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Darren Cioffi of Principle Cigars

From Passion to Principle Cigars: Darren Cioffi’s Cigar Journey

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The founder and owner of Principle Cigars, Darren Cioffi, may not remember his first premium cigar experience, but his extraordinary designs and extensive portfolio are challenging to forget. Cioffi, a self-proclaimed “paper” guy and cigar guy, entered the cigar life by collecting vintage cigar bands. His love of cigars grew with his passion for antique graphics and design. He talked to Cigar Life Guy about the joys of appreciating aesthetics, the pains of competitive slow smoking, and bringing the Principle brand home to the United States.

First Premium Cigar Experience

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Darren Cioffi: I don’t have one. I am trying to remember when my first cigar was. There was no “aha” moment. I just eased into it. It was a result of travel and being around people who were into smoking and working in the Caribbean. It just became something I was doing. I honestly do not remember.

Vintage Labels and Design

Cigar Life Guy: Your interest in history and antiques started in high school. Tell us how you found vintage cigar labels and the tobacco industry.

Darren Cioffi: I started as a high school sophomore and dealt with three-dimensional things like clocks and books. I was doing more and more of that on Long Island, where I grew up. After that, I started selling at the 26th Street Antique Market in New York City on the weekends.

During the week in the summer, I started going down to Pennsylvania to the markets and the auctions to look for stuff to sell in New York. It was before I could drive, and I was in PA somewhere. My mother was driving me, and she saw this goofy shop and said, “Hey, why don’t you check out that place?”. I said, “No, just keep driving. You never find anything in shops.” 

To this day, I don’t know why she insisted (she didn’t care about this stuff), but finally, I said, “Yeah, let’s check it out.” I went in and just got lost. 

The guy was a paper dealer, and my life changed then. I went 100% into paper. That looks like advertising artwork, financial documents, stocks and bonds, autographs, and photography. But one thing that guy mainly had was cigar labels. The labels immediately fascinated me. They were a hundred years old and were Stone Lithographs. The cigar labels were stunning and rare, even though you could find them in groups.

I just went hardcore. From there, I started going to Europe looking for cigar labels and then going around the Caribbean. While there, I started smoking cigars. 

It all happened at the same time. I was buying and selling tobacco-related artwork, and I also started dealing in vintage cigars, mostly because I was interested in the packaging and the design. Then, I realized that people were smoking that stuff, too. 

The 1870s to 1930s is vintage to me. It’s a passion that grew simultaneously on all fronts. These days, I’m mainly dealing with other paper, not so much cigar stuff, but I’m still acquiring it. I have an enormous amount of it. I’ll start working through and selling some of that stuff someday.

Principle Cigars Band Designs and Presentations

Cigar Life Guy: You dealt with tobacco artwork before you smoked cigars, and Principle Cigars’ band designs and presentation are innovative and distinct. Why are aesthetics as essential to branding as taste?

Darren Cioffi: I’m a guy who is into antique graphics first and cigars second. From that perspective, I know more than what’s sound design and what’s terrible design. I know what works from a collector’s perspective. I understand what people desire and what they want to own in terms of graphics. Much of that translates to our inspiration for brand design. 

We always create products that look like they could be from a certain period, not just in the period’s style. Many people who know us think, “Oh, Principle Cigars is Art déco” because our Aviator series is Art déco. It’s true, but even within Art déco, many schools exist. Aviator is American late 1940s industrial era Art déco, whereas Accomplice is more 1930s French style with some Art nouveau holdovers. Petits Provocateurs is a hardcore French turn-of-the-century Art nouveau, like perfume model branding. Angelique is 1960s style. Martinique is 18th Century Island Colonial.

We work with many styles and stay as accurate to them as possible. We desire to make the product look like it could be from that period on the shelf. If we do that, it will be attractive to educated consumers who understand the design and those who lack the knowledge but find it appealing. It’s showing them something they haven’t encountered in their regular life. But great design is great design. It will speak to them on some level.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying product design. You go to a liquor store and see how many innovative wine bottle labels there are. Sometimes, I smoke a cigar because I appreciate the design. I’m not saying that it’s guiding my decision, but why can’t I take joy in the attractiveness of a product I’m consuming, as well as the essential attributes of that product, like taste and performance?

The Principle Cigars Portfolio

Cigar Life Guy: You are known for not taking shortcuts when blending tobacco. What does this mean to you, and what sets Principle Cigars apart?

Darren Cioffi: This is a hands-on project. I make cigars in seven different factories now, and I’m involved with every leaf in all of them. We work with other people because they all have different strengths. From the design to the blending to the mechanics to the positioning of everything behind this product, it’s my passion. It’s not a guy knocking on the door of a factory, selecting a blend to market. I don’t care about the marketing. Smoke my cigars. Sell my cigars. Don’t do it. It’s fine. I have a long-term approach. I do this because I love it.

I’m never out there hustling. It’s all about creating a product that is as beautiful as I can. The product will work for me if I stay true to that principle. For people who take the time to process our cigars- those who pay attention to it, look at it, taste it — it’s evident. I never like to be in the position where I tell people, “Hey, smoke this because…” But of course, I want people to try my stuff, and I would like to think the product speaks for itself when they do.

Principle Cigars Portfolio of Premium Smokes

Cigar Life Guy: Principle boasts a broad portfolio of cigars. Tell us about some of your favorites.

Darren Cioffi: We do a lot of stuff for a smaller company. That results from being passionate and wanting to create different things constantly. When we have something small and interesting, we want to share it with people. 

Sometimes, we have products we don’t promote because we know we will only make a few thousand cigars. They’ll get out there to some folks and those paying attention, but if we promoted and distributed them properly, people would only sometimes experience them. We’re in a lot of different countries. The byproduct of how we do things results in a wide product range.

We have something called the Cocktail Collection, a series of cigars designed to pair with five different cocktails from different periods with branding specific to those periods. But we scrapped it over the last few years because we have so much stuff coming out. Instead, we use the Cocktail Collection as an umbrella to sporadically release cigars within the series. 

We just came out with the Tiki, the Mai Tai companion, and I am chain-smoking that cigar. There’s a Robusto that’s widely available, and then there’s a Toro. We have a co-branded space with Industrial Cigar Company in Frisco, Texas, so we created a Tiki Toro for the new room — a cocktail lounge called Fuselage.

It’s all I’m smoking these days. It’s bright and effervescent and just as gorgeous as can be. 

Another cigar we released, but we have yet to make a big splash about it because we only made about two thousand cigars, was a Tenth Anniversary Aviator called the Espoir. It’s a 9.5 by 46 gauge cigar. We made these in January 2023, so they have exactly one year on them now. 

I’m a fast smoker, but I like big cigars. I like cigars that last a long time. The problem is that larger cigars with relatively large ring gauges can eat up if you puff them like I do. So I made this 9.5 by 46. It’s complex. It’s a rich Aviator, as you might expect, but its long size and narrow ring gauge regulate the heat level where I can puff the hell out of it for two hours and maintain the flavor. I don’t lose it to overheating like other larger cigars. So the Espoir and the Tiki are my two go-to’s.

Cigar Life and the Challenges of “Slow Smoking”

Cigar Life Guy: You have traveled worldwide and spent time with some exciting and eccentric people. Who is the most interesting person (or people) you have shared a cigar with?

Darren Cioffi: I don’t have a good answer for this. You never know when you’re going to find inspiration from people. When you do what I do, you meet many people. 

I always admire those who have the brainpower to categorize every person they’ve met and remember what pleasant conversation they’ve had with them or what cool thing they were talking about. But I am not that guy. I show up at a place I have been a year or two before, and I might recognize the faces and have vague recollections. However, I could improve in categorizing everyone’s names and what we discussed. The benefit of doing this is you meet a hell of a lot of people. 

You never know when the spark will light and a casual conversation in a cigar lounge will become exciting and unique. Thankfully, it happens more frequently than you would expect.

A First for Cigar World Championship

Cigar Life Guy: You were the first American to win the Cigar World Championship. What was that experience like, and why is it essential to savor a premium cigar?

Darren Cioffi: It’s a different activity. It’s not that I’m just so great at it. For whatever reason, I can do it. I went, not knowing I could do it, and I won. Because I won, I kept doing it for a while. It’s part of why we’re a primarily European cigar brand today. It gave us enormous publicity when the company was only a few years old. But it’s a different activity.

The slow smoking you do to compete isn’t smoking to savor the cigar. When you’re smoking a cigar, even slowly, to experience the cigar, you need all of the tobacco burning simultaneously, so you are getting that complete recipe of wrapper, binder, and fillers all combusting and combusting at a low temperature. So it’s not that you’re smoking slowly to maximize enjoyment; you’re smoking appropriately to do so. And that level of appropriateness changes based on the combustibility of the blend. Ideally, you’re blending a cigar so it combusts in unison and correctly delivers the blend recipe.

But anyone can smoke too slowly. If you’re not paying attention to your cigar, you’re tunneling and burning the tobacco inside. You can tell. The taste goes away because you’re not getting the recipe. Smoking slowly for enjoyment — too slow is too slow. 

You have to smoke so that everything is burning, but you’re also maintaining temperature. When you’re smoking slowly to compete, you’re just smoking a dot, and you’re moving that dot around the cigar. At times, you’re intentionally smoking on the inside, and then you’re going to move that burn to the outside. 

You don’t want to burn the entire cigar at the same time as you would if you were smoking for enjoyment because then it’s going to go too quickly. Toward the end, it’s incredibly harsh. There were times I could barely stomach it because you’re smoking in such a way that it is just destroying your palate. 

The game is enjoyable. The camaraderie is enjoyable. Winning is undoubtedly enjoyable, but there’s nothing pleasant about the smoke when trying to win.

Branching into the U.S. Market

Cigar Life Guy: Principle Cigars has been around for ten years. What can the world expect from it in the future?

Darren Cioffi: You can expect more of the same. We have a year of more releases than we did last year. You can expect the strengthening of some of our partnerships. We’re going to be doing more with Carillo in the coming years. We’re excited about some new partners we have yet to make public. I expect growth, not only in new markets, but we are starting to pay more attention to the homefront. We have taken a passive approach to the United States because our focus has been overseas, but in the coming years, you’ll see a lot more in the States for us.

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Darren Cioffi: Check us out for yourself. I’m accessible. I love when people tell me what they like, and I can suggest a cigar for them. I love to talk to people who can articulate what they enjoy and don’t enjoy about cigars and open their eyes to new things that may fit into what they’re looking for. I’m here. I hope to see more of you in the coming year.

Check out the latest from Principle Cigars here and Follow Darren and Principle Cigars on Instagram.

Photo credit: Principle Cigars

Mike Gehm of Lovely Cigars

Lovely Cigars: An Interview with Mike Gehm

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Green Bay, Wisconsin, is not the first place that comes to mind when considering cigars. However, Green Bay has a tobacco tradition dating back to when the Packers won Super Bowls in the NFL. Mike Gehm and his partners at Lovely Cigars uncovered this cigar tradition in Titletown, Wisconsin, and are now sharing it with the cigar world. Gehm talks with Cigar Life Guy about becoming part of cigar life history in Green Bay, reviving a brand, and taking the time to enjoy a premium cigar.

Mike Gehm’s First Premium Cigar

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Mike Gehm: I’ll give you two experiences. The first cigar I smoked was an “It’s a boy” cigar. My dad had these things probably from when I was born. They were in a tin can. I found them when I was twelve. I took one outside and smoked it.

My first good cigar was a Fuente. It was from the Short Story or Work of Art collection. I’m unsure which, but it was fantastic. It was the first time I detected a ton of flavor and could pick out different notes. It was at my friend’s bachelor party. We had not planned to go to a cigar lounge and did many things around Green Bay. We did a tour of Lambeau Field and ended up in Appleton, about 30 miles south. My buddy saw a cigar shop, and we stayed there the rest of the night. That was the first time I smoked great cigars and fell in love with them.

Getting Started in the Cigar Business

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us how you started in the cigar industry. What did you do before, and how does that help inform what you do with your current business?

Mike Gehm: Initially, I would go down to Appleton with the same friend who got married to that same cigar shop. We would go down there a few times a year, pick up cigars, and hang out because it was the only cigar shop around. We went down for the Final Four to smoke cigars and watch basketball. While talking, I asked, “Why isn’t there a place like this in Green Bay?” I told him, “We should do this. We should have one,” he said, “Ok, let’s do it.” That’s the kind of person I am. I get crazy ideas like that, and I run with them.

I’ve been in sales since I was nineteen. I would go out and meet people and help them solve problems. I helped fix their issues with the solutions I provided. It doesn’t matter what job I have; that’s what I do.

So, I was trying to solve my problem. Since Green Bay didn’t have a cigar lounge, we started selling cigars out of my office for about a year and a half.

We would go to events and set up wholesale accounts and everything. After about a year and a half, we opened the cigar lounge, and that was how it started. That was about sixteen years ago. But we were one of the first places in the country to have a 24-hour high-access cigar lounge.

We had a small retail area open nights and weekends, and our members accessed the lounge with key fobs 24 hours a day.

Behind the Lovely Cigars Name

Cigar Life Guy: You named your cigar line after a historic Green Bay tobacco company. Tell us the story behind it and the importance of honoring tradition and history in the cigar industry.

Mike Gehm: When I had the cigar shop, I looked at the history in our area and the industry.

The cigar business is a handshake industry. It’s all about relationships with people. I love it. But if you look at all the old Cuban brands or the story behind what happened when everybody left Cuba and took seeds with them to continue growing. To honor that is a fantastic thing. It’s also a massive piece of our American cultural heritage. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, eight out of 10 men smoked cigars — that’s just what it was like. Everyone smoked back then.

Not that people talk much about it, but Green Bay also had one of the largest unions in the country — the Local 162, and it started as a cigar rollers union. It’s easy to see that history is lost to many people when you understand the heritage. People don’t want to talk about it because it’s tobacco-related or it gets lumped in with everything else. That’s sad because so much history is involved. People who were rolling cigars back then and were part of that industry are the ones who kept it going. It’s an essential piece of history that no one talks about, and I wanted to honor it.

My three partners and I saw the cigar brand Ain’t They Lovely. It dates from the late 1800s. The Reis family started the company. I found the box in an antique store, and when I first opened it up, the craftsmanship, artwork, and history just jumped out at me. It seemed like such a cool thing to bring back. It’s something that we’re losing because nobody is talking about it. We need to be conscious of where we came from. If we don’t know where we came from, how do we know where we’re going?

Design and Cigar Branding

Cigar Life Guy: Your boxes have a distinct design that honors the historic line. Tell us about the inspiration behind it and how it helps with branding.

Mike Gehm: Bringing back that old brand, bringing it back to life, adds a tremendous amount of history to our brand. We don’t have this long lineage of family history owning a cigar brand. We have a massive drive to be as successful as possible and bring this back to the populace. It’s such a remarkable story. We love the artwork so much that we wanted to stay accurate. For instance, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the cherubs on the original box looked pretty innocent, like angels. But today, if we reprinted that same thing, it would look like toddlers smoking cigars (laughs). We needed to make a change. So we took what was there and added some ladies, which plays off the “lovely” theme.

We wanted it to be eye-catching and for people to say, “Wow, I want to know more about that,” when they saw the box. So, we named our second line “162” after the cigar rollers union. We wanted to emulate some of the simplicity of that time, so we went with cabinet-style boxes. There was an “RB” logo at the bottom center of the original artwork, and we made it to LV for Lovely Cigars instead of Reis Brothers. We wanted to honor it and show how incredible the history is and why people should be interested. If we were redoing it, that would be fine, but for us, it’s more about being part of that history and bringing that out.

Lovely Cigars and Connecting with Community

Cigar Life Guy: Besides fine tobacco, you have said one of your passions is connecting with people. What makes the cigar community and cigar life so unique?

Mike Gehm: You hear it everywhere. Whenever somebody talks about it, I could be next to a doctor or lawyer. I could be beside a guy welding all day, but it doesn’t matter. We’re all doing the same thing, enjoying the same product together. When people get together, everything drops away, and you connect with people on a deeper level. You get to know people better and understand what they’re looking for. However, you get to be there for them. The community is fantastic. It’s almost as if it’s pulled out of history and dropped into now, and it just hasn’t changed. You can go down to Nicaragua or Honduras and work with people, and it’s handshake deals. It’s just not like that in society today. Instead, slow down and enjoy a cigar. You can’t be running from here to here and be busy with many other things. You need to enjoy a cigar, which is a special thing when you do that together. It’s different from how the world works today, and that’s what I like about the community.

Lovely Cigars in Green Bay

Cigar Life Guy: It gets cold in Wisconsin. What’s the cigar scene like there?

Mike Gehm: When I opened a cigar shop 16 or 17 years ago in Green Bay, there was no cigar culture. The shop is still there. I’m no longer part of that shop, but it’s still open and a thriving community today. Over the last fifteen years, it’s grown quite a bit. With smoking bans and everything that’s happened, Wisconsin has a law that allows cigar smoking in cigar establishments. That’s been vital to maintaining that in Wisconsin. Summer is the big time around here when it’s nice out. People in Wisconsin get out in summer. That’s huge regarding retail sales and things, but the community continues throughout the colder months. There are cigar lounges. People have cigar lounges in their houses. They still get together to smoke. It’s definitely there; you just have to be part of it.

The Future of Lovely Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Lovely Cigars?

Mike Gehm: There’s Dylan, Keith, and me, and in general, our main goal is to have consistent growth, and we want to take care of the shops we work with. We are trying to be consistent and present with the shops and want something other than backorders. We want to avoid creating those kinds of issues. We’re in about 42 shops right now. We want to get ourselves up in that 100-shop range. That’s where we would like to see ourselves. Getting there in a positive way where we’re seeing consistent growth is important.

We have the Elegante X2 Ain’t They Lovely, the original cigar we came out with. We have the No. 162 in three vitolas– Churchill, Robusto, and a Corona. Then we’re working on a new line. I’ll leave the name out of it right now, but the new line will have two wrappers, a Connecticut and a Maduro. So we’re looking to add to what we already have. We’re hopeful we’ll have some of those for the show in Vegas.

Final Thoughts

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Mike Gehm: We want solid partnerships with the retailers we work with. We’re not selling directly to any users. We’re not looking to have an online store where we’re undercutting people. I came from the cigar shop side of things, and the guys I partnered with at Lovely Cigars used to go to the shop, and one of them worked at the shop after I was out of it. So we all have this history of wanting shops to succeed, and that’s the ultimate goal here. We want to be successful through cigar shops. That’s where people get the most education. That’s where they learn from other people, other aficionados. They learn from all of the people at the shop. That’s what good shops do. They help people understand their path and what cigars they’ll like, and they help find new cigars. That’s where I want to be. That’s what we’re looking for. Anybody who feels they’d like us to be part of their shop, talk to us. We welcome those conversations.

Follow Mike and Lovely Cigars on Instagram and check out the latest from Lovely Cigars here.

Photo credit: Mike Gehm

Gerard Abajian of Jake Wyatt Cigars

Jake Wyatt Cigars: Interview with Gerard Abajian

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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. In this interview, Gerard talks with Cigar Life Guy about staying true to himself, the story behind those boxes of 22, and how his company innovates how local cigar shops present cigars.

The First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Gerard Abajian: I would say it happened during the mid-90s. I was with my dad in the backyard. And he had just started as a retailer in southern California and bought a Dominican El Rey del Mundo. He cut it in half and shared it with me, but it was nasty. Then he brought out some cut-up watermelon from the fridge and between puffs said, “Refresh your palate with the cool watermelon.” The cigar was more palatable after that. It was at night, and we were sitting in the backyard. So that was the occasion. Just me and my dad and him telling me about the cigar business he just embarked upon. He had always been a smoker — cigars, pipes, cigarettes. That was the beginning of my cigar journey.

Starting Cigar Life

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us how you got started in the cigar industry. What else did you do before, and how does it help inform what you do with your current business?

Gerard Abajian: I started working at my father’s retail store when I was about nineteen. I learned how to use the cash register and talk to people by describing the cigars I liked. I had done car sales before, so I had some sales experience and prospected different people based on their personalities. That affected how I would approach people from the minute they walked in the door.

The worst question to ask is, “Can I help you?” They would say, “No.” So, I looked for an icebreaker. I figured they were coming for a cigar, so they have a favorite. I’m curious what it is. So I would ask, “Hey, how’s it going? Welcome. What’s your favorite cigar?” It was easier from there. They would tell me their favorite cigar, and I would say I’ve smoked it, and ask them what they thought about it. We became friends. So, that’s always been my approach. Sales have helped in my industry.

Cigar Life Guy: You have been open about your struggles with addiction. How has that changed your perspective on life in general, as well as cigar life?

Gerard Abajian:  I was pretty young when I kicked my addiction. I was a teenager. I struggled with school — not intellectually. It was more due to my absence and attendance. Once I kicked the habit at age 24, I developed my spiritual life and focused on how to kick a habit.

I went back to school and studied fire science technology. That landed me a job with our local fire department, which has over 80 stations. I did that for ten years. My father passed away in 2015, and I was still with the fire department. That’s when Neil (Garcia) and I partnered. We started working together and going online. From there, we got invited down to the Dominican Republic. That’s how we came up with the Jake Wyatt Cigar Company.

We visited several factories that gave us samples of what they could produce for us, all according to the flavor palate we wanted. Unfortunately, I always felt in the dark. I wanted to understand the makeup of cigars, how to blend a cigar, and the difference between tobacco. For instance you have Corojo, Criollo.

There are many different varieties of tobacco. It’s not good if someone plans on making my cigars, and I don’t know what’s in them or what the percentages are. So we started our tiny factory out of a little hut. Now we have a factory which is a different entity on its own called Casamorabo. (House; Love; City) That’s a 20,000-square-foot space. Casamorabo now produces Jake Wyatt Cigars, which is a separate entity we own. Now, it’s just about selling cigars.

The Story Behind the Jake Wyatt Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: Jake Wyatt is named after your sons. Can you tell us the story behind it?

Gerard Abajian: Coming up with a name that means something is challenging. You can go through all sorts of different names on a list. One day, I was sitting around playing with names. I’ve always liked a strong and bold name. You have Dunhill of London and Davidoff of Geneva. So, you have these strong names in the industry that have a legacy. Out of nowhere, I thought about Niel’s son, Jake. Then, I considered my son, Wyatt. When I put those names together — Jake Wyatt Cigar Company — it sounded good. We thought about it without making it permanent. And we kept playing with names.

But I kept coming back with this timeless, bold, strong name — Jake Wyatt Cigars. I really like it. It represents our boys and who we are. I’m not a third- or fourth-generation Latin cigar producer with a Latin name. I’m also not trying to fake it by giving you something I’m not. I don’t speak Spanish. I’m not Latin. I live in the United States. That’s who I am. Neil is an athlete. I came from the fire service. So, we have a lot of grit behind our character. At the same time, we present ourselves as gentlemen. We put our hands out first. We always say hello. And that’s what Jake Wyatt represents. We’re always putting people ahead of us.

Cigar Life Guy: Your line also has a connection with baseball and the number 22. What’s the story behind that?

Gerard Abajian: The box count of 22 is a nod from when Neil played baseball; he was jersey number 22. His brother inspired me to become a firefighter, and he just retired as a fire chief of Burbank. He played for the L.A. Heat, a football team composed of firefighters. He was a linebacker and wore jersey number 22. When Jake played baseball, he also wore jersey number 22. I think Niel’s dad might have played baseball in his community with jersey number 22 as well.

Innovation, Presentation, and Aesthetics in Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: You put a lot of thought into design. So, why are aesthetics and presentation so important for Jack Wyatt Cigars?

Gerard Abajian:  We have two collections. The Gourmet Collection are the only cigars with artisanal accents on them. And the Connoisseur Collection doesn’t have those accents because the focus is more on the connoisseur. It’s a complex cigar. But that’s not to say the Gourmet isn’t. Anyway, when we initiated and completed the design for our Gourmet Collection, our goal was to have individuals take pictures of the cigars.

Everybody is using Instagram and TikTok to become cigar reviewers, bloggers, or just as a fan base. So, if you’re going to take a picture of Jake Wyatt Cigars, we want it to be a little different. Making the cigar shape, other than a Parejo, is different. Perfectos, Salomones — you can’t streamline that business model. So we thought of something in a traditional size — a Robusto, a Toro, whatever it is. And what can we do differently?

We came up with the accents using different colors of tobacco. It takes us an extra two days to make the Gourmet Collection because of the artisanal accents that need to be applied after they’re rolled. And that department doesn’t even know how to roll cigars. All they know how to do is apply accents.

Jake Wyatt Cigars Accessories and Apparel

Cigar Life Guy: Besides cigars, you carry a variety of accessories and apparel. How do you want consumers to see your brand?

Gerard Abajian: People like our clean, symmetrical look. Our shirts have some design on them, but nothing too obnoxious. We keep it very presentable. And you can wear them to any occasion. The colors are timeless, not loud, which also makes them presentable. They’re timeless. Our staff members also wear our polo shirts. And many people like wearing them when they’re golfing.

Hats are another thing. Our hats are something people desire all the time. In fact, any time we go to trade shows or any time we go to events, they want to buy our hats. We sell a lot of hats. It’s somewhat of a hipster look. We use a leather patch that looks like it’s stitched on, and it has an ironworker look to it that appeals to people. The way I would describe our apparel is timeless and minimalist. It’s good for any occasion. Golfers gravitate to it. Golfing. Boating. Car enthusiasts. It has a clean look, a gentleman’s apparel.

The Future for Jake Wyatt Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Jake Wyatt Cigars?

Gerard Abajian: We just launched the JW Maverick. Right now, we’re focused on distribution, and it’s doing very well. We’re keeping up with production, and we rebranded our entire portfolio. We have new cigar bands with a new design, and the boxes have fresh designs. We also introduced our four packs, which are available for every cigar we make in a Robusto and Toro size. And four-packs help retailers with introducing a cigar to somebody.

The box bears the image of the cigar and a QR code you can scan. It takes you to a 30-second video demonstrating the first, second, and last third of notes you’ll experience while smoking the cigar. And this is on every cigar band. Before buying the cigar and second-guessing whether you’ll like it, you have an interactive video of what to expect. There’s also a QR code on the four-pack and the box.

The inside lid of the box is called a vista. Now, we use the vista as the footprint. It has a diagram of every single cigar inside that box. So the diagram for the Maverick Toro is one Toro chopped in thirds and a diagram of what hints and notes a smoker will experience. We break down the cigar construction, the make-up, where it’s from, what the size is … all of it. So if the retailer is too busy, he can attend to somebody in the humidor, and as customers glance over our product, we do the work for them.

Shelf talkers are sometimes intrusive to other brands sitting below that shelf. They hang down and blind other brands. So, this makes it easier to stand out. It’s all there for you, streamlined and clean. As a boutique company, we’ve never seen anyone take that approach to give you the depth of information on a product.

We also brought out our display trays, which allow retailers to place the box on top of a display. They are actually like wings that spread out into trays. And now you can display four-packs. The tray within a tray slides out, and now you have a footprint of 33 inches of 70 cigars. Usually, within our industry, 33 inches would be about three boxes, and it’s Robusto, Toro, and Gordo. It all looks the same.

With our display, it’s the same space. However, you are not only showcasing three sizes, but we’re also allowing you to display four packs. The real estate is much more appealing. There’s some decoration going on within that 33 inches rather than it being a flat, three identical boxes, which look like an assembly line. It’s more decorative and catches the eye. Thirty-three inches is what everyone scans when looking at a shelf.

Jake Wyatt Cigars: Final Words

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Gerard Abajian: I think there’s a perception that we are a high-end cigar. They say, “We’ve heard of you.” However, when I ask them what they think our prices are, they usually say $18 to $20. So, maybe it has to do with design. But I want people to know we are very competitively priced.

 

Follow Gerard on Instagram, and check out the latest from Jake Wyatt Cigars here.

Photo credit: Jake Wyatt Cigars

Lee Marsh of Stolen Throne Cigars

Stolen Throne Cigars: Interview with Lee Marsh

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Lee Marsh, the founder of Stolen Throne Cigars, was a prolific cigar smoker long before he started making them. Now, he’s making a name for himself and the Stolen Throne line by doing things his way. Marsh talks about the recent premium cigar victory over the FDA, connecting with the consumer, and the importance of not rushing anything when making cigars and cigar life.

The First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Lee Marsh: That’s funny. I don’t remember my first premium cigar experience, but I was probably about fifteen the first time I had a quality cigar -meaning a handmade cigar. My uncle was in the Marine Corps and brought some back for me. We were hanging around when he gave me my first cigar. I remember the first premium cigar brand that piqued my interest. I also remember what I enjoyed about cigars and started the journey. It was the original Camacho Corojos when the Aurora family was still making Camacho. I vividly remember my first Corojo, and it was instantaneously one of those times when you have a cigar and say, “This is different.” It started from there.

Lighting a Fire: Getting Started in the Cigar Business

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us how you started in the cigar industry. What did you do before, and how does it help inform what you do with your current business?

Lee Marsh: I’ve always been a consumer. I’ve been a passionate cigar smoker for years. I was working in compliance and tech, and I traveled a lot. So, I spent a lot of free time in cigar shops and cigar lounges around the world. It kind of just grew. And the first time I visited a farm in the Dominican Republic, it subconsciously lit a fire in me. I just kept coming into conversations that if I made cigars, I would do this or that. And finally, it was a “Shit or get off the pot” situation. So I went all in. I met with Noel (Rojas) through a couple of mutual acquaintances, like Island Jim, and we just hit it off immediately. A week later, I was down in Nicaragua, and we started the ball rolling on what would become the Crook of the Crown.

Stolen Throne Cigars: Doing Things Their Way

Cigar Life Guy: Stolen Throne is an evocative name. How did you come up with it, and what’s the meaning behind it?

Lee Marsh: That was the hardest part about getting the company going. The Crook (of the Crown) was well before we had a name. But naming the company and the brand was difficult because I didn’t want something that I had to fake or pretend. I wanted it to be authentic and transparent about who we were and what we wanted to represent. It’s rooted in the sense of making your place at the table — doing things your way. The Waylon Jennings style, like outlaws and being a badass. It’s about doing the things you want to do. 

Cigar Life Guy: You released the limited edition Phantom Queen at last year’s PCA and the Yorktown Fleet line in 2023. When people smoke your cigars, what do you want them to associate with your brand?

Lee Marsh: Realistically, when you smoke a Stolen Throne Cigar, you’re on our journey of tobacco with us. I’m a first-generation cigar maker, so you’re experiencing all my thoughts, hopes, aspirations, and passion when you smoke every cigar. I think what many people don’t realize about us is that you can tell from our portfolio that we’ve been on the market for four years. We only have four blends in two sizes. We take our time. Everything is done with a hundred percent of our effort and passion. And when you sit back and smoke our cigars, you’re on that journey with us. We’ve been out for four years, coming up on five years with mainly The Crook of the Crown, which is still surreal to me, to be honest.

Cigar Life Guy: Stolen Throne recently took over distribution for Ed Reed’s ER line. What was that collaboration like?

Lee Marsh: It’s one of those things that grew out of a friendship. Ed and I have been friends for a while. We met at a Ravens game back when he was smoking a Crook of the Crown. He spoke to me about getting into the business. He was passionate about cigars. So, I took him to task. I was like, “I’ll help you, but if you want to be another celebrity with a name on a cigar,” I’m not your guy. But that’s not what he’s about at all. He’s passionate about the culture and everything that goes into a premium cigar. He’s an avid smoker and super into what he’s doing. So when they got into the process and needed a little help navigating, they reached out to me, and our distribution grew from there.

Challenges in the Industry

Cigar Life Guy: What is the biggest challenge the cigar industry faces today?

Lee Marsh: I think it’s like anything else: The rising cost of living. The lifestyle is not inexpensive. It’s one of those things where people have limited disposable income.

I would say the FDA, but that was struck down today, which is awesome. For now, anyway. It’s like anything else when you’re a luxury aspect of someone’s life. For most, it’s not a hobby; it’s a lifestyle. I know I smoke ten cigars a day usually, probably half that before I started making cigars. But it’s a part of our life. Like everything else, the rising cost of living is a potential threat.

Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Stolen Throne?

Lee Marsh: Hopefully, we chug along and do everything we want as far as continuing to push passion and quality products. People always ask, “What do you plan to do in five years?” Well, I hope I’m still making cigars (laughs). That’s the plan — Keep doing what we’re doing, continue to improve, and push our envelope to reach our true potential.

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Lee Marsh: We’re super grateful. It’s been a whirlwind for four years. We’re grateful for the support we received nationwide and internationally. For us, the consumer always comes first, along with the retailer. They go side by side. It’s overwhelming when you hear retailers who already work with us telling other retailers, “Hey, you gotta do business with these people.” Most of our growth over our first three or four years has been consumers supporting the brand and telling retailers, “Hey, you gotta bring this cigar in.”

Follow Lee on Instagram and find out the latest from Stolen Throne Cigars here.

Photo credit: Stolen Throne Cigars

Jonas Santana of Blackbird Cigars

The Blackbird Cigars Story with Jonas Santana: From Rolling to Mastery

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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 to Cigar Life Guy about paying attention to the finer details, not wanting to be another Fuente, making music, and having fun while living the cigar life.

The First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Jonas Santana: Honestly, I want to keep that to myself because it was in another factory and I want to respect that. It was not a good feeling. The first cigar my friend gave me was full-bodied, and I knew nothing about cigars. I was sweating (laughs). It was so freaking uncomfortable, but here we are. Here we are.

A College that Pays You

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us how you got started in the cigar industry. What else did you do before and how does it help inform what you do with your current business?

Jonas Santana: Before I got into the cigar industry, I worked with my father. He used to have a drugstore. My marketing degree was nearly complete. A friend — the same friend who gave me my first cigar — told me he was making a brand, and he needed some help. He knew I was in marketing, so he gave me a job. So I started there, but I can tell you something when you work for someone. If you really pay attention, it is a college that pays you. But if you’re only there to make money, you probably won’t have a future.

I started there in that factory and I said to myself, I really need to become friends with the master blender because I didn’t know where it was going to take me. There’s an entire world in this industry — the growing part, the production part, the distribution, the branding. There are many things going on. So I said I needed to learn graphic design, how every tobacco tastes, how to roll cigars, and I needed to perfect my English. So I went to the master blender and said, “I really want to learn how to make cigars and understand everything.” Then he said, “If you’re really honest about this and you’re really going to commit to what you say, I want you here every day one hour before your work shift.” If you show you’re going to do that, I’ll teach you.

The next day I started like that. An hour before the shift, I made ten cigars each day, and I was enjoying the performance of each tobacco. I did it like that for one year and after that, the Master Blender left and I quit working at that location. I worked with the same company but moved to Miami. Over there it was crazy. It was tough. But now I can understand it because I was one man inside a warehouse doing marketing and sales. I was taking care of every shipment, shipping every order, invoicing, charging, doing events, and traveling. A lot of things at the same time. Back then I felt like trash, but as I have previously mentioned, if you work for someone and you really pay attention, it’s a college that pays you.

How has it helped in the current business? I know every single department of my business because of that. Now I understand why God did that to me.

The Art of Crafting Blackbird Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: You started from the ground up by rolling cigars. Why is it important for smokers to understand the detail that goes into the construction of a cigar?

Jonas Santana: It’s so important. Cigars are an art. Respect the art of it. It’s a tradition to make cigars. There are a lot of families that survive because of cigars. It is not a family tradition for my brother and me because we are the first generation in the cigar industry. But knowing every single detail that goes into cigar manufacturing is very important because I can tell you how long it takes to make a cigar from scratch. You’re going to grow the tobacco, ferment the tobacco, and make the cigar. If you do everything by yourself, it will take an estimated time of three and a half years. So, yeah, they need to understand how many hands touch the tobacco before you can smoke a cigar and the time it takes. It’s not like a cigarette. We take care of it in a different way.

The Smartest Bird in the Business

Cigar Life Guy: What is the inspiration behind the name Blackbird?

Jonas Santana: Which is the most powerful bird on the planet? The most powerful bird is the eagle. But which is the smartest bird? The smartest bird is actually the crow. So my thing is, how do I play smart against a bunch of eagles? Blackbirds, for me, are a respectful way to tell the mainstream brand I’m gonna play smarter than you. I know other companies have a lot of years in this, but I’m a new guy. How am I gonna scream? A crow is smaller than an eagle, but I’m gonna play smarter. So there are a lot of details that make some noise? That makes people know I’m there in the humidor.

I use colors. I use music because I’m a rapper. You can go to my Instagram — @jontanard. I incorporate the talent I have in music to promote my cigars because it’s fun. My marketing approach is more fresh. I would like to bring a younger generation to the industry because if I keep promoting my cigars like another Fuente, I’m gonna be another Fuente. I don’t want to be Fuente. Becoming like Jonas would be nice because I want to be Jontana; I want to be Blackbird.

So my line is all bird names. 80% are crow names — dark feathered birds. The Rook, Jackdaw, the Crow. The Unkind is not a bird. It actually used to be called the Raven. I named it The Unkind because someone who claimed The Raven brand name almost sued me. The lawyer who called me was really unkind about the whole thing. So I renamed it The Unkind. This worked out because a flock of ravens is called an unkindness. So I stayed in the same spot.

Everything from the Finch to The Cuco is mildest to fullest. Things I like to pay attention to are taking the smoker from mild to the fullest. The Cuco, for example, is a medium-full cigar — no pepper at all.

But let’s say you want a little pepper, and you want a fuller-bodied cigar. I have The Crow. If you want to be in the middle, there is The Unkind. But this is also marked by the time of the day. For example, the Jackdaw is the sunrise. It is orange. Sunrise cigar? Bright orange like the sun. The Finch?

Midmorning that’s how the clouds look, light blue — a mid-morning cigar. Then you have the Rook — high noon. For me, it’s an after-lunch cigar. Then you have The Unkind (which used to be The Raven). That’s purple. When the sunlight hits the feather of a raven, it turns purple. Dusk is also a purplish color.

During the night, after people finish work, they like to smoke a couple of cigars so we have the heat of the night with The Crow and the mid-night which is The Cuco.

What Makes Blackbird Cigars Unique?

Cigar Life Guy: You have described your brand as modern. What makes Blackbird unique?

Jonas Santana: I think I’ve explained a little about that. Music definitely. Colors. For instance, using pink. Most of the guys that smoke cigars don’t use pink stuff. I would like to be the opposite of what typical cigar brands promote. I like to be myself. The beauty of this is when you have your own stuff, you create your own niche, your own demographic, and your own followers, which is happening with the brand.

Cigar Life Guy: What is your favorite aspect of the cigar business?

Jonas Santana: Honestly? Traveling. Every time I travel, I get to meet new people. I get to try new food that I don’t find in Miami. Traveling is amazing. I live the life I’ve always wanted. Let’s say I’m traveling to Italy. I take my wife and come back and continue working. It’s nice. I enjoy traveling and meeting new people. It’s beautiful. The world is beautiful.

The Future of Blackbird Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Blackbird Cigars?

Jonas Santana: Currently we have a new factory. 30,000 square feet. My brother, who is a visionary, said we have to do it. If we really want to be consistent and develop new products, we want people to feel great about us, not only about how nice we promote cigars, but how we respect the art of cigars. We needed to have a bigger facility so we could ferment our own tobacco, get more tobacco, and make great cigars for years to come.

I want people to feel like, “Damn, I need a Blackbird.” I want people to feel when I smoke a Blackbird, I feel young. That’s what I want them to feel. I would like to comfort their minds and emotions. That’s more beautiful than money.

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Jonas Santana: No, we have missed nothing. Just remember Blackbird on Instagram. Check out some of the music. It’s fun. Don’t let anyone clip your wings. Follow your dreams.

 

Follow Jonas on Instagram and check out the latest from Blackbird Cigars here.

Photo credit: Blackbird Cigars

Greg Free of Fortaleza y Libre Cigars

Greg Free of Fortaleza y Libre Cigars Interview

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From the first premium cigar he smoked in a Maryland swamp to blending his first Lancero, Greg Free, founder of Fuerte y Libre Cigars, has been living free, smoking strong, and enjoying cigar life. Free talks to Cigar Life Guy about his ever-growing cigar portfolio, the upcoming name change of his company, and his favorite part of the cigar industry camaraderie.

First Premium Smoke for Greg Free

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Greg Free: In 1992, I purchased a new home next to a protected wetland in Frederick, Maryland. I thought it was a very fancy park, not the swamp that it turned out to be. So I never went outside. One of my neighbors who I became friends with, asked, “Why aren’t you ever going outside?” And I said, “There are mosquitos everywhere.” He suggested I try smoking a cigar. He handed me a Baccarat, and I smoked Baccarat for three years. At one point, he went on vacation, and I had to go out and cigar shop myself and pay for a cigar. I was just amazed by how many cigars were in that shop. My entire world exploded at that point.

Getting Started

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us how you got started in the cigar industry. What else did you do before, and how does it help inform what you do with your current business?

Greg Free: I live in Washington, D.C., and worked in government contracting for a couple of decades. I started in government contracting, doing recruiting and hiring to fill positions to support federal work. When I left, I was senior VP of the “people” side of government contractors, so program management, and recruiting. I was the facility security officer and was in charge of construction projects.

I left that two and a half years ago to do this full-time, but I started the company — really the foundation of it — in 2012. That’s when I started putting capital aside. In 2013, I started researching what I needed to do to become a tobacco importer from a federal perspective. 2019 was when we finally got cigars into the country, but I was working a full-time job during those six years.

On Smoking Strong and Living Free

Cigar Life Guy: Your motto is “Smoke Strong, Live Free.” Can you tell us more about what inspired it?

Greg Free: The company name inspired it. I wanted something that spoke to America, so I created the name in English first — “strong” and “free.” It seemed like a perfect statement for the country. Our strength is really how we get our freedom. And the flip side of that is my last name is Free, and I also smoked strong cigars, so it worked out. Then, I translated that to Fuerte y Libre to pay homage to Spanish culture. But ultimately, that’s why Carlito Fuente sued me for my trademark. The premise from their side was that Fuente and Fuerte sounded too similar and would create consumer confusion, which I don’t think is true, but it is what is. I wish they had trademarked the word because I would have never filed for the name. I don’t hold a grudge. It’s just business.

So, I’ll be changing my name. We just settled in May. I haven’t made an official announcement because part of the settlement was to get some time to change the name. It’s known within the cigar community. There will be a press release, but I’m waiting until the first cigar comes out with the new company name which will be Fortaleza y Libre. And that word also means “strength.” It’s used in the cigar industry to represent strength — the “Fortaleza” of a cigar. I wanted to keep that strong and free moniker to keep a hold of the company’s original premise.

The Greg Free Blending Process

Cigar Life Guy: You proudly grow your tobacco in the Tamboril region. Why is it essential even for the novice cigar smoker to understand all aspects that go into the construction of a premium cigar?

Greg Free:  Speaking about regions, all of our core tobacco, the Dominican tobacco, grows on one 40-hectare farm. I grew up on a farm. I went to college for horticulture. So, it was important that my core tobacco remained consistent from season to season and cigar batch to cigar batch. In the Dominican Republic, if you don’t have a tie to a farm like most small factories, you wind up going to the warehouse where you get what’s left.

It’s still going to be great Dominican tobacco, but it’s not going to be grown on the same soil using the same farming techniques, crop rotation, and the addition of any chemicals or fertilizers. The area’s distinct microclimate also plays a role. So we’re particular about where the core tobacco comes from, and it keeps our blends consistent since inception. Tomorrow’s new batch of Bodacious will taste the same as the blend we created four years ago.

I don’t know that the novice needs to understand the construction process, but I think they need to learn what they like. How you do that is by understanding your three or four typical tobaccos. So if a Ligero is in there, you need to know what impact that has on a cigar. What impact does a Nicaraguan Ligero have versus a Dominican Ligero? What an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper has that differs from a Connecticut shade wrapper. You’re learning the differences for your own purposes.

As a consumer, you go into a store and you know: I don’t like Connecticut shade, but I do like Ecuadorian Connecticut. Or I love Ligero, but I‘m not a fan of Nicaraguan Ligero. It’s a little too strong for me, but I do like a nice Dominican Ligero. It’s the same with fillers, binders, and other wrappers. It’s a function. For example, you may love chicken but only in a particular Italian sauce (laughs). When you go into an Italian restaurant, you decide “This is what I want.” It’s a similar idea at a cigar store. You’re going in, looking at the menu, and picking what you know you like.

Cigar Portfolio Mentionables

Cigar Life Guy: You have created a variety of blends since Bodacious in 2018. Tell us a little more about your cigar portfolio.

Greg Free: The foundation of the name is strong and free. I was smoking really strong cigars when I started blending. It turns out there’s a lot more flavor in the medium range. So when we came out with our first couple of lines, we were in that medium range.

The core of the Bodacious and the Bushwacker is a delicious Dominican Pilato Cubana tobacco. There’s no Ligero in there. We’re not trying to amp them up. We’re just using the wrapper combinations for added variety. They’re both medium cigars. There are two different wrapper choices in the first two lines of both.

After we settled those, we got ourselves in some shops, and COVID hit. I wanted to come out with something full-bodied. So, I started working on a full-body blend, which became the first true blend I developed. I settled in the medium-full range because it tasted good, and I didn’t want to mess with it anymore. That was the Midnight Bender. The next line I wanted a Connecticut wrapper, but I didn’t want it to be a mild cigar. It had to be something I could enjoy.

The core of that is another blend I created. It has a double Dominican Ligero. It has a Mexican San Andres wrapper leaf blended into the filler. So it has a fuller body and a full-strength core surrounded by Dominican binder and Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. It looks like a mild cigar, smokes like a medium, but has the flavor of a full. It’s our best-selling blend, and it’s a really creative, complex blend that goes with anything. I smoke more of them than anything in my portfolio, not because it’s my favorite, but because I always have them with me. I never know what I’m going to be doing, and I always try to match my cigar with my activity, whether it’s drinking, walking, mowing the lawn, or whatever. The Sun Country covers a lot of bases for me.

After the Sun Country, I wanted to come out with an anniversary stick. We create all of our test blends in a 6 x 50 Toro, which is a little unique in the industry. Most people use Coronas for that, but that’s how I started. So I know how it works for me. When we started testing different vitolas, we got to a boxed press, and that blend spoke to me. The flavors really jumped when it went into a box-pressed. That was our first and only box-pressed the Segundo Viento (Second Wind).

Then we waited a couple of years because I wanted a true mild. Then it becomes about rounding out the line. The true mild took me two years until I finally came out with what I would call a three on a scale of 1-10 in strength and body. I couldn’t do a true mild because I just couldn’t smoke it, so it’s just Dominican filler and binder, an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. But that wrapper brings a little spice, so it’s more than a plain grassy Connecticut wrapper. It’s got a little something that keeps me interested. I’m not putting out anything, and I’m not smoking (laughs).

The final thing in the line is we needed a true full. We’ve got a true full. It’s been in the aging room since January. Now it’s a matter of just getting bands produced. So these are going to have some good age on them. The core of the blend is the first-generation Cuban seed planted on our farm three years ago. (The Intimidator)

I don’t intend to be one of those companies that crank out new blends every three months. It’s really just what makes sense for the line. I want to create legacy lines as opposed to short-run limited editions.

Cigar Pairing with Greg Free

Cigar Life Guy: Pairing cigars with spirits is an integral aspect of cigar life for many smokers, and you often highlight this with your cigar line. What are some of your favorite pairings?

Greg Free: It’s interesting. I never had a cigar with coffee until I was on my first factory visit in 2018. My interpreter — you would think with a Panamanian wife, I could speak enough Spanish to get along. I understand it, but not speak it. So, I had an interpreter, and he asked me what kind of cigar I had with my coffee. I told him I never had a cigar with coffee, and he told me I was crazy.

I drink my coffee with cream and it’s a great experience to have coffee and a cigar. Unfortunately, days don’t line up very often where it makes sense for me to get up and have a cigar with coffee, so I don’t do it often, but it’s probably my favorite.

On the spirits’ side, I’m a low-proof bourbon guy. Anything under 90-proof is in my wheelhouse. All of your classic stuff. My favorite is Eagle Rare; It’s a ten-year bourbon. I go for something smooth and low-proof because I’m drinking whiskey while smoking cigars, always in combination. And I genuinely want to experience the cigar more than the whiskey. Eagle Rare kind of sits in the background. It’s not so hot that it’s competing with the cigars, it’s just adding to it.

Favorite Part of the Cigar Industry

Cigar Life Guy: What is your favorite part of the cigar industry?

Greg Free: The camaraderie amongst other brands and brand owners. I’d estimate 90% of the people I’ve met in the industry will help you with anything. It’s a unique industry. In government contracting, everything is a secret. No one tells you anything. Then, you enter an industry where people tell you what they pay per pound for tobacco. How much they pay their rollers — who receive piece rates — the dollars and cents information and where they think the best tobacco comes from for their wrappers. They even share their specific recipes. It doesn’t happen in other industries … like the restaurant industry. And it certainly doesn’t happen in government contracting. I guarantee you that Hershey’s hasn’t released their chocolate recipe to Mars. The cigar industry is unique, and that’s my favorite part.

News and Upcoming Events

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Greg Free: I guess the only thing we haven’t referenced is my upcoming event. I am coming out with an event exclusive to Lonsdale. I’ve wanted to come out with a Lancero for a long time. It’s a tough cigar to roll and challenging to get the blending right, and it’s one I haven’t been able to accomplish until now. But I am coming out with a Lonsdale that’s going to be a unique blend to the lineup. We’re calling it the Tahonta. After all, famous rodeo bulls inspire all the cigar names.

 

Follow Greg on Instagram and check out the latest from Fortaleza y Libre here.

Photo credit: Greg Free

James Lee of Cigar Pxrn smoking a cigar

Cigar Pxrn: Interview with Founder James Lee

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It’s hard to forget a name like Cigar Pxrn, but former NFL tackle and Cigar Pxrn founder James Lee was going for bold. There may be no better way to express love and appreciation for cigar life than donning Cigar Pxrn apparel. Lee talked with Cigar Life Guy. He spoke about the life-changing first premium cigar, finding a niche in the cigar industry, and why he’s still holding out on blending his own cigars.

James Lee’s First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

James Lee: My first cigar experience was with a neighbor. I had a neighbor, Andre, and he would always host cookouts. He would have them when I was playing during the season. But I wasn’t a smoker. I was playing football (An NFL career that included stints with Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Washington). It was the Spring of 2010. He threw some steaks on the grill, and I thought, why not? And I smoked my first cigar — an ACID Kuba Kuba. That changed my life. That’s a day I’ll never forget.

What’s in the Cigar Pxrn Name?

Cigar Life Guy: Cigar Pxrn is an evocative name. What’s the story behind it?

James Lee: Well, for one, Cigar Pxrn is probably the best name for a cigar brand (laughs), but the name came as a play-off of food porn. I was trying to create a name for the brand; food porn was everywhere. Everybody was cooking for YouTube videos, and we just played off that for the love of cigars like people did for the love of food. When we did it, the word cigar porn (p-o-r-n) would send you to a porn site. So we had to create an avenue to keep people from going to a porn site. That’s how I came up with the “X.” We put two cigars across each other to create the “x.”

Cigar Life Guy: You played in the NFL and have a degree in Early Childhood Development. How did you get into the apparel and cigar business?

James Lee: After I retired from football, I joined the cigar lounge in Charlotte (Charlotte Cigar Club). Throughout my years there, cigar reps would come by and sell you boxes. There would be special promos on boxes; you could buy raffle tickets to win a hat or T-shirt. That was the only way you could express your love of cigars — wearing the cigar rep’s branded apparel. I wasn’t smoking a particular brand, but I realized there was a niche. I realized I could create a brand for all cigar lovers — not specific to or locking into one brand. It’s just saying, “I love cigars.” Once I researched it, I realized nothing was out there besides getting the shirts and hats from cigar reps. In 2017, that was the only way to get apparel. You go to somebody’s website and buy a shirt. So, I created a brand, Cigar Pxrn.

Cigar Pxrn’s Unique Apparel

Cigar Life Guy: What makes Cigar Pxrn apparel and accessories unique?

James Lee: Cigar Pxrn is loud, bold, and edgy. We run into many people who love the shirt or say, “I can’t wear that shirt.” So, it also screams confidence. You must be strong enough to put the word “Pxrn” on your chest because of the attention you’ll get from it. If you’re a man, you’ll receive attention from women. If you’re a woman, you’ll receive compliments from men. So, we’re unique because we’re edgy. We put two of the best industries together and created a brand.

Cigar Life Guy: How do you want cigar smokers and consumers to see your brand?

James Lee: I want people to see my brand as an image of greatness. We continue creating unique and quality products. I have a strong team of representatives worldwide who represent Cigar Pxrn and the lifestyle as well as I do. They’re a reflection of me in their own cities, and we work together as one team. It’s greatness.

Balancing Cigar Pxrn Business

Cigar Life Guy: Have you considered expanding beyond apparel and accessories to adding a full line of cigars? If so, what would you need to consider it?

James Lee: For years, I’ve received that question, “When are you going to make a cigar?” I’ve gone back and forth with it. But I try not to focus on multiple things simultaneously because you can lose out on something while trying to create something else. We started as a lifestyle brand. Now is not the right time. As a brand, our primary goal is to continue to bless the cigar industry through fashion.

I have considered it. I’ve had people at PCA this year say,” When are we gonna make that cigar for you?” But people have asked that question since day one.

When you do too much at once, you lose your focus. You can’t go 100 percent in on two things simultaneously. We’re going into year six and focusing on apparel right now.

Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Cigar Pxrn?

James Lee: We’re expanding to cater to more women. Today, you have an enormous amount of women smoking cigars. Many women are entering the industry, so we want to expand our women’s line beyond T-shirts. We want to give them more options so they can express themselves. Men are fine throwing on a T-shirt, so I want to put more emphasis on women. We’ve just launched our own line of sunglasses. Next, we plan on expanding our offerings to include dress apparel, prioritizing fall colors for dresses, and offering a range of shirt styles. Our goal involves getting into the bling, but something other than a V-neck T-shirt.

 

Follow James on Instagram and check out the latest Cigar Pxrn apparel here.

Photo credit: James Lee

Howard Gumbs Jr. of Howard G Cigars

Howard Gumbs Jr. of Howard G Cigars: Interview

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Entrepreneur Howard Gumbs Jr. has never balked at a challenge, and after launching Howard G Cigars amidst the pandemic, he has never looked back. A true brother of the leaf, Howard is building his legacy with the All-Pro Series and his newest line, The Perfect Round. Howard talks to Cigar Life Guy about his start in the industry, smoking with Avo Uvezian, and the best part about cigar life — forging lasting relationships while enjoying a premium cigar.

Howard Gumbs Jr.: First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Howard Gumbs Jr.: I’ve been smoking cigars for sixteen years. The very first cigar I smoked was Rocky Patel Decade 1990. I was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was with a gentleman named Duncan, a cousin of a business partner, and I remember smoking that at a place called Twigs, and that was my first time smoking a premium — a Rocky Patel.

Learning the Cigar Life

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us how you got started in the cigar industry. What did you do before, and how does it help inform what you do with your current business?

Howard Gumbs Jr.: I got in the cigar business differently here in Orlando. I had the privilege and honor of smoking a few days a week with Avo Uvezian. So, I’m in the cigar business because of Avo. One day, we sat outside together, and he said, “Howard, you should be in the cigar business.” 

And I said, “Why do you say that, Papa,” and he said, “Because you love the people like I love the people.” It was a shocking thing. He believed me. About six or seven months after that, a buddy of mine said the same thing that Avo said. He had a brother who owned fifty percent of a factory. So, it went from mindset to putting it into action.

As far as business, I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I have multiple companies. The cigars started from that relationship, but it’s the same mindset as other businesses. It transferred to the cigar business because of all of the connections.

Cigar Community and Cigar Culture

Cigar Life Guy: You have stressed the connections you can make while sharing a premium cigar. What makes the cigar community and cigar culture so unique?

Howard Gumbs Jr: What makes it special is we have something in common. Typically, you’re not in a rush when you’re smoking a cigar. You’re gonna sit down, you’re gonna cut it, you’re gonna light it. You’re going to have a beverage with it. 

Enjoy that time. You have forty-five minutes to an hour and a half where you’re relaxing. You’re not worrying about what happened at work, you’re not worrying about business, you’re not worrying about any other issues, but you’re just enjoying that cigar. 

Many people I meet talk about the moment they get off work and the excitement just to come and smoke their cigars and socialize for an hour and a half. That is one of the things I associate with the cigar life. Also, you must always find out who you’re sitting down with. One of the things with the cigar community is you need to know who in the world you’re sitting next to. There are a lot of times I’ve had Fortune 500 CEOs sitting next to a janitor. We’re all smoking cigars. The one thing that we have in common is that leaf. No matter which cigar you’re smoking, we’re all sitting there enjoying it.

Launching During the COVID-19 pandemic

Cigar Life Guy: You started Howard G. Cigars in 2020 amidst the pandemic. What was that like? What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?

Howard Gumbs Jr.: I only had a few challenges. What happened was the cigars were made in 2019. I wanted to release the cigar when I had the proper boxing. When the pandemic occurred and the world shut down, I was told, “Hey, there’s so many people stuck at home, why don’t you just get the cigars out?”

The cigars were ready, so I just got them out and put them in different packs of four. Then I looked at my database of personal friends — palates I trust, guys I know that they are serious smokers. So, I just took that time to send out the product. I sent out the product and asked for honest feedback. Take away friendship. Take away how you feel about me.

Nothing is going to hurt my feelings. If you hate it and think it’s trash, tell me it’s trash. Tell me if this cigar could be in your wheelhouse because you’re an experienced smoker. Those are the things that I did during the pandemic.

So, during 2020, when people were sitting at home, it launched us across the country just with friends. First, people said, “Hey, he said he was going to do something, and he actually did it,” and second, “The sticks were great!”. 87% of the feedback was exceptional. We knew we were on to something. From that point on, we decided to continue.

We take it seriously. So, we go to the shows where the large retailers are, to PCA. And we go there with the mentality that we’re in the game for the long haul. 

We’re going to keep on expanding and growing. Our goal is always to get better by one percent a day and continue to create and build on lasting relationships and great products like the legacy brands that have come before us.

The All-Pro Series with Howard Gumbs Jr.

Cigar Life Guy: You have cigars commemorating former NFL stars Leon Searcy and Ike Taylor. How did you forge those relationships, and what’s the story behind the collaboration?

Howard Gumbs Jr.: There’s not a significant story behind it. Those are my brothers. I already knew that Black Moses would become a series, and Magic Stick would also become a series.

I also knew I wanted to do an All-Pro series, but when I had the idea, I wanted to ensure that my athletes seriously smoked cigars. It wasn’t just guys who smoked a cigar when they had a child or who smoked because their team won a championship. 

I wanted somebody who appreciated and loved the cigar community. People smoke when the lights are not on, the cameras are not on, and nobody is looking. People that sit down and have a couple of sticks. That was my mindset.

So the first person I thought of was” Big Searc,” Leon Searcy. We smoked cigars together for years. Leon would come to my house, and in five hours of hanging out, seven cigars would magically disappear out of my humidor. He wasn’t taking cigars for souvenirs but smoking them (laughs). So I told him, “How about we do an All-Pro Series with Leon Searcy? You’ll be the first cigar in the All-Pro Line,” he said, “Howie, I love it!”. 

From there, we went through his favorite cigars, found his palate, and created the perfect cigar for him. Once he gave the seal of approval, we shot a video and went ahead and put it out on the market.

Ike Taylor was a little different. He was a Steelers legend. The Steelers have one of the biggest fan bases along with my Dallas Cowboys, so I wanted to gear it toward that. 

We went through forty different blends for Ike. Every time we narrowed it down, we realized Ike’s favorite wrapper was a Sumatran. So his blend is eighty percent Nicaraguan, but we added twenty percent Lancaster, PA tobacco because he is Steeler. So that was different.

Both cigars have been doing phenomenally well. We appreciated the love we received from Steelers Nation and the Jaguars because of Leon and his affiliation being a top fourteen Jaguar of all time.

Howard Gumbs Jr.: The Perfect Round

Cigar Life Guy: You recently released The Perfect Round. What’s next for Howard G. Cigars?

Howard Gumbs Jr.:  Perfect Round is our golf line. Here in Orlando, where I live, the amount of golf tournaments we’ve been at physically or sent products to has doubled nearly yearly. 

We have friends who play golf religiously. Some guys that out of 365 days, they’re playing a minimum of 200. That’s profound love. Tee time is typically seven, eight, or nine a.m., so we wanted to come out with a cigar to help you with the front nine and start your day. It’s a 52 by 7. It’s our first Dominican blend — very well-aged tobacco. The construction of the cigar is fantastic. But it’s a Connecticut Shade because we want you to start on the front nine with a milder cigar. Typically, you’re not drinking alcohol that early in the morning, so milder is best.

Once we get to the back nine, you tend to have had something to eat, and maybe you’ve had a spirit or two, so we wanted to strengthen the Back Nine. If you’re going to finish stronger on the back nine, we’re also giving you a more robust cigar. 

The Back Nine has a Habana wrapper but the same binder as the Front Nine. Put them together, and it’s an eighteen-count box — nine Front Nines and nine Back Nines.

That cigar has done exceptionally well. We sold out in pre-orders at PCA. The reviews from that cigar in our official launch last week were incredible. We’re excited about that. 

We’re excited about what we’re doing. Right now, we constantly have events lined up around the country. We’re just having a good time. Be on the lookout for things we’ll be bringing out.

Final Thoughts

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Howard Gumbs Jr.: We have our phrases at Howard G Cigars. “We got action.” is one. Another one is, “We’re slinging cigars,” and the last term is, “You want this smoke.”

 

Follow Howard on Instagram and check out the latest from Howard G Cigars here.

Photo credit: Howard G Cigars

Lee Marsh of Stolen Throne Cigars

Lee Marsh of Stolen Throne Cigars: Interview

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Lee Marsh, the founder of Stolen Throne Cigars, was a prolific cigar smoker long before he started making them. Now, he’s making a name for himself and the Stolen Throne line by doing things his way. Marsh talks about the recent premium cigar victory over the FDA, connecting with the consumer, and the importance of not rushing anything when it comes to making cigars and cigar life.

Lee Marsh: First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.

Lee Marsh: That’s funny. I don’t remember my first premium cigar experience, but I was about fifteen the first time I had a quality cigar -meaning a hand-made cigar. My uncle was in the Marine Corps and brought some back for me. And we were hanging around, and he gave me my first cigar. I remember the first premium cigar brand that piqued my interest and what I enjoyed about cigars, and I started the journey. It was the original Camacho Corojos when the Aurora family was still making Camacho. I remember vividly my first Corojo; instantaneously, it was one of those times when you have a cigar and say, “This is different.”. It started from there.

Lee Marsh on Starting a Cigar Business

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us how you started in the cigar industry. What did you do before, and how does it help inform what you do with your current business?

Lee Marsh: I’ve always been a consumer. I’ve been a passionate cigar smoker for years. I was working in compliance and tech and was in a situation where I was traveling a lot and spending a lot of my free time in cigar shops and cigar lounges all over the world. It grew.

The first time I visited a farm in the Dominican Republic, that subconsciously lit a fire in me. I just kept coming into conversations that if I made cigars, I would do this or that. And finally, it got to the point where it was a “shit or get off the pot” situation. So I had to go all in. I met with Noel (Rojas) through a couple of mutual acquaintances, like Island Jim, and we just hit it off immediately. A week later, I was down in Nicaragua, and we started to get the ball rolling on the Crook of the Crown.

Stolen Throne Cigars: Doing Things Their Way

Cigar Life Guy: Stolen Throne is an evocative name. How did you come up with it, and what’s the meaning behind it?

Lee Marsh: That was probably the hardest part about getting the company going. The Crook (of the Crown) was well before we had a name. But naming the company and the brand was tricky because I didn’t want to have something I had to fake or pretend. I wanted it to be authentic and transparent about who we were and what we wanted to represent. It’s rooted in making your place at the table. It was about doing things your way. The Waylon Jennings style, like outlaws and being a badass. It’s about doing the things you want to do.

Lee Marsh: What the Stolen Throne Cigars Brand is About

Cigar Life Guy: You released the limited edition Phantom Queen at last year’s PCA and the Yorktown Fleet line in 2023. When people smoke your cigars, what do you want them to associate with your brand?

Lee Marsh:  Realistically, for us, when you smoke a Stolen Throne Cigar, you’re on our journey of tobacco with us. I’m a first-generation cigar maker, so you’re experiencing all my thoughts, hopes, aspirations, and passion when you smoke every cigar. What many people don’t realize about us is that you can tell from our portfolio that we’ve been on the market for four years, and we only have four blends in two sizes. We don’t rush anything. We do everything with a hundred percent effort and passion. And when you sit back and smoke our cigars, you’re on that journey with us. We’ve been out for four years, coming up on five years with mainly The Crook of the Crown, which is still surreal to me, to be honest.

Stolen Throne Cigars and the Ed Reed Line

Cigar Life Guy: Stolen Throne recently took over Ed Reed’s ER line distribution. What was that collaboration like?

Lee Marsh: It’s one of those things that grew out of a friendship. Ed and I have been friends for a while. We met at a Ravens game a while back when he was smoking a Crook of the Crown, and he had talked to me about getting in the business. He was passionate about cigars. I took him to task. I was like, “I’ll help you, but if you want to be another celebrity with a name on a cigar,” I’m not your guy. But that’s not what he’s about at all. He’s passionate about the culture and everything that goes into a premium cigar. He’s an avid smoker and super into what he’s doing. So when they got into the process and needed some help navigating, they reached out to me, which grew into our distribution.

Challenges in the Industry

Cigar Life Guy: What is the cigar industry’s biggest challenge today?

Lee Marsh:  I think it’s like anything else — the rising cost of living. The lifestyle is not inexpensive. It’s one of those things where people have limited disposable income.

So, I would say the FDA is the biggest challenge, but that was struck down today, which is awesome. For now, anyway. It’s like anything else when you’re a luxury aspect of someone’s life. For most people, it’s not a hobby. It’s a lifestyle. I know that I smoke ten cigars a day. I smoked half that before I was making cigars. But it’s a part of our life. Like everything else, the rising cost of living is a potential threat.

Future Predictions for Lee Marsh and Stolen Throne

Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Stolen Throne?

Lee Marsh:  Hopefully, we’ll chug along and do everything we want to do as far as continuing to push passion and quality products. People always ask me, “What do you plan to do in five years?” Well, I hope I’m still making cigars (laughs). That’s the plan. Keep doing what we’re doing. Continue to get better. Continue to push our envelope in terms of reaching our true potential.

Cigar Life Guy: Have we missed anything? Please tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

Lee Marsh: We’re super grateful. It’s been a whirlwind for four years, and we’re super grateful for the support we’ve received nationwide and internationally. For us, the consumer always comes first, along with the retailer. They go side by side. It’s overwhelming to hear retailers already working with us telling other retailers, “Hey, you gotta do business with these people.” Most of our growth over our first three or four years has been consumers championing the brand, going into retailers, and telling them, “Hey, you gotta bring this cigar in.”

 

Follow Lee on Instagram and find out the latest from Stolen Throne Cigars here.

Photo credit: Stolen Throne Cigars

Aric Bey of Black Star Line Cigars

Black Star Line Cigars and Aric Bey: Interview

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Aric Bey, the former Chicago firefighter and owner of Black Star Line, began his cigar journey as many do through camaraderie and conversation. Approaching its fifth year, Black Star Line is gaining steam as a brand. Bey talks about the importance of history, connecting with customers, and appreciating the conversations that come with living the cigar life.

The First Premium Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience. (When was it? Who were you with? Where was it? What was the occasion? )

Aric Bey: I started smoking infused cigars and quickly graduated to Drew Estates cigars. My palate changed when I began smoking DE, and I never returned to smoking infused cigars. I have been smoking for roughly seven years. I mostly smoked DE, then branched out to smoking all different brands, which is how I developed my palate fast.

The Cigar Business

Cigar Life Guy: You have an MBA in finance, a Master’s degree in Public Health, and have been a Chicago Firefighter. Your path to the cigar industry is often “unconventional.” Tell us what drew you into the industry and how you got started.

Aric Bey: I grew the love of the leaf smoking in the firehouse. That’s when I decided I would enjoy being in the industry. I enjoyed the conversations and good times while having a cigar with friends. My most memorable bonding experiences recently involved hanging out and smoking a cigar.

Cigar Life Guy: What is your favorite aspect of the cigar business?

Aric Bey:  My favorite aspect of the business is meeting new customers. I love meeting new customers because I can learn about their backgrounds and where they are from. It’s like gaining a new friend I can smoke with whenever I am in their town or country. It also lets me get live feedback from new and existing customers about my cigars.

Cigar Life Guy: What is the cigar industry’s biggest challenge today?

Aric Bey: My biggest challenge is getting our name out there so it is easily recognized. There are thousands of cigars to smoke, so you have to find a way to make your brand stand out amongst all the others. That is why we work so hard and travel often to get the brand recognition I seek.

Political Activism and Black Star Line

Cigar Life Guy: You named your company, Black Star Line, after Marcus Garvey’s steamship company. Tell us a little more about your reason for honoring a political activist and founder of the UNIA.

Aric Bey: Many have yet to learn who Marcus Garvey is, so I wanted to pay homage to him and his company. His idea was to ship goods internationally. I want to do the same with my cigars. I am big on history and those that came before us. If we don’t keep talking about history, we will lose the stories and potentially relive some of the issues that have happened in the past.

Black Star Line: History and Diversity

Cigar Life Guy: How has the cigar industry embraced various lines from owners with diverse backgrounds?

Aric Bey: The cigar industry has embraced people of different backgrounds because it’s all about the love of the leaf. When smoking a cigar, your gender, bank account, or background don’t matter. It’s all about great convos and the love of the leaf. I always say if everyone drank whiskey and smoked cigars, there wouldn’t be any hatred or racism. Everyone would be relaxed and enjoying a cigar and each other’s company.

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us the stories behind your recently released Mr. Fahrenheit and the Rosewood 1923.

Aric Bey: Rosewood 1923 pays homage to the victims of the Rosewood Florida race riot, and it pays homage to my late frat brother John Singleton. I am a member of the “Greater” Beta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Inc., and John made a movie about Rosewood in the early 90s. We rolled the cigar at James Brown’s factory, Oveja Negra. It was great working with James because he works differently than the folks over at Aganorsa and Tabacalera La Isla.

I look forward to doing another project with Oveja Negra.

The Future of Black Star Line Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: You have introduced a line of coffee — War Witch — What’s next for Black Star Line?

Aric Bey: I’m unsure if we will introduce any more coffee now. That project was for the original War Witch. We are approaching our 5th anniversary, so I am compiling a good blend for the next PCA.

 

Follow Aric Bey on Instagram and check out the latest from Black Star Line here.

Photo credit: Black Star Line