About Interviews

Bob Staebell: Aristocrat Humidors

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:23:03 -0800

Behind every cigar collector and hobbyist, there is a box… or boxes, as it were. We call them humidors and you can’t get serious about collecting, storing and aging cigars without one.

For my money, I want a humidor that not only works great, but also looks great and adds to the décor of a home or office. I always look for a real showpiece that can be viewed with pride and that will be an heirloom to future generations. Further, as most cigar enthusiasts will eventually find out, you can collect cigars a lot faster than you can smoke them. As a result, many people find themselves in need of large volume humidor. Well, it just so happens that Aristocrat humidors, crafted by Bob Staebell, fit the bill. Bob has established himself as one of the premiere humidor-makers in America and his fans are legion.

Below: Aristocrat M+
Bob has been crafting fine woodwork for many years. He makes his home in Richardson, Texas and his shop in Garland, Texas is where he manufactures his unique creations.

Stogie Fresh contacted Bob prior to the Christmas rush on humidors to see if he would be willing to spend some time giving the Stogie Fresh readers some insights about his humidors, and he graciously consented.

DOC: Exactly how long have you been woodworking for a living and when and why did you get into crafting humidors?

BOB: I have been a professional furniture maker since 1992. A year or so into the business a client for whom I was building an expensive set of tables, asked me to build him a humidor. He gave me a Dunhill and Elie Bleu for examples of pieces he liked. I did my homework and a couple of months later delivered my first Bloodwood desktop humidor.

At the same time I occasionally participated in a couple of higher end art shows and displayed several medium size boxes as well as furniture pieces. Four people at that show asked if I made humidors. By the time the 5th one came by I said stop by my shop next Friday and you will see several humidors.

Building humidors appealed to my love of precision workmanship. A humidor required that one consistently build to tolerances of a few thousandth of an inch, with a material like wood that doesn’t stay the same dimension as it responds to changes in moisture. One has to learn to predict which pieces of wood will remain straight and true after you cut them and mill them to final dimensions.

I also enjoyed the process of laying out all the elements for a piece, matching grains and finding pieces with unique patterns to place in focal points on each piece. It’s a never-ending challenge. Every so often you put together something very special. That "satisfaction high" is the grand prize.

We started out focusing on selling to quality cigar shops in Texas and Oklahoma and spread out from there. It was the "boom" time when cigars were starting to become more popular. We developed a referral business fairly quickly.
Below: Blake receives a new Aristocrat
In approximately 1995, I put up my first web site on the Internet to broaden our reach and shortly thereafter developed the first of the Aristocrat Cabinet Humidor designs. The intent was to build two sizes using two woods. Now there are thousands of possible sizes and combinations. I am never bored building the same thing twice.

DOC: What changes, say, in the last 10 years or so, have you seen in the humidor industry that have improved the quality or the price point (or both) of humidors?

BOB: One of the major changes that worked for the better was when the boom in the cigar market lost most of its froth in the later 1990’s. Every one with a table saw, cabinet shop, etc., had become a humidor maker. When retailers stopped buying just anything that was called a humidor, the short-term builders went away. What remained were those committed to quality with the financial resources to span the slower times and adjust to the market. The big names from before the boom and quite a few new entries have continued to grow and develop new products. It is much easier for retailers and customers to know the quality of what they are purchasing, as well as be comfortable that the company selling it will probably be around if there are problems.

The entry of the Chinese manufacturers has to be the most significant development in lower prices of entry-level humidors whether a small desktop or mid/larger sized cabinet style pieces. They may not be the highest consistent quality, but do represent value for many folks.

Electronic humidification systems have made long term cigar storage easy. Controls have gotten faster, smaller, with fewer components doing many more functions. The cost went down dramatically as volume has increased. Anyone can get accurate storage conditions with an inexpensive electronic system in a reasonable humidor.

Below: An Aristocrat Mini
One major change for us was in temperature control design and electronics. We built Delta temp cabinets as early as 1996, but they were very labor intensive and expensive. A complete redesign of our fabrication method cut the cost in half (or more), in large humidors. I was able to design my own peltier unit [i.e., thermoelectric cooler] and in the last couple of years, I designed a new control and have had them both manufactured to my specs. This dropped or maintained prices, even though wood and insulation and shop costs rose significantly. The cost basis was so great we eventually discontinued the Delta series for the new THC version.

DOC: What make your humidors so unique and why do you think they are a much sought-after item?

BOB: I am passionate about building humidors. I want every piece we build to be the best work we can do. I feel I have surrounded myself with employees who carry that same desire. Most have been with me for a while–5-15 years–and could be furniture makers in their own right if they ever chose to go off on their own.

We always think about the finished humidor, from the initial stages of selecting wood for each humidor, to matching grain and texture and selecting the most interesting pieces for focal points like top and door panels. Taking the extra time as needed and visualizing through to the finished humidor is not the norm in most shops today. Parts are just pulled out of bins and assembled. A few extra minutes whether selecting wood or doing an extra coat of lacquer to make the finish perfect is time I am willing to spend.

Another element is the precision of all of our wood elements. The difference between a pretty box and a well functioning humidor may boil down to a few thousandths of an inch. We use dial calipers and other measuring instruments that are more frequently found in a tool and die shop for close tolerance work.

We stand behind every humidor we build, whether it is the electronics or the cabinet itself. Warranty's today average a year at most and many on electronics are just 90 days. Aristocrat Humidors have a 2-year warranty on the electronics and a lifetime warranty on the cabinet itself.

Wood is a natural product and despite our best efforts, occasionally a piece of wood will decide it doesn’t want to be a flat door and warps. Because they are built with precision, we can easily build a new door and ship it out, knowing that it will fit perfectly, even on humidors made several years earlier.

DOC: What would you advise people as the most important considerations when deciding what humidor to buy?

BOB: Two major elements in a humidor are the electronics and quality of door seal. If either is lacking, the humidor will not function well. There are several humidifiers in the marketplace that offer precision digital humidification for less than the cost of a modest box of cigars. I get a lot of calls from folks unhappy with analog or budget humidification systems. That call usually comes after they have lost some expensive cigars due to over or under humidification.

My other recommendation is buy a larger humidor than you think you need. Nature abhors a vacuum and whatever size you get will be filled. If you buy a humidor that you can grow into, rather than out of, you are buying an extra year or so before running out of room.

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out the Aristocrat website, where you will find much more information about the many humidor models created by Bob Staebell: http://www.aristocrathumidors.com

[Doc notes: My first Aristocrat Cabinet was a "MINI", which holds 15-20 boxes. I was so impressed with its quality, workmanship, and function that I subsequently purchased an M+ with beveled glass doors and top and a capacity of 60+ boxes. I have been very happy with both choices and I look forward to another at some future date.]

Manny Iriarte: Cigar Photography

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:51:05 -0700

Born and raised in Santa Clara, Cuba, a young Manny Iriarte had the opportunity to travel the world as a member of the Cuban National Swim Team. The occasions to visit and live in other countries led him to recognize how limited the conditions and opportunities were in his native Cuba. These experiences abroad provided an understanding that would shape his future aspirations and, eventually, his country of residence.

But first, Manny would finish his education. In 1993, he graduated from La Universidad del Deporte and upon completion of his studies he decided pursue his childhood passion: photography. Realizing he would be unable to achieve his dream while living in Cuba, Manny left his homeland at age 30 and now lives and works in Miami, Florida.

I met Manny on one of his many photography assignments. Two years ago in the Dominican Republic I witnessed the amazing concentration and energy of a photographer who was working the cigar factories and fields of this leading country of cigar exports. Manny was moving with ease among the many subjects of his artistry. Whether it was the diversity of people from various countries around the world or the tens of thousands of cigars in various stages of manufacture, Manny was animated and in focus.

As I was attending a tour in one of the Dominican's fine cigar factories, Manny tapped me on the shoulder and introduced himself. We exchanged business cards and have kept in contact over these past two years. In the interim, I have noticed that Manny's name has become synonymous with fine photography within the cigar industry. Whether it is shooting portraits of the cigar stars, or photographing their products, farms and factories, Manny Iriarte is slowly but surely becoming the photographer of choice for cigar-related assignments. It doesn't hurt that Manny hails from the quintessential cigar capital of the world, or that he speaks the traditional language of the cigar culture, or that he loves to smoke the very subjects of his photos. All this and more, makes Manny Iriarte the perfect choice for cigar photo-shoots.

Recently (and this was long overdue), I asked Manny if he would consider an interview for the Stogie Fresh Cigar Journal. He graciously accepted my invitation and what you will read below is just a snapshot of his life. I think you are going to enjoy this look into the life of a professional photographer, especially one who works often within the cigar industry.

DOC: Unlike many people who leave Cuba in their youth, you left when you were 30-years old. How difficult was it for you to leave your home and family and come to the United States?

MANNY: It is true that the majority of people that have left Cuba do so at an early age. And yet I left at the age of 30. This was evidently much harder psychologically due to the fact that I lived there for so many years and came alone leaving my family behind. At the age of thirty, I had already formed my life and way of living and had my mother, sister, niece, nephew and friends around me daily. Because of political factors in Cuba, my decision to leave was even more difficult because I did not know realistically the "exact date" when I would be able to see them again.

DOC: How and when did you become passionate about photography?

MANNY: First and foremost, having a passion in Cuba is exceptionally difficult. When I was young I was always able to see a good vision of photography through movies, magazines, post cards and more. But many years passed between the times I had these incredible views of photography until the time I actually had a camera. I was fortunate to receive my first camera (a 1973 Olympus OM-10) from a Spanish tourist who later became a great friend of mine. As a friend, he knew about my passion for photography and his gift was very special to me.

From that moment on I began taking pictures of landscapes, "crazy themes" and a few birthday parties, which helped me to make enough money to survive. Although I was able to partially carry out my interest for photography, I knew that achieving a dream of producing art photography while living in Cuba was not possible.

DOC: Who have been your greatest influences as a photographer and artist?

MANNY: My greatest influences are too many to name. One thing that impacted my life as a photographer was when I first took a few pictures of cigars with natural light and one of my wife wearing a guayabera shirt with a cigar and realized that they were truly works of art. This led to selling my first black and white photograph and made me realize that photography was not just a hobby; it was what I needed to devote myself to.

It seems that everyone can point to another person who served as a role model. Being Cuban, I have noticed other Cuban artists and their successes in this country, which have also served as incredible positive inspirations and influences in my life. Artists like Arturo Sandoval, Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan and the late Celia Cruz are just a few Cubans who have served as a mirror for me and have encouraged me.

DOC: When did you start smoking cigars and what type of cigars do you favor?

MANNY: Ironically when I was living in Cuba, I enjoyed a cigar here and there, but it wasn't a routine or a pleasure. I began smoking cigars in earnest when I officially started working professionally with big cigar companies, about five years ago. My favorite cigar is mild, medium to full. I prefer a cigar with better flavor rather than one that is too strong. I love the balance and consistency of a cigar. Sometimes after a good breakfast I take pleasure in smoking a cigar made in the Dominican Republic, but after a fine dinner or to conclude my day I prefer a Nicaraguan or Honduran cigar.

DOC: You are becoming known as one of the best cigar photographers out there. What factors do you think have led to your success as a photographer of cigars and cigar personalities?

MANNY: I would say that my passion, hard work and my eagerness to consistently only do and create the best have been major factors. I strive to create and maintain good business relationships as well as to develop sincere and genuine friendships. I truly believe that these traits have helped me to become effectively recognized by numerous cigar manufacturers and celebrities.

DOC: For the tech-geeks out there, what kind of camera and lenses do you use and what would you consider to be your most important "accessory"?

MANNY: I use exclusively Canon photography equipment. And, regarding accessories, no matter what brand or how much equipment someone has, I believe the most important accessory is "vision." Vision means having the perfect "blend" between creativity and purpose. A photographer can have the utmost in high technology and yet, without vision, it may amount to nothing.

DOC: Can you tell us about some of your most memorable experiences while working within the cigar industry?

MANNY: Without a doubt I have had many memorable experiences working in the cigar industry. Just to mention a few, I can recall working with Alan Rubin [Alec Bradley Cigars] all day long for over 8 hours to meet a deadline for Cigar Aficionado. It was stressful, exciting and the result was outstanding.

Another memorable moment was when I went to do the photo shoot of Orlando Padrón Sr. and Jorge Padrón for the cover of European Cigar Cult Journal and ended the day taking pictures of all nineteen members of the Padrón Family. It was a blast! In addition, I also recall going to Estelí, Nicaragua to do a photo shoot for My Father Cigars and, coincidently, Pete Johnson [Tatuaje Cigars] was also there. Not having much time, I told him I had only 45 minutes to do a photo shoot session and the resulting photographs became his image for his new national advertising campaign. I don’t know how that happened.

Though there are many more experiences to share, there is not enough time to share them all. Suffice it to say that I have been blessed with many wonderful experiences that will never be forgotten.

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out Manny's website, where you will read more about the man and see more of his photos: http://www.mannyiriarte.com

Lucas De Meester: Don Lucas Cigars

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:45:07 -0700

[Editor's note: the following interview was conducted via email in Spanish and translated by me. Any errors in grammar, syntax, or word usage are mine and are a product of my own limitations. ~Doc]

In recent weeks, I have been introduced to Don Lucas Cigars and the brand owner, Lucas de Meester. With so many new brands coming into the cigar market these days it is not unusual that I would come across a new brand, however there are few new brands that have garnered my attention and respect, as have Don Lucas Cigars.

Below: Doc with Don Lucas
Lucas owns and operates the Cigar Home and Lounge Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic. If you decide to visit Punta Cana and his lounge, Don Lucas will personally pick you up at your hotel and bring you to the lounge. He will spend time talking with you about his cigars treat you to some fine cigars and libation.

Prior to my latest trip to the Dominican Republic, I had tried the Don Lucas Gold Series and the C4. But while visiting the DR in February 2009, I had the great pleasure of meeting Don Lucas himself and smoking an even newer, unreleased, cigar. That meeting (and smoking) tipped the scale for me as I went from "interested party" to "confirmed believer."

I sat and chatted with Don Lucas and marveled at his newest cigar and came away with the distinct impression that cigars and tobacco are not only a passion for this man, but a lifestyle. There was intensity and wistful pleasure in his eyes as he talked about the tobacco and his cigars. It is truly a pleasure to spend time with someone so committed to excellence.

After returning home, I wrote to Don Lucas and asked if he would be interested in sharing some of his passion with the readers of Stogie Fresh and he happily agreed to this interview.

DOC: How did you make the transition from lounge owner to making your own cigars? Can you tell us a little about your lounge and what a visitor might expect to see and do there?

DON LUCAS: Really, there wasn't much of a transition from managing the Cigar Home and Lounge Punta Cana to making cigars. For 16 years I have dedicated myself to the making of cigars, both the creation of the Don Lucas brand as well as the Don Lucas Cigars S.A company.

It all began in my home in Bavaro, where I started with only one roller. People came to visit to learn more about the rolling processes. The people felt comfortable, like family, sharing with us. During this time I wanted to show something very different, I put an emphasis on the quality of the cigar and its presentation.

At that time I presented only Don Lucas cigars. Smooth-tasting cigars, basically hand made with a filler blend of Olor Dominicano and Piloto Cubano, a Dominican binder, and a Connecticut Shade USA wrapper. This cigar quickly became well known. The public found it different, particularly the color of the wrapper, which was of very high quality.

When making cigars I always tried to choose the best materials available, so as to achieve uniformity of color and flavors… in short, I wanted to make the best cigars that I could make.

Later, I decided to move the operations to another site in Bavaro to allow me to receive more visitors. The new operation functioned well but was missing something, primarily the sense of "sharing with the people." The new operation began to function like a commercial machine, in which nobody could feel the heart, the warmth, the sense of ambiance that still exists in the actual lounge.

After that, I decided to return to the way it had been in the beginning where we spent extraordinary moments with our visitors, again like family, making the people feel as though they were in their own home. I began to feel like my old self again, with a renewed passion for cigars and sharing that passion with all the visitors, smoking with them and sharing a drink in the lounge. I would speak of the history of tobacco, about the farms, the manufacturing processes, and the curing and aging of tobacco. These were unforgettable moments with all the visitors who came to the lounge. I have noticed that people enjoy having this special relationship with the manufacturer, not necessarily with the retailer.

This is life in the world of cigars, in my opinion. The most important thing is the relationship between two people and the enjoyment of a common bond. Cigar Home and Lounge in Punta Cana is the only place that works in this way. All is done by the owner (myself), even driving visitors in a private vehicle both to and from their hotel.

When you visit the Lounge, you will find wines from seven different countries and the finest rums. The tropical patios are a place where many stop to enjoy the peaceful surroundings and use wireless internet access.

On the walls of the Lounge you will find many testimonies from the cigar enthusiasts that have visited. The Lounge even has a permanent exhibit of the Dominican painter Guillo Perez.

Cigar Home and Lounge is also the only place that organizes (in limited groups) visits to a cigar factory in Santiago (Cigar Export Corp.) as well as the farms of Navarette. This special tour includes the flight to Santiago in a private plane, a visit to the factory and farms, a visit to the city of Carazon (Santiago), tastings, lunch in the center of Santiago: in all, one full day. This visit isn’t a commercial tourist product but an exclusive service of Lucas De Meester for the cigar enthusiast.

Many cigar enthusiasts are looking for high quality cigars, or rather, the guarantee of high quality when it comes to purchasing cigars. Tourists in Punta Cana find it difficult to make quality purchases since there are many people selling counterfeit cigars (i.e., Cuban cigars), especially in the beach areas. Cigar Home and Lounge is definitely something apart - I want to say that perhaps it has been destined for the cigar smoker.

DOC: Where do you source the tobacco for your Don Lucas blends?

DON LUCAS: The tobaccos used for Don Lucas and Lucas De Meester Premium Cigars comes from the farms of Navarrete in the Dominican Republic. The farm manager is engineer Leonardo Reyes. He is a master of curing the tobacco in Navarrete and specialist of the Cuban seed tobacco harvested in the Dominican Republic.

All the tobacco comes from only one farm. This allows the process of cultivation, harvesting, curing and aging, to always be the same. This is what guarantees the consistency of all Lucas De Meester lines of cigars.

Below: Leonardo Reyes
DOC: Can you tell us about your relationship with Augusto and Leonardo Reyes?

DON LUCAS: My relationship with Augusto Reyes can be described as a friendship that has lasted many years. Augusto and Leonardo Reyes have always helped me with advice for making products of the highest quality.

The two brothers complement one another perfectly. Augusto is the manufacturer (with Cigar Export Corporation) and his brother Leonardo is the one that “lives” at the farms assuring top quality raw materials. (Leonardo has supplied tobacco for some of the best cigars at La Aurora and Camacho, among others). Nowadays, Nicaragua and Honduras buy more of this tobacco than our own Dominican Republic.

Augusto Reyes is the one that has always helped me to understand what it takes to produce a product worthy of the international market. Thanks to him and his brother I have learned the complexities of producing a great cigar, from the seed to the rolling. The natural methods that Leonardo uses to cultivate his tobaccos still fascinate me and when I go to the curing barn to see how the curing process is progressing, I am still as captivated as I was on the very first day.

I consider Augusto and Leonardo Reyes my mentors. Never worrying about the time, they always teach with the same dedication to the basics of the tradition of making cigars, as they have done for six generations.

DOC: Can you talk about your current cigar blends and their flavor and body profile?

DON LUCAS: The actual names of these “blends” are: Don Lucas Pearl Series, Don Lucas Premium, Lucas De Meester Gold series, and Havana Vuelta Abajo. The four blends have been created based on what we've heard from our clients. Effectively some prefer the smooth blends, Dominincan cigars with a light wrapper, while others opt for a medium-to-full or full-bodied blend.

The Pearl Series is the smoothest of our blends. It has a filler of Olor Dominicano and Piloto Cubano tobaccos, the binder is Dominican, and the wrapper is a Connecticut Shade seed grown in Ecuador.

The Don Lucas Premium is very similar. The major difference appears at the level of the wrapper, which, in this case, is a Connecticut Shade leaf grown in the USA.

My favorites are the two lines that appear under the name of Lucas De Meester. We would say that the decision has been to make a “signature” series for what we consider the best for the aficionado. In the Lucas De Meester Gold Series and Lucas De Meester Havana Vuelta Abajo, we have created two lines of cigars: the first is a medium-to-full (Gold Series) and the second, full-bodied (Lucas De Meester Vuelta Abajo). We work exclusively with Cuban seeds grown in Dominican Republic. The curing of the tobacco is controlled by Leonardo Reyes and he gives us a tobacco of high quality that possesses no hot after taste, even in the last 2-inches. All our clients smoke these cigars until the last inch without ever noting any effect of the cigar heating up. These cigars have delighted the lovers of Habanos, since they have the strength but are never overpowering.

Below: Havana Vuelta Abajo tobacco

Our clients always say “I want something strong but I don’t want it to be harsh.” They can tell the difference between strength and fullness of flavor.

DOC: What can you tell us about your latest cigar project?

DON LUCAS: The latest creation is a new preferido cigar with a ring gauge of 54 and a length of 6 ¾ inches. These will be packaged in boxes of 24 cigars (the box is more humidor than standard box). This cigar (full Havana Vuelta Abajo) will appear within a few weeks in the North American market in two choices of wrappers (natural and maduro). A cigar created for those looking for a consistently full-bodied cigar.

This is the first cigar that is made entirely with the same seed for wrapper, binder and filler: Havana Vuelta Abajo. This cigar is definitively reserved for experienced smokers and will surprise the lovers of Habanos.

Contact Information: Lucas De Meester Cigars
Website: http://www.donlucascigarsoriginal.com
Interview conducted by: David "Doc" Diaz from Stogie Fresh

David Blanco-Los Blancos Cigars

Thu, 8 Jan 2009 19:51:39 -0800

The Los Blancos Cigar Company was founded in the USA in 1998, and yet, the Blanco family’s history and roots in the tobacco industry can be traced back 5 generations to Cuba’s western-most province of Pinar del Rio.

David Blanco, current Vice President of the company is one of the first generation of Blanco's to be born in the United States. Before entering the family cigar business, David was a Deputy Sheriff in the Chicago area and later became a Fire/Paramedic for the Chicago Fire Department.

I first met David two years ago at the IPCPR Trade Show in Houston, Texas. I have since worked with him on reviews/features of the Los Blancos Sumatra Toro (see photo at left) and the Criollo Torpedo.

However, one of the biggest surprises to me, given that my own son recently enlisted in the U.S. Army, was David's continuing service in the United States Army, where he has served for 19 years, both in active duty and reserves, including 18 months in support of the Global War on Terrorism, Operation Enduring Freedom that involved an extended deployment to Afghanistan.

Recently, David agreed to an interview in which I have asked him not only about his growing cigar company, but also about his service in the military, and his family's roots in the cigar industry…

DOC: The Los Blancos Cigar Company was founded in the USA in 1998, right at the end of the cigar boom. What challenges did you face in the changing face of the cigar industry at that time?

DAVID: The fact that there were so many "NO NAME BRANDS" in the market at that time that were slowly dying off, made it more difficult for a "LEGITIMATE" young brand to build a reputation. Once those brands started disappearing we were more easily recognized on the shelves. After someone smoked the cigar however, we were confident they would be back for more. Fortunately, we were correct and the brand took off from there.

DOC: Your family has been in the tobacco business for 5 generations. What are your childhood memories of the importance of tobacco to the family? Any specific stories?

DAVID: I was born and raised in Chicago, IL; however, my immediate family came to the United States from Cuba in the early 1960s, as a result of Castro’s betrayal of the Cuban Revolution. The rest of the family was either stuck in Cuba or just leaving for Central America when I was born in 1971. As a child I grew up as many American kids in the inner city did. Playing ball in the streets and going to the Cub Scouts were some of the experiences I enjoyed while growing up in a middle class neighborhood.

As a kid growing up, my memory of tobacco and specifically cigars was that it was a pastime for old men. They would sit around all day drinking coffee, playing dominos and smoking cigars. What kid could appreciate that? All I wanted was to play with my friends. It wasn't until I was older, around twenty, when I began to appreciate what the whole "cigar smoking thing" was all about. I remember talking to my Uncle Francisco (Frank) and asking him about cigars and tobacco. I would smoke with him and discuss things like the military and politics while developing my palate and learning more and more about what actually went into the creation of a cigar and growing tobacco. At that point I knew of the family history and business, but didn't see it as a feasible option for me to become involved. After all, I was living in Chicago going to college. A few years went by and I became more and more interested, but couldn't figure out a way I could contribute to the family's heritage and legacy that was the tobacco industry.

When the boom hit in the mid nineties I saw cigar smoking change from a recreational activity, reserved only for older men, to a passtime popular with my generation. This was a huge change for the cigar industry. New and younger smokers my own age were now prevalent in the smoking community, which provided me a forum and venue to interact with people my own age and discuss everything from religion to tobacco. I felt I had found a way to reintegrate myself into the family business. However, I couldn't do it alone. I asked my father and uncle to become my partners.

Photo: Doc and David Blanco at the
2007 IPCPR Trade show in Houston, Texas

By 1998 we opened a factory in the Tampa area and employed Cuban rollers, some of which were family that escaped in the nineties. My Uncle Francisco ran production operations buying tobacco from the Plasencia family, among others, who were cousins. As a result, the business began not only my reintegration into the family business, but also into the family. I had lost the opportunity to grow up with many members of my family who remained in Cuba as a result of Castro’s regime. Those that were able to leave were scattered all over Central America and the U.S. Since my father’s escape forty years earlier, generations had been born and raised that I had never met. I began exploring where the family was and it seemed that every time I needed something that involved my company, I would contact someone in the industry and they would inevitably end up being related or knew of my family back in Cuba. Unfortunately, shortly after we opened the factory, my Uncle Francisco became ill as a result of his service in Viet Nam and was no longer able to run the factory. My father and I asked the Plasencia family if we could move operations to the Segovia factory in Estelí and they agreed. My father and Nestor are cousins through my father's uncle. Since then, I have continued to meet other family members and reconnect with long lost cousins in the business. I now have a close bond with many family members, whom I would barely known, had I not decided to come back to my family's heritage and legacy, which is the tobacco industry.

DOC: The Los Blancos Cigar Company has been described as a "family business." What roles does each of your family members play in the company?

DAVID: My father, Cesar A. Blanco, is the President/CEO of Los Blancos. I am Vice President. My nephew's wife, Marilizie Martinez is our office manager. My brother, Scott A. Blanco, manages Shipping and the Distribution Warehouse. My brother, Cesar L. Blanco, handles Marketing issues for the company. Nestor Plasencia Sr. is our Senior Agronomist, Nestor Plasencia Jr. is our production manager and Ahgmed Fernandez, another cousin, is our factory manager. Conrado Plasencia is our production manager for Honduran operations. Cristina Santana, although not technically family, is like an aunt to me and functions as our Corporate Sales Manager. Her family used to work with ours back in Cuba as well.

DOC: You and others in your family have served in the United States military. What did that experience mean to you and what did it teach you about life and about business?

DAVID: Being born in this country is a privilege that many others wish they had. Fortunately for me, and as a result of the sacrifices made by my parents and grandparents, I have had the opportunity to achieve what many around the world will never have; a good life, with liberty and the ability to pursue happiness; the “inalienable rights” of all citizens in this country. These rights however, were paid-for in blood throughout our history and my family's way of honoring the country that has provided us these rights has been to protect them through our military service.

My military experience has afforded me the opportunity to travel all over the world and see many different places, where people aren't as fortunate as those in the United States. This has provided me with a perspective and a greater appreciation for what this country provides us all. It is for that reason that I continue to serve as a U.S. Army Reservist and now have 19 years of service. The U.S. Army has also developed my inner strength as a person, it has given me the drive to achieve and succeed, never quitting - and the willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. That development in my character has been my greatest strength and at times, weakness. It is for that reason I will always conduct my business in an honorable and respectable manner. When building a new company, sacrifice is required and my willingness to sacrifice for my company has proven to be one of the biggest reasons for the company's growth. Loyalty to my retailers has been the other reason for our success. But our family's ability to act as a unit even when we disagree is what gets us through. We all have the same goal, morals and principles so we all are on the same page. Our ability to work as a team is not only as a result of being family; it also has to do with the common thread we share of military service. My father is a 27-year retired U.S. Army veteran, my brother Cesar is a former U.S. Marine and my uncle Francisco is a 20-year U.S. Army retired veteran. My other brother Scott served in the IL Army National Guard as well. I could not have thought of a better name for our company than LOS BLANCOS because it's not just what we do, it's who we are.

DOC: You have a wide variety of cigars to offer, including bundled cigars and a cigar for each range of taste preferences. What process did you follow to come up with these specific cigars and what type of consumer taste preference is each cigar line aimed toward?

DAVID: I started blending the various cigars offered in the PREMIERE SELECTION by pairing them with some of my favorite beverages.

The Sumatra (RED LABEL: see photo above) blend was the first. I enjoy coffee very much and I start my day, as many others do, with a nice cup of "Joe". I wanted a cigar specifically designed to compliment that beverage, as it is one of the most popular beverages to accompany a cigar. I found that the Sumatra also paired well with Port and Rum, two of my other favorites.

I blended the Criollo (GREEN LABEL: see photo below) for the Whiskey and Scotch enthusiasts. The complexity of that cigar doesn't overwhelm the beverage but balances the experience, making it a natural for those that enjoy single malt in particular.

The Maduro (YELLOW LABEL), which is actually a H2000 Maduro, was blended as a transition cigar for milder smokers to venture into the realm of darker leaf cigars. I had to ensure a pleasant experience so we chose the H2000 with a Maduro fermentation. We selected this leaf because we found that it wasn’t overbearing and didn't overwhelm the blend as some other Maduros with which we experimented. However, the complexity and body were abundant and the blend couldn't have come out any better. The cigar ended up appealing to the milder smoker as I had intended, but it also appealed to the fuller body Maduro smoker, that was looking for a lighter Maduro as an option to the powerful cigars they usually smoke. As a result, it has become my best seller. As far as pairing it with a beverage, I prefer it with espresso, aged rum or a nice dark German beer.

The Connecticut Shade (BLUE LABEL) is a little bit different from most. The wrapper is U.S. seed, but grown at a high elevation and during the dry season in Nicaragua. Not much Connecticut Shade is grown in Nicaragua because of the higher humidity and temperature levels, but we have been able to grow it, just not in large quantities. The soil is very volcanic, so the taste is unique when compared to what you usually find in U.S. or Ecuadorian Shade wrapper. The taste isn't sharp as one usually finds, and the creamy taste and smooth texture is very appealing. It pairs very well with light beers and white or lighter wines.

PRIMOS PREMIUM CIGARS (See photo below) is Los Blancos other brand. This blend is a collaboration between Nestor Plasencia Jr. and me. Hence the name, which simply translated from Spanish, means COUSINS. This cigar comes in two wrappers. Both are ‘Habano Criollo’ wrappers that have been aged for three years. The difference is that one is a Rosado fermentation and the other is a Maduro fermentation. These cigars have tobacco from Nicaragua, Honduras and Peru. Body is medium to full, as every palate is different. I personally find them to be medium full. I am very proud of this cigar as it has done incredibly well in all the ratings and the price is exceptional.

DOC: The year 2008 marks your 10th year in business as a U.S. company, did you plan any anniversary offerings? And what about the future? Are there any projects that you are working on for the near future?

DAVID: I have two new products that will be out the first half of the year but I would prefer to keep them under wraps for now, but have no fear they will be great. I am very excited about these projects as we continue to grow in the industry. I appreciate the interest in our products and I look forward to your reviews. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those that smoke our cigars - and to those that haven't had an opportunity yet, we hope you would give us a try. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised. I look forward to meeting many of your readers at upcoming events this year, but until then… Smoke in good health.

Contact Information:
David A. Blanco
Vice President, Los Blancos Cigar Company
Web site: http://www.losblancos.com/
PHONE: 773-539-6350

Jon Huber CAO Cigars

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 23:12:15 -0800

Jon Huber has been instrumental in elevating the visibility of CAO cigars and, as Director of Lifestyle Marketing, his work in promoting the brand is now widely recognized. I have had the good pleasure of meeting and chatting with Jon on several occasions and recently, he attended my party in New York at the Davidoff Shop on Madison Avenue. I was able to interview Jon via email and in person so he could give the Stogie Fresh readers some behind the scenes information on the direction of CAO. Below, you will read our recently completed interview; I will also be playing a recording of our live interview in New York on a future Stogie Fresh 5 cigarcast. Thanks to Jon for taking the time to hook up with me for this series of interviews.

DOC: Jon, you and I have met on a couple of occasions, but haven't really hooked up to party. So, let's get properly acquainted. First, I'll introduce myself in one sentence: "Doc Stogie Fresh is an impassioned cigar lover, a master of profundity, an irreverent oaf, and, at times, an open-mouth-insert-foot, cattle prod of perfection who chides the cigar industry to keep pushing the envelope and cranking out cigars that make us all say we've just 'died and gone to heaven.'"

Now it's your turn. In one sentence…

JON: "Jon Huber is first and foremost a very proud and loving father to Liam Vaughn Huber, secondly, he is an incredibly blessed individual to love his work and those whom he works with, and lastly, he is probably the exact opposite of what he appears to be on the exterior."

DOC: CAO has been called the "rock star of the cigar industry." First of all, what does that mean and is it a fair assessment?

JON: Personally, I use the term 'rock star' more as a descriptive and a way of life than as the literal definition of someone who plays rock music in front of an audience. For example, if we come up with an amazing cigar blend I might say, "Wow--this is rock star," as opposed to, "Wow--this is an excellent cigar."

I believe in the saying, 'Go big or go home.' I believe that life is entirely too short and that everything we do should be done to be the best. (i.e., to "be rock star!") In fact, I have 'Rock' tattooed on the inside of my right wrist and a nautical 'star' on the inside of my left wrist. It's a constant reminder to 'go big' and not settle for mediocrity. If you're goal isn't to be the best ("rock star"), then why bother getting out of bed in the morning?

So in that context, yeah...one could say that CAO is "a rock star in the cigar industry."

DOC: Okay, now, no disrespect intended, but Cano (Ozgener) seems like a traditional and conservative guy. From what I've read about him and his background, it seems light years from the "Rock and Rolled Tour" concept and other marketing moves that you've spearheaded for CAO. How have you been able to gain acceptance for your more radical marketing practices?

JON: Are you kidding me?! Cano IS a 'rock star' in his own right! He may be conservative and quiet in his appearance; however, his incredible zest for life and his mantra of 'make it happen' are what motivated me some 12 years ago when I began in this business, and they are what continue to motivate me to this day. I owe a great deal in my life to Cano and I never forget that.

DOC: It's often hard to measure the results of marketing on the bottom line of the company and marketing budgets are often the first to take a hit during tough economic times. Can you tell us why your role as marketing director makes a huge difference, not only to the bottom line of the company, but also to the satisfaction of the cigar consumer?

JON: You WOULD have to ask that question weeks before our annual reviews (lol). I would never be so self-centered as to say that my role "makes a huge difference" to the bottom line of the company. CAO is definitely a 'team sport' and no one person is bigger than the company or the brand. I'm fortunate to be surrounded by incredibly talented individuals. That said, if what I do here somehow brings some relaxation or joy or good times to somebody's day or night, then I've been successful.

DOC: We are seeing some cigar companies getting sold off to larger companies: Camacho and CAO, for example. Can you tell us how this has affected your company as a whole and what effect has the sale of CAO had on your role as Marketing Director? Do you see your role as more or less important, now that the company is under new ownership?

JON: I suppose the most visible direct effect of the acquisition was the appointment of Gary Hyams as CAO Chairman and a restructuring of our marketing department. Being able to work for Gary and under Mike Conder (Sr. VP of Marketing) has been a gift for me, as they have more combined years of experience in this business than I've been alive, and I've been able to learn a great deal from them. It's dangerous to get to that point where you think you've seen everything and know everything; life is a continual learning process. As to my role being more or less important, I think that everyone's role here is extremely important. Everyone needs to strive to be the best in their role in order to make 'the machine' hum!

DOC: All right, let's get down to the meat and potatoes, the cigars. After all, it's really all about cigars, right? I know that some people have called into question the quality of CAO cigars because of what they've considered to be the market hype surrounding those cigars. The Vision and the Sopranos immediately come to mind. I overheard people bad-mouthing the Vision before the cigar ever hit the shelves.

I have two things to say about that: the first is that the cigar industry has historically been a leader in providing innovations in marketing. Throughout the history of cigars (at least since the late 1800's), we have seen packaging, cigar size and shape innovations, proprietary fermentation and aging techniques, and even innovations in the equipment used, so that is nothing new. The second thing I have to say is that I don't see any conflict between marketing and the product, as long is there is a great product. In all honesty, sometimes the same cigars that get accused of hype, for whatever the reason, end up being pretty damn good smokes. The Vision and the Sopranos are both great examples.

With these thoughts in mind, can you tell us a little about CAO's processes for insuring that your cigars are not just turds in a pretty package? In other words, where the rubber meets the road, what steps does CAO take to make sure your cigars are great?

JON: Actually, we have plans to release the 'CAO Edición Limitada de la Turd' in the coming year... but it will be in a really pretty box. All jokes aside, I know what you're getting at and I could go on and on about this very topic. Let's just put it this way--if our cigars were less than excellent, we could probably sell the first facing on presentation and packaging alone, however, there would be zero repeat sales; at some point, the cigar has to speak for itself and sell itself.

Some of our existing brands are 10, 11, 12 years in existence, selling better than ever, and you don't get that sort of longevity in this business without providing a consistently great product at a good value.

In terms of specific 'steps,' we draw test all of our cigars, have become more and more patient about stockpiling and aging tobaccos, we have begun enclosing humidipaks in every box of cigars to ensure the perfect storage conditions during shipping, we have tightened up our quality control even more -- I could go on, but suffice it to say, we know that we are in the cigar business and not the packaging business.

DOC: What things can we expect to see from CAO in the next 6-months that will get us all fired up about your cigars?

JON: Doc, if I answer that question truthfully I'm going to be accused of being the 'CAO hype machine' by all those guys out there who've never smoked our cigars but still choose to slam Vision and Sopranos on the online forums...remember? <wink>

Gregg Kirk: 25 Smokin Figurados

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:44:38 -0700

Timothy Abbott and Gregg Kirk are both singer/songwriters who formed the rock alternative/classic rock band, “25 Smokin’ Figurados.” Besides the obvious reference to cigars in their name, these guys do in fact love to smoke premium cigars. And I do mean premium. Some of their favorites include: Montecristo #2, Bolívar Belicosos Finos, and San Cristóbal and Trinidad torpedos.

Album Art: “Divine Spirits, Holy Smoke”

In the next several months they will be having launch parties for the debut of their new CD, "Divine Spirits, Holy Smoke," which will be held in Austin, Texas, S. Norwalk and New York City.

I recently partnered with Tim and Gregg to run a “CD and Cigars Contest,” which will be explained on the Stogie Fresh 5 cigarcast. I also asked Gregg to do an interview for our Stogie Fresh readers and he graciously accepted. So, here it is…

DOC: Dude, how in the heck did you come up with the name 25 Smokin’ Figurados?!

GREGG: Well, Tim (the other lead singer and songwriter) and I have always liked smoking cigars and when it came to naming the band, we wanted that to come across. As you know, a figurado is a type of cigar and they come in boxes of 25. Skadoosh. Out came our name.

DOC: Your music has been labeled "classic rock" and "alternative." Whatever it is, I like it. How long you been playin' and who were your biggest influences?
PHOTO: Singer/Songwriter Gregg Kirk

GREGG: You've just pointed out a weird thing about the band. We sound like classic rock at times but also sound alternative at others. It's like being new and old-fashioned at the same time. It shouldn't work, but somehow it does.

Our influences are all over the map and I think that shows in the songs we write. We made a conscious decision to write whatever song came to us without filtering things out because of style. In a normal band situation, you're confined to the one style the band is playing, and Tim and I decided not to have any rules. I tend to like heavier stuff like Soundgarden and Queens of the Stone Age… I grew up on Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, and Tim likes the more rootsy and classic rock type stuff like Warren Zevon but he's also into the Clash. But our influences go well beyond that. I think when it comes down to it we've been influenced by every song we've ever heard.

DOC: What is it that makes you and Tim [Abbott] click?

GREGG: Being about 1,800 miles apart helps! Tim lives in Austin and I live in Connecticut about an hour north of Manhattan. We get together every few months to write songs so when we do, it's all business. We're also not around each other to drive each other crazy.

We've been playing together in bands and songwriting for more than 20 years. I met him when I was 16 in a band in Iowa and after both of us moved on (he went to Austin, TX and I moved to Philadelphia), we kept in touch and continued to collaborate. We've been doing the Figurados thing for about five years now.

Because of the distance thing, we've actually got two versions of the live band… an Austin version and an East Coast version. Things never get boring this way.

And technology has played a huge role in recording. We've got 8 musicians playing on the CD who never met each other and in some cases, drum parts that were recorded outside my home studio were emailed to me. This kind of thing wasn't possible 15 years ago.

PHOTO: Gregg Kirk and Timothy Abbott

DOC: This may not mean much to anyone but me, but I notice that you put the words to your songs on your website. Not everyone does this. Why do you do it?

GREGG: Back in the day, I used to like buying vinyl and having that experience of putting the disc on the turntable and sitting down with the album sleeve, reading the lyrics and checking out the artwork while the music blasted. When everything went to CDs, a lot of my friends complained that the experience was lost because of the smaller format. Now with the web, you can actually have a much better and more interactive experience with the music. That's what we were going for. The idea is to have someone come to the site, play the songs, check out the lyrics and watch images of the band rotate on the page.

DOC: Your bio on your website says that your “Favorite Figurados” are the Montecristo #2, Bolivar pyramids, and Trinidad torpedos. I note an Island South of Miami theme. Why no Dominicans, Nicaraguans or Hondurans in your list?

GREGG: I don't HATE cigars outside of Cuba, but you can't beat Cubans for consistency. For years, I actually ignored Cubans because they were hard to come by, but my brother who was working in Canada, told me about how intense Cuban tobacco was. I thought he was full of crap until I brought a few Cuban Bolivar torps back from Jamaica one year. The nicotine intensity was overwhelming… not like anything I'd ever experienced with Dominican cigars. I've been hooked ever since. I've tasted some non-Cuban cigars that are comparable but I'm partial to Cuban tobacco these days.

DOC: You also made the statement: “There's nothing better than 3 or four glasses of La Bleue absinthe (no sugar) and a Monte #2. NOTHING!” Well, the Doc loves to pair cigars and libations, but ABSINTHE? What is it about this libation that makes it a great match with a cigar?

GREGG: There's something about the absinthe/Cuban cigar combination that's undeniable. Just one glass of absinthe and a small-sized cigar like a Trinidad fundadore makes you feel fantastic. A few years ago at a party a friend of mine who doesn't smoke or even drink that much asked me about it. I fixed him a glass of absinthe and gave him a Cuban, and about halfway through it he looked over at me and said, "Why do I feel so good?!" I don't know what it is, but it's two tastes that taste great together. But it has to be good absinthe (La Bleu, Pernod, Amer, etc.) and a real Cuban cigar to get the effect.

DOC: What is your favorite time for a cigar? Before, during, or after a performance?

GREGG: What kind of performance are you talking about? Oh, MUSIC! I like to stay pretty bolted down for gigs so I usually partake after a show. Plus, I sing and smoke's not too great on the vocal cords.

DOC: So you’ve cut a CD… NOW WHAT?

GREGG: World domination. What else?

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Email: figurados@gmail.com
Website: http://www.25smokinfigurados.com
MYSpace: http://www.myspace.com/25smokinfigurados

Markus Raty President-Mobacho Cigars

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:03:21 -0700

by Eddie DeJong

Markus Raty is the president of a relatively new cigar company-- that is based in Canada. I met Markus for the first time during the evening of the opening gala for the “kick-off” for Mombacho Cigars. I had originally hoped to interview him that night, but the poor guy was running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off, serving cigars and making sure guests were well taken care of. I thought an email interview at a later date would be more appropriate. So, here it is...

Eddie DeJong: Markus, Canada, or the ‘Great White North’ would seem like the most unlikely place to ever think of starting a premium cigar company. Can you please explain how Mombacho Cigars came about?

Markus Raty: The love of the leaf knows no boundaries. A couple of years ago while traveling through Central America, we met Silvio Reyes and his family at the Dona Elba Cigar Factory in Granada, Nicaragua. In between Spanish classes next door, we would pop over to hang with Silvio and his lovely wife Jennyfer and over the course of the week, fell in love with both the family and his special cigars. Unlike most of the cigars we had smoked in the past, these ones were mild, yet full flavored, and very very smooth. We immediately thought of our many peers and colleagues back home who might find these cigars to be just as delicious as we did and that's when the idea was born.

Markus with Mombacho Girls

Eddie: Many cigar executives have family, deeply rooted in sometimes centuries-old tobacco history - whether they have come from Cuban decent, or from family in Central America. What are some of the challenges you are currently facing, as a young gentleman from European decent, in gaining a reputation as a player in the premium cigar industry.

Markus: I think that it is largely a misperception that newcomers, especially those of non Latin descent, are not welcomed into the greater cigar family. In today's environment of tobacco persecution most longtime cigar executives are more than welcoming of new players into the fold. Whether or not this is the case is immaterial as we have felt like part of the extended family from day one.

To date, the only challenges we have faced have come from a couple of local (Toronto) tobacconists who, at first glance, stereotypically dismissed our intentions of creating a world-class premium cigar brand. After getting to know us however, and realizing the passion, commitment and knowledge we bring to the craft, their demeanor changed and they took us into the
fold.

From a manufacturers' perspective we have received nothing but open arms. Two examples of this familial reception come right from the upper echelons in the industry. While in Esteli, Nicaragua recently, we toured the Segovia Cigar Factory (owned by Nestor Plasencia) and were personally escorted by General Manager Aghmed Fernandez and legendary cigar man Evelio Oviedo (former Head of the Cuban Cigar Rollers' Union and currently consultant to Plasencia) who were both enthusiastic and encouraging of our involvement and offered any help we might need. And last fall, while in Las Vegas at the annual Big Smoke, we were fortunate enough to spend several hours over lunch with Carlos Fuente Jr. who both advised us and in fact invited us for a stay at Chateau de la Fuente in the Dominican Republic. He too, was very supportive of our endeavor.

Eddie: What makes your cigars special, and unique?

Markus: In our opinion, the premium cigar industry has never been in better shape from a quality standpoint. There are myriad choices to suit every palate and many of the cigars being produced today are of exceptional quality.

Mombachos are special and unique for a couple of reasons. First, they are true puros. They are batch crafted entirely by hand using only traditional methods and top-grade tobacco from five different regions of Nicaragua. Because of Nicaragua's unique complement of climate and geographic characteristics, many feel its tobacco is top of the class. The numerous volcanoes dotting its landscape render much of its tobacco-rearing soil as extremely rich and fertile. It is in the fields, in the shadows of these volcanoes where Mombachos are born.

Secondly, we have a time-honored process and great recipe. Our Cigar Master Silvio Reyes who has a lifetime of cigars in his blood has a unique fermentation process and carefully ages his tobacco for upwards of three years. With his Mombacho Recipe he has created a delicate balance of flavor, strength and smoothness. Though our flavor is robust, our hallmark is smoothness and that is one of the things that is endearing us to our clients.

Eddie: What challenges have you faced in working with the typical work pace of Central America as opposed to the fast-paced culture of Toronto.

Markus: The key to any fruitful relationship with someone from a different background is recognizing and respecting the uniqueness and idiosyncrasies of his/her culture. While it is true that in Toronto we live in a hectic, need-it-by-yesterday environment, at heart we embrace a more leisurely and enjoyable pace of life. In dealing with Central American logistics, there have been challenges to be sure, but nothing a little patience and face-to-face time haven't overcome. The key has been meeting in the middle and finding a common ground from which to work. Besides, you can't rush a great cigar anyway, or for that matter, a great cigar maker.

Eddie: How many years has it been since the first conception of the idea to your launch party last month?

Markus: From the time of meeting Silvio, to our launch party in Toronto it has been just over three years. However it was two years from actual "ground-breaking" to launch. The time in between was largely spent developing and fostering our relationships both here in Canada and in Nicaragua. We also had an international launch party in Granada in January of 2007.

Eddie: With todays anti-smoking laws, especially in Canada, what challenges have you faced in starting your company.

Markus: None really. Cigar smoking is largely an outdoor pastime. In fact, one of Toronto's leading tobacconists claims that 95% of his clientele have always enjoyed smoking their cigars outside. Toronto's climate usually allows for comfortable outdoor smoking from April through November and even then many of the city's hardier cigar enthusiasts often don "smoking gloves" for winter enjoyment.

Eddie: How did you discover the family you are working with, and how did you stumble across them and the factory?

Markus: While traveling through Central America a couple of years ago we decided to spend a week in the stunning colonial city of Granada, Nicaragua. We enrolled in a week-long Spanish course and it was during our recesses that we would amble next door to the Dona Elba Cigar Factory where we befriended Silvio Reyes and his wife Jennyfer. Over the course of the week, more and more time was spent learning about and enjoying his special cigars and less and less time was spent learning Spanish.

Markus shown with Jessica, one of the “Mombacho girls”
at a rugby Canada event in may 08

Eddie: Can you tell us a bit about your line of cigars, the sizes and the blend. What a smoker can expect when tasting and smoking a Mombacho cigar?

Markus: Currently we offer only one style of cigar. It has a ring gauge of 50 and a length of 5.5 inches so it most closely resembles a corona style. It is a five-tobacco blend from five different regions of Nicaragua: Jalapa Valley, Esteli, Condega, Volcan Omatepe and Volcan Mombacho. The cigars are characterized by their smoothness, which continues from start to finish. They would be considered in between mild and medium-bodied in strength with a full flavor that while gently building in spiciness, remains eminently smokable right to the last inch.

Early next year (at our anniversary party in Granada in January) we will be releasing the Aniversario, our double maduro (the wrapper and ligero are both maduro), which is 5" by 52. It will be significantly stronger and spicier yet retain the smoothness that Silvio's cigars are known for.

Eddie: Did you get involved in the blending of your cigar?

Markus: Silvio is the Cigar Master and the recipe is his. While we do not get
involved in the blending specifically, we are continually involved in some
specific areas, like testing draw and smoothness and of course, quality
control. Overall it is a team effort, but the recipe itself is Silvio's
specialty, one which he was been blending locally for decades.

Eddie: Please explain a little bit about the uniqueness of the boxes you are using.

Markus: The optimal environment for premium cigars is Spanish Cedar. As such, all of our cigars come packaged in elegant Spanish Cedar boxes that are entirely handmade in Esteli, Nicaragua. They are currently available in denominations of 3 and 24. The wood has been reclaimed from Hurricane Felix which hit Nicaragua's caribbean coast in 2007.

The three-cigar boxes were developed to provide a sophisticated offering for people who might need more than one cigar for the evening but less than the standard full-size box. They are ideal for parties, the golf course and many other functions where the essence of cigar smoking, sharing with friends, can be accommodated.

Eddie: The Mombacho cigar I enjoyed at the launch party had a unique foot that was dressed with an uncut wrapper. Is this typical, and what is the purpose and intent of this?

Markus: Further differentiating Mombachos from the field is our uncut foot. Our cigars come with the wrapper extending over the foot of the cigar, essentially sealing the cigar and covering the filler from view. In the nascent days of the cigar industry, this is how many cigars were furnished and it reinforces the handmade mantra that we have at Mombacho.

From a functional standpoint, the uncut foot provides a little extra tobacco for lighting and helps to avoid the searing of the filler. It also seals in humidity assisting in the short-term preservation of the cigar's optimal condition.

Eddie: Why were you not involved in the IPCPR trade show this year?

Markus: It was strictly a matter of circumstances and competing interests. The timing of our launch party and venue availability was such that it overlapped with the IPCPR show in Las Vegas. The priority was placed on launching in Toronto when we did and satisfying the 650 people in attendance. We very much look forward to next year's event.

Eddie: Are you using traditional ways of marketing Mombacho Cigars, or are you approaching the market from a different direction?

Markus: That depends on whether you mean traditional in a current context or as it refers to say the 1940s. We believe that the best brands are built by customer ambassadors, not modern marketing or advertising campaigns. As such our initial market foray involves direct delivery and events. We want everyone's first Mombacho experience to come directly from one of us. That
means bringing the product directly to your door, much like milk was, way back when. Be it at home, at the office, the Mombacho Delivery Program ensures that once an order is placed (online, by phone or in-person) one of our team will personally deliver it to you within a matter of hours.

We deliver the cigars in one of our vintage vehicles (a 1947 Packard Clipper and a 1963 Mercedes Unimog troop carrier) which further lends to the overall experience. We have also partnered with a number of events in town and provide them with a deluxe Mombacho Cigar Lounge for their patio. Of course we also have our events which are 'exclusive' to everybody and feature many fresh twists including traditional Nicaraguan fare and our team of elegant
Mombacho Girls.

Of course we plan on establishing retail relationships both in Toronto and elsewhere but for now our cigars are available personally from us in Toronto or online to anyone.

Eddie: Your cigars appear fairly costly, at up to $20.00 per cigar - even compared to some well known Cuban cigar specimens. Can you explain the price difference?

Markus: A great many premium cigars in Toronto are priced at $20 and beyond. We are competing at the high end of the premium segment in quality while our prices are towards the low end on the premium scale. Our cigars are entirely handmade from the best tobacco available and come in unique premium packaging. Also, in any conversation on cigar pricing in Canada I would be remiss if I did not mention that Tobacco Tax eats up a significant portion of the price.

Eddie: I know that Mombacho Cigars has just recently officially launched, but can you tell us your plans for the future of Mombacho Cigars?

Markus: Our goal is for Mombacho Cigars to be known as one of the best premium cigars available. Growth will be limited to a scale which supports the brand foundation, that of tradition, quality and service. While we are currently physically only in Toronto and Granada, we will also be emulating the Mombacho experience online. To that end we will soon be launching our new website, which will be an interactive and personal Mombacho emporium enabling people to get involved wherever they might be. Also, 2009 will see us expanding to Dubai where several members of the Royal Family are already Mombacho fans.

Eddie: Please tell us a bit about the Mombacho Foundation. Is this something you have founded, or something that is existing and you are supporting.

Markus: The Mombacho Foundation was created by us last year. It is a registered charity that raises funds for, and works with youth in Granada to help them develop interpersonal skills, confidence and happiness through involvement in various sports programs. At our recent initial fundraiser in Toronto, over $5,000 was raised in one evening in support of this cause.

Eddie: How can people try your cigars, and where can they purchase from? Do you have an online store, or do you have online retailers throughout the world that carry your cigars?

Markus: Currently, Mombachos are available through us in Toronto, at our retail location in Granada, Nicaragua, and at our online shop, which can be found at our website. We ship worldwide.

Mombacho Cigars, Contact Information
President: Markus Raty
Phone: 416-875-6783
Website: http://www.mombachocigars.com

Eric McAnallen Black Patch Cigars

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:53:52 -0700

Most cigar smokers understand that tobacco for premium cigars is grown in far away places like the Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. But I would bet that not many people know that there are producers growing tobacco in the state of Kentucky, specifically for use in premium cigars. Eric McAnallen is one of those producers. In fact, to my knowledge, he is the only person using Kentucky-grown Broadleaf as a wrapper in a premium handmade cigar.

Eric McAnallen standing in 7' tall Kenbano, crop of 2007

Recently, I had the opportunity to converse with Eric about his background in the tobacco business, the tobacco industry in Kentucky, and about the cigars that he is producing under the Black Patch cigar label. I wanted to understand what kind of passion was driving this man to hazard a venture into the complex world of premium cigars and to grow cigar tobacco in, of all places, Western Kentucky. I think you will be astounded by the historical information shared by Eric and also by his passion for making premium cigars.

DOC: The premium cigar industry is often a multi-generation business. Did you have family in this business and/or how did you develop your knowledge of tobacco?

Below: Eric sports the new perfecto 5 x 54, Select Blend with positive result

ERIC: My father-in-law introduced me to tobacco agronomy in 1988. He raised 3 types of tobacco on his farm in Caldwell County Kentucky in the Black Patch region of Western Kentucky. Over a 36-year period, until he quit in 2003, he raised Burley, Fire Cured, and Dark Air leaf tobaccos. The Dark Air he raised was under contract to a leaf broker who in turn told him it was being used in the production of cigars. With considerable time and knowledge gained since I began my quest in creating my own blends of cigars, I am convinced that this particular variety of Dark Air more than likely was used as filler in machine made cigars, or used as homogenized sheeting.

Anyway, I was intrigued by my father-in-law’s involvement in the tobacco business and after 9 years of witnessing his farming and harvesting techniques, I developed the urge to create my own cigars.
I received a Biology degree from the University of Kentucky, so the genetics and researching of tobacco was understandable and not so taxing. Also, my father-in-law worked with the UK tobacco experimental station in Princeton Kentucky, so good contacts and helpful information was only a phone call away.

Below: View of Black Patch proprietary LC-1959 broadleaf tobacco

As a history buff, the historical background of the region, in general, and tobacco in specific consumed me. I learned that cigar production was quite prevalent in Western Kentucky in the mid 1800’s to the turn of the century. The knowledge I gained of the Black Patch area gave me a new appreciation of its rich tobacco heritage and fueled my quest for making my own cigars.

DOC: Kentucky has been growing Burley tobacco for cigarettes for generations, but what prompted you to start growing tobacco for premium cigars in Kentucky?

ERIC: Western Kentucky has been growing broadleaf for over 150 years. Our first strains of tobacco indigenous to this continent were a broadleaf variety. University and Corporate research has further developed virus and soil resistant strains and hybrids to the present.

The parentage of Burley was a freak of nature. It was a mutation of broadleaf in the late 1800’s in Ohio, I believe. Then later, when Burley was introduced into Kentucky, it flourished. Even later, it was grown in Virginia and North Carolina.

Below: Eric in Black Patch tobacco field of F-1 generation seed of Kenbano

Then lo and behold mechanization paved the way to large-scale production of cigarettes. Burley was a great tobacco variety to blend in the rag cut (i.e., cutting the tobacco into thin strips). Care of Burley tobacco and harvesting is quite easy and the grading of the leaf is not that detailed since the leaf was cut into bits. So when cigarette manufacturing demanded more of the leaf, the market for Burley exploded. Farmers switched gears and gravitated to the Burley variety and the demand for cigar and pipe tobaccos dropped considerably.

Now back to cigar production in Western Kentucky. The history of cigar making in the 1800’s seemed to be on or near waterways; like the Mississippi River and Ohio River and their confluences. After the civil war in 1865, hard currency was scarce and commerce continued utilizing the bartering system in earnest. In Western Kentucky there are documents relating to the trade of Hemp, Whiskey, and Corn for Sugar, Rice, and Carribe tobacco from the port of Louisiana. In the trade port of Paducah Kentucky, penny cigars were blended and sold. So, someone back then was taking Western Kentucky broadleaf and Carribe (i.e., Cuban or Dom Rep) tobaccos and making cigars.

So, I took it upon myself to start overseeing the raising of necessary tobacco varieties for premium cigar production. I am just reinventing the wheel, so to speak. The only difference now is that I export my leaf to where the art of cigar making never ceased. I am utilizing centuries of tradition and experience to blend and produce my cigars in the Dominican Republic, with a family who has been raising tobacco and producing cigars for a documented 109 years.

DOC: Tell us a bit about your Black Patch cigar blends and, what makes them unique in the cigar industry?

ERIC: In 1999, my goal was to make a cigar using Kentucky tobacco only. This was a huge blunder. The first of many curve balls I missed. I was introduced to a small manufacturer in Miami who made cigars on Flagler Avenue. In the spring of 2000 in Miami, Florida we blended the first of many prototypes. As I said, we first tried all Kentucky leaf, and then tried blending Nicaraguan and Honduran leaf into the mix with Kentucky leaf. These blends didn’t create enough difference in residues or taste to differentiate the different soil signatures.

Below: Jorge Carbonell sharing his wisdom and insights; November 2007

Upon the insistence of Nestor Ramirez Benedict, we sent some of my tobacco down to the Dominican Republic to a contact of his (Jorge Carbonell). After having some prototypes made at their factory, they called me and said they needed to see me immediately. So a planned two-day trip to Santiago, Dominican Republic turned into 8 days of resurrection. Then and there is when I went back to school. The mantra of the patriarch was “patience, passion, and persistence”.

It was near the end of the cigar boom and Jorge Carbonell said, “Many have come and many will leave or have left.” He understood that I wasn’t just another “Businessman” who wanted to pick out a pre-made blend from a catalog and private label the next “new thing.” The foundation of our friendship and relationship, which continues to this day, is based on Jorge’s early advice.

On this first visit, I learned that the same blends from many factory wholesalers were more than likely being presented in multiple markets under quadruple the number of different labels and companies as “their own private creation.” My involvement and desire was to truly produce something unique, using proprietary tobaccos that I raised as an integral component in the recipes. Though I have been able to realize this goal, I must now balance the patience and time requirements with the hard realities of monetary commitment.

Below: Eric in the Carbonell plantation in the Cibao Valley.
Tobacco is a Dominican Olor varietal

Since that inaugural visit, I have raised 5 different varieties of tobacco. We discontinued the original seed I started in 1998. I sold my harvested tobacco from 1999 and 2000 to a broker. In 2001 I raised a small experimental patch. I did not raise anything in 2002, but I introduced an “old” broadleaf seed (LC-1959) in 2003 and am still using this proprietary variety of seed.

All of my current production is blended using this 2003 harvested tobacco. It is a sun grown broadleaf, which I think is industry marketing jargon since all tobacco is raised in the sun, or at least the tobacco we raise is.

As for our blends, we have three. The Reserve blend is a long filler constructed cigar that uses the wrapper grade leaf that I raise. This maduro leaf is triple fermented. The fermenting of my tobacco is overseen in the Dominican Republic. In the Select blend, another long filler cigar, uses the tips of the tobacco plant, or ligero, in the center of the bunched filler. The Classic cigars are medium filler hand made cigars using the cut from the wrapper leaf as filler. Of course, I utilize other tobaccos in the 3 blends for the final product.

Below: Eric enjoying the smooth finish of the Select Blend perfecto

The LC-1959 broadleaf was raised in 2004, and in 2006. I skipped the 2005 season. I also raised a super crop of the LC-1959 broadleaf in 2007. We also successfully cultivated a Cuban seed variety, which I have since trademarked with the US Patent office as “Kenbano,” in 2007. The Kenbano will go into production in 2010. How and what components will be in the construction of a final blend using the Kenbano leaf is still unknown.

This year, I am raising 3 varieties of seed. The first, being the LC-1959 hybrid. The second, a proprietary seed used in Connecticut as a sun grown broadleaf. And the third is the F-1 generation of Kenbano. The Kenbano can either be raised under sheets or natural. For practical purposes we raise all our tobacco under natural conditions. The Kenbano variety of tobacco is raised naturally and is harvested by the priming method, which demands close scrutiny and attention. This is very labor intensive. As the production run on the 2003 harvest is finished, I now have the most awaited luxury of using tobacco harvested in 2004 for future blending.

I am fortunate to have developed a close working relationship with the necessary individuals in the Dominican Republic, who have become more than just business associates. They are walking Almanacs and people of the soil. The industry and the complexity, I have come to realize, are closely guarded in tradition. The backbone of raising tobacco and producing cigars is honed through centuries of tradition and from a cottage industry. I have been fortunate to learn just a few of these insights and secrets from this insular world, but I am far from possessing the same level of in-depth knowledge. It’s about the soil, the ph, the timing of the seasons. Way beyond just making cigars, it’s about the respect of what nature throws at us and how we cope and exist in it.
I have the greatest admiration for the people in this business, especially those who toil in the sun and soil. This is where it starts. Without this fortitude, there just simply aren’t cigars. This is what I wish to offer, the passion and commitment from the beginning to the finish of the final product.

DOC: As a small cigar company, what can you offer customers that a large company cannot?

ERIC: I want to impress myself. This sounds selfish. But I am easily embarrassed by virtue of who I am. I truly want to make a solid cigar and offer different characteristics of taste and aroma in distinct fashion.
I am revisiting the heritage of Kentucky’s past in cigar production. I look at tobacco as a spice. I am adding this new spice that is being raised in Kentucky soil, along with tobaccos from other locales, into a new offering of sensation. As in all final construction and makeup of a cigar, it begins with consistency of the blend for the long term. The final decision made is what stamps each blend its signature taste and body.

Below: Rollers apply Java shade wrapper to the Select Blend cigars

My goal is to create an aroma and taste that is infinite and unique. Seasonal weather differences while growing and curing will alter the definition of flavor, which also defines the vintage or run. These are conditions that can’t be altered or manipulated. There will be subtle differences from harvest to harvest into perpetuity but the essence I have established will be the same. I am currently offering 3 foundation blends that I am confident in now and for the future. There will be new introductions but only when time allows it. I have created a manageable spectrum of choices for the cigar smoker ranging from a mild-to-medium, medium, and medium-to-full persuasion in taste and body in my current offerings.

DOC: What are your immediate goals for Black Patch Cigars and how do you plan to achieve them?

ERIC: I am a small batch producer, so every time one of my cigars is smoked I am battling extreme prejudice and scrutiny from the aficionado. I know that if I can offer a cigar where a person does not experience roof burn, acrid sensations or a nauseating smell, I have delivered a well-blended cigar. It’s the individual smoker who has to determine if the experience is worth repeating. Some people enjoy light beer, some enjoy beer with body, and some even vow that “their” choice is the right one. It doesn’t mean that the multiple beers available are bad. It means that each person must find the connection that will warrant repeat business and loyalty for the long term. This is the gratifying resultant I wish to achieve.

Besides the foundation blends that I offer my focus of late has been involved with seed development. My efforts this season in the fields will not be realized for years. So patience and optimism is necessary for future success. I will not be offering any new blends until 2010. I need to take a breather and enjoy what I have to offer in the present.

Contact Information:
Eric McAnallen: info@blackpatchcigarco.com
Black Patch Cigars: http://www.blackpatchcigarco.com/
Phone: 859.948.0487

Joe Chiusano Cusano/Cuvee

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:34:44 -0700

On my first trip to the Dominican Republic back in January of 2008, I met Mike Chiusano, one of the principal’s of Cusano and Cuvée Cigars. Mike is a gregarious and fun-loving individual, yet one who is dead serious when it comes to talking about, and making, fine cigars. I had a wonderful visit with Mike and was looking forward to seeing him again on me next trip in March 2008 for the ProCigar Festival.

As luck would have it, during the first evening’s festivities at the Festival, I sat at the same table with Mike’s brother, Joe Chiusano. I found a kindred spirit in Joe who, like his brother, is serious about cigars and yet manages to enjoy what he does as he pursues the creation of the world’s finest cigars.

Joe was kind enough to agree to an interview and it is clear that he has put forth considerable effort to enlighten and educate the Stogie Fresh readership about his fine products.

DOC: You are a principal of the Cusano and Cuvée brands of cigars. Have you been a partner from the very beginning, and what is your current role in the company?

JOE: I have been actively involved with the company since the beginning, doing events and trade shows, some of our longtime customers will remember me from store events in the northeast. Our first cigar the Cusano Hermanos (Cusano brothers) was launched in 1995 and received the highest rating in Smoke Magazine that year. This was the cigar that got us started.

DomRey Cigars is the parent company, which handles all US distribution of Cusano, Cuvée, Panter, Agio Mehari’s and Perfect Cut brands. DR Global SA is our international subsidiary which all of our factory operations and international sales fall under. I have been involved in day-to-day operations since 2003 handling the role of company Ambassador as well as overseeing some of our operations.

Below: Joe enjoys the festivities of Carnival at the ProCigar Festival

The role I really enjoy most is going out and meeting cigar smokers and tobacconists, we get some of our best ideas from them. We have always made our cigars in the mild to medium range. Our 91 rated Cusano 18 Double Connecticut is hands down the best in its mild/medium class. The 18 Paired Maduro, which pairs a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper with a Brazilian Mata Fina Maduro wrapper in the filler, is a great medium-bodied smoke. Our Corojo 97 is a 91 rated medium bodied cigar with just the right amount of pepper and spice. On the product development side, the new Cuvée Rouge and 151 brands, as well as our Cusano “59” Rare Cameroon and Habano LXI Sun Grown were developed in response to consumer and retailer requests for full-bodied cigars.

DOC: What are the differences between the Cusano and Cuvée brands? Why did you not simply make the Cuvée a different line within the Cusano brand?

JOE: The name Cuvée is from the wine industry, it denotes selected vats of higher quality wine. We used the same concept with tobacco. The Cuvée brands use only the top 10% of our tobacco and therefore have a much more limited production than Cusano brands. This smaller production gives us the ability to use smaller crops of fantastic tobacco that we couldn’t use for a Cusano because of insufficient quantity.

To describe the difference between Cusano and Cuvée brands is the difference between a Toyota and Lexus. Cusano is like the Toyota, high quality, reliable, excellent value and Cuvée like Lexus builds on that base using only the best of our finest tobacco and adds more exotic tobaccos and blends in a brand with more exclusivity and prestige.

DOC: What do you consider to be the strengths of your company, in terms of bringing a quality cigar to the market?

JOE: My brother Michael and I only have ourselves to answer to. As cigar lovers first, we make what we like and will not compromise quality. Consistency is very important, we have not brought a cigar to market that we were not confident we could guarantee consistency. We have delayed the release of cigars if we were not happy with them. Our name is on every cigar, we are proud of them. This could not happen if we had stockholders or a board of directors to answer to.

DOC: Speaking of quality… as cigar blends get better and better, a deciding factor in cigar value is its consistency in quality. How do you approach quality control for cigars manufactured abroad, while still living in the U.S?

JOE: Quality is not Quality unless it’s Consistent. At Cusano we take quality and consistency seriously. The quality control process we use is more extensive than most and any cigar that fails at any level of the process is broken, we do not sell any second quality cigars. At harvest we use a tighter range so there is less variation in the flavor of the leaves from each priming. Each bale of our tobacco is then coded so we know which plant the seed came from, where it was planted, conditions of the growing season and position of the leaf on the plant. This allows us to adjust the blend to ensure consistency year after year.

DOC: Your Cuvée brand has been out for awhile now, and yet we haven’t seen too much product in the U.S. Why has delivery been slow and when are we going to start seeing more Cuvée cigars?

JOE: Our Cuvée lines were launched in Europe and the demand was higher then we anticipated. This caused us to re-direct product we had initially planned for the US to meet that demand. We also tried to increase our planned production and were unhappy with the result and, in keeping with our philosophy not to compromise quality, chose not to release Cuvée. This caused us to slow production, but Cuvée Rouge and Cuvée 151 are shipping now.

DOC: What have been the recent developments with Cusano Cigars?

JOE: We are finalizing a new 35,000 square foot facility in the DR to consolidate our operations and increase our tobacco inventories. This will also serve as the showplace for Cusano and Cuvée brands. It’s a lot of work and we want to do it right.

DOC: What are your thoughts about the importance of aging on tobacco quality and what have been your typical practices with respect to aging tobacco prior to manufacturing cigars and also aging cigars after they have been rolled?

JOE: As you know, we use one tobacco in our Cusano 18 lines that was harvested in 1985 and the wrapper on our Corojo 97 was the 1997 harvest of that leaf. Tobacco is like wine when it comes to aging. Some tobaccos enhance with age others should be smoked sooner. It depends on the leaf. We typically use tobacco aged at least two years prior to rolling. After a cigar is rolled it must age at least 30 days or longer for some blends.

DOC: What can our Stogie Fresh readers expect to see from your company over the next several months?

JOE: There are some exciting new Cuvee and Cusano products releasing soon.

The first is the Cusano “59” Rare Cameroon. This cigar has rare East African Cameroon wrapper with a Dominican wrapper in the filler. It’s as strong as I would make a Cameroon while not overpowering the Cameroon flavor.

The second is the Cusano Habano LXI Sun Grown this cigar has a fine Habano Ecuador wrapper with a Dominican wrapper used in the filler. This cigar is notably stronger than any Cusano before but without the harshness associated with many strong cigars. Both of the new Cusano brands are medium-full to full-bodied range.

The Cuvée Rouge and Cuvée 151 have started to ship in the U.S. and should be in stores by late May.

The Cuvée Rouge has an exquisite Ecuadorian wrapper and uses a Dominican wrapper as a binder.

The Cuvée 151 has a fantastic tasting Brazilian Maduro wrapper with a Dominican wrapper in the filler. Both of these are in the medium-full to full bodied range.

One of the things I like to do is to try and personally answer any e-mail that comes in via our web site. I have received overwhelming requests for fuller bodied cigars and we have responded with the New Cuvée Rouge and Cuvée 151 and the Cusano “59” Rare Cameroon and Cusano Habano LXI Sun Grown.

I hope your readers will give them a try and let me know what they think.

Be sure to visit the Cusano/Cuvée websites:
Cusano Cigars: http://www.cusanocigars.com/
Cuvée Cigars: http://www.cuveecigars.com/

Allen Mobley of Kentucky Gentlemen Cigars

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:43:26 -0700

I came across Kentucky Gentlemen Cigars (KGC) at the 2007 International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) trade show in Houston, Texas. What initially drew my attention to the booth was a cigar called the Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon cigar. Many of you already know of my affection for Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon, so it was no surprise that I sauntered over to the booth for a closer look-see. It turned out that the KGC Company ages their tobacco for the Blanton’s cigar in bourbon barrels from the Blanton’s Company. Further, they made the cigar especially to be smoked along with a nice dollop of Blanton’s bourbon.

But the Blanton’s cigar was only one of the several lines of cigars offered by this company. They have maduro’s, natural’s and even a barber pole, all tipped with Kentucky fire-cured tobacco. Most of their tobacco is imported from the Dominican Republic, but their signature process is the inclusion of the Kentucky tobacco. They are even experimenting with growing Cuban seed tobacco and Connecticut broadleaf in Anderson County, Kentucky.

I was able to talk the ever-busy company founder, Allen Mobley, into taking some time to provide this interview. So, sit back and get acquainted with a true Kentucky Gentleman.

DOC: Do you have any background in the tobacco industry and, if so, how did that lead you into the premium cigar business?  ALLEN: I grew up in Kentucky and my entire family was involved in the tobacco industry. We grew tobacco on our family farms. That was a lot of hard work in those days and we keep photos of my grandparents and other family members in the factory along with a lot of the tools used back then to remind us of where we came from.
 DOC: What is it about Kentucky that made you decide to locate a cigar business there?  ALLEN: When my wife and I had twins, I decided that I wanted to raise them in Kentucky instead of California, where we were living at the time. Initially we had considered entering the wine industry in Kentucky, which is really growing but there were quite a few wineries around Lawrenceburg and Lexington so we decided to go back into the tobacco business.

DOC: Can you tell us a bit about each of your cigar lines?  ALLEN: We currently produce six different cigars. In each of them we age the tobacco in Kentucky Bourbon barrels and use the charring on the inside of the barrels to do the same thing to the tobacco that it does for the bourbon. It smoothes and purifies the tobacco to help produce a better quality of tobacco. It doesn't make the tobacco taste like bourbon but it does have a great effect on the tobacco before we roll it.

Our premier cigar is the Blanton. This is a licensed product with the Blanton’s Bourbon Company. I spent a lot of hours sipping Blanton and rolling cigars to develop a blend that gives a cigar that complements the bourbon without overtaking the flavor of the bourbon itself;

We also offer a Churchill cigar that is made with Dominican binder and long-leaf filler and a Connecticut shade wrapper. This cigar, as well as the others that are not Blanton’s all have a tip on them that is made from Western Kentucky dark tobacco that has been fire-cured. This tobacco won't burn but it adds a terrific flavor to each of our cigars. Some folks like to just roll it around in their mouths for a minute or two prior to lighting it just because it tastes so good.

Our Robusto is similar to the Churchill in its make-up with an added layer of Columbian filler. It has a larger ring-size. It also has been "fire-tipped" as well;

The Kentucky Colonel is our Maduro Churchill. It has Dominican and Mexican filler, a Dominican binder and a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper.

We also offer a very high-quality Twist cigar. It contains Dominican and Nicaraguan filler and a Dominican Binder. The wrapper is both Connecticut Shade and Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro. The unique quality of this cigar is that it burns very evenly and produces the kind of long ash that is typically not found in a twist. Since the Maduro wrapper has more oil it often will cause a twist to burn unevenly but we've added a Connecticut Shade pre-wrap as well as the Bourbon-Barrel aged tobacco to develop a cigar that burns like it should.

Our newest cigar, only offered for a limited time is the Mint Julep Cigar. This is a Robusto sized cigar where we've taken the fire-tip and added a Kentucky mint flavoring to it so it's got all the features of a good Mint Julep - great bourbon and Kentucky Mint. I think it surprised Allen Mills, our Marketing guy, when he first tried it. He wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was but it came out with a bit of a bite at the beginning and smoothed out to a very nice smoke by the end of the first inch or so. 
DOC: What makes your company unique in the cigar industry and what do you consider to be the strengths of your company and your products?  ALLEN: The most unique part of our company is that we used as much Kentucky content as possible - Western Kentucky dark tobacco for the tips, Kentucky bourbon to age the tobacco, Kentucky mint on the tips, and Kentucky cedar for our cigar boxes. We are also hand-rolling these cigars in Kentucky, which is very unusual. When Cigar Dave interviewed me in Houston at the 2007 RTDA show he couldn't believe a "white boy in Kentucky was rolling cigars". Now he's one of our biggest fans.

Our company's biggest strength is the fact that we're pretty aggressive. We are going after this market in as many ways as possible. We're pursuing distributors in as many cities as possible, we're doing events (cigar-rollings, store openings, trade-shows, etc.) as often as possible, we have a presence on the internet and are also providing shipments to current retail customers on a daily basis.

DOC: You are the only company that is using Kentucky tobacco in their cigars. What characteristics does Kentucky tobacco have that make it a perfect fit in your blends? Also, how long will it be before you are offering more Kentucky-grown tobaccos in your blends?
 ALLEN: There are two types of tobacco currently grown in Kentucky - burley and dark. Burley is typically used in cigarettes and dark is used for dip, chew, snuff, etc. We can't use burley due to tax issues and dark won't burn, believe me we've tried. We have been experimenting with Cuban seed grown in Kentucky; in fact we've raised two crops of it here at Ripplewood Estates, my home. It will be several years before we know if it's any good, as we won't use any tobacco that's been cured for less than five years. Who knows, we may have a great all-Kentucky product in 3 or 4 more years - or I may just have fertilizer for the next year's crop.

DOC: How important is aging the tobacco, either before or after it is rolled into cigars, to the overall quality and flavor of your cigars?
 ALLEN: As I mentioned, we don't use any tobacco that's less than five years old. If you smoke what I would consider to be "green" tobacco it will produce a burn in the back of your throat and the veins just aren't smooth enough. We age our own tobacco for 3-6 months in Kentucky bourbon barrels as we discussed earlier.
 DOC: How do you visualize the growth of your company in 2008 and beyond? In other words, what can the public expect to see from your company in the near, and not so near, future?
 ALLEN: So far we've been able to add two new distributors to our network this year and hope to add several more before the end of the year. Your listeners can help with that by asking their local tobacconists to contact their own distributors about carrying our product. If they buy direct instead of through a distributor we can sell direct to their local tobacconist if they'll contact us. We'll be at the IPCPR (RTDA) show in Las Vegas this year and hope to have 2 more new products to debut at that show. Can't really tell you about them right now but they're going to be good. We're also working on some other events that could really bring us some national attention and I can let you know about those once the details are nailed down.

Jesus Fuego of J. Fuego Cigars

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:38:31 -0800

The last RTDA Convention and Trade Show (heretofore called IPCPR) was in Houston, Texas. It was a hot, humid August day (are there any other kind?) and I was, mercifully, in the air-conditioned convention center frantically moving from one exhibit table to the next looking at cigars, talking about cigars, and smoking cigars, along with several thousand other people.

It was late on the second day and I figured I had hit pretty much all of the booths by this time, when I came upon J. Fuego Cigars. Standing in front of the booth was a man wearing a Panama hat and looking fully at ease and laid-back in his surroundings. I had never heard of J. Fuego Cigars, nor had I heard of Jesús Fuego, president and founder of the company. I wandered over and immediately Jesús started up a conversation with me and handed me a cigar. As we talked, I could see that Jesús was a man of complexity and passion, very much like his cigar, which, as it turned out, I was truly enjoying.

I was impressed that, in an industry where people commonly look through you, or over your shoulder, or over their shoulder, when they are talking with you, Jesús was completely different. I had his undivided attention and he had mine. Further, as we continued to enjoy our conversation, I realized that I was LOVING his cigar (Did I say that already?).

I managed to snag one more of his cigars before leaving the trade show and when I returned home I had the opportunity to smoke that cigar and ponder our conversation at length. It didn’t take me long to realize that this was a unique individual, with a unique product, and I wanted to share his story. Jesús readily agreed to an interview and, after a few emails, here is the result of the conversation we had…

DOC: Your family has been in the tobacco business since 1876. One might imagine that your bloodline has determined your vocation. Did you always want to be in the tobacco business or did you originally have something else in mind?  JESÚS: I was born in 1971 on my grandfather’s farm, “El Corojo”, in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. At that time my family had been growing tobacco there for four generations.

In my early years growing up on the farm, tobacco was always an important part of my life. My grandfather was the first to wake up and make the morning coffee while the workers were arriving to our patio to get instructions for the day. I loved to wake up early and follow him around the house. There was always a cigar involved.

My grandfather had three sons; my father was the youngest and he lived in the old family house, while his two brothers, my uncles, also lived on the farm. They would often get together for coffee and cigars after-dinner; and talk about tobacco and fishing, the family hobby. I remember how my mind used to fly while listening to their fishing stories or the stories about the beginnings of the family in the tobacco business.

Those stories of fishing might have been the reason why there was a time when I wanted to be a marine biologist. So, when I turned 17, I went to the University of Havana to study Biology. I pursued my education for three years until I started hanging around with professors and friends who loved the cigars from the “El Corojo” farm. It was at that time when I started smoking cigars and realized my life was not complete outside of the cigar business. So, I moved to the University of Pinar del Rio to become an agricultural engineer and to pursue specialization in tobacco.
 DOC: Who have been the people who have most greatly influenced you in terms of the way you approach the tobacco business and in terms of the way that you blend and manufacture cigars?  JESÚS: In that sense, I consider myself lucky. I have developed close relationships with many knowledgeable people and I have received so much help and good examples from a lot of them that it’s hard to tell in a few sentences.

First of all, I can say that my family has been the source of my passion. I can’t forget the mix of satisfaction and pride on the face of my grandfather when, at the end of his life, he contemplated the gorgeous tobacco fields that his sons were able to grow.

I must also credit Nestor Plasencia. Besides treating me like another of his sons and being one of the best tobacco growers ever; he taught me the value of humility. He also renewed my faith in “handshake deals.” I have seen Nestor doing things that are almost impossible, just to hold true to a promise.

Julio Eiroa from “Camacho”, who gave me my first job outside of Cuba and patiently corrected a lot of my bad habits, also introduced me to the use of a lot of different types of tobaccos that I never had the chance to work with before.

At “US Cigar Sales” I had the good fortune to work for Larry Palumbo, Bent Ahm and Edwin Guevara, who invited me to my first cigar trade show and also encouraged me to work more as a blender.

Rocky Patel with his marketing abilities has been, for me, a great example of self-improvement. Working for him helped me to understand that hard work can be fun.

There are many blenders whose work I really admire: Litto Gomez, Oliva, Padrón, Manuel Quezada, Hendrik Kelner, Fuente, Pepin. Like I told you, it’s a long list.   DOC: Can you tell us a bit about each of your cigar lines?  JESÚS: There are two "J.Fuego" cigars on the market now: "Natural" and "Gran Reserva Corojo No.1". The Natural is a three-country blend of 100% Criollo Cuban seed tobaccos. The Natural is composed of 50% Ligero, 25% Viso, and 25% Seco in the filler, which come from Honduras and Nicaragua. It has a secret Binder and a shade grown Criollo wrapper from Nicaragua.

The Natural is one of my father's favorites blends. In my opinion it's a medium bodied cigar, with a very good balance between sweetness and spiciness. He says he can smoke cigars of that blend, one after the other.

The Gran Reserva Corojo No.1 is a four-country blend of 100% Corojo Cuban seed. It has a filler composed of 66% Ligero from Honduras and Nicaragua and 33% Viso from a secret origin. It has a Costa Rican binder and a Honduran sun grown Corojo wrapper. This is a very complex, medium to full bodied cigar. We worked a lot with this particular blend, especially on the aging part because I wanted a cigar with no harshness, but with a lot of flavor.
 DOC: How many cigars do you plan to manufacture this year and how is your distribution coming along?  JESÚS: Second answer first: Our distribution for 2007 exceeded my expectations by far, considering that our advertisement has been mostly word of mouth. We are already selling our cigars in 34 states in the US and getting new customers every day. The feedback has been really good. Thank God, nothing but excellent reviews.

But we are going to stick to the original plan. We are going to keep a close eye on our inventories of raw materials and our capacity for production with well-trained rollers and well-aged tobaccos. Taking a wild guess, I would say that we are not going to produce more than one million cigars in 2008. That figure includes the two cigars lines we are selling already and the new line we are about to release.

Below: Doc and Jesús share a conversation

DOC: I am glad to hear you mention the importance of using well-aged tobaccos because the importance of aging is one of the things we promote at Stogie Fresh. How important is it to age tobacco prior to using it to make cigars? On the average, how long do you age your tobacco/cigars before they hit the marketplace?  JESÚS: In my opinion it is extremely important. The aging process improves the quality of most of the tobaccos that are used today. A well-conducted aging dramatically reduces the aggressive qualities of the tobaccos and enhances the array of subtle flavors that are almost impossible to enjoy in a young tobacco, because of the harshness.

In many cases people talk about the aging referring to the oldest leaf in the blend, not considering that it takes only one young leaf to bring some "aggression" to the smoke. In our case I like to talk about the youngest leaf in the blend.

For example, in our "Natural" the youngest tobacco in the blend is the wrapper and it is 4 years old now. On the "Gran Reserva Corojo No.1" the youngest leaf is the wrapper and it’s already 6 years old. After we roll the cigars, both blends are aged for another 3 months in cedar cases to allow the marriage between the different tobaccos and the cedar.  DOC: Being a small cigar company must have its advantages. What can your company offer the consumer that the bigger companies cannot?  JESÚS: Due to our small production we can do a closer quality control; we can work with smaller crops and for that reason we are able to work with materials that the companies with a large distribution cannot use. In addition, in our case, all the materials used in the "J. Fuego" blends are being grown exclusively for us. With that combination we can offer a product that, if is not the best, at least is unique.
 DOC: What can the public expect to see from Jesús Fuego and J. Fuego Cigars in 2008?  JESÚS: We are about to release a new line of "J. Fuego". It's a blend I have been working on for years now. Without getting into details I can tell you that we are very proud of it and I think the serious smokers will enjoy it a lot. Besides that, I hope to keep consistency in the quality of our cigars.

Bruce Zeiler Tabacalera del Oriente

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 11:34:43 -0800

Last year as I was surfing the Internet late one evening, I serendipitously came across a web site and a company that claimed to make cigars with 100% Peruvian tobacco. I paused to consider this… Sure, why not Peruvian tobacco? Tobacco is a very hardy agricultural product and can grow in many regions and in conditions that are not suitable for the production of other crops. But, my question was, “Can tobacco grown in a non-traditional area, like Peru, be used to produce premium cigars?” After all, tobacco growing is a labor-intensive activity that requires vast expertise of farming techniques. And, using tobacco to manufacture premium cigars is just as difficult and requires the benefit of years of experience.

Below: The original tobacco field, now used only for
growing the wrappers and binders

I scratched my head and decided I needed to do some more research. After not finding much information on the web site, I decided to go right to the source and contacted Bruce Zeiler of Tabacalera del Oriente. Bruce is one of the principals of the company and is in charge of marketing, sales, importing and distribution. Indeed, Bruce told me, Tabacalera del Oriente does grow tobacco in Peru, and not only that, but they supply pretty much everybody who is using Peruvian tobaccos in their cigar blends. The tobacco is grown in a town named Tarapoto, which is in a valley of the Andes mountains about a 55 minute flight Northeast of the capital of Lima.

Two months after introducing myself to Bruce via email, I had the chance to meet and talk with him at the 2007 RTDA Trade show in Houston, Texas. We chatted and I was able to pick up and smoke a couple of his cigars. I was impressed, to say the least. Two months later, I was able to acquire a box of the San Martin Torpedo’s and was so impressed that I decided right then and there that I would feature the cigars in a future Stogie Fresh 5 podcast. I also decided to ask Bruce if he would be willing to share his story and the story of his cigars with our Stogie Fresh readers. Bruce has graciously taken the time to correspond with me and I am delighted to bring you this exclusive interview.

Below: Harvesting tobacco leaves

DOC: What brought you into the cigar business and how did you end up in Peru?

BRUCE: I have been going to Peru since 1982. In 1998, I was doing business with the Peruvian Government under Toledo. I was doing dairy, transportation, and recycling products. Meanwhile I was bringing back cigars to my friends. The next time I went over I wanted to find them cheaper because I was buying them at full retail. That’s when I was introduced to Pedro Kovacic. The first time I met with him was at his office and we discussed the tobacco business. Pedro put me in touch with partner Nicola Felice in Tarapoto where the tobacco is grown.

The next day we were on a flight to Tarapoto. I met Nicola and he showed me around the small tobacco plantation. He explained to me the company was in financial trouble. By the end of my week-long stay, Pedro and Nicola came up with a proposal, and I agreed. With my money, they were able to pull themselves out of the red, and over the next 2 years we built the business up, improving our facilities. Three years later we got an investor from Italy. We went from 35 acres to almost 1000 combined.

DOC: What role do you play in the company and what do you see as your company’s toughest challenges and greatest opportunities in the cigar industry?

BRUCE: My part of the company is importing and distribution, marketing and sales in the United States and abroad. The toughest challenge is to try and get people to take us seriously. We started our tobacco company from nothing; it was not something that was handed down from generation to generation. We have been at it for 8 years now, and we are not going away. We are the only company that offers Peruvian tobacco and 100% Peruvian cigars.

DOC: Can you give us a brief description of each of your lines of cigars and tell us how many cigars you expect to produce in 2008?

BRUCE: Right now we offer 4 blends. The San Martin, Rio Mayo, Miguel Grau, and Señor de Sipan. We only offer 2 of those in the United States, The San Martin and Rio Mayo because they are both long filler. The other 2 are short filler and sold only overseas. The San Martin is long filler, hand rolled. The cigar is medium bodied, full flavor and comes in 8 different sizes. The Rio Mayo is also long filler hand rolled. This cigar is packaged for convenience stores. This year we manufactured over 125,000 and hope to make 200,000 more next year. We also have a new line of cigars coming for the United States market in 2008. Meanwhile we also shipped 112 tons of raw tobacco this year, and hope to increase that to 140 tons next year. New opportunities are presenting themselves every day.

DOC: Who supervises growing and production in Peru and how do you insure quality control?

BRUCE: Niclo Felice is in charge of overseeing the growing process and production in Tarapoto. He lives there year round. While the final product is assembled in Tarapoto, quality control takes place both in Peru and in the United States. I inspect every cigar that is shipped out nationwide.

Above: The factory started with only 5 rollers and now has 35

DOC: What new developments can we look forward to seeing from Tabacalera del Oriente during the upcoming months?

BRUCE: As for things to look forward to, we have been working on a new line of cigars for the United States, a double ligero blend. Hopefully they will be ready in time for the 2008 IPCPR Show.

We handle every step of the process, from the growing and curing of the tobacco, the rolling of the cigars and the manufacturing of the boxes by hand. Not every company can say that, and I feel it makes for a better product. I’m not going to say I know everything about the cigar business, but every day I learn as much as I can and go forward with it. I have been mentored by several respected people in the industry along the way. My goal is not to make a million cigars. My goal is to make premium cigars at a reasonable price. The hardest part of this business is watching the tobacco age.

Contact Information:
Bruce Zeiler
Tabacalera del Oriente
http://www.tabacalerainternational.com
Store: http://peruviancigars.com
Email: tabacaleraintl@aol.com