EASTON, PA --(Marketwired - June 03, 2016) - "It's not every day you get to have a conversation with one of the pillars of the cigar business," says CigarAdvisor.com executive editor, Gary Korb. The person to whom Mr. Korb is referring is Manuel Quesada, president of Quesada Cigars. Mr. Quesada, who began making cigars with his father, Manuel Sr., and brother, Alvaro, in 1974, recently took time out of his busy schedule to do a podcast with CigarAdvisor.com.
Coincidentally, the show was recorded on May 5th, the same day that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced their decision to treat premium handmade cigars like all other tobacco products, which includes cigarettes, snuff, and pipe tobacco; undoubtedly, a huge blow to the premium cigar industry that will have a marked effect on people like Mr. Quesada who manufactures such bestselling brands as Fonseca, Casa Magna, and Quesada Oktoberfest cigars, to name a few.
Mr. Quesada had just finished saying how well-educated today's cigar smokers are, and that this is "one of the best times to be a cigar smoker" due to the wide variety of premiums available at this time, when Korb brought up the FDA announcement.
"We are facing a very difficult situation," said Mr. Quesada, who had also read the announcement earlier in the day, and added that the FDA is "comparing us to products that have no relationship whatsoever to premium cigars other than we produce smoke…I have no idea why the FDA refused to listen to our arguments over the differences."
The podcast discussion also focuses on some of Quesada Cigars' most popular selections including the unique Heisenberg series, which intentionally lists no blend information so cigar consumers can smoke them without any preconceived notions; or as Mr. Quesada calls it, "an enigmatic celebration of uncertainty."
On the subject of the Obama administration's decision to reopen the door with Cuba, Mr. Quesada said, "In our part of the world, the cigar industry, I think we're faced with obstacles that are in the hands of the Cuban government. And in a recent interview, the two heads of Cubatabaco emphatically said that they would not sell tobacco to anyone outside of Cuba. And in all reality, if we're attempting to establish a free market, those are terms that are not acceptable for negotiation."
Mr. Quesada also touches on the efforts of Procigar, the association of Dominican cigar manufacturers, of which he is a founding member, as well as his interesting take on the "Lancero" cigar shape.
Cigar smokers and others interested in learning more, can listen to the podcast here.
About Cigar Advisor
Cigar Advisor , the nation's premiere online cigar magazine, proudly serves cigar enthusiasts with a uniquely down-to-earth perspective on the enjoyment of premium cigars. Well-known and highly regarded for providing acclaimed educational cigar content and behind-the-scenes industry articles from some of the business's top names, the Cigar Advisor editors deliver an array of content that speaks directly to those who enjoy the cigar lifestyle.
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Contact Information:
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90 Mort Drive
Easton, PA 18040
800-564-2486
