четверг, 28 июня 2007 г.

Dunhill

Dunhill

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 manufacturer, selling exclusive and hard to find brands such as Don Candido and Dunhill's own Seleccion 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 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 Candido, its own Don Alfredo, and La Flor del Punto, plus the numerous Seleccion Suprema sizes produced by the marques that had survived nationalization.

Don Candido

Created in 1935 by Candido Vega Diaz, Don Candido 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 Candido Line

The following list of the Don Candido marque includes the size in inches and ring gauge with metric in parenthesis. 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.

* Seleccion No. 500 - 6 1/2 x 48 (165 x 19.05) Super Hermoso, a large toro

* Seleccion No. 501 - 6 1/2" x 42 (165 x 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale

* Seleccion No. 502 - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona

* Seleccion No. 504 - 5 1/2" x 52 (140 x 20.64 mm) Campana, a belicoso

* Seleccion No. 505 - 3 7/8" x 30 (100 x 11.91 mm) Entreacto, a demi tasse

* Seleccion No. 506 - 5 5/8" x 46 (143 x 18.26 mm) Corona Gorda, a toro

* Seleccion No. 508 - 6 7/8" x 28 (175 x 11.11 mm) Panetela Larga, a long panetela

* Lonsdale - 6 1/2" x 42 (165 x 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale

* Short Coronas - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona

Don Alfredo

Created sometime in the 1960's for Dunhill, named after Alfred Dunhill himself, and produced at the Jose 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 parenthesis. 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.

* Seleccion No. 51 - 6 1/2" x 42 (165 x 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale

* Seleccion No. 52 - 6 1/8" x 52 (156 x 20.64 mm) Piramide, a pyramid or torpedo

* Seleccion No. 53 - 5 5/8" x 42 (142 x 16.67 mm) Corona, a corona

* Seleccion No. 54 - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona

* Seleccion No. 55 - 4" x 40 (102 x 15.87 mm) Perla, a tres petit corona

* Seleccion No. 56 - 6 1/8" x 42 (155 x 16.67 mm) Corona Grande, a long corona

La Flor del Punto

Very little is known about this Dunhill-exclusive brand. Believed to have been introduced sometime in the 1970's and produced in the Partagas Factory.

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 parenthesis. 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.

* Seleccion No. 301 - 6 1/2" x 42 (165 x 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale

* Seleccion No. 303 - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona * Seleccion No. 302 - 5 5/8" x 42 (142 x 16.67 mm) Corona, a corona

* Seleccion No. 304 - 6 1/4" x 40 (160 x 15.87 mm), a long panetela

* Seleccion No. 305 - 6 1/4" x 42 (160 x 16.67 mm), a lonsdale

* Seleccion No. 307 - 4 3/4" x 26 (121 x 10.32 mm) Carolina, a cigarillo

Dunhill Exclusive Sizes

Dunhill

The following list of post-Revolution Dunhill exclusive sizes includes the brand, Dunhill numbering, and size in inches and ring gauge with metric in parenthesis. 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 Seleccion No. 98 - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona

* H. Upmann Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 11 - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Petit Corona, a petit corona

* H. Upmann Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 13 - 5 1/2" x 40 (140 x 15.87 mm) Crema, a corona

* H. Upmann Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 23 - 7" x 33 (178 x 13.10 mm) Ninfa, a long panetela

* H. Upmann Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 25 - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona

* H. Upmann Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 30 - 6 1/2" x 42 (165 x 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale

* Hoyo de Monterrey Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 622 - 5" x 35 (127 x 13.89 mm) Conchita, a small panetela

* Montecristo Dunhill Especial - 7 1/2" x 38 (192 x 15.08 mm) Laguito No. 1, a long panetela

* Montecristo Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 1 - 6 1/2" x 42 (165 x 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale

* Montecristo Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 2 - 6 1/8" x 52 (156 x 20.64 mm) Piramide, a pyramid or torpedo

* Montecristo Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 3 - 5 5/8" x 42 (142 x 16.67 mm) Corona, a corona

* Montecristo Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 4 - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona

* Montecristo Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 5 - 4" x 40 (102 x 15.87 mm) Perla, a tres petit corona

* Montecristo Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 32 - 4" x 40 (102 x 15.87 mm) Perla, a tres petit corona

* Montecristo Dunhill Seleccion Suprema Tubos - 6 1/8" x 42 (155 x 16.67 mm) Corona Grande, a long corona

* Partagas Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 151 - 4 7/8" x 34 (125 x 13.49 mm) Placera, a small panetela

* Por Larranaga Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 32 - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona

* Ramon Allones Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 11 - 5 3/8" x 42 (135 x 16.67 mm) Cosaco, a corona

* Ramon Allones Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 81 - 6 1/4" x 39 (160 x 15.48 mm) Topper, a long corona

* Ramon Allones Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 82 - 5 1/2" x 40 (140 x 15.87 mm) Crema, a corona

* Ramon Allones Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 280 - 5 3/8" x 42 (135 x 16.67 mm) Cosaco, a corona

* Ramon Allones Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 622 - 5" x 35 (127 x 13.89 mm) Conchita, a small panetela

* Romeo y Julieta Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 1 - 6 1/2" x 42 (165 x 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale

* Romeo y Julieta Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 2 - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona

* Romeo y Julieta Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 3 - 5 5/8" x 42 (142 x 16.67 mm) Corona, a corona

* Romeo y Julieta Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 11 - 5 1/8" x 40 (129 x 15.87 mm) Petit Cetro, a petit corona

* Romeo y Julieta Dunhill Seleccion Suprema No. 620 - 7" x 47 (178 x 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 scoping 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 parenthesis. 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 - 6 7/8" x 28 (175 x 11.11 mm) Panetela Larga, a long panetela

* Cabinetta - 4 7/8" x 50 (124 x 19.84 mm) Robusto, a robusto or rothschild

* Estupendos - 7" x 47 (178 x 18.65 mm) Julieta, a churchill

* Havana Club - 9 1/4" x 47 (235 x 18.65 mm) Gran Corona, a presidente

* Malecon - 6 1/2" x 42 (165 x 16.67 mm) Cervantes, a lonsdale

* Mojito - 5 5/8" x 42 (142 x 16.67 mm) Corona, a corona

* Tubo - 6 1/8" x 42 (155 x 16.67 mm) Corona Grande, a long corona

* Veradero - 5 1/8" x 42 (129 x 16.67 mm) Mareva, a petit corona

Sizes Never Produced

* Abajo - 6 1/8" x 52 (156 x 20.64 mm) Piramide, a pyramid or torpedo

* Chico Minor - 4 1/8" x 29 (106 x 11.51 mm) Chico, a cigarillo

* Chicola Minor - 4 1/8" x 29 (106 x 11.51 mm) Chico, a cigarillo

* Chico - 4 1/8" x 29 (106 x 11.51 mm) Chico, a cigarillo

* Demi Tasse - 3 7/8" x 30 (100 x 11.91 mm) Entreacto, a demi tasse

* Princess - 4 7/8" x 34 (125 x 13.49 mm) Placera, a small panetela

* Suprema - 4 1/2" x 40 (116 x 15.87 mm) Franciscano, a tres petit corona

When Dunhill first settled as a serious brand, it had the purpose of competing with Davidoff, something that came to the beginning of the end because of strong disagreements between the British Company and Cubatabaco (they had previously signed a manufacturing contract in 1982). As a result of this disagreement, this contract was finished in 1991 and the brand Dunhill was discontinued. Dunhill lived from 1984 to 1991. The most popular cigars produced by Dunhill could be Cabinetta, with medium strength and mixed balanced flavours such as fruits, honey and nuts, or Estupendos, similar to Cabinetta but richer in taste.

Cigars by Sizes

Ring Size is the width of your cigar. You can get an idea of how thick your cigar is by taking the ring size and dividing it by 64. This will give you the width in inches. A cigar with a ring size of 64 would be one inch in diameter. A cigar with a ring size of 32 would be a half of an inch (32/64).

Try to select a cigar with a larger ring size if you tend to have a heavy draw. A smaller ringed cigar will tend to taste harsh if your draw is heavy. This is because you are scorching your smoke. Even the finest cigar won't taste proper if you don't know your draw.

Cigars such as Gigantes or Presidentes are the largest cigars, they have ring sizes that can be as high as one inch. The Demitasse are the smallest and have ring sizes as small as thirty (30).

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