I had the pleasure of meeting Matt Urbano of Urbano Cigars last month while visiting Tampa. He introduced me to his line of cigars and handed me a three-pack sampler with an Urbano Corojo, Urbano Sumatra, and Urbano Connecticut. Urbano Cigars is a boutique line offering three different wrappers. Their cigars are not mass-produced, or rushed into the market for catalog or discount wholesalers. Urbanos are solidly constructed with aged long-filler and binder tobaccos that have been triple-fermented. Urbano Cigars are rolled in the same manner as many Cubans to ensure a cool draw with an even burn, then finished with a double-cap.

I tried the Sumatra right away and was pleased with its bold taste, smooth even burn, and quality construction. Matt was on his way to the Ybor City Cigar Heritage Festival where Urbano Cigars had a tent beside the Arturo Fuente family and across the street from Cigar Rights of America (CRA). We talked cigar blends and production.

Stogie Guys: Urbano Cigars are relatively new to the market. Tell us how you got started.

Matt Urbano: My passion for cigars began 20-plus years ago while working in the restaurant industry. As an executive chef passionate about food, rich flavors, and complex textures, I worked in many restaurants and private clubs throughout the northeast. After I relocated to Tampa I quickly became steeped in the local area’s rich cigar history and became friendly with a master cigar blender that travels regularly between Tampa and the Dominican Republic. Trusting my new friend and his own palate I took my passion for flavor and teamed up with this cigar master to create the ultimate line of cigars. Urbano Cigars has a full line offering three different wrappers that will meet any cigar smoker’s needs from the casual smoker to the aficionado. I invite you to share the smooth draw and rich, complex flavors in each carefully blended and hand-rolled Urbano Cigar.

SG: Tell us a bit about the three different wrappers that you offer and a little bit about your philosophy on blends.

MU: The Urbano Corojo is a true Dominican puro with first-generation Cuban-seed tobaccos aged for three years and triple-fermented. It has a medium to full body with a reddish hue blended from carefully aged Dominican tobacco. You’ll find a hearty, complex flavor with a hint of spice at the open, followed by hints of roasted nuts and smooth cedar undertones. Wait till you spark one up: a Cuban-like flavor with nothing less than a mesmerizing and delectable aroma. Sizes and MSRPs: Robusto $7.00, Toro $7.10, Torpedo $7.20, Churchill $7.40, 6 x 60 $7.50.

The Urbano Sumatra is aged for two years and triple-fermented. It is medium-bodied with an eye-catching, chocolaty, satin wrapper. Enjoy this cigar from start to finish with the continuous flavors and solid white ash, sweet, earthy flavor turning to a creamy chocolaty smoke with a light leathery finish. The wrapper is Sumatra, the binder Indonesian, and the filler is Dominican. Sizes and MSRPs: Robusto $5.00, Torpedo $5.20, Churchill $5.40, 6 x 60 $5.50.

The Urbano Connecticut is aged for two years and triple-fermented with a beautiful, silky smooth wrapper light brown in color. Well-balanced with a cool, slow, even burn. It has tasty floral notes along with a bit of cinnamon and dash of nutmeg. An excellent choice for your morning smoke to accompany your favorite coffee. Wrapper is Connecticut Ecuadorian, and both the binder and filler are Dominican. Sizes and MSRPs: Robusto $5.00,Torpedo $5.20, Churchill $5.40, 6 x 60 $5.50.

SG: For a new cigar business, or for a cigar business in general, what kind of challenges do you currently face and what can you do about them?

MU: I strongly feel in today’s world the biggest challenges to a cigar retailer are the aggressive anti-smoking bans. Every cigar smoker, from the guy that smokes one cigar a year to the person that smokes regularly, should be a member of CRA. As a manufacturer the challenges of getting my line out to new retail shops is much harder than it sounds. You want to get to know your local retailer and get plugged into their event list. I offer brick and mortar cigar shops great deals throughout our product line along with marketing materials and support. We do not have order minimums and are open to working with the retailer to meet their needs.

SG: What sets Urbano Cigars apart from the rest of the marketplace?

MU: Our cigars are not mass-produced. We focus on quality, one cigar at a time. We do not rush the process and all of our tobacco goes through a triple fermentation.

SG: Are you offering any kind of special on your website? If I’ve never tried an Urbano Cigar, what is the best way to get started?

MU: We offer many specials on the website for people to start small and get an introduction to our lines by sample packs. We also offer excusive monthly deals though email to people that sign up to our list. I always say just don’t visit the site, sign up for our list. Our members get specials all the time. Our current special is a mixed box sampler along with a travel humidor and cutter.

SG: You had a booth at the Ybor Cigar Festival. What other trade shows or events do you plan to visit? Where can our readers meet you (other than online)?

MU: The main event that is geared towards retailers it is the yearly IPCPR. We had a booth last year in Vegas and will be in Orlando in 2012. I love to get involved with local events and am always looking to do more local events. I also support many of the local cigar store events throughout Tampa Bay. Cigar stores are my home away from home. Be sure to check out UrbanoCigars.com. Sign up to follow us and be the first to see what’s new and where we are heading!

Special thanks for Matt Urbano of Urbano Cigars for taking the time to talk with Stogie Guys. You can visit him online here.

-Mark M

photo credit: Urbano Cigars

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Cigar clubs are a great way to get together with friends, try some new cigars and spirits, check out a local cigar shop that you’ve never found time to visit, and sit and bond with your fellow cigar enthusiasts. Women have book clubs, men have cigar clubs. I recently sat down with Paul Medenwaldt, president of The Havana Nights Cigar Club from the Twin Cities, who gave me the lowdown on running a cigar club.

The club meets on the first Tuesday of every month at a shop called Little Havana Tobacco in Anoka, Minnesota. Started by a group of guys who wanted to get together with like-minded people and try new cigars, it also became a vehicle for a local cigar shop to bring more people through its doors—people who otherwise might have never stopped by.

When I asked Paul about the club’s membership and their experience as cigar smokers, he had this to say: “Most of the cigar club members are not guys that hang out on a frequent basis at cigar shops. This is their one day a month to get together with friends they may only see once a month. Most of the cigar members are beginners, but have been developing their palate over the years with the introduction to new cigars that the club smokes.

“We try to get new cigars that come to market that the members normally would not know about or try. A lot of them know what they like and only smoke those cigars, but if they enjoy a cigar the evening of the club, they will then search it out at their local shop or online.

“There are only a handful of guys who are hardcore cigar smokers that frequent local cigar shops multiple nights a week and know what cigars are available in the market. The same can be said for the spirits we sample. We do our best to present the members with unique whiskeys they would not have in their own collection, like Ardbeg or Highland Park.”

When it comes to picking cigars, like a book club would pick a book, the club tries to focus on new cigars that have come to market. “After the yearly IPCPR event,” says Paul, “I will search out cigars that manufacturers are introducing to the market. This October we are featuring the new CAO OSA Sol. It’s the first release from CAO since being acquired by General Cigar.”

But with so many new cigars to choose from, how do they decide on only one per month? “The difficult part is trying to select from so many new blends. I almost wished we met on a more frequent basis so we could have the opportunity to try all the new cigars. Our club for years voted on the following month’s cigars and spirits. The last few years the club members have put that decision in the hands of the president.”

It’s easier for one person to pick the cigar than for 30 people to decide. And some of the members don’t really care what gets smoked, they just want to socialize and try new things. There are monthly dues which go towards the purchase of cigars and spirits, so when you arrive on club night, your cigars and drinks are already there. The club also holds raffles for cigars and cigar accessories.

When I asked Paul for advice on starting a cigar club, he offered the following words of wisdom: “It’s finding like-minded people who can make a commitment once a month and are willing to try cigars they may not of tried otherwise.”

He continued: “Decide on what the purpose of the club will be. Is it an evening where people get together and just smoke a cigar and have a spirit? Will the focus be to review the cigar you are smoking and to publish those results for the rest of the world to see?

“Starting with core members who are dedicated to cigars, the word will get out and others may be interested in joining. Have the club meetings on a weekday. It may sound weird, but more people are available on weekday evenings (they are then less likely to get stinking drunk because they have to get up the next morning). But the focus should be on the cigar.”

The Havana Nights club often works with local cigar shops that are open to hosting a meeting. Some shops may be willing to stay open later if it means new cigar smokers will be visiting their shops. Shops will always have new cigars they are willing to promote to new people the evening of the cigar club.

“My experience is that I am selective when it comes to new members. You want to make sure they are there for the cigar and fellowship and not just for an evening of drinking. Start with core members who are knowledgeable and then find people who may be novices to cigar smoking but are willing to learn about new cigars. The challenge will be getting to those novices because they probably don’t hang out on a regular basis at a cigar shop and may only walk in and walk out of a cigar shop with their purchase or are online only purchasers.

“It’s about getting the word out there that a cigar club is available in a local area and using a simple website and social media to provide people with information about the club. Work with a local cigar shop, hang flyers in the shop promoting the club, and explain how it will differ from their regular visits to the cigar shop. You have to give the people a reason to show up. And write a simple constitution for the club so new members can read what they expect to get out of the club.”

Once a club is up and running it pretty much takes care of itself. Paul will arrive early to make sure all the cigars and spirits are ready for when the members arrive and greet each member as they walk in.

I had the pleasure of spending an evening with the Havana Nights Cigar Club and found it to be a very relaxed atmosphere dedicated to discussing cigars, sports, food, and whatever it is men talk about when they get together. You can imagine that I had a pretty good time. If anyone would like advice on starting or running a cigar club, Paul Medenwaldt welcomes your emails.

-Mark M

photo credit: Flickr

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Cigar City Magazine, the vision of Lisa M. Figueredo, is Tampa’s premiere magazine for information about the history of the Tampa Bay area. Lisa feels passionately about her blended culture, history, and family and started the magazine as a celebration of her heritage.

Stogie Guys: How did Cigar City Magazine get started?

Lisa Figueredo: I owed an ad agency and was up late one night working and was thinking of when my Abuelo Lee and Abuela Nena would have fresh hot Cuban bread and butter waiting for me when I woke up with some hot café con leche. Then my Abuela Nena and I would catch the bus and ride over to Ybor City for the day or sometimes my Abuelo Lee would take me to the local cigar factories to pick up the steams and waste from the tobacco leaves that he would use to spread on people’s lawns. I was thinking about how much I missed them and how I wished I could get those days back. That’s when I came up with the idea to write about my stories and the history of Tampa.

I come from a long line of people who made a difference in Tampa. My family on my father’s side boasted the first Mayor of West Tampa who was instrumental in helping Jose Martí spark the Cuban Revolution and win independence from Spain. His name was Fernando Figueredo. On my mother’s side, her Great Grandfather Enrique Henriquez was the last Mayor of West Tampa. My Great Grandmother was also Carmen Ramirez who was a famous actress from Spain and was instrumental in raising money for the local theaters in Ybor City.

SG: What is the best part about being the publisher of Cigar City Magazine?

LF: The best part is giving back to the city I grew up in and love so much, and giving a voice to its past. People don’t realize the rich history we have here in Tampa and how lucky we are to be a part of it. If one article touches one person’s heart when they realize that, that’s the best part.

SG: What makes Cigar City Magazine different from other cigar publications?

LF: Contrary to our name, we do not rate cigars or write about individual cigars. Instead, we focus our stories on the cigar factories and how they got here. We also do feature stories on famous cigar pioneers like Arturo Fuente, Angel Oliva, J.C. Newman, and more. I got the name because back in the heyday of the cigar factories, Tampa was once nicknamed “Cigar City.” By the late 1960s, after the embargo of Cuba, factories were closing and many were going to machines. The name got lost until 2005 when I resurrected it by calling the magazine Cigar City. Seems now-a-days everyone is using it: Spirit of Cigar City, Cigar City Brewery, Cigar City Tattoo Convention, Cigar City Darlings, etc. People ask me all the time if I get upset when I see people using my trademarked name and I say, “Hell no!” We are Cigar City and I’m just happy I was able to make it come back alive. Plus, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

SG: How much space do you dedicate to cigars, cigar industry trends, and Tampa’s local cigar bars and shops?

LF: It’s hard to talk about Tampa without talking about the cigar industry. Though most of our stories are about history we do try and throw in a few things for our loyal cigar connoisseur. In our last issue we did an interview with Pete Johnson, owner of Tatuaje Cigars, and we have written stories about the famous cigar families and factories. We never rate cigars nor will we ever because we are Cigar City and we love them all.

SG: One of my favorite issues is the Fidel Castro Mob issue. Are there any forthcoming stories or issues that you are really excited about?

LF: I love each and every issue, but if I had to pick three, I would say our Mob issue, our Cuba issue, and the Cigar Woman issue. You can read them online right here.

SG: Talk a bit about some of your recurring features like “Mama Knows,” “Café Con Leche,” and the “On the Town” photos. What can readers expect from these, and other regular features in the magazine?

LF: “Mama Knows” is probably one of our most widely anticipated columns. Mama does not have a subtleness about her when it comes to giving advice; she tells it like it is. We left her out of an issue one time and I almost had a revolt on our hands from the readers. Mama gets more emails than any other staff member. Our “Café con Leche” is a cool column and mainly we interview famous and even sometimes a few infamous people now and then. Our “On the Town” is a great way to thank my readers. It’s mainly photos of them at all of the events we do or go to.

SG: Who is involved in the magazine? Tell us a bit about the major contributors.

LF: Cigar City is made up of many writers who, for the most part, just want to write about the history of Tampa. Some of these writers are famous, like Scott Deitche, author of Cigar City Mafia, to the daughter submitting a story about her father that worked in a cigar factory, to the professor at a major university. Then of course we have the great historian, Emanuel Leto, who also works at the Tampa Bay History Center, who really has made this magazine possible. Paul Guzzo, who used to write for La Gaceta, gives us many great articles like “Sleeping with the Enemy,” which tells how the Hillsborough Sheriff Office traded guns to Fidel Castro for the release of Santo Trafficante, Jr.

SG: Tampa has always taken great pride in its history and Cigar City Magazine has always celebrated that history. With such a rich history of cigars, the Cuban, Spanish, and Italian cultures, baseball and bolita, how do you decide what goes into the magazine?

LF: It’s not easy. The best way I can explain it is like this: Remember when you got that first new bike and you wanted to show it off to the whole neighborhood and you just couldn’t wait? It’s like that with many of our stories. We usually always have so many in the pipeline it’s hard to choose. But I guess that’s what has kept us around for seven years…having good material for every issue.

We thank Lisa for her willingness to sit down and talk with StogieGuys.com. Please visit Cigar City Magazine on the web to find the latest issue and subscribe. Or, if you live in the Tampa area, be sure to pick up the latest copy.

-Mark M

photo credit: LinkedIn

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CAO Cigars is entering a new era, and we wanted to find out what that new era would bring for the brand’s many fans.

In 2007, the family-owned company was purchased by the Scandanavian Tobacco Group (STG). Later, in early 2010, STG merged its premium tobacco division with General Cigar (maker of Macanudo, La Gloria Cubana, Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, and many more well-known lines). Since then, a number of CAO stalwarts have left the company, including President Tim Ozgener, Chairman Gary Hyams, and Lifestyle Director Jon Huber, and CAO left Nashville to join General Cigar at its headquarters in Richmond, Virginia.

To get the scoop on what all this means for those who smoke and enjoy CAO Cigars, I talked to Ed McKenna, senior brand manager for CAO.

Stogie Guys: What is your background in cigars? How long have you been smoking, and do you remember the first cigar you really enjoyed?

Ed McKenna: I joined General Cigar several years ago, after being on the marketing team for Bacardi’s tequila portfolio. The premium cigar business shares many similarities to the world of spirits, but as I quickly learned, this industry is its own universe and to this point, I haven’t been able to compare it to any other. Since I’ve been with General Cigar, my focus has been on Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, and Excalibur cigars. Together with Rick Chandler (director of Villazon brands at GC), with the product development team at HATSA (our factory in Honduras), and with input from our consumer ambassadors, I’ve launched Upper Cut by Punch, Reposado en Cedros, and Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary. I’m now managing the CAO business full time.

I have always liked cigars. My Dad was a casual cigar smoker, and I got bitten by the bug as they say, way back in college when my friends and would go over to our local tobacconist (then, it was Tobacco Village in Delaware), and pick up a few smokes to enjoy during the weekend. Those were great times. The first cigars I remember smoking were Partagas (my father’s favorite), Macanudo, and Onyx (random, I know).

I smoked cigars regularly in college, but there’s one standout occasion with Partagas. That was with my dad. We celebrated my college graduation over a robusto, and I remember thinking that I’d remember that cigar for the rest of my life. Along with a Punch Rare Corojo at my wedding last year, that Partagas cigar will go down in history as one of my favorite smokes.

Outside of enjoying cigars at work, I still smoke cigars with my buddies and always light up during special occasions. Either way, you’ll usually see me with a CAO La Traviata, or a Punch. I also smoke competitor’s products, so I have a keen knowledge of what’s out there on the market. I love 50-54 ring gauge smokes. I don’t like a cigar usually that’s more than 5.5 inches in length. For me, robustos are the best at bringing out the flavor of a cigar.

When I first came on board at GCC, I toured the Boston area with Mark Lagace (the GC sales rep for Massachusetts), and he introduced me to the Punch Rare Corojo El Doble (we had a three-hour drive to the Mohegan Sun, so a big cigar seemed appropriate). Wow, what a cigar. I’d had my first trip planned to HATSA at that time, but that fact that Mark went to great lengths to explain to me the nuances of that cigar, the wrapper/binder/filler and how they interact, and really how to enjoy a great smoke, that helped prepare me for seeing the inner workings of the factory and gave me a firsthand understanding of the passion that people in our business have for the product. On that same trip, I participated in my first “NERF” (New England Herf), and it was then that I realized I was joining a fraternity of sorts. Cigars connect all types of people, sparking conversations between guys (and girls) who might not ever have reason to speak to each other. To me, the camaraderie that comes with enjoying a cigar is what makes this business so unique and so much fun.

SG: CAO has always had loyal fans, but many are anxious about the new corporate structure and what it means for the blends they’ve enjoyed over the years, especially when they hear about production of some lines switching factories. How can you reassure them that their favorite blends won’t be changing?

EM: This has been the question I’ve gotten more than any other, and I’m not sure how else to reassure people about the fact that we have not, or will not, change any of the CAO blends, nor have we changed the way we handcraft CAO cigars. Look at it this way: We have a dedicated fan base of consumers who love the product and we would never want to jeopardize that. Why would we even think of changing anything?

Ultimately the proof is in the pudding: There is no difference in taste between the cigars that were made before we took over the brand to the cigars we are bringing to market now. Still, I recognize that change can bring uncertainty, so that’s why I am getting out there, talking to media and to bloggers such as yourself about CAO. When we took over the brand, we never intended to change the products and we remain committed to that. Our focus continues to be on bringing CAO to the consumers that made the brands popular, maintaining CAO’s tradition of bringing new, innovative products and packaging to market, supporting the brand with marketing platforms, and promoting distribution through our dedicated sales force.

There have been a couple of brands, including Brazilia, Italia, and Mx2, which we were producing in Nicaragua and now are making in Honduras. HATSA is one of the oldest factories in Honduras, with a tradition of cigar making that spans more than 30 years. If consumers see any changes at all in our products, it will be in improved quality. The reputation for producing high quality products is why HATSA continues to be one of the most respected cigar factories in the world.

SG: What advantages do you see for the brand, both for current lines and future, to bringing CAO fully under the General Cigar umbrella?

EM: Operationally, we have carved out CAO as a separate business unit, that enjoys the benefits of the larger company overall. The brand has great opportunities. First, and foremost, with the existing CAO portfolio, we are able to utilize our decades of experience in cigar making and quality assurance to bring the best, most well-constructed, consistent-tasting cigars to the consumer.

We are also uniquely positioned to utilize our dedicated sales team to partner with our retailers by bringing innovative programs to them, and to continue to generate interest in our core offerings. Further to this point, we have the largest sales force in the premium cigar category and will bring CAO products to more retailers and consumers than ever before.

New product development is a huge advantage for CAO, now that we have the brand. We are able to utilize our vast library of tobacco inventory and processing expertise, and we can call on some of the true masters of the industry, with decades of expertise to create unique blends and packaging. In addition, we are still working with the same people at the CAO factory in Nicaragua, and have also brought in some new talent to bring fresh ideas and unique tastes to new products.

Rick Rodriguez, the director of new product development for CAO, is leading the charge on new products. Rick is a guy who was handpicked many years ago to be mentored by our cigar masters. Not only has Rick studied in the Dominican, Honduras, and Nicaragua under industry legends such as Benji Menendez and Daniel Nuñez, but he also developed blockbuster new brands while working on the La Gloria Cubana business. Having been a sales manager for General Cigar before he was chosen to become a cigar master in training, Rick has his finger on the pulse of what consumers want in a cigar and, together with the CAO team in Nicaragua, I am confident that we will make a lot more noise with CAO very soon.

Ed McKenna (left) and Rick Rodriguez (right) examine tobacco in a curing barn.

SG: People had a strong attachment not only to CAO’s cigars, but to the people they associated with CAO like the Ozgeners and Jon Huber. What plans do you have to keep a personal connection between CAO smokers and the people behind the brand?

EM: Now that the integration is complete, and considering that our new product development plans are firmly in place, I am taking it to the streets, so to say, to talk openly with media and with bloggers about our plans for the brand. We’re picking up on the social aspect of the brand by using Twitter, Facebook, and the CAO website to keep our loyal consumers apprised of what’s going on with the brand. We’re also launching our own take on “CAO All Access,” on CAO.com. This will allow us to provide detailed information on what’s going on behind the scenes with the brand. With this platform, we have more space to communicate than we do with Twitter and Facebook. Across all of these communication channels, you’ll hear from me and from Rick about what’s going on with the brand. We’re going to bring it to life even more than before with photos and videos, and we hope that dedicated CAO fans will enjoy the opportunity to be closer to the brand than ever before.

SG: There are a lot of lines under the CAO name. Are there any plans to discontinue any CAO blends or otherwise change the existing lineup? Will any of the lines (or have they already) become exclusive cigars for one retailer?

EM: To be clear, General Cigar has not discontinued any CAO lines. Vision was discontinued at the end of last year, and much of the remaining product did go to Famous. Karmasutra Splash was another line that was discontinued at the end of last year. These were decisions taken by CAO before we took over the brand. Sopranos is absolutely still in production, and it’s very popular. Even though the show ended a long time ago, I’m amazed at how many people stop me at events or at retail to profess their love for that brand.

SG: In past years CAO often made a splash at the trade show with a hot new release. What do you have planned for this year?

EM: Rick has been working with the factories and our new product development team to create a new collection which we’ll debut at IPCPR. This product features a special Honduran wrapper that we love. Unfortunately, I can’t say much else for now, other than that we will be at IPCPR with what we feel is a great new product, one that also pays homage to CAO’s tradition of packaging innovation.

SG: Besides cigars under the General/STG umbrella, what cigars are you a fan of? What beverage is your favorite to pair up with a cigar?

EM: Outside of our portfolio, I enjoy the Liga Privada as well as an occasional Padrón. I also try to sample all of the new stuff out there. So when I’m home, I pop into Havana Connections here in Richmond and when I’m on the road, I visit our customers across the country and sample cigars from our competitors. I love pairing up a cigar with water or coffee here in the office, but after hours, nothing beats a cigar with a nice Jameson on the rocks.

Many thanks to Ed for taking the time to answer our questions. As we have since 2008, StogieGuys.com will be at the IPCPR trade show next month where we will report all the details on the latest from CAO, General Cigar, and the many other companies releasing new cigars at the trade show.

-Patrick S

photo credits: CAO/General Cigar

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A.J. Fernandez may be the best cigar maker you haven’t heard of. But not for long.

Born in Cuba where he worked with the legendary Alejandro Robaina, Fernandez has quickly gained fame making cigars for other cigar companies including Rocky Patel, Padilla, Graycliff, and Gurkha, as well as making exclusive cigars for catalog giant Cigars International (for whom he makes Diesel, Man O’ War, La Herencia, and other smokes.) At the 2010 industry trade show, Fernandez introduced his first solo national brand, San Lotano. (For more on San Lotano, read our reviews of the Connecticut and Habano.)

Via email (with translation help from company co-President Kris Katchaturian) I asked A.J. Fernandez about Cuba, Robaina, Niacaraguan tobacco, and his new San Lotano blend.

Stogie Guys: Growing up in Cuba, did you notice cigars playing a role in the country’s culture? How did you first become involved with the cigar industry?

A.J. Fernandez: I noticed it a lot. It is an integral part of our culture. I come from a generational family of tobacco growers. I was born and raised in San Luis, Cuba (this is in the Pinar del Rio region). This part of Cuba is known worldwide because most every local is involved directly or indirectly with tobacco. Mostly, I remember when I was a child helping my grandfather stripping the leaves. I have always loved the natural aroma of tobacco. I guess, you could say, it is in my blood.

SG: You’ve been described as the protégé of the “Godfather of Cuban tobacco,” Alejandro Robaina. Tell us about what made him so special. What was the most important thing he taught you about cigars?

A.J.: That is a fine compliment. Too much, even. He was a great man and mentor. But I won’t say that I am the protégé of Alejandro Robaina. Our families had a longstanding relationship with each other. We had great respect for him… I idolized him. We would often get together and I would listen to everything he had to say. I suppose one concept that I always keep close to me is to continually tinker with different (leaf) blends. You never know what you might fall upon.

SG: What made you decide to leave Cuba? Why did you settle in Nicaragua?

A.J.: My father wanted to keep my family close together. He came to Nicaragua in 1997 to run the fermentation process for his nephew, Nestor Plasencia. I joined in Nicaragua shortly thereafter. I used that golden opportunity to become independent, utilizing the knowledge which I brought from Cuba to begin my own factory.

SG: You use a lot of Nicaraguan tobacco in the blends you create. What is it about Nicaraguan tobacco that you think makes it so special?

A.J.: In my opinion, the Nicaraguan tobacco is totally unique. Hey, it’s beautiful. Why? It combines the perfect balance of aroma and strength. I am very proud of the quality of leaf here. It is a gift from above to work with such high quality product.

SG: Tell us about the new San Lotano blend, you first independent, nationally distributed cigar line.

A.J.: San Lotano is crafted from carefully selected Cuban-seed leaves. The ligero is aged more than five years. This aging results in a naturally sweet aroma and fine balance. I also make it with lots of passion.

SG: What do you think about the quality of Cuban tobacco? What would you do if you had access to Cuban tobacco for blending today?

A.J.: People ask this question often. For me, Cuba has very rich and complex tobacco. If I were given the opportunity to mix it with my Nicaraguan product? Oh man, we would have some highly sought-after blends.

SG: Besides those you make, what are some of your favorite cigars to smoke for your own enjoyment?

A.J.: What a difficult question. Like asking what my favorite food is. There are so many excellent lines today, both new and old. I would hate to leave something out. Naturally, I am so busy making new blends I do not have a lot of time to smoke outside product. Was that diplomatic enough of me?

SG: Give us the one-sentence pitch: Why should a cigar smoker who has never smoked one of your cigars try one?

A.J.: It is not only in the exacting method in which we ferment our tobacco, which gives great balance to our blends, but also in the passionately intense supervision of the rolling process for that perfect construction.

Thanks to A.J. Fernandez for taking the time to talk to us. For more information on his cigars, visit AJFernandezCigars.com.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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Through seven years of writing his second novel, a historical tale woven through Cuba, Tampa, and revolution, Mark Carlos McGinty had a faithful companion.

“I’d take a cigar and go outside and…ponder where the story was going to go. Maybe bring a notepad with me and just jot down some ideas,” said McGinty, 35. “Yeah, it did get me through a lot of, I guess, moments of writers block, if you want to call it that.”

That’s only appropriate. His book is, after all, titled The Cigar Maker. It’s filled with the sights and sounds of turn-of-the-20th-century Tampa when it was truly Cigar City. Drawing from his own family’s past as well as historical events, McGinty artfully spins a story that is both exciting and educational.

Perhaps the biggest revelation for many is the book’s focus on the Cuban community in Tampa. “Everyone thinks of Miami when they think of Cuban-Americans,” McGinty said, adding that Tampa’s cigar industry in Ybor City attracted waves of immigrants for decades before the 1959 revolution. “In fact, sometimes I have to make it a point when I’m talking about the book to tell people that these events all happened before the Cuban Revolution, before Castro.”

His mother’s family was among those in Tampa, and McGinty spent quite a bit of time there with relatives when he was growing up. Her books about the area and Cuba inspired him. The main characters in The Cigar Maker, Salvador and Olympia Ortiz, are modeled on McGinty’s maternal grandparents. McGinty’s parents are now retired in Tampa, and he visited frequently researching the book.

The book has another family connection, too. McGinty’s wife did the striking cover illustration, a cigar-smoking rooster wearing a derby and striding across a tobacco plantation. The rooster made such an impression that it’s now available on mugs, T-shirts, and other items.

For those who want to experience the feel of early 1900s Ybor City, McGinty said quite a bit remains. “The streets are still paved with bricks,” he said. “And a lot of the old buildings are still there. They’ve just been restored and converted into modern-day buildings.”

He particularly recommends stopping by the buildings that housed five old social clubs: “They look like cathedrals.”

Tampa is the site of a new promotional push for The Cigar Maker, with efforts to get it featured in Ybor City shops. McGinty’s also targeting cigar smokers as a natural audience at B&M events like his recent appearance at Perfect Ash, just outside Minneapolis-St. Paul.

He’s most excited about an upcoming trip to Havana. He and his wife are part of a sanctioned delegation of artists and writers slated to visit in February.

“There’s all kinds of red tape, so we’re still working through the red tape,” McGinty said. “But the person who’s organizing the trip sounds pretty confident that it’s going to happen.”

While I think just about anyone will enjoy The Cigar Maker, cigar smokers in particular should find it fascinating. You can order it from McGinty’s website, Amazon, or just about any bookstore. Numerous e-reader versions are available at Smashwords.

-George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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Like a lot of those who spend their workdays among cigars and tobacco, Benny Gomez is a gregarious, engaging man who enjoys talking about his family, his heritage, and his creations.

These days, more cigar smokers will be able to get to know Benny as he devotes greater time and energy to visiting smoke shops to get the word out about his two cigar lines: Casa Gomez and Havana Sunrise. “I still haven’t pushed it out there that much,” he said at a recent, well-attended event at my buddy Arnold Serafin‘s new shop in Spring Hill, Florida. “It costs a lot of money in advertising and promoting.”

But these days he’s ready to make it happen. He cited several reasons, including settlement of some legal issues, working with his son, Loren, in the business, and a recent tweaking of the Casa Gomez blend.

The cigar, created in 2004 by Benny to honor his Cuban father and his role in cigars, comes from Luis Sanchez’s Dominican factory. Benny decided he wanted to ramp it up a bit and added some Nicaraguan ligero to the blend. But he explained that he wasn’t seeking to simply create a stronger smoke. “I didn’t want just a powerful cigar,” said Benny, whose operation is based in his hometown of Miami. “I wanted that sweet texture that comes out of real good ligero leaf.”

One aspect of the business in which Loren has become heavily involved is the Internet. The Casa Gomez website is a work in progress, with direct consumer sales added recently. Loren is also active on several cigar forums.

When I spoke with Benny in July, he and Loren were preparing for another trip to the IPCPR Trade Show in New Orleans. Benny said he hoped to build on last year’s experience when he met many retailers.

But he said he will still utilize the same pitch for his cigars. He’ll hand them out with a simple request: “Smoke it and come back. I want your opinion.”

-George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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One of the great things about writing for StogieGuys.com is that I get to meet some interesting people involved in the industry. Frank Herrera is no exception. Frank is an intellectual property lawyer in Florida, publisher of CigarLaw.com, and the owner of La Caridad del Cobre (LCDC). He recently spoke with me about starting his company, the next step for LCDC, the state of the trademark law in the industry, and more:

Stogie Guys: How does a lawyer end up in the cigar industry?

Frank Herrera: Back in 2001, when I was a new lawyer, I began to help some small cigar makers with the trademark applications. One cigar maker who has been in the business since 1995 or so came to me with a trademark dispute. At the time I was working for a law firm that did not allow me to alter my billing, or otherwise provide pro bono work for business clients. I basically gave him lots of advice on how to defend himself. I told him what books to read, where to get them, and basically gave him a litigation plan on how to fight the trademark dispute. Years later I ran into him at IPCPR (then RTDA) and he thanked me. He told me that he followed my advice to the letter and defended himself and won his case. He told me that winning saved his company and gave him the strength to continue in the business. His new cigar’s name is reflective of his company’s resurrection.

In 2002, I took on the Guantanamera case. Since then, we’ve been defending the trademark against Corporacion Habanos, S.A. at the Trademark Office and now on appeal at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Apart from the Cohiba case (which General just won) this is the longest running cigar trademark dispute between a U.S. company and Cuba. Thus, in representing these clients since 2001, I’ve learned a great deal about all aspects of the industry. Over the years I learned to appreciate the uniqueness of the industry. I particularly like the fact that it combines all the things that I enjoy: cigars, trademarks, history, culture, agriculture, and of course the social aspect.

SG: What has been the biggest challenge in launching La Caridad del Cobre?

FH: The biggest challenge getting LCDC off the ground is actually convincing myself to commit to the project. I started the brand in early 2009, but I made some bush-league mistakes. The biggest early mistake was that I approached it as a hobby. At that time, I was intimately familiar with the business (having counseled clients on nearly every aspect of it), but yet I was only spending a few hours a week on the brand. At IPCPR last year I shared a booth with a friend just so I could dip my toe in the business at the national level. That was a considerable waste of time and resources since I was completely unprepared. The minute I got back from IPCPR I committed myself to making a great product and to work on the brand. I’m excited about this year’s IPCPR, and I think that you will agree that I got my shit together. Another big mistake was refusing help from some very notable persons in the industry.

Over the past year, that has changed. I’ve been extremely lucky to be associated with some great minds in the cigar business. Most have helped me in recognition of my long hard (and until recently solo) fight against Cuba’s trademark wars. In a strange way, defending these cases against Cuba is my way of political protest. I like to think about it in the context of a U2 lyric about Helter Skelter… “This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles…we’re stealing it back.” Thus, Fidel Castro stole Guantanamera and a multitude of other trademarks, dreams, lives, etc… “I’m stealing it back.” It’s not enough that Cuba has been socialist/communist for all these years disrupting lives and families. Now they are filing countless trademark oppositions and cancellations against small, under-funded cigar companies for their use of terms or phrases that are their only way of preserving their pre-Castro culture. Fuck them.

SG: What is the next step for your company after the trade show?

FH: The next step for LCDC? Fulfill the IPCPR orders and tour the country visiting shops. Continue to create cigars that I can stand behind and be proud of. I’ve got lots of ideas for new brands, new vitolas, and new blends, so I’m excited about dedicating myself to this. I wanted to come out with a cigar this year called “La Fiera,” which means fierce woman (I’ve encountered a few over the years), but I just couldn’t find the right blend to bring that cigar to life. I’m certain that I can breathe some life into her by next year. I’m also working on a Tres Triste Tigres culebra. The name means the “three trapped tigers. ” It’s the title of a famous book written by the Cuban author Guillermo Cabrera Infante. It’s going to be two naturals inter-twined with a maduro. In the myth/religious story of La Caridad del Cobre, three men were in a rowboat and were facing death on the high seas. It was two white Cubans and one mulato. Thus, the idea is blend the LCDC myth/religious story with Guillermo Cabrera Infante’s Tres Triste Tigres.

SG: What is your opinion on the state of trademark law in the industry?

FH: This industry is all about trademarks. Let’s face it: Without a trademark, only the true aficionado would be able to differentiate most cigars. Trademark law is hot across the board regardless of industry, and the cigar industry is no different. However, unlike other industries, a great deal of cigar disputes are actually between Corporacion Habanos, S.A./Cubatabaco and small to mid-size family-owned cigar companies. Over the past ten years Cuba has committed itself to clearing the record of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) of any trademark that looks, smells, or tastes like it might suggest a connection with Cuba.

It might surprise you, but I think that cigar trademark disputes should be resolved without any litigation or lawyers. The cigar industry is like no other industry. To use a sexist phrase, it’s much more gentlemanly. Gentlemen should resolve disputes without lawyers and the courts.

SG: Do you remember your first cigar?

FH: My first cigar? Must have been an unbanded candela that I stole from my uncle Arturo Herrera when he was visiting my family farm in central Florida. I was like 14 or 15. Loved that guy. He would visit with my aunt Lola and I just remember the smell of the cigar and their happy faces. They’ve both passed on, but I still remember him with a cigar and those good times. Not sure that you could pay me now to smoke a candela but, who knows, maybe I’ll come out with one in the future. Of course, I can’t call it Arturo for trademark purposes (laughter). Maybe Lola?

SG: Besides your own stuff, what other cigars have you been enjoying lately?

FH: I dig anything that Dion Giolito makes. Gran Habano. Canimao. La Tradición Cubana.

Many thanks to Frank Herrera for speaking with us. For more information, visit CigarLaw.com and La Caridad del Cobre.

-Patrick M

photo credit: Facebook

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[Editors’ Note: The following is a guest article authored by Chris Verhoeven, a friend of StogieGuys.com who is studying at Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam.]

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down and enjoying an Oliva Serie O Maduro with the owner/operater of Tin Tin’s Cigar Bar, David Ze, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. We talked about cigars and the all-to-present encroachment of anti-smoking laws, which certainly stretch beyond U.S. borders.

Tin Tin’s is currently the only cigar bar in The Netherlands, a feat made possible by Ze’s efforts to maintain opposition to the laws within the court system, as well as by being the sole employee of the bar. Recent developments, however, have changed the status quo for Dutch smokers and made life more difficult for those who wish to preserve the tradition.

I had a conversation with Ze between the hustle and bustle of his lively, leather couch-equipped establishment. Among other things, we talked about the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the crosshairs of government regulation.

Stogie Guys: Do you remember your first cigar?

David Ze: I remember it was about 16 years ago. I can’t recall what brand it was. One of the Dutch ones.

SG: Do you have a favorite cigar?

DZ: Not really, too many good smokes. Depends on the hour of the day, what you had for dinner…When it’s 11 in the morning you don’t start with a Romeo y Julieta Churchill. You just don’t do that (laughs).

SG: What made you decide to open a cigar bar?

DZ: As a consumer I thought it was something missing in Holland. When I was in the Caribbean and the U.S. it was normal to have a cigar bar. These laws…People in the Netherlands think that around the world you can’t smoke. But even in the U.S. there are places like this. A nice place to have something to smoke and a nice drink.

SG: As a bar owner, what do you find you like to recommend drinks to pair with a fine cigar?

DZ: In the European Union people are used to drinking cognac and whiskey, but I like to advise them on rum. It’s more unknown here.

SG: Tell us a little bit about the Dutch smoking laws and how you and your bar are impacted by them.

DZ: It’s very easy. If you have a premises with a liquor license you are touched by the laws. There were some court cases where places with one owner and no staff were left out of it. [But] there was a high court ruling recently that said businesses like me, you’re not allowed to smoke anymore. The thing is, we’re going to have elections with a new government and things can change again. So if a government civil servant comes in now and gives me a fine I can take my case to court and see what happens.

In our less structured conversation, it was apparent that the change in the laws was frustrating Ze. “If you’re a vegetarian, there’s no reason to go to the butcher,” he says. But, joking aside, Ze stated that the recent court case truly has made things more difficult by changing the previous “safe work environment” laws to more strict “health code” laws, under which he currently operates under the constant threat of fines.

Ze finds intrigue in the creative measures cigar bar owners take to help secure their livelihood. He is inspired by a bar on one of the French-owned islands that was able to have their establishment declared an embassy with “sovereign soil,” on which the French smoking laws have no authority. Ze aspires to such autonomy and vows to continue to fight for the freedom to enjoy cigars in The Netherlands.

-Chris Verhoeven

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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Headquartered in a lounge on the Near North Side of the Windy City, the Tesa Cigar Company is led by Chicago native Chris Kelly. Chris is an “atypical” cigar maker who meticulously creates blends from Tesa’s own factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, with a variety of enticing wrappers and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua. His offerings include the Shaman, Series Finos F500, Havanitas, Gran Cru, and the Vintage Especial (third on our list of the Top Ten Cigars We Reviewed in 2009).

Chris—pictured in front of a national monument for Augusto Sandino in Managua, Nicaragua—recently spoke with StogieGuys.com about mastering the trade, the challenges of working in another culture, and what sets Tesa apart from the competition.

Stogie Guys: You don’t look like the typical cigar maker. Your age, your base in Chicago…What gives? How did you get involved in the industry?

Chris Kelly: I am the atypical cigar manufacturer. I’m a 24-year-old Irish kid from the South Side of Chicago. I was blessed to grow up in the cigar business, as my father has had a cigar store there for almost 30 years. I have spent the better portion of my life from infancy to now around cigars and cigar smokers. Needless to say, they have become my life’s passion. My father has always been ahead of industry trends and in the early 90s he began taking trips to Nicaragua with the Padróns and Perdomos. While there, he developed a relationship with a small factory and began having brands made for his store. A couple years later we began wholesaling product. When quantities went up we ran into problems. I couldn’t sell bad cigars. My father bought a building in Nicaragua and offered to let me make cigars. At 18 I said, “Hell yes!” and have been doing it ever since.

SG: In terms of blending and cigar production, what sets Tesa apart from other manufacturers?

CK: We’re unique in our blending. When I was learning to blend, the level of guidance from experienced people was about zero. This industry is very family-oriented for the most part and so great-grandfathers pass their knowledge of tobacco down to grandfathers and then fathers and so on. I had none of that generational knowledge passed on to me, which made my start in blending and manufacturing a very difficult task. When I began in Nicaragua, I was a cigar smoker and that was it. Just about zero Spanish, one or two contacts in the country, no raw material knowledge, no processing knowledge, blending or construction knowledge—let alone how to deal with people from another culture. That was an awful lot to take in at 18, but this was what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a tobacco man. I was forced to approach everything thinking outside the box. This has helped define both our cigars and our company. It has also cost quite a bit of money from my earlier ignorance.

SG: What are some of the biggest challenges in making cigars the way you do?

CK: The biggest challenges are definitely with tobacco, both availability and the lack of deep pockets. We had some serious availability issues to overcome for the first two and a half years. Finally, I was permitted by tobacco growers to purchase Grade A tobaccos. Those tobaccos were just “not available” to me in the beginning, which forced me to be totally involved in my manufacturing process. A lot of oversight is needed with “workable” material and not top grade. That practice has become a part of why we’re different.

SG: What was the most difficult Tesa line to blend? Which line is the best-selling?

CK: Each blend has had its peculiarities that we’ve run into, every single leaf of tobacco is different, and tobaccos react differently with other tobaccos. The difficulty level becomes a major factor when you’re driven to make a cigar that is complex, well-balanced, rich, and well-constructed. That is very difficult. Right now our best cigar is a toss-up between the Cabinet 312 (a nice medium-full body with big and dark flavors of espresso, bittersweet chocolate, with fleeting hints of citrus) and the Vintage Especial (a mild-bodied Connecticut with a very creamy texture to the smoke, subtle yet intricate flavors of almonds and butterscotch—very complex for a mild blend).

SG: How long have you had a lounge in Chicago? What sort of surprises does that enterprise present?

CK: We have had the lounge in Chicago for about a year and a half. The biggest surprise to me has been people’s gravitation to the lounge. Obviously, in opening the lounge I anticipated customers, but there is a wonderful energy in that place. People don’t want to leave and, when they do, they’ve already planned when they can come back. We have created upwards of 100 new cigar smokers out of that store. Twenty-something’s think it’s the coolest thing they’ve seen. They stumble in looking for cigarettes and say, “Wow, what’s this all about? I didn’t know people still smoke cigars.” More women frequent our lounge than I’ve seen in many cigar shops. The synergy of people is top shelf. The lounge is critical for the longevity of this industry and society as a whole.

SG: Regarding your factory in Estelí, how is doing business in Nicaragua different than doing business in the U.S.?

CK: Doing business in Nicaragua is very different. You are dealing with a different culture in a foreign language. It took a considerable amount of time to hone my diplomacy and people skills to work side-by-side with them. You have to understand the people, their history, beliefs, and ideals before you can begin to relate to them. It’s very humbling to be working down there; save Haiti, it’s the poorest country in our hemisphere. To be there on a daily basis seeing what true poverty is and understanding what that means to the person who is impoverished is truly life-changing. The Nicaraguan people are wonderful and very strong.

SG: What would you say to those readers who have never tried a Tesa?

CK: Why not try a Tesa? I smoke what I make and I work very hard to bring to market a superior product. It may not become your favorite, but I personally guarantee that it will be a very enjoyable experience for you. It’s difficult to get people to try products from a new company, but we’re not new. We are the best kept secret in Nicaragua and the industry. Give me a shot at your taste buds.

SG: Aside from your own creations, what else do you smoke?

CK: Right now, I’m smoking quite a few Ligas from Drew Estate—both the Number 9 and the T-52s. Personally, aside from my products, I think it’s one of the most under-appreciated sticks out right now. Great flavor, complex, lots of depth, and the construction is excellent. Other than that, some Pepin stuff here and there, the Davidoff maduro is a nice smoke, and some other odds and ends.

Many thanks to Chris Kelly for taking the time to speak with StogieGuys.com. For more information and to order Tesa cigars online, please visit TesaCigars.com.

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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