When passion is shared and meets the determination to always do the best, the perfect combination is created to develop ideas and products of the highest quality, designed for the most discerning public.
Vianto Cigars not only combines the names of Vidal Antonio Montoya into a single brand name, but it is also a reflection of the effort in the Honduran fields, where high-quality tobacco is planted and harvested, proudly rolled to tell stories of success –from the initial batch that captivated him with his most personal smoke, to the dedications of love and the innovation born of passion.
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Smoking Honduras
Vidal Antonio Montoya is originally from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and is about to turn 41 years old, having resided in New York, United States, for almost three decades. There, far from any tobacco tradition, he began his career in the construction industry, where he continues to this day.
Throughout his life, he crossed paths with cigarettes on a couple of occasions, without ever getting hooked on the habit. Knowing the differences between mass-market and premium tobacco, he reserved his curiosity and palate to enjoy a good cigar –and it had to be from Honduras.
In 2015 or 2016, during a family trip back to his homeland, Vidal Antonio set himself the mission of trying his first puro, and a Flor de Copán was the chosen stick. The experience was pleasant, but he didn’t fully understand it; however, the taste of the tobacco on his palate captivated him and invited him to smoke again.
By 2022, his hobby had grown and seemed likely to soon exceed his personal supply and budget. That’s when the idea arose to commission a custom batch: 1,500 cigars just for himself and to share with friends.
“I met someone in Danlí, who connected me with another person, and I ended up buying 500 Habano wrapper cigars, 500 Connecticut, and 500 Maduro to have at my disposal in New York.”
Working in construction, Vidal Antonio spent a lot of time surrounded by Italian-American colleagues, with whom he shared the cigars without thinking that a business could be born from it. But each smoke was so exquisite that the first batch quickly sold out, “and I had to call Danlí to order more.”
Growing Affinity
Thus, what began as an aficionado seeking to connect with his roots grew into a passionate smoker and, gradually, a connoisseur and an expert-in-training. For Vidal Antonio, the process of creating blends was very intuitive, receiving samples directly from Danlí to New York.
The first shipment consisted of nine cigars, three for each wrapper variety commissioned, which he smoked during a meticulous analysis process that allowed space for only one cigar per day. “I didn’t want anything to influence my palate, to get to know them better.”
Ten days later, the decision was made. He sent a communication to Danlí and waited for the factory to have them ready to go pick them up personally. One visit was enough for him to completely fall in love with an industry that welcomed him as an aficionado, and a year and a half later, would welcome him as a brand owner.
The transition was chaotic, he admits, as inexperience and competition, permits, and the various requirements for entering stores, lounges, and markets in general hindered the adventure.
“I already had the product and the companies, but the sales stabilization process continued, and still continues its course, trying to adjust what is necessary to do things better and better. It is always important to know what you want, even if you don’t yet know how.”
A Brand
Vianto is the result of combining the first and middle names of its creator, and the public has also really liked the sound of the word. The image selected for the first three vitolas, the most classic, is quite minimalist, featuring the silhouette of a Fedora –a classic hat– in gold, over a red field for the Habano, blue for the Connecticut, and black for the Maduro, plus five stars representing the Honduran flag. “It’s a simple concept without much formality, as I didn’t want anything exaggerated, and I loved its simplicity.”
From the first moment Vidal Antonio decided to enter the world of premium tobacco, his mind was filled with ideas and an optimism based on Honduras’s qualities as a tobacco producer; a confidence that prompted him to invest a little more resources to launch six, instead of three, lines in his initial vitolario (portfolio).
Then came the Torpedo with a two-wrapper, a Box-pressed (Prensado), and the Vuelta de Hoja, each inspired by his personal experiences when enjoying a good cigar. The first captivated him with its concentration of subtle flavors; the second, by its elegant shape; and the third, as a popular innovation in Honduras that provides a touch of mystery, wrapping its beautiful golden band in a tobacco leaf instead of the typical cellophane.
Next came Mehira, a cigar created for the American taste, with a large ring gauge and intense notes, followed by Emperatriz, dedicated to the deep love professed by Vidal Antonio for his wife, Brenda Emperatriz. This line is infused with cinnamon, which unlike others incorporates the flavor into the filler and not the wrapper.
Portfolio
Habano
Size: Toro, 6 inches, 54 ring gauge.
Wrapper: Nicaragua.
Binder: Costa Rica.
Filler: Nicaragua.
Connecticut
Size: Toro, 6 inches, 54 ring gauge.
Wrapper: Nicaragua.
Binder: Costa Rica.
Filler: Nicaragua.
Maduro
Size: Gran Toro, 6 inches, 58 ring gauge.
Wrapper: Nicaragua.
Binder: Costa Rica.
Filler: Nicaragua.
Torpedo
Size: Torpedo, 6.5 inches, 52 ring gauge.
Wrapper: Habano/Connecticut Honduras.
Binder: Nicaragua.
Filler: U.S. and Ecuador.
Prensado
Size: Gran Toro Prensado, 6 inches, 58 ring gauge.
Wrapper: Honduras.
Binder: Honduras.
Filler: Honduras.
Mehira
Size: Gordo, 5 inches, 70 ring gauge.
Wrapper: Habano Maduro Nicaragua.
Binder: Honduras.
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua.
Emperatriz
Size: Churchill, 7 inches, 50 ring gauge.
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador.
Binder: Nicaragua.
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua.
Exclusivity
In the Tobacco World, Vidal Antonio found that life can be both simple and hard, depending on the side you advance on. He discovered that smoking a puro is not for everyone, because although anyone can blow smoke, few truly enjoy the experience and the personal connection that a premium cigar can offer.
Every time he visits a lounge, Vidal Antonio has two certainties. The first is that he probably won’t know the person who decides to sit next to him. And the second is that it is the only space where two people as unequal as one can possibly imagine can agree.
He recalls that some time ago, while attending a lounge near his home, he met an important person in the city. He hadn’t noticed it, but during the conversation, it emerged that the person was connected within politics from many years back.
Before he knew it, just as he would have done with anyone who sat next to him, Vidal Antonio offered him a Vianto Maduro he had with him. “Where did you get these?”, the man asked, and then he told him the story of his personal brand.
That afternoon, this person became his first wholesale customer, purchasing 20 sticks with a handshake and cash payment. “He asked the price, I gave it to him, he gave me the money, and we said goodbye… But a week later, he called to order 200 more cigars.”
This experience showed him that the exclusivity of his product could bring him more benefits, selling to a smaller number of customers, but with the satisfaction that no one would haggle over the price for the quality of his product. “I had encountered occasional buyers who liked my cigars, and although they bought them, they complained about the price. With him, it was different: he smoked it, he liked it, and he paid.”
Based on this, Vidal Antonio learned to select his points of sale, accumulating only a few in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, but waiting to finalize state permit procedures to expand to Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Florida. Additionally, his brand is marketed in Honduras, within the best resort in Roatán, as well as in Spain, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica, through cruise ship tourism.
Forward, With Everything
He explains that the most difficult part of starting this business is juggling employment with entrepreneurship. At the moment, he organizes the events alone and sometimes with his wife, with the obligation to respect budgets and set limits that do not affect the family’s assets. “But it is important to understand that we are humans pursuing a dream, with desires to do different things and to build a legacy for the family, for whom you always seek the best. It is not easy to travel, promote, and get permits in my current job, but when there is will, desire, and you lose the fear, anything is possible.”
And if he had to share one piece of advice, he would say that when you truly decide to start something, it is important to build enough momentum to reach the top, because you will need it. “My wife always gives me an earful about this, but I am someone who likes to always grow big, pushing the cart until reaching the peak.”
Thus, Vidal Antonio defines himself as someone very determined in his ventures, and although he never thought of doing anything within the premium tobacco industry, “life puts you on the path, even if you don’t seek it: it arrived, I got interested, I became passionate, and here we are.”
In that journey, he notes that sometimes he has had support and other times he has been alone, but always moving forward with everything, without stopping –a determination that has allowed him to take giant strides, positioning a Honduran brand that captures attention and that people enjoy.
For him, Vianto Cigars aims to position itself as a leading brand in Honduras and globally, maintaining a clear vision and seeking to compete in the major leagues of tobacco, supported by the determination with which he handles almost all his affairs and with the quality of a product proudly made in Honduras.
“I like being an entrepreneur and going big. For something small, better nothing at all… And with Vianto Cigars, I want to take that step that puts Honduras on the showcase from a positive perspective, because this is not about elevating my brand: Vianto is not a personal brand, but a reflection of the quality of the Honduran industry.”
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