Ohio… known for sell out sports fans, cold frigid winters, and one damned HOT podcast run by the Allen Brothers. If you thought listening to podcasts about Cats was boring, wait until you hear this podcast.. it makes NYC rats look like unicorns who poop sprinkles. If you’re asking yourself what does anything I’ve said so far has to do with cigars, think of it like this:
“There’s something about smoking a cigar that feels like a celebration. It’s like a fine wine. There’s a quality, a workmanship, a passion that goes into the smoking of a fine cigar.” – Demi moore
Cory let’s kick things the old fashioned way. Tell us a few fun facts about yourself. Let’s say 5.
C: I have been a drummer since I was a wee little lad
I have a really bad car and firearm obsession
I fell through my ceiling a few months ago
I have been an avid cigar smoker since I was 19 years old
I have a 3rd nipple
Whoa, third nipple? Nice one Chandler. So tell us about the name of the podcast “The Hot Ticket“.. is there a story behind the name?
C: Haha oh gosh so funny. So every time my dad has a profound thought or someone comes up with a good idea he will excitedly say “now that’s the hot ticket!!”. We named it after him saying that all the time. The best part is after 2 years of podcasting, he still has no idea that is where the name is derived from.
Cory, you describe your podcast as the layman’s cigar reviews and non-pretentious approach to cigars. Since we cannot taste or experience the cigar profiles via podcasts, how do you make sure that you provide interesting content to your followers so that they continue to tune in?
C: Specifically around cigars, we keep it simple, because simple is usually relatable. We use descriptors that people can identify with. Too many outlets use adjectives and descriptors to describe a flavor that most people can’t connect with. For us, it’s all about connection to the audience. You won’t hear us use terms or words that are overly specific like “spoiled taco meat”, “rubber cement covered in brake dust” or “blueberry cobbler wrapped in a rainbow”. If you can identify a flavor so specifically you have what we call a “Unicorn Palate” I feel as though people appreciate and respect the fact that we keep it straight forward.
What is your favorite thing about the cigar industry that draws you in?
C: 100% definitively people. It’s the only passion, hobby, and love I know that has little societal restrictions. I have literally smoked with folks that rolled up to the shop in a Maserati and then with the Mailman who just got of his shift, and all of us together! At the shop, bars and stars come off, and the common denominator becomes the cigar and experience we share together. The connection you make with others that share the same passion is what becomes most important. Race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation simply doesn’t matter. We are all connected by the cigar.
As you might have experienced personally there are many folks on Instagram especially that heavily promote Cuban cigars, not particularly always for their profile or taste but because of the elusive luxury side. They typically bring down all cigars that don’t come from Cuban origins. If you could give an honest straight forward response to these folks, what would you tell them about their snobbish ways?
C: Keep buying your Cubans and leave the good stuff for us! Honestly, I would strongly challenge them to do what we do every day and that is to explore. There is so much great tobacco being produced from so many other countries and brands, that to think Cubans are the almighty and everything else is inferior, is simply close-minded. I can name 15 brands off the top of my head at any given time that would give any Cuban brand a run for their money, especially if we are talking in terms of overall value. Unfortunately what we see, is in an effort to flaunt status. My friend Mo from Patina said it best. “You have cigar smokers, and people who smoke cigars”. Those bozos are people who smoke cigars.
Let’s get a bit personal. What’s your go-to cigar and why.
C: I will give you the same response I give everyone.. There isn’t one. It constantly changes and depends on the situation and mood. It’s funny because I and other reviewers laugh about this question all the time and we all have that same response. Right now though I am really enjoying the Patina Habano, Crowned heads Court Reserve and the Micallef Sumatra. These cigars I find myself coming back to over and over currently.
Cory, what’s it like running the podcast with your brother? Do you feel the brotherly chemistry makes for a more interesting conversation?
C: I absolutely love it and couldn’t imagine having another/better Co-Host. Our chemistry is a big reason the podcast has been as successful as it has. Chris and I are very close and he is absolutely my best friend. The fact we share the same passion for cigars just makes our relationship even better, which I feel directly translates to great material and dialogue for the podcast. Chris is knowingly the goofy, jovial, and daffy character (which is who he is all the time) and I am perhaps the more polished, articulate, and expressive one. The combination seems to make for great content.
How much effort do you put into scripting or is it the free-flowing bullshit of brotherhood that creates hilarity?
C: It is a combination. Typically I always have something picked out for the show, but Chris never knows what it’s going to be. Overly thought out means scripted, and scripted usually mean inorganic. Candid conversation and reaction are what we seek because people can usually pick up on anything that is inauthentic. It’s fun coming into it going “oh man do I have some shit for you”, and leaving it at that until we get into it.
Cory, let’s be frank, can I call you Frank? Everyone and their grandmother has a podcast these days. Tell our readers why people should ignore all the hoopla out there, and tune in to yours?
C: You can call me anything because I am getting paid for this, right? Haha. Honestly, I wouldn’t tell anyone to ignore other podcasts out there. There are some good ones despite it being a crowded space. I think where we have separated ourselves is in the rich content, candidness, and our layman’s approach. We know our podcast isn’t for everyone and that is okay. We have found a nice niche in just keeping things “real” and “identifiable”. We are a large group of misfits which is an oxymoron in and of itself. Our podcast has gained success as a result of a younger generation becoming more interested and intrigued about the cigar industry as a whole. We pride ourselves in our ability to bring young blood into the fold. Long term it’s our generation that will sustain this amazing industry. We have simply made it our mission to get out ahead of it before the baby boomers kick the can and we felt this (podcasting) was the best medium to broadcast our message.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
C: Not at all in the least. What we do is time intensive and has come with a lot of trials and tribulations. We have made mistakes, learned, examined, went back to the drawing board and evolved. That all comes with hard work and serious time investment. Period. I personally balance this life with a successful full-time job that also demands a lot of time and attention and a wife that for some reason loves to spend time with me and likewise I do with her. Chris is no different. We never expect things to be easy but when you are so intimately passionate about something, easily becomes a detached concern. You do it because you love to do it and because people love you doing it. Those factors are what fuel us. It’s what keeps us evolving.
Anything else you’d like to share with our readers? Possible new projects or initiatives we should be on the lookout for?
C: Episode 100 is going to be a real treat for many reasons! Stay tuned for that. We will have an incredible new site that will be launching around the same time as EP 100 (details to come) and we will also be adding a video component to what we do. The intent is to create fun digestible video content in addition to the podcast. We are also expanding our Hot Ticket cigar faction Facebook group. In addition, we have also added 3 more people (Tony Reynolds, J.R. Mugleston aka “Muggle Buggle”, and Shane Rayl) into the fold that will help us manage, create, and produce content. We are elevating things to the next level :).
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