The Story Behind Belmaachi Cigars
How friendship, legacy, and craftsmanship came together to create a new era of luxury cigars.
Belmaachi Cigars began not as a business venture, but as a journey — one that reconnected founder Samir “Sam” Falaki with the roots of his past and the people who shaped his appreciation for cigars.
During the pandemic, Sam returned to Nicaragua to reconnect with old friends and revisit the country where he once lived. A spontaneous trip to Estelí, suggested by former MLB player Marvin Benard, set the foundation for what would become Belmaachi Cigars. Marvin, a national icon in Nicaragua and General Manager of the Nicaraguan team at the Caribbean Baseball Tournament, opened the door to an unexpected introduction that changed everything.
Sam Falaki and Marvin Benard in Miami
A reunion during Sam’s trip to establish his U.S. LLC and attend the Caribbean Baseball Tournament. Sam gifts Marvin a Belmaachi box and a bottle of whiskey — a gesture of gratitude to the friend who first led him back toward Estelí and the world of Nicaraguan tobacco.
A Visit to Estelí — The Cigar Capital of Nicaragua, and Arguably the World
Marvin introduced Sam to Don Carlos Pereda, a sixth-generation Cuban master tabacalero who left Cuba to continue his family’s tobacco heritage in Nicaragua. Carlos welcomed Sam into his fields, his factory, and eventually, his world — sharing blends made from tobacco grown on his own farm.
These cigars were unlike anything Sam had experienced: balanced, rich, and crafted with a precision only generations of tradition can produce. As Sam began sharing these cigars with friends across the world, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Carlos encouraged Sam to consider creating his own brand.
With trust in Carlos’s craft, Sam agreed — requesting only that the blends use the farm’s finest tobacco, deliver exceptional flavor, and stand apart from anything else on the market.
In the Office of a Master Tabacalero
Sam with Master Tabacalero Carlos Pereda and his nephew Eduardo.
Photographed in Carlos’s Estelí office, beneath portraits of his grandfather and the original Cuban farm. Eduardo, who recently arrived from Cuba to join the family business, represents the seventh generation of this remarkable tobacco lineage.
A Name Inspired by Family and Memory
To create a cigar brand, Sam needed a name that meant something. And he had one.
Years earlier, during a 2007 trip to Nicaragua, Sam traveled with his uncle Si-Taibi Belmaachi — a nature lover who had come to visit and explore the country. It was Si-Taibi who introduced Sam to cigars, teaching him how to store them, appreciate them, and enjoy the ritual that surrounds them.
His uncle passed away in the first year of the pandemic. Naming the brand Belmaachi was Sam’s tribute to the man who planted the first seed of passion all those years ago.
A Tribute to Si-Taibi Belmaachi
Sam’s uncle, Si-Taibi Belmaachi, photographed during their trip to Nicaragua.
The man who first introduced Sam to cigars — and whose family name now represents the brand’s spirit, legacy, and dedication to craft.
Designing a New Generation of Luxury Cigars
Sam envisioned something different from the traditional imagery seen in cigar branding. No nostalgic colonial portraits of “Don Pedro on horseback” — instead, a modern aesthetic with European chic influence. Something bold, eye-catching, and luxurious.
He hired a European designer specializing in premium liquor and cigar packaging, giving him a clear direction:
“I want it to feel like luxury chocolate or jewelry in a duty-free shop — eye candy, blingy but not tacky.”
This design language would speak to a new generation of cigar lovers — modern professionals aged 35–55, who appreciate craftsmanship but connect with contemporary style… the type who might listen to 50 Cent more than the Beatles.
