DAV’s Armen Caprielian Talks Cigars
Armen Caprielian, managing partner of DAV Cigars, may have gotten into the cigar industry by chance, but he’s been living the cigar life since he was seventeen. Caprielian, a real estate broker, is also the president of the Boutique Cigar Association. He advocates for and promotes family-owned companies. Caprielian talked with Cigar Life Guy about […]
Holly Primc’s Wild Ride in the Cigar Game
Holly Primc, owner of Crown Majesty Cigars, “knows her shit.” The former teacher and Certified Cigar Sommelier has been living the cigar life long enough to know she still loves learning. She talked to Cigar Life Guy about how cigars are the perfect blend of her two favorite things, how cigar memes get it wrong, […]
James “Boston Jimmie” Vita Loves Cigars and Talking about Cigars
James “Boston Jimmie” Vita has lived the cigar life for five decades. A true brother of the leaf, he tried his hand at print magazines before eventually creating the online giant Stogie Press. Vita has been reviewing cigars and sharing his knowledge ever since. Newly retired, Vita discussed his early start in the cigar world, […]
Meet New PCA Head and Top Cigar Advocate Joshua Habursky
Working in Washington, Joshua Habursky takes pride in earning a reputation as the “cigar guy.” Recently named the Executive Director of PCA, Habursky has been living the cigar life and advocating for the cigar industry for over a decade. He spoke to Cigar Life Guy about his start in Washington as a lobbyist, building bridges […]
More Than a Cigar Prop: Meet Kevin Shahan
Cigar life began simply enough for Kevin Shahan — with dinner and a beer. Like many who take up cigar smoking, it evolved into a passion and the desire to know about cigars. As his website states, Shahan’s company, Cigar Prop, was “born out of necessity.” While working as a mechanic, he needed a place […]
Rick Rodriguez from West Tampa Tobacco Company Talks His Wild Ride with Cigars
Rick Rodriguez worked at General Cigar for 25 years. He trained under Benji Menendez before starting West Tampa Tobacco Company in 2022 with Gus Martinez. While Rodriguez has built an extensive and impressive (cigar life) resume, he didn’t smoke his first cigar until he was forty. He talked with Cigar Life Guy about that first-smoke […]
Sebastien Decoppet: A Switzerland to Honduras Cigar Journey
It takes guts and a genuine love of cigars to drop everything and move to Honduras, but that’s exactly what Sebastien Decoppet, owner of Cavalier Geneve Cigars, did. Growing up in Switzerland near one of the cigar industry’s premier lines (Davidfoff) might have had some influence. Still, Decoppet is making his mark with his Diamond […]
How Ron Smith Made Dallas Leaf a Community Powerhouse
A true sense of “community” is about supporting each other and giving back. No one knows that better than Ron Smith, founder and CEO of Dallas Leaf LLC. What started as a small cigar club has evolved into several subsidiaries that sponsor events, support Black-owned businesses, and provide for charities. Smith talked to Cigar Life Guy […]
How Fouad Kashouty Crafts Freemason Identity Through Cigars
Crafting Freemason identity through cigars began as a way to raise money for a scholarship. Ten years later, Fouad Kashouty and his wife Romy aim to make Hiram & Solomon Cigars a household name. Although he’d been smoking cigars for a long time, Kashouty had no connection to the cigar industry other than knowing what he liked […]
Is Kevin Watkins Redefining Cigar Culture?
Kevin Watkins, cigar lounge owner, co-founder of Houston Cigar Week, and lover of the leaf, has lived the cigar life for over three decades and counting. Watkins likens the sacrifice of running a cigar lounge to having a newborn baby—the love he gets in return is worth it. He talked to Cigar Life Guy about this year’s Houston […]