Let's start with your father [Carlos] and the family's approach to making cigars.

Charlie Toraño: The history of Toraño cigars really begins with growing tobacco. My grandfather and great-grandfather were growers in Cuba. When we left Cuba, the family continued growing tobacco in different places around the world and my father also continued in that business. Although, fortunately, we're all enjoying this great renaissance in cigars since the early 90's, the reality is, when I was growing up this was a struggling business. They couldn't give away a bale of tobacco because back then, the business was all but dead.

So how did your family eventually get into the mainstream part of the business?

CT: They basically got into it as middlemen. Back in the 1980's they created a company called Central American Tobacco that essentially acted as a middleman, putting the factory together with distributors. Simply put, if more business was generated, they could sell more tobacco leaf to the factory. So, that's what marked the beginning of what would eventually go from growing to becoming manufacturers of cigars. By the mid-90's we had our own factories and were producing cigars for some great companies like CAO, as well as under our own name. And even today, we continue to work with some really great companies in this business.

What's the Toraño cigar-making philosophy?

CT: Every factory has their way of doing things, but if you came to our factory, one of the things that would strike you would be the level of different varieties of tobacco. Because of our relationship in the leaf business we have tobacco from all over the world. That includes the usual countries like Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, as well as Indonesia, Italy, Peru, Columbia, Mexico, and Panama. Suffice it to say, we do a lot of blending. That's our philosophy. To make our cigars different, we blend, which is why we take a lot of pride in being able to offer unique blends, both within our range and as a manufacturer. The other, and perhaps bigger part of our philosophy, is to provide value to the customer. Not the cheapest, but value; produce the best cigars at really good, affordable prices, so Toraño can be your go-to cigar for every smoker.

It's hard to find anyone today that's absolutely loyal to one brand, isn't it?

CT: That's exactly my point. Because today everybody smokes more than one brand, my goal is to have every person that smokes cigars have at least one or two Toraño cigars they enjoy in their rotation. And that's why we create so many different blends.

What are some of the new blends you've created for the coming year?

CT: There are two blends we're particularly excited about. The Virtuoso Toraño goes back many years, well before we had organized our brands under the Carlos Toraño name. At that time, we had a Carlos Toraño cigar, a Virtuoso cigar, and a Grand Nica cigar, but we weren't marketing them in a way that identified them with the family. So ultimately, in the mid to late 90's, we came out with the Carlos Toraño Reserva Select and the Carlos Toraño Exodus 1959.

The Exodus 1959 was the first Carlos Toraño cigar I ever smoked. I bought it because there was a lot of buzz about it at the time, and it's still one of my favorites.

CT: It's a very rich and balanced cigar. And for me, of all our lines (I guess a manufacturer isn't supposed to have a favorite), when I'm home that's really my personal favorite. Of course, I've smoked all of our blends and enjoy them all, but when forced to pick one, I'd go with the Exodus. More importantly, I think the Exodus is the cigar that really took the Toraño name to a whole new level in terms of recognition. It created an interest on the part of consumers who wanted to try a Toraño, and from there they began expanding into some of our other blends.

What distinguishes the Virtuoso from your other blends?

CT: The exciting thing for us about it is it's the first cigar that we've ever made essentially with a home-grown wrapper - grown by the Toraño family and the Olivas family. In our factories we're partners with Fidel Olivas and his family (not to be confused with the Gilberto or John Oliva families). Together with them, we grow tobacco in Nicaragua. Our family are not growers in general any more. We buy in such huge quantities from around the world, we could never grow enough to satisfy the demand. However, we do grow our own tobacco in Pueblo Nuevo, which is in the Condega region of Nicaragua. Beginning with the 2002 crop, it's yielded some great sun-grown wrappers.

What's interesting is that when we first started growing there, we weren't looking for wrapper. We were looking for good, quality filler. But when we started sorting the tobacco and we realized we had a very special wrapper in our hands, we continued growing and sorting it for a few more years to make sure the farm could continue to produce it. So this is the wrapper we've selected for the Virtuoso cigars.

The Virtuoso is blended to be the fullest in body in the Toraño line. I think we've been very good at the medium-bodied blends. Last year, with the Casa Toraño we introduced a nice, mild cigar. But to fill out the range I thought we needed to go to the other end of the spectrum. I'm not saying it’s the strongest cigar in the industry, but it's certainly one of the strongest of the Toraño line within our flavor profiles.

What else can you say about the Virtuoso blend?

CT: It's got some Panamanian tobacco, some Honduran, some Nicaraguan, and of course, the Toraño wrapper. We're very excited about this wrapper, and so far we've already gotten some great reviews and feedback. We've always loved the named Virtuoso, which means one who has masterly skills, or represents the epitome of something good, and we feel that word aptly describes this cigar.

How personally involved are you in the blending process?

CT: I'm very involved. It's my father, myself, and Fidel Olivas and his sons who are primarily involved in the blending process. We try to take new blends to our staff or sometimes we try to get input from outside the company, but ultimately, and particularly with the Virtuoso, the decision was made within the family. Most of the time, we do send out samples to get feedback on new blends. But in the end, you have to find the blend that you really enjoy based on your personality and that of the family. Then, hopefully people respond to it. Outside input can be very useful, but I think the most successful companies are those that create their own personality through their cigars and say, this is who we are.

Since you do buy most of your tobacco, how do you account for consistency year after year?

CT: Because we do so much blending, any one of our cigars can have up to three or four different types of filler tobacco at one time. It is because my father has been in the business so long, he's had relationships with many of the growers for over 20 years. So, every year we sample the crop, we look to see that there are no problems with it. And if there is, you try to compensate for it by balancing out that cigar with one of the other fillers in case you're not getting enough flavor from a leaf of a particular year.

So it's a constant process.

CT: Yes. We consider ourselves a very strong medium-sized facility. We make well over 50,000 handmade cigars a day. I wonder if people even realize sometimes how many cigars a day we make. Of course, the brands that we make are for some of the other fine companies we work with, not just Toraño. We have a responsibility, not only to ourselves, but if you're going to present yourself as a cigar maker for other manufacturers, that's a big responsibility which we take very seriously. The key is not just having the tobacco, but the right suppliers and relationships, and frankly, tasting the cigars on a daily basis at the factory level. You have to keep in mind that there are people who smoke the same brands all the time. If I get a comment from someone who smokes the Signature Collection all the time, and they tell me that something was off, I listen to that person. At the factory level we do the same thing. The same people smoke the Signature, smoke the Exodus, 1916 Cameroon, and so on, so we know whether we're doing the right thing or not.

What are the three most important things in making a great cigar?

CT: One, you have to have good raw material. Whether you're a buyer or a grower, and most factories buy tobacco, you have to know how to judge and buy good quality tobacco. For your best premium cigars you have to insist on getting the best of the best. Secondly, the reality is you have to have good blending ability. You can't just mix anything. You have to know what tobaccos compliment each other. How they will age, blend, etc., and finally, construction. All the great tobacco in the world means nothing unless the cigar is made properly. If the cigar is not well made, you're going to get punished - and you should.

Have you been in the business your entire life?

CT: Let's say I've been surrounded by the business my entire life. When I was growing up in the 70's and 80's the business was not that strong. This was before the boom and my father did not see much of a future in the business. So, I didn't think about going into the business. There were no young smokers at that time who were keeping an interest in cigars. So, I went to Law School and practiced for four to five years, while always keeping an eye on my father's business. Then in 1996, when the resurgence in cigars by younger people had returned, I left the Law and went into the business.

What's the biggest change you've seen since you came into the business?

CT: Actually, in 1996 when I came in, my father, who has seen the good, the bad and the ugly of this business, said to me, "What you're seeing here isn't reality." This was the crazy boom time when demand exceeded the supply. Just about anyone who had a cigar was selling it. It was a frenetic pace. Instead of worrying about the quality, manufacturers were worrying about the supply and getting it out the door. For me, at the time I came in, I learned what not to do. So the biggest change I've seen is the improvement in the quality of the tobacco. Of course, my father has had much more experience, but from what I've observed in my short 10 years, I think now is the best time in cigars, in terms of the innovation of new blends. We all know that because there is enough supply to meet demand, the only way you can get market share is by distinguishing yourself. If you don't have the quality today, you will not survive. Quite the opposite of what I found when I started. Many of the cigar makers who were producing cigars to make a quick buck then, are gone now. So you're back to many of the traditional companies, and some new and exciting companies who have come into the business in the last ten years. I think now we just have to take care of it.

~ G.K.

Definitely including a single cigar or 3 (DIFFERENT) from what I'm ordering tends to really sweeten the deal for me. Also, of course, from a marketing POV, you will end up with people who will buy more cigars because they found a new one they like that they may not have otherwise tried. I know that I have found some of my favorite sticks this way! Keep up the GREAT work!! Oh yeah.. And did you know that this month's Cigar Magazine talked up your new Cigar Advisor site? Right on!! - K. Wolfkat

It was really close between free shipping and single cigars. I've only been smoking for about two years and would love to taste different cigars and learn which I like. And it seems like this would inspire me and other people to buy cigars that we like but otherwise wouldn't have known about. - Roger H.

Yours is one of the finest internet sales sites, and the main reason (for me) is the price. Paying the lowest price for something is usually enough of an incentive. The offer of something "free" doesn't get me to buy things I don't really need (that tactic does seem to work with my wife for some reason). Please don't let the "freebies" raise your prices like all the other online cigar companies. But if you must, I suppose that "5% off" wouldn't kill me. - F.Darr

A: Yes, the Punch Rare Corojo is blended to be full-bodied. Corojo wrapper by nature is a spicier and more robust leaf. Plus, the cigar has a more Ligero in the blend. You would want to veer more towards cigars that have Connecticut shade, Ecuadorian Connecticut, Sumatra and some Cameroon wrappers. The latter is usually a bit more flavorful, too. Macanudo, which is made in the Dominican Republic, and uses a Dominican-grown tobacco blend and a double-fermented U.S. Connecticut shade-grown leaf, is without question the most popular mild cigar. The Zino Connoisseurs are a milder Honduran blend, yet rich in taste, which is probably why you like them so much. Unfortunately, they’re discontinued. Anther good mild, yet rich-tasting Honduran is the Don Tomas Special Edition Connecticut and the re-blended Don Tomas Clasico which General Cigar debuted at last summer's RTDA in New Orleans. Some of the more medium-bodied cigars which are also more flavorful, yet very smooth include Avo Classic, Punch Grand Cru, Sancho Panza, CAO Gold, Romeo y Julieta, Partagas, and La Aurora to name a few.

Tips and feedback from Readers

What not to do when a VIP requests a cigar
I ran across an interesting vignette this evening that I thought would interest you. One evening during the Casablanca Conference in 1943, General Patton was entertaining guests at his villa. The guests included, among others, Gen George Marshall, General Mark Clark, Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill.

"When Churchill ran out of cigars and Marshall ordered that some be found at once, Marshall's staff was stymied, but Patton's efficient young aide, Capt. Dick Jenson, produced a box of White Owls sent by his wife. The five-cent price on the label was hurriedly obliterated and the cigars presented to Churchill. Later that night Marshall observed, 'The strangest thing happened. The Prime Minister lit one of those cigars, took one puff and put it aside. I can't understand - he must be giving up smoking.' " (Carlo D'Este: Patton, A Genius For War, 1995. p.451)

Clearly the host that evening fell victim to the famous 5 P's of management: Prior Planning Prevents Piss-poor Performance. - Ken Rotker, Riverside, CA

Valuable Cigar Care Advice
I started collecting and storing cigars about 5 years ago. At that time we lived in Hawaii so, no matter what I did, the inside of the humidor got too hot, and eventually it led to the infestation of the infamous and dreaded Lacioderma tobacco worm. Luckily, I caught it early, so I only ruined about 10 cigars, but I was always inspecting my cigars and removing any that looked like it might have a "guest" eating its way out.

I have an assortment of different sized travel humidors, so I purchased a few of those small cigar-shaped digital hygrometers to carry when I traveled. When I wasn't on the road, I would put these little beauties in my home humidors, and by moving them around, I soon discovered that the RH levels vary quite a bit within the same humidor depending on where the reading was taken. I also noticed that the upper tray was preventing humidity from reaching the lower part of the humidor, so I had "happy" cigars on the tray, but the ones below where screaming for moisture. I finally got rid of the upper trays all together and that helped even things out quite a bit. I also purchased a third humidor to relocate some of my lower priced (but still tasty) cigars like the Arturo Fuente Curly Head, and some cheaper C.A.O.s. I immediately noticed an improvement in my large humidor that was previously holding nearly 350 cigars and was now holding about 200 cigars.

The points I'm making are:
1) Get yourself a small digital hygrometer-thermometer that can be moved around your humidor(s) so you can really see what's going on inside.
2) When you have too many cigars in one humidor the cigars on the bottom are suffering so at that stage it's usually better to either cut down on the cigars you store or get another humidor.
3) Take out your cigars about once every month or two and lay them out on a white sheet and look them over for signs of tobacco worms and proper humidification. When you put them back in (after you've removed any rejects), rearrange them so the ones that were on the bottom are now on top and visa versa.
4) Always separate your cigars according to quality and how long you plan to age vs. smoke. I found three humidors to be the magic number for me. One for the Super Premiums I hardly ever smoke. One for your good cigars, and one for your "Joe Blow" cigars.

I have found that the less expensive cigars are more prone to Lacioderma infestation, so I smoke those every day. Keep an eye on all your cigars and don't expect the humidor to do all the work. You should be successful in storing cigars and smoking your stash with the confidence that they will be in tip-top shape when you need them.
- Gene McCann, Peachtree City, GA.

Keep the Tubes
When I travel, I put my cigars in metal tubes from cigars I've smoked and leftovers I've collected from cigar stores. I’ve collected about a dozen of the larger tubes (7x54), they can hold most of what I smoke. Metal tubes keep the cigars fresh and protected from breakage - and they're cheap. Want to keep them from sliding around in the tube? Add a small wad of cotton. Perfect.
- Michael Flemming, Tallahassee, FL

Hot under the collar
I've been told before that leaving a band on can cause excessive heat under the band and forward through the cigar, which can cause the cigar to run. Just thought I'd share. - Kirk Neal, Blacksburg, VA

Bands on or off?
It matters not to me whether the band is left on while the cigar is being smoked; really, who cares? Someone unfamiliar with cigars, and the bands on the cigars, is not going to be impressed by a paper ring. And, those who are familiar with cigars - especially a connoisseur smoker - can immediately tell by the 'perfume' in the air whether the cigar is quality or not. In my opinion, band on or band off - lit or un-lit - there's nothing finer than a Fuente Curly Head maduro. - Donald Neal McKay, Inman, SC

Ionic Cigars
I have a large cabinet style humidor. It is tall enough so that there are significant humidity and temperature differences between the top and the bottom shelves. I have had mold problems in the lower parts and dryness problems in the upper parts of the humidor. To remedy the situation I tried to circulate the air by placing a small fan inside but that raised the temperature because of the fan motor. I ended up having more frequent mold problems.

Out of desperation I bought one of those mini ionic breeze air cleaners to remove mold spores from the air inside the humidor. It seems to work great because I haven't had any mold since I got it no matter how warm it gets inside and my cigars are staying perfectly humidified. Though it smells like ozone in the humidor it hasn't yet affected the way my cigars taste. I'm wondering if you know if anyone else has used an ionic breeze in a humidor before, and if its a good idea to continue using it. Thanks you for any answers you can give. - Aaron Richert

I would suggest the Csonka Desk Fresh, which works on the same principle, but because of design would be a better choice. Finally, if you are not noticing any variation in the taste of the cigar smoke, this might be a viable solution to his problem.

Could you please launch a cigar dating website or link so that I may finally be able to find a woman that enjoys both sex AND cigars, preferably Partagas Black
- Robert Kanter, New York

Friday, March 3rd, 4:00 -7:00 PM
Rocky Patel Vintage '90 & '92

Friday, March 24rd, 4:00 -7:00 PM
Zino Platinum Scepter

Friday, April 7th, 4:00 -7:00 PM
Drew Estates


*** CIGARS IN THE NEWS ***
The following cigar news items are courtesty of the Heard in the Humidor newsletter, which features highlights of the week in cigars and smoking from, CigarCyclopedia.com. All of the following items took place between September 12 and October 14, 2005.

HEARD IN THE HUMIDOR