A little over nine years ago, I visited the Dominican Republic with Robert Caldwell to see the factory where he produced his cigars. At the time, Henderson Ventura was managing day-to-day operations for his father at the William Ventura factory, before Adventura Cigars was officially launched. Henderson gave us a tour, explained the factory’s quality control measures, and shared his knowledge about tobacco.
There were a few retailers on the trip who had never been inside a factory or worked with raw tobacco before. I suggested we do a blending session with them, and helped Henderson set it up. While the session was meant to educate the other retailers, secretly, we were testing each other’s knowledge. This was likely the start of not only our friendship but also our competitive relationship.
After the trip, we stayed in touch. I regularly called him with questions about tobacco and to discuss the upcoming launch of Adventura Cigars. A few months later, I flew back to work on my first Dominican release, the Renegade VIII.
Several cigar releases later, we still challenge each other in the factory to create blends that are more exciting, flavorful, and complex.I’ve learned a lot from Henderson. I believe we make great cigars together, and I deeply value our friendship.
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