FROM LIMO DRIVER TO CIGAR MAKER

Thomas Jaromirski started out by selling cigars in bars. He refuses to make more than one type of cigar and doesn’t want his company to grow. Welcome to Sublimes cigars.

A strong dislike for his recent job, a passion for cigars and a sign of the times – that was the starting ground for the cigar lover’s career in tobacco.

Thomas Jaromirski, who was to be the future owner of Sublimes cigars, just couldn’t take it anymore. I had worked at a car dealership, as a bartender and in construction, he says.

I was even a limo driver in New York, but I hated all of it. At one point I realised I had to do something else.

At that point he began buying boxes of cigars from distributors to sell in bars. I started in 1995, 1996 during the cigar boom, so there was a shortage of cigars. It was really easy. People would just call me to see what I had.

When the boom was over he still wanted to work with cigars and consequently he started his own brand. In the beginning of the 2000 it was hard to get quality cigars. Instead of selling bad cigars I decided to make my own.

After two or three years of trying out blends, he finally got it right. I don’t understand how companies can release a new cigar every month and call it great. I went through 500 blends before I found the one I wanted. That’s what it takes. You can make an average cigar every month, but not a great one.

For seven years, Sublimes were only available in south Florida, but in 2011, Thomas decided to expand nationally. Two years after that, he turned production over to AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua.

“It was always the same thing with the factories I used in Little Havana, he explains. After a while the quality got worse. AJ adjusted the blend according to what I wanted and made the best blend I’d ever had.

Since then, it has only gotten better. Sublimes cigars still only produce one kind of cigar. The annual production is just under 100,000 sticks, and that’s how big he wants to be.

I like running my own show. I have two temporary workers, otherwise I do everything myself.

I take orders, do the invoicing, check the cigars and pack them. I love my job. I don’t even consider work. It’s my hobby, so why would I want a bunch of other people running around here? I want to remain a boutique blend and focus on improving my Sublime cigars product.

If you enjoyed this blog and want to find out more, please be sure to contact us today at Taylors Tobacconists.