Reading Time: 3 minutes We’ve all heard stories about Castro’s rise to power and the Cuban Revolution; how his regime violently seized power and property. We’ve heard how tobacco- and cigar families fled their homeland with only a pocketful of seeds and an unbreakable will.

Reading Time: 3 minutes Christian Eiroa wears a lot of hats as a cigar maker, and they’re all necessary to keep his employees paid and the lights on. But blending is probably the most entertaining and rewarding part of it all, even if it can also be the most disappointing and frustrating. It’s both soaring joy and crushing heartbreak, sometimes on the same day.

Reading Time: 7 minutes Sal Fontana spent 62 expletive-ridden years in the cigar business. These are his stories, as told by friend, co-worker, and mentee, Christian Eiroa.

Reading Time: 4 minutes Christian Eiroa recently spoke with a relative newcomer to the cigar industry who proudly proclaimed, “nobody knows more about cigars and tobaccos than I do.” Join Christian as he talks tobacco, bravado, the infinite scope of tobacco knowledge, and reverence for the true guajiros who risked everything to develop and cultivate a tobacco business in Central America.

Reading Time: 5 minutes Even after an accident that left him partially paralyzed, my dad never wanted us to grow up afraid of anything. Whether flying an airplane, developing cigar blends, or striking out on my own, this lesson, more than any other, has defined me as a person and as a cigar maker.