Blind Label Cigar Podcast

Terence Reilly left his family's established cigar business to take a chance on a Nicaraguan grower with incredible tobacco but a highly confusing brand identity. 🔥 Subscribe to the Blind Label Cigar Newsletter: https://blcc.news Today, Aganorsa Leaf stands as one of the most respected and vertically integrated names in the premium cigar industry. In this episode of the Blind Label Cigar Podcast, host Norm Farrar sits down with Terence, Aganorsa's VP of Sales and Marketing, to uncover the untold stories behind the leaf. Terence reveals how Aganorsa's owner, Eduardo Fernandez, went from building a fast-food pizza empire in Spain to bringing exiled Cuban agronomists into Nicaragua to grow world-class tobacco. He also breaks down the psychology of the 8x80 ring gauge, the nightmare of Canada's plain packaging laws, and why modern cigar smokers need to stop chasing the Cuban hype and start trusting their own palates. 📌 Main Topics Covered The Aganorsa Origin Story: How owner Eduardo Fernandez hired retired Cuban agronomists (who were exiled from the Communist party for believing in God) to build a Nicaraguan tobacco empire. Rebranding a Sleeping Giant: Why Terence pushed to consolidate Casa Fernandez, TABSA, and Tropical Tobacco under the single Aganorsa Leaf banner. The 8x80 JFR Lunatic: Why massive ring gauge cigars are actually Aganorsa's top sellers, and why long-haul truck drivers buy them by the box. Navigating Canada's Cigar Laws: Surviving 100% closed lounges, plain gray packaging, and the reality of smoking outside in the snow. Trust Your Palate: Why the obsession with Cuban cigars is outdated, and how to find the right non-Cuban blend for your specific taste. The "Crispy Boy" Collaboration: The story behind their new limited release with Cigar Dojo—a flavor-heavy, low-strength summer smoke designed to look like a tall boy beer can. 🛠️ Mentions & Resources Aganorsa Leaf Official Website: aganorsaleaf.com Aganorsa Leaf on YouTube: @AganorsaLeaf Aganorsa Acolytes: Join the official Facebook Group Follow Blind Label Cigar: @BlindLabelCigar across all social media platforms ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 - Leaving the Family Business 2:52 - Terence’s "Aha!" Moment 3:47 - What "Aganorsa" Actually Means 6:52 - The Rebranding Strategy 10:56 - The Wild Origin Story 14:30 - Why Rolling a Premium Cigar is a Miracle 21:56 - Surviving Canada 25:09 - The "Crispy Boy" Collaboration 27:07 - Top Aganorsa Recommendations 30:25 - The JFR Lunatic 37:19 - The Secret to the Distinct Taste 40:14 - Do Not Start Your Own Cigar Brand 49:20 - Why You Need to Trust Your Own Palate Blind Label Cigar is a community for cigar lovers at every level. New to cigars or decades in, you're in the right place. Pull up a chair. Find us: Website: https://blindlabelcigar.com Newsletter: https://blcc.news Podcast: https://blindlabelcigar.com/media/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blindlabelcigar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlindLabelCigar TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blindlabelcigar X: https://x.com/BlindLabelCigar AGE & LEGAL NOTICE You must be 21 years of age or older, and of legal smoking age in your country, state, or region, to view or engage with this content. This channel is intended strictly for adults and does not promote or encourage tobacco use by anyone underage.

Spending ten years behind the counter of a premium cigar shop teaches you a lot about tobacco but it teaches you even more about people. In this episode of the Blind Label Cigar Podcast, host Norm Farrar sits down with Joshua Harris, former cigar shop General Manager and the creator of Frankly Cigars. Joshua shares the brutal truth about what tobacconists should never do, emphasizing that shaming a customer for smoking an infused cigar like an Acid Blondie is the ultimate industry offense. He also drops hilarious stories about getting cursed out by industry legend Willy Herrera for accidentally making him buy his own cigars, and sharing a profound, quiet moment in the humidor with Cynthia Fuente. They dive into why Joshua asks every guest the exact same ten questions on his show (inspired by Stephen Colbert), how to translate terms like "full-bodied" and "pepper" for beginners using coffee and soda analogies, and why the biggest cigar myth is believing your friend knows your palate better than you do. 📌 Main Topics Covered In This Episode From Newbie to GM: How getting fired from a previous job led Joshua to dive headfirst into a 10-year career behind the cigar shop counter. The Frankly Cigars Format: Why asking every industry legend the exact same 10 questions reveals the most authentic answers. Cigar Snobs & Shop Mistakes: Why making fun of a customer's lack of knowledge or their choice of a flavored cigar is an absolute failure in customer service. Industry Encounters: Unforgettable run-ins with Cynthia Fuente and Drew Estate's Willy Herrera. Translating Taste: How to help beginners find the right cigar by comparing flavor profiles to steak, salad, Coke, and Sprite. Rapid Fire: Joshua’s take on the Lancero versus Toro, why he prefers a straight cut, and why he always leaves the cellophane on.🛠️ Mentions & Resources Links Frankly Cigars on Instagram: @frankly_cigars Frankly Cigars on YouTube: @frankly_cigars Blind Label Cigar is a community for cigar lovers at every level. New to cigars or decades in, you're in the right place. Pull up a chair. Find us: Website: https://blindlabelcigar.com Newsletter: https://blcc.news Podcast: https://blindlabelcigar.com/media/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blindlabelcigar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlindLabelCigar TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blindlabelcigar X: https://x.com/BlindLabelCigarAGE & LEGAL NOTICE You must be 21 years of age or older, and of legal smoking age in your country, state, or region, to view or engage with this content. This channel is intended strictly for adults and does not promote or encourage tobacco use by anyone underage.

What happens when 30 years of global cigar smoking meets a desire to create something entirely unique? 🔥 Subscribe to the Blind Label Cigar Newsletter: https://blcc.news In this episode of the Blind Label Cigar Podcast, host Norm Farrar sits down with Samuel Schöelen, founder of Schöelen Cigars, to uncover the fascinating journey behind his European-inspired boutique brand. Sam shares his experiences traveling the world, demanding "under the counter" local cigars instead of the usual Cubans, and how a transformative trip to Nicaragua led him to create his own custom blends. From the shocking story of how the premium tobacco industry truly operates (and why money alone can't buy you the best leaves) to the trials of finding the perfect cigar ring manufacturer, Sam holds nothing back. Whether you're a seasoned aficionado or a newcomer to the leaf, this episode offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to build an award-winning cigar brand from scratch. 📌 Main Topics Covered In This Episode The Global Cigar Hunt: How Sam's 30 years of asking for "local only" cigars across Europe and Asia inspired him to start his own boutique brand. The Nicaraguan Tobacco Mafia: Why having "buckets of money" isn't enough to buy premium tobacco, and why relationships are everything in the cigar industry. The "European Inspired" Branding: Why Sam chose German naming conventions (like Dunkel) and minimalist, elegant branding to stand out in crowded American humidors. The 97-Rated Connecticut: How an Ecuadorian shade-grown Connecticut wrapper, paired with a Nicaraguan binder and filler, created a deceptive, non-linear flavor journey that won Cigar of the Year. The Pain of Creating a Brand: Sam reveals his biggest hurdles, including sitting on thousands of unsellable cigars due to a bad factory run, and the agonizing process of finding a ring manufacturer that doesn't use cheap, glue-heavy paper. Cigar Purists Are the Worst: Why Sam hates cigar snobs who insist there is only "one right way" to smoke a cigar. 🛠️ Mentions & Resources Links Schulman Cigars: schoelencigars.comBlind Label Cigar Official Website: blindlabelcigar.comBlind Label Cigar is a community for cigar lovers at every level. New to cigars or decades in, you're in the right place. Pull up a chair. Find us: Website: https://blindlabelcigar.com Newsletter: https://blcc.news Podcast: https://blindlabelcigar.com/media/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blindlabelcigar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlindLabelCigar TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blindlabelcigar X: https://x.com/BlindLabelCigar AGE & LEGAL NOTICE You must be 21 years of age or older, and of legal smoking age in your country, state, or region, to view or engage with this content. This channel is intended strictly for adults and does not promote or encourage tobacco use by anyone underage.

What is it about cigar culture that makes complete strangers start talking like they already know each other? 🔥 Subscribe to the Blind Label Cigar Newsletter - https://blcc.news In this episode of the Blind Label Cigar Podcast, I sit down with my good friend Kevin King to talk about the part of cigars that has very little to do with the cigar itself: the people you meet while smoking one. Kevin tells the story of his first real cigar experience in Cuba and how he went from an occasional smoker to somebody with a cigar collection that makes me shake my head every time I see it. But the bigger conversation is about cigar culture. There is something about sitting down with a cigar that makes it easier to talk to people. You can walk into a lounge, sit beside somebody you have never met, ask what they are smoking, and an hour later you are swapping stories like old friends. Kevin and I talk about some of the people we have met that way, from business owners and cigar industry personalities to complete strangers with stories we never expected to hear. Some of those conversations turned into friendships. Others led to introductions, partnerships, and business opportunities. We also get into a few things that drive us nuts in cigar lounges and humidors, why we carry our own cutters and lighters, and the system we use when somebody says they are a cigar smoker but maybe has not quite earned the good stuff yet. At the end of the day, a good cigar makes you slow down. You sit. You talk. You listen. And every once in a while, you meet somebody you never would have met otherwise. That is a big part of why I love the cigar community. Subscribe to Blind Label Cigar for more conversations about cigars, cigar culture, and the people behind the smoke. Blind Label Cigar is a community for cigar lovers at every level. New to cigars or decades in, you're in the right place. Pull up a chair. Chapters 0:00 Teaser 0:31 Welcome to the Blind Label Cigar Podcast 2:49 Kevin King’s First Cigar in Cuba 6:05 How Kevin Got Into Cigars 9:47 What Cigar Culture Really Means 10:17 Why Cigar Smokers Connect So Fast 12:00 The Conversations You Only Have Over a Cigar 14:28 Strangers, Stories, and Business Connections 19:08 Meeting Cigar Industry Personalities 22:52 The $600 Behike Surprise 25:04 The Cigar Sharing System 28:55 Cigar Lounge and Humidor Pet Peeves 32:01 The Shared Cutter Problem 33:02 Join the Blind Label Cigar Community Find us: Website: https://blindlabelcigar.com Newsletter: https://blcc.newsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/blindlabelcigar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlindLabelCigar TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blindlabelcigar X: https://x.com/BlindLabelCigar AGE & LEGAL NOTICE You must be 21 years of age or older, and of legal smoking age in your country, state, or region, to view or engage with this content. This channel is intended strictly for adults and does not promote or encourage tobacco use by anyone underage.