the full Hackapalooza 6.0 experience. We are also joined by the Pocono and Nashville Hacks live and in person. The Hidden Herf is a little different as we…

Nick Goss is one of our local brokers that we have been trying to connect with since the beginning, it finally happens this week. The event included offerings from BuyItSigned.com in addition to the Goss Man’s selections. The Hidden Herf is an obscure selection but one of the panel happens to recognize it. The White Chocolate returns for a segment.…

It’s back to Twins 7-20-4 Lounge for kind of a pre-palooza visit. We take two call-ins this week, Ricky is at Grand Cathedral Cigars in Tampa, plus the GC and Sparky are at a surprise party. We have a few drop-in guests including one of the original Hacks. The Hidden Herf requires a giant clue to come up with the correct answer. Local Spotlight – T…

Direct from Plaistow Cigar it’s kind of a laid back episode. Nurse Rick calls in from Mi Casa Cigar Shop & Lounge in Valrico, Florida. Local Spotlight – Plaistow Cigar Co; Plaistow, NH Controversy Corner – Fake news document drops.Av cigarhacks@cigarhacks.com

It’s New Year’s Eve at the (undisclosed location) Lancero Lounge, with the Hacks extended cigar family. The wives join the panel for another special episode where we get the scoop on how we met our wives. Plenty of laughs as the truth comes out. The Hidden Herf is a special selection for 2024. For the numerologists, this is episode 3-2-1 recorded o…

For the 2024 New Year episode we head over to Eli’s Smoking Lounge with some of the new Hacks. The Hidden Herf is a different size of a cigar we have smoked recently and the consensus is that it is very different. Local Spotlight – Eli’s Smoking Lounge; Nashua, NH Controversy Corner – Predictions for 2024…

We return to the Two Guys Christmas Party at the Seabrook location for another year. This time we are joined by Jarrid Trudeau EVP of Kristoff Cigars. Jarrid is an old friend of the OG Hacks, so it’s catching up on some history and getting the newer Hacks up to speed on the Kristoff story. The Hidden Herf is a new release from Kristoff that has a s…

There was a launch party for a new line of cigars at The Ash in Kingston, NH on the same night as the local football team playing Thursday Night Football at The Tobacco Shack in Rowley, MA. We had already arranged a giant turkey frying event at the Shack for Thursday Night Football so we go to The Ash on Friday to check out the new release and talk…

The Undisclosed location is a private smoking lounge where one of the Hacks happens to know a guy. The hidden Herf is pegged straight out of the gate by the pro. The Mail bag is full and the podcast juice is flowing, it’s one of those! Local Spotlight – Toast Across America Charity Event Controversy Corner – We’re just a bunch of Ding-Dongs and Who…

For the second week in a row, a large contingent of Hacks invade a cigar lounge. With almost as many Hacks joining as last week, it’s becoming a regular thing. The Hidden Herf is a controversy in itself. We try a new segment and initiate a new Hack. Local Spotlight – The Tobacco Shack; Rowley, MA Controversy Corner – Controversy Potpourri…

A large contingent of Hacks invade the Ash Cigar Lounge to do an episode with Darren Hill, our local New England Sales Manager for My Father Cigars. At one point we count 20 participants, so pull out your score card for this one. The Hidden Herf receives a very good rating overall. The Reverend Harvey returns from Georgia, The Gringo is in town, an…

Let’s get grumpy! This week we visit the new Grumpy’s Cigars & Lounge, formerly El Toro, and sit down with two of the new owners to discuss what’s involved in running a cigar bar. A pair of new Hacks are minted and the Hidden Herf stumps the panel again. Local Spotlight – Grumpy’s Cigars & Lounge; Hudson NH Controversy Corner – Feral Hog Insurrecti…

We drop in to the Diplomat Cigar Lounge in Keene, NH to surprise Josh, the owner, and Mike, the Rocky Patel Rep, for the first Rocky Patel event at this shop. A small contingent of Hacks make the trek on a Thursday, so we pull in a couple of regulars the round out the panel. The Hidden Herf is Pick Your Rocky, Pot-Luck style. Local Spotlight – The …

A couple of new Hack recruits join the crew at Ricky’s firepit. It’s a chilly night, so we load up the wood, have a good cigar, and sample some fine spirits to keep us warm. We recap the Pocono Palooza trip. The Hidden Herf is a new release from a well known brand, but it still stumps the panel. Local Spotlight – Pocono Palooza Lounge Tour Controve…

We head down to the Poconos for the 5th year, including Pocono Wedding Palooza. The Rabbi Cut Above joins us at Best Cigar Pub for this episode along with The JoJo Mo clan and a new recruit, Mike the Runaway. We interview the front of the house manager at Best Cigar Pub to get some details on the new lawn area. The Hidden Herf is not in the running…

Kurt Kendall of Twins Smoke Shop and 7-20-4 Cigars has his 60th birthday bash with Rocky Patel. A few lucky raffle winners are invited the the lake house for the weekend with Kurt and Rocky for cigars, food and spirits. Our own Hunter Rick and Nurse Rick are among the weekend winners. We get a call in from the lake house and speak with Rocky, Rick,…

We recount four interviews from the New England Cigar Expo; Serino, Forged, JC Newman, and West Tampa Cigars. We have a special guest and the Hidden Herf ties in nicely.Av cigarhacks@cigarhacks.com

Joe Gonzalez, our new Aston, La Aroma de Cuba, and San Cristobal rep, joins us at Plaistow Cigar this week. The Mail Bag is full of great messages. The hidden herf does not disappoint. We recap the New England Cigar Expo and have a few laughs along the way. Local Spotlight – New England Cigar Expo 2023 Controversy Corner – Let’s not get canceled…

Dommie the Dominator and the Blue Ash tied the knot this past weekend. The rest of the family go on a mountain top vacation for the balance of the week. We initiate a new cigar smoker and make some new friends. Between the wedding, vacation, and the New England Cigar Expo far too many cigars were consumed this week – as if that’s even possible. Loc…

Joey, AKA The Godfather, AKA, Joey The Gent, has been on the show before but we have not told the story of his cigar journey until now. The Hidden Herf was an easy target for identification and receives a worthy rating. It’s a cast of Castro’s regulars with a few Hacks, so expect some fun. Local Spotlight – Castro’s Back Room; Manchester, NH Contro…

For at least five years we have been after Roy Kirby to do an episode with us. We finally converge at the Perdomo event at Plaistow Cigar for an episode with a few surprises, including the Hidden Herf. Local Spotlight – Perdomo Cigars at Plaistow Cigar Co; Plaistow, NH Controversy Corner – Just sit back and relax!…