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 […]
John Bateman: Turning Crisis into Celebration with Mega Legend Cigars
John Bateman — JB to friends — is relatively new to the cigar industry, but the owner of Mega Legend Cigars is poised to make a splash by sticking to his plan. Driven by a family tragedy, Bateman is determined to become legendary in the cigar world. He talked with Cigar Life Guy about sacrifice, […]
Calvin Jenkins Unleashed: Smoke, Flavor, and Ambition
Yes, smoking a cigar can be a religious experience. Just ask Calvin “Hollywood” Jenkins. The owner of Luxe Cigar Lounge, singer, event promoter, and cigar lover likens the cigar experience to “church.” Jenkins talked with Cigar Life Guy about his gospel roots, the Charleston Smoke Out, and the organic conversations from sharing a good smoke. […]
Oscar Rodriguez: Beyond Smoke Towards Consciousness
For Dr. Oscar Rodriguez of GTO Cigars, smoking is the cure. As someone from a long tradition of tobacco growers and cigar blenders, you should take his word for it. But don’t just offer him an infused cigar! Rodiguez talked to Cigar Life Guy about respecting the art of cigar blending, planning quality cigar events, […]
Luis Cuevas of Casa Cuevas Talks Family and More
From Spain to Cuba to the Dominican, the Cuevas family has been making cigars for over a century. Luis Cuevas of Casa Cuevas has proudly carried on the family tradition. He spoke to Cigar Life Guy about the pleasure of working with his father and son, the work that goes into the blending process, and […]
6 Cigar Lounge Pet Peeves to Avoid
The behavior of fellow patrons has peeved any regular cigar lounge goer at some time in their smoking career. Some of these things are so basic they often aren’t uttered aloud but are understood. Some folks need to catch up on the basics, so we’re writing them down. What are a few common cigar lounge […]