Cigar World Feature: Tabacalera William Ventura
Alongside their father William, Wiber and Nataly Ventura have formed the nucleus of the Tabacalera William Ventura. Over the past few years, the factory has produced blends for brands like Caldwell, Room101, and recently, Partagas.
We sat down with Wiber and Nataly to talk about their work, how they overcame a devastating fire at their factory, and what they have coming next.
Wiber Ventura’s cigar journey began with Davidoff, where he spent 20 years with the brand. In 2019, he left to build something of his own with his father, a master blender and production chief with a reputation that reached deep into Europe. (William himself was in charge of production at Davidoff for many years, including the period when Davidoff cigars first came to the USA in 1991.)
“At first, he (William) began working on short-run cigars for a local company — kind of like art fair-style releases,” Wiber said. “Eventually, he started branding. There was a guy from Miami named Rodrigo who he worked with on one of the first brands. That’s also how we got connected with Robert Caldwell.
Caldwell and our factory grew together. It started with small production runs, and as Caldwell expanded, so did we. At first, we weren’t even looking for clients. But people discovered our cigars, liked the quality, and started asking, ‘Who’s making this?’ That’s how many found their way to our factory.”
For her part, Nataly currently handles logistics, packaging, and finance — in addition to some blending as well.
“Caldwell was the first brand we started producing—about 15 or 16 years ago,” she says. “Since then, we’ve worked with many of the lines they offer. We also produce for J. London, who’s been with us about ten years. Matt Booth (of Room101) has also worked with us for around eight years. We’ve helped produce a lot of boutique brands that are on the market today.”
The full list of brands the family factory produces includes a litany of Caldwell cigars (including, but not limited to Eastern Standard, The King is Dead, Long Live the King, Midnight Express, and The Last Tsar) as well as Room101’s Doomsayer, and Partagas’s latest release: Y Nada Más.
The Fire in September 2022
Fire is an unfortunate reality in the cigar industry, and in September of 2022, a fire destroyed the Tabacalera William Ventura.
“We had an incredible rhythm going—until September 26, 2022, when the fire happened. Everything was lost in that fire,” Wiber said.
“Thankfully, we had a smaller factory already running—El Maestro—which we used for our family brands: William Ventura and El Maestro. We also made small batch cigars for a few select clients there. That allowed us to keep moving.”
In March 2024, the new facility (also named Tabacalera William Ventura) re-opened. And as of May 2025, both factories are up and running. Wiber and Natalie both noted the tremendous support from their suppliers and partners.
“That support really allowed us to scale up again—faster than we expected—after the fire,” Nataly said.
The Future of Tabacalera William Ventura
Nataly and Wiber arrived at PCA 2025 in New Orleans to show off some of their latest collaborations, including the new Partagas Y Nada Más. Wiber says that he and John Hakim (Brand Manager for Partagas) connected on the new smoke almost instantly.
“It (Y Nada Más) was a blend using a Habano wrapper with some natural fermentation, and the filler was a mix of Dominican, U.S., and Nicaraguan tobaccos,” Wiber said. “We crafted it to be medium to medium-full in strength, but incredibly balanced and flavorful.
You’ll get spice on the retrohale, but also sweetness, acidity, and complexity on the palate. It’s not overwhelming—it’s a cigar designed for everyone to enjoy, no matter their experience level. That’s what we’re always aiming for: a cigar with character, balance, and broad appeal.” Since this interview was conducted, Partagas Y Nada Más has received a 90-point rating from Halfwheel.
In addition, Nataly and Wiber have also partnered with United cigars to produce Gold Star — originally a limited-edition cigar made to honor retired military members. (With proceeds foing directly to veterans’ families.)
And, of course, the brand continues to work closely with mainstays like Caldwell and Matt Booth of Room101. Though, they haven’t given away all their secrets.
“Well, we’re in talks with some other brands right now—but nothing I can officially announce yet,” Wiber said. “But I will say, one guy who loves to be public about working with us is Rob Blumenthal from Tinder Box. He’s the CEO, and we’re currently working on a feature with him.”
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