Dunhill (cigar)

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.

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 and Romeo y Julieta. Dunhill became famous as the tobacconist of choice for George VI and the prodigious cigar smoker Sir 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 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.

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, 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

  • 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
  • The outside of a Dunhill cabinet
  • The cedar divider inside a Dunhill cabinet
  • A cabinet box of Dunhill Cabinettas
  • Dunhill Estupendos
  • A cabinet box of Dunhill Atados
  • Dunhill Havana Club
  • A box of Dunhill Mojitos
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See also

References

    Further reading
    • Min RonNee, An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars. Hong Kong: Interpro Business Corp., 2003.
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