For over a decade, Dean Parsons has been making Epic Cigars. Originally from Canada, he left work in law enforcement to learn everything there was to know about the cigar business. Dean talks with Cigar Life Guy about his journey into the cigar world, the Canadian cigar scene, and the “epic” moments that make cigar life unique.
Dean Parsons’ First Premium Smoke
Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.
Dean Parsons: One of my first memorable cigar experiences was in early 1999. I was with some friends after a day-long ride on our Harley-Davidsons. We were in my friend’s garage, a CEO for BMO Nesbitt Burns and a world traveler. I was still in law enforcement then. His garage was an actual man cave with a loft, a vintage Triumph motorcycle, several old-school barber chairs, and artwork from his international travels. He went into his humidor and took out a box of Cuban Cohibas and a bottle of Balvenie. It was the first time I had paired cigars and scotch, and it was a surreal experience. After this, I began enjoying cigars on a weekly and monthly basis.
The Canadian Cigar Scene
Cigar Life Guy: You are originally from Canada. What is the cigar scene like there, and how does it compare to other places you’ve been?
Dean Parsons: The cigar scene in Canada is very prominent. Twenty years ago, it was mostly Cuban cigars. Today there are many more “new world cigars”- Dominican and Nicaraguan brands. Epic Cigars have been distributed in Canada since 2015. The import taxes are very high, and the average price for a premium cigar in Canada is 16-CAD 20. There are very few retail lounges but many retailers. The smoking laws in Canada are much stricter. Canadians have the same passion as most cigar aficionados worldwide. They must be more creative in finding smoking places, especially during winter. Several private member lounges around the country provide indoor smoking year-round.
From Law Enforcement to Cigars
Cigar Life Guy: You have ten years of experience in law enforcement. The cigar business is a change of pace. Tell us how you got started in the cigar industry.
Dean Parsons: I left Canada in 2005 after ten years in law enforcement. I moved to the Turks and Caicos Islands to work with a real estate development group. Finding premium cigars in Turks and Caicos was challenging, so I started traveling to the Dominican Republic to buy cigars as closing gifts for my clients. I would go a couple of times a year, and I just started meeting a lot of small factories, boutique manufacturers, and just people in the industry who were open to helping me learn about the business. I learned about tobacco, fermentation, and the process of blending cigars.
Soon after, I found a small factory to work with. I launched my first brand called “Turks Select Cigars,” a premium cigar branded specifically for the Turks and Caicos Islands. This brand was only available between 2006-2010 in the Turks and Caicos Islands. 2009 the real estate market crash hit the Turks and Caicos Islands hard. I was fortunate to land a new job with a real estate development company in the Dominican Republic.
The move to the Dominican Republic gave me more access to the country’s best boutique factories allowing me to spend more time learning about cigars from some of the industry’s most renowned experts. In 2010, I officially launched Epic Cigars. At the time, the company came out with two premium offerings: the Epic Maduro and the Epic Corojo. Both cigars were received well and remain in the Epic Cigars line of products today. I lived in the Dominican Republic for nine years and recently relocated to South Florida.
Dean Parsons and The Epic Line
Cigar Life Guy: Epic is a great name. When people smoke your cigars, what do you want them to associate with your brand?
Dean Parsons: I was fortunate to secure the Epic name and trademark when I launched the brand. When people smoke Epic, I’d like them to associate sharing #epicmoments with friends and celebrating the Epic lifestyle, whether the birth of a child or a weekend bachelor party in Las Vegas. We’ve always used the social media hashtags #liveepic #smokeepic #epicmoments #epiclifestyle.
Cigar Life Guy: That was how Nat Cicco acquired Epic. How has that partnership been, and what has it allowed you to do with the brand that you couldn’t do before?
Dean Parsons: The partnership with Nat Cicco/Zander Greg Distributors has been great. Very little has changed for me. I’m still the Founder of Epic Cigars and very much hands-on regarding all aspects of the business. We’ve drastically increased our annual production, events, travel, and marketing. We’ve also added more international retailers and distributors.
Cigar Life Guy: What’s next for Epic Cigars?
Dean Parsons: We continue growing our existing brands and introducing new product lines. We are also redesigning our core line packaging. This year we are also building a national sales and brokerage team.
Follow Dean on Instagram and check out the latest from Epic Cigars here.
Photo credit: Dean Parsons