The Stogie Guys

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

[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

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

I recently had the opportunity to meet Eric  Hanson, the man behind the Second Growth Cigar Company. We met at the historic Georgetown Tobacco shop in Washington to chat about his project while we smoked the result of his work.

Second Growth comes in only one size: an immense (7.9 x 54) smoke that takes a full two hours to enjoy. Produced by Henke Kehlner of Davidoff, the cigar is  mild- to medium-bodied, extraordinarily creamy, and balanced, with subtle notes of cedar and spice. The single sample I smoked had plenty of subtleties and twists to keep an attentive smoker enthralled.

After our talk, I followed up by email to get some more details about his unique project.

Stogie Guys: With so many excellent cigars already out there, why introduce Second Growth now?

Eric Hanson: You’re right, there are a lot of excellent cigars already out there. Second Growth is the elite prestige bracket of the marketplace. What is interesting about the above premium consumer is their desire for unique experiences. Second Growth is blended to be the perfect compliment to a fine glass of Bordeaux or American meritage wines.

SG: Tell us a little about your wine and cigar pairing philosophy.

EH: The philosophy is simple. It is all about complimenting not competing flavors. When paired with Bordeaux blends and American meritage wines, Second Growth provides a perfectly synchronized flavor experience. While the wine flavors emanate from the rear of the tongue majestically working forward through the palate, in perfect harmony, the smoke from Second Growth begins stimulating the front of the palate imparting its flavors while traveling to the back of the mouth. The rich fruit of the wine prepares the palate for the complex interplay of spice, leather, and chocolate notes delivered from this exceptional cigar.

SG: You worked with Henke Kelner of Davidoff on this cigar. How did he come up with this blend for you?

EH: We were at the factory on other business and decided to show Henke Sr. and Jr. the box and concept for Second Growth. Both were fascinated with the concept and immediately we started discussing the type and aging of the tobacco one would need to execute an elegant project like this. For the next few hours we smoked several cigars and reviewed many bundles of unique hybrid tobaccos. Then, like a bolt of lightning, Henke Jr. said he had the perfect cigar for this project. Earlier in the year Alladio (master blender) and Henke Sr. came up with the blend for Henke Jr.’s 36th birthday. What type of cigar do you get for Jr. for his 36th birthday? A Cuban? No! The best filler, binder, and wrapper ever grown from the aging room at Tabadom that is never to be in regular production. We all smoked the cigar and had some Chateau Gruaud Larose and we all realized we had found the perfect cigar. Father and son agreed to let us use HMK 36 and Second Growth was born. There was only enough tobacco for 19,480 cigars or approximately 1,000 boxes.

SG: The presentation of the Second Growth is unique. Tell us about the box and band you selected.

EH: The box is unlike any other vessel for cigars in cigar industry history. Each Second Growth cigar box is hand furnished by Irish master craftsman James Rowe in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We purchased 50 wine barrels from a famous Second Growth classified winery from Saint Julien Bordeaux, France, and had them flown to New Hampshire. The wine barrels had been used during the maturation of a famed vintage. The concentrated fruit aromas emanating from the barrel staves envelope each cigar, imparting a timeless elegance and accentuating the beauty of the wine-stained woodworking. The natural fruit essence from the fine wine mingles with the spice; leather and chocolate notes in the rare aged tobacco create a taste synthesis befitting the most discerning connoisseur. I think you will enjoy this smoke!

Like the box the band is also very unique and has a great story. While the label on a cigar has always acted as both advertising and badge for the cigar maker, it originated to provide a simple, utilitarian function. The cigar band was invented during a time when it was customary for gentlemen to wear white gloves. All original bands were woven from silk or cotton fabric, the band acted as a barrier to prevent the smoker from staining their gloves. We liked the elegance of the story we embarked on a journey to restore this tradition. With Second Growth we liken it to returning to this golden age of cigars by wrapping each with a wide, woven, luxurious band reminiscent of those days gone by. We believe this extra step adds the perfect finishing touch for such a rare offering.

SG: What were some of the challenges you faced bringing this cigar to market?

EH: Helping the press and blog sites to understand whom this product was designed for. The traditional cigar industry insider seems to think that for something to be special it has to be full-bodied or incredibly strong. We disagree entirely…while there is a time for strong cigars we also believe there is equal time for medium-bodied cigars that show time-honored craftsmanship and deep understanding of the interplay of different tobaccos and how to deliver a complete flavor experience with elegance and nuance; a cigar that can be enjoyed alone or with a fine glass of wine or during a great meal. That was our biggest challenge.

SG: $30 is a lot for a cigar. Why should someone buy it?

EH: This box of cigars is for the oenophile and connoisseur. Someone with an excellent palate and taste. It’s an experience of a lifetime and the train is only stopping once.

SG: When you’re not pairing cigars with wine, what is your beverage of choice with a fine cigar?

EH: Have you ever tried Vodka with cigars? H+S vodka is perfect…and yes I am biased because I am the founder of that company and the creator of that product also.

SG: After the 20,000 Second Growth cigars are gone, what can we expect next?

EH: Good question. Projects are in the works…look out for a wildly complex cigar to be paired with Big Napa Cabs and Super Tuscans. God I love this job!

Many thanks to Eric Hanson for taking the time to talk about Second Growth. For more information, visit their website.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Yesterday, cigar maker Litto Gomez showcased his new “Air Bender” blend at two Old Virginia Tobacco locations. We caught up with him at the in-store event in Falls Church, Virginia, to try the latest release from La Flor Dominicana and get his thoughts on the ever-encroaching war on tobacco.

Air Bender, formerly a blend exclusive to La Flor Dominicana events, sports an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Dominican binder and filler tobaccos from Litto’s farm in La Canela.  He’s been stockpiling the wrapper for a few years now to make sure that he can keep the blend consistent going forward. Not as spicy as his well-regarded Double Ligero blend, the intended profile is of “refined power,” says Gomez.

Air Bender is offered in four vitolas that retail for $7-8.25 apiece: Matatan (5 x 50), Guerrero (6.25 x 54), Maestro (5.25 x 52), and Valiente (6.25 x 60). Each name honors a kung fu warrior. “I’m enamored with Chinese culture,” said Gomez.

Some think the line’s name is itself a nod to martial arts (apparently there’s an animated television series called Avatar: The Last Airbender).

But Gomez gave us a different explanation. “When we smoke, we bend the air,” he said. “You can see smoke split the air as it leaves a cigar. That’s why I thought ‘Air Bender’ would be a perfect name for my newest line.”

We asked what fans could expect next from La Flor Dominicana. Gomez says a smaller ring gauge version of the Air Bender should be ready in time for the IPCPR Trade Show in August.  (All the initial sizes in the line are 50 RG or larger.) He was also excited about  Small Batch No. 3, due out in a few weeks.

Defending Cigar Rights

Litto Gomez, like many cigar makers these days, is very concerned about excessive taxes, smoking bans, and other anti-tobacco zealotry. “The industry is a very easy target,” he says. “It’s important that we realize the stakes in this battle: The other side wants to erase tobacco.”

The anti-tobacco lobby has always pushed for more bans and taxes, he explained, and until politicians feel someone pushing back there’s nothing to stop them. That’s why Gomez has been a key supporter of Cigar Rights of America (CRA) since its inception in August 2008.

“I’m surprised by how apathetic smokers have been…how willing they are to accept taxes and bans,” exclaims Gomez. He says even casual smokers should join CRA because “it provides the voice of the consumer and helps defend our rights.”

-Patrick A & Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

“Theodore King has done a yeoman’s job assembling evidence that the success of tobacco zealots has become a useful template for those who want to use health issues to control our lives. The War on Smokers and the Rise of the Nanny State is not only a story about the attack on tobacco users, but a story about how decent Americans can be frightened, perhaps duped, into accepting phony science, attacks on private property rights, and rule of law. One need not be a smoker to be alarmed by the underlying hideousness of the anti-tobacco movement.”

So writes Walter E. Williams, syndicated columnist and professor of Eeconomics at George Mason University, about Ted King’s book, The War on Smokers and the Rise of the Nanny State. King is a tobacco enthusiast and avid pipe smoker who has worked in politics for three decades in his home state of Oklahoma and in Washington, D.C. He is a writer for The Oklahoma Constitution and lives on a farm with his family, including several dogs. I recently spoke with King about his book and the ever-expanding war on smokers.

Stogie Guys: What made you decide to write The War on Smokers?

Ted King: I wrote The War on Smokers and the Rise of the Nanny State for therapy. Smoking bans are completely unjust, and they drive me NUTS! I had been going to www.smokersclub.com and thought: I can compile these stories I had read there, do my own research, and write a book about this issue. I didn’t know at the time that this would take me to England, Wales, and Ireland to further my research. That part was fun.

SG: In your book, you refer to the anti-tobacco movement as a “war on smokers,” not on smoking. Why?

TK: It is a war on smokers, not on smoking, because smokers are in the crosshairs of these anti-tobacco fanatics. These control-freak bastards want to tax the hell out of smokers, and some of them want to get smokers fired from their jobs. Some want smokers evicted from their domiciles. They even want to make smokers fill out a form for the “right” to purchase tobacco products. They want to screw smokers over. That is why I entitled the book the way I did.

SG: Who makes up the anti-tobacco movement? What drives them?

TK: The American Cancer, Heart, and Lung organizations, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company, are behind this crusade. The American Cancer, Heart, and Lung organizations have, in my humble opinion, subordinated their efforts to cure cancer to the primary goal of stamping out the enjoyment of tobacco products. Power to control, not save lives, is what drives them.

SG: Who funds the organizations of that push these laws?

TK: The American Cancer, Heart, and Lung organizations and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Pfizer are funding these efforts along with allies like the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, truth.org, and federal, state, and local health departments.

SG: What was the most surprising thing you learned while writing this book?

TK: Smoking bans are just the template for more bans, like bans on fireplaces and on certain foods, etc. In other words, they give rise to a bigger and more powerful nanny state. Chapter 9 in my book documents this effort to expand bans beyond smoking.

SG: What is the single most outrageous nanny state law that you came across?

TK: The most outrageous example is that in Holland it is now against the law to smoke tobacco inside public places, even though smoking pot is legal!

SG: What is the one message that smokers most need to tell nonsmokers who are ambivalent about these issues?

TK: They are coming for nonsmokers next! And nonsmokers do not need to be in the very few places where smoking is permitted if they don’t want to be. So smokers should be left alone in what are, for all intents and purposes, the ghettos of these persecuted people. They aren’t bothering nonsmokers.

SG: What will it take for us who oppose the anti-tobacco movement to win this war?

TK: The War on Smokers and the Rise of the Nanny State teaches smokers what they can do to win this war… and it is a war. In this election year, it is especially important to know where local and state candidates stand on smoking bans. Smokers must tell those who support bans they won’t vote for them. We must become the loudest special interest group of this and future elections!

Many thanks to Mr. King for taking the time to talk to us. He wanted readers to know that cigar enthusiasts who purchase a membership to Cigar Rights of America for three years or more will receive a free autographed copy of The War on Smokers and the Rise of the Nanny State. Get your copy by joining CRA or by purchasing a copy from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Known in Nicaragua as “the kids of Estelí,” Andy Wood and Rafael Guillen are committed to making their mark in the rough and tumble cigar world. As with many cigar makers, there’s a family history in tobacco, but that’s about the only conventional aspect to the story of GDW Cigars.

The pair met in Oregon when Rafael was attending college on a scholarship. They later worked to put together a farm and factory in Nicaragua, only to be crippled by Hurricane Felix in 2007. They persevered, and their Reserva Miraflor has lately received several positive online reviews and comments.

Intrigued by their story, I exchanged several emails with Andy and Rafael to get some details about their company.

“It’s definitely a family operation,“ Rafael says, listing off the brothers and sister involved, as well as Andy, the sales manager who is “like my brother.” They all took a risk, sinking their money as well as their economic futures into the project. They recognize the difficulties, but refuse to be cowed.

“We still have the same determination in our work because we know that even if the economy goes down, if the product is really good, as the Reserva Miraflor, people will buy,” Rafael says. “Because we are small, and we are not producing a lot of cigars, we have 11 people making cigars: five of then rolling, five bunching, and one selecting the wrapper and binder. But we hope to grow and give more people jobs in the near future.”

For Andy, the significance of marketing and how difficult it can be to get their cigars in people’s hands has been an eye-opener: “Our products are great, but unless people pick them up…no one will know.” Right now, he’s focused on getting their website up and running. The cigars are also at some shops, which you can find by searching for Reserva Miraflor. (You’ll also likely find the firm referred to as Guillen Cigars.)

The name Reserva Miraflor, incidentally, came from a nearby park known for its beauty and diversity. The cigar is a Nicaraguan puro blended to be a medium- to full-bodied, flavorful smoke. They’re also producing a line known as Goviado and have done a few private labels.

I chanced across the Reserva Miraflor at a local shop and wrote about it in a Quick Smoke this summer. You’d have to be pretty hard-hearted not to pull for a small operation like this. They may lack some of the experience and big-money backing of others, but I can’t imagine any operation could best GDW on enthusiasm.

I, for one, hope they find great success.

-George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys