Rafael González

About

Rafael González Cigars Since their inception in the “Roaring 20s”, Rafael Gonzalez cigars have held connections to aristocracy. While some Cuban cigars , such as Vegueros or Vegas Robaina , have been created to offer accessible smokes in honour of the ordinary folk who prepare the tobacco and roll our wonderful cigars, Rafael Gonzalez was created by an aristocrat with the intention of appealing to his landed and wealthy peers in Europe. Márquez Rafaël González was a member of the Spanish court who, in 1928, decided he wanted to cash in on the lucrative English cigar smoking obsession. He enlisted the help of 2 English entrepreneurs to fulfil his distribution, and a new Havana brand was born. Over the course of 45 years the brand went through something of an evolution, changing name twice while under the ownership of the Rey del Mundo company before officially becoming Flor de Rafael Gonzalez Marquez in 1954 – the name which survives today. In contrast to the humility of the discreet white-on-brown bands which have always graced the sticks in each box, by the 1960s it was considered one of the greatest brands available, commended by none other than the great Zino Davidoff as one of 2 brands which must be present in a collection if the owner were to consider themselves a true connoisseur. High praise indeed, when considered in the context of the quality of Davidoff cigars themselves. One of the reasons Rafael Gonzalez cigars were, and are, so prized by collectors is their potential for aging. Each box carries an inscription, written in English to appeal to their original target market, explaining that cigars should be smoked within one month of their despatch from Havana – if this were not possible, they should be aged at least a year. The strength of the blend is mild, and the flavour notes typically sweet and light, so time gives the cigars opportunity to mature and further infuse their flavours. This makes them an even more appealing proposition to the seasoned cig