Technology Archives - Cigar Life Guy

Juan Lugo of Don Doroteo Cigars is Reviving a Legacy

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Staff

Many people grow up around cigars, but it takes a special person to revive a legacy. That’s what Juan Lugo of Don Doroteo Cigars did. He smoked his first “intentional” cigar while deployed in Iraq. But Lugo took the seed of his idea back to his roots in the Dominican Republic. Lugo spoke with Cigar Life Guy about meeting his partner through cryptocurrency investing. He shared his appreciation for the beauty of harvesting tobacco. Giving back remains his primary goal in the cigar industry.

Juan Lugo: First Premium Cigar Experience

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

Juan Lugo: The first official cigar that I intended to smoke — I say “intended” because I have had cigars in my family since birth, and I have always been around them. So, the first time I actually smoked as an adult was when I was deployed in the United States Air Force.

I was in the military police, and I was in Iraq in 2009. It was a dry base. So you couldn’t drink alcohol, which was my vice of choice at the time, but they did have tobacco. You could chew tobacco, smoke cigars, and you could smoke cigarettes. I went straight for cigars.

When I saw it in this little shop, I immediately felt nostalgic. So, I gravitated toward the cigars. At the time, I wasn’t really an aficionado or connoisseur. So, I just grabbed some Montecristos from Cuba. I wound up smoking some gems because there was no embargo like here in the States.

Then, I was nineteen years old. I had one day off a week, usually on Sundays. And I would go into this abandoned hut. It was a bunker, but we turned it into a hangout spot.

The base was called Al-Assad, and it was one of Saddam Hussein’s primary bases in Iraq. We found this abandoned bunker, took some lawn chairs, and set them up in a circle. That was our go-to spot.

We played dominoes. We couldn’t drink any alcohol. However, we had non-alcoholic beer — just for the ritual of it — and we would smoke cigars.

Cigar Business with Juan Lugo

Cigar Life Guy: You were the lone family member interested in returning to the cigar business. Tell us a little about your decision and partnership with Brandon Dallman and Jeff Moss.

Juan Lugo: After the military, I went into tech. I was stationed in California. So, I used my GI Bill and got a degree in business from San Jose State. Then, I gravitated toward the entrepreneurial spirit and mindset.

I picked up a gig in cybersecurity and then worked with AI (Artificial Intelligence) before it was a buzzword. But I had no idea what it really was, to be honest (laughs), even when I was working with it. Conceptualizing it was nuts back then. I kept hearing other buzzwords, like cryptocurrency and Bitcoin. So, I wound up dipping my toe into that in late 2017. I worked numerous side jobs so I could invest in the stock market and crypto in particular.

It took a few years, but in 2020, I finally started making some money. In the midst of the pandemic, I really had a great year investing. Investing led me to random chat rooms and forums like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Discord. I met a lot of interesting individuals — random investors, one of whom was my future cigar partner, Brandon Dallman.

It wasn’t until 2021 that we had made some great gains. A few of us were like, “Can we finally meet up in person and not be weird internet chat room people?” (laughs). So we decided to meet in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at a little beachfront hotel.

The group had business there, but we figured we might as well have a little fun. I had no idea that anyone in the group even liked cigars. I was expecting a bunch of typical nerdy-type basement dwellers. Instead, it was a great group of guys from all different walks of life. Brandon, a good old boy from Nebraska, walks out with a box of cigars. He sits next to me and hands them out.

No one in the group knew cigar etiquette, so I was quick to help with cutting and lighting. Brandon and I got to talking. Then he asked if I had any ties to the cigar industry. And I said, “Do I?” I told him my grandfather’s story about how he’d been growing tobacco since 1936 and his connection to La Aurora.

We talked about what was next for us. Did we want to continue the investing game? It’s a soulless industry. I made some great relationships in investing, but it wasn’t fulfilling other than the monetary side. It’s the polar opposite of what the cigar industry is.

I decided I wanted to make a change. I told Brandon I had been working on a business plan to revive my grandfather’s legacy. We spent the entirety of that trip smoking cigars and talking about what things would look like.

When I got home, I told my wife, who was pregnant with twins. I said I thought it was time to take the plunge, and I wanted to quit my secure career in tech. I was going to walk away from the “golden handcuffs,” as they call them, and pursue the journey of an entrepreneur.

That was the beginning of Don Doroteo. The first thing I told Brandon was that we needed to make sure we were honoring my grandfather and his legacy. It wasn’t cigar-making. It was tobacco harvesting. My grandfather harvested and sold to La Aurora exclusively. It’s also what I wanted to do. So, the cigars were just a byproduct of being in that industry. Nine months after that trip to Puerto Rico, we had our first harvest.

Merging New Blends With Cigar Tradition

Cigar Life Guy: Tell us how you merge tradition with creating new blends.

Juan Lugo: In other words, what’s your differentiator from a business standpoint? Obviously, there’s passion behind creating a business in this industry, especially when you have family ties. But you have to ask yourself the real tough questions. Is it a viable venture? That is the world Brandon and I came from.

We had to assess and vet a lot of companies we were potentially going to invest in. What is the viability of this company? What’s their product? What’s their differentiator? Entering the cigar industry, we looked at it from that lens. As much as it was a passion product, we also had to make sure we weren’t just throwing our money into a dumpster fire.

We had talked to many boutique owners and others in the industry. And we didn’t want to follow a set blueprint. Instead, we wanted to create our own path. Many people stop where they feel like “this is the road to success. I need to have five different blends.” That’s the mindset of the average aficionado who wants to take this on.

I didn’t care about the cigar part initially. I wanted to grow tobacco. I’m a city boy from New York (laughs). That was the next challenge I wanted to take on.

I fell in love with working in the soil and working with the people there. Building something tangible. When you talk about the fruits of your labor, in the investor world, it’s all 1’s and 0’s. There’s no human connection. Whereas in the cigar world, it’s 100% the opposite.

There’s so much fulfillment from the harvest. Then, the big day is when the buyer from La Aurora shows up. They have to qualify all of your tobacco. You’re just crossing your fingers that you have tobacco in there that cuts the binder. And if you’re lucky enough, you get some for the wrapper, which is easier said than done.

We haven’t been able to do that yet. But I’m proud to say that since our first harvest, most of it has been binder quality. That was a feather in our cap immediately. We wanted to make sure we were bringing forth everything we could.

Any schmuck with a wallet can go into a factory and say, “Hey, I want to make a cigar for my ego and put my name on it.“ Any factory will give you numerous blends. It’s business. But I was really serious about this. Putting my grandfather’s name on it held weight.

From Seed to Smoke

Cigar Life Guy: You take pride in doing things the right way. What is the most important aspect of creating a cigar from seed that every cigar smoker should know?

Juan Lugo: The Salt of the Earth took a long time during the brainstorming phase with the team. That is where Jeff Moss comes in. We started looking online and thinking about what the award-winning cigar looked like.

Who is the right person to hire for our team? We had no idea, so we started searching online. That led us to a page with a hodgepodge of boxes and ring designs. It turned out to be the award-winning Jeff Moss from Alec Bradley. We cold-called this guy and talked for about an hour. He told me flat out, “I don’t make rings. I build brands.“ After that, I wanted him to visit the farm.

I brought him there for the harvest in February of 2022. He took one look and said, “You built this in nine months?“ At that moment, he said, “I’m in. Let’s go.“ He was at a crossroads himself. His contract with Alec Bradley was ending, and he was thinking of moving on.

The brainstorming phase focused on what this should look like. It felt like building a brand. We were creating a story completely from scratch. Brandon and Jeff would be there alongside me, working on the variations of tobacco we wanted to use.

Aside from that, it was more about what story you want to tell. That’s where Salt of the Earth comes from.

Salt of the Earth is what I think of when I think of the type of man my grandfather was. That’s the type of man I am. That’s the type of man I want to be known as. I don’t want to veer away from his teachings and my upbringing. So that was the name. That’s the brand. But then I thought, now, what’s the blend?

I wanted to dig deep into the Dominican roots. One thing that was near and dear to me was the Andullo. My grandfather used to harvest tobacco and process it into Andullo. The beautiful part is that to get a final product, you have to let it sit for a couple of years.

The typical farmer in the Dominican Republic will do it for a year and a half. Then, they’ll sell them at any local grocery store. That’s what the common man smokes in the Dominican Republic. They chew it as well. So it’s pipe tobacco and chewing tobacco. That’s what my grandfather produced his entire life.

In the 50s, he opened up a farmer’s market in Santiago. It’s still there today. Alongside tobacco, he had dairy products, eggs, and produce. The first cigar I ever smoked had Andullo tobacco. My grandfather used to walk around with a little pipe filled with Andullo tobacco. And he would roll his own box-pressed cigars with Andullo. It’s not a delicacy there.

I learned to look at Andullo tobacco in a new way. I never saw it at a PCA. It never appealed to the American consumer. I wanted to reinvent that.

We landed on two blends that eventually became the Salt of the Earth: the Cameroon Piedra Viva and the Corojo Piedra Angular.

When it comes to blending cigars, we’re not trying to do anything trendy. As creative director, Jeff Moss has focused on making sure we don’t lose that legacy within the brand. All the visuals, the ring, and the PCA booth must reflect the legacy. The magazine advertisements also need to honor that tradition. Everything must include a modern twist.

I don’t want to be a boutique company that feels that it needs to come out with the latest and greatest every year. There are only so many ways to roll a cigar. If we’re here to make money, we’re here for the wrong reasons. If I wanted to make money, I’d go back to crypto. Making cigars is a passion project for me. I want to make sure that we’re putting everything into every blend. We’re making what we love.

Cigar Farm and the Fair Distribution of Profits

Cigar Life Guy: You take pride in the fair distribution of profits. Can you explain what that looks like?

Juan Lugo: I can say with confidence that most cigar manufacturers don’t own their farms or harvest their own tobacco. That may sound controversial, but when you go into these countries, people can get away with more than they can in the United States. I’m merged between both worlds: a U.S. veteran and citizen. I also have strong ties to my Dominican Republic heritage. Because of that, we do a few things differently.

Aside from having a fully working farm year-round, we don’t just hire people seasonally. That’s controversial with many tobacco manufacturers that have plants in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. We hire people year-round. We don’t fire people because the season’s over, and let people fend for themselves and their families for six months. I don’t think that’s right. What I decided to do was farm-to-fork.

We had this extremely fertile land in the Dominican Republic. As it is, we can’t grow tobacco year-round. Mother Nature doesn’t permit it, but crop rotation is good for the nutrients in the soil. So, we rotate crops and keep the soil rich. It also allows me to keep my folks employed.

We have been growing squash. I hired my cousin as the director of operations at the farm. He spoke to local supermarkets to find out what produce was needed most, something that would not disturb the nutrients in the soil for tobacco. We’re on our third harvest of squash. We usually do our tobacco harvest in February.

I have a big ceremonial event. I invite all the local workers. We sit together, throw a feast, and party. There’s music, food, and obviously cigars. Then we do it again when we have our squash harvest in August. We invite all the families.

Our company is a family in and of itself. We have a big cookout with a traditional Dominican stew called Sancocho that incorporates a lot of squash. That’s the first step. That is something that hasn’t come up in some of these cigar-related interviews. One of my personal goals is to give back to the community. That’s important to me. Keeping people employed full-time year-round is step two.

Step three is setting up ways to help kids in impoverished countries. We want them to access things considered foundational in the United States. These essentials aren’t easily available in other places. We’re talking about everything from auxiliary English to STEM. We’re also talking about anything related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I’m passionate about it because I’ve seen the difference it makes. I want to do that through our company.

Passions Beyond Cigars

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

Juan Lugo: I just answered a lot of that in the last question (laughs)! I’m open on social media, so you’ll see all of my announcements there. Shooting a bow or shooting guns are some of the fun things I learned in the military. As it pertains to business, it’s difficult to go into PCA as a boutique guy and make major dents in the universe. For me, it’s about giving back to my community in the Dominican Republic and my family.

I was finally able to take my kids to the farm. My twins were born at the same time as the company. It’s been symbolic of how the company went from its infancy to its crawling phase. I had a dream for my wife and kids; I wanted them to visit the farm. I imagined them walking three minutes to their grandparents’ house. Over the summer, we were able to do that. Seeing it in action was so great. That’s what it’s about for me. I truly love the country and giving back. That’s what our company is about.

Follow Juan on Instagram and check out the latest from Don Doroteo Cigars.

Photo credit: Juan Lugo

Figurado Cigars: Here’s What You Need to Know

Posted on June 12, 2022 by Staff

What’s the difference in the physical look of cigars when comparing one with another? The question is more common than you might think. To the novice, all cigars look the same. They are long, cylindrical, and rounded at one end, and flat at the other. This most common and simplest cigar construction is called a parejo. However, if you’ve been part of the cigar lifestyle for a while, then you probably know the term figurado. These cigars deviate from traditional shapes. Their construction is more complex. So, how do you tell the difference among cigars when you’re new to cigar lifestyle? We’ll break it down for you. Here’s everything you need to know about figurado cigars, and why you should try one of them the next time you light up.

Figurado Cigars Come In Many Shapes

Figurado cigars are not rolled in the traditional style of the parejo. Most have tapered ends and some contain oblong bulges with more binder and fill. The most common figurados are the Pyramid, Torpedo, Belicoso, and, of course, the Perfecto.

Pyramids and Torpedoes

These two styles appear similar, and they are similar in length and ring gauge. However, the traditional pyramid has a slightly thicker foot that tapers to the pointed cap. A torpedo is shaped like a conventional parejo (think of a traditional Toro), but like the pyramid, a torpedo tapers at the head.

Belicosos

Belicoso cigars are the smallest figurado, about the size of Robusto. It’s easy to mistake these for a parejo. Many cigar enthusiasts view Belicoso cigars as a kind of hybrid because the tapering at the head is softer and more rounded.

Perfecto

Perhaps the most distinct of the figurado cigar shapes are the perfecto. These smokes feature a tapered foot and a conic head. At first glance, a novice might not know which end to light. However, cigar aficionados and seasoned smokers know that many Perfecto cigars, like the Arturo Fuente Hemingway line, are rolled with a tiny nub or nipple at the foot. This makes for easy lighting.

The Quality and Complexity of Figurado Cigars

So what’s all the fuss about? There’s a good reason those figurado cigars often come with a higher price tag. Remember, cigar rolling is an art form, and figurados have a far more intricate construction than parejos.

Only master rollers craft figurado cigars. Since it takes about 10 years to become a master, these cigar rollers earn the distinction through experience, rolling, and through their ability to blend and bunch the tobacco. The irregular shapes and variation of size throughout the body of the cigar also make them more difficult to roll.

It’s not just the construction that makes these cigars top-shelf. It’s the complexity of the taste. A cigar is composed of three parts: filler, binder, and exterior wrapper. When you smoke a Perfecto, for instance, the first few draws contain mostly flavor from the exterior wrapper. As you smoke the thicker sections of the cigar, you’ll taste more of the filler and binder. Finally, when the cigar tapers toward the end, the balance and blend of all three tobaccos emerge. Some smokers refer to this as a “turn.” A figurado cigar can contain several turns. Whatever you want to call it, figurados are best savored all the way to the nub.

Cutting and Lighting a Figurado Cigar

Obviously, the tapered ends of torpedoes and perfectos rule out using a punch. Those finely constructed tapered heads deliver a tighter more concentrated draw than a parejo. You can use a v-cutter, but a straight cutter works best. Be careful not to cut too deep into the tapered cap. Remember, experiencing the varying flavors as the cigar reaches its end is one of the best part of enjoying a figurado cigar.

Don’t worry about how to light most figurados. Torpedoes, Pyramids, and Belicoso cigars usually have a traditional foot like any parejo. However, don’t make the mistake of torching the fat end of perfecto! The tiny knob at the end is all you need to light. The draw may be slow at first, but be patient. Enjoy the first surge of flavor, and kick back for a dynamic smoking experience.

Photo credit: Cigar Life Guy

Smoke Odor Eliminators: 4 Ways to Fight the Smell

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Staff

A cigar aficionado loves the aroma of a fine cigar, but the smell clings to clothes and furniture. The good news is there are easy ways to fight the effects of a fine cigar with smoke odor eliminators.

Whether you’re celebrating a wedding, graduation, retirement party, or simply sitting down to relieve stress, a good cigar is all about ritual. It’s no wonder relaxing amidst the aroma of a premium cigar is often a transcendent experience. But the 21st century hasn’t been kind to cigar smokers. One person’s ritual is another person’s “smoke smell,” and the smoke odor has staying power. Cigar ash creates noncombustible minerals like potassium and magnesium, and like cooking odors, it clings to clothing, car upholstery, and furniture fabrics.

Household Cleaners as Smoke Odor Eliminators

If you live in colder climates, there’s no avoiding having to smoke inside. Cigar lounges are equipped with ventilation systems, and building a smoking room is an option, but if you’re looking to enjoy a cigar at home and are worried about lingering odors, you won’t need to get too creative. Household cleaners are all you’ll need.

Setting out bowls of vinegar for a few hours will absorb odors rather than merely mask them. Baking soda also absorbs smells. Sprinkle baking soda on furniture fabrics and carpets and let it stand for a few hours or overnight. Vacuum the excess with a hose attachment, and the room will have no trace of a cigar.

Air cleanses remain one of the most effective ways to rid a room of odors. When all else fails, open a window and let Mother Nature do her work.

Commercial Smoke Odor Eliminators

Commercial air purifiers from companies like Dyson work well but can be expensive. An economical and more compact solution is Lampe Berger™ (pronounced: Bershay). These oil lamps were originally used to disinfect morgues and hospitals, so eliminating odors from a Robusto or Toro won’t be a problem. Using state-of-the-art catalytic combustion technology, they became a staple in smoking clubs in the early 1900s.

Some designs have become collectibles, but there is no need to get fancy. Basic models are inexpensive and can purify a 400-square-foot room in about an hour and remove 68% of the bacteria.

Protecting Clothes with a Smoking Jacket

Cigar life is all about special occasions, and sometimes that means being dressed in your best. Dry cleaning will remove smells from formal wear, but everyday clothes are a different story.

Smoking jackets, long associated with Hugh Hefner and the Playboy mansion, were not just novelties. They protected clothes from smoke and ash. Because most are made from silk, they don’t absorb smoke odors like porous materials. It wasn’t just “Hef” who wore one. In the 1950s, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, and Cary Grant all wore smoking jackets as part of their formal attire. Smoking jackets are still around, but there are other options if you simply want to freshen your clothes after a smoking event with friends.

Removing Smoke Smells from Clothing and Fabrics

Eliminating odors from clothing doesn’t have to be a chore. Over-the-counter products, like Febreze™, are effective, but all-natural cleansers and household products are all you need.

Washing clothes with a half cup of white vinegar removes stubborn odors. Sprinkling baking soda and letting it stand for a few hours before running clothes through the wash also works wonders. Hanging your clothes outside may sound old-fashioned, but fresh air with the added benefit of a sun cleanse (not for too long — UV rays can fade colors) will have clothes smelling like new.

Photo credit: Unsplash

Prevent Cigar Mold From Ruining Your Stash

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Staff

If you’ve spent any time amassing a collection of cigars in your humidor, the thought of cigar mold has undoubtedly crossed your mind, and rightfully so. As cigar smokers know, there are few scenarios more terrifying than an entire stash of expensive smokes ruined by the forces of nature, leaving the owner of the furry mess devastated — not to mention smokeless.

As critical a facet of the hobby as it is, cigar mold is one of the more ambiguous topics in the realm of the homegrown tobacco enthusiast, which may have something to do with the cornucopia of opinions that the subject conjures. A cursory search through any cigar forum will illustrate that it is a topic wrought with confusion and debate.

In this article, we’ll look at common talking points surrounding the matter — the causes of mold and how one should avoid it. Finally, we’ll ponder the toxicity of cigar mold and the potential for saving a moldy cigar.

What is Cigar Mold?

As the ‘A students’ will have probably guessed by now, cigar mold is a fungus that grows on cigars subjected to specific environmental conditions. But, if we’re getting technical, mold is more of a catch-all for the wide varieties of fungi that thrive in the oxygen-rich, moist home that a subpar approach to humidor husbandry can inadvertently provide.

Candida parapsilosis and Penicillium ascomycetous are two common fungal names provided by a cigar mold study performed by an Australian biotech laboratory. Cigar mold feeds on natural sugars secreted from the tobacco leaves. It can appear in many colors — white, red, green, blue, or yellow. The fungi reproduce at an alarming rate, sending millions of airborne spores to dance the Maduro mambo all over your precious cargo, so vigilance is vital.

How to Prevent Cigar Mold

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; that’s how the argument goes, anyway. And there’s no exception when we’re talking about cigar mold. Avoid the avoidable. Whether your cigar stash is worth a couple of hundred dollars or several thousand, a quality collection is an investment. Nobody wants to toss their investment in the garbage over something easily avoidable. Attention to detail in the following categories will pay dividends and help you save your smokes.

Prevent Mold with Digital Humidity Control

Number one on the list is — you guessed it — humidity. An adequately controlled humidity level is critical to preventing cigar mold from growing inside your humidor. Of course, this assumes that you’ve invested in a quality humidor and taken the time to season it.

To avoid moldy cigars, carefully maintain your humidor between 65% and 70% relative humidity. The most precise way to do this is to use a digital hygrometer. Think precision — while an analog hygrometer might suffice in the early stages of a collector’s journey, there’s just no comparison to the accuracy of its digital successor. They’re also pretty inexpensive, ya cheap-o.

You Used What in Your Humidor?

When you’re in a pinch, it might seem tempting to use tap or bottled water in our humidity reservoirs. Yet, you may be pouring that water over the cigars themselves. Using these liquids is equivalent to setting up a tiny neon vacancy sign for mold. The mold spores might already live in the water. Alternatively, distilled water or propylene glycol significantly reduces cigar mold risk in your humidor. Humidity pouches also make a convenient alternative if you’re looking for a little plug-and-play action. The best part is you don’t need to refill them.

Know Your Cigar Source

Would you allow someone you didn’t know to enter your home, roll on your bed, make a sandwich, or take the Cadillac for a spin? Of course not! Try to think of your humidor similarly. Limit your suppliers to trustworthy vendors to minimize the risk of introducing mold into your stable of healthy sticks. You might find killer deals from poorly established, less-than-reputable online sources. But, ask yourself, is it worth the potential of contaminating your entire collection with even one contaminated cigar?

Is Cigar Mold Dangerous?

To address mold dangers precisely, you need to know what mold is growing on your cigar. Many of the molds that we encounter are harmless. But, many are nothing more than an aesthetically unpleasant nuisance. Unsurprisingly, there are also no shortages of toxic mold variants waiting to do lasting damage. So, how do you know the difference?

Ask any cigar aficionado, and you’ll likely hear different opinions. However, the general rule is if it’s white, brush it off and smoke away. However, if it’s blue or green, toss the stick.

For many, any mold on the foot of the cigar is the point of no return; this also shows that the cigar mold has gone deeper than the wrapper. Ultimately, it boils down to a subjective risk assessment. However, an important point to consider is the mitigations to avoid humans ingesting mold within the confines of a home or a building.

Can You Save Your Cigar?

Remove the contaminated sticks from the humidor if you plan on salvaging and smoking a moldy cigar. Then inspect your remaining cigars like a hungry Capuchin monkey looking for fleas. Remember, cigar mold spreads quickly. So quarantine your contaminated smokes fast to prevent more significant problems later.

You can then brush the mold from the cigar with a soft paintbrush, taking care not to damage the wrapper. If the mold brushes right off, you’re in the clear. If it doesn’t, you can dip a Q-Tip in some 151-proof rum or the like and spot-treat the stick like a civil war field surgeon. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the taste of victory over nature.

Photo credit: Unsplash | Sandy Millar

How to Launch a Successful Cigar Podcast

Posted on May 8, 2021 by Staff

Over the last decade, one of the dominant trends in media has been the emergence of podcasts. These informative, sometimes entertaining digital audio files have grown in popularity. You’ll find podcasts for nearly every niche, including cigar lifestyle. In fact, 9to5Mac’s analysis of industry data suggests there are over 2.5 million podcasts out there, 720,000 of them with ten or more episodes (indicating some measure of staying power). So, if you’re thinking about launching a cigar podcast of your own, then there are a few things to consider. We’ve interviewed Reggie Kimble of The Stickman Podcast for some great insider know-how.

Meet Reggie Kimble: The StickMen Podcast

With literally millions of people “doing a podcast” joining them sounds easy and maybe even fun. Cigar Life Guy caught up with Reggie Kimble who runs the growing The StickMen Podcast. Kimble was kind enough to share some real-world learning about what’s involved with launching a cigar podcast. Spoiler alert: It’s a lot of work.

Cigar Life Guy (CLG): Tell me about your podcast? When did you start? Who’s your target market/core audience member?

StickMen (SM): We launched on January 1st, 2020 targeting those who participate in the cigar lifestyle and enjoy a quality single malt or bourbon whiskey in the process. We began as an interview-style podcast. We focused on bringing the local (Atlanta) influencers in the cigar and whiskey community as guests.

CLG: What motivated you to start the podcast?

SM: I’ve had a nice career in FinTech (Financial Technology). Looking towards the future, I decided I would really love to do something that requires effort but doesn’t feel like work. My initial vision was for this just to be a blog. Through the advice of others, I launched the podcast shortly after launching The StickMen blog. I quickly learned that many blogs are considered somewhat passe as a sole business and what I really needed to do was create a podcast and, for me, the cigar and whiskey lifestyle is a very visual one, so the decision was made to focus on YouTube as our primary platform and including video.

CLG: How has the brand been received?

SM: The cigar lounge owners in Atlanta have been phenomenal in their support of what we are doing. They often give us great business suggestions that we put into action as well as making introductions to other lounges throughout the city. We believe the quality of our final production speaks for itself and does nothing but help promote the lounge and the personality of the lounge in a positive way. Also, our fellow SOTL and BOTL seem to really enjoy learning about the individuals who make the lifestyle go.

As we’ve evolved over the past year, we’ve added whiskey and cigar reviews with our own little twist. To help with the reviews, we added a new on-camera team member, Sean Simpson, aka StickMan SIMP to help deliver the reviews and participate in the occasional sessions with guests. Our approach is kind of “Reviews for Dummies.” Obviously, we aren’t “dummies” because we do know more about cigars than the average person but by no means are we experts and we want the conversation to resonate with our average viewer who also isn’t an expert. We try not to take ourselves too seriously. We’re just regular folks enjoying the cigar lifestyle. We are simply StickMen promoting other StickMen (and StickWomen) if you will.

Behind-the-scenes of a Cigar Podcast

CLG: How do you promote your brand?

SM: We have promoted almost exclusively via Instagram and word of mouth in the local Atlanta market. StickMen isn’t a household name and I’m not a celebrity so it’s mostly guerilla marketing all the way for us, as we are learning that to build this type of business, being present is required. I learned that I must become more of a night owl and network with fellow enthusiasts to better understand the type of content other enthusiasts want to see and what would resonate the most. I probably spend 3-4 nights per week on average in lounges promoting what we are doing on StickMen.

CLG: What are a couple of things you’d do differently if you were starting over?

SM: I would have a much healthier respect for how to properly promote your business via social media. I took a lot for granted there and just posted a bunch of stuff without a real strategy behind it. I had a great deal of activity without a defined purpose or structure and I would say that I am very much still figuring things out. We’ve learned a lot and will continue to be flexible, evolving as our audience evolves. Having said all of that I would have spent more time learning the business side of podcasting. It truly impacts the content that you select. Had I done better homework upfront and I would have discovered that integrating the reviews into my strategy was a necessary step.

Hire Help with Cigar Podcast Production

CLG: What’s the best advice you’d give to someone getting started or thinking about launching a cigar podcast?

SM: Learn the business of podcasting first. Of course, you need to bring some passion and energy to the table for whatever your subject matter is but without knowing the business side, you will burn a ton of unproductive time. Also, if you can afford to, outsource your video and audio editing. It is one of the most time-consuming aspects of podcasting and takes away from valuable time that you should be focused on building your business. It’s ok for the show to be produced by someone else and you sign off on all final content. Do not try to do the work yourself! There are people who can do it better and faster!

New Content Every Week is Critical

CLG: I imagine consistency is important?

SM: You can’t miss a week, period! Meaning you should establish your schedule and stick to it. Part of creating a podcast is that your audience must be able to “trust” that your content will be there when they want it. Once they become a fan and are vested in your content, nothing is more disappointing than to look for your show and it is not there. Also, that same consistency is what will attract new listeners/viewers. Posting an episode every now and then will tell people that you’re not that serious about this, so why should they be?

CLG: What are several tactics that were particularly effective in promoting your podcast?

SM: Hiring help with video and audio production! Getting advice from other successful podcasters, who educated me on the business side of podcasting which led to a more strategic approach to how I marketing the show and finally being more present in the cigar and whiskey community. It wasn’t enough to talk about it once per week on my podcast, I had to live it. Be more present and part of the lifestyle, which incidentally is not a problem at all. More puffing, more sipping, and more chatting with cool people??? Sign me up!

CLG: Are there any things you or podcasters, in general, spend too much time worrying about that really isn’t that important?

SM: We spend too much time thinking about content that we “think” is good content vs. creating content that resonates with your audience. Of course, your content must be a reflection of your personality and how you perceive things but if it only interests you and no one else; it may be great self-therapy, but you probably don’t have a business, you have a hobby.

Cigar Podcast Startup Costs Vary

CLG: What does someone need to get started? What kind of equipment do you need to produce a high-quality podcast with a video similar to your cigar podcast?

SM: Actually, you just need a decent camera. Yes, the phone camera can be good enough based on what you are trying to accomplish. There are some successful podcasters who do everything with an iPhone. To get a more polished look, however, investing in a decent DSLR Camera in the $550 – $700 range will do the trick. Of course, you can go much higher than that if you want something high end but it’s not necessary. Also, my costs are a bit higher because I go on location for most of my videos. We usually film in a lounge or some remote location vs. an actual studio. So, I’ve had to invest in tools that help me be more mobile.

CLG: Thanks, Reggie!

SM: I’ve enjoyed it!

Here’s how to find The StickMen Podcast:

StickMen website – https://stickmen.blog

Youtube link – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkPJu3c06vRA38Qqfj2FEHg

IG link – https://www.instagram.com/thestickmenblog/?hl=en

Photo credit: Reggie Kimble

Do Astronauts Smoke Cigars in Outer Space?

Posted on September 5, 2020 by Staff

An asteroid named Oumuamua that distinctly resembled a cigar captivated the scientific world. It even had a reddish glow on one end, which made it appear lit as it traveled through space. The design so baffled scientists and amateur astronomers that many believed it was an alien vehicle on cruise control. While Oumuamua is the first known voyager from another universe, it was not an alien vehicle. It also wasn’t a cigar, which begs the question, “Do astronauts smoke cigars in outer space?”

The Right Stuff

Outer space has enamored Hollywood since the days of silent films. Blockbusters like The Right Stuff and Apollo 13 gave tremendous insight into the astronauts’ tastes and exercise routines. In 1959, NASA prohibited the “Original Seven” astronauts from smoking cigars and cigarettes. While that ban may have applied to the astronauts, it never prevented the Mission Control team from lighting up celebratory cigars – especially in the case of the nearly doomed Apollo 13 mission!

Heroes Smoke Cigars

The astronauts from the space program’s early days remain legends today. The first American in outer space, Alan Shepard, loved cigars as did the first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong. As the Cold War gathered steam, they adhered to a strict code; no Cuban cigars. However, when John Glenn completed the first Mercury orbital flight, he received his weight in Cuban cigars upon return.

The Space Race and Cigars

Just because astronauts can’t smoke cigars in space doesn’t mean they gave up cigars entirely. Many bring a trophy cigar to enjoy immediately upon splashdown. Cigar makers got into the space race as well. Alec Bradley was the first cigar maker to “officially” launch cigars into outer space. They attached 30 Alec Bradley Mundial cigars to a specially rigged weather balloon launched with the FAA’s blessing. They reached the stratosphere before plummeting to earth via parachute and immediately smoked in celebration!

Celebrating Dads in Outer Space

Randolph Bresnik became a father while stationed on the International Space Station. Videos surfaced of him “floating” cigars to his fellow astronauts while experiencing zero gravity.

The payloads for astronauts are scheduled down to the ounce to account for maximum capacity on long voyages. Still, Bresnik was given special clearance by NASA to celebrate the achievement. None of them lit up, as astronaut Wally Schirra once pointed out. The effects of the smoke and the trace chemicals in cigars are potentially corrosive. Aside from that, the enhanced oxygen atmosphere presents a significant fire risk and is incredibly dangerous!

To Smoke Cigars on Mars and Beyond

There has been discussion for decades about colonizing the moon and Mars. If cigar-loving astronauts have any say in the matter, one of the first buildings will be an exclusive cigar lounge! There are evident complications with smoking cigars in space due to the need for pure oxygen. Yet, there is one thing the Apollo 13 astronauts have taught us – difficult situations demand creative solutions!

Relations with Cuba are better than in the decades since the first astronauts went to outer space. So, it’s probably safe to assume that Cuban cocktails and cigars will eventually find their way to outer space!

Photo credit: “Neil A. Armstrong – Astronaut Edwin Eugene ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, Jr. on Moon (1969)” by luvi is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

How to Spot a Fake Cuban Cigar

Posted on February 23, 2020 by Staff

For decades, there has been a market for counterfeit Cuban cigars. People can easily get duped as, on the outside, many of these Cubans look quite convincing. Some of them even smoke okay—although, if you know what you are doing, you can certainly tell the difference. Thankfully, there are ways to tell if your Cuban is legit. Here’s our guide to how to spot a fake Cuban cigar.

The Fake Cuban Cigar

One of the easiest ways to tell if you are dealing with a fake Cuban cigar is if it’s unbanded. If your Cuban doesn’t have a band on it, odds are, it’s a fake. Un-banded cigars are often sold on street corners in Cuba to unsuspecting tourists. These, obviously fake, Cubans are hardly the main problem, as some fake Cubans come with counterfeit bands and even in counterfeit boxes. That is when it gets a bit more difficult to tell what you’re dealing with before you buy.

Signs of a Fake Cuban Cigar

The first thing to realize is that you are always more at risk for buying a fake Cuban if the cigar you are buying is expensive, and not actually purchased in Cuba. That’s not to say you can’t buy a legitimate Cuban cigar in the U.S. or online, you simply need to be more careful.

Habanos Seal

All real Cuban cigars are packed in boxes with what is called the Habanos Seal.

The Habanos Seal should always be present on the upper left-hand side of your cigar box, approximately 3 to 6 mm from the edge. It should also usually bend up to the front right over the center of the Cote d´Arms. The only time the seal won’t bend up like this and go over the Cote d’Arms is on very large cigar boxes.

Source: http://www.habanos.com/en/verificacion-de-autenticidad/

Size, Shape, and Symmetry

This is a common-sense tip that says your cigar box should look and feel sturdy and official. Also, inside the box, the Cubans should all be the same length and color. If the box looks flimsy or the cigars inside are different sizes or colors, you are probably dealing with a fake Cuban cigar.

The ‘Made in Cuba’ Stamp

All Cuban cigar boxes should have a ‘Made in Cuba’ stamp on their left. As of 2010 all of these stamps include a hologram. The hologram is an important thing to check for because they are hard and expensive to copy. Do not buy Cubans that are in a box without a hologram.

Source: http://www.habanos.com/en/el-mundo-del-habano/signos-de-distincion/

Bottom of the Cigar Box

Starting in the 60s, another change was made to distinguish real Habano Cuban cigars from imitators. To ensure authenticity, all you need to do is check the bottom of the Habano Cuban cigar box. Each box of legit sticks contains the hot-stamped words: Hecho en Cuba.

Then, in 1994, another stamp made its way to the cigar boxes. This new stamp read: Habanos s. a. Of course, the name of the cigar company was stamped after this. Before this, namely between 1985 and 1994, the name was simply Cubatabaco. Today, however, you’ll see the boxes marked as Totalmente a Mano.

Source: http://www.habanos.com/en/el-mundo-del-habano/signos-de-distincion/

Finally, the stamp on the bottom of the cigar box should also include two ink marks. Think of it as a kind of secret code. These marks tell industry-insiders which of the country’s factories made the cigars. And the other number shows is the month and the year when the cigars were boxed (see below).

Source: http://www.habanos.com/en/el-mundo-del-habano/signos-de-distincion/

Beware of ‘Barber Pole’ Cigars

Some counterfeit sellers will try to sell cigars with more multiple multi-colored bands. This is a clear indicator the person you are dealing with is selling you a fake, as no real Cubans come with more than one band.

Beware of Edición Limitada

If you are going to buy one of the highly priced and rare Edición Limitada cigars, be careful! They are among the most counterfeited cigars. Keep in mind that Edición Limitada cigars are exceedingly rare. The Cuban government only allows three of them to be made and issued every year. So, unless you are dealing with a legitimate vendor, odds are, the person if not selling you a legit Edición Limitada.

Aside from the specific Edición Limitada cigar, you should be wary of any kind of special edition cigar that is not sold to be a legitimate vendor. And, remember, the only way you can really tell if you are dealing with a legitimate vendor is if all of his Cuban cigars have all the already described markings! Don’t assume simply because a vendor has a nice shop or looks the part the Cubans he is selling you are authentic.

Know What a Real Cuban Costs

Fake cigars sometimes trick people by being too expensive or too cheap. In the latter case, sellers tell people they got a great deal for “X” reason and that is why their prices are so low. With overpriced Cuban cigars, potential buyers will basically sell themselves on the fake cigars by thinking that “well, it’s so expensive. How can it be a fake?”

You can do online research or talk to an expert to find out roughly what the different real Cuban cigars should cost. If, for example, you see a Montecristo No. 2 going for way less or way more than you know they should go for — don’t buy.

Know-How a Real Cuban Ashes

Unfortunately, you can’t do the ash test while your Cuban is still in the box, but if you can light and try at least one cigar before buying you should pay careful attention to how the cigar ashes. A true Cuban cigar should have grey or salt-and-pepper ash. If the cigar burns white ash, that’s a bad sign.

Do Not Buy Cubans in a Glass or Plastic Box

Cuban cigars should come in an all-wood box. If you see Cuban cigars sold in a partial glass or plastic box, they are probably fake.

Final Word of Advice: Try Doing a Taste Test

The final difficulty with fake Cuban cigars is that some of the better counterfeits come in authentic boxes but are not actual Cuban cigars. Therefore, it’s always better to smoke at least one cigar before you buy. This is especially true if you decide to buy from an unknown seller. Sometimes unknown sellers can sell perfectly real, great Cuban cigars. You just have to know what a real Cuban cigar looks and tastes like in order to tell. If you don’t have that kind of experience, then you are far better off staying away from the back alleys and buying from a main-street seller who you know, and can prove, is legit.

Curing Digital Headaches With a Good Cigar

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Staff

The cigar lifestyle is not a revolution. It’s not a call to stop the modern world from spinning itself sick. It isn’t about locking up cellphones in a giant humidor. You’re not forcing people to enjoy themselves without bleeps, bloops and incessant swiping. And you don’t need to force anything to blink your eyes in the dreamlike smoke of a double Robusto. Life is simpler when you clink a glass quarter-full of whiskey with your closest friends and let honest conversation fill the atmosphere. Our culture, the culture of cigar smokers, revels in its diversity and simplicity. All great men and women deserve a break from connectivity to connect with one another and a good cigar is the perfect cure to the digital headaches of our modern world.

Turn Off The Phone and Light a Cigar

Such a break from hyper-connectivity deserves a respite. It’s also crucial to preserving your mental health. Researchers have even linked heavy smartphone usage and exacerbated anxiety and depression. Everyday stressors compound the division and corrosion of your attention span and lead to more digital headaches. We live in an era that inundates us with digital communication. Yet, that same digital communication proves inferior to simple one-on-one conversation. The average human attention span has decreased by a staggering thirty-three percent over the past two decades. Meanwhile, smartphones have moved from the periphery to the essential. So, how does this relate to your smoke? We’re glad you asked.

When you embrace cigar lifestyle, you embrace relaxation and you say “No” to all those distractions and digital headaches of our distracted world. Your slow inhale is an overarching credo. It’s a rejection of the poisonous and perpetual distraction of the digital age. When you set your cellphone to silent, you take your life back. You take back aspects of what you sacrificed to the convenience of apps and social media feeds. You also rekindle sheer joy with the soft crackle and burn of a prized Churchill. But, these are all good things. You are rejecting a dangerous sense of isolation. Instead, you’re replacing it with a face-to-face, glass-to-glass community of like-minded cigar connoisseurs.

Talk Face-to-Face With Real People Over a Cigar

The long-term effects of limited direct social interaction are coming into focus. The results are disturbing. When you limit face-to-face conversation and interaction, you nearly double your risk of depression. In effect, you’re taking back our minds and our hearts in the glow of a butane torch. You’re lifting your emotional well-being into the rising smoke of your favorite Double Coronas.

Cigar smokers quilt a patchwork of amazing memories in cigar lounges and living rooms. It’s easy to do when you’re watching the slow burn of a savored Cuban or Dominican. It’s a lifestyle of leisure over letdown. It is a community of people over performance. It’s not a Luddite full of the rejection of cellphones and computers, smart TVs and tablets. That’s a silly mode of thinking in a world where technology’s proliferation comes with tangible benefit. It’s a cure to all those digital headaches that keep piling up amid the modern technology takeover. Yet, the cigar life functions as a vintage step back into a forward stepping world. It allows us to tend to our flames with pride, pushing the personal back into our lives. When we smoke, we taste and we smell and we talk and we simply live.

We’re not downloadable.

That is the most beautiful thing and worthy of lighting one up with the ones we love and laugh with.

photo credit: Pixabay

A Good Gentleman is Like a Fine Cigar

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Staff

There is a gentleman’s code that serves as the insulation of the best cigar lounges and smoke-filled cafes. Every door we hold open for a woman reflects that code without so much as passing anxiety about modern taboos. It’s present in the respectful hush between sentences when a compatriot takes a thoughtful drag off a prized Panetela, letting the next word of their story come at its own pace.

Vintage integrity and values don’t just have a place in the cigar lifestyle. They’re critical to what makes it so damn unique and refreshing in a modern world full of keyboard warriors trafficking in cheap wit and even cheaper disrespect. We’re not men (and women) of passing whims. Our tastes, our core beliefs, even our very diversity is ‘gentleman’ by its very nature.

An Honest Gentleman is the Only Gentleman

Cigar aficionados are honest about their passions. We’re not looking to put on a show for friends, relationship interests, or anyone in general. We don’t pretend to smoke Cubans because it’s a risque buzzword and makes us seem cool to someone. We’re not worried about being cool at all. We let our honesty guide us. We use it when selecting the right cigar at our local tobacconist. And, we use it in the tenor of our conversations on the golf course.

Being a gentleman is being honest with who you are and what you love. The dating app Zoosk combed over three million profiles. It found that men and women alike use the word honest the most in describing their ideal of the perfect mate. In a world where people hide their personalities behind computer screens, cigar smokers put the pretense aside. Not to be cool or attractive, mind you. It’s the gentleman thing to do.

Fine Cigars and Fine Gentlemen

In short, it all boils down to being genuine. We’re meticulous in choosing the right taste, the right heft and the right flavor of cigars. We genuinely want to relax and unwind. It’s not because we’re trying to play status games with a mobster’s Belicoso hung from our lips. Being genuine and true to oneself is crucial for a gentleman to enjoy the cigar lifestyle. It’s also huge for our health and self-confidence. Genuine self-compassion lowers our overall risk for developing depression and anxiety. It makes us more optimistic and more kind in our daily interactions.

A true gentleman never puts a damper on the party. He never drags his emotional baggage into the cigar lounge. We love ourselves enough to only buy the finest cigars and engage in the most rewarding of after-work conversations. We never put undue stress on ourselves or others. That’d be like helping an elderly lady across the street only to talk her ear off about how overwhelmed you are at work. A gentleman doesn’t need to whine when he’s comfortable with himself. He knows he has a relaxing treat waiting for him at home in his humidor.

The Code of Cigar Smokers Can’t Be Taught

Classic without trying. Relaxed without some sort of new-age technique or lame self-help jargon. The gentleman’s guide to the cigar lifestyle isn’t long and wordy. If you need a reminder to give her your coat when it’s cold outside, you don’t even know the language necessary to read it.

Are you all about appearances? Do smoke the “right” cigar brands because you want the “right” people to see you the “right” way? If so, then you’re not playing in the same ballpark. A gentleman is honest, genuine, and measured in his approach. We smoke cigars to enjoy ourselves and our free time. We live our lives the same way, preferring to take a drag instead of being one.

photo credit: Pixabay