Scott Williams is a man on a mission.
Blond, blue-eyed and with a decided twang that quickly reveals his "deep in the heart of Texas" roots, Williams is working
hard to bring Colombian cigars to the U.S. marketplace. He might seem an
unlikely choice to head an effort that conjures images of Juan Valdez swapping
his coffee bag for a load of tobacco, but it's a dream that Williams is deeply
committed to.
Williams - who's known to his cigar compatriots as "Roberto Juarez," a name he
picked up herding cattle alongside Hispanic workers at his grandfather's ranch -
first heard about Colombian cigars when he decided to turn a passion into a
business and set off to find a new cigar for the American market.
"I focused on Dominicans because the Dominican Republic is the number one cigar
exporter in the world and they have a reputation for truly excellent cigars,"
said Williams.
After an enjoyable hunt that involved years of research and hundreds of cigars,
Williams found the cigar he'd been searching for. "I knew it was the right cigar
the first time I smoked one. It delivered a pleasant punch that was just
amazing."
Eager to learn more about this amazing cigar, Williams uncovered a startling
fact: his new favorite "Dominican" was really from Colombia.
"I'd never had a Colombian cigar before," said Williams. "You can't find them in
any cigar store, I was just blown away by the quality of this cigar and had to
know more."
Uncovering the mystery of the Colombian cigar
Williams learned that the cigar was crafted by Enrique Duran, a Colombian who
has spent the last two decades in the cigar industry, and his master blender,
Antonio de Jesus. Also known as Papiro, de Jesus has nearly 40 years of cigar
experience and blended tobacco with Davidoff, one of the most famous cigar
manufacturers in the Dominican Republic.
"I knew immediately that I'd found a real treasure," said Williams. "And once I
learned the story behind the cigar, it became an obsession to bring Colombian
cigars to North America."
Duran's journey to Colombian cigar manufacturing started in Miami. "I had a good
friend there whose father manufactured cigars in Mexico. He introduced me to
cigars and, before I knew it, I was captivated."
After spending years in Miami and Pennsylvania where he learned the business
side of selling cigars - distribution, shipping and receiving - Duran headed to
the Dominican Republic where he spent seven years mastering the art of fine
cigar making. It was during this time that Duran crossed paths with a group from
the Colombian Tobacco Growers Federation who was interested in bringing the
cigar industry to their country.
"The tobacco industry has been an important part of Colombia for centuries, but
the focus has been on tobacco for cigarettes," said Duran. "Their tobacco is
excellent - once I saw the quality I immediately bought four tons to use in our
Dominican cigars!
A revolution begins
In 2001, Duran moved his operations to Colombia and began the painstaking work
of creating a world-class Colombian cigar. At the time, the Colombian growers
didn't have the skills and knowledge to turn an excellent tobacco into a
world-class cigar." Fortunately, Duran did.
One of his first decisions was to grow tobacco in multiple regions. "If you go
to the Dominican Republic or Nicaragua, you have one type of growing condition -
one altitude, one type of soil," said Duran. "But in Colombia we have four or
five diverse geographic areas with vastly different soil conditions, weather,
altitudes and sunlight. You can take the same seed and grow it in different
places and it's as if you have an entirely different tobacco that you couldn't
create anywhere else."
Ideal growing conditions mean Duran is able to produce over 50 tons of Colombian
tobaccos annually, most without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. "Many of
our tobaccos are grown either in the Andean mountain range or on the North Coast
of South America, in very humid conditions. Our volcanic soils are rich with
minerals and nutrients that allow us to produce some of the finest tobaccos in
the world," said Duran.
Duran complemented the unique natural resources of Colombia with cigar
manufacturing expertise from the Dominican Republic. "In countries with a long
history of cigar manufacturing, cigar-making expertise is typically handed down
from one generation to the next. Children sit by their parents and learn the
craft from an early age," said Duran. "We were very fortunate to have the
support of the Instituto Dominicano del Tobacco. We have employed many artisans
from the Dominican to help produce our cigars and have some of the world's
experts in farming and harvesting techniques, curing techniques and cigar
rolling. This has ensured our ability to meet the standards that international
buyers demand.
Creating the Bravo Cigar
Williams has partnered with Duran and his artisans to create five Bravo Cigar
lines designed specifically for the American marketplace. "My passion for
excellent cigars has led me to the land of coffee beans and tobacco. I've always
dreamed of going into business for myself, and being able to do it in the cigar
industry is definitely icing on the cake!" said Williams. "I am extremely proud
of these cigars and experienced smokers tell us they're like nothing else
they've ever smoked. They can't believe the intoxicating quality."
Duran attributes Bravo Cigars' quality to the excellence of Colombian tobacco
and the skills of master blender de Jesus. "I understand which tobaccos will
deliver the characteristics my customers want, and it's Antonio who works the
magic and ensures that we create the experience our customers are looking for
and keeps it consistent from one year to the next," said Duran.
And Duran believes that Bravo Cigar will play a critical role in helping
Colombian cigars take their deserved place in the marketplace. "Roberto
understands cigars. He's passionate about excellent cigars and appreciates just
what sets Colombian cigars apart. He's been bitten by the same ‘bug' that I was
- and now neither of us can stay away!"
"If you're adventurous and want to experience something new, I invite you to
give a Bravo cigar a try," said Williams. "These are unique, complex cigars that
smoke like nothing else you've ever experienced." If you're the kind of
aficionado that arranges a decent burial for you cigar nub, then this is the
cigar for you.
Señor Roberto Juarez invites you to discover Bravo Cigars for yourself. All are
handmade in Colombia by the finest artisans Duran has to offer and all, except
the Corto, are available in five traditional sizes: Perfecto (4.5 x 50); Robusto
(5 x 50); Toro (6 x 50); Torpedo (6.5 x 52) and Churchill (7 x 50); . The
Colombia Gold line will soon add a Limitado Edicion Preidente (8 x 51).
Bravo Cigars currently offers five distinctive series:
Sosegado Series
This is a tranquil and serene smoke made from 100% Colombian tobaccos. Grown in
the region where the world's finest coffee beans are cultivated, Senor Roberto
Juarez has crafted the Sosegado cigar from six-year aged tobaccos. A smooth and
creamy Colombian dark wrapper embodies a sophisticated blend of three long leaf
Colombian tobaccos. The flavor is full-bodied and robust, and boasts rich toasty
tobacco notes of earth, cedar, caramel and coffee bean. Well- constructed in
five traditional sizes, these cigars burn in fine fashion. 24 Colombian Sosegado
cigars packed away in a beautiful cedar box.
Colombian Gold Series
Remember the days of Colombian Gold? Well they're back and better than ever
thanks to Senor Roberto Juarez who's crafted this series using the finest
Colombian tobaccos. Our tobaccos are grown in the same rich fertile soils where
the world's finest coffee beans are cultivated, then carefully aged and
hand-rolled. Smooth and creamy, the Colombian wrapper surrounds a captivating
blend of long leaf Colombian tobaccos. The flavor is mild- to medium-bodied and
boasts tender tobacco notes of earth, cedar and cocoa bean. Well-constructed in
five traditional sizes, these cigars burn in fine fashion. 24 Colombian Gold
cigars packed away in beautiful cedar box.
Roberto Juarez Signature Series
Senor Roberto Juarez has teamed up with master blender Antonio "Papiro" de Jesus
to craft this cigar from a masterful blend of tobaccos from Colombia and around
the world. This super premium cigar is handmade with aged tobaccos. A smooth and
oily Colombian rojo wrapper encases a delicious blend of three tobaccos. The
flavor is full-bodied with intoxicating aromas that boasts rich toasty notes of
earth, roasted coffee bean and spice. Handmade in five traditional sizes, these
cigars burn in fine fashion. 24 Colombian Signature cigars packed away in a
beautiful cedar box.
North Coast Series
"Montes De Maria" overlooks Colombia's beautiful North Coast and is where Senor
Roberto Juarez has selected the tobaccos to craft the North Coast Series. Using
100% Colombian tobaccos that are grown in the same region where the world's
finest coffee beans are cultivated, these medium filler cigars are handmade
using a creamy Colombian grown wrapper that surrounds a "Cuban Sandwich" blend
of Colombia's finest tobaccos. Mild- to medium-bodied, the flavors are rich with
tender tobacco notes of earth, roasted coffee bean and cedar. They finish with a
distinct smoothness and aromas that are completely intoxicating. These cigars
are a great value. Well- constructed in five traditional sizes, they burn in
fine fashion. 25 Colombian North Coast cigars packed to a bundle.
Corto Series
Senor Roberto Juarez has crafted his favorite cigar, the Perfecto, using a
splendid blend of 100% Colombian tobacco assembled by master blender Antonio "Papiro"
de Jesus. This premium chubby cigar is handmade by Colombia's finest artisans
from aged tobaccos. A smooth and oily Colombian rojo wrapper surrounds a
delicious blend of Colombian premium tobaccos. The flavor is medium- to
full-bodied with intoxicating aromas. Rich tobacco notes of earth, cedar,
caramel and roasted coffee beans provide a balanced finish. Handmade and
well-constructed, this Perfecto cigar burns in fine fashion. The Colombian Corto
cigars are packed away in a beautiful cedar display box. Senor Roberto Juarez
Bravo Cigars are available at fine tobacconists throughout the U.S. or at
www.bravocigar.com
Related story - Bravo Cigar introduces 100% Colombian Cigars
