Education Changes Perspective

 

Most people think education is about acquiring information. It isn't. Information is only the beginning. The true value of education is that it changes the way we see the world.

Before we learn, we see isolated facts. A cigar. A lighter. A pipe. A humidor. A tasting note. A favorite brand. As our education grows, those individual pieces begin to connect. Agriculture becomes connected to manufacturing. Manufacturing connects to preservation. Preservation connects to service. Service connects to taste. The fragments become a complete picture.

Most people enter the luxury tobacco world through a single doorway. Perhaps it's a favorite brand, a manufacturer, a YouTube personality, a friend, or a local cigar lounge. There's nothing wrong with any of those starting points. They often spark a lifelong passion. The challenge is that every doorway offers only one view of a much larger landscape. If your "education" comes exclusively from a single perspective, your understanding of the industry will inevitably be biased.

Luxury tobacco deserves a different approach to education.

We believe luxury tobacco should be studied from the tobacconist-consumer's perspective: brand-neutral, product-neutral, and centered at the convergence where luxury tobacco products meet the consumer. It is the nexus of accountability. It is here, at the point of service, where products are honestly compared, informed recommendations are made, traditions are preserved and shared, and the consumer begins to think like a tobacconist. Rather than beginning with marketing messages or brand narratives, we begin with the enduring fundamentals. Once those fundamentals are understood, every product, every manufacturer, every blend, and every claim can be evaluated from a well-educated, brand-neutral perspective.

Great education doesn't simply teach us new things. It also helps us recognize and replace misconceptions. It grounds us in fundamental truths and changes the way we think. As our perspective changes, the luxury tobacco industry becomes more connected, more understandable, and more rewarding.

At Tobacconist University, we believe the tobacconist stands at the center of the luxury tobacco industry. It is where growers, manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, and consumers ultimately converge. From that perspective, the entire landscape comes into view.

When you become a Certified Tobacconist, you don't simply acquire more knowledge. You begin to see the industry from the center.

When you change your perspective, you change everything.

Honor & Humility

 

There is a difference between simply consuming cigars and dedicating yourself to the craft, responsibility, and continual learning required of a certified tobacconist.

Cigars are consumed.

Education must be earned.

A certified tobacconist is not defined by ego, performance, or personality. The role carries something far more meaningful: stewardship.

Every cigar represents years of cultivation, fermentation, aging, craftsmanship, and tradition. Hundreds of hands contribute to the journey long before the cigar ever reaches a customer. At the point of service, that responsibility is ultimately placed in the hands of the tobacconist.

That responsibility should create both honor and humility.

Honor in representing the traditions, standards, and culture of premium tobacco well.

Humility in recognizing that learning never ends, details matter, and the experience is never truly about ourselves.

The best certified tobacconists understand that service matters. Knowledge matters. Presentation matters. Hospitality matters. The small details matter.

These professionals are often the quiet backbone of the industry: helping customers celebrate milestones, discover new experiences, build confidence, create memories, and slow down long enough to savor time together.

Certification alone does not make someone extraordinary. But the willingness to pursue standards, education, and continual improvement says something meaningful about a person’s character and commitment to the craft.

Today, we simply want to recognize and honor the certified tobacconists, students, and professionals around the world who continue to uphold those standards every day.

Your work matters.

And we honor you for it.

Education, Storytelling & Engagement

 

The Experience That Defines the Tobacconist

Education, storytelling and engagement are what tobacconists do best and above all. That is the experience that drives customers into our stores instead of into an algorithm, a discount website or a cigar of the month club.

In the world of luxury tobacco, products alone do not build culture. Knowledge does. Meaning does. Story does.

Tobacconists stand before customers every day, getting feedback, listening, absorbing and thoughtfully distilling information on an individual basis. There are no shortcuts when providing face to face service. There is no hiding behind screens or advertisements. There is only authenticity, accountability and consistency.

That is where our culture lives.

Education Is the Foundation

Consumers today are extraordinarily well informed. In fact, one of the greatest challenges facing retail tobacconists is also one of the most exciting facets of our industry: the depth of passion and knowledge among luxury tobacco enthusiasts.

It is hard to imagine another consumer base that studies, debates and dissects products with the same intensity as pipe and cigar lovers.

But information alone is not education.

The internet is saturated with opinion, bias and hyperbole. Brands naturally promote themselves. Forums amplify personal preference. Inaccuracies circulate easily. Many consumers absorb flawed information without realizing it.

This is where professional tobacconists become indispensable.

Education is the foundation of credibility. It allows the tobacconist to distinguish between fact and opinion, substance and marketing, tradition and myth. It transforms scattered information into structured understanding.

A great tobacconist does not simply repeat what they have read. They interpret. They contextualize. They guide.

Storytelling Gives Education Meaning

Education without storytelling becomes sterile data. Storytelling without education becomes marketing fluff.

The balance is where engagement is created.

When a tobacconist explains the migration of Cuban seed to Nicaragua, the difference between Sumatra and Broadleaf, or why a particular vitola performs differently, the product becomes more than tobacco wrapped in leaf. It becomes a profound narrative grounded in knowledge.

Customers are not just purchasing a cigar. They are participating in an experience. They are broadening their palate. They are refining their understanding.

And they return because that experience cannot be replicated online.

Engagement Is Earned

Engagement is not forced. It is earned through professionalism, consistency and genuine care.

Tobacconists must be accountable to their customers every single day. We stand behind our recommendations. We adjust when feedback demands it. We grow alongside our clientele.

It sounds simple, but it requires discipline and commitment.

At Tobacconist University, we believe tobacconists are the keystone of our industry. We strive to support and defend them because when the professional tobacconist thrives, the culture thrives.

Our certifications are not decorative credentials. They contribute to your credibility. They become part of your story when serving customers. They reinforce that you are committed to substance over hype and knowledge over noise. GET CERTIFIED!

Great tobacconists understand the difference between information and education. Through storytelling and engagement, they help customers navigate between the good and the bad, always striving to broaden experience and enhance enjoyment.

Always be educating, and you will flourish as a tobacconist.         

     

The Art of The Final Exam

What is a final exam?  At the very least, it is a comprehensive wrap-up at the end of a course, designed to test your knowledge and retention - not just the last chapter or a small section, like a quiz.  A final exam must cover and test the most important points of the curriculum, ensuring the graduate's knowledge is thorough and truly merits final certification.  It must be specific, comprehensive and thoughtfully crafted to ensure credibility in both the education and educated.  

Even when all of these requirements for a final exam are met, an important question remains: how many questions can a student get wrong and still pass?  What constitutes a passing grade even when the student gets things wrong?  Tobacconist University (TU) has always maintained a 90% standard for all exams, but even that high bar leaves room for improvement and imperfection.  

While we now count our certifications in the thousands, TU administered its first 400+ paper exams in face-to-face settings, where every question was discussed, challenged, and refined in real time.  We gathered direct feedback on the language of each question, observing how students interpreted specific words, phrasing and emphasis.

This process allowed us to see how meaning was perceived, misunderstood, or clarified.  We learned how to structure language more precisely, which words required emphasis, and how subtle wording changes affected comprehension.  That feedback enabled us to re-engineer and carefully craft our exams to serve the broadest possible spectrum of students and English speakers - no small task in a curriculum that necessarily includes many Spanish terms.  

That same level of care also applies to the answer choices themselves - both correct and incorrect - for every question on the final exam.  The incorrect answers are just as important as the correct ones, believe it or not!  You don't want to trick people nor do you want to make things too easy.  Typically, a well-designed multiple-choice question includes one clearly implausible "throwaway" option to help orient the test -taker.  The real challenge lies in crafting the remaining incorrect answers so they are plausible, educational and constructive - often referencing material the student already knows, guiding them toward the correct answer, or reinforcing knowledge that may apply elsewhere in the exam.

It is a complicated, intricate, and imperfect process.  And in many ways, a little artistic as well.  We go through all of this to ensure that graduates are given a fair opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the fundamentals and facts required to earn their certification.  While no exam can be perfect, the effort behind it must be extraordinary to ensure the certificate itself carries genuine merit and credibility.  

Rest assured, there is no equal to the time and effort we have invested in our curriculum and final exams.  The Tobacconist University Certification is unparalleled in both quality and content.  For those who are serious about education and professionalism, there is no other option.

FUN FACTS

- 50% of TU students pass their final exam on the first attempt.

- 90% pass by the second attempt.  

- The remaining 10% receive additional, personalized support, which may include a final exam review curriculum or the opportunity to take the test with a Certified Tobacconist online and available to help.  

- TU Final Exams have been 100% online since 2018. 

- Each Final Exam Question Database contains 20% more questions than appear on any individual exam, allowing for rotation so that no two exams are exactly alike.  

- There are certain fundamental questions which must be answered correctly from each of our Colleges, FAQs, and Glossary entries, and they must be distributed proportionally and aligned with our educational objectives.  For example, the Certified Retail Tobacconist (CRT) degree includes approximately 15% of its final exam questions on non-cigar tobaccos and pipes*, while the Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconist (CCST) degree has none.

* Approximately 95% of the luxury tobacco industry is cigar-focused, whether measured by revenue or shelf space. As a result, many of our Certified Retail Tobacconists (CRT) tell us we include too much pipe and non-cigar related exam questions and content, while pipe specialists tell us we don't have enough.  It is a struggle to balance it all, but we believe that a deep and working knowledge about pipe tobaccos broadens perspective and deepens appreciation - even for cigar specialists. 

- Over the years we have seen many imitators, posers, and influencers attempt to produce so-called "educational" content.  Without exception, every "masterclass", "school", or "academy" we have evaluated delivered, at best, mediocre assessments - often featuring questions that bear little or no relationship to the material being taught.  This level of negligence in educational design is not merely disappointing; it is professionally indefensible and reprehensible.

- Creating comprehensive and substantive Final Exam Questions is one of the hardest challenges faced by Tobacconist University.

- Certified Consumer Tobacconist (CCT) and Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconist (CCST) final exams are 50 True/False and Multiple-Choice Questions - all other degrees are 100 questions.

In our thirty years of service, only a handful of students have every abandoned the certification process.  The single greatest obstacle to passing the final exam is not a lack of intelligence or effort - it is not knowing what one does not know.  Many people arrive with erroneous beliefs or incorrect knowledge ingrained in them, often acquired from the internet or a well-meaning but misinformed friend, and they don't reconcile or transcend that when studying.

And that is precisely why we exist: to teach proper fundamentals and transform information into professional-grade knowledge - from the first pages of our academic curriculum to the last question on the final exam.    

    

TUECOM: Turnkey Ecommerce Websites for Certified Tobacconists

 

TUECOM websites are standalone open-source based ecommerce websites that are strategically created to serve retail tobacconists.  They are designed to be solely owned by retailers, unlike websites that are part of larger ecommerce platforms (ie. Square, Big Commerce, Shopify, or others).  The importance of site ownership in the highly regulated and ‘card not present’ tobacco industry cannot be emphasized enough.  Tobacco retailers have been (and will continue to be) deplatformed and debanked with devastating results and zero legal consequences to the service providers, bankers, and shipping industry.  In addition to these existential challenges, premium tobacco mail order in the US is dominated by vertically integrated cigar/tobacco manufacturers who compete directly with brick-and-mortar retailers. 

Tobacconist University (TU) believes that retail tobacconists are the keystone of the luxury tobacco industry.  To that end, we must develop products and services to empower retailers, helping ensure the preservation and prosperity of our industry for generations to come.  We know that building a healthy mail-order business is essential to brick-and-mortar survival, yet you cannot do it alone.  The TUECOM project brings together decades worth of industry specific ecommerce and retail tobacconist expertise to create a cost-effective solution designed specifically for tobacconists.  TUECOM customers also benefit from avoiding the mistakes and wasted time and money that have brought us to this point.  

THE PROCESS
Your TUECOM website can be launched in as little as four to six weeks and will require minimal initial effort on your part.  Our websites are ‘plug and play’ with all of the bells and whistles necessary to compete in the modern online world: that’s the good news.  Getting started is not that different from registering for a certification.  After half of the payment is made, we need your domain info, logo, address/phone, social links, etc… Then we have a quick onboarding meeting to explain the process and set up expectations.  Approximately four weeks later the second half of payment is made and we have a launch preparation meeting when the design is done: getting you ready to start your online business.

With decades of experience at our backs, we know these are the services you will need to compete in the online world.  Accounts will be opened in your name, under your control, and be charged to you after the first year.  In addition, an @gmail.com email account will be created for you to help you manage it all; and we will be here to advise as you need us.

THE PACKAGE
The package of services we have created is a great beginning to a long-term business endeavor.  Sites like these can easily cost between $15,000 to $50,000 and require hundreds of hours of your time even before they launch!  In order to deliver this to you, we have streamlined the development process to get you up and running as quickly as possible.  After your site is launched, we recommend you spend a few months getting acquainted with the technology (we are here to help), uploading inventory, having your customers test the site and envisioning and implementing your business practices.  After that, there are countless upgrades and enhancements that you can deploy.

IN CLOSING
The online luxury tobacco business is nothing like brick-and-mortar retail.  Your hospitality, store quality/location and face to face customer service are not the primary ingredients to success online.  There are many more challenges and skill sets involved with premium tobacco ecommerce that you will have to learn and work at to be successful.  First, you will have to spend time uploading your products and maintaining your online inventory.  After mastering the learning curve of your website, you will be able to start competing in a marketplace that is driven by pricing, discounts and customer rewards.  To be successful online you must communicate consistently and provide extraordinary value to your customers on a regular basis: simply because all of your competitors are doing the same.  It will take a lot of time and effort to keep the business thriving and pay the estimated $4,000 annual fixed costs we have outlined for you.  And sadly, you will be competing with many of the manufacturers whose brands you are helping to build at the retail level! 

If your clientele consists mainly of people who live within driving distance of your shop, it may not be worth investing in an online business.  On the other hand, certain retailers will have a special competitive advantage in the online space.  If your store gets travelers, tourists and infrequent customers who are just passing through town (like college towns, near sporting centers, commuter/business hubs, tourist traps, etc..), you may have the necessary advantage to build a profitable mail-order business.  The higher the number of ‘out of towners’ that frequent your store(s), the more likely you are to build relationships with them that can continue online.  If you can build in-person relationships that continue online, you have a competitive advantage!

TU PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
I have spent more than a decade and more money than I can count trying to create the TUECOM program.  Sadly, I don’t know that I will ever get my money back, and surely not my time.  In fact, I wouldn’t do it all over again.  But with a little luck, lots of failures and a ton of hard work, we have persevered.  In the process I have learned that the cost of running an online business is absurdly expensive and the big companies like it that way.  It actually pains me to think that ecommerce is cost prohibitive to most premium tobacco retailers.  I mean, you have to pay $2,000 a year just to the privilege of being able to process credit cards. It’s an absolute racket and robbery!  But we cannot just sit back and let the big boys reap all of the rewards and decimate the local tobacconist. 

TUECOM will empower many tobacconists to take their business to the next level and keep their customers before they are captured by the megalithic online retailers.  These sites will allow many to extend the reach of their stores and businesses, allowing them to thrive well into the future.  It pains me to know that the costs will be too high for many mom-and-pops, but I also know that this is the simplest and most cost-effective way to empower retail tobacconists online.  And the irony of trying to preserve brick-and-mortar retailers by empowering them to compete online is not lost on me.  It’s just a fact of life, like unfair and inconsistent state OTP taxes, smoking bans, vertically integrated manufacturers dominating mail-order, etc…

Lastly, we are only making these sites available to TU Certified Tobacconists, with priority given to CRT before CCST.  We are limited to the number of sites we can put out per month so allocation is on a first come first serve basis.  If you are a TU Certified Tobacconist and are seriously interested, please email jorge@tobacconistuniversity.org or call 609.651.2311

 

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

 

______________________________

Jorge Armenteros, CMT
President/Founder

 

Leveraging Your Certification

TRUE STORY

My father went to a cigar store recently and was greeted by a person who proudly proclaimed they were a "certified tobacconist".  After they helped him select his cigars he told the clerk that his son was the founder of Tobacconist University and he looked forward to telling me about the interaction.  He thought it was a great idea to start the customer interaction by establishing their professional credibility.  The clerk's face immediately became somber and they revealed to him that they were not actually certified, but they were looking forward to becoming a certified tobacconist in the future.  

I, and many others, have seen cigar/pipe retailers claim on their websites and on social media that they are certified tobacconists when they are NOT!  And I've heard countless people claim to be wine and cigar "sommeliers" when they have NO certification.  I can't even begin to imagine the lies and exaggerations people tell their friends and customers!  

Another serious issue I see is people sharing wrong and/or stupid information online.  And I don't have the desire to be the internet police or a troll to correct misinformation whenever I see it, so the lies fester long enough and start to seem real.  That makes me sad and angry.  But I can't battle the whole internet.  All I can do is make sure we are doing the right things through TU, our curriculum and certifications.  

The real battle for truth and integrity in the luxury tobacco business must be fought by certified tobacconists, the special forces of our industry.  You must proactively promote yourselves and project your substance.   

Here are some recommendations ...   

- Let your customers know "I am a Certified Tobacconist" - combat the imposters and liars with proactive honesty! 

- Put the TU Certified Seal sticker on your door, by your POS, on your humidor window, etc...

- Put the TU Certified Seal on your business cards, website, social media, etc... Every impression you make on a customer adds value and adds up to a greater rate of return.  

- Conversationally mentioning your certification distinguishes you from the competition and is another positive impression you give a customer.  Positive impressions build trust and loyalty which increase sales: fact.

- Send out a press release and social media post every time someone gets certified or find an excuse to mention your certification: it certainly makes you look better than the competition!

From an organizational perspective, there are myriad reasons to get your employees and invested parties certified.  Below are just a few...

Certifiying employees establishes a standard of knowledge, creating a stronger culture and bond.

Certifying employees is an investment in their development and professionalism.

Certifiying employees shows the market that you are serious and knowledgeable.

Certifying employees shows your customers that you are above the competition, more committed and dedicated to excellence.

Build an army of brand ambassadors by certifying them as Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconists (CCST) - become a CCST Maestro!

Do you have any recommendations?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below....

PS: I totally forgot the first and most fundamental leveraging tool ever created for TU Certified Tobacconists.... the TU Lapel Pin pictured above.... Wear Your Lapel Pin!!!  Available for just $10 in our Campus Store: the price hasn't changed in 20 years!  

PSS: We are looking for a partner to help us develop TU branded merchandise.  Let us know if you have any suggestions...

  

 

TU: The Unredacted Story

The PCA Interview: Looking Back At 29 Years Of Tobacconist Education

When was your organization founded/launched?

Tobacconist University (TU) was founded in 1996 as a proprietary educational program for a two-store chain of luxury, full-service retail tobacconists in ivy league and tourist towns.  It also provided educational seminars for consumer events and certifications.  In the 1990s, the release of Cigar Aficionado magazine facilitated a cigar boom which elevated consumer knowledge and sophistication, creating a need and opportunity for highly trained professionals.  By the early 2000s it was clear that the emerging internet was also providing a huge amount of information, both good and bad, so TU evolved into a publicly available educational resource.  By 2008 the professional Certified Retail Tobacconist (CRT) program was available online at www.tobacconistuniversity.org and TU became the official educational curriculum of the RTDA-IPCPR-PCA, providing free education and low-cost certification to brick and mortar retail tobacconists, as well as consumers.

Tell us about your educational program. What can people get from going through it?

The majority of our academic curriculum is available for free, online in the TU CAMPUS.  It includes Tobacco, Accoutrements, Taste and Service Colleges, as well as a Tobacconist FAQs and the largest online and multi-media/hyper-linked glossary of tobacco/tobacconist related terms anywhere in the world.   We start with the definition that a Tobacconist is an expert in tobacco and all the related accoutrements and provide all of the history, science, agricultural, manufacturing, business-specific and practical knowledge that is necessary to achieve that minimal goal. 

An equally important fundamental premise in the TU Academic Curriculum is that “Taste” is subjective, so there is no objective right or wrong with regard to human preferences, likes or dislikes.  This perspective allows us to remain brand neutral and focused on un-biased education.  Above all, we focus on teaching strong fundamentals when science and facts apply and empowering individuals to develop their own perspective and opinions when artistry and taste is required.

What makes your organization’s approach to education different from its competitors?

Firstly, TU is the first and only organization to educate and certify tobacconists.  Recent years have seen 'influencers' attempting to sell education but we don't consider that competition.  

The TU Academic Curriculum was thoroughly researched and documented for more than a decade (1996-2008) before being released as a freely available public resource.  It is not hidden behind a paywall, but rather on display for all to learn, scrutinize and contribute to.  We are committed to triple sourcing our facts rather than parroting marketing jargon, subjective or editorialized opinion and biased or inaccurate information.  We start with the premise that ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ and refuse to repeat information just because someone of repute ‘says so’.  Our RESOURCES section is available for public scrutiny on our website and it includes more than one hundred books (both current and out-of-print), scientific studies and professional interviews on every topic we cover.  In addition, all of our colleges, with a particular emphasis on Service College, have contributions from industry leading tobacconists as well as agricultural, pre-industrial and cigar making experts.    

Our Academic Curriculum includes hundreds of videos, photographs and graphics that are proprietary to TU, gathered through countless self-funded educational expeditions to factories and farms in Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica, the USA and the Dominican Republic.  All of this effort is made to avoid bias, misinformation and to not be beholden to corporate or marketer influences.  Furthermore, it is necessary to create a substantive educational curriculum that dispels and corrects the erroneous information that is so commonly available and disseminated on the internet, in print and through marketing channels. 

How did you go about designing your educational program to be easy to navigate and consume?

Structuring an educational curriculum for an industry and products that are so diverse and profound was one of the most challenging aspects of creating and organizing TU, especially since no other organization has ever existed to educate and certify tobacconists.   In addition, our industry battles social stigmatization, extreme regulation and excessive taxation like no other.  Consequently, our educational curriculum must also serve as an ambassador of credibility and substance to the greater culture: the curriculum must be rooted in integrity.  The TU motto is Puro Integritas, a play on words and language that guides every facet of our vision and mission.

The layout and sequencing of the online curriculum must also be logical and linear.  For example, Tobacco College starts with ancient history as well as cultural, business and political context.  Then we define and study what is Nicotiana Tabacum.  Only after this foundation can we start to learn about Geography, Climate, Cigar Regions, Seeds & Plants, Growing, Nurturing, Harvesting, Curing, Fermentation, Cigar Rolling, Packaging, Aging, Shipping, Cigar Shapes & Sizes and the Marketing of Cigars.  Tobacco College rounds out the journey with Pipe Tobaccos and Cigarette education: providing a comprehensive perspective on the entire world of tobacco.  All of our Colleges are structured in a linear way, so that you hit the ”Next” button to ‘turn the page’ and continue studying:  it’s like reading a giant multi-media book, at your own pace and empowering you to come and go and revisit topics at your own discretion.

At the heart of the curriculum is substance, science and an extreme belief that words matter.  Words must be properly defined and used.  Therefore, our Glossary and curriculum webpages are hot-linked together: if you are studying inside a college and come across an important word, it will be linked to our Glossary or another curriculum webpage with expanded information.  The TU Glossary also hot-links words back into the curriculum for an enhanced learning experience.   This is an educational matrix designed for profound learning.  We believe our industry is plagued with the misuse and misunderstanding of simple terms and words that are bastardized every day by most people.  Words like “strength”, “taste”, “body”, “curing” and more, are misused by advertisers, so-called “experts” and online “educators” in print and on the internet every day.  But, if you are a Certified Tobacconist or passionate consumer who uses our Glossary and website, you should know exactly what those words mean in the proper context.  

You will find that our custom designed academic curriculum is very different from the Learning Management Systems (LMS) commonly found on the internet.  These contemporary websites/programs are used to teach things like food sanitation, boat safety  any consumer level course (e.g. Learn how to juggle, buy real estate, day trade, etc… ), and a plethora of for-profit educational enterprises for people and organizations who want to sell ‘courses’.  You can learn almost anything through today’s LMS products, but we found them restrictive to our goals and needs.  In many ways, LMS products are designed to guide you through a ‘module’ of content and quiz you at the end of that section: they are essentially teaching you how to pass the quiz.  It is important to note here that we do offer our CIGARS 101 course through an LMS and it provides an excellent, efficient and cost-effective fundamental learning experience for consumers.   

The TU Academic Curriculum is designed as a vast digital and multi-media library that is an easily accessible resource and library for lovers of luxury tobacco.  And we expect you to know everything necessary to pass our online exams.  Those who get certified by TU are expected to pass a 50 or 100 question multiple choice exam when they are ready to earn their consumer or professional certification.  And we expect you to retain and own the knowledge you seek. 

Our Vision is to build and project the credibility of the luxury tobacco industry in order to support cultural acceptance around the world – preserving luxury tobacco for generations to come.   Our Mission is to research, learn and teach in order to educate, certify and promote the most knowledgeable and honorable tobacconists and consumers.  In that process we provide resources for tobacconists to leverage for their customers and businesses - build credibility, culture and community for tobacconists and consumers - are the epicenter of cigar, pipe and tobacco education.  In short, we educate with a broad, serious and strategic purpose.

Why should people take the time to complete your educational program?

TU has developed the following certifications to meet the needs of consumers and professional tobacconists over the last 29 years - each serves a distinct need and purpose.  All current 3000+ TU Certified Tobacconists and apprentices are listed on the TU website under their company and/or individual name.  Every TU Certified Tobacconist must accept their specific Code of Ethics & Standards and pass the final exam with a 90% or better.  We encourage you to visit the GET CERTIFIED section of our website to see which certification will suit your goals and needs.  All of our programs are self-study at your own pace, include online final exams, website listings and the ability to print your diploma when you graduate.

CCT – Certified Consumer Tobacconist: a non-professional certification designed for avid consumer enthusiasts who are not employed within the luxury tobacco industry.  This is indubitably the most challenging and comprehensive curriculum for any consumer enthusiast.  The curriculum in our CAMPUS is the same that CRT and CST study for their professional certifications.  The final exam is 50 questions derived from the professional exams.  

CCST – Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconist: our first and most important fundamental professional degree for those working with premium cigars.  The CCST degree is designed to serve cigar retailers, fine dining establishments, lounges, bars, event promoters, influencers and anyone seeking strong fundamentals and professional credentials around the world.  It is both time and cost efficient by concentrating the cigar curriculum into videos and succinct lessons that focus on Retail School, Cigar Fundamentals and Pairing School.  Our CCST Schools can be structured for individuals, stand alone or multi-location retailers, salesforces and/or any other organizational types. The final exam is 50 questions which includes specialized questions on “tasting” and “pairing”.    

CRT – Certified Retail Tobacconist: our most comprehensive and profound professional degree for full-service brick and mortar tobacconists.  This degree tests on Tobacco, Accoutrements, Taste and Service College as well as our Tobacconist FAQ and the TU Glossary.  The unparallelled education creates the world’s most prestigious and highly credentialled professional tobacconists.  Apprentices must work for an existing retail tobacconist for at least six months before taking the final exam – ensuring enough experience to earn the CRT designation.  When CRT leave a retail store/company their listing can be ‘moved’ to another retail store or they will be re-listed as a CCT if they do not return to the industry. 

CST – Certified Salesforce Tobacconist:  the counterpart to our CRT degree.  The CST degree is for employees of cigar distributors/brands/companies or other non-retail organizations. 

CCST Maestro – Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconist Maestro: any CRT or CST who also has a CCST degree is eligible to curate and run their own CCST School and certify others under their own brand - which makes them a CCST Maestro.  A CCST Maestro can purchase ‘wholesale’ CCST certifications and use them as they please: they can be used for employees, sold for profit, to create brand ambassadors, given away as promotions and/or any combination thereof.   CCST Maestros can also upload their own content into their schools and use the course materials if they want to teach and certify through live events.

CMT – Certified Master Tobacconist: the highest professional level one can achieve as a TU Certified Tobacconist.  Only CRT and CST are eligible for this advanced degree.  Candidates must apprentice and prove hundreds of apprenticeship hours with cigar/pipe makers and TU Certified Retailers as well as making a substantive educational contribution to the TU Academic Curriculum.

My 3 Biggest Mistakes As A Retail Tobacconist

After nearly thirty years as a retail tobacconist, operating multiple stores in different states, I am still haunted by regrets and mistakes I made.  I left a lot of money on the table by not being smart enough or wise enough.  

Control Your Real Estate
My first great mistake was not controlling or owning my own real estate.  Being beholden to a landlord and paying rent means you will never build an asset and get the benefits of appreciating real estate down the road.  I knew this in the early 2000s yet I chose to fund Tobacconist University (TU) instead of buying the building(s) my stores occupied.  I can forgive myself for this because my dream of helping other retail tobacconists and elevating the luxury tobacco industry became my real passion.   My next two mistakes are the ones that really haunt me.

Sell Your Own Brands
I spent most of my time and energy building other people's brands instead of my own.  I took great pride in procuring and selling popular and hard-to-get cigar brands that my customers wanted but neglected consistently building my own brand(s).  I should have dedicated 20% of my shelf space and focus to private label and house brands.  That would have greatly increased my profitability and given me a portfolio of dedicated and happy customers that I could keep forever.  They could continue to be customers beyond brick and mortar and be an asset and income stream indefinitely into the future.  

Embrace E-Commerce
Lastly, I failed to see the future and value of the internet in the 1990s when I opened my first store.  I was always focused on the physical environment and community of retail without seeing the power of permanently tethering my customers to my store with an ecommerce website.  If I had better foresight, I could still have proactive and enriching relationships with thousands of customers who were just 'passing through' town and loved my stores.  It makes me sick just to think of the lost potential.  And it is all my fault.

SOLUTIONS & STRATEGIES FOR YOU

On the bright side, my failures represent new opportunities for TU Certified Tobacconists.  I am trying to make up for my failures by creating solutions and resources for TU Certified Tobacconists.  Our TUECOM and TU Private Label programs exist so you won't make the same mistakes I did.  Above all, TU seeks to help retail tobacconists succeed because they are the keystone which makes the luxury tobacco industry so special!

Turnkey mail order websites for Certified Retail Tobacconists.  Our goal is to make it as cheap and easy as possible for retailers to operate their own mail order websites. 

We have partnered with extraordinary cigar makers to give TU Certified Tobacconists exclusive access to highly profitable cigars.  Having started with our R&D Cigars and moving forward with our private label cigars, we are shepherding products to market with an educational component.  In fact, we have created the only cigars in the world which require you to be certified to sell: a bona fide competitive advantage!

In Closing ...

I want to emphasize the key to capitalizing on these resources is to start early and take the long-term approach!  It takes time to reap the rewards and build the business so you must be consistent about investing in these programs now so you can benefit in the future.  There is no easy path or magic trick to success.  But by committing yourself now you will certainly be more successful in the future.  

Email info@tobacconsituniversity.org or call 609.651.2311 if you have any questions.

     

The SOTL Global Movement Maestro School

 

Sisters Of The Leaf (SOTL) Unite!  

We are proud to announce our new and historic partnership with the SOTL Global Movement.   The SOTL Global Movement is an international organization committed to introducing, supporting and empowering women in the cigar industry and Tobacconist University is proud to engage with them and their mission.  We strongly believe that their contributions to our industry will benefit us all and contribute to our vision of "preserving luxury tobacco for generations to come".

The SOTL Global Movement has earned the privilege of administering their own Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconist (CCST) Maestro School and they are actively certifying aficionados through Tobacconist University.   See what they have accomplished by clicking here.

If you are a woman who loves cigars and would like to learn, network and contribute more, we encourage you to visit SOTL Global Movement or email info@sotlglobalmovement.com.

Celebrating 25+ Years

 

Time flies and it is hard to believe that 25+ years have gone by since the founding of Tobacconist University.  We are so busy managing record level certifications and developing our future infrastructure that we fail to look back and appreciate what we have accomplished.  So we had to dig deep into our archives to put this timeline together and we were pleasantly rewarded with a trip down memory lane; we hope you enjoy it!

1996 Cuban Cigar University Is Born
Less than six months after opening his first store in Princeton, NJ, TU founder Jorge Armenteros goes to Cuba and accidentally meets the director general of Cubatabaco, getting access to farms, factories and rare educational materials which become the foundation of Tobacconist University's academic curriculum.  Armenteros returns to the US and creates a curriculum to train his tobacconists and starts doing consumer seminars under the brand name Cuban Cigar University.

"I wasn't even a fully developed adult human, yet I opened my first store in 1995 at the age of 21.  I went to Cuba in 1996 to further my knowledge of premium cigars.  When I got back I realized I needed to create a program to educate my tobacconists and customers.  I did this because I wanted to be the best.  By 1997 we were doing live seminars with customers in hotel meeting rooms." - Armenteros   

2005 Tobacconist University And The Certified Seal Is Born
While opening 3 stores in 3 states, Armenteros continues to train his retail tobacconists using the Cuban Cigar University (CCU) curriculum.   Until now, CCU was a proprietary educational program to train professionals for a single company.  The challenges of employee education/product knowledge, the proliferation of bad information on the internet, and the continual threats of new taxation and smoking bans incites the desire to turn the program ‘inside out’ and make it available to all retail tobacconists.  The power of the internet allows for the creation of a website to provide free and credible information for consumers and tobacconists.  

"For a decade, our original CCU curriculum consisted of giant notebooks, transparent overhead projector sheets, and paper exams... until we put it online." - Armenteros

"The TU Certified Seal and Lapel pin is the first and only symbol of a professionally trained tobacconist." - Armenteros

2007 Tobacconist University (TU) Arrives
TU becomes the official educational curriculum of the RTDA/IPCPR, today’s Premium Cigar Association (PCA).  This begins a 10+ year period of building out the online academic programs and administering free final exams at the annual tradeshow convention.  Funding is scarce but a few companies provide enough help for TU to survive.  Padrón Cigars provides a significant endowment and others like Tatuaje Cigars, Drew Estate, and Miami Cigars support TU as well.  Our first tradeshow booth for administering TU exams was 2008. 

"We spent the next 10+ years staffing a booth at the tradeshow and certifying more than 400 Certified Retail Tobacconists (CRT); it was slow, expensive, but steady growth." - Armenteros

2009 The Tobacconist Handbook 1^st Edition
The historic release of The Tobacconist Handbook marks the first time a comprehensive book is published to educate tobacconists.  As a distillation of the TU online curriculum, The Tobacconist Handbook can provide enough education for TU students to pass their final exams and give anyone a well-rounded education on luxury tobacco.

"Writing this book nearly killed me; it was like having a tiger by the tail and I couldn't let go.  While it is a distillation of the online curriculum, it still took a year to compile/write, working typically from 10pm to 3am, after normal hours of running my shops and TU.  While I am normally an avid reader, I didn't read a book for two years after this project!  It took a lot out of me." - Armenteros

2012 - 2015 R&D Cigars
Our revolutionary program to create educational cigars where we research and develop cigars along with their component puros and educational content.  This program created the R&D Brazilian Corojo and PA/CT Broadleaf cigars which were sold exclusively to Certified Retail Tobacconists (CRT).  Unfortunately, onerous regulatory threats from the FDA made the next Mexican San Andres and Organic Nicaraguan projects impossible to release.  Once again, over regulation kills another dream in the luxury tobacco industry.  Click here to learn more about R&D Cigars.

   

"R&D Cigars was my pride and joy, a grand educational cigar adventure that created cigars that only Certified Tobacconists could sell; a bona fide competitive and educational advantage.  Alas, it was extremely costly to execute and killed by the FDA." - Armenteros

2018 Online Final Exams for Everyone!
After a decade of administering final exams at the PCA tradeshow and through the USPS with Certified Tobacconists administering paper tests, we deploy online exams for everyone; making our certification programs (CCT, CRT, CST) 100% online and fueling unprecedented growth. 

"It was actually terrifying to put our final exams online; mostly due to fear of people cheating or releasing the questions to the public.  Fortunately, our community of luxury tobacco lovers has integrity and a deep commitment to the value of education and certification." - Armenteros

2019 The Cigar Sommelier Is Born
The Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconist (CCST) degree is released.  Capitalizing on the demand for education and certification for those in the ‘business’ who are not full-service tobacconists, this degree serves lounges, mobile/event businesses, media, restaurants and golf clubs and everyone in between.  Our CCST School is the first program we placed behind a paywall and allows custom branding and configuration for individuals or companies with many employees and locations.  It is a streamlined distillation of our broader curriculum and it focuses on creating knowledgeable and competent premium cigar service professionals.  Click here to learn more about the CCST program.

"The success of the CCST program took us by surprise.  We were always so focused on full-service tobacconists that we didn't realize the massive growth and demand in the cigar-centric space.  The need for credibility and education was real and the CCST has become our fastest growing certification." - Armenteros

2020 Certified Cigar Reviews Is Born & The Tobacconist Handbook Is Updated
After 'perfecting' the online educational and certification programs for professionals and consumers, the TU focus turns to creating post-graduation value for certified tobacconists.  The Certified Cigar Reviews (CCR) platform allows users to create comprehensive reviews for online sharing and printable options like shelf-talkers.  Most importantly, CCR educates and empowers users and viewers by defining terms and creating a professional structure for an admittedly subjective process. 

"By the mid-2010s, the internet is proliferating with cigar reviewers providing their own opinions.  We believe tobacconists are the ultimate reviewers since they do it all day long, face-to-face with customers.  This leads us to create (over the course of 4 years) the CCR platform.  In the process, we realize the need to create post-graduation value and leverage for our certified professionals and consumers.  How can we help certified tobacconists? becomes our new focus." - Armenteros

The Tobacconist Handbook: An Essential Guide To Cigars & Pipes is upgraded, updated, enhanced, improved and re-released by Skyhorse Publishing.  Sales continue to surpass all expectations and reach consumers and professionals around the world.  Take a look here...

   

2020 CIGARS 101 Introduced
Our CIGARS 101 program was released outside of the TU website on a modern learning platform; this experiment is part of our long term plan to potentially move part or all of our certifications onto more technologically advanced and responsive platforms.  CIGARS 101 is also intended to create a strong educational/knowledge foundation for all levels of consumers.  Click here to learn more.

2021 CCST Maestro Released
Compelled by the growth and success of the Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconist (CCST) program, the CCST Maestro program is introduced.  This historic program empowers CCST Maestro to certify others for profit while administering their own CCST School.

"While still in its infancy, this program will change everything!  The CCST Maestro gives certified tobacconists the plug and play ability to educate and certify their own customers while profiting from the process.  Helping tobacconists profit through education is an unbelievable dream come true! " - Armenteros

2022 Benchmark Cigars Database Is Born
The dream of Certified Cigar Reviews (CCR) was stunted by a worldwide pandemic and a garbage-in/garbage-out problem:  reviewers were overburdened by having to input too much cigar data.  This led us to create the Benchmark Cigars Database, which allows manufacturers/distributors to upload their cigars into the CCR platform for free: then users can create reviews in just seconds!  Populating the Benchmark Cigars Database in the Certified Cigar Reviews website started in the Summer of 2022 and will continue into the foreseeable future.

"This project has nearly killed me physically and financially, but the hardest part is now behind us.  The technology and database we have created are the foundation for projects we will be releasing in the near future: projects which benefit all professionals and consumers but especially help Certified Retail Tobacconists compete.  So stay tuned as we roll out exciting new developments in 2023 and beyond." - Armenteros

2023 And Beyond
TUECOM, Online Career Center, educational content improvement, deeper discounts for retail tobacconists and many more things are in development…  Stay tuned….

"It is difficult to put an exact date on the birth of Tobacconist University, so I have chosen, partly for sentimental reasons, September, 8 of 1997; by then we were certifying professional tobacconists and consumers.  Looking back, it has been a wild ride and I feel like we have accomplished the impossible.  Despite the blood, sweat, dollars and tears, it has been worth every sacrifice.  As I look back, I am proud to say that we have accomplished everything we set out to do and layed a strong foundation for an extraordinary future... It feels strange to say, but I definitely feel like we are just getting started!" - Armenteros