Daniel Marshall – Cigars and Humidors
Daniel Marshall Cigars – From Craft to Cigar Art
Daniel Marshall is a man of action. That much becomes clear when you look back on his over 30-year success story in the world of tobacco and cigars and see how far this man—who came from humble beginnings—has risen. It's clear that such a man achieved this ascent through hard work. However, that his path would ultimately lead him into the elite circle of cigar producers wasn’t something Marshall could have foreseen at the start of his career. The young man from Malibu, California, was an avid surfer, had a talent for craftsmanship, and loved working with wood. So it was humidors that initially brought him closer to the world of cigars.
He built his first humidor out of love for his girlfriend. Or more precisely: for her father, who enjoyed cigars. Back in the early 1980s, Daniel Marshall was just 18 years old when he built a small teakwood travel case for cigars. The father was so impressed that he advised the young man to present it to Dunhill—one of only two world-renowned cigar companies based in the U.S. at the time.
The company’s decision-makers were apparently so taken with this first creation that they immediately offered Marshall the chance to make more humidors. What began as joy from this recognition became his lifelong passion for cigars, a passion he’s pursued ever since his entry into humidor making.
A Love for Wood: Daniel Marshall
In those same early years, Marshall had also built a wooden sailboat, with dreams of sailing the world. But he ended up selling it and invested the proceeds into his growing business, which he initially ran out of his home and garage. Marshall is the kind of man who throws himself wholeheartedly into a cause when he believes in it. His tireless dedication and perfectionism made his humidors the ultimate status symbol among Hollywood’s elite—celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Pacino, and Sylvester Stallone. Even power players from American business and politics wanted to own a handmade—and accordingly expensive—high-end Marshall humidor. Rumor has it that some of these masterpieces have even appeared, subtly spotlighted, as luxury props in Hollywood films.
Daniel Marshall Cigars – Golden Flavor for the Palate
The leap from crafting exquisite humidors to creating his own cigar label was a natural progression. Especially since Daniel Marshall had an expert at his side in Manuel Quesada, whose family had been creating masterful cigars from the finest Caribbean tobaccos for over a century. Originally a Spanish baking family, they emigrated to Cuba in the late 19th century and devoted themselves to tobacco cultivation and cigar making. Over the course of a century, this developed into the premium cigar specialist MATASA, a family business known for brands like Quesada and Fonseca. Due to the Cuban Revolution, the company has long since relocated to the Dominican Republic.
Not a Marketing Gimmick
With this master blender, Marshall succeeded in creating his Red Label cigars in the mid-1990s, which consistently receive top ratings from professional reviewers. The tobaccos are sourced from Nicaraguan grower and premium cigar producer Plasencia, which makes these puros even more exclusive.
His biggest coup, however, came only a few years ago with the launch of vitolas wrapped in gold leaf. Yes, you read that right. The twist: the gold doesn’t burn away, but instead remains around the ash as the cigar burns. The smoke from this piece of art offers a truly unique experience, as the ash takes on a golden shimmer—an aesthetic feast for the eyes.
