Photos Saint Luis Rey History

Photos

Saint Luis Rey cigars were exclusively intended for the British market for decades. The brand combines an exceptional distribution history with its Cuban origins and a reputation for intense, full-bodied Habanos from the Vuelta Abajo and Semi Vuelta regions.

History

The brand was established in the late 1930s and was founded by the British company Zamora and Guerra. For many decades, Saint Luis Rey remained exclusively available in Great Britain, before Habanos commenced worldwide export in 1993.

👉 Now read 👉 The fascinating Saint Luis Rey story – Legend and myth of Cuba's most famous cigar

The Saint Luis Rey brand is a traditional Habanos brand. It was introduced in the 1940s.

The brand name most likely refers to San Luis, located in Pinar del Rio in the west of the island.

This logo of the Saint Luis Rey brand is found on the brand's cigar bands.

San Luis, the name of a city and a municipality in the province of Pinar del Río in western Cuba.

The Pinar del Río region, and with it the municipality of San Luis, is Cuba's best tobacco-growing region.

The Saint Luis Rey Regios cigar is now the only format in the brand's portfolio. The cigar has a 48 ring gauge with a length of 127mm.

Even in the 1970s, the Saint Luis Rey brand's portfolio was very extensive. (Source: Min Ron Nee: “AN ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF POST-REVOLUTION HAVANA CIGARS”, Hong Kong 2003, ISBN: 978-3980930826)

The Saint Luis Rey cigar factory was located at Calzada del Monte No. 810. The house itself no longer stands (gap), only numbers 808 and 812 remain.

This is the house next to the former Saint Luis Rey Manufactory on Calzada del Monte. It will certainly have looked the same as No. 810 and many other houses on the street: columns below, with one or two storeys above.

External website: Search on Google for the history of Saint-Louis

Readers review Origin Of Cigar

5.0

5.0 out of 5 stars (based on 21 reviews)

Excellent

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

View all reviews or rate it yourself

Photos Rafael González

The 5th Earl of Lonsdale, Hugh Cecil Lowther, had his own cigar created and memorialised his name with a format designation, namely Lonsdale.

Flor de Rafæel Gonzáles Marquez: this is the official name of the brand today.

Flor de Rafael Gonzáles Marquez: Today, the brand is usually just called Rafael González, but it is also known as Flor de González or Flor de Márquez. But here the rule is: many names, one brand.

From the beginning until a few years ago, this notice was found on every box: The cigars should either be smoked within a month or after a few years. This applies not only to Rafael González brand cigars.

The old design of the Rafael González boxes: It is written on the bottom of the box that these cigars were created „... BY THE MARQUEZ RAFAEL GONZALEZ GRANDEE OF SPAIN...”. Apart from this statement, however, there is no evidence of the existence of this count or marquis.

The modern and contemporary design of the Flor de Rafael Gonzalez: no longer a decorated box, but a semi-boìte box made of natural wood.

The cigar ring of the Rafael González cigars has also been changed, but is still very similar to the old ring that the formats used to have.

Rafael Gonzalez brand cigars have been produced in this factory on Calle Belascoain No. 852 for decades, at the latest since 1940.

The factory where the Rafael González brand cigars were made on Calle Belascoain No.852. This factory was the El Rey del Mundo factory, then the Romeo y Julieta factory and now it is the H.Upmann factory.

The factory where the Rafael González brand cigars are made on Calle Belascoain No. 852: Although it is a factory, the interior design is also a little chic.

The factory where the Rafael González brand cigars were made on Calle Belascoain No.852: This building was probably built in 1914, at least that's the date on the gable.