Like so many cigar magnates, Kyle Gellis was groomed into the cigar life from birth. His father Ronald would come home from work and 6-year-old Kyle would grab him a cigar, cut the head, and hold the lighter while dad toasted up. Sometimes they would talk about their days. Other times, they would discuss a far more important topic: the cigar at hand. The aromas, the flavors – what dad did and did not like.
Forget first grade. This was the real education!
Of course, young Kyle wouldn’t get his own cigar for many years, but when he finally did get his first puffs in around age 16, it was a Montecristo Habano No. 2. It was smooth, subtle, and had delightfully toned-down spice. This is the flavor profile that would imprint on his palate and stick in his memory for decades to come. Artful Cubanesque blends would ultimately become the heart of his brand portfolio, but at 16, he wasn’t making cigars yet.
Just enjoying them.
He went off to college at the sunny University of Central Florida. An idea was taking shape in his mind, however, and he ultimately visited Miami, checking out Little Havana where cigars have been made for generations. Outlasting nearly all other factories is the El Titan de Bronze cigar making operation. When Gellis launched his own cigar brand in 2007 (at which time he was still in college), El Titan de Bronze would be the ones to roll up his first blends. Later, he would also connect with Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. (TABSA) in Nicaragua for in-country cigar making.
Why did he call it “Warped” cigars?
“I wanted to keep the romantic aspect of the cigar industry alive, but warp it into the new world,” he explains. Like many modern cigar men, his approach is not to simply copy traditional techniques and tastes, but to develop blends and experiment with new ideas. This means seeking Cubanesque traits, but not going overboard on ligero, power, or black pepper flavors.
Instead of bigger and stronger, he’s going for better and more artful.
Several Warped cigar blends have landed on the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Cigars lists. To get a taste of what Warped cigars is all about, try the exquisitely chocolatey Serie Gran Reserva, the intriguing tobaccos of the Maestro del Tiempo line, or the thoroughly Cuban La Colmena cigar that put the company on the map.
Warped cigars tries always to “be exclusively different,” and we think they’re doing a fine job of it.
Please browse our selection of Warped cigars at your leisure.
