Earlier today, Lars Tetens, who is considered to be one of the pioneers of handmade cigars with added flavor, passed away.
Multiple sources have confirmed Tetens’ passing to halfwheel. While an official cause of death has not yet been disclosed, several people said that he had been battling heart issues and that he passed peacefully.
Tetens previously said that he began selling his “conditioned” cigars in the early 1980s, rolling them himself and selling them in plastic bags. He was particular about referring to his creations as conditioned rather than infused or flavored, terms that became more common over the years. During the cigar boom of the mid-1990s, his cigars rose to a new level of prominence and, as such, became in demand. However, as the boom cooled, he moved on to other ventures, and his cigars became even harder to find.
In 2019, Tetens returned to the premium cigar industry after Alan Rubin, the founder of Alec Bradley, acquired Tetens’ brands and became their exclusive distributor. Tetens would make an appearance at the 2019 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show as part of the Alec Bradley booth, but would not return in subsequent years.
When Alec Bradley was acquired by Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) in February 2023, the Tetens brands were not part of the deal. Rather, World 180, the company that Rubin and Tetens created, was dissolved.
In addition to his work in the premium cigar industry, Tetens was a musician and artist, and produced a line of leather goods, fragrances, CBD, and cooking spices.
This is a developing story and more information will be added as it becomes available.
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