For Platinum Nova Cigars, being recognized by Cigar Journal as the Best Boutique Brand in the Dominican Republic for 2024-2025 during the recently held InterTabac trade show in Dortmund, Germany, is the result of a long journey, filled with ups and downs, that is now bearing fruit. “Although it’s for Platinum Nova Cigars, it’s really for everyone who has believed in us from the beginning,” says its CEO, Leonor Abzaradel.
While at the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) trade show in 2019 it was an up-and-coming star in the United States, Platinum Nova Cigars now shines brightly and is entering Europe through the front door, a market it has gradually begun to penetrate. “Now there are no limits, and our cigars will reach the rest of the world.”
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According to Leonor Abzaradel, Leo, the brand has crossed borders thanks to the hard work of a very dedicated team, both in the Dominican Republic and in the U.S. “This award makes us all proud because we have always believed in our potential as a brand, and we are very satisfied with the different lines we have produced so far.”
As Platinum Nova Cigars celebrates 15 years in the tobacco industry and nearly six years as CEO, Leo expresses her personal excitement, but first speaks about the dedication of all the people who work alongside her and manage the processes that ensure each cigar reaches the consumer. “We are on the right track, with the certainty that recognition always comes at some point in life.”
Aware of the importance of sharing her knowledge and continuing to learn about each of the activities she is involved in, she states, “I extend this recognition to all my friends, to my family, and to those who have always supported me unconditionally and celebrate Platinum Nova Cigars’ growth alongside me. It makes me feel like I am on the right path with my vision for this company, and that everything is falling into place.”
With this in mind, for the future, the brand sees this as a “look at me, here I am,” but in reality it’s “here we are and we’re not going anywhere, because we’ve come to stay. We have a good product, and with great respect for what other companies do, we will continue to focus on our own.”
This new landscape has emerged in a relatively short time, and it is important to maintain teamwork under the direction taken: “to keep progressing, listen to the consumer, strengthen ties with retailers, and ensure everyone is happy with what we do. It’s about growing together, not just with retailers, but also in the trust of those who prefer us,” Leo expresses.
“It’s a horizon that has expanded. I feel like I’ve entered with Platinum Nova Cigars through the front door, on a red carpet, representing a brand that works with quality and love. The most beautiful thing is that we owe it all to the consumers, who voted for us and, along with their support, make us feel that they want and expect more… And we will definitely have many surprises for them.”
A DOMINICAN BRAND
Dominican identity has been part of Platinum Nova Cigars from the very beginning, “because we decided to start production in that land of spectacular tobaccos that we all love,” continues Leo. In fact, 22 of the brand’s 26 lines include different varieties grown in the country “that opened its doors to us,” and where the company contributes to the economy, both through the purchase of supplies and by generating jobs.
She proudly adds that Dominican tobacco—depending on its aging—allows for the creation of blends that result in clean smoking experiences that highlight their various profiles. “So we have the commitment to represent the Dominican Republic with high-quality products that we share with the rest of the world, so that people fall in love with, recognize, and value its origin.”
With that foundation, Platinum Nova Cigars was established in Florida, USA, in 2015, but its expansion throughout the U.S. began four years later, with Leo joining as CEO. They practically started by going door-to-door to shops—offering tastings and talks in exchange for a space to get known—until they found the business and online distribution channels that allowed them to consolidate.
This enabled them, despite the difficulties and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, to begin penetrating other markets and finally, in 2023, to set up and operate their own factory: Terra Nova Cigar Factory, in Tamboril, the Cigars World Capital, as Dominicans proudly call this city, the capital of the municipality in the province of Santiago.
During a visit to the site, the first thing that catches the eye is the building, painted in the aquamarine color that distinguishes the brand. During the workday, men and women are focused at their tables, but also happy, wearing the company’s shirt—literally—and willingly explaining their tasks: the careful stripping, selection, and preparation of the leaves, which then go to the bunchers and rollers, who shape the cigars, subjected to various quality controls before being ringed.
Supervised by Reynaldo Rey Bonilla Güichardo—with 38 years of experience in the industry—the team produces its two most recent vitolas. They are the Platinum Nova Cigar Trappist 1G, a medium to full-bodied 7.25 inches, ring gauge 54 Torpedo, with a Habano 2000 Oscuro wrapper, and the Platinum Nova Cigar 5 Boroughs, a tribute to New York City, in the 7 inches, ring gauge 50 Churchill vitola, medium strength, with a Negro San Andrés wrapper.
Here, they aim to establish a new model of supervision in which there isn’t a foreman, but someone who provides trust to all staff so they can give their best effort without pressure. “Because when things are done with love and passion, they always turn out better,” says Rey, a well-known cigar maker in this region, which has promoted the recognition of tobacco and cigars as Cultural Heritage of the country.
They also allow us to visit the Aging Room and take a look at the special tobaccos aged since 1999, which will likely be used for Platinum Nova Cigars’ upcoming Limited Editions. In fact, following the recognition received, Leo informs that a launch is being prepared for next year.
Over time, the brand’s portfolio has accumulated Limited Editions, lines, and collections of cigars with a diverse range of strengths and blends, also including tobaccos from countries like Colombia, Ecuador, the United States, México, and Nicaragua. The same goes for their vitolas, which range from a football shape—with stitching included—to Torpedos, Perfectos, Pigtails, and Box-pressed cigars, with ring gauges from 43 to 70, but with an emphasis on the fifties.
As a result, they are now enjoying acceptance among enthusiasts, who have allowed them to carve out a place and now be recognized in the global cigar industry. “We’re making a lot of noise, and definitely our new consumer friends understand that we have a good product, that we work seriously, and that we respect quality. That’s why we are an ultra-premium vintage cigar brand,” says Leo, who always offers a genuine smile and shares her good spirit with anyone who approaches.
