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| SC: | How long has Molina Cigars/ Devil’s Weed been in business or been involved in the cigar industry? |
| LM: | Molina Cigar Company has officially been in business since May 2007. I have been involved with the cigar industry for five years prior to Molina Cigar by working at Don Juan Cigar Co and its parent company, Imperial Trading Company (overseeing their premium cigar department) in New Orleans since August 2003. I have been obsessed with cigars since I first smoked one on the levees of Lake Ponchartrain when I was 16 and I knew after graduating from Notre Dame that I would commit my life to the cigar. |
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| SC: | Were you concerned the name Devil’s Weed would turn off some of the older crowd? |
| LM: | My father and I discussed this issue for over three months. We kept going back and forth (we even contemplated going by the Spanish translation – La Hierba del Diablo; but obviously the hard pronunciation would adversely affect sales). In the end we stood by our decision. Although the name may incite controversy at first, this name is a tribute to the cigar industry, its history and to cigar smokers everywhere. We are proud of our culture and are taking our stand (just as all cigar smokers are taking their stand now in the face of the anti-tabaco movement and its draconian laws). The cigar and tabaco have been controversial since its beginning. As we point out, the term, Devil’s Weed, was coined by the Spanish Inquisition, the first anti-tabaco group because they believed tabaco was a tool of the devil. How is the anti-tabaco movement any different now as it was 500 years ago? How little things change… |
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| SC: | What is the blend of the cigars and where are they rolled? |
| LM: | First of all, Tabacos Don Leoncio is the creator of Devil’s Weed’s blend and they are true artisans. The factory is located in Tamboril, Dominican Republic, and is overseen by Juan Rodriguez. He and his two brothers, Ysidoro and Luis, have been rolling for over 30 years (having worked in some of the famous factories already there) and their factory is a hidden jewel (not for much longer). I told them what I wanted in a blend and they got it immediately (we only tweaked it two more times). The wrapper is Ecuador Connecticut with a Dominican binder and four Dominican filler leaves. |
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| SC: | What are some of the future plans for your brand, anything on the horizon like a stronger, more mild or limited release cigar? |
| LM: | We are currently working on a stronger and fuller-bodied blend perhaps using a wrapper that is not standard in this business. I want the blend though to still be clean and refined, like some of the forgotten blends that came out of American cigar factories that employed Cuban leaf in the 1890s. The old-school philosophy of blending an elegant, refined cigar is one that I admire and to which I adhere. I know that people want richer, stronger and fuller-bodied smokes and Juan and I are looking at some test blends to be given out at this year’s IPCPR Trade Convention in Vegas. |
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| SC: | What is the current production level of the Devil’s Weed Cigar? |
| LM: | We have produced 50,000 cigars thus far and our goal is to make 650,000 by year’s end. As a side-note, the Colón (a 5 ½ by 48 double-perfecto) is a tribute to the best-selling size during the Golden Age (1880s to 1920s) and only two rollers make that cigar (each is capped at a daily production of 75 sticks and they are paid on salary, not piecemeal, underscoring their extreme skill). |
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| SC: | What trend do you see developing in the cigar industry that you really don’t like? |
| LM: | As I mentioned earlier, my preference in a blend is such that the cigar has to leave a clean taste and a smooth, silky finish. I love rich cigars but I want balance. I do not like the strong, spicy cigars that are just strong. I want a smoke that can be released through the nostrils without producing that “carbonation” in the palate. The tabaco that produces that unpleasant sensation is not refined nor fermented much. There are some cigars that are strong for strength’s sake and just want to turn the palate to pulp. However, the beauty of this lifestyle is that it is up to each person to decide what cigar is best for him. If you want your teeth knocked in, then so be it. I also hope that the new entrants into this business are in this for the long haul and not in it for the short-run (much like we saw during the boom of the 90s). The Age of the Boutiques is upon us. |
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| SC: | What is your favorite brand of cigar outside of your own? |
| LM: | VSG hands down. This cigar epitomizes a rich blend that is clean. People say it is strong but I think it is more medium in strength. It is layered with flavors but still clean and elegant. I just had one that was 5 years old and it ages supremely well. Pete Johnson’s Cabaiguan is incredible as well and I feel it is very balanced. The artisans, Fuente and Garcia are incredible. Drew Estate is on the plane of genius and their Wafe is the most novel thing in this business since J.C. Newman’s cellophane (it is a challenge to do anything novel in a 500 year-old industry) |
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| SC: | What is your favorite size of cigar? |
| LM: | The A. Give me at least 9 ¼ inches and I’m set for a while. |
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| SC: | With the limited production of the cigars, how many retailers do anticipate? |
| LM: | We hope to open at least 100 accounts by the time the IPCPR show is over and maybe 250 by year’s end. The real issue is that we want to control our growth so that the production and quality of our cigars are not compromised. We are happy with what is going on right now and are not looking to get into every store. Just the retailers that love and obsess over this business as much as we do. |
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| SC: | What was the single biggest challenge in the creation of the cigar or brand? |
| LM: | We spent the most time on the design of our look and image. I wanted a brand that would be the epitome of the cigar itself and a tribute to this industry that I love so deeply. Devil’s Weed (although derogatory at first sight) is a perfect name in that it captures the history and salutes the aficionados of the cigar. |
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| SC: | Full cut, V-cut or punch? |
| LM: | I like a punch for smaller ring gauges; everything else is a full-cut, double blade. If no cutter is around I will delicately use my teeth like the vegueros of old. |
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| SC: | What is your favorite cigar accessory? |
| LM: | The cedar spill. |
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| SC: | What are your long term goals for Molina Cigar Company? |
| LM: | I want Molina Cigar Co. to carry on in this rich industry for at least 1,000 years. Molina Cigar will adhere to the old values of this business and provide the most supreme smokes to cigar smokers everywhere. There are many fine people that smoke cigars (inside the industry as well as the cigar-smoking public). I started out as a fan of the great cigar companies and Molina Cigar is in this for the long haul. Cigar smokers are inherently geometrically-inclined. We will adhere to their rational philosophies and deliver to them. |
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