The Ultimate Guide to West Tampa Tobacco Company Cigars

Havana, the capital of the cigar world, is where this story starts. The scene was set in 1953, when master blender Rick Rodriguez's grandparents, Emanuel and Olga Rodriguez, drew on their Havana roots and generations of cigar-making knowledge to immigrate and start anew in West Tampa, Florida. With vitolas and tobacco leaves on the brain, they forged ahead with their craft, and in doing so, instilled that same passion in their grandson, Rick, who seemed to speak the language of cigars from the start. 

Studying under his grandparents and later mentored by rolling experts Benji Menendez and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Rick carved out his own path in the industry through his business, West Tampa Tobacco Company. A brand built to carry his family's legacy into its next chapter. He did so alongside partner Gus Martinez, both having honed their craft at General Cigar before striking out on their own.

Established in 2022, West Tampa Tobacco Company has quickly made a name for itself. Known for cigars that lean mild to medium with robust spice and a distinct creaminess, the brand has released series after series of consistently well-crafted, flavorful blends.

Within the broader context of West Tampa Tobacco's portfolio, the West Tampa Black line is by far the most popular on the market. The Black line and its sibling, the White line, are widely considered the inaugural cigars of the company.

Featured on both of these lines is the insignia of the West Tampa Little League, meant to represent the childhood Rodriguez had growing up on the baseball pitch in Florida, a unique nod to his history and roots in the community.

The Black line, in particular, features a beautiful blend of an Ecuadorian habano wrapper with a Nicaraguan Ometepe binder, and Nicaraguan Condega viso and Estelí ligero filler. The flavor profile is peppery and rich, melding together notes of cocoa and espresso.

Despite the Black line being one of the most popular, other collections of cigars carry just as much weight in the brand's story. One of these is the West Tampa Circle of Life collection, a collaboration between Rick Rodriguez and his mentor, the legendary Ernesto Perez-Carrillo.

The Circle of Life collection is symbolic of the relationship between Rodriguez and Carrillo, and represents a full-circle moment: having made it in the cigar industry, Rodriguez now works alongside his former mentor. It was also the first time West Tampa produced cigars outside their Nicaraguan factories, crafting this line in the Dominican Republic instead.

Featuring an Ecuadorian habano oscuro wrapper, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican corojo fillers, this cigar line pulls together three countries' worth of tobacco into one blend. It's available in a variety of vitolas: robusto, toro, and gigante.

The flavor profile is unique in that it combines contrasting elements, opening with peppery intensity that later mellows into notes of molasses and fruit.

As popular as these cigar collections are, my favorite blend is still West Tampa's Devil Crab Cigar.

The Devil Crab Cigar is a tribute to Ybor City's iconic deviled crab croquette. Often hailed as a local delicacy, its origins stretch back to the street food culture that emerged during the cigar factory strikes of the 1920s. It's a smooth and cheeky cigar that provides a medium-bodied smoking experience from first light to last puff.

The flavor profile is surprisingly complex, featuring a bold espresso flavor, creamy chestnuts, and a caramel finish. Every cigar box comes with a recipe card for making your own deviled crab. It's these little details that really set the scene for West Tampa Tobacco Co.

The company is selling an experience, one that goes beyond the stick in your hand. Rick Rodriguez sheds light on his experience as a Floridian through every creation, and has coined a nickname for himself, "Chef Rick," a cigar chef in the kitchen, a maestro mad with finding the perfect creation to serve to his guests.

Chef Rick is also the name of the newest cigar by West Tampa Tobacco Co., a signature blend that features an Ecuador Habano oscuro wrapper, Sumatra-seed binder from Ecuador, and an all-Nicaraguan filler with tobacco from Estelí, Jalapa, Condega, and Ometepe.

With only 1,000 boxes in production, this limited edition blend is the pinnacle of what Chef Rick can do with a leaf, the most refined expression of his signature style to date. As the final cigar in the trilogy of food themed cigars, it's a highly anticipated blend, following the Devil Crab and the Boliche Blvd.

Made alongside Raymond Pages Raffo of Tabacalera Pages de Nicaragua S.A., this release marks the first time Rodriguez stepped outside his usual circle of collaborators to close out the trilogy.

"A great culinary chef requires technical mastery, immense passion and creativity," said Rick Rodriguez, co-founder of West Tampa Tobacco Co., in a press release. "I also wanted to take the opportunity to partner with a young up and coming factory, Tabacalera Pages de Nicaragua S.A., to close out this trilogy. Having the opportunity to work alongside Raymond Pages Raffo allowed me to bring something new and unique to my fans."

The Chef Rick blend is a cedar and honey forward cigar with an earthy yet sweet complexity, built to be a medium to full bodied smoke.

Available in a single toro vitola, it's a good smoke with a solid burn line.

The recipe card activation is only part of the Devil Crab boxes, however, each element in the food trilogy is uniquely distinct in flavor. As such, Chef Rick has no official food pairing, but here at Element Vape, we think baklava would be an exceptional pairing choice for this smoke. The nutty and cinnamon notes really come through, and it's a pairing that pulls the cigar's sweetness forward. A black coffee alongside it would also help cut through some of the lighter elements. 

One thing that stands out to me is how the flavors evolve from the first third of the cigar to the last. Early on I got a peppery, nutty, wood taste, but by the midpoint that earthy edge lessened and let a sweeter flavor take center stage. By the end it settled into coffee and a cloying finish that left a noticeable impression long after the cigar was done.

From Havana to the coastal shores of West Tampa, Florida, this cigar brand carries a rich and deep history. The food-based collection turns the traditional smoking motif on its head with flavor and foodie elements, but the Black, White, and Circle of Life lines carry the same weight and craftsmanship. Whether it's a momentous occasion calling for a Circle of Life blend, or a food-inspired moment that has you reaching for something from the trilogy, there's a West Tampa Tobacco Co. blend for any occasion.

Get a taste of Havana and Florida rolled into one, and we’ll see what the next collection will have in store for us.