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Meeting and Relationship: Robert Caldwell and Matt Booth have known each other for approximately 14–15 years, having first met in Honduras. They describe their friendship as intimate and non-traditional, noting that they have traveled together and met in various cities like Paris and Los Angeles outside of the cigar industry.The "Room 101" Name and Brand Philosophy: Matt Booth explains that the name "Room 101" is a nod to George Orwell’s 1984. He views the brand as a champion for the creative spirit and individual expression against the pressures of conformity. Booth launched Room 101 in 2003 with hand built jewelry and fashion before expanding into cigars.Industry Perspectives: Both speakers acknowledge their roles in the cigar industry while noting that they are both independent spirits. They discuss the industry's shift in perception regarding 60-ring gauge cigars, noting that while once considered "big" and less expensive, they are now normalized and demand premium pricing. Both highlight the importance o

Jon Huber (Crowned Heads) & Pete Johnson (Tatuaje Cigars) | Live From PCA 2026

10-Year Anniversary: Melillo discusses the 10-year milestone of Foundation Cigars, noting the challenges and intense workload involved in building the brand. He highlights his limited-edition 10-year anniversary cigar, a 7x58 Salomon, and expresses gratitude for the industry's support throughout his decade-long journey.Historical and Spiritual Research: Melillo shares his long-standing fascination with Ethiopian history, the royal family, and ancient texts like the Book of Enoch and the Garima Bible. He links this interest to his broader philosophical questions about life and humanity, noting that these pursuits share a sense of depth similar to his approach to cigar making. Industry Dynamics and Personal Work Ethic: The conversation touches on the camaraderie within the cigar industry and the demanding nature of running a company. Melillo admits to being a perfectionist and his own harshest critic, explaining that he aims to provide an exceptional experience for consumers rather than seeking personal accolad

Limited Exposure Series: Enrique introduces The Matilde Limited Exposure series, a concept designed to offer exclusive, limited-production blends without being limited in time. Each release, numbered sequentially, utilizes different color themes inspired by nature and tropical fauna, such as the Number 1 (Red Orchid), Number 2 (Lilac), and the latest, Number 3 (Green Cotorra). The Number 3 blend is a 50/50 combination of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco, a departure from their traditional 80/20 Dominican-focused blends. Legacy and Homage: Enrique discusses the "Par Jose Seijas" cigar, created to honor and thank his father, Jose Seijas, a renowned figure in the tobacco industry. The brand supports the Parkinson's Foundation in the Dominican Republic, as Jose suffered from Parkinson's disease.Rebranding and New Directions: Enrique is rebranding and relaunching the "Seijas" family brand, which he successfully reacquired after his father's passing. This new stage involves the establishment of the "Pineapple Cigar

Ferio Tego and Storytelling: Michael Herklots discusses his philosophy of viewing cigar brands as "albums" and blends as "stories." He emphasizes that a meaningful story must be repeatable and compelling. Herklots highlights the Metropolitan 30th Anniversary limited edition cigar as a way to honor the legacy of the Metropolitan Selection.Industry Advocacy: Herklots reflects on his transition from a long-time retail career to his current role as a brand owner. He notes that despite being "deliberate competition" now, he remains committed to advocating for the cigar industry as a whole, maintaining strong relationships with peers and other manufacturers.The Nature of the Cigar Industry: The conversation touches on the "family" aspect of the industry. While acknowledging that business is competitive, the speaker stresses the genuine mutual respect and shared passion that exists among those in the room.Consistency and Challenges: Herklots discusses the vulnerability inherent in their craft, noting that every ciga

Behind every exceptional cigar brand is a story—at La Flor Dominicana (LFD), that story was written by the Gomez family.ABOUT THIS EPISODE:Episode features: Founder, Litto Gomez Sr. and his sons, Litto Jr., and Tony. Interview by Boveda’s Box Press Hosts Nate Beck and JP Awad.Founded by Litto Gomez and nurtured alongside his wife Ines, LFD is a family legacy built on passion, resilience, and an uncompromising commitment to excellence. Today, Tony and Litto Jr. also play an integral role furthering the vision—blending tradition with a fresh perspective to ensure that the brand remains bold and innovative.What is Boveda? Boveda patented 2-way humidity control for storing premium cigars. Aging cigars with Boveda is the easiest and most effective way to preserve their quality, flavors, aroma, and integrity. By maintaining the ideal humidity, Boveda prevents mildew in a cigar humidor while also protecting cigars from drying out. With Boveda in your cigar humidor, you'll enjoy full flavor and a perfect smoke from e

Two pillars of the premium cigar industry. One conversation you don’t want to miss. #LoveYourCigars In this episode, we sit down with Joya de Nicaragua and Quesada Cigars to talk about legacy, collaboration, and what happens when Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic come together in the world of premium cigars. Episode features: Joya de Nicaragua's Juan Martinez and Quesada Cigars' Raquel Quesada. Interview by Boveda’s Box Press Hosts Nate Beck and JP Awad. What is Boveda? Boveda patented 2-way humidity control for storing premium cigars. Aging cigars with Boveda is t

You’ll laugh your ash off as 2 superstars from Nashville cigar companies join the Boveda cigar podcast. #LoveYourCigarsEpisode features: Jon Huber, Crowned Heads and Tim Ozgener, Oz Family CigarsBoth boutique cigar brands share a heritage over CAO, the cigar company founded by the late Cano Aret Ozgener in Nashville in the 1990s. (Cano was Tim’s father.)Oz Family Cigars of today upholds the family's craft with Turkish-named blends, such as Firsat and Karatoba. Crowned Heads specializes in small-batch blends, such as Four Kicks and Jericho Hill.Interview by Boveda’s Box Press Hosts Nate Beck and JP Awad.What is Boveda? Boveda patented 2-way humidity control for storing premium cigars. Aging cigars with Boveda is the easiest and most effective way to preserve their quality, flavors, aroma, and integrity. By maintaining the ideal humidity, Boveda prevents mildew in a cigar humidor while also protecting cigars from drying out. With Boveda in your cigar humidor, you'll enjoy full flavor and a perfect smoke from ev

This cigar podcast could save your or a loved one's life. Following his own mental health crisis, Adam Levine founded the League of Fat Bastards Cigars. The boutique Nicaraguan cigar brand gives away 40% of its profits to men's mental health initiatives; hosts events where men can get real about their lives; and encourages intentional discussions about mental health over cigars. Interview by Drew Emmer at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.What is Boveda? League Of Fat Bastards Cigars recommends Boveda 2-way humidity control for wherever you store cigars. Boveda preserves the flavor and character of premium cigars by keeping them at ideal humidity. Boveda prevents cigars from drying out and mold growth. With Boveda in your humidor, you'll enjoy full flavor and a perfect smoke from every cigar. Feel better about storing cigars, use Boveda. Click here to get emails: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 00:00 This is Box Press00:24 How did the League of Fat Bastards Cigars get its name?00:45

Use Boveda to protect all the Lovely Cigars in your humidor, click here to get emails: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 This vintage 1800s Wisconsin cigar brand has a new life thanks to owners Mike Gehm, Keith Archiquette, and Dylan Masse. The trio blends cigar that they love, and it turns out a lot cigar smokers love Lovely Cigars, too. Hear more about this boutique cigar brand that produces Elegante X2 Ain't They Lovely Cigar, The Bay City Cigar, and the No. 162. Interview by Drew Emmer at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.00:00 This is Box Press01:36 First 2 years of a new business are rocky03:16 Gotta have a quality cigar, good marketing, and good relationship with tobacco shops04:27 Founders are regular cigar palate people05:00 Lovely Cigar brand is from the 1800s out of Green Bay, Wisconsin05:29 No.162 Lovely Cigar05:35 The new Lovely's Bay City Cigar06:19 Converting a great idea into tobacco stores adopting cigar lines12:41 What's ham-and-egging it?13:51 A delicious cigar to t

NEW CIGAR BRAND: Domain Cigars, whose flavor and construction are protected by Boveda. Use Boveda to protect the cigars in your humidor, click here to get emails: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 Domain Cigars is the crest of the third wave of cigar making. Fully vertically integrated. Craft. Innovative. If they can't produce a cigar, they won't make it anymore.This new guy in town was developed by Daniel Lance and his business partner, Esteban Disla, a master blender who has created cigars for 30 cigar companies. Domain will change the way you see cigars, including a new way to package cigars with Boveda 2-way humidity control. Lance only uses Boveda to keep his cigars, like Domain's new Neutron and Negentropy tasting and smoking great. Interview by Drew Emmer at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.00:00 This is Box Press00:43 Esteban Disla experienced cigar man02:19 Third wave cigar maker is where the cigar industry is headed02:27 First cigar wave = Cuba embargo04:01 Second wave of

Protect your cigars from bad guys like mold and low humidity by using Boveda in your humidor, click here to get emails: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 Unlike a bad guy, his Maduro cigar won't kick you in the head. Discover Porto Real, actor Alex Estrella's boutique cigar brand. Porto Real cigars are tasty Dominican and Nicaragua blends that are affordable. Cigars are from $8 to $12.When playing a ne'er-do-well in a film or series, Alex would often smoke a cigar. (Hey, cigar smokers are not so bad!) So it's natural that the actor parlayed his love of smokes into a cigar biz. Alex and Boveda's Drew Emmer talk cigar storage and more at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.00:00 This is Box Press00:01 This IS the actor/producer Alex Estrella01:29 The actor who has a cigar brand and the cigar brand run by an actor02:31 Started in cigars when he started acting for TV03:05 Sampling the Porto Real Maduro cigar03:44 Maduro cigar that's not going to kick you in the head05:07 Living la vida loca

Protect the flavor and character of boutique cigars like PDR with Boveda. Click here to get emails: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 Does the size of a cigar matter? Sure does for PDR founder Abe Flores. Find out if he prefers fatter stogies versus shorter, slimmer cigars. Then get cigar recommendations from this award-winning master blender. Looking for an accessible Cubanesque cigar? PDR (Puro Dominican Republic) blends Cuban traditions with boutique modern manufacturing . The cigar makers employ a complex tobacco rolling technique that originated in Cuba called “entubado.” The cigar roller rolls each filler leaf into a straw shape to fit a greater number of filler leaves into a PDR cigar, which results in amazing air flow.PDR's Flores talks with Boveda's Drew Emmer about protecting the condition of cigars at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.00:00 This is Box Press01:58 To buy instruments, I was selling cigars on the side03:36 Abe Flores already knew tech and marketing, needed to

Protect the flavor and character of artisan cigars with Boveda. Find out how to use Boveda in your humidor, click here to get emails: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 Cigar smokers in the Pacific Northwest, you made this Tampa cigar famous. Try the latest iteration of the Juan de Fuca cigar blended by Serafin de Cuba.Fourth generation cigar maker Arnoldo Serafin talks with Boveda's Drew Emmer about reviving forgotten cigar brands at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.00:00 This is Box Press00:09 Juan de Fuca cigars packaged with Boveda00:31 What is a Juan de Fuca cigar?00:47 Strait of Juan de Fuca in Pacific Northwest01:38 Why smoke a closed foot cigar01:56 Don Ramon 1917 Series cigar—cigar fit for a BOSS! Created to honor patriarch, Don Ramon Serafin, Jr. 02:18 How did you fall in love with cigars?04:23 Sweeter cigar, medium that's not too strong, not too harsh04:34 I'm a sucker for Cameroon wrappers06:00 How many fourth generation cigar makers are there?06:31 History of Tampa and ci

So they're ready for cigars right away, Brizard & Co. ships humidors with Boveda's specialty seasoning packets. Brizard airflow humidors have compartments that position Boveda above and below the cigars to surround them in the idea humidity. Find out how to use Boveda in your humidor, click here to get emails: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 Brizard & Co. makes premium cigar accessories from exotic woods and genuine leather. Manufacturing in Southern California allows Brizard & Co. to control the quality of their woodwork, leather work, and metal work.Founder of Brizard & Co., Cyril Brizard talks proper cigar storage with Boveda's Drew Emmer at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.00:00 This is Box Press01:05 People connect over cigars01:37 Brizard & Co. makes no mass produced humidors03:17 Southern California maker of high-end humidors, cigar cases, and lighters03:48 Brizard & Co. golf cigar collection04:09 Brizard & Co. luxury cowboy cigar collection06:09

Whether you're holding on to a $100 Sans Pareil Gold or a value smoke, preserve that cigar's flavor with Boveda, click here to get emails: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 Sans Pareil is pronounced sahn-pah-rehy. (BTW, Boveda is pronounced boh-veh-dah.) Sans Pareil is French and translates to "without equal or unparalleled." Fitting for four lines of ultra-premium cigars that command $38 to $100 a stick. Should you save a Sans Pareil for a special occasion? Or work celebratory sticks into your cigar rotation? If you smoke luxury cigars regularly, do they lose their panache? David J. Swinburne, CEO and co-founder of Sans Pareil cigars talks luxury cigars and new releases with Boveda's Drew Emmer at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.00:00 This is Box Press00:12 NEW Green line of Sans Pareil Cigars01:51 Shout out to the Cedar Room Fine Cigars & Lounge, Scottsdale, Arizona02:54 Re-release of Super Lancero in the Sans Pareil Gold line04:48 New Sans Pareil Toro cigar, The Jeddo05:09 W

What's in your humidor? Protect it with Boveda—sign up for cigar care tips here: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 A whole lotta smart cigar storage in this one. Along with its popular 80-count model, CigarBros personal humidors are now available in 4 new sizes to keep 5, 10, 20, and 30 cigars. CigarBros founder Remon Mansour announced that retailers, like the online wine merchant, Wooden Cork are now carrying a prefilled CigarBros personal humidor. This heavy-duty black foam cigar vault is reusable but comes prefilled with premium cigars, like Oliva, Romeo Y Julieta, Acid, and more. Find out about how this family-owned humidor biz has taken off since CigarBros patented a stand-alone climate-controlled humidor to keep cigars fresh and well stocked for non-traditional cigar sellers, like gas stations, convenience stores, liquor stores, lounges, casinos, golf courses, etc.Remon talks to Boveda's Drew Emmer at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.00:00 This is Box Press00:31 Luck is when ha

If $60 cigars are stored with Boveda, shouldn't yours be? Click here to receive cigar care tips: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 UberLuxury cigars are a new segment of premium cigars created by Jeremiah Meerapfel. His family's legendary Meerapfel Cameroon tobacco is touted as the most exclusive wrapper in the world. This fifth generation cigar man talks how his family evolved cigar smokers beyond Cubans toward New World Cigars (AKA cigars originating from any country that isn't Cuba!). Meerapfel and Boveda's Drew Emmer talk cigars and Boveda at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.00:00 This is Box Press02:40 Responsibilities come with being the patriarch of a family, a company04:33 Amassment is a word06:34 Combatting Cuban cigars with non-Cuban New World cigars08:00 Cigars followed the same trajectory as wine08:55 Sad that my father isn't next to me13:32 How the cigar craft has changed over 20 years16:07 Say NO to big cigar ring gauges17:15 Wrapper is the most expensive part of a ciga

Keep the cigars you buy from drying out, use Boveda. Click here to get cigar care tips: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 Mo reveals a new release for Patina Cigars! Founder of Patina Cigars, Mo Maali believes a cigar is a two-hour vacation, a cost-effective psychiatrist session, and a barrier-breaker. Cigars ARE the best way to bring people together, including Mo and Boveda's Drew Emmer at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.00:00 This is Box Press00:14 A COVID podcast that launched Patina Cigars01:30 NEW RELEASE: Patina Oro de Nicaragua cigar02:17 Unique cigar wrapper to try03:07 Dream of owning your own cigar line?04:27 Nicaraguan American supplies tobacco—shout out to cigar makers Raul Disla and Gus Cura 05:06 Giving Boveda a try when you store cigars05:48 Shout out to James Brown of Black Label Trading09:39 Patina represents age and beauty17:14 New to cigars? Or so-so on Connecticuts? Pick up a Patina Connecticut cigarWhat is Boveda? Boutique cigar brands like Patina Cigars protec

Cigar loving wise men (and women) preserve the flavor, aroma, and character of sticks with Boveda, click here to get emails: https://hubs.la/Q01BLsBF0 Foundation is no longer making the El Güegüense cigar nor the original Wise Man Maduro blend. In their place, find out what Nicholas Melillo, Foundation founder has in store for lovers of this popular boutique brand of thoughtfully blended, hand-rolled cigars. See what's new for Foundation cigars with Boveda's Drew Emmer at PCA 2024, the preeminent event for premium cigar and pipe industry.00:00 This is Box Press00:12 Nick Melillo riffs on Robert Caldwell02:58 Connecticut gets a bad rap04:32 Shout out to Foundation's Olmec cigars and Cigar Jones, Minnetonka, Minnesota06:01 Hiphop and cigars07:01 Foundation music video by The Reminders filmed in A.J. Fernandez factory, on the fields 08:01 Worked cigar retail in Hamden, Connecticut08:26 Discontinuing El Güegüense cigar09:56 New Foundation cigars The Wise Man Maduro and Corojo15:57 PCA 2025 trade show April 11-14