0036 – Reinier Lorenzo of HVC Cigars on blending, his Cuban palate, and his laboratory past

If you’re a fan of Aganorsa Leaf tobacco, there’s a good chance you’ve come across the HVC brand name. We put the HVC San Isidro, which is made at the Aganorsa factory in Estelí, at number 15 on our list of the top 25 cigars of 2017.

HVC founder Reinier Lorenzo stopped by our office to watch some World Cup soccer. After the match between Portugal and Spain was over, we moved over to the mics so our publisher Erik Calviño could get an interview in. If you don’t already know his story, you might be surprised to learn what Reinier was doing for a living before he got into the cigar business.