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1813 to Present. The History of Tobacco in Hawaii to Modern Day Production by the Kauai Cigar Company.

Les Drent of the Kauai Cigar Co. is making sure that Hawaii is known for more than just beaches, sunshine and leis.

This island business produces cigars that are comparable to the ones made by the top brands of Central America and the Caribbean, and it does so by using a blend of filler tobacco that includes leaves grown on its farm on Kauai, a mountainous island with nutrient-rich volcanic soil and ample rain.

That’s why the world now has premium cigars made from tobacco grown on Kaua‘i, where soon the stogies will be rolled as well. Visitors can see the entire process on the farm tours—also one-of-a-kind—that Drent plans to launch this April.

NFL Throws a Smokin’ Party
for Pro Bowl
After dinner, Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Joe Thomas, selected for his fourth Pro Bowl in his first four years in the NFL, enjoyed a corona made with Hawaiian tobacco. “It’s really good,” Thomas said, as he talked to Les Drent, founder of Kauai Cigars. “That was my favorite.”

Due to smoking bans and regulations, smoking anywhere in Hawaii, including Kauai, is difficult. Despite the challenges, there's a local cigar company: the Kauai Cigar Company, owned by Les Drent.

Endless Summer Cigar Festival – Hawaiian cigar retailers and island’s sole cigar maker host a festival combining bushiness and pleasure.

“This tobacco here is even more beautiful than the tobacco you see from Cuba,” he says. “Gorgeous!” He’s not just blowing smoke: The ligero—the leaves from the top of the plant used for a cigar’s filler, which are usually the smallest — are the size of turkey platters.

Japanese travel magazine,
Otonano Hawaii – Luxury Hawaii