El Pulpo Takes Center Stage in Hungary

In mid-September 2026, Budapest, Hungary’s Hemingway Restaurant hosted an evening devoted exclusively to Artesano del Tobacco, with founders Billy and Gus Fakih in attendance accompanied by European importer Ivan Krišto.

Presented in association with the La Fumée Lounge franchise, the event was organized by Hungarian Cigar World, a Facebook community founded by Péter Faragó, who also served as the evening’s emcee. With more than 7,200 members, the group has become one of Hungary’s largest and most active online gathering places for cigar enthusiasts.

The featured cigar was the Artesano del Tobacco El Pulpo Robusto Grande, a 5 by 56 box-pressed cigar made by A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua that combines a Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Of course, the El Pulpo line already carries some hardware, as its Lancero vitola was awarded Cigar Journal’s 2025 Cigar of the Year.

Billy and Gus shared the story behind Artesano del Tobacco, from their years in New York cigar retail and at Cigar Inn to developing their own brands. They also discussed their long-standing relationship with A.J. Fernandez and the challenges of devising blends that can stand out in an increasingly competitive premium cigar market.

The evening also included the Viva La Vida Connecticut Toro, a 6 by 54 cigar featuring an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler. Because the cigar is not currently available in Hungary, guests were asked to vote after the tasting on whether they would like to see it officially imported.

The impromptu poll added an interesting twist to the evening, turning the tasting into something of a live consumer test, and, judging by the positive group response, the Connecticut Viva La Vida passed with flying colors.