Nick Perdomo of Perdomo Cigars Featured on Cigar Advisor Podcast
Online, June 20, 2016 (Newswire.com) - EASTON, PA - "One of the things I love about Nick Perdomo is that he says exactly what's on his mind," says CigarAdvisor.com executive editor, Gary Korb, who recently interviewed the Perdomo Cigars founder on his "Master Blenders" podcast, which airs monthly on CigarAdvisor.com.
The conversation begins with the Federal Drug Administration's decision last month to regulate premium handmade cigars as it does machine-made cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff, and other products that contain tobacco and/or nicotine.
"It's just more draconian overreach by government," Nick said. "Not just us, but every small, medium and large business. But we're going to attack, just as we did when the Obama Administration hit us with the S-CHIP bill."
What Perdomo Cigars did for the S-CHIP situation seven years ago was something most businesses wouldn't dare do; they "absorbed the tax" to keep their cigar prices down, and Nick plans to do the same in the FDA case. Moreover, during their almost 25 years in business, Perdomo Cigars has only had five price increases.
"I'm also concerned about the smaller companies who are going to be affected by all this," Nick said. "I think companies should go out of business because they make an inferior product or have bad business practices, not because the government has regulated them out of business."
Although Nick calls it a "worst case scenario," he intends to fight it while continuing to "do business as usual."
Nick also spoke about the Perdomo Craft Series (Amber, Pilsner, and Stout), created to pair with any beer, especially the micro-brews and other craft beers that have become so popular. This series, which has already exceeded expectations, was the brainchild of Perdomo V.P., Arthur Kemper. They forged ahead after Kemper pointed-out to Nick that cigar smokers drink a lot of beer with their cigars.
"Creating it was a labor of love," Nick said. "It took two years to create, and we call it the 'ping-pong effect:' No matter what beer you like, [if you're smoking the appropriate cigar], the beer gets accented, the cigar gets accented, and they really pair well, which is exactly what we wanted."
Nick also touches on some of Perdomo's other bestselling cigars like the Perdomo 20th Anniversary edition and Lot 23. He also said that European imports of premium cigars from Central American countries other than Cuba are up and have given Perdomo Cigars a significant bump to their bottom line.
"The Europeans are finally getting to smoke cigars that draw and burn correctly," Nick said.
Speaking of Cuban cigars, when the conversation turned to the Obama Administration's relaxing of the U.S. Cuban Embargo for trade and tourism, Nick pulled no punches:
"I think it's really sad," says Nick. "Most people don't know the situation in Cuba. Fidel Castro and his brother, Raul, are two assassins, and that's about the nicest word I can use for them."
If that sounds harsh, one must take into account that several of Nick's immediate family members, including his father, Nick Sr., and his uncle, were imprisoned and tortured by the Castro regime, and were it not for the Uruguayan Embassy, who helped Nick Sr. escape from Cuba (with a bullet still in his body), neither Nick nor Perdomo Cigars would exist today.
On a lighter note, Nick and Gary talk about one of their mutual passions, playing rock n' roll. Nick, who's been playing drums for over 40 years, talks about his custom Pearl drum kit, and the landing page for the podcast includes some pictures that will make most drummers drool with envy.
"I'm very fortunate," Nick said. "My family and my company have been very blessed."
Cigar smokers and others interested in hearing more from Nick Perdomo, 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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