A true crime cigar story! Thieving jacka$$es sledgehammer their way into the back of a humidor and make off with $150,000 worth of limited-edition cigars BEFORE the owner had a chance to insure his new warehouse. His next move after installing high-tech security? Craft a new boutique cigar called La Mandarria, which translates to THE SLEDGEHAMMER.

Hear the backstory from Casa Cuevas Cigars’ Luis Cuevas Jr. and Alec Cuevas. In 2022, the Dominican cigar company rereleased the cigar blends that disappeared in the 2019 theft as the Flaco Habano and Flaco Maduro. The father and son duo smoke 7 x 43 Flacos with the Box Press host Rob Gagner.

Shot on location at Miami’s Empire Social Lounge. Take a moment to enjoy South Florida’s cigar lifestyle—relax and listen to good stories over good cigars with good company.

When you head to Miami for cigars, stop in at Empire Social Lounge and tell them Boveda sent you: https://empiresociallounge.com/.

Highlights from this cigar podcast include:

00:00 Cold open

01:50 Father figure picks George Michael.

04:00 What kind of steak is churrascos?

06:21 If Guy Fieri has a bad hair day, I'm having a bad hair life, right?

13:28 Ramen, it’s more than just a college staple. Learn the best place to get real ramen in Miami.

14:13 Are boneless chicken wings even a thing?

18:23 Were they caught? The great cigar heist of 2019.

20:07 Discontinued stolen cigar line is relaunched as Casa Cuevas Flaco.

21:54 Lesson learned: number mastercases of inventory to deter theft.

22:28 Sledgehammer cigar is a positive outcome from a night of crime.

25:23 Shaggy foot cigar vs closed foot cigar. Discuss.

27:08 How the pandemic’s mini cigar boom is different from the 1990s cigar boom.

29:20 Casa Cuevas reveals brand launch backstory exclusive to Boveda!

31:38 How big of a hit does inventory theft make on a company’s financials?