I had my first cigar in December of 1984 with my college dorm mate, right before Christmas break. It was an El Rey Del Mundo Oscuro in Robusto Larga size. I thought it was the most delicious thing I ever had. I’ve lived the cigar lifestyle ever since. My favorite cigars by far fall under the Drew Estate family of cigars. I went to college on an art scholarship and I consider this an outlet for my creative abilities. Every one of my products is a work of art in it’s own special way.
Bill Van
Founder of empire of smoke
These are my favorite cigars.
What are yours? Tell us all about it on our blog.
Frequently asked questions
Most frequent questions and answers
Do you accept wholesale orders?
Cigar Tabs are available for wholesale orders. Smoke shops or private label manufacturers are welcome. Cigar tabs can be laser engraved to your specifications. I do not accept wholesale orders for my Cigar cups.
Where can I send my cigar labels?
When you purchase a Cigar cup, you will receive an email with all of my mailing information. I will get in touch with you about any specifics, such as which labels are your favorites, what you want to emphasize, and if you have any special requests.
What inspired you to make Cigar Tabs?
I think the very best tobacco in a cigar is at the very beginning and at the very end. A cigar tab allows you to get the best bang for your buck because of all the extra tobacco you get to smoke. My cigar nubs are about half an inch long. Before I invented Cigar Tabs, my nubs were at least an inch to an inch and a half long, and I have big hands so it was wasting more of the cigar because it was burning my fingers. I never have burned fingers anymore. I also like the convenience of being able to set my cigar down on a tabletop and nobody touches it.
How do you make your Cigar Cups?
It’s a lot more complicated than it looks. There are many steps to the process, many are rather counter-intuitive. I use the highest quality food safe epoxy resin you can buy. The rest is a trade secret.
Would you be interested in my cigar label collection?
Yes. We can discuss what you have and what it’s worth and barter for money or product from my store. Just send me an email with your phone number and I will be in touch with you.
Do you have any pre-made cigar cups?
I am constantly working on that. It’s all about acquiring cigar labels. I can only smoke so many cigars a day. I average three. If you want a pre-made cigar cup and you’re not particular about the labels that are on it, they will occasionally be available on this website. Click HERE to see if there are any currently available. Check back often to see what pops up. They can go pretty quickly, so you can also notify me if you would like to be put on a list to be the first notified when they go live on the site.
Supporting Operation: Cigars for Warriors
This is the charity that I support the most- Cigars are the most requested item by our service members overseas.
Website development and design by
