Rodolfo Cáceres began in the industry as a tobacco apprentice at 19, and along the way, he had the opportunity to work and train at many of the most important tobacco companies in Honduras. Now, he is the master blender at Fábrica Centroamericana de Tabaco (FCT), located in Danlí and the producer of the Cavalier Genève brand.
He says that a master blender fundamentally needs raw materials –by this, he means quality and variety– but it is equally important “to have ideas and passion,” since translating a client’s desires into a blend is quite difficult. However, the right tobaccos will guide you until you arrive at what you have in mind.
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In the case of Guillén & Co. Cigars, he remembers working with Manny. “We tried and tried… we took our time. He wanted tobaccos with aroma, flavor, notes, and everything a good cigar should offer. So, we started looking at the different cuts, and from there, we continued with the notes and strengths.”
Rodolfo is one of those who thinks working with tobaccos is like cooking and the leaves are the ingredients. “That’s why when you make something that people like, it’s a great motivation. It’s like in Manny’s case: we started with Honduran materials and began blending with Nicaraguan ones until we arrived at each of his blends.”
Honduran tobaccos, he continues, are exquisite, “great,” and are characterized by their earthy, peanut, and chocolate notes. But each one has its little something, and for example, the one from Jamastrán “is very noble and spectacular” because it blends with everything.
He speaks of Guillén with the same satisfaction with which he refers to Cavalier, which always presents a challenge because it is a large global brand and its legacy must be maintained. “Here, quality is above everything else… it’s an extraordinary world because every day you learn something, and that is precisely the task of the master blender.”
