PCA 2021: Lampert Cigars

One of the more awkward parts of the PCA Convention & Trade Show can occur when we give a less than favorable rating to a cigar company a couple of weeks before the trade show. We don’t try to publish only favorable reviews or only unfavorable reviews in the weeks leading up to the trade show—the schedule is what it is and cigars are going to score what they are. But it admittedly can make for some less fun conversations.

It’s particularly awkward when you haven’t previously met the person whose cigars you reviewed. Lampert Cigars—a five-year-old company from Europe that recently its U.S. debut—is one that meets that bill. And yet, my 15-minute conversation with Dr. Stefan Lampert was anything but awkward.

We didn’t talk too much about his cigars or the review, instead, we talked about the broader business. There also wasn’t anything new to talk about as there weren’t any new items on display in the cramped booth the company is splitting with Casdagli and J. London. It makes sense as the Lampert 1675 Edición Azul just launched in the U.S. a few months ago. It’s made at Omar Ortez’s factory in Condega, blended by Indiana Ortez using an Ecuadorian wrapper over a mixture of Nicaraguan and Peruvian fillers. Lampert confirmed there are plans for more lines in the future, but none of them are on sale yet.