The Real Smoke Podcast with Charles and Mick latest episode!
The latest episode of The Real Smoke podcast featured Ish Olivan, owner of BAMF Cigars. It’s always fascinating to learn more about a cigar brand through an interview—especially one you might not be familiar with.
Olivan shared his journey, from growing up in Spain to his time in the military, which heavily influences his brand’s identity. BAMF Cigars has a distinct military theme, with unique releases like the Barbed Wire cigar, which visually mimics its namesake.
What sets Olivan apart is his creative approach to blending. Instead of crafting a cigar and then finding a name, he starts with an idea and builds the blend around it. As a master blender, he has created cigars for 108 different brands—including some you probably recognize.
BAMF cigars stand out not just for their striking presentation and names but also for their diverse tobacco origins. Olivan incorporates tobaccos from all over the world, resulting in blends with unique regional influences. For example, he has an Irish-themed cigar featuring Irish tobacco and Blood of Vlad, which includes Transylvanian tobacco.
Check out the podcast to hear more about his story and the bold innovations behind BAMF Cigars!
Take a listen to the episode and drop a comment with your thoughts. Let’s keep the conversation going.
I’m John Cardenas, also known as Johnny Havana in the cigar industry. What I love about being involved with Cigar Public is that I have the opportunity to learn and share the stories of those in the cigar industry. I’ve formed lifelong relationships over a cigar and conversations. I’m committed to providing honest reviews of cigars and sharing my experiences with you. @JohnnyHavana
