Behind one of three bookcases in a Dallas, Texas barbershop lies one of the most special spaces for premium tobacco lovers: the Astute Gentleman Cigar and Barber Lounge. This unique concept is owned by Jeffrey Worldclass Barber Davis, the innovative mind behind a business unlike any other in the Lone Star State.
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As a barber, Jeff has over 40 years of barbering experience. A Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, he spent time in Sarasota, Florida before settling in Dallas 16 years ago. For the last 12 years, he has transformed the barbershop business into a truly different experience.
His story in the tobacco industry goes back to 2005, when, after his semi professional football career came to an end, he felt the need to find another hobby. He found it the moment he lit a cigar. “Cutting hair and playing football are the only two things I’ve ever really taken seriously in my life… and then came tobacco.”
His first cigar was a La Flor Dominicana 1992, a stick he selected because he was attracted to its distinctive silver band. “It wasn’t the best experience, but it didn’t stop me.”
From that time in Milwaukee, in a makeshift cigar lounge run by someone he knew, Jeff recalls training his palate after having a cigar with a high strength level for a beginner.
“Now I can smoke anything and even distinguish the different origins of the leaves in each cigar I try. Smoking is something I’ll continue to enjoy for the rest of my life.”
Cigar and Barber Lounge
In 2008, when he moved to Dallas, he wanted to do something different from what the barber industry was doing at the time, and cigars had to be part of it. First, he noticed that many nail salons included alcoholic beverages in their services by simply bundling the cost into the final price and offering the drinks as a “complimentary” perk.
Following that model, Sundays at the barbershop where he worked became an opportunity to enjoy a beer while getting a haircut and watching football on TV.
“In 2012, he graduated from cosmetology school, and the idea of staying an employee wasn’t an option. Given his training and experience, few were willing to pay him what he was truly worth—so he decided to start his own business.”
This is where Astute Gentlemen was born. The complimentary service continued, but this time with cigars he got from retailers like Thompson Cigars. “It continued to be a way to socialize on the weekends while getting your hair cut.”
Some time later, he met a cigar roller who promised to be a partner in the business he had in mind. But three months later, with the license and all the permits in his name, the person disappeared, leaving him with everything halfway completed. “That was 10 years ago, and here I am… God knows why he does things.”
Behind a bookcase in the barbershop, a speakeasy-style space is hidden, equipped with a full bar, six televisions, and a walk-in humidor. But what makes this place truly special is that you can smoke in both the lounge and the barbershop, and Jeff is the only person in the state of Texas who can do that.
“About four years ago, a state law was created that prohibits a barbers from operating within a cigar lounge. But since I was established before the law, I can continue to do it.”
The Cigars
Today, Jeff owns his own cigar brand under the same name as his barbershop, with lines crafted in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. He created the first line in 2018, but it wasn’t until 2021 that he was able to bring his cigars to the United States due to the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dominican line was launched last year and has become one of the best-sellers in the lounge. It’s a cigar known as The Echelon, created by Joel Javier Paniagua in Santiago de los Caballeros, and also a tobacco infuse bourbon of the same name that is served exclusively within the lounge. “To get the full pairing experience, you have to come here.”
The Astute Gentlemen Cigars line is crafted in Robusto, Toro, Torpedo, Salomón, and Presidente sizes, in addition to a 6×60, with wrappers of Connecticut Ecuadorian Shade, Habano Ecuador, and Nicaraguan Maduro.
The Echelon Cigar, meanwhile, features a Habano 2000 wrapper, a Criollo binder, and a Cuban and Dominican filler. It will soon be joined by a 4×70 named The Gentleman Finger.
Together with Joel, Jeff are working on purchasing a factory in the Dominican Republic as the next step to further his journey in the premium tobacco industry.
This is amazing! The consistency of excellence is extraordinarily phenomenal! The Astute Gentlemen Cigar and Barber Lounge is a unique mix- there is no other.