Joy of Cigars Archives - Cigar Life Guy

A Passion for Cigars: The Croatian Gangster Todd Pribanic

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Staff

Todd Pribanic has lived the cigar life across Thailand, Europe, and Central America. Pribanic, the owner and founder of Croatian Mafia Cigars, never intended to start a cigar company. However, one fateful trip to Esteli, Nicaragua, changed all that. Pribanic is a passionate man. Passionate about family. Passionate about the Cleveland Sports teams. And Passionate about cigars. He spoke with Cigar Life Guy about his Croatian and Hungarian roots. He also discussed the origin of the intriguing name he gave his company and how everybody has a little gangster in them.

First Premium Cigar Experience

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

Todd Pribanic: That’s a good question. I don’t have a specific moment in my life where I said, “Hey, this is my first premium cigar, and this is the moment I smoked it,” but I can tell you it was probably a Macanudo Portofino. That was my go-to for years. It’s a mild cigar and also comes in an aluminum tube. You could carry it around for weeks without damaging it. I’m sure it was either with my dad or my brother. I’ve smoked many cigars with my dad and brother. I smoked those while I was in the army as well. I’ve smoked those for 45 years.

Getting Started in the Cigar Business

Cigar Life Guy: You are a proud veteran. How did you get started in the cigar business?

Todd Pribanic: Yeah, I am a proud U.S. Army veteran. I served in the early to mid-1980s, and I was stationed in Germany. I do mention that I’m a veteran, but I’m cognizant not to overuse that and not base everything on “because you’re an entitled veteran,” right? Like I said, I’ve smoked for 45 years, and I do have an interesting story of how I got into this.

I didn’t have an epiphany to start a cigar company. I am passionate about cigars. So, I look at cigars like some people look at religion (laughs). I take an hour and a half or two hours to smoke. I don’t smoke every day, but I smoke a lot of days, and that’s my time to reflect. It’s time to look back and meditate and either have a good conversation or pair it with a beer, coffee, wine, bourbon, or scotch.

I play a weekly card game on Tuesdays at a cigar shop in Dallas called Cigar Warehouse. We were talking about our exploits during one of our card games, and one of the gentlemen who played said to me, “Hey, you ought to go to Esteli, Nicaragua.” Now I’ve been all over the world.

I’ve been to Thailand and Colombia three times. And I’ve been all over Central America and Europe — I lived in Europe for several years. I’ve lived in two countries, nine states, and 16 cities, but I never thought about that. Sixty percent of cigars come from there now, and all your big Nicaraguan factories are down there. That’s what I heard, so two weeks later, I found myself in Esteli, Nicaragua.

I went down there as a cigar consumer. I thought it would be like wine tasting in Sonoma and Napa. You taste some wine and then decide what you want to buy. Well, Esteli, Nicaragua, is a trade-free zone. You can’t buy cigars off the street anywhere.

I went to Drew Estate and took pictures outside, and I couldn’t get past security. Things don’t operate like that. Fortunately for me, the guy who recommended that I go down there was friends with a gentleman named Akhil, who worked with the Regius Brand. He brought me to Tabacalera Pichardo, where I met Eradio Pachardo Perez.

As a consumer, I walked out of there with 300 cigars. I brought them back to the United States and started smoking them and giving them away to family members and friends. They all loved them and wanted to know where they came from. What were the blends? What’s the wrapper? What’s the binder? I liked them too.

I’m an entrepreneurial guy and run several other businesses, so I started formulating ideas, and I said, “I might have something here.” So, I approached Eradio via WhatsApp. He doesn’t speak English very well, and I don’t speak Spanish very well, but we managed to communicate. I coordinated another trip down there. I wanted to bring another 700 cigars back this time. So, I told him I wanted to get back some blends and that I wanted to talk to him about his process to understand it better.

I went down, and we agreed on some blends. And I came back with five different blends and sizes that would be appealing to a beginner or a non-aficionado. I brought those back — no bands, no boxes. And I started selling them and giving them away.

I tested the market, and all the feedback was great. From there, I said, “Let’s go.” I came up with a name — Croatian Mafia Cigars — a nickname given to my family based on my Croatian heritage. Then I took it a step further and involved the Italian Mafia. I made every blend a different level of the Mafia.

I thought of a tagline, “Croatian Mafia Cigars: For the gangster in you.” My thought process was: “Everybody has a little gangster in them when needed.” This aligns with the branding. I formed an LLC, trademarked everything, and here I am today.

Challenges in the Cigar Industry

Cigar Life Guy: What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced starting out in the cigar industry?

Todd Pribanic: There are a lot of challenges. They’re all big, right (laughs), but nothing we’re not able to overcome or that we haven’t overcome. There isn’t just one that stands out. Some are unique to the cigar world, and some are business-related regardless of the industry or product. Some have to do with dealing with a product made in a foreign country and getting it here.

It’s always challenging starting a new business, especially if you’re only familiar with that industry as a consumer. But I’ve started other businesses only knowing the consumer side. You make a lot of mistakes, but you have to learn from them and be able to pivot and adapt regardless of your business plan and market strategy.

Mike Tyson has a quote: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Starting a new business as an outsider looking in was challenging from an operational standpoint. Dealing with another work culture in another country, specifically Nicaragua.

As you know, there’s not a lot of automation in this industry. Everything is done by hand- the boxes, the bands. The boxes are made outside, and the weather can hold you up. My last order was held up because of cellophane (laughs). It’s the crazy things you can’t plan for.

Additionally, everything is done by cash transactions down there, so that can be challenging. The harvesting process, fermentation, and aging process can be difficult. Then, staying on top of the production process when you’re not actually living down there is a challenge. You need to ensure quality and consistency in the construction and the blends. I have people on my payroll who do that.

Getting the goods into the country can be challenging. From a sales perspective, the challenge is brand recognition and getting your cigars out there. Besides having an interesting and unique branding concept, like we have, you have to have quality cigars. Otherwise, it’s one and done. With Croatian Mafia Cigars, we get a lot of initial interest due to our name, branding, logo, and the overall mystique of the brand. That gets customers in the door, but the quality keeps them in the house.

Croatian Roots, the Mafia, and Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us a little about your Croatian and Hungarian roots.

Todd Pribanic: My family, which is Croatian on my father’s side, initially came to the U.S. in the early 1900s from what was then Yugoslavia. They came through Ellis Island and eventually into McKeesport, PA, and from there on to the Cleveland, Ohio area, actually Elyria-Lorain, Ohio area, which is 30 miles East of Cleveland. Some of them went up to Minnesota, and I had a great uncle who worked for Al Capone and owned a mob hangout bar in Chicago.

Other family members had bars and restaurants, including my dad. Some of them worked in the steel industry. My father had popular bars and restaurants along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

My father was a very proud Croatian and instilled a passion for our Croatian heritage early on. On my mom’s side, her family was Hungarian and had a similar background. They came into the country at the same time and settled in the same part of Ohio. They actually met in high school.

We ate many Croatian and Hungarian food dishes, like Chicken Paprikash, which is Hungarian and involves paprika and sour cream. On the Croatian side, there’s a pig’s feet dish, which is popular. My dad made it all the time.

Both of my grandfathers smoked. My mom’s dad smoked White Owls and Tampa Nuggets. I can remember getting into his car, and it always had a strong aroma of cigars. My dad’s dad was a pipe smoker, so there was always the aroma of flavorful pipe tobacco either in his car or wherever he happened to be.

What the Croatian Mafia Brand Stands For

Cigar Life Guy: On your website, you remark, “Everyone has a little gangster in them.” What does this mean to you, and how do you want smokers to perceive the Croatian Mafia brand?

Todd Pribanic: Great question. I was on a podcast with Boston Jimmie from Stogie Press. In the first five minutes, he was asked about the name and asked, “What’s the deal with the mafia?“ I said, “Jimmie, you just answered your own question, my man“ (laughs). It’s intriguing and gets people thinking.

At the PCA show, everybody wanted to know where the name came from. The Croatian heritage piece is in there, which I talked about earlier, but we all can be a little gangsta in us, right? We can all be tough, resilient, aggressive, and not take any BS, so to speak, when it is appropriate. When we need to, we can turn into a gangster.

Cigars have been associated with gangsters for the past 100 years or so, and there’s a certain mystique associated with gangsters, whether good or bad, in both the past and modern eras. I mean, some of the greatest movies of all time, both from a box office perspective and a critically acclaimed standpoint, were gangster movies – The Godfather, Scarface, Casino, Goodfellas, A Bronx Tale, The Sopranos. What are they doing? They’re smoking cigars — symbols of success and celebration.

So, I wanted to capture the mystique of the Mafia in my brand, as well as incorporate some of my family heritage. I got the nickname, along with other family members, while we were living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We were affectionately called “The Croatian Mafia“ due to our involvement in bars, restaurants, and gambling, which was passed down to us as part of our mostly Croatian family members.

We used to play poker. Sundays were big. Some people go to church. Some people do other things. We would have card games- moms, dads, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. We lost our allowances many nights, and didn’t get them back. So Sunday dinners were a big thing for us, and after, there was usually a card game going on. Whether the adults were playing Pinochle or the kids were playing poker.

I want smokers to know that Croatian Mafia Cigars are high-quality, highly rated, premium hand-rolled cigars from Estelí, Nicaragua. We craft them exclusively with fourth-generation Cuban tobacco grower Eradio Perez Pichardo of Tabacalera Pichardo.

Although we may have a catchy name and unique branding, that branding is backed up by great premium cigars at an affordable price point.

Whether you are a newcomer to the cigar world or an aficionado, we have unique blend options for both. These include wrappers, binders, and fillers like Cameroon, Mexican San Andrés, Ecuadorian Sumatra, Habano Maduro, Connecticut, and Habano Rosado. They fall into the mild, medium, and full-bodied categories. They’ve earned ratings between 89 and 95, ranging from very good to exceptional.

Todd Pribanic and the Cigar Community

Cigar Life Guy: What is your favorite aspect of the cigar community and the cigar life? What makes cigar smokers so unique?

Todd Pribanic: This is probably the easiest question to answer. I tell people this all the time- inside and outside the cigar community- it really is the people and the interesting life stories. When you’re in a shop or lounge, wherever you may be, they’re taking one or two hours out of your day to sit back, relax, and reflect on something while enjoying a good smoke.

Cigars transcend all cultures, social statuses, political or religious affiliations, and demographics. You can be sitting next to a doctor, lawyer, construction worker, policeman, military veteran, school teacher, fireman, engineer, or dentist at any given time in any shop or lounge across the country.

Everyone has a story, and everyone can enjoy cigars in a multitude of ways. Whether it’s in a shop or lounge outside or on your patio, fishing, walking your dogs, on the golf course, at any outdoor event, celebrating, or playing poker. Whatever it is, you can enjoy a cigar. You can pair it with a coffee, or you can pair it with a beer. You can also pair it with a scotch, a glass of wine, or whatever. I live that lifestyle. What I portray through my brand is actually what I live every day.

A Passion for Everything. A Passion for Cigars

Cigar Life Guy:. What is one of your passions outside of cigars? What would people not know about you?

Todd Pribanic: I touched on this earlier. I’m passionate about everything(laughs). I’m passionate about cigars. I have two boys, a seven-year-old and an eleven-year-old. And I’m passionate about a lot of things in my life: my two boys, my pets, my family, music, movies, and comedy. I have a sense of humor, so I’m passionate about that. Basically, I’m passionate about being a good person, my sports teams, and everything Ohio. The Browns. The Guardians — good or bad. The Cavaliers. Ohio State. Then, life in general. When I go in on something, I go all in! Just like with Croatian Mafia Cigars.

Follow Todd on Instagram and check out the latest from Croatian Mafia Cigars here.

Photo credit: Croatian Mafia Cigars

Jonathan Carney Wants You to Meet Bentley the Cigar

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Staff

Jonathan Carney has been living the cigar life for over twenty years. He started in a cigar shop, moved into sales, and now leads Bentley Cigars’ US distribution. Carney learned early to never compromise values or vision when trying to create something special. He spoke with Cigar Life Guy about his partnership with Martin Schuster. They discussed the goals of the Bentley brand and how cigar-making connects to the culinary arts.

First Premium Cigar Experience

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

Jonathan Carney: I had my first premium cigar experience during my freshman year of college with a very close friend. We used to have weekly cigar sessions in an outdoor common area near our dorms. It became a little tradition for us — a way to unwind and escape the pressures of school. At the time, it felt incredibly sophisticated. We thought we had life all figured out back then. Those moments are still some of the most vivid memories I have.

The Cigar Industry

Cigar Life Guy: You’ve been in the cigar industry for over twenty years. How did you get your start?

Jonathan Carney: Back in college, we’d “study“ at Corona Cigar Company between classes. We’d grab Cuban sandwiches, light up a couple of cigars, and maybe enjoy a drink or two, depending on how important the next class was. After graduating, I spent a few years in the hospitality industry. While attending graduate school, I started working part-time at a cigar shop in Orlando, Florida, just a couple of days a week for some beer and cigar money. That eventually evolved into opportunities in marketing and sales and led to a formal role as a sales representative covering New York and New England.

Jonathan Carney on the Bentley Brand

Cigar Life Guy: You were recently appointed to head Bentley Cigars’ US distribution. What made Bentley a good fit for you?

Jonathan Carney: I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, so I’ve always had that drive. I saw firsthand how challenging it is to build something from the ground up. Watching my dad build his businesses successfully over the years really shaped me. I knew that if I could align with a brand and team that shared my values and vision, I could help create something truly special.

Fortunately, Martin Schuster — a fourth-generation cigar maker and someone I’ve known for nearly 15 years — was looking to expand his Bentley brand into the US market. We spent a lot of time in the late summer and fall of 2024 discussing the brand and the business. In December, we made the decision to officially partner and launch Bentley Tobacco | USA. It’s been a true blessing, and I’m incredibly proud to be building this premium cigar business alongside Martin and his family. He’s one of the most genuine people I’ve ever worked with, and our shared trust and alignment make this venture really meaningful.

Bentley Cigars in the US Market

Cigar Life Guy: What are your goals for the US market and the Bentley brand?

Jonathan Carney: Our focus is quality over quantity. We absolutely want to grow and establish Bentley as a premium, successful brand — but never at the cost of our retail partners or at the expense of our core values. We’re in it for the long game. Our goal is to position Bentley as a marquee brand in premier retailers across the US and globally.

Cigar Life Guy: What makes a luxury line like Bentley stand out, and how do you want the world to perceive the brand?

Jonathan Carney: Our motto is “Drive By Taste,“ which isn’t just about the cigars — it reflects the way we present the entire brand. “Taste“ is subjective, and we want each consumer to experience our cigars in their own unique way. We hope that people see the Bentley brand as something that’s tastefully crafted and intentionally designed.

If I could sum it up with a playful twist, I’d say: “Tastefully Driven By Taste.“ It captures both the product experience and the thoughtful aesthetic behind the brand.

The Cigar Community

Cigar Life Guy: What is your favorite aspect of the cigar community and the cigar life? What makes cigar smokers so unique?

Jonathan Carney: There’s truly nothing like the cigar community. No matter what’s going on in your life or how hectic your day is, you can light up a cigar, sit down with someone — maybe even a stranger — and in that moment, you’ve got a friend. Sometimes, those moments turn into lifelong connections. That kind of camaraderie is rare, and it’s what makes the cigar lifestyle so special.

Jonathan Carney & Life’s Passions

Cigar Life Guy: What is one of your passions outside of cigars? What would people not know about you?

Jonathan Carney: I’ve always been fascinated by new technologies. I started building websites as a hobby back in the late ’90s when HTML was becoming more mainstream. Even today, I still enjoy designing and creating, especially with how much more accessible tech tools have evolved.

Another big passion of mine, which is more well-known, is food. I’m deeply connected to culinary experiences — whether it’s a simple dish or a gourmet creation, I love the storytelling and expression that comes through food. It’s an art form for me, just like cigars.

Follow Jonathan on Instagram and check out the latest from Bentley Cigars here.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Carney

Nestor Miranda Keeps on Smoking

Posted on February 28, 2025 by Staff

Life and an amazing cigar journey began for Nestor Miranda in Cuba. What he lacked in formal education, he more than made up for with hard work, perseverance, and business savvy. His work in sales eventually led him to join his wife at Miami Cigar & Company, fulfilling the American Dream and becoming a titan in the cigar industry. A true legend, Miranda talked with Cigar Life Guy about hard work, family, and why it’s a great time to be a cigar smoker.

Nestor Miranda: First Premium Cigar Experience

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

Nestor Miranda: My cigar-smoking experience began in my hometown of Holguin, Cuba. I used to take my grandfather’s cigars and smoke them in the park near my house. They were Churchill-sized, and I remember always getting sick. But it never stopped me from smoking because all the girls would look at me like I was the man!

Sales and the Miami Cigar Company

Cigar Life Guy: You worked for Southern Wine and Spirits before working full-time at Miami Cigar Company. Tell us what you brought to the Miami Cigar Company back in 1995.

Nestor Miranda: Southern Wine gave me great training on what it took to be a great salesman. From the moment I started there, I knew that sales was for me. It was in my blood! There was nothing more enjoyable than making that big sale and returning to the office to let everyone know who the man was! All of my accounts knew that when Nestor Miranda walked through the door, they were in trouble! (Laughs) I actually couldn’t have done it without them; the relationships that I formed in the liquor industry helped me when we moved forward to the cigar industry.

Cigar Life Guy: You are a legend in the cigar industry. What is your greatest accomplishment and why?

Nestor Miranda: My greatest accomplishment was being able to come from Cuba to the United States with limited education and zero English and live the American Dream. It wasn’t easy, but that’s ok. It makes me appreciate what I have been able to do even more, knowing that it took everything I had to make it happen.

Cigar Life Guy: What advice would you give to some of the upstart companies who are looking to make a name in the cigar industry?

Nestor Miranda: You need to find the hardest worker in the industry and outwork them! There is no replacement for hard work in this business. Many people say that they have it in them, but when the time comes to do it, only the strong survive, brother!

Nestor Miranda’s Challenges in the Cigar Industry

Cigar Life Guy: What are the biggest challenges in the cigar industry, and how does it differ from a few decades ago?

Nestor Miranda: The biggest challenge is keeping up with the consumer’s ever-changing palate. We try our best to provide the consumers with what they are looking for, but it’s not easy when you have an amazing group of competitors like we do in this industry. They say that iron sharpens iron, and this is so true! It is a great time to be a cigar smoker because everyone is constantly innovating and coming out with new, wonderful products for the consumer.

Family and Tradition

Cigar Life Guy: Miami Cigar Company is a family business. Your son took on an integral role in the company before he passed away, and now you work with your daughter and son-in-law, Jason. Why is tradition so important to the cigar industry and your company?

Nestor Miranda: Family is the reason we do what we do! At the end of the day, when your time is over on this planet, you want to rest easily, knowing that you have done everything possible to position your family to be successful in the future.

Cigar Life Guy: Your company’s slogan, “It’s not just cigars. It’s a lifestyle.” What is your favorite aspect of the cigar lifestyle

Nestor Miranda: “One Life” is a slogan that we live by here at Miami Cigar. It basically means that in this world, you have one life, and it is up to you to decide what you make of it. My wife and I arrived in the United States with nothing, and we decided to put in the blood, sweat, and tears necessary to be successful and live the American Dream. Now, it is up to my daughter and son-in-law to continue this for their children.

Beyond Cigars for Nestor Miranda

Cigar Life Guy: What is one of your passions outside of cigars? What would people not know about you?

Nestor Miranda: I am an outdoorsman. Fishing and hunting are the things I like to do—while smoking a cigar, of course!

One thing that people do not know about me is that I was enlisted in the US Army and was training for the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba.

Follow Nestor and Miami Cigar & Company on Instagram and keep up with the latest at Miami Cigar & Company.

Photo credit: Miami Cigar & Co.

Jon Simons of Warfighter Tobacco Co. is Having Fun

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Staff

Jon Simons tasted his first premium cigar as a teenager, and after eight and a half years as Vice President of Warfighter Tobacco Co., he has never stopped learning. He and his partners are ex-military; today’s Warfighter remains their primary focus. Simons spoke to Cigar Life Guy about the company’s recent rebranding, the similarities between the military and the cigar community, and how the Warfighter Cigar Co. is here to stay.

Jon Simons’ First Premium Cigar Experience

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

Jon Simons: This one might get me in trouble (laughs). My first premium cigar experience was when I was thirteen or fourteen. It was my good buddy’s older brother, who drove a Buick Grand National. I thought that was the coolest car in the world at the time.

He said he was going to the local cigar shop to get some cigars and asked us if we wanted any. So we scrounged our dollar bills and quarters together and gave him some cash. We had no idea what we were getting. He ended up getting me a Montecristo. I don’t remember the actual cigar, but I remember the brand. So we sat in his driveway next to his Buick Grand National, and I smoked the cigar. I had no idea if it was good or bad or if I did it right(laughs). That was my first experience with a premium cigar.

I didn’t learn anything until probably my early twenties. Then I realized there’s more than just a cigar. All different sizes and regions are where tobacco is grown. That’s when I started to figure it out.

The Military and Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: How did you get into the cigar industry? Aside from being ex-military, what did you do before, and how does it help inform what you do with Warfighter Tobacco Co.?

Jon Simons: We were all military guys, but Warfighter Scott owned a gun store immediately before we started. I worked there with him, and we sold retail cigars to supplement the gun store. A lot of “gun guys” are “cigar guys.” That gave us more knowledge from the retail side. We looked at all the brands we carried — what they did great and what they didn’t do.

We incorporated much of the branding into what we do now — packaging, how it displays, UPCs, and everything else. Before that, I dabbled in many different industries, trying to figure out what I wanted to do. Throughout everything I’ve done, I’ve learned bits and pieces from each sector I was in and brought that into cigars.

Cigar Life Guy: You have a great rapport with your partners. How is the camaraderie of the military similar to the cigar community?

Jon Simons: It’s very close. The reason I say that it’s close is that you can walk into a cigar lounge, not know anybody there, and within ten minutes, you could be cracking jokes. People are talking trash back and forth. None of it is malicious. It’s more about having a good time. In the military, it’s similar to that. You don’t know who you’re talking to at first, but you’re joking together after ten minutes. So it’s a direct correlation.

Warfighter Branding

Cigar Life Guy: You are a proud veteran-owned company. What do you want the cigar community to know about you and your products?

Jon Simons: We created a new sign we’re sending out to all our shops. The sign says, “Probably the best cigars”(laughs). We focus on getting the highest quality tobacco to put out the best blends we can do, but we also like to have fun with it. If you can’t have fun with what you do, what’s the point of doing it?

Cigar Life Guy: You have distinct branding. How do you want consumers to perceive your brand?

Jon Simons: The easiest way is what we put on the website when we started the company. We’re not heroes, but we got to serve with some of them. We got to stand in the shadows of giants. We could have named it “Scott Jansen Cigars” or “Jon Simons Cigars,” but we wanted to build something bigger than us. That’s why it’s “Warfighter Tobacco.”

Today’s Warfighter is the focus of everything that we want. Whether it’s them using that cigar to break that barrier and open that conversation or talking with other people and feeling a sense of community, we also do some charity stuff. We help out the active duty guys and the veterans. So, in both senses, that’s the essence of what our company is.

Warfighter Tobacco Co. Portfolio

Cigar Life Guy: Tell Us a little about the Warfighter Tobacco Co. portfolio.

Jon Simons: Right now, we technically have nine blends out. We had ten, but we are rebranding one of them right now. Hopefully, that will be out by the end of this year, if not next year.

Outside of that, we have our Field and Garrison lines. That’s our core six different blends of cigars. In the Field line, we have a 5×6 Field Connecticut, a 7.62 Field Sumatra, and a .50 Cal Field Maduro, which is more of a medium-bodied maduro. We have a Corojo, a Rosado, and an Oscuro Maduro on the Garrison side. That Oscuro is going to be our boldest cigar. Out of our offerings, it’s the boldest. Then we do specialty cigars.

We just released a cigar called The Night Shift, which has gone over phenomenally. It has very different flavor notes than anything we’ve ever done. We put a little Candela ring on the cigar cap as a bit of homage to the green glow of the night vision. We have our Victory Cigar, a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper with Nicaraguan filler. That’s our super premium. It retails for $17.76 because that’s the price of freedom.

The last one we call The Dumpster Fire Cigar. We believe in truth in marketing (laughs). So, our Dumpster Fire is our version of a Cuban sandwich. We use the trimmings from our core line. We add a couple of long pieces — more extended filler — inside to help with its construction and a nice Habano wrapper. It’s more of our everyday smoke, economic cigar, or whatever you want. It retails for about six dollars, but it’s a phenomenal cigar for a Cuban sandwich or mixed filler. We have people tell us all the time how much they love it, and I’m like, “Dude, if you smoke two back to back, you might feel a little different” (laughs).

The Future of Warfighter and Cigar Accessories

Cigar Life Guy: Warfighter Tobacco Co. sells humidors, apparel, accessories, and cigars. What else can the cigar world expect from Warfighter in the future?

Jon Simons: We’re constantly working on new blends, and we do have a rebranding in the works right now. We started about eight and a half years ago, but we didn’t know what we didn’t know. Over time and learning, we realized our original band designs worked well, but they didn’t have all the information we wanted. We did a slight redesign, kept all the blends the same, and didn’t change the tobacco blends or anything like that. We just changed the bands and the boxes. It’s a little more clarity for the consumer. Now, it has the leaf on the band, whereas before, it was only on the box. The boxes have a little more information on them as well. We’re finalizing everything, and they should start trickling out to dealers soon.

Jon Simons: Final Words on the Future

Cigar Life Guy: Anything else you would like the cigar world to know

Jon Simons: We’re not going anywhere (laughs). The cigar industry is exciting. When we first started and we were going to trade shows, we had people that would ask, “How old are you guys?” Then, in our second year, they would say, “Ok, after year three, talk to us, and we’ll start picking up your line.” They were like, “Cigar companies come and go. We don’t want to get behind a brand that isn’t going to be around.”

At this last show, I told a retailer that it was our eighth year in business, and he said, “Alright, two more years and it’ll be ten years in business, and you’ll be an overnight success in this industry.”(laughs). We’re infants in the cigar world. Some companies have been around for 80, 100, 150 years.

We’re eight and a half and have no plans of going anywhere. Being on the prior military side of everything, once we started going down the rathole and started learning about things that piqued our interest, it was something we loved and wanted to keep doing. There isn’t anything that’s going to prevent us from learning and making the best product we can make.

Follow Jon on Instagram and check out the latest from Warfighter Tobacco Co. here.

Photo credit: Jon Simons

Reinier Lorenzo of HVC Cigars is Always Learning

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Staff

Growing up in Cuba, there is probably no avoiding the cigar culture, but Reinier Lorenzo, founder of HVC Cigars, studied medicine before he studied cigars. After nearly twenty years in the cigar business, Lorenzo continues to create new blends and pay homage to Havana City. He spoke to Cigar Life Guy about getting his start, the recipe of a perfect cigar, and his plans to keep HVC Cigars selling like pan caliente.

Reinier Lorenzo: First Premium Cigar Experience

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

Reinier Lorenzo: I was living in Havana, Cuba. I was probably around eighteen or nineteen, and it was the Cohiba Siglo VI. I wasn’t in the cigar business when I was in Cuba — I was in medical school. It was at a family friend’s party. The Cohiba Siglo VI came out around 2004, and a guy passed a box around. I knew nothing about cigars, but when I smoked it, I was like, “That feels good”! (laughs)

Cigar Culture and Blending the Perfect Cigar

Cigar Life Guy: You are originally from Cuba, so there was probably no escaping cigar culture, but tell us how you got your start and what drew you to the cigar industry and culture.

Reinier Lorenzo: When I left Cuba in 2008, my family worked for Tropical Tobacco in Miami. In 2009, the owner of Aganorsa (Eduardo Fernandez) invited me to Nicaragua. He showed me the process and what they do with the cigars from start to finish. That was the moment that grabbed me. When something makes you say, “This is incredible.” Little by little, you have something inside of you. I stopped and said, ”I must do something because I enjoy this so much.” That’s when I started my business, HVC Cigars, in 2011.

Cigar Life Guy: What should the average cigar smoker know about blending? How can it help them appreciate a premium cigar?

Reinier Lorenzo: People have to know. For example, I love to cook, right? When you cook, you have a recipe. If you don’t have a recipe, making a really good dish would be impossible. Cigars are the same thing. It’s a recipe. It’s not just putting in tobacco because you want to put in tobacco. You have to know the family and the leaf. You have to know what farm gives you more flavor. When you have the perfect recipe for a cigar, you get a cigar that’s really, really good. When you know the tobacco for a blend, you get a winner. You have to know tobacco, and that takes years. I was blessed and fortunate to be around guys with much experience. I was always learning.

Keeping Cigar Tradition Alive

Cigar Life Guy: Why is keeping the cigar tradition alive vital, and how do you merge it with new ideas and blends?

Reinier Lorenzo: When you think about cigars, they are relaxing. Cigars are my business, but it’s really a leisurely thing you want to share with friends. You want to sit down. You want to have a drink, and you want to have a cigar. Let me relax. Let me have a conversation. That’s why I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life. When I started smoking, I started smoking cigars. It’s also the culture around cigars. Let me share it with friends. It’s a beautiful thing.

For the blending process– I don’t blend cigars for people. I blend cigars for myself. What I mean is when I blend a cigar, I’m looking for four things: flavor, balance, construction, and a clean finish. If you give me a cigar with those four characteristics, I will love it. How can I create something I don’t love? I always want to share something that I really enjoy. We came out with new packaging in the last year and a half. We were thinking about how to gain more attention in the humidors -humidors are like real estate. The packaging is a minor detail for us as a new cigar company on the way up. You can have the best packaging in the world, but if the cigar is no good, people won’t rebuy it.

Reinier Lorenzo and HVC Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us about the HVC portfolio.

Reinier Lorenzo: We’ve been around for thirteen years now. Our cigars had to be attached to where I come from, Havana City. You can’t find a really mild cigar with our blends. Everything is medium or medium-full-bodied, rich with a lot of flavor- that’s the most important thing for me. It’s flavor. You give me something with flavor, I’ll be smoking all day long.

With our portfolio, many people said, “You’re crazy! How can you come out with ‘Hot Cake’?”. I said, “What do you mean? It’s going to be a hit”. That cigar got made because we owned the name “Pan Caliente.” When a product sells really fast in Cuba, they say, “That sells like pan Caliente (hot cake)”- selling like hot cakes. When I trademarked the Pan Caliente, we trademarked “Hot Cake” as well. That’s the best-selling cigar in our portfolio. People love it.

The other crazy product that we have is Black Friday. In 2015, I called my lawyer and asked if I could trademark “Black Friday.” The concept behind Black Friday is that I give you a unique product every year. We never replicate those blends. It’s always a new blend in a new size. We sell that blend for less than ten dollars. So what does that mean? That’s my way of saying thank you to all the consumers and retailers who have supported us. It’s something so unique and so special at a great price point.

Reinier Lorenzo: Favorite Part of Cigar Life

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

Reinier Lorenzo: That’s a really good question. The most essential part of cigar life is the people around you- those with whom you share cigars. But sometimes I want to be by myself. I want to be intimate with the cigar. Just yesterday, I was smoking a Hot Cake Robusto by myself. I was enjoying that moment. It was a moment with just me and the cigar. I was paying attention to all of the flavors. All the beauty of making a cigar was there, right? There was nothing but me and the cigar.

As I said before, the other part is when I am with friends, conversing and sharing a cigar. It’s a beautiful moment as well.

The Future of HVC Cigars and Reinier Lorenzo

Cigar Life Guy: Anything else the cigar world should know, and what can we expect from HVC in the future?

Reinier Lorenzo: We are always working. There’s a new blend that we’re testing out, and we want to bring it out soon. For us, it’s always about working and improving. We try to put out the best we have. It’s a family business. When people buy HVC Cigars and say, “Hey, I love your blends,” To me, that’s the jackpot.

Follow Reinier and HVC Cigars on Instagram

Photo credit: HVC Cigars

Michael Herklots is Hitting All the Right Notes

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Staff

Michael Herklots had worked in the cigar industry for over twenty years before launching the Ferio Tego Brand with business partner Brendon Scott in 2021. Herklots sees Ferio Tego as more than just cigar blends. It is a “philosophy rooted in values.” It’s no wonder the Ferio Tego (translated as “Strike and Defend”) brand uses an image from the Herklots’ coat of arms — Hercules battling the Hydra. Herklots talked with Cigar Life Guy about giving up the pursuit of music for cigars, his partnership with Scott, and having the good fortune of working in an industry he loves.

First Premium Cigar Experience

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

Michael Herklots: I enjoyed my first cigar in college. It was my first semester at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I was out for a walk with one of my roommates, and we passed a cigar bar, and he wanted to go in. Walking through that door would forever change me, but I didn’t know anything about it, nor was I interested in it then.

I tasted an Ashton classic. And it was a flavor and a medium I had never experienced. Despite my laser focus on pursuing music as a career, I was enamored. Cigars were my hobby, but one I couldn’t afford. So, I got a retail job at a mall kiosk selling cigars. That was around 1999. I’ve worked in the industry ever since.

Owning a Tobacco Business

Cigar Life Guy: You have been in the tobacco business for a long time. Why did you decide to start your own line of cigars?

Michael Herklots: I suppose after twenty-plus years of working in the industry, there was a clear opportunity to start something. I had created blends for about ten years, but now was an opportunity to author the work. As I spoke to friends in the industry, their encouragement to start a brand and a company was overwhelming. And we did.

Cigar Life Guy: You worked for a large tobacco corporation before starting your own company. What did you learn working with a huge company & how did that impact how you approached launching a startup?

Michael Herklots: My start in Boston was a tiny business. I spent nine years with Davidoff of Geneva, a global company that is still family-owned. After that, I spent nine years with Nat Sherman — most of that time working for the Sherman family. Then, there were the last three for Altria, a massive publicly traded company that had acquired Nat Sherman. So, I’ve learned a lot from all those experiences before the acquisition.

I learned quickly that the size of the business doesn’t matter. It still takes people working together and making decisions to get things done. No matter how “senior” or experienced someone may be or how much research and strategic planning goes into a decision. Sometimes things don’t go as planned. And that’s just life. Big and small businesses — all businesses require good people willing and able to do the work. And that can make a huge company feel like a family business.

Partnership and the Ferio Tego Brand

Cigar Life Guy: Describe your partnership with Brendon Scott.

Michael Herklots: Brendon and I worked together for almost ten years. We worked closely together for nearly ten years. We respect each other, we trust each other, we like each other, and we have fun working together. After almost a decade of doing all that work together for a company, it was clear we could do all that work for ourselves and build something special together.

Cigar Life Guy: You use Hercules battling the Hydra in your design. How do you want consumers to see the Ferio Tego brand?

Michael Herklots: I hope Ferio Tego is meaningful. That instills feelings of joy and celebration but also of quality, consistency, inimitability, and value. It’s more than just a blend of flavors. Ferio Tego is a philosophy deeply rooted in values like transparency, honesty, and trust.

The Ferio Tego Portfolio

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us a little about the Ferio Tego portfolio.

Michael Herklots: Ferio Tego has three brands. Our flagship brand is our namesake, Ferio Tego. It is offered in two ways: as a set of annual limited releases, Elegancia and Generoso. Just like a winemaker may offer a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon — we offer two completely unique expressions. Yet, despite their differences in flavor, they share a commonality in a full, dense, creamy body. Second- as a core blend called Summa. This blend is made consistently throughout the year and is offered in multiple formats. Once again, it is a completely unique blend compared to Elegancia and Generoso but shares the signature style of a round, mouth-filling body.

Then, under the halo of “Ferio Tego,” we have two additional brands, the Timeless Collection and the Metropolitan Selection. Timeless has four blends- each wonderfully complex and nuanced with deliberate development from beginning to end. Metropolitan has five blends that are quite traditional, old-world-style expressions of their country of manufacture in flavor. However, they are much more new-world and contemporary in their body and complexity compared to legacy blends still on the market.

Challenges Facing the Cigar Industry

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

Michael Herklots: It’s tough to say the biggest. One that stands out is our inability to use the tools any other company or industry can, like social media and advertising. In addition, regulation, taxation, and new legislation are all high risks, especially with the introduction of some of these generational smoking ban bills that would lead to the complete elimination of our industry.

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

Michael Herklots: I am very fortunate to make a living doing something I love. If you love our work, I would just ask one extra favor. Share your love for our work. Tell a friend. Post a photo. Put a box out at your next barbecue or backyard party. That simple, authentic endorsement permits others to love our brand before trying it.

Follow Michael on Instagram and check out the latest from Ferio Tego here.

photo credit: Michael Herklots

The Wild Backstory of Wildfire Cigars Founder Jeremy McDonald

Posted on September 11, 2024 by Staff

From breaking the no-smoking rules in the seminary to playing guitar in a band, Jeremy McDonald has lived the cigar life for nearly thirty years. After working for decades in cigar retail and as a sales rep, McDonald started Wildfire Cigars in the spirit of sitting around a campfire shooting the shit with a premium cigar. McDonald talked to Cigar Life Guy about not burning bridges, his aim to make Wildfire part of the next generation of great cigar brands, and how Wildfire saved him from burning out and met his need to be more expressive in the cigar industry.

Jeremy McDonald: First Premium Cigar Experience

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

Jeremy McDonald: The first premium cigar was not obviously the first cigar experience- the first cigar experience was a White Owl from 7-Eleven (laughs). The first premium was gifted to me. I was working at the Courtyard by Marriott, and one of the guys came in, and he smelled like cigars, and we started talking.

He tipped me, and he gave me a Henry Clay. So that was my first premium cigar, and it was in ’97. After that, I started finding cigar shops, but I didn’t know there was such a thing. I thought you just found cigars at liquor stores. I didn’t know there were shops for premium cigars.

Music and Religion Before Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: You tried being a musician and joined the seminary for a time before working in a retail shop. How did all those experiences and your time in a retail shop help inform starting your own cigar line?

Jeremy McDonald: When I was in the seminary, I was smoking cigars but had to hide them because it was against the rules. Working in retail opened my eyes to the passion of tobacco. Meeting guys like José Blanco and Benji Menendez – all these old school guys- the old guard of the industry.

Fortunately, I worked in a premium store, so it had events with all the bug guys. I loved cigars – this cigar and that cigar- and the smoking experience, but seeing these guys and their love for tobacco opened me up to the idea that this is a form of artistry.

Over the years, I made relationships with different manufacturers, reps, and consumers and learned from them. I loved it when a customer would come in and not know what they wanted, so I could curate the experience for them and tailor it to exactly what they wanted. Regardless of what the cigar was. It was finding the right cigar for that person at that time. I loved that aspect of it.

When I got into working for different companies, I started thinking it would be cool to do this for myself. I could write a song on my guitar, write lyrics, and turn it into a complete thing, but I couldn’t do that with tobacco, and I wanted to. So it was a slow burn. I didn’t wake up one day and say, “I’m starting a brand.” It gradually got to the point where I was finished.

I accomplished what I wanted with Caldwell, and then I had to do something for myself. Starting my own brand was the next logical step. In 2001, when I started in the industry, I never thought it was a career (laughs). I’m a poster boy for the kid who doesn’t finish college and works in an industry long enough where you become good at it.

Cigar Life Guy: You also worked as a sales rep for C.L.E. Cigar Company. What’s the most important lesson you learned?

Jeremy McDonald: Another rep I was close with -even before I started- gave me some advice. He told me, “Don’t overpromise. Do what you say you’re going to do. Don’t give one guy something and give another guy a different deal. Be consistent, and you can have a career in this industry.” I remember thinking, “That’s all it takes?”. He said, “You wouldn’t believe how many problems come just from those things.” I carried that with me. So, not having any bridges burned with any of the companies I’ve worked with has been good.

Just be fair. Show up and do your job (laughs). It’s certainly not rocket science, but there’s still quite a bit of shit in this industry.

Jeremy McDonald: Starting Wildfire Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: You have a lot of experience within the cigar industry. What finally led to your decision to start your own line?

Jeremy McDonald: Around two years before I left Caldwell, I had gotten to a point where I was burned out. I was getting offers to do the same thing- like lateral moves for more money- but I didn’t want to be that guy who bounced around from company to company. It’s like, “Oh, this is the greatest cigar ever!” and then you’re with the next company saying, “Oh, this is the greatest cigar ever!” that whole spiel.

So, I would try to create my brand or be totally out of the industry. I had conversations with Robert Caldwell about it, and he was supportive. If I could get funding, I would do it, and then I got funding, and I did. I didn’t want to do what I was doing anymore. I had lost the love. It was clocking in every day. Yeah, it was the cigar industry, but it was like any other industry. I needed to do something where I could be more expressive of myself. So I was going to do the cigars, or who the hell knows what else I would have done.

Inspiration for Wildfire Cigars and More

Cigar Life Guy: You clearly have a good sense of humor. What was the inspiration for the name Wildfire and your camp counselor video?

Jeremy McDonald: I knew that I wanted something based around a campfire, so the logo was designed before the name was there. I like to be outdoors and camp. It’s more so just the thought behind cigars. You’re sitting with someone. Whether you know them or not, sit long enough, and you’ll have a conversation.

My worldview completely changed from being in this industry. I grew up pretty sheltered with one train of thought. Most days, while working in retail, I just listened to the people. Where they came from or where they were going. Political views. Religion. All of it. It opened my eyes to a whole new world. Sure, there could be tension and arguments, but smoking a cigar was a great neutralizer. It didn’t matter where you came from, what you were into, or how much money you made. I loved that element, so I wanted to incorporate the concept of just sitting around the campfire shooting the shit.

I had another name I was pursuing that was more fitting to the campfire. Then, a shop opened, and I didn’t want to come out of the gates in litigation. I just changed it. I had it trademarked, but it wasn’t worth it. And I had a gentleman’s conversation, but it didn’t go well. So, I just told my lawyer, “Let them have it.” I’m in California, and I think the wildfires were going on then, so I said, “I like that“ (laughs). So I took the name. I trademarked it and went with it.

The Wildfire Portfolio & Building a Brand

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us a little about the Wildfire portfolio.

Jeremy McDonald: I launched with a Limited called The Single out of Joya de Nicaragua. My first core line was the Revivalist. Those were the first two to market, and then I went to another factory to diversify. I went to FTC (Fabrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A.)- Cavalier’s factory. I’ve known these guys for years, so it was a natural fit. We had good chemistry there, so I’ve also done a few more things with them. I introduced Wanderer as the first core line out of there.

I started a three-part limited series. Now we’re on the second one. The first one was The Intro, and then at P.C.A. this year, I released The Hook, which is the second part. I released Artaois out of Joya de Nicaragua in July of last year. That was my second core line coming out of there. Next year at P.C.A., I’ll introduce another core line from F.T.C.

I’m just going to work with as many factories as I can. It gives you the ability not to get boxed into certain tobaccos. It allows you to create new flavors and profiles. I like not being tied to one thing.

I also introduced the B-Side. It is The Intro, but I inverted the binder and wrapper. It’s a play having a single and then having the other side. I wanted to show how different a cigar can be when you just change nothing other than rearranging the components. It would be a lot cooler if The Single was still out. Then, people could make a comparison between A and B. I did that for the cigar nerd in me. The blend stands on its own, so even if people haven’t smoked The Single, they’d enjoy it.

Jeremy McDonald’s Long-Term Goals for Wildfire Cigars

Cigar Life Guy: What are your long-term goals for Wildfire?

Jeremy McDonald: Build a name and build a sustainable business. I want to be around. There are so many guys, mentors, and people I respect who are all getting older, and I want to be a part of carrying on the next generation of manufacturers and brands. I want to one day be a mainstay brand, a household name, and just be a part of what people smoke and enjoy.

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

Jeremy McDonald: Enjoy what you smoke. I always encourage people to try stuff. Try my stuff. Try Foundations, Cavelier, and Black Label. There are so many different profiles and styles of cigars out there. There’s something for everybody. That’s the fun of it. You don’t want to eat the same meal daily, so it’s the same idea.

The longer I’m in this industry, the longer Wildfire is around, and the more cigars we have, the more options we’ll have for different styles and palates. Just enjoy it. It’s leaves rolled together(laughs). It’s more about the experience of cigars that I love- meeting new people, hearing their stories, and enjoying it over a cigar.

Follow Jeremy on Instagram and check out the latest from Wildfire Cigars here.

Photo credit: Wildfire Cigars

More Than a Cigar Prop: Meet Kevin Shahan

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Staff

Cigar life began simply enough for Kevin Shahan — with dinner and a beer. Like many who take up cigar smoking, it evolved into a passion and the desire to know about cigars. As his website states, Shahan’s company, Cigar Prop, was “born out of necessity.”

While working as a mechanic, he needed a place to set his cigar. He built a cigar rest from leftover materials, and the rest, as they say, is history. He has been creating accessories and apparel ever since. Shahan talked to Cigar Life Guy about spreading the good word about cigars, remaining true to his blue-collar roots, and how every guest on his I’d Tap That Cigar Show is interesting.

First Premium Cigar Experience

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

Kevin Shahan: My first premium cigar experience was on April 22nd, 2015, at the Tobacco Locker in Port Charlotte, Florida. I was with Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars, and it was a dinner and cigar event.

I remember the exact date because it recently appeared on my Facebook Timehop. For $20, you get three cigars, dinner, and a craft beer tasting. Try and get all that now for $20.

At that point, I had been smoking cigars for a few years, but they were cheap cigars sold from one of those online magazines. You got a humidor and 50 cigars for $19.99. I had no idea what I was doing or smoking.

When I attended that Tatuaje event with Pete and heard him talk passionately about cigars, I wanted to learn everything about the business and every cigar I smoked.

The Accidental Inception of Cigar Prop

Cigar Life Guy: How did you get into the cigar industry? What did you do before, and how does it help inform what you do with Cigar Prop?

Kevin Shahan: I got into the cigar business through the cigar accessory business. I was working on my mini lathe one day, making some parts while smoking a cigar, and every time I set my cigar down, it kept rolling around. So, after making my part, I took the extra material in my lathe and made a little cigar rest. I would take that rest to my local cigar lounge with me, and after my buddies saw it, they wanted one, so I made a few extras. My wife Jessica (then girlfriend) encouraged me to make more and sell them, so I did.

After selling a few, I started a cigar review channel on YouTube to help promote myself in the cigar community.

What I did before the cigar industry is still what I do now — I’m a mechanic. But at one time, I did have a beard care company and also did beard product reviews on YouTube. Those reviews helped me hone my videography skills. So, when I started a cigar review channel, I knew what I was doing.

Why Cigar Prop Apparel Stands Out

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

Kevin Shahan: Everything Cigar Prop makes is made in the USA. If we can’t make it here in the States, we don’t. That goes for our apparel as well. We source blank apparel made in the USA and purchase heat press graphics made in the USA.

Kevin Shahan’s Cigar Journey

Cigar Life Guy: Your slogan is “Cigar Prop is a brand, journey, a way of life.” What does that mean, and how do you want consumers to perceive your brand?

Kevin Shahan: Cigar Prop is a brand of quality products made by a cigar smoker for cigar smokers. The journey represents not only our journey through the cigar world but also your journey through the cigar world. You don’t have to take this journey alone. We are with you to help with cigars through reviews, knowledge, and resources to help you navigate the world of cigars.

The way of life is that of a regular cigar smoker. We aren’t fancy. We don’t talk down to new cigar smokers because you don’t know how to pronounce Arapiraca or Liger. And we don’t make expensive accessories that the average cigar smoker can’t afford. The way of life is that of a blue-collar cigar smoker.

Going Beyond Accessories

Cigar Life Guy: Have you considered expanding beyond apparel and accessories to a full line of cigars? If so, what would be true for you to think it seriously?

Kevin Shahan: Last year, we launched Trash Panda Cigars. We started selling vintage cigars and cigars made just for us by Sinistro and Espinosa.

Starting in 2024, we stopped selling vintage cigars and now focus on selling cigars made just for us. Trash Panda Cigars is still very small, but we plan to grow it into something more significant in the next few years.

Becoming a Cigar Influencer

Cigar Life Guy: You are also a cigar personality and influencer. What do you think is the most important thing to communicate about cigar culture?

Kevin Shahan: First, Juan Cancel of Protocol Cigars says I’m not an influencer; he prefers the term promoter. I don’t mind the term influencer because people listen to what I say, and my words can influence the buying decisions of those listening to or watching me.

Cigar culture takes no less than 300 pairs of hands to craft a cigar. The process begins with the person in the field harvesting tobacco. Then, it extends to the person behind the counter at your local brick-and-mortar selling you a cigar.

Your words can change the life of someone you have never met before. If a cigar isn’t in your wheelhouse, don’t bash the cigar online because your words can influence someone who may have never tried that cigar, and that’s not fair to every one of those 300 hands.

With that being said, if you enjoy a cigar, show some love to that company on social media because your words can influence someone else to try that cigar and get introduced to a brand they may have never heard of.

Behind the Scenes of Hosting a Cigar Show

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us about I’d Tap That Cigar Show. Who have been the most exciting guests so far, and why?

Kevin Shahan: My co-host, Kerr Viajante, and I love doing the I’d Tap That Cigar Show! Every week, we showcase a maker, a fellow influencer, or a brand owner and hear the story of their journey through the cigar world. We try not to ask the same questions that every other interviewer asks. We try to dive deep into how they became who they are in the cigar world.

Every guest is the most interesting! Who would have thought a show dedicated to Life Insurance would be fun? But when we had Dave Arlinghaus on, I had a blast!

The Future of Cigar Prop and Kevin Shahan

Cigar Life Guy: What else can we expect from you and Cigar Prop in the future?

Kevin Shahan: Cigar Prop will keep doing what we do best: bringing cigar smokers great products, reviews, and interviews.

Follow Kevin on Instagram, check out I’d Tap That Cigar Show, and the latest from Cigar Prop.

Photo credit: Cigar Prop

Rick Rodriguez from West Tampa Tobacco Company Talks His Wild Ride with Cigars

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Staff

Rick Rodriguez worked at General Cigar for 25 years. He trained under Benji Menendez before starting West Tampa Tobacco Company in 2022 with Gus Martinez.

While Rodriguez has built an extensive and impressive (cigar life) resume, he didn’t smoke his first cigar until he was forty. He talked with Cigar Life Guy about that first-smoke experience, the importance of keeping stories and tradition alive, and why he isn’t worried about cigar life ending any time soon.

Rick Rodriguez First Premium Cigar Experience

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

Rick Rodriguez: That’s a great question. I have been interviewed a thousand times, and one of the questions I’ve always thought about is, “When did you smoke your first cigar?” Amazingly, no one asked that question. Therefore, I had my first cigar the day I interviewed to work for General Cigar.

Dave Bullock, now the president of sales for Rocky Patel, interviewed me. He heard my story about my grandmother and grandfather coming from Cuba to Tampa to roll cigars. He worked for Nestle and said, “Hey, you need to sell candy bars for us.” And I said, “I’m not selling candy bars. I’m happy with the carpet business.“

He called me back two years later and said, “I’m working for General Cigar now.” But I had yet to learn what or who General Cigar was. I had been in a tobacco shop maybe twice when I was thirteen. So I said, “Perfect, we’ll have dinner.”

We had dinner, and he explained he worked for General Cigar and that my territory would be in Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville. And I said, “You know what? You got your guy. I’ll take the job.”

After dinner, we took a walk. We were in Ybor City, and we saw a cigar shop. I walked in and bought two cigars: a Macanudo Hyde Park and an 858 from Fuente.

I gave him the Macanudo because he was a cigarette smoker, and he asked what I was smoking, and I told him, Fuente. He said, “In the future, only smoke their product when you get the job.” And I said, “I didn’t see any General Cigar.” Then he told me they own Macanudo, Cohiba, Hoya, Punch, and all these brands.

I knew all the brands he spoke of, but I thought they were all individual. So, my first cigar was an 858 in Ybor City, and I choked through that cigar. (Laughs).

Thank God I had felt a cold coming on at dinner, so I blamed my choking on the cold. He said, “It’s okay; you’re hired!” I received my first box of sample cigars the following Monday, and that’s the long story. I smoked my first cigar when I was forty years old.

Traditions in the Cigar Business

Cigar Life Guy: You worked for General Cigar Co. for 25 years. What’s it like starting your line?

Rick Rodriguez: Fascinating and very scary. I was very nervous about it. We knew what we were doing.

General Cigar teaches you everything about cigars. Without working for them for 25 years, there’s no way in hell I would have started West Tampa.

Because of their training, we knew we’d have a starting chance. Doors opened for us the day I announced, on May 2, 2022. We celebrated our second year this May.

I remember calling my first account and telling them I left General Cigar, and no questions were asked. It was, “Ricky, we’re in.” So, having that history and that trust was an asset. So it was terrifying, but we knew we had an upper hand.

A Look Back at Cigar Variety Evolution

Cigar Life Guy: You have been in the tobacco industry for a long time. What is your favorite aspect of the cigar business, and how has it changed over the years?

Rick Rodriguez: People. Travel is tiring, but when you can connect with people that is my favorite aspect. That has not changed.

If you look at cigars, there are many types, each varying in body, size, and brand, and I’ve seen that grow. But what I enjoy the most about cigar life is the people I meet, the people I have been friends with for twenty-five years, and the opportunities to share our stories.

Rick Rodriguez’s Biggest Cigar Industry Challenges

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

Rick Rodriguez: Individual state taxes and the struggles with what we have to do with warning labels. Those are the scary things. As far as people enjoying cigars? The market is likely going to continue to grow. So, I see many younger people coming.

Tax and smoking bans in restaurants, bars, and sometimes shops… Those are the struggles I worry about. Other than that, I have no worries about tobacco, manufacturing, or consumers. I would not get Sara (Rogriguez’s daughter) into this business if I didn’t think it would be around for the next twenty years.

Building a Friendship

Cigar Life Guy: You partnered with Gus Martinez, another General Cigar Co. employee. What was that like, and how is it different being on the ownership end of the business?

Rick Rodriguez: I think we’re lucky. We grew not only a business relationship but a friendship along the way. We both worked at General Cigars but only had a little one-on-one communication. He was in the marketing, and I had my marketing guy.

When I saw Gus, we talked more about our families than we did cigars or business, so the friendship grew. When he said, “I would love to partner with you,” we knew the partnership would be magical because his kind of training was behind the scenes.

He can do the business and marketing sides; my side is the entertaining, the storytelling, the blending, and working with the factory. The perfect combination — a kind of yin and yang of a business partner worked for us.

Cigar Tradition and the Circle of Life

Cigar Life Guy: Your grandparents came to Tampa from Cuba in the 1950s as cigar rollers. What do you want the cigar world to know about this legacy, tradition, and its connection to your new line of cigars?

Rick Rodriguez: Don’t forget the stories. Once I finished training, I remember Benji Menendez said, “You think your job is to sell cigars for General? It isn’t. That’s the job of the salesman who will work with you. Your job is to keep these stories alive. Tell them about the history of General Cigars. Tell them the history of your family, your connection to Cuba, and why they moved to Tampa. Those stories connect to that cigar and connect to that fanbase.” You have no prayer if you have a cigar without a believable story.

Benji Menendez, who owned the H. Upmann Factory in Cuba, trained me. He sold cigars to Kennedy, so I understood the value of that.

Furthermore, these cigars are hand-rolled. So, there are no machines. As a result, the process is not something like seeing a car being put together in a factory by machines. So, connecting the stories, sharing those stories, and keeping the memory alive is so important.

Looking Forward with Rick Rodriguez

Cigar Life Guy: You introduced the Black, White, and Red cigars in your first year. What’s next for West Tampa Tobacco Company?

Rick Rodriguez: Circle of Life. We just introduced the new full-time line. We’ve been working on this project with Ernesto Perez-Carillo (EPC) for about six months. We need to ship it at the beginning of June. And we are very proud of this because it connects my kind of history, my story, and my journey in my tobacco life.

We chose Ernesto because he was the first person in the Hall of Fame to train me. I was trained by four Hall of Famers, but he was the first who took the time to train, and that’s why we connected.

He loved the story. There are three typical sizes that people will love: the Robusto, the Toro, and a 6×50. They range in price—without taxes—between 13 and 15 dollars.

The Final Wrap with Rick Rodriguez

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

Rick Rodriguez: If you enjoy cigars, try our cigars! Enjoy our cigars. Even if you don’t smoke our cigars, please keep smoking cigars and loving this community of cigar smokers. It’s one of the only things you can do today in your life that will connect you to people.

You can go to restaurants or bars and meet one person, but go to any cigar shop and try not to meet five, six, or seven people. Our connection is impressive.

Follow Rick Rodriguez and West Tampa Tobacco Company on Instagram. Then, check out the latest from West Tampa Tobacco Company.

Photo Credit: WTTC

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