Bock y Ca.

The cigar brand Bock y Compania (approximately: "Bock and Partners") is one of the oldest cigar brands from Havana, Cuba. Founded by German immigrant Gustavo ("Gustav") Bock, these cigars were very popular in the 19th century. According to legend, he was the one who came up with the idea of attaching a cigar band to each cigar so that customers wouldn't soil their white gloves.

After the brand's decline as a Cuban Habano, it was revived in the late 1990s. Cigar importer Villiger (at that time with its now defunct subsidiary "El Mundo del Tabaco") reintroduced this brand as a Dominican cigar in 1998.

The filler consists of Dominican Piloto and Nicaraguan tobaccos, wrapped in an Indonesian binder (capote). For the wrapper (capa), they chose an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade. These are medium-bodied and aromatic cigars, offered at fair prices with excellent draw and burning properties. Our recommendation is the Torpedo, which impressed us with its well-balanced spiciness.

The manufacturer for the distributor Villiger is Matias Maragoto, an exiled Cuban who established Tabacalera ABAM Cigars in the Dominican Republic. Matias is a very amiable individual and has been a quasi-house supplier for numerous cigars from Villiger for many years.