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CP – How is everything going with Room101 jewelry and accessories?  

MB – I am pretty excited for this year.  I am going balls to the wall with our jewelry and accessories.   I have been preparing and doing a lot of designing for all the tradeshows this year.  We’ve really been hammering out new series and designs.  We are in overdrive to get ready for all of the shows.  We’re hitting up shows strictly for jewelry, some for apparel and accessories, then of course the cigar shows.  We’re making it happen.

CP – A lot has changed for you since we had originally done our interview.  The focus then was more on your cigar accessories which you were just getting in to, as well as your jewelry.  Room101 Cigars was barely even an idea then.  Speeding ahead to now, you have had great success with the brand and have earned a lot of respect on both the industry and consumer level.  How does it feel being recognized now as a face of the new generation in the cigar biz?

MB – You and I, when we sat on my deck in Hollywood, were on a totally different place.  I can’t really think of any facet of my life that hasn’t changed for the better, or in a positive manner.  I contribute a lot of that to my involvement in the cigar business.  It’s been a phenomenal growth spurt for my brand as a lifestyle brand as well as for me personally.  I really feel at home in the cigar business.  As far as being a face, the feeling surrounding being a face.  If I didn’t have to have my face associated with the product that would be my personal preference.  But a lot of times personality is what drives a brand. The consumer wants to support someone they believe in, or find a connection with.  That is an element that is very present in the cigar business.  I feel honored. When we added a cigar to the Room101 brand, I have become so in love with the people, the culture, and the cigar life in general.  It is truly what I consider a subculture and it feels like home.  For me to be well received amongst the group of people I consider grade A high quality people is an honor.  It’s not lost on me as to how blessed I am.  Obviously I am living proof that hard work and dedication pays off.  This just wasn’t handed to me.  Opportunities came my way and I ran away with them like some track star mofo with fancy sneakers on.  It’s ultimately my honor to be involved and it’s heart warming and humbling to be accepted.  We wouldn’t be able to do what we (the younger American cats) do, without those who have been involved for years and years, even generations.

CP – All the guys featured here, isn’t really something that has been seen before.  Now boutique has a firm stance in the industry.  It doesn’t seem that the consumer really cares so much about how many generations deep someone is in the business or anything like that.  What they care about is high quality products.  All of you guys add a new and intriguing angle, topped off with great products.  Was it hard being accepted, or to be seen as a peer by a group of guys like this?  What sort of hazing did they put through?

MB – Hazing!  Hazing is a term I am familiar with.  First of all, as I said not a moment is lost on me.  First to be invited by you to be a part of this, and to be included was really mind blowing to me.  Talking to these guys who I consider friends and people who I tremendously respect as a newcomer to the business.  But in a way that I have been accepted by them is really great.  Sitting at the photo shoot I was thinking “How the fuck did I get invited to the cool kid’s party?”  Some of the guys in the business and I got off to a rocky start.  That was solely due to the fact that we didn’t know each other.  I think that my partnering with a larger company that took interest in me, and it could be translated into the form of premium tobacco, the money put into me right away was a different level.  It was impossible to miss me coming in.  I flew in hot and low baby.  It was aggressive in nature.  I always try to see all points of view.

CP – Over the past few years you have proven how much this means to you.  You really show that you love cigars and want to be here, as well as do what you can to make this industry great and keep it fresh.  You dove in head first.  At first there was a lot for you to learn.  Now you are very involved with the whole process, blending, everything.  

MB – It was a rocky start.  People didn’t really know me yet.  Once we got to know each other (Camacho/Davidoff), we grew a big respect for each other.  It has gotten easier.  I thought I was going to make the best friends of my life when I was in the Marine Corps.  I did, however the guys in the cigar business is a small band of brothers and I’ve made some of the best friends for the next half of my life.  In regards to the blending, when I started I leaned heavily on Christian (Eiroa) because obviously I had no idea what tobaccos would yield and reflect certain flavor profiles.  My palate was clearly not as mature as it is today.  It’s been a learning and growing experience.   Even at this photo shoot, I was asking all these guys a ton of questions because they just know so much, and I can learn a lot from them.  They are so crafty when it comes to their blending.  I am always asking questions when I hang out with these guys.  Every time I see someone I walk away with a new little gem of knowledge that will help me become a better cigar maker.

CP – It’s amazing how good some of these guys’ palates are.  But your Namakubi blend was primarily all you right?  I thought the cigar itself was really tasty.  Everything about it worked.  Even the packaging was some of the coolest I’ve seen in a long time, if not ever.  It really exemplifies the Room101 aura.  It’s just really sharp. What is your process for coming up with new brands?

MB – Working in the Camacho factory is something that I’ve become accustomed to.  It’s all I’ve really ever known as far as getting my hands dirty.  It is bittersweet.  I have taken the time to go to other factories and see as much as possible.  It blows me away with how much variety of tobacco these guys have.  I wish I had that much variety to play with.  Obviously the stuff that is grown on the Camacho grounds, the Coyolar and the Corojo for example are in full supply.  I’ve tuned my blending process with them into a science at that factory.  I have a little area in the factory I work in.  The first thing I do is tell my production manager to fill bins up with different tobaccos for me to play with.  I’m always open for new things.  I want my bins filled with tobacco that’s ready to go and that has a good supply so that we can make a good amount of cigars with.  I hate finding or coming up with something that I really think is delicious, then come to find out that there is enough tobacco of the blend to make two bundles out of.  But that’s how I start.  I have found that I usually select tobaccos that remind me of hay.  My mom had a horse when I grew up.  Not horses, just one horse.  Trips to the barn were always part of my weekly program as a kid.  The first time I smelled that scent on tobacco, I was transported right back there.  I saw the barn and was ten years old again.  I find those sorts of tobaccos that have that characteristic to be very pleasing.  If I smell that, then I know I’m on the right path to creating something that I like.  I am always asking for help and recommendations.  It’s kind of like when I played music.  I was always in groups with guys who were much more advanced musically than I was and it forced me to grow at an accelerated rate.  I have the luxury now to work with the factory manager, the production manager, all these people have twenty-five plus years on top of my humble knowledge.  I’m always asking for input and guidance.  If I’m working on something and I’m jammed up with “blenders block” then I ask for help.  I think they in turn respect me because they see how much I try.  So they are willing to help when I need it.

CP – I really like that you mentioned hay and a barn.  I find that trait a lot, and I love it as well.  But sometimes it may be construed as a bad term when a cigar is explained as having a barnyard type of aroma or flavor.  But I love it – it just smells like really good, well-fermented tobacco.  It’s weird but it makes me want to take a bite out of the cigar.   Maybe it’s just me.  I’m not talking about cow crap obviously.

MB – It’s definitely not manure!  But that wonderful barnyard hay smell is excellent.

CP – So who are/were some of your mentors in the business and life?

MB – People that I have learned a great deal from is obviously Christian Eiroa.  His floor manager Luis was also instrumental for me.  One person that I have to comment on and who I have learned a great deal from is Steven Ysidron.  I learned a lot about blending from him.  He is also a really good friend.  He knows what he is doing.  Look at the photo from this shoot.  Everyone here I have learned from.  Not only for the business but in life as well. George Rico, I have to give a shout out to him. That dude gave me such a kick in the ass at the right time.  I typically know exactly what I’m doing 99% percent of the time.  I always have a game plan.  It’s rare for me to get off track.  I had a depressed moment at one of the trade shows, and was frustrated on the business side of things.  We were talking, and he gave me the no bull shit ass kicking that got me back up on the horse.  He probably will tell you that he has no conscience recollection of what he said since it was 4:30 am at the circle bar in the Venetian.  But I remember and that’s all that matters.

CP – Where would you like to see Room101 as a brand in the future?

MB – Honestly I would like to have understudies running the brand while I’m on a beautiful beach somewhere living the dream.  But from now until then, my goal is to really get more respect in the fine jewelry community for what I do.  I want my work recognized, and increase my distribution so more people can acquire and enjoy my products.  I’d like to expand in other lifestyle goods that work hand in hand with each other.  Bourbon is something I would like to explore; a fragrance would be cool one day.  But everyday I am always coming up with a lot of jewelry ideas.  So it would be nice to have the ability to make everything in my head.  I would like to have a flagship boutique somewhere where I can really showcase everything that Room101 has to offer.  We’ve come a long way, but we’ve still got a long, long way to go.  Before we were in the infancy stage, now we’re in adolescence with a lot of room to grow.

CP – What type of person would you say gravitates towards your brands?

MB – That’s a question I get asked a lot actually.  You can’t judge a book by its cover. It’s the internal circuit board that someone has that attracts them individually to the Room101 brand.  Someone who enjoys the best.  Obviously we create premium goods in multiple classes with our twist on them.  They like our stylization, but ultimately seeks out quality.  It can work both ways.  The style may attract them to the brand, then they discover the quality, or vice versa.

CP – What’s up with Cigarmageddon.  How is it for you being on the road so much?  It definitely seems essential for the success of brands today.   What’s going on in the retail world?

MB – I traveled in the name of building a brand, on all sides of Room101.  After developing Namakubi and after it was released, is when I really went balls to the wall.  At one point Rocky Patel were having a conversation and he looked at me and said “Bro, you’ve got to slow down.”

CP – Wow. You’re sure Rocky Patel said that?

MB – It was serious.  That’s when I was hustling on an intergalactic level.

CP – The cigar industry is always evolving.  There are so many unique and different types of people who enjoy cigars.

MB – The people are fantastic, the cigars are the common denominator.  It doesn’t matter who people are, where they come from, what they do, whatever.  If you’re sitting in a cigar shop with 20 different people from all over, who do different things, everyone is the best of friends.

CP – 60 ring and bigger seem to relentlessly be hot, even with a comeback in traditional sizes.  When you kick back to enjoy a cigar, what do you look for?

MB – Well 60 ring gauge cigars is the Super Size of the industry. For me personally, I prefer to not even go as thick as a robusto.  However my newer San Andreas blend I particularly like in a robusto, which is an oddity for me.  I typically like a smaller ring than a 48.  I’m a corona guy.  I go through the Papi Chulo cigars like candy.  I love them. I prefer the smaller stuff though.

CP – This reminds me of a conversation I had with Courtney Smith of La Palina.  She was saying that it’s funny how industry people tend to gravitate towards the smaller rings, coronas, lonsdales, etc.  But then the consumers, at least with the trends today, smoke the big fat cigars.  It’s an interesting point. 

MB – When you start listening to music for example.  One might get in to some aggressive metal at first.  Then eventually they make a move into Jazz, or things that are more sophisticated.  I believe that a smaller ring gauge is the true way to experience tobacco and what a blend has to offer.  The old school Cubans had it right.  It brings out the truest emotion of the blend.  It’s more comfortable… the list is long as to why I prefer the small rings.  A lot of people want more cigar for their money.  I’ve heard people say that’s the reason they smoke a cigar.  I’ll even give them one of mine for free, in addition to what they buy.  I try to turn them on to the smaller stuff just because I feel like the blends are always better in a smaller ring.

CP – I’d rather pay for an experience or something that really delivers some flavor, as opposed to more bang for the buck.  My bang is in the flavor and nuances of the blend.

MB – Of course when blending a cigar for a large ring, and it can be calibrated to match the flavor and overall taste of a smaller ring.  But for me, the larger rings like a 60 always fails to deliver the flavor and complexity that I personally look for.  It won’t be a bad cigar per say.  But for me when I go into blending and producing a cigar, that size tends to drift away to what the original blend was dialed into.

CP – How can people stay in touch with Room101?

MB – I am a huge fan of instagram.  I am on twitter a lot.  I will get into facebook eventually.  But twitter and instagram are the best way to keep up to date on real world time for what’s happening with Room101.  Obviously our websites (www.room101silver.com, www.room101cigars.com, www.room101executive.com) are a great way to keep in touch and see everything that we currently have and are working on. If you want to see what we did ten minutes ago, definitely want to check us out of instagram and twitter.

Check out the other Unusual Suspect interviews here:

JONATHAN DREW:  https://cigarpress.com/the-unusual-suspects-jonathan-drew/

PETE JOHNSON:  https://cigarpress.com/the-unusual-suspects-pete-johnson/

JON HUBER:  https://cigarpress.com/the-unusual-suspects-jon-huber/

DION GIOLITO: https://cigarpress.com/the-unusual-suspects-dion-giolito/

GEORGE RICO:  https://cigarpress.com/the-unusual-suspects-george-rico/