Talk to us about James Brown. What’s your story? What got you interested in blending your own cigars?
I'm just a regular guy who has a love for tobacco and a passion for the process of cigar making. After smoking cigars for most of my adult life, I felt like there needed to be a change. Certain things could be done different. So I decided to do those things myself.
Oveja Negra translates to Black Sheep. What’s the symbology behind this, and does it still hold true today?
We are the Black Sheep because we are different. Our approach of making New School cigars with Old School techniques and our philosophy of less is more set us apart. To accomplish our goals we live in Nicaragua full time to ensure those beliefs are evident in every cigar we make.
I think everything we have accomplished over the last five years shows that it is as true today as it ever was.
Speaking of, you recently expanded your operation. Other than a larger building, what does this mean for Black Label and your fans?
Our new facility allows us to grow as our customer base grows. We have had tremendous growth over the last couple of years and our former space was no longer sufficient. It's also a creative space that we treat very much as a studio. This year we also started offering tours to Esteli and the factory for our customers.
Your private label portfolio is rapidly expanding as well! What’s it like working with other blenders and brands?
I enjoy working with other brands. It gives us the opportunity to change things up and make cigars that are different from the BLTC/BLKWKS portfolio. Different ideas and styles coming together always results in a unique product, which is our goal.
Let’s discuss your core line. How would you describe each of them to someone that’s never smoked one before?
Our core line was set up to have a little something for everyone. Benediction & Royalty are more medium-bodied and on the lighter side of what we do. This is indicated by the white boxes and labels.
Lawless & Salvation are more Med/Full and both tend to be the type of cigars that check most of the boxes for people.
Last Rites is full-bodied indicated by the black box. This is the first cigar I blended and it is definitely to my taste.
"After smoking cigars for most of my adult life, I felt like there needed to be a change. Certain things could be done different. So I decided to do those things myself."
Black Label seems to be one of the few lifestyle brands that actually has a following and isn’t just trying to build one. What is the BLTC lifestyle all about?
I think we just got lucky that our branding really resonates with people. We wanted it to feel more like a lifestyle and we are very happy that it comes across that way. I think the lifestyle is just about being against the grain, celebrating uniqueness, and having an edgy attitude.
If our readers could only know one thing about you or your brand, what would you want them to know?
I would want them to know that everything I make is an expression of myself. I believe cigar making is an art and each individual cigar has its own character and creates a feeling when you smoke it.
What’s next for Black Label Trading Company and Fabrica Oveja Negra?
We have big plans for 2018. BLTC/BLKWKS keep growing and we have some very exciting new projects coming out of Oveja Negra, so stay tuned!
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