Meet Claudio Sgroi and Gennaro Lettieri. Claudio has worked in the cigar industry for over
twenty years blending cigars and sets off in Smoke Signals Episode 1 to learn more about the
culture of tobacco in Peru. Gennaro Lettieri is the owner of Tabacalera del Oriente situated in the
heart of the beautiful Amazon rainforest. The Peruvian tobaccos that Gennaro grows in his lush
fields are sought after by master blenders everywhere, but they are hard to come by as only one
client is permitted to purchase the coveted tobaccos that Gennaro grows. Gennaro does, however,
keep a small amount of tobacco for himself to create limited numbers of his own cigars. Claudio
is hungry to get his hands on some of Gennaro’s legendary tobacco, and while Gennaro does not
sell Claudio any, he does afford Claudio the honor of serving as master blender for a limited-run
cigar being produced at Tabacalera del Oriente. To prepare for this experience, Claudio spends
days immersing himself in the centuries-old culture of tobacco in Peru, going so far as to
participate in a private ceremony with a tobacco shaman to further connect himself to the great
leaf and purge his body to a state of perfect balance the day before the blending will occur.
Claudio describes the blend that comes from this incredible journey as “one of the greatest I ever
did in my life.” The blend goes on to become Volute, and is exclusively available via LCA.
Volute is a 6x48 Peruvian puro.