Edition One is a brand founded by Devin Gellis, the brother of Kyle Gellis of Warped Cigars. Like his brother, he's chosen to work with TABSA and his debut cigar line (Cloud Hopper) is an AGANORSA puro. Rather than go the traditional route and announce this project via press releases, Devin decided to shock the market with a soft release and let his cigars speak for themselves.
What follows is some Q&A with the man himself, Devin Gellis of Edition One!
How did Edition One come to be?
The idea came about from me seeing my time at UCF (go Knights) coming to an end. I have seen Kyle grow Warped for over a decade and the process he went about it always intrigued me. One day I inquired to him about starting a brand and asked for his guidance, which he gave me... and here we are.
What’s your inspiration for Cloud Hopper?
Kyle and I both are in the air a lot. I enjoy traveling very much and have spent a great deal of time on airplanes (as he has as well), so we were always sharing our flying stories with one another. Kyle mentioned one day over a conversation about my future that, "Devin, we cloud hop, we don't do well behind desks...its not normal for us." And thus Cloud Hopper™ was born.
What’s it like working with your brother and TABSA? How involved is Kyle in this project?
I have been around AGANORSA material through Kyle for years so, when it was time to decide where to work on the project, it was pretty much set. I think when you smoke it, you'll see the involvement level. It's a nice hybrid of his profile choices and mine.
Where do you see yourself in 3 and 5 years?
A little bit all over, haha. Running Edition One will take up alot of time, but Kyle offered to let me get my hands dirty at Delirio Coffee as well, so I am excited about that! We Gellis' live off coffee.
"Devin, we cloud hop, we don't do well behind desks...it's not normal for us."
Cloud Hopper comes in at a very attractive price point. How hard is it to make a debut cigar as a boutique brand for that price?
Just know what you want, and then approach it without wavering. It's not hard it just takes time and dedication to make sure you offer an exceptional cigar to the customer at that attractive price point.
After getting Edition One and Cloud Hopper off the ground, what are your key takeaways? Lessons learned?
Things take time, you're constantly adapting, and nothing is ever truly "done."
How would you characterize Cloud Hopper cigars to someone considering a purchase?
They're medium-bodied with a chewy fruit aspect and mild spice. And that was our goal, to create a medium-bodied blend with a fruity core and transitioning spice level at a great price.
Which drink pairings would you suggest for Cloud Hopper?
Irish Whiskey or a bourbon that is more citrus-forward.
What’s your favorite cigar memory?
Probably going with Kyle on one of his trips to visit retailers in NYC. We smoked our way through some amazing shops, met some amazing people, and smoked in some very cool places. I look forward to more of those times.
Leave your comment