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Unique Packaging The Dutch Masters brand of naturally wrapped cigars began being sold in the United States back in 1911. The brand is known by many due to its unique packaging that features Rembrandt’s 1662 painting known as The Syndics of the Drapers’ Guild (De Staalmeesters). The men in the painting are known as drapers, and they were elected to determine the quality of cloth that weavers offered for sale to members of their association. There were four grades of quality, and a cloth’s quality was shown by the number of seals pressed into it. Four seals was the highest...

For those of you who are unaware, there is a lot that goes into the process of actually enjoying a cigar. This beginner guide will help you select the “best cigars” for you to practice with, and it will teach you what you need to know in the vast world of cigars. Look to Trying Mild Cigars This type of cigar is suggested for beginners, because a more full-flavored cigar would be too strong for a new cigar smoker to handle. These cigars are also a great option for newcomers, since they are the cheapest type of cigar available. Thus,...

Back in the days of clay and corn cob pipes; all that smokers really wanted was for their tobacco to stay alight so they could continue sucking in smoke (blowing it out into the faces of others wasn’t considered anti-social back then; let alone harmful to the health of the so called “passive smoker”). However, pipe smoking habits and social mores have changed somewhat since then. A Pipe Is Both A Prized Possession and an Indicator Of The Smoker’s Character I’m probably generalizing; but, it seems to me that today’s pipe smokers are somewhat introverted, solitary, intellectual types who like...

At first glance, the history of Tabacalera Oliva Tabolisa  (known, here in the States as the Oliva Cigar Co.) appears fairly mundane. One Melanio Oliva grew tobacco and founded the company in Cuba in 1886; the company is still family owned; but, has moved its headquarters to Miami Lakes, Florida. It is what happened to Oliva Cigars in between that reflects on politics. Aftermath of Revolutions After Castro’s Cuban revolution in 1959, Gilberto Oliva (the founder’s grandson) emigrated to Spain (taking the family with him). Without his Cuban farms; Gilberto continued to work with tobacco but as a broker –...

For the uninitiated among us, Phillies Cigars are an American cigar brand which originated around 1910 in Philadelphia from a company called Bayuk Cigars Inc. They were originally called Philadelphia Hand Made; but, after customers shortened the name to Phillies; the Buyuk brothers adopted Phillies Cigars as their brand name. The cigars still live on but the manufacture is now under Altadis USA Inc (a subsidiary of the Spanish company of the same name; which is currently owned by the British multi-national Imperial Tobacco Group). Phillies Cigars come in a wide selection of sizes, types and flavors including the, now, semi-infamous...