58 TOBACCO BUSINESS | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER | 22 behind you to really make your dreams be realized.... I would say that all the stuff you do post-crop is about 65 percent of it.” With Serino Cigars, the goal has always been to combine all of the blending and branding knowledge the family has acquired over the years to create what Carson refers to as a “world-class cigar brand.” As the company formed and prepared for its first real foray into the premium cigar world, the challenge was to build brand awareness and trust among retailers to the point of earning shelf space for its products. The Serinos knew time was limited and the cigar category was competitive, but they had the confidence that they could come in and compete as long as they had a truly premium product to offer retailers and their consumers. “We firmly believe quality and consistency always speaks for itself. We knew that if we put our best foot forward every day that cigar enthusiasts would take notice. After many accolades and happy customers, I believe we’ve earned the trust of the cigar community,” states Carson. We don’t take our customers’ trust for granted. Our main priority now is to embolden that trust with future projects for years to come.” The Serino Royale Connecticut is described by the company as being “your grandfather’s Connecticut reimagined.” With notes of vanilla, cashew, lemon zest and white pepper, the Serino Royale Connecticut was blended in the spirit of tradition. It has a lush, creamy body and elegant flavor notes that will appeal to both new and experienced cigar enthusiasts. The Serino Royale Medio is a medium-bodied cigar that’s rich in flavor. It has a flavor profile that includes toasted peanut, milk chocolate, cinnamon and raisin and was blended to create a vintage taste reminiscent of a Cuban cigar with the cocoa notes of Nicaraguan tobacco. The Serino Royale Maduro XX is a personal favorite of Anthony Serino. It’s a rich, full-bodied smoke blended for thosewho enjoymaduro and oscuro-based blends. “He really loves maduro and oscuro blends, like richer and fuller,” Carson says of his father. “And that’s [Serino Royale Maduro XX] definitely his wheelhouse and like his baby. Everyone knows that he really loves that cigar at the company and outside the company. It’s his go-to.” The Wayfarer is another Serino cigar that has special significance to Carson as it was the first cigar he helped create and blend. It was during a three-week backpacking trip to Iceland when he came up with the concept for this cigar. During this backpacking trip, Carson left behind his travel humidor and found himself without any cigars. He visited a duty-free shop as well as a local tobacconist in Reykjavik with the intent to purchase several Cuban cigars, which he did. After smoking these Cuban cigars for the duration of his trip, he returned inspired and brought back the idea to create a cigar blend that was similar to what he smoked during his trip. With the help of those at the La Corona Factory, Carson set out to create a cigar that would serve as the embodiment of his backpacking experience. When it came down to tobacco selection, Carson settled on an Ecuadorian Corojo ’99 wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from three different growing regions of Nicaragua, Condega, Ometepe and Jalapa. WhileWayfarer is Carson’s favorite blend, his favorite brand is Elenor Rose. Createdunder the umbrella of StudioSerino, adivisionof SerinoCigarswhere he, his fatherandothercollaboratorscanget creativeandput out products that do not necessarily fit with Serino’s main releases, Elenor Rose is described as being a multifaceted tribute to the Ecuadorian Rosado wrapper. The name for the cigar was inspired by the Beatles song “Eleanor Rigby” from the 1966 album Revolver, a favorite of Anthony Serino. Revolver is the name of one of Elenor Rose’s vitolas while another size, Eagle, was named after Carson’s favorite track from the same album, “And Your Bird Can Sing.” Another of Serino’s popular premium cigar offerings is the Taíno, a blend that pays homage to the indigenous people of the Caribbean. Taíno is a collaboration between Carson and his father and is named after the indigenous people of the Caribbean, known as the Taíno, who are credited with being the original creators for the modern-day cigar. The blend was inspired by classic cigars that came before it and was developed to be a cigar that would be enjoyed by cigar smokers of all backgrounds and levels. It’s a medium-bodied smoke with notes of cracked cedar, white chocolate and orange peel. The Taíno Heritage line is crafted at Tabacalera Palma and showcases tobaccos grown in the rich soil of the Dominican Republic, including a selection of Criollo ’98 and Piloto Cuban filler tobaccos wrapped in an Ecuadorian Habano 2000 leaf. The Expat is a cigar that was originally blended by the Serinos for a close family friend’s foreign destination wedding. After getting a considerable amount of praise and a positive response to the cigar, the Serinos decided to make it a regular production product. Expat is available in what the Serinos refer to as The Passport size, measuring 5 7/8 x 50, and has notes of cacao, cinnamon, raisin and coffee. Serino’s latest release, Bygone, is another collaboration cigar. Made with Dave Imber of CigarClub.com, Bygone’s blend incorporates Peruvian tobacco for the first time since the 2021 release of Elenor Rose. Bygone is described as a traditional Cuban-style blend that is manufactured at the La Corona Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. With each cigar release, the Serinos strive to create a well-rounded blend that’s complex and balanced. The cigars must have a strong set of flavors and also should have an overall clean finish. Beyond these elements, each cigar must be able to stand up to a very simple but important question: Will the cigar leave a lasting impression? Carson Serino (left) with his father, Anthony “Tony” Serino (right).
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