Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co.

Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. represents one of the most promising, creative and interesting personalities on the international cigar scene, with a commitment to quality and creativity that has quickly gained recognition in the cigar industry. The brand embodies the spirit of innovation and passion for premium cigar-making, distinguishing itself through extraordinary attention to detail, including hand-made paper cigar rings crafted from tobacco leaf remains and even tobacco flowers. Oscar Valladares Cigars are one of the highest rated and fastest selling brands on Cigars.com, celebrated for their unique presentation and Honduran heritage that showcases the country's exceptional tobacco-growing regions.

Background

Oscar Valladares's journey into cigars began unexpectedly when he worked for a travel agency, chauffeuring visitors for Rocky Patel all over Honduras, despite not even smoking cigars at the time. He immediately fell in love with the wonderful process of cigar manufacturing and understood what kind of special moment it is to smoke a cigar, because so much individual work goes into it. After being hired by Rocky Patel and learning the craft for nine years, including taking over cigar distribution for Rocky Patel Premium Cigars throughout South America, Oscar left in 2011 to open his own cigar shop in Danlí, with his brother Hector mortgaging his house to raise capital and master blender Bayron Duarte providing crucial support. The company was officially established in 2012 by Oscar Valladares, Hector Valladares, and Bayron Duarte, marking the beginning of a remarkable success story in premium cigar manufacturing.

History

The company launched in 2012 with the 2012 by Oscar cigar, themed around the Mayan calendar's prediction of the world's end, featuring a unique cigar wrapped in an unfermented tobacco leaf instead of cellophane, which caught the attention of Jim Robinson, owner of Leaf and Bean in the United States. This led to the collaborative creation of LEAF by Oscar with 'Island Jim' Robinson, which became a bestseller and put the company on the map. The factory operation expanded rapidly, moving to larger facilities in 2014 and again in 2016 to the former Oliva Factory, growing from 20 workers to more than 100. Today, the company produces an estimated 5 million cigars per year from tobacco grown mostly on its own land in Jamastran, Talanga, and Copán, with European distribution from Germany serving 35 countries.

Reputation

In 2017, The Oscar Valladares was awarded the Cigar Trophy for the best brand from Honduras, establishing the brand's credentials in the premium market. The Oscar Valladares brand quickly made it into the Top 25 of Cigar Journal, ranking at number 9 in 2016, while Cigar Aficionado has awarded multiple Oscar Valladares cigars with 85+ point ratings. To say that Oscar and his company have become a powerhouse would be an understatement, as Oscar has not only built a successful brand, but established a thriving factory and acquired many acres of farms. With rave reviews and testimonials from customers worldwide, it's clear that the Oscar difference is resonating with cigar aficionados, from the unique blend and fermentation process to award-winning customer service.