What do you do after you reach your dream? Dream another dream!
Welcome to the Jake Wyatt cigars collection, a venture launched in 2020 by Neil Garcia, a former baseball player, and Gerard Abajian, a career firefighter. Both reached their dreams but this second act in their lives is going to be a doozy, we can tell!
The company is actually named after the founders’ sons, Jake and Wyatt, who may have seen their dads out in the backyard puffing up enough smoke to bring Gerard’s firehouse buddies around with the horns blazing.
Cigars brought the two friends together years prior to the company launch, but it wasn’t just a hobby. Gerard’s father owned Mardo Cigars in Laguna Niguel, California – a fine cigar shop where friends could pick up luxury smokes at decent prices, but also kick back, watch sports, and relax. Thanks to the shop, Neil and Gerard enjoyed quite a few smokes over the years, even the occasional Cubano. These were toasted up over games of poker and cribbage and drawn to a soundtrack of one good tune after the other.
We wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear that a few drinks were enjoyed as well.
After the passing of Gerard’s father in 2015, the friends realized that being in business would be better with two heads instead of one. And during a trip to the Dominican Republic, their destiny was sealed. The love of tobacco just grabs people on those trips out to the fields, it seems. Being around the heart of the cigar industry for long enough makes it all but inevitable – you’re going to want to blend up your own smokes.
And so they did.
They learned the art of the leaf from seed to humidor and worked with skilled blenders and rollers to create new cigars that would suit their palates. Thus, Jake Wyatt cigars were born. The two owners come at cigars from different angles, however.
Neil is your stable Connecticut guy. He likes a super smooth, reliable smoke. In contrast, Gerard is all over the map. Some days he wants full body and bold in the morning, while other days he’s not looking to smoke at all. It’s pretty refreshing to hear this kind of honesty from cigar men like this. It’s nice to hear folks admit that no, they don’t smoke cigars from dawn to dusk. Instead, they take breaks like any one of us might. We think that this amount of relatability can only translate into blends that the real smokers are going to love.
Gerard says that Jake Wyatt cigars are not primarily about making money, but displaying artisanal abilities. Obviously, given that they’ve got a cigar company going, they’re pursuing both goals. However, we’re always glad to hear when cigar men are focused on the blends as much as possible to create the best smoking experience.
Jake Wyatt cigars launched with the “Gourmet Collection” which includes five core blends all built around rich and flavorful Dominican filler. The blenders are extremely particular. They don’t skimp on anything until they feel that the right flavors are all there in the smoke. Then, they test them back home and make sure it all comes together in the stateside environment where we’ll all be smoking them.
There are buttery Connecticut's, flavorful Habanos, and even a nice spicy Mexican Maduro blend to round out the set. Jake Wyatt cigars are also noticed right away given the artistry that goes into making them – wrapper accents, fancy caps, special feet… you’ll know one when you see one. It might even be how the company differentiates itself right off the bat. The thing is, once you smoke them, you’ll probably notice that these stogies need no gimmicks. They’re great smokes, and that’s what it really all boils down to.
That and the teams behind them, of course.
As Neil reminds us, “Without the people, none of this exists.” Needing others is core to what the company is all about. It’s built on the rock-solid foundation of an outstanding friendship, partnership, and mentorship between the founders. These cigars are certainly best enjoyed in the company of your best buddies and family.
When Neil was a pro baseball player, he wore #22, as did his father and brother. That’s also how many cigars are in the boxes. Will there be a special edition cigar for 2022, or will it wait until the company’s 22nd anniversary in 2042? If they’re still here, we’ll be first in line to smoke it.
Please browse our selection of Jake Wyatt cigars at your leisure.
