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Luis Falto of La Garita Cigar Company (Part 1)

Today we are joined by Luis Falto of La Garita Cigar Company, maker of cigars primarily under the moniker of Falto Cigars. You can visit La Garita Cigar Company online and follow them on Twitter.

We are pleased to have them as a Toasted Foot sponsor and as our guest today!

Questions About You:

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Where do you currently live?
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

When did you first get introduced to the joy of cigars?
I started smoking at a very young age (14) when I stole cigars from my father;  I did not know what I was doing, but when I told him that I smoked cigars at age 16, he taught me how to do it.

What is it you most enjoy about a great cigar?
I mostly enjoy being with people.  But, with the complexity, taste, aromas of a great cigar, sometimes solitude is the best company.  I am in communion with a great cigar.  Nevertheless, I will not ignore the moment for great conversation (no politics or religion please).

What are some of your favorite smokes?
Of course, the La Garita Cigar Company and Falto Cigars I made according to my own tastes.  But, I love La Aurora (Preferido Corojo, Bristol Especiale, 100 Años, etc.), León Jimenes (mostly LG Serie 300), and Padrón Anniversary Series (1964 & 1926).

How many cigars do you smoke a day?
Normally four or five.

How would you describe your palette?
I love a cigar that it is complex and full bodied enough to keep me interested but not so strong that it will knock me out.  Mild cigars I tend to find boring.  Medium bodied cigars I often enjoy with coffee and/or cappuccino.  I normally make my cigars to express both flavor and strength.

Questions About the Industry:

How did you get involved in the cigar industry?
I was looking for what I used to smoke with my father as a kid and could not find it.  While in college, I decided to make cigars according to my own taste since I have tasted so many (some where fine but others did not have it at all).  So, I headed out to Dominican Cigars and came to an agreement with La Aurora in 1995.  They agreed on my terms:  choose my own blends of tobacco, make in very small quantities, and maintain a close personal relationship with “my” rollers.  My relationship with La Aurora will be fifteen years this February, and I still choose all my blends and my cigars are made by the most skilled rollers in La Aurora.

When did you first begin blending your own cigars? How has that process evolved for you?
Before making my cigars, I spent a little over a year learning about the growing, planting, fermentation, aging and other processes of the tobacco plant.  Then I learned about the different strains and finally about their characteristics.  You can notice the difference between the Falto Lonsdale and Robusto, which were the first cigars I blended, and the rest of the Falto blends.  Since you learn new things everyday in the industry, I will make some changes on the Falto Lonsdale and Robusto to make it a better smoke, most noticeably the wrapper. There is better tobacco in the market now.  The process is not the same as in the boom, where all tobacco out there was either okay or substandard.  The process of blending cigars is always evolving.

What is it you enjoy most about the cigar industry?
I always love experimenting with new blends and tobaccos from around the world.  But, that experimenting could not be possible without the relationships that I have forged in the industry and the factory.  Specifically the relationship with the rollers and others that had accepted me as family and I in turn made them part of my family.  Special recognition to Manuel J. Inoa from La Aurora who has been there for more than fifteen years, teaching me and guiding my dream and accepting all my “crazy” ideas and blends.

Describe the perfect day for you.
Waking up very early (around 6:00 am) and having a light breakfast.  Go to my Cigars Studio (lounge/offices/aging room/etc.) and around 9:30 am have an espresso or cappuccino with a Falto Legado or Falto Perla.  Tend to my aging room and cigars that I need to taste.  Then have lunch and enjoy another cigar.  Call all my friends and customers (Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the States) and receive friends and customers in the studio.  I really enjoy getting people that do not know anything about cigars and after teaching them they at least try one of my cigars.  That is why I call my offices The Tobacco Studio. Finally, I relax and listen to some music, with the ever present cigar.

The company that my cigars, customers and friends give me is enough for the perfect day.  I use to say that there is nothing better than smoking a great cigar in good company and having a great cup of Puerto Rican coffee…or Puerto Rican rum, depending on your mood.

We will post Part Two of our interview with Luis on Saturday, where we will learn more about their boutique offerings. Thanks for joining us today!