Dunhill (cigar brand) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Dunhill cigars were produced in Cuba by Cubatabaco

Cubatabaco

Cubatabaco, short for "Empresa Cubana del Tabaco," is the Cuban state tobacco company. The company was formed in 1962, after the Cuban tobacco industry had been nationalized by Fidel Castro's socialist government. Cubatabaco handled all production and distribution of Cuban tobacco products both...

for Alfred Dunhill of London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

from 1982 to 1991, in various countries afterwards, and are now owned by British American Tobacco

British American Tobacco

British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...

History

In 1907, Alfred Dunhill opened his first tobacco shop on Duke Street, London. Before the Cuban Revolution

Cuban Revolution

The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...

, Dunhill had numerous distribution and marketing agreements with several Cuban cigar manufacturers, selling exclusive and hard to find brands such as Don Cándido and Dunhill's own Selección Suprema line, with various sizes from many famous cigar makers such as Montecristo

Montecristo (cigar brand)

Montecristo is the name of two brands of premium cigars, one produced in Cuba for Habanos SA, the Cuban state-owned tobacco company, and the other produced in La Romana, Dominican Republic for the Franco-Spanish tobacco monopoly Altadis SA.- History :...

and Romeo y Julieta

Romeo y Julieta (cigar brand)

Romeo y Julieta is the name of two brands of premium cigar, one produced on the island of Cuba for Habanos SA, the Cuban state-owned tobacco company, and the other produced in La Romana, Dominican Republic for Altadis SA. -History:...

. Dunhill became famous as the tobacconist of choice for George VI

George VI of the United Kingdom

George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...

and the prodigious cigar smoker Sir Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...

. A popular legend tells that when the Dunhill store on Jermyn Street

Jermyn Street

Jermyn Street is a street in the City of Westminster, central London, to the south, parallel and adjacent to Piccadilly.It is well known as a street where the shops are almost exclusively aimed at the Gentleman's market and is famous for its resident shirtmakers Jermyn Street is a street in the...

was destroyed in the London Blitz, Dunhill employees called Sir Winston at four o' clock at night to assure him his private collection of cigars (which he kept in the store's humidor) had been relocated beforehand to safety.

After the Revolution, Dunhill's unique relationship with Cuban cigars would continue with the communist government's tobacco monopoly, Cubatabaco. Dunhill was given the exclusive rights to three different brands: Don Cándido, its own Don Alfredo, and La Flor del Punto, plus the numerous Selección Suprema sizes produced by the marques that had survived nationalization

Nationalization

Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...

.

In 1967 the tobacco branch of Alfred Dunhill Ltd was sold off and became its own separate entity. In 1981 tobacco blending (of the Dunhill pipe tobaccos, at least) was transferred to Murrays, of Belfast. In 2005 it was transferred to Orlik of Denmark, renewing debate about blending/flavor changes in Dunhill's pipe tobaccos.

Don Cándido

Created in 1935 by Cándido Vega Díaz, Don Cándido cigars were meant as a super-premium brother to the El Rey del Mundo brand Vega already owned for distribution exclusively by Dunhill. Produced in the Briones Montoto (formerly Romeo y Julieta) Factory in Havana

Havana

Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...

, these cigars command huge prices at auction

Auction

An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...

s from cigar connoisseurs and collectors.

Vitolas in the Don Cándido Line

The following list of the Don Cándido marque includes the size in inches and ring gauge with metric in parentheses. Also, the vitola de galera or factory name of that size is included (if known) along with its popular size name in American cigar vocabulary.

Selección No. 500 - 6½" × 48 (165 × 19.05 mm) Super Hermoso, a large toro
Selección No. 501 - 6½" × 42 (165 × 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale
Selección No. 502 - 5⅛" × 42 (129 × 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona
Selección No. 504 - 5½" × 52 (140 × 20.64 mm) Campana, a belicoso
Selección No. 505 - 3⅞" × 30 (100 × 11.91 mm) Entreacto, a demi tasse
Selección No. 506 - 5⅝" × 46 (143 × 18.26 mm) Corona Gorda, a toro
Selección No. 508 - 6⅞" × 28 (175 × 11.11 mm) Panetela Larga, a long panetela
Lonsdale - 6½" × 42 (165 × 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale
Short Coronas - 5⅛" × 42 (129 × 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona

Don Alfredo

Created sometime in the 1960s for Dunhill, named after Alfred Dunhill himself, and produced at the José Marti (formerly H. Upmann) Factory.

Vitolas in the Don Alfredo line

The following list of the Don Alfredo marque includes the size in inches and ring gauge with metric in parentheses. Also, the vitola de galera or factory name of that size is included (if known) along with its popular size name in American cigar vocabulary.

Selección No. 51 - 6½" × 42 (165 × 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale
Selección No. 52 - 6⅛" × 52 (156 × 20.64 mm) Pirámide, a pyramid or torpedo
Selección No. 53 - 5⅝" × 42 (142 × 16.67 mm) Corona, a corona
Selección No. 54 - 5⅛" × 42 (129 × 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona
Selección No. 55 - 4" × 40 (102 × 15.87 mm) Perla, a tres petit corona
Selección No. 56 - 6⅛" × 42 (155 × 16.67 mm) Corona Grande, a long corona

La Flor del Punto

Very little is known about this Dunhill-exclusive brand. It is believed to have been introduced sometime in the 1970s and produced in the Partagás Factory. The name may be a reference to the signature "White Spot" of inset ivory on the shank of every Dunhill smoking pipe, as one of the meanings of the Spanish word punto is "dot" or "point". The same "White Spot" also appeared on Dunhill-exclusive cigar band

Cigar band

A cigar band is a loop made of paper or foil fitted around the body of a cigar to denote its brand or variety. Although origins of the device are the subject of several legends, modern historians credit a European immigrant to Cuba named Gustave Bock with invention of the cigar band in the 1830s...

s, up until the creation of the Dunhill cigar itself.

Vitolas in the La Flor del Punto line

The following list of the La Flor del Punto marque includes the size in inches and ring gauge with metric in parentheses. Also, the vitola de galera or factory name of that size is included (if known) along with its popular size name in American cigar vocabulary.

Selección No. 301 - 6½" × 42 (165 × 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale
Selección No. 302 - 5⅝" × 42 (142 × 16.67 mm) Corona, a corona
Selección No. 303 - 5⅛" × 42 (129 × 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona
Selección No. 304 - 6¼" × 40 (160 × 15.87 mm), a long panetela
Selección No. 305 - 6¼" × 42 (160 × 16.67 mm), a lonsdale
Selección No. 307 - 4¾" × 26 (121 × 10.32 mm) Carolina, a cigarillo

Dunhill Exclusive Sizes

The following list of post-Revolution Dunhill exclusive sizes includes the brand, Dunhill numbering, and size in inches and ring gauge with metric in parentheses. Also, the vitola de galera or factory name of that size is included along with its popular size name in American cigar vocabulary.

El Rey del Mundo Dunhill Selección No. 98 - 5⅛" × 42 (129 × 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona
H. Upmann Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 11 - 5⅛" × 42 (129 × 16.67 mm) Petit Corona, a petit corona
H. Upmann Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 13 - 5½" × 40 (140 × 15.87 mm) Crema, a corona
H. Upmann Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 23 - 7" × 33 (178 × 13.10 mm) Ninfa, a long panetela
H. Upmann Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 25 - 5⅛" × 42 (129 × 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona
H. Upmann Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 30 - 6½" × 42 (165 × 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale
Hoyo de Monterrey Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 622 - 5" × 35 (127 × 13.89 mm) Conchita, a small panetela
Montecristo Dunhill Especial - 7½" × 38 (192 × 15.08 mm) Laguito No. 1, a long panetela
Montecristo Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 1 - 6½" × 42 (165 × 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale
Montecristo Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 2 - 6⅛" × 52 (156 × 20.64 mm) Pirámide, a pyramid or torpedo
Montecristo Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 3 - 5⅝" × 42 (142 × 16.67 mm) Corona, a corona
Montecristo Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 4 - 5⅛" × 42 (129 × 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona
Montecristo Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 5 - 4" × 40 (102 × 15.87 mm) Perla, a tres petit corona
Montecristo Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 32 - 4" × 40 (102 × 15.87 mm) Perla, a tres petit corona
Montecristo Dunhill Selección Suprema Tubos - 6⅛" × 42 (155 × 16.67 mm) Corona Grande, a long corona
Partagás Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 151 - 4⅞" × 34 (125 × 13.49 mm) Placera, a small panetela
Por Larrañaga Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 32 - 5⅛" × 42 (129 × 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona
Ramón Allones Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 11 - 5⅜" × 42 (135 × 16.67 mm) Cosaco, a corona
Ramón Allones Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 81 - 5½" × 40 (140 × 15.87 mm) Crema, a corona
Ramón Allones Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 82 - 6¼" × 39 (160 × 15.48 mm) Topper, a long corona
Ramón Allones Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 280 - 5⅜" × 42 (135 × 16.67 mm) Cosaco, a corona
Ramón Allones Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 622 - 5" × 35 (127 × 13.89 mm) Conchita, a small panetela
Romeo y Julieta Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 1 - 6½" × 42 (165 × 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale
Romeo y Julieta Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 2 - 5⅛" × 42 (129 × 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona
Romeo y Julieta Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 3 - 5⅝" × 42 (142 × 16.67 mm) Corona, a corona
Romeo y Julieta Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 11 - 5⅛" × 40 (129 × 15.87 mm) Petit Cetro, a petit corona
Romeo y Julieta Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 620 - 7" × 47 (178 × 18.65 mm) Julieta, a churchill

Dunhill Cigars

Beginning in 1977, Dunhill and Cubatabaco began discussing the possibility of producing a cigar brand bearing the name of Dunhill. An agreement was finally reached in 1982 and Dunhill cigars hit stores in 1984, starting with the Dunhill stores of ten countries and eventually expanding to thirty. The ultimate downfall of the Dunhill brand was that it was out to compete with the other high-end private label, Davidoff

Davidoff

Davidoff is a Swiss luxury tobacco goods brand name, which is carried by a range of products including cigars, cigarettes and pipe tobaccos. Its cigarette brand is currently owned by Imperial Tobacco but the company is otherwise independently owned....

. Seeing as how both brands were being produced by Cubatabaco, the Cuban tobacco monopoly wanted to make profits from both and had no wish to participate in the market competition between the two tobacconists. Unhappy with Cubatabaco's unwillingness, when the original contract expired in 1991 Dunhill chose not to renew, having already begun scoping possible new locations in the Canary Islands

Canary Islands

The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...

, Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

, and Honduras

Honduras

Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...

for cigar production. Eventually, Dunhill would give up making cigars altogether and sold the rights to put its name on tobacco products to British American Tobacco.

Today, the original Dunhill Cuban cigars have become prized items for connoisseurs and collectors and demand high prices at auctions and from vintage merchants.

Vitolas in the Cuban Dunhill Line

The following list of the Dunhill marque includes the size in inches and ring gauge with metric in parentheses. Also, the vitola de galera or factory name of that size is included (if known) along with its popular size name in American cigar vocabulary. Of note, there are several sizes listed that most likely existed only on paper and were never produced in Dunhill's short history as a Cuban cigar.

Hand-Made Vitolas

Atado - 6⅞" × 28 (175 × 11.11 mm) Panetela Larga, a long panetela
Cabinetta - 4⅞" × 50 (124 × 19.84 mm) Robusto, a robusto or rothschild
Estupendos - 7" × 47 (178 × 18.65 mm) Julieta, a churchill
Havana Club - 9¼" × 47 (235 × 18.65 mm) Gran Corona, a presidente
Malecon - 6½" × 42 (165 × 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale
Mojito - 5⅝" × 42 (142 × 16.67 mm) Corona, a corona
Tubo - 6⅛" × 42 (155 × 16.67 mm) Corona Grande, a long corona
Veradero - 5⅛" × 42 (129 × 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona

Sizes Never Produced

Abajo - 6⅛" × 52 (156 × 20.64 mm) Pirámide, a pyramid or torpedo
Chico Minor - 4⅛" × 29 (106 × 11.51 mm) Chico, a cigarillo
Chicola Minor - 4⅛" × 29 (106 × 11.51 mm) Chico, a cigarillo
Chico - 4⅛" × 29 (106 × 11.51 mm) Chico, a cigarillo
Demi Tasse - 3⅞" × 30 (100 × 11.91 mm) Entreacto, a demi tasse
Princess - 4⅞" × 34 (125 × 13.49 mm) Placera, a small panetela
Suprema - 4½" × 40 (116 × 15.87 mm) Franciscano, a tres petit corona

External links

Dunhill Cigars

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