Jesus Martinez Honoring a Legacy One Cigar at a Time

Jesus Martinez grew up in a cigar shop. Like many before him, his first cigar-smoking experience might not have been his best, but it certainly wasn’t his last. Martinez Cigars has been blending for over 50 years in the heart of Manhattan. Jesus spoke with Cigar Life Guy about honoring his father’s legacy, designing custom […]

Telling Fish Tales and Smoking Cigars: Lou Cross of Lure Cigars

Lou Cross, founder and owner of Lure Cigars, has been living the cigar life for over thirty years, but it took him some time to make the leap into the industry and start his line. Cross built a career in mapmaking, graphic design, and senior housing development before landing in cigars. Along the way, he […]

A Passion for Cigars: The Croatian Gangster Todd Pribanic

Todd Pribanic seated in a chair in a cigar lounge while wearing sunglasses and holding a lit cigar

Todd Pribanic has lived the cigar life across Thailand, Europe, and Central America. Pribanic, the owner and founder of Croatian Mafia Cigars, never intended to start a cigar company. However, one fateful trip to Esteli, Nicaragua, changed all that. Pribanic is a passionate man. Passionate about family. Passionate about the Cleveland Sports teams. And Passionate […]

Jonathan Carney Wants You to Meet Bentley the Cigar

Jonathan Carney wearing sunglasses outside with a cigar in his mouth

Jonathan Carney has been living the cigar life for over twenty years. He started in a cigar shop, moved into sales, and now leads Bentley Cigars’ US distribution. Carney learned early to never compromise values or vision when trying to create something special. He spoke with Cigar Life Guy about his partnership with Martin Schuster. […]

Terence Reilly Breaks Down All Things Cigars

Terence Reilly sitting at a bar, facing forward, and holding a cigar.

Terence Reilly has been living the cigar life since his twenties. Spending one formative summer with his Uncle Manuel (of Quesada Cigars) in the Dominican was all it took. Now, the VP of Sales & Marketing at Aganorsa Leaf, Reilly, spoke with Cigar Life Guy. They talked about the logistics of blending, what makes a […]

Juan Lugo of Don Doroteo Cigars is Reviving a Legacy

Juan Lugo standing in a tobacco field and smoking a cigar

Many people grow up around cigars, but it takes a special person to revive a legacy. That’s what Juan Lugo of Don Doroteo Cigars did. He smoked his first “intentional” cigar while deployed in Iraq. But Lugo took the seed of his idea back to his roots in the Dominican Republic. Lugo spoke with Cigar […]

Nestor Miranda Keeps on Smoking

Nestor Miranda standing on a pier facing forward wearing sunglasses and with a cigar in his mouth. Blurred ocean view in the backdrop.

Life and an amazing cigar journey began for Nestor Miranda in Cuba. What he lacked in formal education, he more than made up for with hard work, perseverance, and business savvy.  His work in sales eventually led him to join his wife at Miami Cigar & Company, fulfilling the American Dream and becoming a titan […]

Lily Wang Brings Her Passion to the Cigar Game

Lily Wang smoking a cigar

Lily Wang has come a long way since launching Cigar Ambassador in 2005. Her passion for cigars and respect for the art of creating blends led to the release of Tobacco Queen in 2023. She talked with Cigar Life Guy about her best industry advice, China’s evolving cigar culture, and how cigar life fosters the […]

Douglas Bocock Wants Everyone to be Cocky

Douglas Bobcock and brother Bryant Bobcock holding a box of Bobcock Brothers Cigars.

Doug Bocock and his brother, Bryant, have lived the cigar life for nearly three decades. Natives of Honduras, it all began at a nightclub with the idea of drawing a crowd in Tegucigalpa. The brothers built a humidor and created a house blend, and the rest is history. Recently, they became the first cigar company […]