Today we’d like to introduce you to Leo Brown.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It all started with smoking a cigar and having a beer. When I cut and lit the cigar, I knew that I wanted to have sip of my beer. When I did that, I didn’t like the taste that came from it. So I then again took another draw and then another sip. At that point, I knew that I didn’t like what I had going on. It was then that I decided to look at the notes of the cigar and compare them to beer and knew then that it wasn’t going to end well…and it didn’t. Sometimes, you can push through things and realize that there is something there later but this one just didn’t happen. From there it was my thoughts to see if there was such a thing as pairing cigars. From what I found was there were many pairings with scotch, bourbon and brandy. I didn’t see many cigars pairing with beers, wines and non-alcoholic beverages.
From there it has been my thoughts that there’s more to pair with a cigar. I wanted to make sure that I could reach as many different palates that I could by adding non-alcoholic as well i.e. sodas, coffees, teas and even spirits that don’t have alcohol. I want people to enjoy their smoking experience in as many ways as possible and it’s still my mission to do so.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Most small business owners will more than likely explain that the road is not smooth. There were and still are many learning curves and things to learn along the way. One of the struggles is not having the funds that you always need or want. How to get your product seen in as many ways/sources as possible. Meeting demands of the customers such as having product, when to order more product, receiving product when promised, or shipping product, etc. When to hire staff is another challenge as well.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Nothing is easy when beginning or having a business. When it comes to cigars or the things we enjoy with them, there is deliberate effort involved. I don’t believe that we are set apart from others, what I feel is that I give you an experience. People can always say that “I can drink whatever I want with my cigar.” That statement is absolutely true but you may not have quite the experience that I can provide. When you can enjoy your cigar and a fine drink with people and gain more of a background about those things and people, that’s something that you will carry for a long time. So I don’t provide cigars and drinks…I give you an experience and even some education.
I’m more excited about the upcoming year as I have debuted a coffee for your cigar pairing experience called El Campo. It is a Brazilian coffee that is being roasted out of San Diego, CA by Quiet Storm Roaster & Bakery and even if you don’t smoke you can enjoy a fantastic cup of coffee. There will be other coffees coming out that will be just as great as the El Campo.
There have been years of smoking cigars and tasting many libations over the years. Yes, I know this sounds tough but someone had to do it. In doing so I have gone through training to become a certified tobacconist and currently working on becoming a certified cigar sommelier. From this, I have also formed a talk show surrounding the same industries known as BNL Behind The Brand. The talk show has three of your favorite people on it: myself, Chris Moore (Carolina Blue Cigars) and Myesha Michelle (SOTL SoCal) every Saturday at 2pm EST/11 am PST.
Every draw and every sip has led me to where I am today and the people who believe in me have been a huge help. I often think about what people can take away from each event and time that they talk to me about the industries; I want to be the person to provide them an experience or a relief of the day.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
According to my mother…I was rather curious to know how and why things worked. I have always had a love for computers, electronics and how they worked. Sports have always been a part of my childhood in particular baseball was the heart of my sports attraction since the age of seven. I continued throughout my school career, to being a walk on a minor league team to coaching middle school and even being an umpire. As much as I believe that I am an introvert, I have never met a stranger and am always willing to help out.
Contact Info:
- Email: barrelsnleafs@gmail.com
- Website: www.barrelsnleafs.com
- Instagram: @barrelsnleafs
- Facebook: Barrelsnleafs
- Twitter: @barrelsnleafs
- Youtube: BNL Behind The Brand
