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

The Tobacconist Handbook - Updated Edition: Ushering In A New Era Of Professionalism

 

More than ten years after the initial publication and after more than a year of 2020 related delays, The Tobacconist Handbook Updated Edition is here.  This new edition features enhanced images, glossary, tasting content and is available at a fraction of the original cost.  This is a must have for every retail tobacconist and lover of the leaf: available wherever books are sold!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Skyhorse Publishing

The Tobacco Business Tobacconist Article

Check out the new Tobacconist article in Tobacco Business Magazine about Certified Cigar Reviews.

The Certified Aged Cigars Seal

As part of our never ending efforts to build, promote and reinforce the credibility of tobacconists, we have released these new Certified Aged Cigar seals, exclusively for our Certified Retail Tobacconists (CRT).  When you see this seal on a bundle, box, or bag of cigars, you know the credibility of the tobacconist is real.  Ever seal is signed by a CRT along with their certification number so you can look them up on the TU website.  There are countless fakes, counterfeit and fraudulent tobacconists and products in the world, so we encourage you to look for this mark of substance and authenticity.  Shop safe and smoke well!

The Tragic Tobacco Trifecta Of Loss: Beetles, Mold & Damage

The cigars in this image were boxed and sealed in airtight plastic in 2007.  They were opened in 2020 and it was discovered that everything was ruined due to mold!  The financial and emotional damage is incomprehensible, especially if these were your cigars and your were salivating and ready to smoke them.  But mold does not just appear on older or aged cigars; it can be found on recently shipped cigars!  Mold can result from less than ideal factory conditions or be exacerbated by very oily wrappers on freshly made cigars.  

This past March a Certified Retail Tobacconist reported to TU that they had to destroy more than $13,000 (wholesale value) of cigars due to mold.  The cigars were stored perfectly but a flow valve on a humidifier failed to stop the flow of water, creating an unseen puddle and soaking through a massive amount of cigars.  To add insult to injury, the water leaked through walls and into the neighbors basement and cost the retailer another $400+ in repairs.  Mold is evil and it will irreparably contaminate and destroy cigars; and this happens every day to retail tobacconists and distributors! 

The insipid tobacco beetle is yet another enemy of tobacco purveyors.  They will eat through and destroy your inventory without you even knowing it.  Adding insult to injury, you may not even notice the damage until months later when you open a box and find holes in your cigars and dead beetles at the bottom of a box.  At this point, you can't know if the beetles were triggered by temperature at factory, distributor or during shipment.  The loss exists and there is no one to blame or compensate you for the loss.  Things get even worse if you operate cigar lockers for customers and they bring in "outside" cigars which can contaminate other customers' cigars!  We have heard countless stories where tobacconists compensate customers for beetle ridden cigar losses even when they have no fault in the matter.  There are many veteran retailers who will not house customers' cigars in lockers because of this potential problem.  We recommend you review our content on Tobacco Beetles, but know that they will inevitably cost you money.  Adding insult to injury, beetle damaged cigars, like moldy cigars, have no salvage value, so they must be removed from the premises and destroyed.  

Damaged cigars are yet another way tobacconists loose money every day.  If your'e a retail tobacconist you see customers drop cigars on a daily basis, and this is just one of the ways they get damaged.  People mishandle cigars on a daily basis in a retail humidor; foot, body and head damage occurs daily in every walk-in humidor.  Furthermore, many cigars get damaged during import or shipping to stores.  Tapered heads and all cigar feet are susceptible to damage during shipment, long before they arrive at your favorite local retail tobacconist.  In addition, if you are in this business long enough, you will regularly see entire batches of piramides/torpedos arrive with cracked heads; and often times it is not worth the effort to get your money back from the importer.  Even worse, there are brands whose wrappers are extremely delicate and will crack with minor deviations in humidity or even gently handling.  Damaged cigars are so common it seems unreal, as if an evil fairy pounces on them overnight, just to see your angst the next day!

These losses are real and devastating to retail tobacconists.  We estimate at least 5% of all cigar inventories are lost due to mold, damage and tobacco beetles, with no recourse for vendors.  And we haven't even mentioned shoplifting/slippage!  This is a difficult business with many challenges!   As always, we encourage you to shop with your local retail tobacconist and help us preserve luxury tobacco for generations to come!        

CIGARS 101.BONUS: Etiquette, Myths & More...

CIGAR SHOP ETIQUETTE
Retail tobacconist stores must be rigorously maintained.  Walk-in humidors must have their temperature, humidity, air quality, and sanitary standards perfectly maintained to preserve the cigars and protect the customers that smoke them.  People walking in and out of retail walk-in humidors bring germs, dirt, and debris into the environment, so many steps must be followed to protect the cigars.  While tobacconists are responsible for maintaining their shops, customers must also act responsibly and do their part.  Below are some important rules to follow.

No Smoke In Humidor
The natural aromas of a walk-in humidor are subtle and delightful: the commingling of spanish cedar and tobacco aromas from around the world is a special treat.  Part of the reason tobacconists make their walk-ins accessible to customers is so that they can enjoy the smell of unlit, aging tobaccos.  So, do your part and refrain from smoking in the walk-in.   

Be Careful Touching & Smelling
As we learned in a previous lesson, care must be taken when touching and smelling cigars: avoid touching he head and do not let it touch your nose.  Always treat cigars you do not own with the highest sanitary standards.  

Handle With Care
Be careful when pulling cigars out of a box as the head, foot or wrappers can easily be damaged.  You might be surprised at how many cigars are ruined by careless handling; it is a significant expense to retailers.  Also, remember that tobacconists spend a lot of time organizing, straightening out and facing (making sure the bands face forward) cigars.  If you pull a cigar out of the box, make sure you return it to its proper position.  

Damaged Cigars
Cigars can be damaged during shipping or by careless customers and/or tobacconists.  Many of these are discarded or repaired and sold at a discount.  Most of the damage that occurs is purely aesthetic and will not significantly effect the smoking qualities of a cigar.  If you see a damaged cigar in the humidor, feel free to make an offer - a 25 percent discount might be a win-win for both you and the retailer.

Returning Cigars
Most retail tobacconists will not allow returns on cigars that have been taken out of the shop for a period of time.  This is because cigars are sanitary products that must be kept at proper temperature and humidity: it would be irresponsible to accept returns.  But, if you purchased several of the same cigar and found one or more to be plugged (tight or no draw), you should let the retailer know: a good retailer will do what is necessary to make it right.  However, if you want to return cigars simply because they did not suit your taste preferences, that is just part of the cost of educating your palate: don't expect retailers to accept returns just because you didn't like the cigars.   

Theft Is Real
People shoplift from cigar stores everyday!  Even a small retail tobacconist shop can lose thousands of dollars a year from shoplifting.  It is one of the most difficult challenges faced by retail tobacconists and nearly impossible to stop without creating uncomfortable customer experiences.  Do your part by not acting suspicious, not touching cigars unnecessarily and not putting your hands in and out of your pockets too much.  The snapshot below shows an elderly couple stealing over seven hundred dollars worth of cigars in less that two minutes!   

Public Cigar Cutter Rules
Cigar cutters touch the head of the cigar that will eventually touch your mouth, so they must be kept clean.  Retail tobacconists have cutters on hand for customers to use when they buy cigars, but they must also have procedures in place to keep those cutters clean.  If you are going to use a shop cutter, keep the cigar out of your mouth until you have cut the cigar.  And remember that you are well within your rights to ask your tobacconist about the sanitary procedures they use to keep their cutters clean.

CIGAR MYTHS
There is enough magic and wonder in the world of cigar making to make lies, myths and marketing exaggerations totally unnecessary.  Yet there are innumerable untruths and half-truths in the marketplace, and many of them have been propagated for decades by successful individuals and companies.  As an educated consumer we encourage you to be skeptical and continue to educate yourself from credible sources.  Below is a list of some of the most popular cigar myths you will come across. 

Virgin Thighs

Myth: In Cuba, cigars are rolled on the thighs of virgins.
Truth: This is an absurd concept that sounds interesting and amusing to some, but it is not grounded in reality. 

Cuban Seed

Myth: Cuban see equals quality.
Truth: Cuban seeds, grown inside or outside Cuba, can produce both good and bad cigars.  There are far too many variables impacting the quality of tobacco and cigars (ie. soil, climate, rain, fermentation, blending, rolling, etc...).  This myth gained traction after the American embargo on Cuba when cigar makers wanted to enhance the perceived value of their own brands by saying that Cuban seeds were being used.  To this day, many uninformed consumers visit retail tobacconists and ask for "Cuban seed" cigars, thinking that they are better.  Actually, most premium cigar seed varietals originate from Cuban seeds but have been developed and grown outside of Cuba for decades.  Ultimately, when you see "Cuban Seed" written on a box, it is probably a sign that the cigar maker has nothing better or more original to say about the product; and they are marketing to uneducated consumers.

Maduros Are Stronger

Myth: Maduro wrappers/cigars are stronger
Truth: While maduro wrappers may undergo a longer and more rigorous fermentation, they do not increase in strength or spice.  Rather, they become richer in body and a little sweeter as the sugars develop in the leaf.

Perfect Consistency

Myth: Perfect consistency exists.
Truth: It is impossible to create a perfectly consistent cigar and blend from one batch to another, much less from one crop/year to another.  In addition, it is impossible to construct every cigar perfectly.  The nature of handmade cigars requires some deviation and inconsistency.  It is perfectly acceptable for handmade cigars to be a little inconsistent.  It is also okay for a cigar to burn a little crooked and require a touch-up and it is okay for cigars to taste a little different from one batch to another.  In fact, the human senses cannot taste or smell perfectly, so we wouldn't recognize perfect consistency if it were possible.

Lost & Found Tobaccos

Myth: The classic marketing story about a long lost batch of perfectly conditioned tobacco being discovered and used to create a "once in a lifetime" cigar.
Truth:  The "truth" is hard to find in this case.  Discovering the how, what, when, and where of a "re-discovered" tobacco is difficult if not impossible to prove.  And even if this very special, rare, expensive "tobacco" is used in a cigar, it could be an insignificant amount: just another marketing ploy - buyer beware!

Cuban Cigars Are "The Best"

Myth: This is the mother of all cigar myths, probably because it was true half a century ago and can occasionally seem true today.  Cuba is the birthplace of great dark air-cured tobacco seeds and cigars, but time has moved us forward.  Great tobacconists and consumers everywhere know that our current 'golden age of cigars' exists mostly because of the efforts and products created by those outside of Cuba.
Truth: Today, claiming that "I only smoke Cubans" or "Cuban cigars are the best" is merely a personal preference as opposed to objective fact.  Aficionados, connoisseurs and tobacconists know that taste is subjective. 

Spanish Cedar Is Necessary

Myth: Humidors and cigar boxes need to be lined with Spanish Cedar.  
Truth: Spanish Cedar is not necessary.  It was historically and geographically convenient and practical for cigar box and humidor construction.  While it may be a valid taste and aroma preference, it is not required.  

Cigar Licking

Myth: A cigar should be thoroughly licked/wet-down before being smoked.
Truth: This practice was common a century ago when humidification was not as accurate and consistent as it is today.  Wetting a dry cigar/wrapper would help keep the cigar from unraveling, but it is not necessary when smoking a well-conditioned cigar. 

 Angled Cut

Myth: Cutting the cap/head of a cigar on an angle helps aim the smoke directly to the palate and enhances the taste.
Truth: In contrast to the perfect cut, an angled cut jeopardizes the integrity of the cigar head and may lead to it unraveling.  In addition, a mouth filled with smoke will taste the smoke, whether it is aimed at the tongue or not.  

Self-Sharpening Cutter

Myth: Some double guillotine cigar cutters are said to sharpen themselves.
Truth: This is false.  The physics of metal sharpening have nothing in common with the way double guillotines function.

Packaging Equals Quality

Myth: It is natural to equate beauty with quality.
Truth: Many cigars with simple packaging are extraordinary, and many cigars have extraordinary packing that is not commensurate with the product.  The cigar industry pioneered artistic, intricate, and luxurious packaging concepts, in part, because the products look like commodities without distinguished packaging and branding.  But, extraordinary packaging says nothing about the actual quality of a product.

Strength Equals Body

Myth: Full-bodied cigars are strong.  Strong cigars are full-bodied.
Truth: A cigar can have a full body, characterized by depth and breadth of flavor (i.e. richness, earthiness), and not be strong.  Strength relates to nicotine intensity and can refer to spice levels (i.e. strong spice), but not necessarily profound, rich, or full flavors.  

Flavored Cigars Are Made To Attract Children

Myth: If you believe the FDA, flavored and infused cigars are made to attract underage smokers.
Truth: Nothing could be further from the truth.  While the FDA claims that flavored and infused cigars are an attempt to lure underage smokers, the cigar industry has no such interest.  If this were true then daiquiris, margaritas, and any sweet or fruit flavored liquors and alcoholic beverages could be accused of the same despicable goal.  The truth is that adults enjoy a wide range of flavor profiles, including chocolate, vanilla, mint, herbal, etc...

Absolutes Exist

Myth: Absolute statements like, "this is the best cigar," "this brand must age ___ months/years," "Dominican tobacco is always mild," etc...
Truth: Everything in the world of luxury tobacco depends on one or many variables.  Every batch, type, and crop of tobacco leaf is different.  There are not absolute time periods for growing, fermentation, or aging.  There are not absolute ways to quantify or qualify taste.  There are no absolutes in luxury tobacco- everything depends.


Finally, you have finished a well rounded educational journey.  Remember that romanticism plays a big part in the world of luxury tobacco, but real romance and pleasure needs no embellishment.  The actual magic and wonder of luxury tobacco is enough without the myths, hyperbole and lies.  Ultimately, enhanced appreciation requires enlightenment, which requires truth... thus, the importance of education.

Click below if you would like to continue learning...

Cigar FAQ

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Tobacco Glossary

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Certified Cigar Reviews