A Life Without Limits: The Story of Black Label

By Peter Stefanic, VDG Cigars

Some brands you discover through a cigar. Black Label Trading Company is one of those brands you discover through a story — and then you can’t stop reading.

Founded in 2013 by Angela and James Brown, BLTC is not a brand that was built in a boardroom. It was built on the road. On a honeymoon that never ended. Through a Day Spa in Mexico, an eco-lodge on a beach in West Africa, an adventure travel company in Guatemala, and finally — a cigar factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, that the two of them built from the ground up with no industry contacts and no roadmap.

Thirteen years later, Fábrica Oveja Negra — the Black Sheep Factory — stands as one of the most fiercely independent operations in the premium cigar world. Every blend, every piece of artwork, every decision carries the fingerprints of two people who refused to do things the way everyone else did.

James is the blender, the artist, the creative force. But behind every great venture, there is someone who holds it together — who sees clearly when passion clouds the view, who critiques honestly when praise would be easier.

That person is Angela.

I thought we’d start a little bit from the beginning. A bit of a timeline, as people have read about you on the internet — you’ve lived a life that many only dream of.

Angela, as I understand it, you started smoking cigars occasionally in college. Was that where your interest began?

There was a really nice cigar bar near my house when I lived in Houston. It caught my interest more as a classy bar, but that’s where I began to take an interest in cigars.

How did you and your husband meet?

We both worked in the wine business and a mutual friend set us up on a blind date. I was intrigued to meet James since I had heard he was a wine sommelier and I was trying to learn as much as possible about wine.

Are you also a wine sommelier?

James is the wine sommelier — I am a connoisseur. Our relationship began through wine so it’s always going to be important to us.

Today it feels like divorce rates are increasing. People get married for the wrong reasons, give up when things get tough, and take the “easy” path. You and James have been married for 23 years — and built everything together. How long have you been together, and what advice do you have for other couples out there?

We have been married for 23 years and have had many adventures since the moment we met. We have made a point to always check in with each other over the years to reaffirm our connection and confirm we are on the same path. Finding your soulmate is amazing and not to be taken for granted — we acknowledge that each day. We have not only been married for 23 years but also business partners as well. That adds another complexity to our relationship, but we wouldn’t want it any other way (except on Mondays, lol).

Your 23 years of marriage is amazing, congratulations. I believe too many in today’s society give up too easily — take the easy way out instead of compromising and finding the value in what brought them together. Leaving kids with separated families. If it’s okay I ask, do you have any advice for newlyweds?

Being committed to the relationship is the most important aspect of being married.

You decided to move to Mexico, where you had a Day Spa and James was painting. How did those years affect you?

We went to Mexico on our honeymoon and decided to stay. We kept extending our flight and hotel reservations until we decided to just go for it. At the time, Day Spas were very popular and there wasn’t one nearby, so we saw the potential. James helped design the spa and then decided to focus on painting full time. I would work every day at the spa and James would have a few art gallery exhibitions and make more money than me. We laugh about that — it was a fun time.

You sold your business in Mexico and decided to embark on a journey that incredibly few would dare — a journey through Africa by car. What attracted you? How did the journey shape you personally? Is there any lesson you learned that you feel could be worth teaching to today’s youth?

This is a very long part of our story and our journey together that has shaped who we are today. I will give the brief edition. It was intended to be a yearlong drive across Africa — London to Cape Town — with a charitable initiative, a donation per mile driven. Once we arrived in West Africa, we decided to take a break. The beaches were so beautiful, and we started daydreaming about building a luxury eco-lodge on the beach. So we did just that, and a few years into the business our son was born. It was a great place to raise a child until we felt the pull to be closer to our family in Texas — and further from the many snakes that were all around.

How do you know the dream is worth following? You went to Africa for one year and your dreams changed. How important is it to be open-minded?

We lived in Africa for 5 years and adapted our plans along the way. Being able to have an open mind and see the opportunities along the way is very important.

You had a tour company in Guatemala — it sounds a bit like the two of you. What was that period in your life like?

We brought the African Safari to Central America and created an upscale adventure travel company. It was very exciting getting to bring all the aspects of our careers together — hotel, wine, travel, and adventure. Our expeditions would venture into Nicaragua on occasion and we became very interested in the cigar culture. But our interest was centered around the tobacco, the farms, and the cigar factories. We spent a lot of our off-time learning everything we could. James became obsessed and, like all his obsessions, he felt the need to learn as much as possible. Just like becoming a wine sommelier, he focused on the flavors and attributes of tobacco and how to blend them to create something special.

What made you get into the cigar industry?

James created a few blends that he was very proud of. He had them made in Estelí and offered them to our travel clients. They would get back home to the US and ask how they could get more. That sparked the idea.

How did your background in wine help you?

I am an excellent critic, so I like to think that my responsibility is to be honest when tasting new blends. James is the real talent behind our cigars. He makes unique cigars and I attribute that to his exceptional palate and sommelier training.

What made you start your own factory instead of outsourcing?

We started Black Label Trading Co. in 2013 working with a large factory in Estelí. We would source our own tobacco and check on the process every couple of weeks. At the time we lived in Guatemala, so we would be driving back and forth through El Salvador and Honduras to reach Nicaragua. We did this on a regular basis and it started taking a toll. We also noticed the quality of our cigars was beginning to suffer — they weren’t being made with our tobacco or aged to our specifications. We hit a turning point and realized we needed to make a big change and investment to guarantee our cigars properly represented us. We decided to move to Estelí and open our own factory. This was a huge change for us, especially with our young son in tow. We agreed to try it for one year. That was 13 years ago.

The name Oveja Negra — Black Sheep — is quite funny when you hear it, but also profound when you think about it. What is the story behind the name and what does it mean to you?

We came up with the name Fábrica Oveja Negra for our factory since it really represented us and what we wanted to do. We came at the industry as complete outsiders with no experience or contacts in the business. This gave us the advantage to do things the way we wanted to do them without any outside influence. We are Black Sheep — people thought we were crazy and didn’t know if they should take us seriously. But we are still here, and we have a lot more to prove.

What defines you? When I look online at BLTC, I get a sense of rebelliousness — a feeling of “dare to be yourself, regardless of what others think.”

True to our Black Sheep identity, we stand apart in an industry driven by replication. Our vision is unapologetically original, expressed through every cigar and every piece of artwork we create. With James leading both the artistic direction and cigar blending, every detail is intentionally crafted to bring that vision to life.

I believe every story is unique and one of my goals is to help inspire others to achieve their dreams and give value to our readers’ lives — more than only cigars. Only through chasing your dreams can you find true well-being within yourself, I believe. You and your husband never let fear control your goals. What is your best advice when following your dreams? When fear strikes?

It’s important to stay focused on the goal and not let the obstacles get in the way. Fear is an important motivator to help push you forward. It’s one of the hardest things to deal with, but when you believe in your vision it’s worth it. We always accepted with each new venture that we may fail.

The feeling I got from you two via social media is that you still have the curiosity and courage you only see in children today — a desire to learn, explore, and experience. What is your best advice for someone who wants to keep the courage to build the life they dream of?

We have always made very bold decisions and never looked back. We have embraced our fears along the way and grown from each experience and adventure we have had. Our philosophy has always been that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, so live today like it could be your last. And never let fear get in the way of making a big move or decision. We might make it look easy at times, but there have been a lot of struggles along the way. I have no regrets choosing our alternative path and feel so thankful I have had an amazing companion — and great cigars — for the journey.

250 year old house restoration to a lounge. Building a new house is a big project — restoration of a 250-year-old house is something most people and many builders wouldn’t dare. Can you tell me more about the project?

We were able to imagine how beautiful the place could be and stuck with it. Now it’s a lovely space we get to share with our clients and visitors. We have always believed it’s important to represent yourselves through your surroundings.

In January, we completed the restoration of a 250-year-old house in the colonial town of Granada, transforming it into our private Cigar Supper Club. We host a select number of factory tours each year, and now we’re able to elevate the experience by beginning with an evening in this beautiful space — enjoying a curated dinner paired with cigars and wine. It’s the perfect start to a week of camaraderie, culture, and, of course, cigars.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Our life has taken many turns that have led us to what our true passion is. I love the cigar culture and meeting people across the world with similar interests. We have more exciting times ahead in the cigar business.

Finally — can you tell us a little about your core line cigars so our readers know where to start?

The first blend James created, Last Rites, has continued to be one of our best sellers after all these years. Royalty, Lawless, and Salvation — also released in 2013 — have continued to be top sellers as well. In 2015 we created Killer Bee and The Hornet, and those blends are crowd favorites. James has developed many amazing cigars over the years, but our core line will always be very important to us.

Last Rites has been with you from the very beginning. What makes it still stand out after all these years?

Released in 2013 as our premier blend, Last Rites was created to showcase the bold, full flavor of Nicaraguan tobacco. At a time when the premium cigar world was largely focused on Dominican tobacco, it was a risky move — but one that paid off. More than a decade later, Last Rites remains a cornerstone of our portfolio, while Nicaragua has risen to become the leading exporter of premium cigars to the U.S. market.

For someone who has never tried a BLTC cigar — where would you tell a new smoker to start, and why?

When someone is choosing their first Black Label cigar, I usually suggest starting with Royalty, Porcelain or Salvation. Those are our medium-bodied cigars and a great introduction before moving into something fuller like Lawless, Last Rites or Bishops Blend.

We skip the mild category because we want to showcase the range of flavors you can get from Nicaraguan tobacco. Nicaragua has such diverse growing regions — from tobacco grown on a volcanic island to higher-altitude areas. We think about it a lot like terroir in wine. Where the tobacco is grown really comes through in the flavor.

Is there a cigar in the lineup that is closest to your own heart — one that means something personal to you?

Its like asking someone to pick there favorite child. We have so many blends that I love and it really depends on the time of day, pairing or my mood. I do tend to have a few in my dialy rotation such as Santa Muerte, Killer Bee, Royalty, Porcelain, Lawless. But I am always changing it up. I really think we have a cigar for eveyrones preference.

To explore the full Black Label Trading Company lineup, visit their website: Oveja Negra Brands – Where Art and Tobacco Collide

Angela, thank you for taking the time to share your story with us. Not just the cigars, but the life behind them. The bold decisions, the years on the road, the courage to build something from nothing in places most people would never dare to go. I hope everyone who reads this takes something with them. Because this is not only a story about a cigar brand. It is a story about what happens when you stop waiting for the right moment and simply go. Follow your dreams. Stay open to where they take you. And never let fear make the decision for you. — Peter Stefanic, VDG Cigars