Born in Havana, Raised in Manila...

La Flor de la Isabela is one of the oldest cigar manufacturers in the world. It was founded in 1881 as the Companía General de Tabacos de Filipinas to unite the scores of large and small cigar makers that existed in the Philippines at that time. The name “La Flor de la Isabela” was originally the company’s principal brand of cigars.

The history of tobacco in the Philippines dates to 1592, when the Spanish galleon San Clemente brought about 50 kilos (110 lbs) of Cuban tobacco seeds to the Philippines. The seeds were spread, along with the Catholic faith, by friars, who found that the crop flourished best in the Cagayan Valley in the province of Isabela. This valley, which has a climate identical to that of Cuba’s Vuelta Abajo region, gave birth to a large tobacco-growing industry. This, in turn, gave rise to the Tabacalera trading monopoly established in 1636.

The Tabacalera, as it was known, was, for over 200 years, a major source of revenue for the Spanish crown, and is the corporate parent of Compañia General de Tabacos de Filipinas. From the 18th to the 19th centuries, the Manila cigar was every bit as celebrated as the Havana. It was not until the widespread introduction of machine-made cigarettes in the 20th century that cigars began to lose their place as the primary way in which people enjoyed tobacco.

La Flor de la Isabela continues to make cigars the same way they were made in 1881 – totalmente hecho a mano (totally made by hand). It would cost the company so much less to roll fillers and binders by machine before the wrappers are added by hand, but we insist that “handmade” must mean “totally handmade.” No machine yet invented can match the experienced eye, nose and hands of a master cigar maker in structuring and executing a perfect cigar that draws evenly and burns properly to provide the ultimate smoke.

La Flor de la Isabela’s brands are all part of the company’s history; “Tabacalera” is, of course, the name of the former parent company, “Don Juan Urquijo” commemorates the company’s last Spanish managing director, who died tragically young in an airplane crash, “1881” was created in 1981 to mark the centenary of the company, and “Alhambra” was a former competing brand who joined the company decades ago. Each is a masterpiece of its genre, using different blends for varied sensory experiences.

The Philippine cigar is known for its mildness and smoothness, with a subtle mix of floral, nutty and toasty flavors and a sweetish aftertaste. It is a gentle smoke, with a scrupulously even draw throughout its length, and pure white ash that will burn for nearly two inches (on the coronas and larger sizes) before falling off, a sign of its expert manufacture and the purity of its ingredients.

This fine smoke is a result of the nimbleness, patience and eye for detail that goes into every one of these cigars. La Flor de la Isabela’s products have a rightful place among the roster of the world’s best.