Cigars for the Common Man

Mark Watkins
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Hobbies
  • Updated Biweekly

Cigars for the Common Man is a podcast for guys who enjoy cigars but don't claim to be experts. Hosted by Donny Hinds and Mark Watkins, the show is built around one idea: you don't need refined taste or industry knowledge to enjoy a good cigar. Most of the time, "tobacco" is an honest answer to what you're tasting, and that's okay. Every episode, Donny and Mark sit down in “The Shed”, a converted woodworking shop turned makeshift studio, light up a couple of cigars, and talk through the parts of cigar culture that don't usually get talked about. No polished tasting notes, no pretending to know more than they do. Just two guys figuring it out and inviting you along for the ride. New episodes roughly every two weeks. Grab a cigar, come back next time, and figure it out with us. Follow the show on Instagram @CigarsForTheCommonMan. Follow along with Mark's personal cigar journey on Instagram at @CigarsWithMark, and Donny's at @todays_cigar.

Episodes

  1. Sep 14

    003: When Hobbies and Cigars Collide: Coffee, Woodworking & Running

    Episode 3: Coffee, Woodworking, and Why Size Matters In Episode 3 of Cigars for the Common Man, Donny and Mark are back in The Shed with a couple of cigars and a lot on their minds. Three episodes in and still not launched, they've given themselves a buffer for exactly the reason you'd expect: life happens. The episode introduces a new recurring segment called Good, Bad, or Indifferent, a casual rundown of what they've been smoking lately and what stood out. Along the way, they land on a reminder worth repeating: don't judge a cigar on one experience, and some reviewers won't rate one until they've smoked three. Mark then digs into something he's been thinking about for a few weeks: how the same tobacco blend can taste and smoke completely differently depending on the size it's rolled into. He breaks down the four mechanical factors behind it: wrapper-to-filler ratio, burn temperature and concentration, draw and smoke density, and how length affects the flavor journey across a cigar's thirds. He also clears up the difference between body and strength, two terms that often get confused. To make it stick, he maps common vitolas onto coffee brewing methods: Donny takes the second main segment and draws a parallel between the craftsmanship behind a premium cigar and building handcrafted furniture. He's currently working on a commissioned dining table made from live oak trees felled on a client's property, and walks through the full process from timber to finished piece- air drying, kiln time, milling, forming, and finishing- to show just how many steps and how much patience it takes to get from raw material to something refined. The connection to how a cigar is made, with hundreds of hands touching it from harvest to the finished roll, lands naturally. The episode closes with a segment on a frankly ridiculous idea the two of them have been kicking around: smoking a cigar during a local 5K. They're not entirely joking. If you're in the Winston-Salem area and this sounds like your kind of bad idea, they want to hear from you. Find Mark on Instagram at @CigarsWithMark and Donny at @todays_cigar. Follow the show at @CigarsfortheCommonMan.

    003: When Hobbies and Cigars Collide: Coffee, Woodworking & Running

  2. Aug 31

    002: What We Wish Someone Had Told Us

    Episode 2: What We Wish Someone Had Told Us In Episode 2 of Cigars for the Common Man, Donny and Mark take a step back to properly welcome listeners to the show before diving into some practical tips and information for new cigar smokers. Things to reduce the intimidation. They kick things off by lighting up the Crowned Heads Moonflower Robusto, a new release that debuted at PCA 2026 and a cigar Mark brought as a birthday surprise for Donny. The episode covers three core topics for newer smokers. First, cutting and lighting: Donny and Mark walk through the different cut types and various lighters, how to properly light up a cigar, and the right way to draw without over-smoking the cigar. Second, humidors: both hosts share their personal journeys through the world of humidor setups, from sock drawers and desktop boxes to travel cases and Tuppidors, and land on a straightforward recommendation for anyone just starting out. Third, cigar vocabulary: the episode works through a useful terms every new smoker is going to hear. The episode wraps up with Donny and Mark going back and forth on beginner tips and recommendations based on their own journey Follow the show at @CigarsfortheCommonMan. Where to Find Us Mark on Instagram at @CigarsWithMark Donny at @todays_cigar.

    002: What We Wish Someone Had Told Us

  3. Aug 17

    001: Why We Started This Show

    Episode 1: Why We Started This In the first episode of Cigars for the Common Man, Donny and Mark break in their new studio (a repurposed woodworking shop they call "The Shed") and light up the King's Blood Toro, a prize Donny won at a charity raffle from Fanatix Cigar House. They talk about what got each of them into cigars, from camping trips and duty-free Cubans to a lifestyle shift that started about a year ago. They cover where they smoke, the ritual behind lighting up alone versus with a group, and the real reason they started this podcast: too many people feel like they're supposed to already know everything about cigars before they're allowed to enjoy one. Donny and Mark talk honestly about not being able to identify fancy tasting notes, why that's completely normal, and why they built a show for cigar smokers who just want to smoke a cigar without the pressure to perform expertise. If you've ever felt like you were supposed to know more than you do, this show is for you. Follow the show at @CigarsfortheCommonMan Find Mark on Instagram at @CigarsWithMark and Donny at @todays_cigar.

    001: Why We Started This Show
  • 3 Episodes

About

Cigars for the Common Man is a podcast for guys who enjoy cigars but don't claim to be experts. Hosted by Donny Hinds and Mark Watkins, the show is built around one idea: you don't need refined taste or industry knowledge to enjoy a good cigar. Most of the time, "tobacco" is an honest answer to what you're tasting, and that's okay. Every episode, Donny and Mark sit down in “The Shed”, a converted woodworking shop turned makeshift studio, light up a couple of cigars, and talk through the parts of cigar culture that don't usually get talked about. No polished tasting notes, no pretending to know more than they do. Just two guys figuring it out and inviting you along for the ride. New episodes roughly every two weeks. Grab a cigar, come back next time, and figure it out with us. Follow the show on Instagram @CigarsForTheCommonMan. Follow along with Mark's personal cigar journey on Instagram at @CigarsWithMark, and Donny's at @todays_cigar.

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Watkins
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Cigars for the Common Man

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