Pleasure, friendship and sharing...
Conversation - Ozan Naç: Before flying ...
You probably met him, like me, just before going abroad, when he was buying cigars for a trip or looking for a brand new humidor or vitola. From that point on, it is one of your first reasons to come to the area much earlier than your next flight, by helping you with both interest and knowledge and chat. It is probably the first name that comes to mind of those who know him, even after a few sentences; Ozan Naç.
AUTHORS Poets Born in 1974, even though the whole family is entitled to receive a German passport, in its statement "accidentally" a former footballer deprived of this right because it is born in Turkey and even a former chef. Turkey adventure, football career, like his father, also a former footballer, albeit unintentionally begins with the end result of a knee injury. With the advice and stipulation of his father, who passed the same road and also quit football due to knee injury, he completed his Wholesale and Retail Sales training in Germany. With the conditions at that time, he is starting his career at the airport, where Duty Free and airport operations completed his 15th year in the years of privatization and currently continues as Manager. Over time, he shifts to the Humidor part, coming to the forefront with his interest in cigars, his researcher structure, sales and knowledge sharing skills, both from his father. From this point on, both because of his interest and his position, the cigar and cigar culture - although he does not find the term cigar culture very accurate and prefers to enjoy life instead - is expanding his knowledge on it. In the meantime, he shares this information in cigar training and conversations he personally organized and invited outside the airport.
I also wanted to meet with Ozan Bey, who emphasized that knowledge is power and that this power increases when shared, and we wanted to have a cigar chat for us one evening. He did not break me either, and I believe that a full and long conversation came out, some of which you will enjoy reading below.
Lecter hand (hand): If you need to enter right to the point where you think today of cigars and cigar culture in Turkey?
Poets AUTHORS (ON): Unfortunately, because of the high tax on cigars Turkey, official imports very little or almost not at all because there is no better place. The market is often full of smuggled and / or fake cigars. When we look at it in terms of culture, it is unfortunately far behind the world, because cigars are still considered only as a status indicator on a large scale in our country. However, I believe that the cigar, which we can say is cheaper than smoking, should be perceived differently. Smoking cigars is serenity, listening to oneself, not a status but a sign of enjoying life. In fact, when you smoke your cigar in a secluded place that belongs to you, in a place that you enjoy, alone, the places it takes you and the pleasure it gives is even more incredible. If you want to smoke in a community, it is best to smoke when you are sure that no one is disturbed by the smell or smoke of cigars, because smoking cigars is a ritual. To give an example, even Zino Davidoff would always get permission from the surroundings before smoking his cigar, because he would not want his ritual to be a disturbance to others and eventually to break that ritual. Considering that, there is nothing wrong with accepting the cigar as a status indicator. On the contrary, it would be correct to perceive the cigar as a common point of people with different statuses, as a culture that abolishes those statuses.
eL: So, in the light of what you mentioned, how are Turkish consumers' brand and vitola preferences?
ON: Unfortunately, because of what I have explained above, the preferences are generally among those with higher ring thickness and longer vitola by heart. In the conversations and trainings I was invited to, the impression I got from the participants was that they got by looking at how it looks on the hand rather than its taste, vitola properties. This leads to the preference of cigars like Romeo y Julietta Wide Churchill, for example. In addition, Cohiba is always among the most preferred brands. I can add that the cigar color is darker.
eL: So what are your preferences?
ON : Vegas Robaina is my first choice among Cuban brands. I prefer Famosos in daily general use, and Don Alejandro if I'm going to have a long-lasting engagement, for example if I'm going to watch a long movie or F-1. If we are going to spend a night with my friends, especially if raki is to be consumed, I prefer vitolas with fruity flavors such as Por Larranaga's Monte Carlo or Davidoff's Classic Series No.5 to accompany the taste of raki. I also quite like the Davidoff Nicaragua series and the Puro D'Oro series for everyday use.
eL: Speaking of ready-made Nicaragua, how would you compare new world cigars to Cuban cigars? In the Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Journal 2014 Top 25 comparison, which I also shared on the blog, Nicaraguan cigars took the lead in both variety and scoring.
ON: First of all, I cannot say that the evaluations of the magazines are completely objective because of course they have a commercial concern. Why is that? Simple ... after reading the scoring, you open the back page one, a full page, sometimes two pages at once, there is an ad for the cigar that gets evaluated and gets a high score. How objective can one stay here now, I think. But there is something that I always defend; Buy everything, try everything and try to taste. Don't be prejudiced. Because today you do not like or heavy or aggressive etc. a cigar you find can give you a different pleasure when your taste changes tomorrow. So take a notebook, write down the characteristics and tastes of the cigars you have tried. Then when you look back, it will make it easier for you to decide.
eL: While there are so many different brands, vitola cigars from different countries on the market, how are the rates of Turkish cigar lovers who know these and the differences between them and want to learn even if they do not, and the profiles you encounter? Do they prefer it on purpose or by heart?
ON : Again, with the impression I got from the invitations and trainings I attended, they speak first by using their correct but limited knowledge. There is a simple experiment that I do. I ask the participant, can you smell the cigar? Often they take the cigar and smell it all over the outer wrap sheet. However, it is necessary to smell the cigar's foot using a single nostril, so that you can taste and smell the filling leaves, which are the heart of the cigar. Already this experiment draws an inexperienced profile about what came in the first place.
Another profile is those who do not like what you tell, even if they ask. I even came across someone who once said, "But he's beating him," for me. Why do not we believe that among us, those who know and research these will come out? Manufacturer companies provide this much training, I developed and develop myself by participating in reading. Why do we not know, and why not share what we know.
The last profile I came across is "Why did you ask" guys. For example, when we ask the participant who opted for Siglo II why, an aggressive "Why did you ask?" we can get the answer. However, again, the purpose of my question is to make suggestions to him from other brands and vitolas according to his smoking profile. Then, "Do you like the fruity taste or the light spice coming from behind?" When I ask, the answer is silence. For example, I will suggest a similarly flavored H.Upmann there.
Unfortunately, our people do not use the term "I don't know", which I think is actually a sign of courage. Everyone knows best of everything. But our knowledge in general is hearsay, contrary to reading. Since he cannot say "I don't know", he leaves the conversation early. However, even the simple information he can acquire will make his decision more accurate. People buy cigars for charisma, but the real charisma, power, I think knowledge is in it. That power, that is knowledge, also increases when shared. Information also creates awareness. He realizes why he likes the cigar, which he has been smoking for many years, thanks to the knowledge he has acquired. Then he starts to make better choices.
el: Well, do you think we can do both exchanging information about cigars in Turkey, but also one where the La Casa del Habano cigar sales or Davidoff Do you pop? What were the reasons for the stores that opened on time to close after a short time?
ON: I think the opening of the stores that were opened in the past was a bit of a regional market survey. Of course, heavy taxes also played a role in their closures. Unfortunately, the continuation of this tax burden poses an obstacle to the opening of similar stores. Already, the segment that can afford to pay for cigars now consists of people who travel abroad at short intervals and can obtain cigars from these places at more affordable prices. For these reasons, I think opening a new store will be difficult in the near future unless it is for prestige.
eL: Finally, cigars and women? How do you think their preferences should be, is there a rule?
ON: Women have a perception that when they start cigars in the first place, they should smoke cigars with a narrow ring thickness, like Panatelas, actually, which is not quite true. However, women can also smoke a Robusto or a Double Corona when appropriate. I think this is a bit of a misperception about sexuality. I think women can and should choose any vitola cigar just like men. I even have female guests who consume bodied cigars like Partagas and Bolivar. If there were such a rule, Zino Davidoff would be the first to spoil it, drinking his morning coffee with Panatelas.
eL: Finally, do you have anything to add?
ON: Finally, he is a person who loves cigars and loves to enjoy life. Enjoy life, do not drink your coffee, enjoy it, smoke your cigar, enjoy it, do not drink your wine or whiskey, enjoy it. In short, avoid consuming and enjoy your life.
Apart from what we talked about above, we had a long conversation with Ozan about cigars, including eating or drinking with cigars, the history of cigars and the place of cigars in the world. As the conversation intensified, it felt like I was wandering on the shore of an ocean of knowledge. Therefore, if you want to have a pleasant and quality conversation about cigars and reach more information, I would like to contact Ozan Bey on his Facebook (OZAN BARIŞ NAÇ) or his email address ( ozanbaris.nac@hotmail.com ).
I would like to thank Ozan Bey again for taking the time to not offend me.
Enjoyable smoking for everyone ...
