Box Press

When you share a cigar, you open up to each other. It’s no different for Raquel Quesada who  grew up in a cigar dynasty. She revealed some never-told stories to Boveda’s Rob Gagner over Quesada 1974 cigars at 2021 PCA in Las Vegas.  Raquel talked openly about childhood hijinks; the least favorite training rotation of cigar operations; secret grows on the Quesada tobacco farm; and blending swaps she pulled on her dad, Manuel "Manolo" Quesada. As president and owner of the family-owned cigar factory, Manolo raised two strong daughters to succeed in the C-suite boy’s club of premium cigars.  Highlights of the cigar conversation with Quesada include:  Shaking her booty to Dance VXN (1:07) Tweaking tobacco blends in dad’s cigar recipe (13:52) Coloring a box of cigars for consistency (16:07) Making your mark to get what you paid for (18:47) Studying and working at a tobacco shop in Boston—a tropical girl in the snow (21:20) Playing well with competitors strengthens the Dominican cigar industry (