Coach Dean Smith told Michael Jordan during his freshman year at UNC, “Michael, if you can’t pass, you can’t play.”
Teamwork is everything to La Gloria Cubana. They’ve made it their mission to focus on the collective conscious of the brilliant minds in the industry to pioneer the brand. And the proof is in the proverbial pudding. Success with lines such as the Serie R (and soon the Serie N) as well as the amazing Artesanos Line have launched Team La Gloria Cubana to rock star status.
I had the incredible honor of sitting down with one of Team La Gloria Cubana’s varsity players, Ricky Rodriguez. Responsible for the superb dual-wrapped Artesanos de Tabaqueros, Ricky has all the makings of becoming a cigar legend and has already proven you don’t need a popular family name to make fantastic smokes. Here’s a little from our time together:
Norfolk Cigar Examiner: Ricky, you started as a sales rep in Florida. Tell me a little about that and how you became such a key member of La Gloria Cubana.
Ricky Rodriguez: Well, about seven years ago General Cigar approached me because of my success in the industry. They knew I had a passion and dedication for cigars, as well as a huge willingness to learn. The masters were getting older and it was time for a younger generation to begin training so the knowledge and practices aren’t lost, but instead continue with ingenuity. So, I trained in the D.R. (Dominican Republic) then Honduras. I had to learn more about the product itself and how the cigar is integrated.
NCE: You worked with Benji Menendez. What did you take away from that experience?
RR: I spent six years with him learning about tobacco. Benji taught me the art of blending. He explained how finding the best flavor is the most important part of cigar making. Elements, like the body of the cigar, are an afterthought. You shouldn’t start out saying, “I want to make a full bodied cigar.” The focus is the flavor.
NCE: What was the inspiration behind Artesanos de Tabaqueros and why the dual wrapper?
RR: Interestingly enough, the wrapper was the inspiration. I knew I wanted to use Connecticut Shade and Ecuadorian Sumatra. I wanted to use them together because as you’re smoking a cigar, your palate adjusts to the flavors. I figured by having two wrappers you could experience a change in taste without having to relight.
NCE: Did you work with any tobaccos that didn’t end up in the final product? If so, how did changing them change the flavor component?
RR: We tried almost 50 blends before we decided on the one you’re smoking now. The process is very interesting. We’ll try a blend and when something is off, we smoke it piece by piece (the wrapper, binder, and filler) to eliminate where the discrepancy is. The problem is, you really can’t smoke more than three blends per day because of the affects on your palate.
NCE: How do you clean your palate in between cigars?
RR: We drink black coffee or eat bananas.
NCE: Do you still loving smoking cigars or is it work?
RR: No, of course I still love it! I smoke easily about 10-15 cigars per week. I’m always trying to blends. I have a deep appreciation for this industry. My grandfather worked in a cigar factory and him and my grandmother smoked cigars. I always loved the aroma. He had a true passion for cigars, something I definitely inherited from him.
NCE: How have your tastes changed over the years?
RR: I’m seeking out more flavors now. Benji taught me to look beyond the wrapper. The wrapper holds 50-70% of the flavor of the cigar so it’s a challenge to concentrate on the backend. It’s like, the wrapper is a steak and the binder and filler are the salt, pepper, garlic, etc. You have the steak, and that’s great and all, but you need to find that perfect combination of ingredients to achieve the best flavor.
NCE: Anything new on the horizon?
RR: Of course Serie N is coming out soon as well as Artesanos de Obelisco. We’re going to continue taking trips to the D.R. You’ll just have to wait and see!
You can find La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros at Emerson’s Cigars. Emerson’s Cigars has five locations in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. They also have an online store at www.EmersonsCigars.com. Visit on of their stores to pre-order La Gloria Cubana Serie N and Artesanos Obelisco.
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