Beginning in June 2025, Apostate Cigars will be joining Oveja Negra Brands. This announcement was made during the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA25) trade show. Oveja Negra Brands includes Black Label Trading Co. (BLTC), Black Works Studio (BLK WKS), and Emilio Cigars. Apostate will be the fourth brand under the Oveja Negra Brands distribution group.
“As Oveja Brands grows, we feel it’s important to diversify our portfolio. Apostate is a great example of a uniquely different brand that fits what we’re looking for. Their predominantly Dominican portfolio and blend style will be a great addition to Oveja Negra Brands,” commented James Brown, creator of BLTC/BLK WKS and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra.
“We’re thrilled and honored to be joining the Oveja Negra Brands, which we have long admired. We are excited for the things to come and look forward to adding our blends to this amazing table,” Kendrick Woolstenhulme, co-founder and president of Apostate Cigars.
Brandon Oveson, co-founder and vice president of Apostate Cigars, added, “We’ve always carved our own path, and Oveja Negra has done the same through its family of cigar brands. Joining this family of misfits and makers isn’t just a business move; it’s a melding of values. Apostate Cigars was built on doing things our way, and now we get to do it alongside people who get it and have set one hell of a table for us to sit at with them. We’re stoked for what’s coming.”
Oveja Negra Brands offers a unified sales and marketing team and centralized distribution through L.J. Zucca, a tobacco distributor since 1947.