I’m going to rename Stogie Review to Tatuaje Central. LOL. The amount of interview footage we’ve produced over the years is by far the most we’ve covered anyone and thats just interview footage. Pete likes to talk and we like to record…perfect pairing. I mention this in the video but Pete looks really refreshed. The last few times I’ve seen him he was looking tired, stressed as if he wasn’t having fun anymore. Like I said, he looks refreshed now and is looking happy like he looked when we first started covering him years ago.
This year at IPCPR has Pete featuring a full plate of stuff. As you can imagine, the Tatuaje booth or as we call it at every show, My Father Alley was pretty much elbow to elbow so we kept things as short as possible. In the video Pete focuses on telling us about L’Atelier, TrocadĂ©ro, El Suelo, Surrogates, a second run of the Little Boris and the status of The Mummy.
Always impressed with Pete’s honesty, his love of the business, his support of the consumer and his approachability. Can’t wait to try some of the new blends!
With all the respect for him and the INSANE Cojonu lines, this guy comes out with 3 or 4 new brands each IPCPR for a total of 15 to 25 different cigars …
I bet that on a blind test, nobody can tell if it’s a Riqueza, a Cabaiguan or an Ambus Mundos … Spicy and a lot of smoke. Ligas are VERY similar
I mean in less than 10 years he manage to “create” a catalog even larger than all cuban cigars from Habanos SA …
Will all respect Chris, the La Riqueza, Cabaiguan and Ambos Mundos lines are far from being similar. Those three lines you mentioned are not by any means just “spicy and a lot of smoke”. If you knew all the tobaccos that went into those cigars, you would realize that.
When you have a catalog of trademarks and a good supply of various tobaccos, it is easy to create new lines with different flavor profiles. I have spent a lot of time in Nicaragua working on blends over the last 9 years and every cigar I make has a different profile and purpose. I try to make good balanced cigars every time with different blends every time.
My catalog will never be as big as Habanos but for sure it will be more diverse than the current production coming from them. Unlike them, we actually have a different blend for every brand we make.
BTW, new sizes in a line don’t count as new brands.
I don’t say that YOU could not tell the diffrence 🙂 I say that in a blind test, an AVERAGE smoker (majority of customers) could not tell the difference between those brands.
I run a cigarshop in Paris and have been in Miami for the last 6 months. From what I saw, if they are un-banded few can tell if it’s a Cabaiguan or Ambos.
Black Label, Brown Label, White Label and Havana VI have a very distinguish flavor profiles. The “new” brands are less differents than the old.
At least, I talk from a French POV so with a french taste, a french background of smoking cigars etc
You know your stuff better than anyone and you know that you hit the European market with Brown and Cojonu more than with all the others cigars beacause those specifics ligas tell a story. Band or not, they tell something that once tyou taste it you remember it.
And this “course pour la nouveautĂ©” with new cigars (or line or sizes) each IPCPR has to stop. Too many new things and less impact. Ramon Allones has 3 vitolas since 1970 … The US market is addict to new things (New iPad every year, new mustang every year etc) so I understand that you (cigar makers) have to follow the trend to stay on top but on my opinion, hundred of new cigars (brand, line or size) every year that is not the philosophy of this art.
Here is a link of an interview of you by the late Gary J. Artz for cigar chanel :
3″45 “Cigars have been turned into a fashion industry”
Chris, Yes I believe it has become a fashion industry. Gary and I had this conversation many times about how companies are always changing the racks. It’s hard to keep up with because our generation and the younger generation always wants the newest thing. This is exactly why Habanos has the Edicion Limitada and Regional cigars.
When I put out a new line, I try and make a limited amount of vitolas. 3, 4 or 5 sizes to start and try to add a new size to it every so often…..
BTW, Cabaiguan is my second oldest brand and I have not added anything to that since I released the Guapos in 2006 & 2007 and they a very distinct compared to the Ambos Mundos.
Cool interview! Looking forward to L’At. And I vote YES to the Little Boris!!!
BTW, the La Riqueza, Cabaiguan, and Ambos Mundos are 3 VERY VERY different cigars. To me, saying they taste really similar is like saying that “All maduros taste the same.” Maybe it’s true to some people’s palates, but certainly not to mine!
I suppose if someone is new to Nicaraguan cigars in general (like they have previously smoked only Cubans), I can see where there would be a lot of similarities among the various Garcia-made products. But the more you smoke Nicaraguan cigars, they more obvious the differences become. But I’m just a consumer, so what do I know 🙂