Jorge Armenteros - The Tobacconist Handbook

Copyright 2009, 2020 by Jorge Armenteros, CMT

First Skyhorse Publishing edition 2020

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Jacket design by 5mediadesign

Front jacket photographs: Getty Images

Back jacket photograph courtesy of the author

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-5212-2

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-5213-9

Printed in China

The heart and soul of the luxury tobacco industry lies with those who have a true passion for the product and the value it adds to real lives. Real passion is quiet and humble; not something that can be measured by cigar selfies, social media likes, or the size of your cigar collection. This book is inspired by, and dedicated to the people whose passion for luxury cigars and pipes is the least interesting thing about them.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD

by J. Glynn Loope

G iven that I am a creature of the legislative and political process, I all too often conduct my conversations and writing in such language. Even though I spend every day fighting the bureaucratic state, I still have a habit of sounding like a bureaucrat. So this introduction wont be any different.

I scan the occupational postings, and find it so intriguing that many professions expect and require practitioners to obtain a license or permit to even have a given job. Now, as one with a libertarian bent on government interference in our lives, I have to pause and think, Its a good thing for my electrician, plumber, or other contractor to be licensed; it lets me know that they studied for their chosen profession. Then I look at the list again, and I think about my wife going to the nail salon to visit the cosmetologist, or remember my father taking me to the local barber. Both studied to get the skills for their profession.

Flash forward. What began as a fondness for premium cigars grew into a passion. I was blessed to have a local cigar shop that is now over a hundred years old, Milan Tobacconists in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. An establishment with a national and indeed global reputation for blending great pipe tobacco, they recommended my first cigar, and have been recommending to me for nearly two decades. In thinking about this foreword for The Tobacconist Handbook , I again paused to think about what makes a great tobacconist great.

I have traveled to premium cigar shops in every region of the nation, and thankfully, there seems to be a common ground where the tobacconist and consumer meet. They meet on the expectation that not only will the products be enjoyed, and worth the investment, but that the service will be memorable. In those establishments that provide a lounge or similar atmosphere like a full cigar bar or any full-service business that promotes the cigar culture, there is, again, common ground where all of these establishments meet: service, atmosphere, professionalism, quality products, and expert advice.

Those who are passionate for great cigars and premium tobacco have long memories, and they like to talk about their experiences. That should be remembered by anyone who wants to be in this business. Also, during the course of my national travels, I hear every day about consumer experiences.

I often receive calls and texts from friends or random consumers through Cigar Rights of America with questions like Where should I go to enjoy a cigar in [Nashville, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Omaha, etc.]? and I have that list based upon truly memorable experiences, all in local cigar shops. That means someone is making money off one cigar consumers great moment. Thats how word spreads, and thats how small businesses thrive.

I was once walking with my friend Ron Melendi, a Tobacconist University Certified Master Tobacconist (CMT), and there was a Starbucks attached to the cigar shop in front of us. We began discussing how they got the public to buy an expensive cup of coffee. First, I love their mantra, We are the place between work and home, or The Third Place. It should be adopted by every cigar shop in the land. The next critical ingredient is expert knowledge of their product and, finally, a memorable experience. Even though many have had challenges in that regard, always having that as your objective will make you better in thisor anybusiness.

Which leads me full circle to where this discussion began training experts who have a passion for premium tobacco. Tobacconist University is the only training program of its kind that seeks to establish standards for the premium tobacconist, and the unique initiative to certify the knowledge of the passionate consumer.

This book, and the associated training programs available through Tobacconist University, will take you on a journey. You will experience and feel the culture of these products, from the fields and factories of Latin America, through the practice of serving a discerning public with the finest cigars or pipe tobacco in the world. The aspiring tobacconist will learn of the use for the important accoutrements used by the profession, and how you convey this knowledge, and appreciation, to the novice consumer.

Thats the way I would like the reader of this handbook to approach this narrativeas a journey. It is impossible for any given book to capture the essence of premium tobacco, but The Tobacconist Handbook will introduce the history of those golden leaves, and the basics of their nurturing, from seed to shelf.

But this is also a personal journey for the aspiring tobacconist, or those who crave continuing education. One of the nuances of this industry that captures me the most is imagination. Learning or imagining how manufacturers of these great products maintain consistency, or develop a new blend, or how the certified tobacconist may develop their own blends one day, by either working with a great producer of cigars, or tinkering with a kitchen full of pipe tobacco. Its also about learning what the consumer appreciates or desires, and how the professional tobacconist can meet and exceed their expectations.

I believe this book can guide that journey into the world of premium tobacco, and I also believe Tobacconist University sets the standard for the education of this profession. It is what sets premium tobacco apart from other products. Its like what I say every year at the Cigar Aficionado Big Smoke seminars in Las Vegas: Only in the world of premium cigars would five hundred people get up for 9:00 a.m. classes in, of all places, Las Vegas, just to learn more about this passion we share!