PCA The Magazine: Share a bit of your background with us.
Stefan Lampert: Aside from being the founder of Lampert Cigars + Rum, I am a lawyer with a focus on regulatory and environmental law. One of my passions has always been to make great cigars. I started the company as a fun project with an initial order of 1,000 cigars. From a hobby to a business, we have gained incredible traction since our worldwide launch in 2019. As of today, we are in more than 30 international markets.
What led you to the premium cigar industry?
The initial idea to create my own cigar brand crossed my mind in 2016 during a vacation to Thailand. Like many other vacationers, I made use of the wide range of tailored suits on the market and wanted to transfer this concept of the tailored suit to a cigar. With this brand, I wanted to give customers the opportunity to create their very own handmade premium cigars as if in a laboratory.
I was my best customer because I ended up making a custom-made house blend for my law firm. This house blend project started in Costa Rica. The cigar was so well received by my clients, I got approached by a European importer/distributor to bring this house blend into the market.
From there, it took off. In order to create an even richer and more diverse range of cigars in the portfolio, I looked for more cigar manufacturers in Central America. Besides Costa Rica, I ended up in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
You also have a line of rums. was the rum brand created specifically to complement your cigar line?
The answer is YES. Everyone knows that an exquisite rum can be a natural complement to a cigar and enhances the smoking experience. For this reason, I created a matching rum portfolio to our cigar portfolio under the brand Lampert Rum. As reference, we used the Edición AZUL to pair our rum with. I created a 7- and 12-year-old rum in Panama.
What is one musical act (dead or alive) you would do anything to see? What does the music mean to you?
That’s a tough question. I would say dead, for sure, Elvis Presley, and alive would be Coldplay. Music for me is more than just a collection of sounds. It’s a powerful thing that can bring people together, create memories and evoke emotions. I’m always blown away by how music—same as a good cigar—can break down boundaries and bring people from different cultures and backgrounds together.
What will Lampert cigars look like in five years?
To continue expansion in and outside the United States, building on the tremendous growth since we entered the market. Since the PCA 2023 show, we have had a very busy event schedule and have partnered with some great sales representatives, and are continuing to add more retail partners daily.
The traction is, in no small part, due to the phenomenal reception we received for our 1675 Edición Azul line. It received 93 points from Cigar Journal and 94 from Blind Man’s Puff and Stogie Press, putting it in the top 2 percent of all cigars they rated last year.
This story first appeared in PCA The Magazine, Volume 2, 2024. To receive a copy of this magazine you must be a current member of PCA. Join or renew today at premiumcigars.org/membership.