If you’ve ever smoked a Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann, Trinidad, or Henry Clay, then you’ve had a piece of Altadis. But mention “Altadis” by name in a lounge, and half the time you’ll get blank stares. That’s the strange thing about being one of the biggest cigar companies in the world—you’re everywhere, but not consistently recognized.

Then there is another problem, and I’m certainly guilty of this….

When a cigar company gets so big (think millions and millions of cigars per year), I start to discount them based on quality or innovation. Boutique is more than a mentality; it is an agility to adapt to the market’s wants and experiment with new ideas.

Davide Moro, CEO of Altadis U.S.A. (Photo: F. Rewey)

That’s exactly why I sat down with Davide Moro, CEO of Altadis U.S.A., for what I like to call an “Altadis 101.” Who are they? Where are they headed? And more importantly, why should cigar smokers care?

It Might Have Started With Coffee, But It Ended In Cigars…

Moro didn’t come up through the traditional cigar-family route. He didn’t grow up on a tobacco farm, roll cigars before school, or even sell cigars in a shop.

He came from Unilever and Nestlé, working with a range of products from everyday consumer goods to Nespresso. He jokes that if you can sell a toothbrush, you can sell a cigar. “Many people tell me to be successful in this industry, you really need to know cigars. I don’t believe that’s true,” he said with a grin. “Of course, you need to know cigars, but it’s also about treating it like a business.”

His path brought him through JR Cigar, where he spent years running one of the biggest online retailers in the industry. That gave him a rare, data-driven look at the entire U.S. cigar market—not just one company’s slice of it.

Two years ago, he moved into the Altadis hot seat, where the job suddenly wasn’t just moving boxes, but guiding brands that have been around for more than a century.

Investing in the Leaf

Walk into Moro’s office on a Monday and you won’t find him daydreaming at 10,000 feet.

His focus is much more granular: supply chain calls, meetings with production, and a constant eye on the company’s tobacco. He talks about fermentation and quality control like some guys talk about golf. “The only way we can compete is by really focusing on quality… and then we let the quality speak,” he told me.

That means paying attention to the leaf itself—how it’s sourced, how it’s fermented, and how it’s rolled.

Altadis is putting more emphasis on getting those fundamentals right rather than rushing the next big thing out the door. Better tobacco, better fermentation, better cigars – recently taking control of much more of the process.

Fewer Cigars, Bigger Punch

In an industry that seems to launch a hundred new blends a year, Altadis is pulling back.

Moro calls it premiumization. Translation: fewer releases, but ones that matter. “Our premium portfolio, $20 and above, is already 20% of our business and growing double-digit,” he said. Those higher-end cigars are carrying a lot of the company’s growth.

And instead of flooding the internet with them, Altadis is being selective. Some of the newest Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta releases have only gone to brick-and-mortar shops. “We’re not going after volume right away,” Moro told me. “Not coming out after one year with a second edition… we want it to be successful for two or three years before we think about what’s next.”

That kind of patience isn’t exactly common in a business that often acts like Hollywood simultaneously filming sequels. But it’s part of how Moro wants Altadis to act more like a boutique, even if they make millions of cigars.

Waking the Sleeping Giants

When I asked which brands have the most room to grow, Moro didn’t hesitate: Trinidad, H. Upmann, and Henry Clay. He calls them the “sleeping giants.”

These are brands with serious history—Trinidad tied to Cuban diplomacy, H. Upmann with roots going back to 1844, and Henry Clay, a rugged old-school favorite. Yet today they’re still under the radar for many smokers. “Those three brands carry a lot of quality, but they’re still limited in distribution,” Moro said. His plan is to give them more spotlight, more premium offerings, and let them find new audiences.

So don’t be surprised if you see a fresh Trinidad or Henry Clay hitting shelves and turning heads in the near future.

Then there is Aging Room. Not a legacy brand but one Moro feels has a lot of upside and, based on the ones we have smoke, we would agree.

Back to the Lounge

One of the biggest shifts Moro sees is where cigars are being bought and smoked. For years, the online discount wars dominated. But that’s not where the magic happens. “From day one you could see all this war on price, and it’s the antithesis of what e-commerce should be,” he said.

Instead, Moro is betting on experiences—shops, lounges, events. Post-COVID, more smokers want to get out, light up, and connect. “There is convenience… and then there is experience. That’s what I think the opportunity is.” He’s watching growth markets like Florida and Texas closely and working to make sure Altadis brands are front and center when a new lounge opens its doors.

For the consumer, that means you’re more likely to find the latest Montecristo or Romeo y Julieta in a humidor where you can sit down, pair it with a drink, and talk about it—rather than in your inbox with a coupon code.

A Sharper Giant

Altadis has been called a lot of things over the years—big, corporate, even faceless. Spend an afternoon with Davide Moro, and those words don’t feel as true anymore. He’s not chasing hype; he’s chasing quality. He’s slimming down the product portfolio, giving sleeping brands a wake-up call, and doubling down on the places cigars are actually enjoyed.

Moro himself is a mix of strategist and cigar nerd. One minute he’s talking about SKUs and data, the next he’s grinning about a new wrapper or joking about toothbrushes. He even wrote a humorous book about his travels, just for fun. That blend of business sense and passion might be exactly what Altadis needs right now.

For us smokers, it means the next Montecristo or Romeo we pick up might be just a little better than the last. It means brands like Trinidad, H. Upmann, or Henry Clay could surprise us with something special. It means Aging Room could be breaking through to another level. And it means when you walk into your local lounge, you’ll probably have a better story to go along with your cigar.

Altadis isn’t just staying alive—it’s sharpening up. And honestly, that’s good news for all of us.