Dunhill Cigars

NOTE: A little join to Dunhill's page.

Dunhill cigars were produced in Cuba by Cubatabaco for Alfred Dunhill of London from 1982 to 1991, in various countries afterwards, and are now owned by British American Tobacco (BAT).

The Dunhill logo

History

In 1907, Alfred Dunhill opened his first tobacco shop on Duke Street, London. Before the Cuban Revolution, 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 (cigar brand)|Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta (cigar brand). Dunhill became famous as the tobacconist of choice for George VI of the United Kingdom and the prodigious cigar smoker Winston Churchill. A popular legend tells that when the Dunhill store on Jermyn Street was destroyed in the London Blitz, Dunhill employees called Sir Winston at four o' clock in the morning to assure him his private collection of cigars (which he kept in the store's humidor) had been moved to safety.

After the Revolution, Dunhill's unique relationship with Cuban cigars would continue with the Cuba Revolution and Communist party rule (1959–present) 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.

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.

So Dunhill as a brand has historically been associated with pipes (and cigarettes) more than cigars. They did have exclusive distribution rights for several blends and brands of Cuban cigars before the revolution, but the Dunhill brand of cigars did not appear until the mid 1980’s, and it lasted only a few years. They entered the market in competition with Davidoff Cigars, and they lost that match decisively. But those were Cuban cigars competing in the European market. Dunhill is now owned by British American Tobacco and they are making inroads once again. They have released several non-Cuban blends that have done well, such as the Signed Range and the 1907, Dominican cigars that are on the mild to medium side. With the Dunhill Heritage line they are branching out with heavier fare: the Heritage is a more robust blend made in Honduras with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a binder from Nicaragua’s Jalapa Valley, and aged fillers from Nicaragua (Ometepe and Esteli) and Honduras (Jamastran). cigarfan.net [1]

Mr. Dunhill, a tall, stately man, on a visit here for the opening of the Dunhill “shop in” in the Bergdorf Goodman store in 1968, said his concern's cigar sales had expanded great ly with the transfer of basic Cuban producers to the Canary Islands. Even if Cuban cigars return to the United States, he said, the new sources of supply in the Canary Islands and Jamaica would remain import ant, because American smokers have become accustomed to the new tobacco and tobacco blends. The New York Times, July 9, 1971, Page 34.

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, these cigars command huge prices at auctions 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 bands, 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. 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 evaluating possible new locations in the Canary Islands, Dominican Republic, and Honduras 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