Name: Eric Kilbane
Owner, Castro's Back Room
How long have you been running the business?
Since 2001 in Concord.
How did you get started in the cigar business?
We opened in Nashua in 1996, here in 2001, and in Manchester in 2004. I'm just interested in cigars and tobacco.
What is the finest cigar you've ever smoked?
Maybe a Padron Anniversario, or a Hoyo de Monterry.
What are the characteristics that make a cigar good?
The soil it's grown in. Some of the best are from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico. Most cigars are a combination of tobacco from different countries blended together. Cubans are (made entirely from Cuban materials), though. And they're very good.
What's the most expensive cigar you've sold?
Probably around $35.
How do you feel about cigarettes? Just a lame, tiny version?
It's just a different customer. A lot of people now like to roll their own cigarettes. American Spirits are popular too, because they're organically grown.
Have you ever had an exploding cigar?
No, and we don't sell any, either.
When Fidel Castro dies, will you rename the shop after another famous cigar smoker?
No, we'll stay loyal to the name Castro. There are rumors that he is dead. It's been picking up steam the last two, three weeks. I've heard it from three or four different people.
Who is your favorite celebrity cigar smoker?
Jack Nicholson. You've got to love Jack. But it's all the biggies; George Burns, Winston Churchill.
Hidden talent?
Drinking and smoking, those are my hidden talents.
(Other) guilty pleasure?
Playing with my three beautiful daughters.
