Joel Sherman, the former CEO of Nat Sherman has died. Sherman passed away on September 9th. He was 85 years old.

Joel was the son of Nat Sherman, the founder of the Nat Sherman brand. Nat Sherman was a popular retail store as well as cigarette and cigar brand that was based out of New York. Born in 1939, Joel started working with his father stocking shelves and sweeping the floors. By 1963, he had joined his father full-time at Nat Sherman. In 1978, Joel left Nat Sherman but upon his father’s death in 1990, he returned – this time to take the helm of Nat Sherman.  Upon Joel’s return, he brought his three children: Bill, Michele, and Larry into the family business.

Sherman also authored the book Nat Sherman’s A Passion for Cigars: Selecting, Preserving, Smoking and Savoring One of Life’s Greatest Pleasures. This was a primer on cigars and it was released in 1996 during the cigar boom.

In 2014, Joel Sherman turned 75 years old, and a special cigar release commemorated the event  – Joel Sherman 75th Celebration. That cigar went on to win the 2014 Cigar of the Year by Cigar Coop.

In 2017, the Sherman family sold Nat Sherman to Altria. This included the cigar and cigarette portfolio as well as the Nat Sherman Townhouse retail store in New York. In 2020, Altria exited the premium cigar business and the premium cigar brands were acquired by Michael Herklots and Brendon Scott, owners of Ferio Tego. Herklots and Scott are two former Nat Sherman employees.