Saint Luis Rey
A Cuban brand made in Havana with tobacco from the Vuelta Abajo region
- Family
- Produced by the state-owned tobacco company Habanos S.A.
- Made in
- Honduras
- Factory
- Briones Montoto factory, Havana, Cuba
- Lines here
- 2
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The house
The story of Saint Luis Rey
In 1940, the Saint Luis Rey name was registered by English tobacco importers Nathan Silverstone and Michael De Keyser. The brand later developed a particularly close connection with the British market.
Milestones
Moments that made the house
- 1940
English registration
Nathan Silverstone and Michael De Keyser registered the Saint Luis Rey name.
- 1960
Nationalized in Cuba
The Cuban government nationalized the Saint Luis Rey factory and its assets on September 15.
- 1960
UK-exclusive marketing begins
NR Silverstone Cigar Ltd. began a period of exclusive marketing in the United Kingdom that continued until 1992.
- 1993
Worldwide exports begin
Habanos S.A. began exporting Saint Luis Rey worldwide.
- 2008
Altadis acquired
Imperial Tobacco acquired Altadis, which held the Saint Luis Rey trademark in the United States.
Craft
How they make them
Saint Luis Rey cigars made in Cuba are produced at Havana’s Briones Montoto factory, which also produces Romeo y Julieta cigars. All Cuban-production Saint Luis Rey cigars use leaves sourced from the Vuelta Abajo region.
Details
Things most people don't know
- Possible literary namesake
- The name may refer to Thornton Wilder’s 1927 novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey.
- Alternative namesake
- The name may instead refer to the town of San Luis in Pinar del Río.
- British-market period
- From 1960 until 1992, NR Silverstone Cigar Ltd. marketed the brand exclusively in the UK.
- Sinatra connection
- The Saint Luis Rey Lonsdale was a favorite of Frank Sinatra.
- Shared factory
- The Briones Montoto factory also produces Romeo y Julieta cigars.
In the humidor
Saint Luis Rey up close
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