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Luis Falto of La Garita Cigar Company (Part 2)

To read Part One of our interview with Luis Falto, click here.
Questions About the Cigars:

Where did the idea come from to begin your own blend? Who helped you through this process?
The “Boom” was fatal for the cigar industry.  I needed a great cigar that I enjoyed and made according to my own personal taste.  I decided that to smoke the best cigars I need to make them and blend them myself.  The main people in that process were my father and the guys from La Aurora.  They never said “No”.

Was there some trial and error involved in the blending process? Can you explain that a bit for us?
There is always trial and error in the blending process.  Sometimes you taste four cigars and one of those hits the spot; sometimes you try ten and dismiss them to go back and try again.  Balance is very important in the blending process, so you have to keep that in mind.  Sometimes I want to make a cigar and have a blend in mind, and it might or might not work.  For example, when I started making cigars in 1995, I had two cigars: Falto and Josco.  The Josco had a Connecticut Shade wrapper and I thought the blend and the wrapper was not always there, so I discontinued it in 1999.  I reintroduced it with better aged tobaccos in 2008 and it has been a hit.  The blending process for a cigar can take months and it can take years.  It is part of that trial and error process.  The balance, body, strength, complexity, aroma, combustion, etc., all have to be there to get to that excellent cigar.

How do you explain the concept behind the La Garita line of cigars?
Like I said, I wanted to make cigars according to my taste and in very small quantities.  The concept is an Ultra Boutique Premium Handmade Cigar.  When I say small quantities, I do what is unheard of in the industry.  On my Falto cigars that come in boxes of twenty five and twenty six and bundles of twenty four, I only make four thousand of each cigars or one hundred sixty boxes and bundles.  My cigars that come in boxes of ten, I only make two thousand five hundred cigars or two hundred fifty boxes. The concept is to provide that special cigar to that person that desires and looks for something very special and rare.

Are you working on any new blends?
My father passed away this last February, so I am working on a cigar on his honor.  I am calling it Falto Privilegio “Mi Viejo”.  The blend has been chosen and the cigars are aging.  It will be made in two blends (Liga #8 and Liga #9) in a Churchill size (6 3/8 x 48). I may add a Perfecto size, but I am still deciding. Two thousand cigars of each blend were made and are resting in the aging room of La Aurora. I might release it in March or April 2010.

You have multiple blends. Would you briefly describe each of these blends for us and the original idea behind each of them?

1. Falto (Lonsdale and Robusto) — I really like these two sizes.  The blend behind these cigars is pretty straightforward, with a Sumatra Indonesian wrapper and Dominican binder and filler.  It is a cigar that has its touches of complexity and a medium body. It is a cigar that can be smoked at any time of the day and at any moment with robust flavors.
2. Falto Reserva Especial (R.E.) Tres Luises Ballibo (Panetela/Petit Belicoso) – The blend for these cigars is made of a Cameroon wrapper and Dominican Filler and binder.  This is a very classy blend that is medium in body.  Both shapes, especially the Ballibo, are very elegant sizes and that transmits to their flavor and balance.  Finesse is the main characteristics for these cigars, never overpowering, but a nice complexity that keeps them interesting.
3. Falto Perla Reserva Especial “Seleccionada” (Petit Corona) — I made this for that time of the day when you cannot smoke a big full flavored cigar.  What it lacks in size, it truly makes up in flavor.  This little firecracker has a Brazilian (Bahía) wrapper with a Dominican Corojo binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers.  It is what I considered a medium to full flavored cigar with a very nice aroma.  It can be a morning or an after dinner cigar, depending on your mood and time.
4. Falto Prominente Gran Reserva Especial (Perfecto) – I got this mold in an auction.  It dates back to 1923.  This perfecto shape brings forth the greatness of this blend.  Wrapped in a Camerron wrapper with Dominican binder and filler, the balance and character in this cigar is superb.  It’s medium to full bodied and takes you back in time, when figurados like these were all the rage.  Great balance and strength in this cigar, with a slight nuttiness.
5. Falto Legado (Corona Gorda) — I made this blend to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of La Garita Cigar Co.  It is a mild to medium bodied cigar that is full of balance and finesse.  It has a lush Nicaraguan wrapper with a Dominican binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers.  It transmits a floral and nutty note without being overpowering at all.  Great balance and a cigar that it is easy to meditate with.
6. La Garita Cigar Co. (LGCC) “Delirio” Cabinet Selection (Lonsdale) — I have always loved Lonsdales, because I believe that this was a size widely used in Cuba of the old days.  It is a shape that is all in elegance.  This cigar is aged for three years in the factory, giving it hints of cedar wood with a spicy and powerful undertone.  It is wrapped in a Dominican Corojo wrapper and binder with a perfect balance of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers.  It is a more fuller bodied cigar and great company at the end of the day.
7. Falto Invicto (Belicoso) — I always wanted to make a Dominican Puro, but it had to be made under my terms.  The Invicto uses all perfectly aged Dominican tobacco, from its Corojo wrapper to its binder and filler leaves.  Its silky and delicious wrapper surround the filler and binder that expresses touches of toasted wood, roasted coffee, and molasses with perfect combustion and complexity. It is a Puro to be enjoyed with time and in complete relaxation. Furthermore, what makes this Puro all the more special is that all its tobacco comes from one single farm or vega. It is the equivalent of a single vineyard wine, in the cigar world.
8. El Josco “Jincho” (Robusto) – I wanted to show how well aged and cared tobacco can make a HUGE difference in the blend of a cigar.  Like I said before, I retired this cigar in 1999 and reintroduced it in 2008 with the same blend, but with very well aged tobacco.  Only one run of two thousand cigars was made.
9. Tabacalera Falto, Inc. “Selección Especial” — I made this cigar about three years ago, but its complex blend required more aging, so I let it sit until now.  It is a Corona Gorda that smokes heavenly with a perfect combustion and draw.  It has a Dominican Corojo wrapper, Indonesian binder and Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Brazilian filler.  It is a great silky cigar and, like all others, has perfect construction.

I make my cigars with the idea of providing different tastes to please every kind of person, from the newcomer to the well seasoned aficionado. There is something for everybody.

Your cigars are produced in very short runs and use rare tobaccos. Can you go into detail about your production practices?
I make such small amounts because I want to maintain a strict quality control that La Aurora is already famous for, but I take it up a notch.  My small production assures anybody that each cigar was meticulously worked on with perfect construction and expresses the chosen blend.  I make sure that when you buy or acquire a Falto Cigar, you are getting to enjoy a very special work of art, made by the most skilled cigar rollers and with the best choice tobacco in the industry.  Mass production will never do that.

You seem to prefer Dominican tobacco? What is it about this region that attracts you?
I believe that Dominican tobacco and all its strains therein, have no reason to envy any other tobacco in the world.  Its characteristics and versatility are great in all its terms, and rewards you with an excellent product.  Do not get me wrong, as you can see in all my blends, I use tobaccos from Cameroon, Nicaragua, Brazil and I am currently experimenting with blends using Ecuadorian tobacco, but Dominican tobacco has a place in my heart.  It is like growing up with a friend that is your soul mate and you will do whatever necessary to show its great charisma and glorious passion.

What are the conditions you look for when working on a blend?
First of all that all the tobacco that I might be contemplating on using is well aged.  That is extremely important.  Secondly, honesty on the comments of people I trust to test taste the blend.  Many people will tell you what you want to hear, but that “yes” person is not looking beyond and giving due diligence or consideration to the cigar as it should be tasted.  I think these two conditions are incredibly important when developing a blend, although I make the final decision.

How do you bring a cigar from initial concept to production and into the hands of retailers—what is that process like?
Normally, when starting the blending process I have a “preliminary” blend in my mind and an idea of what I want the cigar to be.  Once the blending process is complete, I normally age the cigar for ninety days to acquire an idea of how the tobaccos are “marrying” and decide on how long it should age.  The cigar is made and the process of “packaging design” begins.  At this point, I always believe that the final product, the cigar, is the most important and the packaging is secondary, but a great cigar should be well presented.  Finally, when the time is right, the cigar is packaged (after a series of tasting, a system of re-checking for tastes, development of flavors, etc.).

For the first time of making my cigars, I made an agreement with a distributor to import and distribute my cigars in the United States in 2008.  Unfortunately, that company did not comply with the terms of the contract.  I have a few retailers that already sell my cigars, as I do in Puerto Rico (where I distribute and sell my cigars myself). I am prepared to visit retailers, new and old ones, in the United States.

Why do you think people like your blends so much?
I like to make cigars according to my own tastes and preferences.  Apparently, my blends appeal to a wide variety of palates.  It could of have been coincidence, but I am glad that true cigar smokers and newcomers alike have enjoyed my creations and support and stand by them.  It seems I make cigars for every taste and this happens because of the wide variety of blends that the Falto Cigars have.

Anything else you’d like to add?
In February, it will be fifteen years since I received my first shipment of cigars to the shores of Puerto Rico.  This is a business that requires passion for the art, attention to detail and respect for quality.  Everyday you learn something new, because it is part of the natural evolution of a leaf that gives us pleasure, relaxation, and company in times of happiness and sorrows, respectively.  It is important to taste and respect this art form and keep your mind open to what the world of cigars has to offer.  Do not forget that precious things are rare and come in small quantities like the Ultra Boutique Premium Handmade Cigars of La Garita Cigar Company and Falto Cigars.