Carlos Nodal of Ultimate Cigars Club: Filling Big Shoes, and Making His Name
Carlos Nodal, founder of Ultimate Cigars, grew up in the cigar industry; his father, Rafael, founded Aging Room. Carlos briefly worked in the hospitality industry. However, he ultimately returned to cigars, where he learned from some of the best. His father casts a long shadow, but Carlos is steadily making a name for himself in […]
Terence Reilly Breaks Down All Things Cigars
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 […]
Reinier Lorenzo of HVC Cigars is Always Learning
Growing up in Cuba, there is probably no avoiding the cigar culture, but Reinier Lorenzo, founder of HVC Cigars, studied medicine before he studied cigars. After nearly twenty years in the cigar business, Lorenzo continues to create new blends and pay homage to Havana City. He spoke to Cigar Life Guy about getting his start, […]
Michael Herklots is Hitting All the Right Notes
Michael Herklots had worked in the cigar industry for over twenty years before launching the Ferio Tego Brand with business partner Brendon Scott in 2021. Herklots sees Ferio Tego as more than just cigar blends. It is a “philosophy rooted in values.” It’s no wonder the Ferio Tego (translated as “Strike and Defend”) brand uses […]
The Wild Backstory of Wildfire Cigars Founder Jeremy McDonald
From breaking the no-smoking rules in the seminary to playing guitar in a band, Jeremy McDonald has lived the cigar life for nearly thirty years. After working for decades in cigar retail and as a sales rep, McDonald started Wildfire Cigars in the spirit of sitting around a campfire shooting the shit with a premium […]
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 […]
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 […]
Jake Wyatt Cigars: Interview with Gerard Abajian
Gerard Abajian knows that cigar life is all about people. He began in the retail side of the cigar business but built rapport with customers. He also surprisingly spent ten years as a firefighter before co-founding Jake Wyatt Cigars with Neil Garcia. Together, they created some of the most aesthetically unique cigars in the industry. […]
The Blackbird Cigars Story with Jonas Santana: From Rolling to Mastery
Jonas Santana of Blackbird Cigars is taking care of things in a different way — his own way. He started out rolling cigars and eventually learned every aspect of the cigar industry. Experience and knowledge have served him well in building an extensive cigar portfolio that is carving a niche in the industry. Jonas talks […]
Interview: Luis Torres of Freud Cigars
Torres of Freud Cigars has done it all in the cigar industry. He spent most of his career with Davidoff, so he understands what being a “luxury” brand means. Who better to represent that than one of the most famous cigar smokers in history, Sigmund Freud? Luis talks with Cigar Life Guy about his brand’s […]