The Fifth Generation

Guillermo León, president of La Aurora since 1986, is an integral part of not only the La Aurora family. Immersed in the legacy and commitment of his father, uncles, and grandfather, Guillermo had the unique opportunity to become the third generation producing cigars and the fifth in the tobacco business. Guillermo shares, “I feel honored to be where we are today because of my passion for tobacco and my family creed.”

Guillermo’s greatest influences in his career are his father and uncles, who acted as his mentors as he got to know the tobacco industry. He shares, “My father, Fernando León, was my greatest inspiration. He taught me the value of work and family, to put passion into everything I do. He was the best teacher and guide. He taught me with patience and kindness to face the day-to-day, appreciate tobacco carefully and respectfully, to understand the art behind creating a blend.”

A Labor Of Love

Guillermo sees his job as a labor of love and views going to work as a personal hobby rather than a burden. With the help of his hard-working team, who pushes to make La Aurora a better place using the best tobacco products in the world, his job is made much easier.

His priority is upholding his family legacy and its reputation as artisanal cigar-makers. He adds, “It is a great challenge that I proudly accept as part of my life's mission: to hand down my family's values from generation to generation; the same ones have been present in every step and decision taken by my father, uncles, and grandfather. Without them, we would not be what we are today.”

Guillermo's Favorite La Aurora Cigar

Choosing the right tobacco blend can be overwhelming unless you’ve been in the cigar industry for years like Guillermo has. His favorite blend is the La Aurora Family Reserve Guillermo León in Corona Gorda. As you can tell from the name, this blend was actually created with Guillermo’s specific tastes in mind. “We designed it very intentionally to suit my tastes; I like a cigar to have a lot of flavor. This is the only La Aurora cigar with two wrappers to add an extra dimension of complexity.”

The Next Generation Of Premium Cigars

We picked Guillermo’s brain on the most important factors that impact the flavor of a cigar and what details to pay attention to. León says, “Many details influence the taste of a cigar, from the different types of tobacco seeds selected, then the position of the leaves on the plant and how we use them to make a blend. Also, the environmental details influence the plant's harvesting process, manufacturing, and aging.”

Of course, other characteristics contribute to the anatomy of an exceptional cigar. But what sets apart a premium cigar from an average one? Guillermo shares, “The trick to making a good cigar is in the raw material, in this case, the quality of the tobacco used. At La Aurora, we make sure to use the best tobacco. Something important is that we are very respectful of time and tobacco processes.” All these details help make La Aurora a world-quality authority within the cigar industry.

That being said, the cigar blending industry has tons of emerging innovations and changing trends. According to León, this constantly changing landscape can be a challenge when it comes to satisfying consumers in an industry that allows for so much variety and plays to different preferences. He comments, “We try to make sure that both the expert smoker and the new smoker can live experiences according to their level of knowledge, whether they’re looking for cigars ranging from mild and full-flavored to more complex and highly complex varieties.”

Like many in the La Aurora family and his colleague (and daughter) Michelle, Guillermo doesn’t believe there’s a specific place or time to enjoy a cigar. The art of the cigar is centuries old, and the smoker’s pleasure is the most important aspect. Rather, he believes that smoking a stogie at any time marks a celebration, sharing, “Lighting a cigar is in itself a special occasion.”