If you had to pick a state with a rich tradition of cigar manufacturing, dating back to the early 20th century, Montana might not be the first one to leap to mind. And yet, as Big Sky CEO Jess Coleman informed me, “We wanted to tell the Montana cigar story, which has a pretty rich history.” In fact, in 1905 there were 107 factories producing cigars in Montana. So, maybe not exactly Florida, but pretty impressive for a state with a population of 240,000 people at the time.
Coleman, who earned a business degree from the University of Montana, and holds a Master’s Degree in Business from the University of Maryland, spent his early years in the energy business, working in the oil fields with longtime friend and Montana State University graduate Brandon Marsh. They would often smoke cigars together. “We came up with the idea one summer smoking cigars out on a lake,” says Coleman. “We wondered why there isn’t a Montana cigar company. We did the research and found a lively cigar history dating back to the early 1900s.”
The two friends decided there was enough of a backstory to leverage moving forward with their idea. As Marsh tells it, “We were always throwing around business ideas. This one stuck.” They felt they could create a product which would tell the Montana cigar story, and which they could share with others, while getting their feedback in real time. But where to begin? Montana is not exactly in the heart of cigar producing territory, and the two friends had no contacts within the industry.
“All our contacts were made through cold calling and knocking on doors. We tried calling manufacturers, but to no avail,” says Coleman. “Our first move was to fly to Managua [Nicaragua], hire a driver and head up to Estelí.” They got plenty of rejection, until they arrived at Tobacco Costa, which they describe as “very small, probably 10 rollers, at the end of a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, on the outskirts of Estelí.” But it was there that the pair received their education, walking the fields and learning the process. “That’s where we developed our first cigar, Yellowstone.”
That cigar formed the foundation of their introductory line of cigars, the River Series. Each of the five cigars in the series—Yellowstone, Bighorn 2.0, Madison, Bitterroot and Blackfoot—tells the story of a famed Montana river known for its trout fishing, and which serves as the inspiration for the blend. Mad Minnow, a 4.75 x 44 ring figurado, rounds out the fishing theme.
Representing Montana’s cigar history is the background for the River Series. Coleman points out, “It’s where we grew up and where we own the oldest B&M cigar store in Montana, which has been open for 78 years.” That store was their first customer, and the owners were so impressed with Coleman and Marsh’s passion for the business, they offered to sell them the store, Stogies of Billings, Montana.
A newer theme for Big Sky Cigar Co. was inspired by a local legend, the Cryptid, a mythical lake-dwelling sea monster. The beast is represented by a dark, San Andrés-wrapped 5 x 60 Gordo, an appropriate look for a denizen of the deep!
The evolution of Big Sky’s offerings came as a result of their desire to appeal to a broad spectrum of cigar smokers, and to track the development of their own palates. Marsh offers: “We wanted our first cigar to be approachable, and also to fit our palates, which were then leaned toward the milder blends.” Blackfoot, the newest and final offering in the River Series, is the only cigar thus far made in the Dominican Republic. It is a collaboration of the Big Sky principals and Master Blender Chico Rivas. Blackfoot features a San Andrés Mexican wrapper over Dominican binder and fillers.
To explain the shift from the core line being produced in Nicaragua by Carlos Sanchez, the Master Blender for the TACASA factory: “The reason was to diversify our supply chain, and to diversify our offerings,” says Marsh. “Our palates developed toward medium cigars, and we wanted to access the entire consumer market.”
A novel feature of the Big Sky brand is that each series consists of only one vitola. While a few other manufacturers have used this same format, Coleman and Marsh had a very practical reason for limiting each line to just one shape. “We started this company out of our own pocket, in the middle of Montana, and nobody gave us any chance,” says Marsh. With shelf space a constant battle, and the perception of Big Sky as merely a regional brand, “We felt the money was better spent diversifying our offerings, rather than multiple vitolas of one blend.” Also, toward that end, they decided to go with the most popular shapes, toros and robustos.
The plan seems to be working, as Big Sky has engaged a broker for their house accounts, and is now represented by brokers in Texas, the Northeast, and the East Coast, and represented nationally by distributor Meier & Dutch. From their first TPE show in 2020 to their fourth successive PCA show, upcoming this April in New Orleans, the brand has experienced continuous growth and wide acceptance. Marsh attributes their success to a few key factors. “The growth has been through the PCA, and the quality of our cigars,” he says. “We have a good story, and we relate to people. Jess and I are blue collar guys. We’re putting everything into our business, and people relate to that.”
Achieving a measure of success has allowed the partners to give back to the community by donating a portion of their proceeds to Warriors & Quiet Waters, a local program that gives therapeutic outdoor retreats to post-9/11 veterans. As avid outdoorsmen who love hunting and fishing, Coleman and Marsh felt the program closely aligned with their own values.
The combined effect of celebrating their heritage, providing aid to veterans and producing an enticing range of top-notch cigars has allowed Big Sky to successfully plant their flag in the premium cigar landscape.
For more information and to view their catalog, visit bigskycigar.com.
– Photography courtesy of Big Sky Cigars. Story by Larry Wagner.
This story first appeared in PCA The Magazine, Volume 1, 2025. To receive a copy of this magazine you must be a current member of PCA. Join or renew today at premiumcigars.org/membership.