Many a life has been reimagined over a cigar. It’s an hour to pause, exhale and consider.
- Are you on the right path?
- Can you create your own way?
- Is an advancement an expectation or true direction?
Join two two cigar mavericks for an in-depth reflection of life and premium cigars. Watch Pete Johnson, President of Tatuaje Cigars, and Jon Huber, President of Crowned Heads.
Life lesson #37 from cigar revolutionaries: When you stay true to who you are, success will be more abundant, authentic, meaningful and fulfilling.
Explore cigars, cigar life and cigar enjoyment with Rob Gagner, host of Box Press, Boveda’s cigar podcast. Subscribe to the Box Press podcast on the Boveda Cigar YouTube Channel or on iTunes.
At a crossroads in life? Light a cigar and be changed.
- Why a sure-thing might not be the right opportunity.
- How staying true to yourself (tattoo sleeves and all) can revolutionize a heritage industry.
- How to carve your own lane and respect the history of cigar making.
“I got into it because I was drawn to the romance of being involved with something that was literally all made by hand, ” Jon Huber, President of Crowned Heads said.
“Guys that last in this business are guys that pay respect to the people who came before them, to the tradition, to the artistry, to the craft of making cigars,” Jon explained.
“If you come into this game trying to be a disruptor, you’re in it for the wrong reason.”
NAME YOU CAN’T PRONOUNCE. PLAIN BROWN BAND. HIGH PRICE POINT. GAME CHANGER.
“This guy literally changed the game back in 2003. I remember Pete walking up to me with a little cabinet of unmarked cigars and said, ‘Check this out, this is my cigar, ’ ” Jon said.
“Honest to God, I’m not just saying this. I lit it. I smoked it and I was like, this is a game changer.
“Tatuaje paved the way for the Illusione, for the Crowned Heads, for all of the, as you would say, ‘disruptors ’ and quote, unquote ‘boutique’ brands today. ”
“If there was no Tatuaje, there would be no Crowned Heads. ”
BUT DON’T CALL THEM CIGAR MAKERS
“We don’t make cigars, we’re brand owners,” Jon emphasized. “I’m lucky enough to work with icons in the industry. To say, ‘Hey, I want a cigar that tastes like this or looks like this, can you help me out.’ ”
“For me I have to trust my palate,” Pete Johnson, President of Tatuaje Cigars, explained. “And every cigar that we do out of the factory with the Garcias is always about if it tastes good to me. I’m hoping someone else will like it. The bonus is when people want to buy them.”
“It’s really about being genuine and trying to do what you believe in and just make a freaking good cigar.”
Unwrapping Tatuaje and Crowned Heads IPCPR Podcast:
- Building two industry-shaking cigar brands from scratch when you don’t hail from a cigar dynasty. (4:48)
- Blending and manufacturing cigars—the written and unwritten rules. (11:14)
- What makes a cigar “full body”? (And what are cigar lovers’ misconceptions about “full bodied” cigars?) (15:05)
- What’s to love about Tatuaje Cigars and Crowned Heads cigars? (16:36)
- How Jon and Pete’s values define packaging, branding and promoting their cigar brands. (19:57)
- MIC DROP MOMENT, MIND EXPANDED: “If you try to make a cigar that everybody likes, you’ll never make a cigar that somebody loves.” (25:53)
- What’s the creative process behind Tatuaje Cigars and Crowned Heads Cigars? (26:27)
- What inspires a new cigar blend at Crowned Heads Cigars and Tatuaje Cigars? Has that inspiration changed and evolved? (35:16)
- What does the cigar community value in a brand? What are the most significant drivers for a growing cigar brand? (38:34)
- What are you smoking right now that you think people might not know about but is really good? (43:00)
ENLIGHTENING CIGAR ORIGIN STORIES: LIGHT UP, CLICK THROUGH
In Spanish, Tatuaje means tattoo. Which Tatuaje Cigar has made an impression on you?
Crowned Heads draws inspiration from apparel, art, music, wine, etc. What inspires you?
- La Riqueza
- Four Kicks
- Headley Grange
- J.D. Howard Reserve
- Jericho Hill
- La Imperiosa
- Mule Kick – Limited Edition
- Tennessee Waltz
