Terence Reilly has been living the cigar life since his twenties. Spending one formative summer with his Uncle Manuel (of Quesada Cigars) in the Dominican was all it took. Now the VP Sales. & Marketing at Aganorsa Leaf, Reilly talked with Cigar Life Guy about the logistics of blending, what makes a brand distinct, and how, amidst all the contemporary isolation, sharing a fine cigar is one of the few ways for people to connect.
First Premium Cigar Experience
Cigar Life Guy: Tell me about your first premium cigar experience.
Terence Reilly: Terence Reilly is about as gringo a name you can have but I have family in the industry through my Grandmother (my father’s mother). She was a Quesada and I spent a summer once in my early twenties working for my Uncle Manuel Quesada at his factory (Matasa at the time, now Quesada Cigars). I didn’t smoke but thought spending a summer in the Dominican Republic would be fun. So I worked during the week at the factory. On Sundays, my uncle would have me over to the house and everyone would be playing cards, eating, having a drink, and, except for me, smoking cigars. After a couple of weeks, I decided to join in and I smoked a Fonseca Vintage Petite Belicoso as my first cigar. It was a perfect first smoke because it was short, light, and smooth. The rest is history.
The Cigar Industry: Blending and Branding
Cigar Life Guy: How did you first get involved in the cigar industry?
Terence Reilly: After that summer a few years went by and I was having dinner in Miami with my Uncle and he asked if I was interested in working for the family full-time in the U.S. I would have to move back to the Dominican Republic for a while to learn the business but once I got through basic training I would move back to Miami and work for the distribution office of the company there. I took him up on the offer and relocated to Santiago for about 6 months or so before returning to the U.S.
Cigar Life Guy: What should the average cigar smoker know about cigar blending? How can it help them appreciate a premium cigar?
Terence Reilly: I think most people who enjoy cigars have an appreciation for the blending aspect itself but not the logistics involved. Nearly anyone who works at it long enough can put together a fairly good blend either by luck or by skill or a little of both. The key is being able to produce that exact experience on a large scale, year after year. That is where the real talent is found. Having adequate inventories of tobacco, constantly validating crops to ensure the tobaccos used in the blend maintain the same characteristics, and making adjustments when needed- those are the real skills.
Cigar Life Guy: What is the most important thing to convey about a brand? How do you want the cigar world to perceive Aganorsa Leaf?
Terence Reilly: The most important thing to convey is what makes the brand special. That can be a lot of different things but whatever it is it must be genuine. In the case of Aganorsa, our tobacco has a signature flavor you can’t find anywhere else. The combination of the seeds we grow–specifically Corojo 99; the farms we grow our tobacco on in Jalapa, Condega, and Esteli; and the fact that we are vertically integrated and our team of Cuban Agronomists control the entire process from seed to ash creates a unique style and flavor. That signature taste and aroma are why so many great companies buy leaf from us or entrust us to make their brands, as well as why consumers choose Aganorsa when they are making their selection in the humidor. Our Leaf is Our Strength
Cigar Life Guy: What is the biggest challenge facing the cigar industry today?
Terence Reilly: There are a lot of challenges in this business. Regulation is always a threat. We are a small industry, so it has been impressive to see what organizations like PCA, CRA, and others have done to protect us from fees and regulations that threaten our survival.
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?
Terence Reilly: In a world where we can’t even work together to get rid of daylight savings, cigars truly bring people together. Our world today isolates us in so many ways from one another despite how easy technology has made it to connect. Cigars provide an opportunity for meaningful contact with our fellow humans regardless of their political, religious, or social views. That is rare today. I can’t tell you how many lifetime friendships I’ve developed with all sorts of different people through cigars and how many pre-existing relationships have been strengthened through them. For me, a cigar is an essential accouterment to great conversations.
Cigar Life Guy: What is one of your passions outside of cigars? What would people not know about you?
Terence Reilly: I love to read. I consume a fair amount of history, biographies, articles on current events, self-help, etc., but literature is my favorite. After all, in the beginning, there was the word.
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Photo Credit: Terence Reilly