About Leaf & Barrel

On the way to meet some friends at my favorite party in NYC, Freedom Friday on Bleecker Street, I decided to bring some premium cigars in hopes of leaving the club to visit the Cigar Inn later that night.  I didn't want to walk around the club with a bulky and stiff leather carrying case or even worse a plastic loaf of bread sized herf.  Considering the slimmer cuts of clothing that pervade the market there isn't much room for anything other than my car keys, wallet, mobile phone, lighter, cutter, and bill fold so I decided to put my cigars in a regular shirt pocket.  Big mistake!  The shirt pocket is not made to transport and protect my very fragile cigars nor humidify them. 

After partying, dancing, hugging friends, and struggling shoulder-to-shoulder with other club goers my precious handcrafted premium cigars were ruined. All the body movement and dancing forced the cigars to rub together creating rips and cracks along the body of the cigar which was exacerbated by how quickly the cigars dried in the open air.  Any cigar aficionado knows that when the wrapper is damaged the cigar is worthless and the smoke experience will never live up to its true potential.

As I walked in the Cigar Inn and pulled the 1964 Padron Family Reserve Anniversary Maduro from the pocket of my linen shirt I was mortified at the damage. All three of the cigars were completely destroyed and rendered unsmokable.  The cigar had been aging to perfection in my humidor for over a year and now they are unsmokable.  They were bone dry, brittle, and cracked. At that point I decided that there had to be a better way. 

After a few test runs I designed a hidden pocket that will protect and carry three cigars in individual slots preventing the cigars from rubbing against each other.  The size of the pocket will fit 90% of the ring gauges on the market but most importantly the material used for the construction of the pockets does not breath.  They lock in the moisture and limit airflow to the cigar keeping them fresh and humidified for hours.  Furthermore, because your cigars are in your shirt pocket they will not get damaged when you sit nor will you have to worry about misplacing your carrying case.  Lastly, you will get to show everyone that you are a cigar smoker and dam proud of it.

When it comes to pairing cigars with wine and spirits there is noting better than the right combination of flavor profiles.  In August of 2012 I started the PuroMaduro Youtube channel and PuroMaduro.com.  The site and channel are dedicated to pairing cigars with various spirits, rating them, and defining why their flavor profiles compliment each other.  I have amassed thousands of subscribers and through that experience I have interacted with cigar and spirit lovers spanning the globe.  Those interaction is priceless.

I have learned that cigar smokers are special. If they like a cigar they can tell you where the wrapper, binder, and filler were cultivated.  They can breakdown components of various types of tobacco and articulate the flavor and complexity.  They have a sense of style, a zest for the finer things in life, and are decisive in what they like and dislike.  However, unlike bikers who have limitless forms of apparel and sports fans with all means of expressing their passion smokers have been relegated to antiquated smoking jackets and lighters.  #Leaf&Barrel is here to change that with #cigarfashion.

Call me directly at 908-209-8708, email billieblvd@leaf-and-barrel.com or follow this link to send a message.