Sitting Down with Rafael Nodal: Owner, Boutique Blends Cigars

 

(Cigar Aficionado) One might expect Cuban-born Rafael Nodal, owner of Boutique Blends Cigars and the Aging Room brand, to have familial ties to tobacco and cigars, but he doesn’t. When he fled Cuba as a teenager on the infamous Mariel boatlift, cigars were the last things on his mind. Once he reached the United Sates, musical ambitions and an unshakable work ethic brought Nodal to the cigar world, but his early efforts found little success and it was a struggle for him to stay in the business. After re-evaluating his entire philosophy, Nodal has landed a series of favorable ratings, and his Aging Room Quattro F55 Concerto has been named the No. 2 cigar of 2013. Continued