Crisanto ‘Santo’ Cardenas Passed Away Last Weekend

Cardenas was a well know Cuban cigar roller and master blender who did plenty of tours in Asia, showing his skills as a roller in the emerging cigar markets such as Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines. In total he did events in more than 30 countries during his lifetime.

Cardenas was a veteran in the cigar industry with a career spanning over six decades. He started rolling for H.Upmann at the Montecristo Factory in Havana, Cuba. Santo quickly gained notoriety for his blending skills, and became head of production for “Rey Del Mundo” Cigar Factory, and later head of production for the Partagas Factory.

For more than the last decade, he was the master blender for Duran Cigars, and had worked with Eladio Pichardo from Pichardo Cigars as well when Pichardo and Duran were still partners.