Charatan joined Sip n’ Smoke: a Podcast on cigars by C.Gars

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In a recent episode of the Sip n’ Smoke podcast, hosts Billy Elton-Petts and Lewis Hearn sat down with Carlos Zúñiga from Charatan to talk about the brand’s new range of cigars, a collection that’s been making waves in the UK market since its launch earlier this year.

Carlos, who had travelled down from London for the recording, described the trip as “all worth it” and was clearly excited to showcase the latest blends. The conversation quickly turned to what the trio were smoking: three distinctive cigars that highlight Charatan’s modern direction whilst honouring its British heritage.

For the first time, Sip n’ Smoke subscribers received three cigars in their monthly pack, giving them the opportunity to sample each blend side by side.

• Charatan Claro: Nicaraguan filler and binder, finished with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.

• Charatan Colorado: Also built on Nicaraguan filler and binder but wrapped in a Havana seed leaf grown in Ecuador.

• Charatan Maduro: Featuring a Nicaraguan core, finished with a rich Mexican San Andrés wrapper.

As Carlos explained,

“The wrapper is the defining leaf. It shapes both the flavour profile and the appearance of the cigar.”

From the pale elegance of the Connecticut to the dark richness of the Maduro, each cigar tells its own story through colour, construction and taste.

The hosts also praised the branding of the new line, noting the simple yet striking presentation, bold colours and secondary bands that distinguish each blend. “It screams premium,” was one of the very kind remarks, highlighting how the sleek, London-inspired design communicates both tradition and modern British elegance.

For Carlos, this was exactly the aim:

“The inspiration has always been there: British elegance. That’s what we wanted to bring out.”

A heritage reborn

For Carlos, the new Charatan range is about more than just cigars, as it’s just as much about reviving a piece of London’s cultural heritage. Founded over 160 years ago, Charatan has always been tied to the city’s identity, and the modern collection aims to bring that legacy to life for a new generation of smokers.

“We wanted to rescue those values and give them some well-deserved love,” Carlos explained.

Pairing tradition with taste

Of course, no Sip n’ Smoke episode is complete without the “sip” element. To complement the cigars, the hosts chose a Glasgow 1770 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, a triple-distilled release matured in virgin oak casks. Light, sweet and approachable, it was selected deliberately to match the Charatan range.

The thinking was clear: these cigars aren’t overpowering, so a smoky, heavily peated whisky would risk drowning them out. Instead, the 1770’s sweeter notes offered balance, pairing especially well with the Maduro’s richness and the Colorado’s bold character, all while highlighting the more subtle Connecticut-wrapped Claro.

As the tasting began, there was a sense of discovery. One host admitted he usually steered away from Connecticut shade cigars but was intrigued to see how the claro would change his mind. And that, Carlos pointed out, is exactly why the range was designed with three distinct blends: to suit different moods, occasions and palates.

“You can try all three, pick a favourite, or enjoy them at different times of day depending on your mood or what you’re pairing with.”

A cigar for every moment

Charatan has also thought carefully about format. Each blend is available in multiple vitolas, from the short Churchill (perfect for a half-hour break or quick walk) to the Robusto (an all-rounder), up to the Toro (an indulgence for when time is on your side).

As Carlos put it, cigar smoking is very much about flavour, but it’s also about lifestyle and context. Sometimes you want a long, leisurely smoke, and other times you simply want a brief escape without over-committing. By offering different sizes across the range, Charatan ensures there’s a cigar for every occasion.

Innovation with heritage

One of the most intriguing innovations in the new Charatan line is the Half Churchill. The concept is simple: the premium quality and complexity of a full Churchill cigar, but in a shorter format for when time is limited.

As Carlos explained, the idea came from observing smoker habits. Some enthusiasts would buy a larger vitola, cut it in half, and smoke it across two occasions. But cigars aren’t designed that way, and doing so disrupts the intended flavour journey.

The solution? Create a perfectly balanced half-size version that delivers the full experience in a more approachable length.

The Half Churchill also connects seamlessly to our brand’s British roots. Winston Churchill remains an icon of cigar culture, recognised around the world, and offering a unique “half” version is both a tribute and a nod to practicality.

A legacy stretching back to 1863

That sense of blending tradition with modernity runs throughout Charatan’s story. Founded in London in 1863 by Frederick Charatan, our company began as a workshop producing handcrafted pipes on Mansell Street, decades before Tower Bridge was even built. Charatan’s reputation grew quickly, with some of its pipes even sold under the Dunhill brand.

The business stayed in family hands until the 1970s, when it was acquired by Dunhill outright. For much of the following decades, Charatan lived quietly under Dunhill’s ownership, known mostly among pipe enthusiasts. Then, in the 1990s, a Dunhill executive decided to revive Charatan as a cigar brand, introducing it to the UK market where it performed steadily as an accessible option.

Fast forward to today, and Charatan is once again standing on its own. The brand was acquired by its distributor, TOR Imports, who saw the opportunity to relaunch Charatan with refined blends, updated branding and a renewed focus on heritage.

“We wanted to bring back the history, refine the product, and relaunch the brand,” said Carlos.

The result is a portfolio that honours Charatan’s deep London roots whilst reasserting its place in modern cigar culture. And, as Carlos noted, there’s something remarkable about that heritage: Charatan predates many of today’s most famous Cuban benchmarks, a reminder of just how significant the brand has been to global tobacco culture.

From relaunch to international ambition

Though Charatan’s roots run deep, the brand isn’t just looking backwards; it’s pushing forward with fresh ambition. After more than 25 years in the UK cigar market under Dunhill’s stewardship, the relaunch marks the beginning of a new chapter.

Carlos explained that the immediate goal was to elevate quality for UK smokers:

“We wanted to provide better cigars, better products in general, and show what Charatan could really be.”

But the vision doesn’t stop there. With strong foundations in Britain, Charatan is now looking outward: “We saw the potential to take the brand international. Why not?”

The reception so far has been, in Carlos’s words, “overwhelmingly positive.” Retailers have embraced the new blends, consumers are responding enthusiastically, and the Half Churchill format in particular has become a talking point. The brand feels both familiar and refreshed, tying its historic name to contemporary tastes.

The driving force

Although Carlos is quick to credit the wider team, from commercial lead Huw Williams to its Devon team and international sales staff, there’s no doubt he has been the driving force behind the project. “I’ve been given the keys to the car… or to the unicorn, in this case,” he joked, reflecting on the privilege of steering such a historic brand into a new era.

He recalled the quiet satisfaction of smoking a banded sample at Lord’s last year, long before the official launch, and comparing that to the pride of unveiling the finished range to the market this spring. “It’s a great feeling to see how far we’ve come, but of course there’s much more we want to achieve.”

Building connections through events

Looking ahead, Charatan plans to deepen its presence through events and activations across the UK. The aim is not only to work closely with retailers but to meet cigar enthusiasts face-to-face, gaining feedback and building a stronger community around the brand.

International expansion is firmly on the horizon, but Carlos emphasised that the heart of the project remains close to home:

“This brand is meant to cater to the British palate. That’s the concept, the taste of British taste. We’re focused on getting it right here first, and from there it can transcend internationally.”

A global journey with local pride

Charatan may be firmly rooted in London, but its reach is steadily expanding. Distribution has already been secured in Hong Kong, with more international markets on the horizon. For Carlos, every new country feels like a milestone:

“The further away from home it goes, the more surreal it feels. It’s like proof that we’ve achieved something.”

That sense of achievement is particularly meaningful for him because of his own background. Carlos is Nicaraguan, a fitting connection, given that Nicaragua is now one of the world’s leading cigar-producing nations.

“It gives me pride,” he explained, recalling how he used to walk into cigar shops when travelling abroad, spotting blends he had helped create. “To find them in random places fills me with pride, to know something I had a hand in is out there in the world.”

With Charatan, that feeling has an added dimension: the merging of British heritage and Nicaraguan craft. London is now his home, but bringing together two cultures within one cigar line feels both personal and powerful.

“I’m not trying to appropriate British culture; I respect it very much. But having an outside perspective lets me notice things that locals might take for granted. And it makes me want to share those things with a wider audience.”

Carlos offered a playful example: Pimm’s, the quintessential British summer drink. It’s hugely popular in the UK but relatively unknown elsewhere. Sharing those uniquely British traditions, alongside Nicaraguan craftsmanship, is part of what makes Charatan’s story resonate.

Pride from home

That pride is shared back in Nicaragua too. Cigars are a premium, handcrafted product that symbolise artistry and dedication. Knowing that Charatan is being enjoyed globally brings joy not only to brand leaders but also to the rollers, factory workers and families who make the industry possible.

“When they see the cigars featured in magazines or winning awards, it brightens their day,” Carlos said. “It’s something that belongs to them as much as anyone else.”

The spark behind the rebrand

The turning point wasn’t a mood board; it was a cigar. When Charatan’s 160^th Anniversary won UK Cigar of the Year, it proved the product could lead the brand.

“The first thing is always the experience,” Carlos said. “Then comes how you communicate and position it.”

From there, two tracks ran in parallel: refine the blends and rebuild the brand.

On the product side, the team worked with a long-trusted factory to develop focused new blends, rather than a hundred trial-and-error iterations). On the brand side, they revisited positioning, messaging and visual identity with one question in mind: what would the British palate crave, and how can we deliver it better?

Design choices with purpose

Charatan’s new look isn’t just handsome; it’s intentional. UK humidors are smaller than those in the US, so box formats are narrower to fit real retail space. The colour palette leans into “London blue” to anchor the brand’s heritage, whereas the blends are communicated plainly (Claro for the Connecticut-wrapped option, Colorado and Maduro for the darker expressions), making the range easy to navigate at a glance.

The unicorn, explained

If you’ve noticed the prancing unicorn, it isn’t new; it’s history. The earliest Charatan mark (from the pipe-making days in the 19th century) featured two unicorns around a “CP” cartouche (Charatan Pipes). Dunhill retained a single unicorn when it developed Charatan cigars in the 1990s. The current team polished and elevated that emblem. The choice is more than aesthetic: the unicorn is part of the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom and Scotland’s national animal, a neat shorthand for British lineage.

Charatan even took the symbol on the road: an 8.5-foot unicorn sculpture, affectionately nicknamed “Sparkles” by the Devon warehouse team, dominated our InterTabac presence in Dortmund. It’s heavy, memorable and a bit of a nightmare to transport… and it’s coming back.

From idea to shelf

Though the project had been on Carlos’s wish list for years, the award for the 160^th Anniversary Special Edition cigar aligned the stars. Internal support accelerated, groundwork was already in place, and close factory relationships meant our team could move fast but focused. “Once you have the big idea, the umbrella concept, everything else becomes easier,” he said. Colours, box sizes, quantities and naming conventions flowed from that centre, marrying striking shelf impact with everyday usability.

Strength, subtlety and breaking cigar myths

At one point, the podcast hosts threw Carlos a playful question: “If you could create your own cigar brand, what animal would you choose to represent it?” His answer? A bull. Not only because he’s a Taurus, but because the bull represents strength and presence. Ironically though, his imagined blend wouldn’t be powerful or aggressive, it would be mild, approachable and enjoyable.

“Something that looks strong but smokes mild,” he said, noting how appearances in cigars can often be deceiving.

That led neatly into a discussion of one of the biggest misconceptions in the cigar world: that darker wrappers automatically mean stronger cigars. The Charatan Maduro is a case in point. With its deep, chocolate-brown San Andrés wrapper, many assume it’s going to be heavy and spicy. In reality, it’s balanced, easy-going and even slightly sweet.

“We didn’t want any of our blends to be overwhelmingly strong,” Carlos explained. “They’re designed to be enjoyed.”

The Maduro may be the most eye-catching, but the Colorado has also been winning converts with its balance of flavour and smoothness. Even seasoned Maduro fans admitted surprise at how satisfying it was, which is proof that the Charatan London line is designed around exploration as much as tradition.

A portfolio built for variety

When it came to developing the blends, the goal was always to offer three distinctive options that catered to different tastes and occasions. The Robusto was a natural choice, a classic, industry-standard size. The Toro, whilst not as common in the UK, is the most popular format globally, making it essential for international ambitions. And the Half Churchill gave the portfolio its unique edge, bridging heritage with modern practicality.

Carlos described it as a “bulletproof” line-up: three blends, three formats, each with a clear role to play. But he also admitted that cigar makers are, by nature, curious:

“We want to keep playing with things and provide cigar enjoyers with new experiences. So yes, there will be more to come.”

Billy and Lewis tried to press him for details, but Carlos kept the mystery alive. As they joked, “If you can’t say anything, that usually means there’s something in the works.”

A career built on passion projects

Carlos’s journey into the cigar industry wasn’t a straight line; it was fuelled by creativity, curiosity, and a knack for turning passion projects into opportunities.

Before cigars, he explored design and culture through an Instagram project called Nica Signs, documenting the “vernacular design” of Nicaraguan street signage. Often quirky, imperfect or unintentionally artistic, these signs reflected a raw, unpolished form of creativity. The project struck a chord, even gaining media attention in Nicaragua, and reinforced his love of visual communication.

That interest in design merged naturally with his professional background in journalism, advertising and brand strategy. But the real turning point came when he combined those skills with his love of cigars.

From blogger to brand builder

Over 13 years ago, Carlos began blogging about cigars in Nicaragua. At the time, he and a friend simply wanted to share their experiences as local smokers, noticing that most online content came from American or European voices. Their approachable, well-crafted writing quickly stood out.

Before long, a cigar manufacturer got in touch, intrigued by Carlos’s rare combination of skills. Here was someone who understood branding and communication and the culture of cigars. That blend of expertise opened the door to his first professional role in the industry, and he hasn’t looked back since.

“I didn’t start blogging with the goal of working in cigars, it was just a passion project,” Carlos explained. “But sometimes passion projects create opportunities you don’t expect.”

Community and authenticity

That sense of passion-driven authenticity resonates across the cigar world. The hosts drew parallels with Steve the London Cigar Smoker, a well-known blogger who documents lounges, events and cigar culture across the UK. Like Carlos, Steve didn’t begin with a commercial goal, as his platform grew simply because he loved sharing his experiences.

Carlos praised that independence: “He takes the time to research, document and prepare content properly. It’s honest, unbiased, and it fills a gap in the UK market.”

It’s a reminder that the cigar community is as much about storytelling as smoking. From Nicaragua to London, from passion projects to premium brands, the love of cigars often starts with a personal spark and grows into something much bigger.

Clearing up cigar misconceptions

No cigar conversation is complete without tackling a few myths. One of the most common is that the wrapper determines strength. As Carlos explained, that’s not the case:

“Strength comes from the entire blend, where the leaves are grown on the plant, the soil, the climate, and how they come together. The wrapper is important, but it isn’t the whole story.”

He pointed out how factors as subtle as Ecuador’s naturally cloudy skies can influence flavour and balance. For smokers, the takeaway is simple: try it yourself. Labels and appearances only tell part of the story.

The hosts agreed, adding that it’s better to “buy wide than buy deep”, to experiment with different origins and blends rather than sticking rigidly to one brand. Sampling broadly helps you to discover what you truly like.

Tradition meets innovation

Despite Cuban cigars dominating tradition in the UK, Carlos emphasised the quality, consistency and innovation of New World cigars, particularly from Nicaragua. These brands respect traditional craft whilst pushing standards higher, benefitting consumers across the board.

And despite competition, Carlos sees the cigar industry as more family than battlefield:

“It’s interconnected. Brands use each other’s resources, support each other. It’s traditional and old school, but also refreshing to see new generations entering with new ideas.”

The role of social media

The cigar world may be rooted in heritage, but its future is being shaped online. Social media has become a powerful tool for education, community and visibility.

“It helps break down misconceptions and connects people who share this passion,” Carlos said.

Younger smokers, in particular, value products with authenticity, heritage and craftsmanship – values that social platforms can highlight effectively. That said, the industry also faces challenges: regulation, taxation and restrictions that could change the landscape. Carlos is realistic but optimistic:

“Cigars are here to stay. Our role is to adapt, to educate, and to keep the culture alive.”

Meet the Makers: A milestone for the cigar industry

Education and connection come together at events, and none more so than Meet the Makers, a landmark gathering in Scotland. Following years of planning, it brought some of the world’s most respected cigar makers face-to-face with fans and aficionados in an extraordinary setting: a historic castle on the outskirts of Edinburgh, paired with whisky makers for a truly immersive experience.

For Carlos, it’s more than a showcase:

“It’s once in a lifetime. These are the people who put their names on the labels, sharing their stories directly with consumers. Outside of InterTabac in Germany, it’s the biggest gathering of cigar makers in Europe, and certainly the biggest in the UK.”

The event reflects everything the conversation had highlighted: heritage, innovation, education and community, the pillars that will carry Charatan, and the cigar industry more broadly, into the future.

Giving back and looking forward

Carlos also spoke passionately about the charitable side of the industry. As part of Meet the Makers, all profits, including funds raised through an auction, were pledged to three charities: two in Scotland and one in Nicaragua, where Charatan helps support a local school.

“It’s heartwarming to see the facilities, meet the kids, and show our UK partners the difference their support makes,” he explained.

It’s a reminder that whilst cigars are about enjoyment, the industry also carries a strong sense of responsibility to its people and communities. From factory workers treated with respect, to families passing down their craft across generations, to schools funded through cigar-led initiatives, giving back is built into the culture.

Wrapping up a dream herf

To finish off, Carlos was asked the podcast’s trademark fun question: If you could share a cigar with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be?

His answers combined heritage, influence and legacy.

• Winston Churchill, the quintessential British statesman and cigar icon.

• Michael Jordan, legendary athlete and well-known cigar enthusiast.

• Frederick Charatan, the founder whose name still defines our brand.

It’s a line-up that reflects both admiration and connection: politics, sport, and the roots of Charatan itself.

The final sip

As the glasses of whisky were drained, the conversation circled back to where it began: true passion. From challenging misconceptions to celebrating innovation, from charity to community, Carlos’s insights showed why the cigar industry continues to evolve whilst holding onto its traditions.

His advice was clear: explore, sample, and discover. “If you’re biased about Maduro wrappers, give ours a try. You might be surprised.”