THE BIRTHDAYS

October 3: Steven Ysidron starts the cigar birthdays in October list.. Owner and founder of Epicurean Cigars. His Cuban heritage is one of the reasons why he ended up in the cigar industry. He started making cigars with his father and the Fuente family in the late 1980s. But Ysidron created a taste for Nicaraguan tobacco as well, so he started making cigars there in 1999. And that would ultimately turn into Epicurean cigars. All the Epicurean cigars are small-batch releases. 

October 6: Graig Rossi. Co-founder of La Barba Cigars. The boutique brand La Barba was founded in 2010. After too many cigars, bourbons, and ideas, Bellatto and Graig Rossi decided to go for it. To create a boutique brand that brought an unprecedented product. Unique, with a focus on being fun, approachable, and comfortable. And for that, they went to the Dominican Republic. They approached Tabacalera William Ventura to create small batch cigars for them. And for the name, they chose La Barba, the beard.

October 7: Jason Wood. Vice President of Miami Cigar & Company. The husband of Tatiana Miranda from Tatiana Cigars. Miami Cigar & Co is the distributor for Tatiana, Toscano, La Aurora, and Don Lino cigars in the United States. And the owner of the Don Lino and Nestor Miranda cigar brands.

Tatiana & Jason Wood

October 10: Pedro Jose Gomez Rodriguez. A spokesperson for Drew Estate. A proud Nicaraguan, who climbed up. From the streets of Estelí to one of the faces of Drew Estate. And even represented Nicaragua and the cigar industry in a speech for Congress

October 13: Heiko Poerz. The man behind the luxury brand HENK, known for its travel accessories. And for the Henk Maori cigars, made in Esteli, at the A.J. Fernandez factory. But don’t forget the HENK gin. HENK is everywhere when it comes to luxury items. 

October 16: Nicholas Perdomo III. The son of Nick Perdomo, and national director of sales for Perdomo cigars. Born and raised with tobacco in his veins, he’s following the footsteps of his grandfather and his father. With Nicholas Perdomo III as a successor, Nick Perdomo can retire without worry when he feels it’s time to do so.

Nicholas Perdomo II with his mother Janine Perdomo

October 20: Kurt Kendall. The man behind the 7-20-4 cigar brand. In 2006, Kendall revived the old brand with the roots in New England. 7-20-4 combines his passion for tobacco and his passion for tobacco history. From a house blend to his own retail shops to a nationwide and praised brand, 7-20-4 is a success.

October 24: Jose ‘Don Pepin’ Garcia. The living legend who won’t acknowledge that title. That’s what a modest man he is. But a true legend in the tobacco industry nonetheless. Both in Cuba, Nicaragua, and the United States. He’s in the Ministry of Cigars Industry Legends list

October 26: Tom Lazuka. The former Davidoff sales rep turned cigar manufacturer is turning another leaf on October 26. And he’s probably doing that with a couple of straight jackets and an Asylum 13 Ogre. From the day Lazuka and Eiroa launched their Asylum Cigars, they have been a hit in stores around the world.

October 27: Jose Blanco. The man, the myth, the legend. Born in a tobacco family. His father grew tobacco and his uncle had a cigar factory. And Jose smoked his first cigar at the age of 15. Yet he only entered the cigar business as a professional at the age of 50. With La Aurora, Joya de Nicaragua, Senorial, E.P. Carrillo under the belt, Blanco is now working with Carlito Fuente at Arturo Fuente Cigars. Read our interview with Jose Blanco.

October 28: Albert Montserrat. President of Cigar Rings. The company that is responsible for a lot of the art we see when smoking a cigar. With printing machinery in both the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

These are the cigar birthdays for October. But in case you miss someone, or yourself, on this list, let us know.

Reference: https://ministryofcigars.com/cigar-birthdays-in-october-2/