Winston Churchill Cigars – A Name of Distinction

Churchill and Cigars are almost synonymous – one immediately thinks of a cigar when hearing the name of the famous English politician, and in the mind’s eye, the bulldog-like features of this man appear as one holds an unusually long and thick cigar. Rarely has someone in modern times managed to connect their personality and name so inextricably with an indulgence. And the name Churchill resonates not only among aficionados but also as a name that represents character and a distinct format – both as a person and a cigar.

Enjoying Life Puff by Puff

Winston Churchill, officially Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was an aristocratic bon vivant. The fact that his image became inseparably associated with a constantly present cigar is only one facet of his long life. Besides his passion for cigars, Churchill was also a whiskey lover and enjoyed opulent meals, which he – how could it be otherwise – ended with a fine cigar. He developed a taste for cigars as a young officer during the Spanish-American War in the 1890s when he visited Cuba as a war correspondent. Whether it was the Double Coronas, later known as the Churchill format, that captured his heart and palate at that time is not recorded. However, it appears not to be a myth that, from that time onward, he smoked up to 10 cigars daily for the rest of his life. Thus, some historians estimate the incredible number of 200,000 cigars consumed over his lifetime, while others even put it at 300,000.

A Cigar with Distinction

Due to his fame, Churchill’s passion for large cigar formats didn’t go unnoticed, even in the homeland of his favorite cigars, Cuba. This free publicity, which one of the most famous figures of the early 20th century constantly carried in his mouth, was leveraged by manufacturers like Jamaica Tobacco Co and Hoyo de Monterrey, who sent Churchill boxes of cigars “with best regards” over the years.

Churchill himself literally enjoyed these gifts and made every effort to ensure they remained exempt from import duties and tobacco taxes. With such an intimate connection between man and cigar, it was perhaps inevitable that the two would eventually become synonymous.

The cigar format known as Churchill is typically the Romeo y Julieta No. 2 ( ), which has borne his name since he visited Havana in 1946. However, similar large formats are sometimes referred to as Churchill cigars. With a diameter of almost 19 millimeters and a length of around 18 centimeters, the Romeo y Julieta No. 2 offers an inimitably long smoking experience lasting nearly one and a half hours.

Churchill: The Resurrected Brand

Beyond the well-known format, there is also a cigar brand named Winston Churchill Cigars – which sometimes causes confusion among aficionados. The company Dannemann once had a license to market a cigar line under the Churchill name, with tobacco sourced from Nicaragua, a country second only to Cuba in producing premium tobacco. When it became evident after several years that, despite the prominent name, the desired success was not forthcoming, the company decided to discontinue the series. However, after a quiet period, the renowned name was revived by the Swiss company Davidoff. Winston Churchill Cigars are now produced in the Dominican Republic and are available in four formats: Blenheim, Chequers, No. 10, and Marrakesh.