Joy of Cigars Archives - Cigar Life Guy

John Bateman: Turning Crisis into Celebration with Mega Legend Cigars

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Staff

John Bateman — JB to friends — is relatively new to the cigar industry, but the owner of Mega Legend Cigars is poised to make a splash by sticking to his plan. Driven by a family tragedy, Bateman is determined to become legendary in the cigar world. He talked with Cigar Life Guy about sacrifice, fake Cubans, his unique “aromatized” blends, and bringing the cigar life to The Gambia, a small country in West Africa.

John Bateman’s First Premium Cigar Experience

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

John Bateman: Thanks for having me; I go by JB, or, as my friends call me, Legend and Owner of Mega Legend Cigars.

My first premium cigar experience came 17 years ago on board my first cruise. Several college football teammates and I were invited to attend one of our boys’ weddings on Carnival Crusie Line. We stumbled upon a very classy cigar lounge on board. The bartender seemed to know exactly how to point us in the right direction for a smoke. He initially offered a Macanudo cigar, stating it was a mild choice and suitable for beginners. Since I never told him I was a beginner, I puffed out my chest and asked, “What do you have that’s not for a beginner?” (Laughs). He handed me a Gurkha Bourbon. I liked the tube it came in, so I indulged. I choked halfway through the stick but lived to talk about it.

Getting Started in The Cigar Industry

Cigar Life Guy: How did you get involved in the cigar industry? What did you do before, and how does it help inform what you do now?

John Bateman: I got involved in the cigar industry through traveling. About three years after my first cigar experience, I was visiting Tamarindo, Costa Rica. A guy on the street approached me and sold me a box of fake Cohiba No. 5. I had no idea they were fake. So, I bought the entire box of 25 for $200. I brought it home and shared it with all my boys, bragging I had authentic Cubans (Laughs). One of my friend’s father got a hold of one of my so-called “authentic Cohiba” and asked me where I got it. He proceeded to scold me on how it was not at all authentic. I decided to investigate, research, and begin my own line.

Before owning my own line of cigars, I owned a restaurant and a home Healthcare business. Both required a serious level of tough skin and resilience, which helped shape my dedication to Mega Legend Cigars.

Cigar Life Guy: What is the biggest challenge of being a start-up in an industry with so many large brands?

John Bateman: This is a great question. There are so many challenges. If I had to narrow it down to the biggest ones, I would have to say believing in your plan, creating a niche, and sticking to it no matter what.

With so many brands that have been doing this for generations, it’s been helpful for me to remain a student, always willing to learn and take notes while always paying my respect to the guys who have done what I’m trying to do.

The Mega Legend Portfolio

Cigar Life Guy: You describe your cigars as “aromatized” rather than infused. Can you explain the process and the differences a bit more?

John Bateman: Absolutely. Aromatizing is simply a process through which I put my cigars, giving off a desired and pleasant aroma to the leaf as I smoke it while avoiding the sweet taste you smell. The aromas range from hazelnut to creme brulee and mocha, but they are always distinct from infused. These are medium—to full-body premium cigars, leaving your palate craving the next!

Cigar Life Guy: Can you tell us about your cigar portfolio?

John Bateman: So, the Mega Legend cigar has displayed as many as six faces in lounges and stores across the U.S. and internationally. Currently, I’m only carrying three cigars.

I have a Robusto with a Connecticut wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, and Brazilian-Dominican filler, a Lancero with an Ecuadorian wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, and Dominican-Nicaraguan-Peruvian filler, and my latest is a Toro Double Ligero with a Havana Wrapper, Mexican binder, and Cuban-Dominican-Pennsylvanian filler. My factory is working on my very first 70-gauge, which will be available by June 2024. Mega Legend Cigars are hand-rolled in the mountains of Puriscal, Costa Rica. Our fields are in Ecuador.

John Bateman on Family Tragedy

Cigar Life Guy: Your mantra is “Don’t be ordinary…be legendary.” What does that mean to you?

John Bateman: Well, this is a bit of a sensitive subject. Three years ago, my nephew, who was more like a son to me, treated my sons — his cousins — as brothers. A group of guys wanted to jump on one of my sons. So, my nephew put himself in the middle as a mediator. As he talked to the group of guys, he also inserted himself into the middle of the situation “literally.” The perpetrator pulled out a gun and aimed it at my son. My nephew then moved into the path of the gun to block my son from being shot, and he took a bullet to the neck, which ended his life.

I will forever feel responsible for this. So when I started my brand, I came up with the phrase, “Why be Ordinary When You Can Be Legendary?” In my book, my nephew displayed the ultimate meaning of sacrifice and will forever be a Legend. So, in my everyday life, I’m reminded that you can be ordinary and there is nothing special about that, or you can be selfless, do for others, and be Legendary in your own right.

John Bateman Brings Cigar Life to The Gambia

Cigar Life Guy: What does the future look like for Mega Legend?

John Bateman: The future is looking very bright. I opened a restaurant and cigar lounge and purchased property in The Gambia, a country in West Africa. I also host and sponsor a cigar concert a few times yearly in Kennesaw, Georgia. You can catch live bands, amazing vocalists, food trucks, and cigars!

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

John Bateman: We covered all there is to know about Mega Legend. However, I have been working on a massive historical event for the last nine months. I have arranged the very first-ever cigar week in The Gambia. This is a nine-day event that I have been working extremely hard to bring together on the west coast of Africa.

For the past two years, I have been traveling there and bringing my cigars to those who enjoy them. They have been supporting my product, and in return, I wanted to deliver a week of excitement they will never forget. So, on May 11-19, 2024, I will host, facilitate, and welcome over 100 people to participate in this fantastic cigar week in West Africa.

Follow JB and Mega Legend on Instagram.

Photo credit: Mega Legend Cigars

Stolen Throne Cigars: Interview with Lee Marsh

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Staff

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

Greg Free of Fortaleza y Libre Cigars Interview

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Staff

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

Howard Gumbs Jr. of Howard G Cigars: Interview

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Staff

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: Interview

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Staff

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

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

Behind the Smoke: The Karen Berger Cigar Legacy

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Staff

Most success stories don’t begin as humbly as that of Karen Berger. Beginning her cigar journey as a roller when she was 18 taught her every aspect of the cigar industry. She would go on to become the Tobacco Businesswoman of the Year. Building on her husband’s legacy, Don Kiki, she continues developing new blends and giving women a voice in the ever-evolving cigar industry.

Karen Berger: Her First Premium Smoke

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

Karen Berger: My first premium cigar was a Don Kiki Cigar. It was a cigar that Kiki made in the factory. I smoked it, and he told me, “This is what a cigar is supposed to taste like. When it doesn’t taste like this? You get rid of it and destroy it because it’s nothing we want coming out of our factory.” It was a very poignant moment for me.

Karen Berger: The Cigar Business

Cigar Life Guy: You started working in a cigar factory as a roller when you were 18; what was that experience like, and what was the most important thing you took from it?

Karen: I didn’t have enough money to finish my degree in Business Administration in Nicaragua, so I decided to go into a factory and get a roller job. Rolling cigars, I learned every aspect of the industry. Now I am currently the CEO from the ground up. So number one, the dexterity in my fingers is unbelievable.

My ability to navigate around a cigar and tobacco all stems from that experience of being a roller. I know every dimension of the industry.

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

Karen: Without a doubt, when people say, “I love your cigar!” I love being able to say, “Thank you so much. I appreciate your support.” The enjoyment of someone holding our cigars in their hand, smoking it, is my number one thing in the business.

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

Karen: The biggest challenge facing the cigar industry today is, of course, regulations at the state, federal, and international levels. Navigating our way through laws, licenses, taxes, and regulations. That’s the biggest challenge today.

Women and the Cigar Industry

Cigar Life Guy: Congratulations on being named Tobacco Businesswoman of the Year. Women in the cigar industry are often overlooked. What advice would you give to women entering the industry and women who smoke cigars?

Karen: I am thankful to win this award for all the women in the cigar industry that do not have a voice. Women are found all throughout the cigar industry. Women sort tobacco and roll cigars. There are already so many women in the business who don’t have a voice, so winning this award is me speaking for all the women in the industry.

As for women who smoke, smoke what you like! Don’t feel ashamed of smoking a full-bodied, flavored cigar or this or that. Don’t worry about what other people think.

Karen Berger: The Kiki Legacy and Beyond

Cigar Life Guy: You have worked hard to maintain your husband’s legacy; what do you want people to know about Kiki and his cigar lines?

Karen: Kiki was the most generous man in the cigar industry. He gave so much of himself. And he always put others before himself. That’s why we had slower growth in our company when other companies had quicker growth. He was more focused on helping others than growing his own line.

Cigar Life Guy: You continue to add different blends. What’s next for the Karen Berger and Don Kiki cigar lines?

Karen: Our two new cigars are coming out in July at the Premium Cigar Association Trade Show. Neither one has the name K by Karen Berger or Don Kiki. Our cigars in the future will be under the umbrella called Karen Berger Cigars.

They will no longer have the moniker Don Kiki or K by Karen Berger and then a subset of something like Gold, Platinum, or Connecticut. Instead, we’ll name these new cigars in and of themselves.

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

Karen: I want everyone to know I am the hardest-working woman in the business, and I want everyone to have an opportunity to try my cigars. If your tobacconist doesn’t have them, please ask for them.

Follow Karen on Instagram and check out the latest from Karen Berger Cigars here.

Photo credit: Karen Berger Cigars

Interview: Cigar Mike Bennett

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Staff

You don’t get a nickname like “Cigar Mike” by being a novice. As a cigar consultant, event coordinator, and aficionado of all things cigars, Mike Bennett has been an ambassador for the cigar life for 26 years. With nearly 1000 events under his belt, his legend is building. Bennett lives to his name and talks about smoking as an experience, looking for maniacs in the industry, and creating all the elements of a successful cigar event.

Cigar Mike Bennett’s First Premium Smoke

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

Cigar Mike Bennett: I was at a buddy’s place; it was springtime. There were four of us. It was a double-date situation. We were hanging out, and my first premium cigar was a Don Tomas. So Don Tomas was my first foray into smoking premiums and just smoking, period.

I think I enjoyed the experience maybe a little bit more than I enjoyed smoking the cigar. It just continued from there. I started smoking occasionally. Then I found more occasions to smoke, and then bam, I smoke every day.

Cigar Mike Bennett: The Nickname

Cigar Life Guy: A straightforward and authoritative nickname like “Cigar Mike” must be well-earned. So how did you get it?

Cigar Mike Bennett: Well, I smoke a lot. That’s one way. The other way is I do a lot of cigar events. At one point, I was doing 110 events a year just working inside the industry.

But I actually got the name from a buddy of mine, Cedric Ward. I was hanging out at a cigar spot and introducing myself, and Cedric said: “Man, that’s Cigar Mike; you want to know something about cigars, ask him.” So we joked it off. And a week or so later, we were in a completely different spot with another set of people, and I was talking, and guys were like, “Oh, that’s Cigar Mike.” From there, it took on a life of its own. So someone heard it in the first spot, and then it took on a life of its own.

The trouble is living up to it (laughs). But I’m pretty good at that.

Mike Bennett: Cigar Ambassador

Cigar Life Guy: You are an ambassador for the cigar life. What do people who don’t smoke cigars not understand about cigars and the cigar lifestyle?

Cigar Mike Bennett: That’s an excellent question. The first thing is the misconception that it’s an old man thing. That you have to be 50 to smoke a cigar. I’m 51, and I’ve been smoking for 26 years. I started when I was 25, and it was a peculiar space because 25-year-olds were looking at me like, “What the hell are you doing?” And 45-year-olds were looking at me like, “What the hell are you doing?” (laughs).

I realized it was a microcosmic environment that people not in this world don’t completely understand. Once in the cigar world, it was like, ok, I’m a kid, and I’d get, “Look at the young fellow.” But there was a lot of information that was given. Guys asking, “Have you ever had this?” Or “Do you want to try this?”

We’re a welcoming world once you decide to be a part of it. But, unlike other worlds, we don’t solicit and encourage. Instead, we don’t go out and say, “Hey, Smoke Cigars. You’ll have a great life as we do.”

No. If you want to smoke cigars, then sit the hell down and light one up and let’s talk about it. That’s a big thing. We don’t care if you don’t understand; it’s if you want to understand.

Finding the “Maniacs”

Cigar Life Guy: You work with many new and up-and-coming brands. What do you look for in a brand to work with? And what advice would you give to someone considering launching a new business in the cigar space?

Cigar Mike Bennett: I look for maniacs. You’ve got to be a maniac to be in this space. You must be a function of pure passion and really want to be here. That’s what I am looking for. I ask myself, is this guy or young lady really committed? They’re really committed to doing this because you’re not gonna make a lot of money upfront.

You don’t jump into this business and become Rocky Patel or Pete Johnson. An overnight sensation in the cigar business takes about five years! That’s how long it takes for people to know who you are. So I look for people who really want to put in the work. I didn’t have a car when I was doing 110 events a year. Instead, I was catching the bus to my events, cabs, or Uber. If you’re unwilling to put in that, then it’s not much of a conversation. The fly by night: “I’m gonna be in the cigar business?” I wish you luck, but there’s really nothing I can do.

The Hustle

Cigar Life Guy: You have lived the cigar life for over 25 years, and your hustle is legendary. How many events do you think you’ve done? And how has it changed over the years?

Cigar Mike Bennett: I’ve been doing events for fifteen years. If I had to guess, I would say over 500, less than 1000. I would do some stuff every week — weekly and monthly events and everything in between. Events change, I don’t want to say dramatically. The numbers have grown.

I make it a point not to change my business model because I always want to be welcoming to somebody new to smoking but still endear the event to everyday smokers. These guys have been smoking for three, 10, and 15 years. So I want to be that common ground where everybody can exist and still get information. I call it cigar entertainment. I want you to be educated and entertained.

You don’t need someone saying, “This is this” or “That is that.” Nobody wants to sit in a classroom, and very few people want to take that class(laughs). But it speaks a little better if you’re having fun and you pick up on this information. That way, it’s manageable. So you come here, and it’s not, “I’m gonna get all this information.” If you want to sit and smoke a cigar. So be it. You give people fun facts, and they can do more research on that if they wish.

It’s the same thing with spirits. I like merging the cigar and spirits world. Because they do go together. Whiskeys and cigars. Cocktails and cigars. I try to bring in different elements. I’m actually doing an event with the owners of Greenwood Whiskey later today. They’re gonna be hanging out with me at a cigar lounge, and we’ll be sampling the whiskey with a cigar. Which is great — to have a whiskey you’ve never tried before and maybe a cigar you’ve never tried before. And the experience ties it all together.

The fun of it is in the journey. When people decide they want to be a part of the cigar life. You’re around people who are typically highly educated from all walks of life. A trash collector is sitting next to a CEO; they’re best friends. This is one of the sole environments where that happens daily. But, hey, we’re all here to smoke cigars. I don’t care what kind of watch you have. And I don’t care what type of cigar you smoke.

Fellowship means a lot because people leave their daily grind and want to kick back, spend ten or fifteen dollars on a cigar, and light it up. You want to enjoy that while avoiding talking about work. Be a regular person in a chair enjoying a cigar. You want to be around people you enjoy because if not, you can go home and smoke in your garage.

Endearing Customers to a City

Cigar Life Guy: Over the last few years, there has been an influx of new cigar events with varying degrees of success. What are some of these new entrants or promoters doing well? What are they missing or getting wrong?

Cigar Mike Bennett: They’re really going above and beyond entertaining their customers — anything from comedy shows, concerts, and events taking place during their cigar week for their city. That’s great. I’m not opposed to it but I don’t want to see River Dancing (laughs). I’ve watched it on YouTube occasionally. It’s interesting, but people are doing things and want to do something to endear people to their city.

I was in Houston, and they had a Scarface concert. What better representation of Houston, Texas, than Scarface? I’ve been on boat rides that were part of events from the National Harbor. Different things attach people to their city. And that’s what I like. So I go to New York for a New York state of mind, and I go to Miami for a Miami state of mind. So I want to do what people who live in that city like to do. Because if they’re enjoying themselves, consequently, I’ll enjoy myself.

I really enjoy being part of a lot of events. For some reason, people like me and trust me to entertain their crowds. And I’m really appreciative of that as well.

Signature Event Expectations

Cigar Life Guy: What should people expect at your signature event, the 2023 Atlanta Cigar Experience?

Cigar Mike Bennett: Honestly? Tomfoolery. Foolishness. A great deal of smoking and copious amounts of beverage consumption. We stuff 17 events in seven days, and foolishly, this year, we added a golf tournament — so 18 events in seven days. I want you to have as much fun as possible in my city. Literally, from noon every day till three in the morning, I got you. There’s something to do. No matter what time that plane lands, there is something to do. I want people to have a good time, enjoy themselves, go home, and return next year.

Follow Cigar Mike on Instagram and check the latest on the Atlanta Cigar Experience.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

Interview: Drunk Chicken Cigars Desiree Sylver

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Staff

It’s tough to forget a name like Drunk Chicken Cigars. Entrepreneur Desiree Sylver founded the line in 2019 and has been “making every cigar with love” ever since. If there’s one thing a long-time cigar enthusiast like Desiree isn’t, it’s all business all the time. She talks about life in the cigar industry, knowing how to laugh, and building a solid organizational foundation as the key to success. But would she marry a cigar? Maybe.

The First Premium Smoke

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

Desiree Sylver: I’ve been smoking cigars for twenty years, but the first time I fell in love with a cigar and recognized “this is perfect” was about seven or eight years ago when I smoked a Padron. I took the band off and put it on my finger and thought, “I could marry you!” (laughs) I was at home at the time. I woke up to cigars at that moment, but I had been smoking them for ten-plus years before that.

The Business of Friends

Cigar Life Guy: You have a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership. How has that been an asset in the cigar industry?

Desiree Sylver: The cigar industry is just like any industry in terms of business. I apply my business acumen and leadership to Drunk Chicken Cigars. I don’t look at it like the cigar industry is different. Although there are some differences. The culture is different– the people are friendlier. But the same business principles apply.

Women, Cigars, and Knowing How to Laugh

Cigar Life Guy: The cigar industry has become more welcoming to women. What advice would you offer to women entering the industry and women who smoke cigars?

Desiree Sylver: First, take it slow and ask many questions. In fact, feel free to ask a lot of questions. Pay attention to what you’re smoking and what you like about it. Think about what you are getting from it regarding body and flavor. So the next time you buy a cigar, you can say- it’s too strong, and you need something lighter, or if something is too spicy, you can say, “That’s too spicy. Can I try something else”. You have to be able to ask so you’re able to talk about your next cigar when you go to a lounge. People are really helpful. Reach out to people. Talk to them.

Drunk Chicken Cigars Integrates with Cigar Life

Cigar Life Guy: The Drunk Chicken is an unmistakable name. So is Mother Clucker! How is having a strong sense of humor an asset as an entrepreneur?

Desiree Sylver: When you get stuck, you can laugh and joke about it. You’re not going to feel defeated. A sense of humor helps build that resilience that you need to continue. Business is hard. I can tell you regularly I want to give up, but then I have to laugh about it. I talk to my friends, and we joke about all kinds of things that hit me over the head as a businessperson in the cigar industry. Having a solid sense of humor is helpful because when the bad times hit, it will help you continue moving forward.

Cigar Life Guy: Drunk Chicken came about when sitting around with friends at your free-range chicken farm. What is it about cigar life that brings people together?

Desiree Sylver: The cigar lifestyle started with a celebration. It was always that thing you brought with you to celebrate. The cigar was the “icing on the cake.” It’s what you go to when you can say, “We just won the Super Bowl – let’s have a cigar. We just won the World Series– let’s have a cigar. We just landed that big business merger- let’s have a cigar, let’s celebrate.”

The celebration brings people together in happy times. So I think the people in the cigar industry took that and started with “happy” and “celebrations.” Then it continues into relaxation and enjoyment. And that’s why I believe people in the cigar industry are so friendly.

It would be best to have a lot of disposable income to continuously go to cigar lounges. You’re going there to escape work and the hustle and bustle. You’re going there to relax, have camaraderie with friends, and celebrate the day or week and your experiences.

The Future of Drunk Chicken Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: What’s Next for Drunk Chicken Cigars?

Desiree Sylver: Well, we’re working on another line right now. I hope to get that out by the PCA (Premium Cigar Association Trade Show in July). We’ve had a lot of back and forth with it- to tweak the blend. And we are also looking into opening a lounge by 2024.

I want to continue to ensure that Drunk Chicken is a stable company. In fact, I always think of it as the three little pigs, and I need a brick house so when the big bad wolf comes, he can’t huff, puff, and blow my house down. Therefore, I’m focusing on my organization’s structure and foundation to ensure that Drunk Chicken is around for the next generation.

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us anything else you’d like the cigar world to know.

—: Don’t forget to start your day the Drunk Chicken Cigar way! We have something for everybody. It’s an anytime-of-day cigar. I pride myself on having variety and having something that will fit most people’s palates.

We are 100% premium, hand-rolled, long-leaf filler, and all our cigars are made with love.

Follow Desiree on Instagram and check the latest Drunk Chicken Cigars here.

Photo credit: Drunk Chicken Cigars

Peter Gross Interview: How Gross Builds Bridges One Cigar at a Time

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Staff

Even if you’re new to the cigar lifestyle, you probably already recognize how smoking a premium cigar brings people together. The founders of ATL Cigar Co. set out to embody that spirit. It began with a line of cigars that captures the essence of community in their hometown of Atlanta. Peter Gross, COO of Luciano Cigars and one of the founders of ATL Cigar Co. discusses how he leaped into the cigar industry, Cuban cigars, and the sublime, travel, and how conversation while smoking a fine cigar can create instant and lasting bonds.

The First Premium Smoke

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

Peter Gross: On my 18th birthday, I bought myself a subscription to Cigar Aficionado magazine and a pack of Swisher Sweets, which I smoked alone on my parent’s patio.

Soon, I found the local premium cigar retailers, like McCranie’s in Cornelius, NC, and started smoking Griffin’s and Avo Uvezian cigars, which I liked fine then. Still, I knew I had to get to Havana.

In June ’98, I hitched a ride from Nassau on an old Russian airliner and a handful of other lawbreakers. When I landed, I made my way straight to the Hotel Nacional.

I bought a box of Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas and a single Romeo y Julieta Churchill, which I enjoyed on the hotel’s veranda with a Cuba Libre. It remains one of the most sublime experiences of my life.

I smoked Cubans mainly for the next 20 years, including a fair amount of time living abroad — UK, Ghana, and Kenya. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stomach Dominican puros — the bitterness and aftertaste were a different product category — and I still can’t.

Then in 2017, on another trip to Havana, I was shocked to learn about the growth of Nicaraguan cigars, which hadn’t registered to me then.

I returned to the US and went to Puff’ N’ Stuff in Tucker, GA, where Ronnie introduced me to Aganorsa Leaf and AJ Fernandez products; it was like smoking for the first time again.

Nicaraguan tobacco had more flavor than most Cuban cigars by the mid-2010s. However, they finished clean in the classic Cuban way — which most Dominican products still can’t provide.

A Community of Cigar Smokers

Cigar Life Guy: You, Leroy, and Janelle met at a neighborhood hotdog stand. What about cigar culture brings people from all walks of life together?

Peter Gross: Leroy, Janelle, and I were neighbors in SW Atlanta for six years in the mid-2000s, and yeah — we started a hotdog stand together as a way to bring the neighborhood together and to provide an alternative on Sunday nights to the trap house on our street.

Those hotdog stand sessions would always end with a cigar, where we tried to figure out the “un-figure-out-able:” how to fix our neighborhood and improve ourselves.

The cigar gave space for intimacy. If you’re with someone for 90 minutes, it’s amazing how deep you can get and how reflective a cigar helps you to become. We built a bond by smoking those cigars. This bond was stronger than the differences in our backgrounds, perspectives, voting decisions, and even our life philosophies.

We still don’t agree on everything, but our conflict is creative. It’s made us all better people and professionals.

When we launched ATL Cigar Co in 2021, we combined all of our skills — Leroy’s as a community builder and philosopher, Janelle’s as a maker and marketer, and mine as a start-up operator — and we made something that people responded to. We wanted to export our friendship’s complex but genuine bond through a cigar brand, and it’s been amazing to see the response.

Cigars Around the World

Cigar Life Guy: You have lived and traveled all over the world. What is one of your most memorable cigar experiences abroad?

Peter Gross: When Leroy and I visited Luciano Meirelles in Esteli in 2021, only a few months after launching our company, we were blown away by Luciano’s passion for tobacco and the deep connection we felt with him.

All week he blended new cigars for us from scratch. He used whatever tobacco he had on hand at the restaurant, his house, or the factory. And we tasted flavors we’d never experienced. One of those blends became the Wise Blood, a cigar we’re proud to launch through our retail network in April 2023. Still, he produced so many great blends in front of us that week that it’s tough to put the experience into words.

Fast forward eighteen months. This partnership with Luciano has taken us into stores on three continents. It has allowed us to be owners of tobacco farms and factories that make some of the world’s best cigars.

It’s all happened so fast, but we know we are in this for the long haul. And we’re excited to keep rolling out new blends and products over the months and years ahead. When you start with well-fermented tobacco from our farms and combine it with the expertise of someone with Luciano’s talents, the results will always be exceptional.

Making the Leap to Full-Time Cigar Life

Cigar Life Guy: You gave up a good “9 to 5” job at the beginning of 2023. Talk about making that jump into cigars 100% and any advice you’d give someone considering making the same jump.?

Peter Gross: Yeah, I left a job I loved, providing insurance to low and middle-income people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, which I’d done for the past 12 years or so. It was a giant leap. Yet, I knew that the strength of the Luciano brand, network, and production capabilities would be the “Next Big Thing” in the industry. And I wanted to be a part of it.

I waited a year to jump while I built up a cushion to enable me to move. So, I recommend staying the same amount of time or longer for anyone thinking about it. And make sure you have some cash in the bank.

At the same time, I see many people not jumping when they should. It’s a catch-22 to leave something safe and venture into the unknown, and I get it. But you have to take calculated risks, make the numbers work, and make a bet on yourself.

Taking a risk may have downsides for your bank account, but always taking the safe road has downsides for your soul.

Cigar Life Guy: What has been the most pleasant surprise of working in the cigar industry?

Peter Gross: The industry is a family; I’m new in the industry, and I don’t deserve to be where I am when compared to many other people who’ve been working for decades.

As Chief Operating Officer for Luciano Cigars, which makes and distributes ATL Cigar Co as part of its family of brands, I’m so honored with the welcome I have received from longtime stalwarts in the industry. It’s been amazing to look at these men and women whom I have looked up to as my heroes and now call them friends.

Branding Hometown Atlanta

Cigar Life Guy: You are from Atlanta. How does the ATL line embody the city and your brand’s message of bringing people together?

Peter Gross: ATL Cigar Co is trying to bridge gaps that have long existed in our city, between north and south, Black and white, liberal and conservative.

We started by bridging those gaps in our own company to prove that it can be done. We’re working every day, cigar by cigar, to encourage the city to do the same. But, at the same time, we wanted to embody in our brand those things that have made Atlanta what it is — hustle with soul, business, and purpose together.

We are honoring the city’s civil rights leaders, celebrities, and novelists from middle Georgia. Our goal is to find the thread that unites them.

Atlanta makes you feel something, even if you can’t put your finger on it. It’s energy, it’s belief, it’s pride. It’s the history we honor on Auburn Ave and the future created in Tyler Perry Studios.

The city is also agony and ecstasy as an Atlanta sports fan. It’s the vibe on the Beltline on a spring day. It’s Bankhead and Buckhead. Atlanta gives us a fantastic palette from which to choose as we build this company.

Keep up with Peter and ATL Cigar Co. on Instagram and learn more about ATL Cigar Co. here.

Photo credit: ATL Cigar Co.

Mixing Business and Pleasure: Cigars and Work

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Staff

Whether you’re closing a sale, analyzing data, mixing concrete, or writing the next great American novel, you can mix business and pleasure when enjoying premium cigars.

Even before the pandemic forced many people into working from home, smoking a fine cigar and working were a winning combination.

Business and Pleasure at the “Office”

Before indoor smoking bans, the sight of smoke billowing from office doors was common. The Mad Men era may be over, but sneaking a cigar during work hours has never been easier.

The number of people remotely working has doubled in the past few years. It’s no surprise cigar smoking also spiked during that time. The benefit of remote working is you don’t have to rush a fine cigar. The workplace has evolved. Forget about returning to the office after a quick lunch break cigar. You don’t even need to wait until quitting time. Instead, you can savor a premium cigar- or two- during your work day.

If you don’t already have a custom smoking room in your home, taking a break to enjoy a Robusto is as simple as walking downstairs or out to the garage. With WIFI and cell phones readily available, you won’t miss a meeting or a deadline.

You don’t necessarily need a professional-grade ventilation system. So, grab your laptop and favorite cigar and convert your spare room into a hybrid smoking office. But, of course, you’ll want to crack a window, and there are plenty of options for removing smoke smells when the work day ends.

During warmer months, sitting out on the deck or in the yard with a laptop and your favorite cigar is an ideal way to spend a Monday morning. There are plenty of cold weather options for the winter months as well.

These days the office can be anywhere, including your local cigar lounge. Most lounges are the perfect spot for the working smoker. Daytime hours are typically quieter, and since so many others have the same idea, cigar lounges have become de facto offices. Many recent studies have shown increased productivity with the shift to remote work. That may be because of all that cigar smoking.

Productivity and Cigars

Freud insisted smoking was integral to his work. Mark Twain did as well. Old-time stage comedians like George Burns and Groucho Marx puffed their cigars to stall between jokes. Did cigars actually help them think? Many people claim smoking a cigar does just that. Naysayers say these are psychosomatic effects. It may sound like a myth, but every legend has a touch of truth to it.

Cigars have a meditative effect, too. Smoking a fine cigar provides the perfect time to relax, reflect, and relieve stress. These effects are no illusion. Studies have shown the hint of nicotine improves attention span and alertness and boosts energy levels and happiness. The same study showed an increase in memory and concentration as well. It’s no coincidence Mark Twain caught a case of writer’s block when he briefly stopped smoking. The old magic returned as soon as he resumed his daily cigar habit. Who knows? Maybe the quick-witted Burns and Marx owe more of their talents to their cigars than they thought.

We’re not suggesting everyone pick up a cigar to be more productive. Any reason is a good reason to enjoy a fine cigar. However, it’s no wonder some of the greatest minds came upon their best ideas in the company of a premium cigar.

So go ahead and mix business and pleasure — add that cigar to your regular workday routine. Better yet, add a couple. The “new normal” of the working world has created the time for it. Your boss might thank you for it.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy