Premium tobacco has a new leader in Puerto Rico. Entre Humos, which is more than just a cigar lounge or a store, represents a growing community that combines tradition, knowledge, and hospitality. With a standard of excellence that redefines the experience of enjoying a cigar and its various pairings, Entre Humos honors the industry by building on strong relationships.
From the extensive experience of partners Cándido Alfonso and Amadís Rosa, who were later joined by Isabella Alfonso, a passion for service is the core strategy. Above all, they prioritize the client and their needs. At Entre Humos, business is not done for money, as they believe the tobacco industry is not something you simply enter –it’s something you honor.
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The Foundation of Success
Cándido Alfonso, a Puerto Rican entrepreneur with Cuban roots, grew up in San Juan with a fundamental lesson from his father: “Your word and your good name are the most important things you have in life.” That lesson, an example of what a gentleman and a businessman should be, has guided his every step.
From a young age, sports taught him that consistency and daily effort are the keys to achieving great goals. As a member of Puerto Rico’s national swimming team, he represented the island in two Central American and Caribbean Games, developing a discipline that he later carried into the business world.
He soon realized that his life wasn’t in academia, but in work. The long hours at the family factory and frequent breakfasts with his father’s entrepreneur friends became his university. These were people who had arrived from Cuba with nothing and built prosperous businesses in Puerto Rico, and with them, he also learned to smoke.
This mindset led him to build one of the country’s leading payment technology companies. Later, in the hospitality industry, he applied his strategic vision to help a local speakeasy rank among the top 500 bars in the world.
He first became involved with premium tobacco in the 1990s during the so-called boom, when he partnered with advertising professionals to license iconic cigar brands like Cohiba, Montecristo, Partagás, Montesino, and Arturo Fuente, producing official merchandise for non-tobacco categories.
His first client was The Cigar House of Puerto Rico, which was then a souvenir shop and later evolved into a premium cigar benchmark. At that and other similar establishments, he introduced the first Puerto Rican coffees under the Cohiba and Arturo Fuente brands, which merged local tradition with the prestige of the world’s most important tobacco houses. This initial success allowed him to expand distribution to the Duty Free channel for cruise ships and airports, a privileged showcase to an international audience. These licenses and branding were his first deep contact with the industry, planting the seed of what would later become Entre Humos.
Present and Future
On this journey, Cándido met Amadís Rosa, a native of Salinas, Puerto Rico. From a young age, Amadís developed his skills as a bartender, building a career in mixology and international hospitality. For eight years, he served as an educator and public relations expert for the largest official wine and spirits distributor on the island and was an ambassador for Rémy Cointreau and Jim Beam in the Caribbean.
He holds a WSET 3 certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, which endorses his deep knowledge of premium beverages and his ability to create world-class pairings. His skill in connecting with people and his technical mastery allow him to design experiences that enhance the enjoyment of every cigar. His signature cocktails offered at the company’s second cigar lounge, Entre Humos Palmas del Mar, are a testament to this.
Amadís recalls that his first experience with a cigar was not pleasant because he “jumped in” without any knowledge and it was too strong for a novice. Fortunately, he later reconnected with fine smokes, which he now shares with his father during intimate moments of conversation.
Today, the legacy and future of Entre Humos also bear the name of Isabella Alfonso, Cándido’s youngest daughter. She brings a fresh and academically solid vision to hospitality and pairing. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Food & Beverage Management and is WSET certified in wines and sparkling wines.
Together, Cándido, Amadís, and Isabella represent experience, mastery, and youth: the present and future of Entre Humos.
A Phenomenon on the Island
Entre Humos officially began in 2019 as an exclusive supplier of premium cigars for retail clients and for two of Cándido’s businesses: Bar La Unidad, the speakeasy that ranked among the world’s top 500 bars, and Aché Cuban Restaurant, which combined gastronomy and culture.
Over time, the operation expanded into the wholesale market to also serve restaurants and hotels, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to redefine the business to survive. The customer base and relationships were strengthened by creating a WhatsApp group that quickly became a direct sales model. From this, the “Five Pack of the Month” subscription was born, which still delights customers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. with a carefully curated selection of products.
Once the situation normalized, thanks to their sales success, Cándido rented a floor that would function as a warehouse, distribution center, and office for wholesale operations. However, the location began to be frequented by some close clients who preferred to pick up their orders in person and found it to be an ideal space to share a smoke.
Soon, there were four people sitting in the reception area smoking and chatting. So, they brought in more comfortable chairs, and, based on the requests of their patrons, they progressively processed a liquor license and opened a bar. They installed lockers and added a room for events. The space was officially converted into a 3,000-square-foot cigar lounge.
This integrated model made Entre Humos the largest importer and distributor of cigars in Puerto Rico. They are now writing a new chapter by opening a 1,000-square-foot lounge at the Palmas del Mar Yacht Club, within the renowned coastal resort. In addition to maintaining the standard of service, curation, and hospitality that characterizes the brand, it offers a cocktail program specifically designed for pairings.
A Connected Ecosystem
Beyond its lounges, Entre Humos has woven a network of more than 80 associated points of sale in local restaurants, bars, and businesses. This ecosystem expands the reach of premium tobacco on the island, strengthens small merchants, fosters alliances with manufacturers, and celebrates tobacco tradition.
An example is the cigarsisland.com platform, which offers cigar lounges and retailers the ability to buy a wide variety of brands and vitolas wholesale without taking on excessive financial risks, as many manufacturers require high minimum volumes to open an account.
In fact, it acts as a strategic partner for both manufacturers and retailers by providing inventory, promotional materials, and support to enrich the final customer’s experience. The company has an inventory of over 700 distinct products, offering one of the most extensive and diverse selections of premium tobacco in the Caribbean.
The selection includes some of the most respected and desired brands: Cavalier Genève, El Séptimo, General Cigar, STG, La Flor Dominicana, Espinosa Cigars, and Les Fines Lames, among many others, all part of a growing portfolio.
For its part, the website entrehumos.com offers local deliveries in two hours or less, integrating the convenience of technology with the artisanal spirit of tobacco. Tastings, talks, and educational content in Spanish are an essential part of their proposal. In Cándido’s words: “Tobacco isn’t just a product; it is a witness to history.”
A Lifestyle
Another need of the aficionado community, a thirst for information in Spanish, led to the creation of Entre Humos LIVE!, a podcast broadcast every Monday at 6 p.m. via YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram Live. A casual chat about cigars and spirits among friends, it has become the number one show of its kind in just a few months, with followers in Puerto Rico, Argentina, Panama, the U.S., and Europe.
For the partners, knowledge is the foundation for better enjoying and selling a premium cigar, which is why education is a commitment to their retail clients and the aficionados who visit their lounges or participate in their tastings. This work is strengthened by an exclusive agreement as representatives for The Cigar Academy in Puerto Rico, allowing them to offer certified and internationally recognized training programs.
But beyond the lounges, alliances, and inventory, Entre Humos is dedicated to its community. “To the individuals who join us for every tasting and every shared smoke, and to the business owners, restaurateurs, and hoteliers who have trusted us to bring premium cigars to new spaces. They are the engine that drives our growth and the reason we work every day to elevate the tobacco experience on the island,” Cándido affirms.
Because here, “a cigar does not end when it is extinguished in the ashtray; it continues in the conversations, friendships, and opportunities it inspires.”
