
In this episode, we kick things off with a reflective chat about "the blend that got away," swapping stories of those missed, ignored, or underestimated tobaccos that still haunt us in the best way. From there, we dive back into our ongoing ChatGPT noir adventure, where our heroes sprint through shadowy alleys, dodge questionable characters, and Josh may-or may not-finally reclaim his long-lost pipe. Our deep dive shifts gears into history as we explore how early taxation, government monopolies, and shifting trade laws gave rise to the hidden world of tobacco smuggling. We close the show with a thoughtful review of Cornell & Diehl's Bijou, savoring its honeyed complexity and debating where it lands in our personal rotations.