Espinosa and Fratello: Two Founders With Unlikely Stories, Two Very Different Cigars

 If you really think about it, the best cigar brands often come with a founder who took an unlikely road into the business. Now, both Espinosa and Fratello have two very interesting founder stories that every cigar smoker must know of! 

Born in Havana, Erik Espinosa came to the United States when he was just three months old. He spent his initial years as an independent broker selling cigars of brands like Drew Estate, Rocky Patel and Alec Bradley. Later, he co-founded EO Brands, the company behind the 601 and Murcielago lines. Finally in 2012, he opened his very own factory, La Zona, in Estelí, Nicaragua, and launched Espinosa Cigars. If you ask some retailers, they actually credit Erik with pioneering Mexican San Andrés wrappers in premium blends. In fact, in 2012, the Espinosa Habano took Cigar Dojo’s top spot that year, and the Laranja Reserva reached No. 13 on Cigar Aficionado’s 2015 list. So, if you are looking to buy premium Espinosa cigars,  you should expect bold Nicaraguan flavor along with lots of personality.

Now when it comes to Fratello Cigars, its founder has a completely different story. Omar de Frias worked for NASA, including on more than 21 missions. Later, in 2013, he founded Fratello Cigars and left the agency in 2016 to focus on cigars full-time. His Italian heritage and space background showed up in the names: Navetta means “shuttle.” Coming to the cigar now, the Navetta has a Dominican binder and Nicaraguan filler wrapped with an Ecuadorian oscuro wrapper which is rolled at Joya de Nicaragua. Strength wise, it’s medium in body.

So, now if you find yourself asking which one first? We’d say go for Espinosa for punch and choose Fratello for a smoother medium with a story. If you want to buy Fratello cigars online or try the premium Espinosa cigars, FoxCigar stocks both these lines, so order as per your choice or get both and compare them side by side!