In a moment that felt impossible a few years ago Brian Desind of Privada Cigar Club sat down with Cuban tobacco grower Hector Luis Prieto Diaz to talk tobacco and craft. For cigar people that conversation is not just content. It is a crack in the wall between Cuba and the rest of the premium cigar world.

Who is Hector Luis Prieto Diaz
Hector Luis Prieto Diaz is one of Cuba’s most celebrated growers from San Juan y Martinez in Pinar del Rio. He runs the famed farm at Quemado de Rubi and is known for meticulous shade grown tobacco that feeds Cuba’s top marques. He earned the Hombre Habano award for production at a young age which cemented his reputation in the Vuelta Abajo. Finca Héctor Luis Cigar Aficionado+1

In profiles and farm reports he is described as a next generation master who blends traditional knowledge with careful soil and seed selection. His finca hosts visitors who want to see the full cycle of Cuban leaf from seed to curing barns to the rolling table. halfwheel Finca Héctor Luis

Who is Brian Desind
Brian Desind founded Privada Cigar Club in Orlando in 2017 and turned a simple club into a movement built on story driven releases education and community. His work has been profiled by trade media and debated on industry podcasts and shows because he challenges the way cigars are marketed and delivered. He also launched Cigar Public to publish long form cigar coverage outside of traditional channels. Tobacco Business Magazine Cigar Coop Cigar Public

Why this meeting matters
Direct public conversations with active Cuban tobacco producers are rare for United States audiences. The interview adds first hand Cuban agricultural perspective to a community of smokers who rarely hear it straight from the farm. It brings the voice of a living Cuban grower into the same room as a US club that has been pushing the limits of content and education for years. Cigar Public

The Nicaragua connection
Privada and its partners have described work in Nicaragua that draws on Cuban seed families and agronomy with oversight from Prieto on a Nicaraguan farm known for organic methods. Privada has stated that Prieto helped establish the Montenegro project in Nicaragua and makes periodic visits to check on operations. Releases promoted under the Cuban Roots Nicaraguan Soil theme speak to that transfer of knowledge and seed lines across borders. These accounts come from Privada published materials and retail partners. Privada Cigar Club+1 Instagram Facebook

What the law allows
For US consumers the law prohibits any product of Cuban origin. Cigars grown and made in Nicaragua with Nicaraguan tobacco are generally lawful to sell in the United States. That is why collaborations that focus on agronomy practices seed selection outside Cuba and production in Nicaragua fit within the rules for the US market. The claims about who did what in Nicaragua are as stated by Privada and partners and are presented as their description of the work. Privada Cigar Club+1

Why legacy cigar media is cautious
The cigar press has openly wrestled with Privada. Some outlets have criticized certain marketing choices and warned the industry about brand presentation they view as risky. Others have covered Privada as a force that changed the subscription model and the pace of limited releases while still keeping the company at arm’s length. That mix of criticism and selective coverage helps explain why a headline moment like Desind with Prieto can go underreported by legacy outlets. halfwheel Fine Tobacco NYC Cigar Coop

The stakes for the industry
A Cuban grower whose leaves fuel iconic bands sharing practice and perspective with a US based independent platform challenges old boundaries. It suggests a future where the craft is less about flags and more about soil fermentation and time. It points to a market where education and story win attention as much as logos. It hints at collaborations that move knowledge across borders while staying within the rules that govern trade. For consumers it means deeper understanding and better cigars. For gatekeepers it means the conversation is moving with or without them. Finca Héctor Luis Cigar Aficionado