Jose Blanco leaving E.P. Carrillo. After just three years the industry veterans decided to part ways. The news was confirmed by Cigar Coop on Saturday in a phone call to Blanco. At the end of August, both parties will part ways. Blanco expects to remain a part of the cigar industry. A reason for the break between Blanco and Perez Carrillo hasn’t been given.

Leon Jimenes & La Aurora

Leon Jimenes is known as a cigar brand, but the Jimenes group does more. They sell Presidente beer and Marlboro cigars on the Dominican Republic. And that’s where Blanco started his career in sales. And when Guillermo Leon acquired La Aurora, Blanco was asked to join the tasting panel.

In 1999 Blanco became the sales manager for La Aurora. And he was exposed to more tobacco, different tobaccos. Blanco started to blend. He created the La Aurora 100 Años for example. And he also blended the 1495 series, the 107 and the La Aurora Barrel Aged series.

Retirement from La Aurora

After his retirement from La Aurora, Blanco started to work for Joya de Nicaragua. Together with Dr. Martinez Cuenca, he blended the Cuenca y Blanco. That cigar was later renamed to CyB due to copyright issues. Both the Cuenca and the Blanco names were already registered for tobacco products.

After a two year stint with Joya de Nicaragua, Blanco went back to his Dominican Republic. He joined forces with Ernesto Perez Carrillo in November of 2016. And after three years, Jose Blanco is leaving E.P. Carrillo.

Blanco is also working alongside his wife, Emma Viktorsson at their own Las Cumbres Tabaco. Las Cumbres Tabaco is responsible for brands as Senorial and Freya. Both brands are available in a variety of blends. Las Cumbres Tabaco uses Tabacalera Palma as their factory. That factory is owned by Blanco’s cousin Jochi Blanco.