Bucanero Cigars will be shuttering their windows and closing.
I made an order and flubbed it up, Robert Spoden called me and we worked it out, but he let me know that he suffered several strokes and needs to focus on Life.
I always found Robert and Johnny Spoden to be the greatest guys to ever manufacture, market and sell cigars. Real cigars, not those wishy washy ones. It was an honor to meet both of them and call them friends. When Johnny left Robert assumed the entire operation. It's a massive task to keep the plates spinning and to do it the manner in which he did.
I always joked with Robert and said that the Dos Equis ad with "The Most Interesting Man in the World" was based on him. They can say the stuff in the commercials and it looks like some wild tale, but he lives the stuff! How many guys do you know would go into the jungles and speak multiple languages to create a world class cigar? When he brought in Don Douglas to craft a line for him, that was a crowning moment that he and Bucanero had "arrived" in the Cigar World. The cigars already achieved high marks and would score in the upper 90's on each and every line they made. They made being a "Boutique" manufacturer to the Big Time, they created a class for others to follow.
It was my gracious outpouring of this great company with so many here on Cbid that got them to carry their lines at one time. Gifting them out and paying it forward in a day when you could smoke any cigar but these were special!Slimboli...while MIA was probably the biggest proponent for this. It was a coup for all of us that wanted to smoke a great cigar. For his efforts I salute him and the people at CBid for being open to carrying them. Gifting them to BOTL's in the service overseas ...Billy...another MIA heavy hitter...Thank you for the return fire wherever you are. The pinnacle of the RAOK was when we sent cigars to the fellas in Iraq. Little did we all know that the cigars we sent would end up in the hands of the Special Ops Team that pulled Saddam Hussein out of that spider hole and when they did there was the guys smoking cigars and the Bucanero label was on display with Saddam's gruffy filthy head.
So, if you are so inclined to order any cigars remember that this is it fellas. A last hurrah. A long goodbye. Yet, this could be the best thing for Robert. He can focus on his health, his lovely wife Catalina and things that matter the most to him. I told him that I loved him and that all this news was a complete shock. Even now, I'm still trying to grapple with the news. "If you don't have your health, you don't have anything" is what he told me. Well, Robert you gave me the fondest memories that being a gentleman is still an art to be crafted. That a man of his word still means something and that being a good friend is one of the best salves a soul could ever hope for. Robert, you earned your retirement! As Spock from Star Trek would say, "Live long and prosper".
