We’ve all been there, we all seek those moments, you know the moment when the world stops spinning, your pulse slows down, your thoughts disappear for a moment, the moment when you are in harmony with yourself and your surroundings. A glass of wine with its sweetness, cognac with its depth and cigars with complexes that make time slow down and give the body a feeling of well-being. You know the moments I’m talking about.
We usually only get those moments from gastronomic experiences, we “force” ourselves to let go of all the problems in life for a moment, and just be one with time and our selfs.
Today there are a lot of companies around the world driven by purely economic purposes and we have to be critical of what we put into our bodies. If you take the time to unwind, the time should be filled with joy and experiences that make you be one with yourself. A bad glass of wine or a bitter cigar will ruin your moment, it will bring you back to where you don’t want to be, the moment that should be yours to enjoy became a moment of disappointment and frustration.
I have long been a big fan of El Septimo, not only for the products but also for the passion that lies behind all the work.
Most of those who have read about Zaya Younan know that he would make better money in his other businesses than in cigars and wine. But instead of investing time in his million projects more, his passion for taste sensations and love for the ultimate experiences has driven him to what we know today as El Septimo.
Most of those who know me know that I always have to satisfy my curiosity and that has led us to this article. I have previously written about their cigars and Zaya’s history, Lets go into the depths of what drives him and distinguishes the brand from most on the market. Now let’s go into the depths of El Septimo but not as a cigar, wine or cognac brand, let’s see what makes El Septimo unique as a sensory experience brand where quality and enjoyment are in focus.
1) Do you feel that today more than ever before, the right gastronomic and sensory experiences are more important than ever before?
Yes — more than ever. Today people are overstimulated, exhausted, and surrounded by speed, noise, and pressure. A true sensory experience is no longer a luxury; it becomes medicine for the mind. When taste is real, slow, and layered, it forces you to return to the present moment. That’s where peace lives.
2) Why do you think more companies don’t create taste experiences the way you do?
Because creating real taste is expensive, time-consuming, and brutally unforgiving. Most companies build products to fit budgets, schedules, and marketing timelines. I build products to fit truth — what the raw material can become if you respect it long enough.
Taste is not manufactured. Taste is earned.
3) Taste seems at the core of everything you create. What is it about taste that drives you?
Taste is one of the only experiences that cannot be faked for long. A logo can be copied. A story can be purchased. A luxury price tag can be invented. But taste exposes everything.
And what fascinates me most is that taste is architecture — it has structure, rhythm, evolution, surprise, and emotion. It’s a living experience that unfolds in layers. That’s why I push it.
4) You stay in demanding industries even though other ventures may be more financially efficient. Why is taste worth the fight?
Because I’m not chasing efficiency — I’m chasing mastery.
The world has enough “good” products. I’m here to create unforgettable ones. When someone tastes something truly exceptional, it changes their mood, their memory, their standards. That impact is priceless. You don’t forget a moment of greatness.
5) Cigars, wine, vodka, cognac, whisky — what similarities do you see in how flavor is built?
They all follow the same laws: purity of raw material, time, precision, and balance.
Whether it’s tobacco, grapes, or grains — the flavor is built long before production begins. The farming, the selection, the fermentation, the aging — that is where greatness is born. The final product is simply the proof.
6) Even when products differ, there is a recognizable El Septimo signature. How do you ensure that DNA stays consistent?
El Septimo has a signature: smoothness, depth, natural sweetness, and evolution without harshness.
We achieve that through obsessive control over fermentation and aging, blending tobaccos and components from the best origins in the world, and refusing shortcuts. You can always recognize El Septimo because it never attacks you — it invites you.
7) How has cigar work sharpened your spirits work — and vice versa?
Cigars taught me how flavor develops under heat and time, how bitterness is created, and how harmony can collapse if the structure is wrong.
Spirits taught me refinement — how elegance, cleanliness, and finish matter as much as intensity.
Together, they made me more precise: cigars gave me depth, spirits gave me discipline.
8) If El Septimo could only be defined through taste — what would it feel like?
It would feel like entering a world where everything slows down — where the first sensation is silk, then complexity, then warmth, then beauty.
A beginning that’s gentle. A middle that becomes deeper. And an ending that stays with you like a memory.
9) What have been your most important discoveries in cigars and spirits?
That time is not a marketing claim — it’s chemistry.
In cigars, long fermentation and long aging remove harsh elements and create a three-dimensional flavor structure.
In spirits, patience creates integration — not just aroma, but a refined finish that feels effortless.
My biggest discovery is simple: quality is not added. It is revealed.
10) What are your non-negotiables in taste?
No shortcuts. No speed. No compromise in raw materials.
We never accept bitterness as “normal.” We never accept harshness as “strength.”
Taste must be clean. Smooth. Deep. Elegant. And stable — every time.
11) How will indulgence and slowness evolve in the coming decades?
People will crave slowness again. The future will be faster, more digital, more artificial — which means the hunger for real craftsmanship will grow.
The most valuable luxury won’t be a product. It will be a moment — undisturbed, human, sensory, meaningful.
12) After the cigar is finished or the glass is empty — what do you hope lingers?
Not just flavor — emotion.
A feeling of calm satisfaction. A memory of excellence. A sense that the world can still produce something pure and beautiful.
13) Do tobacco, grapes, and grains share cultivation principles for depth and purity?
Absolutely. Great flavor demands the same foundation: healthy soil, clean farming, perfect harvest timing, and respect for nature.
When you force nature, you get volume. When you honor nature, you get depth.
14) How do your products influence customers beyond the palate?
Exceptional taste changes people mentally. It lowers stress. It creates presence. It becomes a ritual.
Many customers tell me El Septimo is not just a cigar — it’s their hour of peace.
15) Do you see El Septimo as part of a broader culture of taste?
Yes. We’re not selling items — we’re defending a culture.
El Septimo is a statement: craftsmanship still matters, patience still matters, and real taste still exists.
16) What inspires you when developing new products?
Mostly emotions and memories — moments of stillness, moments of triumph, moments of beauty.
Taste is not only chemistry — it’s storytelling. I want every creation to feel like it belongs to a bigger world.
17) Why do so many exclusive brands taste interchangeable?
Because most of them are built on positioning, not mastery.
Many brands buy the same raw materials, follow the same short processes, and depend on branding to create difference. Real difference only comes from process, time, and obsession.
18) Has mass industrialization dulled our sensitivity to flavor?
Yes. Industrialization created “acceptable taste,” but it trained people to tolerate flatness.
When someone experiences a truly layered cigar or spirit, their palate wakes up again — and then they can’t go back.
19) What is the most dangerous mistake a luxury brand can make in taste?
Confusing intensity with quality.
Harshness is not strength. Bitterness is not sophistication.
True luxury is smooth power — not aggression.
20) The most beautiful moment you’ve witnessed with a customer?
When someone takes the first draw, pauses, closes their eyes, and smiles — because they realize they’re experiencing something rare.
In that moment, you don’t need marketing. The taste speaks.
21) Is there a feeling you want every customer to experience?
Yes: “I deserve this.”
A feeling of reward, calm, and elevation — like life slowed down just for them.
22) What truly separates El Septimo from other brands claiming excellence?
We don’t compete with cigars — we compete with time and physics.
Our fermentation and aging philosophy, our global blending, our obsession with smoothness, and our innovation mindset make El Septimo fundamentally different. We engineer taste like a luxury house engineers a masterpiece.
23) What’s the most time-consuming part customers never see?
Fermentation and aging discipline — the hidden years.
Most people don’t see the long process of breaking down harsh compounds, stabilizing flavor, and creating balance. That is where the masterpiece is made.
24) Are there details you obsess over that few people notice?
Yes — burn temperature control, moisture stability, draw resistance, the evolution curve across thirds, and the finish.
Most people only notice taste. I notice why taste happens.
25) What’s next for El Septimo?
El Septimo will continue expanding across cigars and spirits, but always with the same mission: redefine luxury through taste and innovation.
The next era is about deeper craftsmanship, new technologies around temperature and sensory control, and spirits that carry the same El Septimo signature of elegance and power.
26) Whisky is coming — what can we expect?
A whisky that is not designed for trends — but for legacy.
It will be refined, layered, and built for an elevated finish — with the same philosophy I apply to cigars: structure, smoothness, depth, and evolution.
It won’t be loud. It will be unforgettable.
27) Your patented cooling ashtray — how does it work and when can we see it?
Heat is the enemy of flavor. Overheating creates bitterness and burns the natural oils that give the cigar its elegance.
My cooling ashtray is designed to reduce that overheating effect — it helps keep the cigar cooler during resting moments, protects the oils, and preserves the flavor integrity from beginning to end.
It’s a sensory innovation: taste control through temperature control. You will see it on the market as we finalize production at the level of quality I demand.
28) Freezing cigars: Why do most people say not to freeze cigars?
Because most cigars are not built to withstand extreme temperature changes — their construction is not stable enough and their moisture content isn’t engineered for it.
A truly premium cigar — well fermented, properly aged, properly constructed — remains intact, and the colder smoke can actually deliver a cleaner, smoother, more aromatic experience.
People repeat old rules without understanding the science.
29) What drives you? What makes you unique?
I’m not a manufacturer — I’m an inventor.
I study taste the way an engineer studies physics. I challenge tradition when it limits flavor. I’m building a house of luxury where the product is not only beautiful — it’s technically superior, emotionally powerful, and unforgettable.
30) Pairing cigars with wine, cognac, spirits — which pairings do you love?
Pairing is about harmony: match intensity, match sweetness, balance tannin and spice.
With red wine:
- Medium/full-bodied El Septimo cigars pair beautifully with structured Bordeaux-style wines.
- Aged cigars with natural sweetness work well with wines that have depth and long finish.
With cognac:
- Rich Maduro-style cigars pair best with XO cognac because the caramel, spice, and oak mirror the cigar’s depth.
With vodka:
- A smoother, elegant cigar works best — vodka highlights purity and makes the cigar’s aromas shine.
31) Which cigar is the “all-around” pairing cigar?
A balanced cigar — medium strength, deep aroma, smooth finish — is the best universal pairing cigar.
If a cigar is too aggressive, it dominates the drink. A truly refined cigar allows the drink and cigar to dance together.
Most universal spirit pairings:
- A refined XO cognac pairs with the widest range of cigars.
- A structured red wine also pairs broadly, especially with aged, smooth cigars.
32) For you personally, what is the ultimate experience?
Silence.
A perfectly aged cigar with an elegant spirit — and enough time to let the experience unfold without interruption.
That is the true luxury: taste, time, and peace — all at once.
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