Dona Flor Killed Fina Rothchild

Dona Flor cigars are one of three premium cigar brands handcrafted by the Menendez Amerino Group in Brazil.

Felix Menendez has been familiar with Brazilian tobacco for 30 years. He learnt his craft from his father at a young age. He has been involved with premium cigars for as long as he can remember. His father, Alonso Menendez Garcia, was regarded as one of Cuba’s most famous cigar manufacturers before the revolution. Together with his brothers and Jose M. Garcia, they owned the H. Upmann and Montecristo brands before they were forced into exile in 1947 as a result of Castro’s revolution. The family’s journey took them first to Spain and then to the Canary Islands. “In the Canary Islands, we sourced tobacco from Carlos Toraño Senior. It was through him that my brother Benjamin and I were introduced to the Brazilian tobacco variety Mata Fina.” In 1970, the brothers moved to Brazil with their families and founded Menendez Amerino & Cia. Today, the company produces hand-rolled cigars under three brands: Alonso Menendez, Dona Flor and Aquarius.

A full-bodied boutique cigar

Felix describes Dona Flor as more full-bodied than the other two brands. The tobacco used in the Dona Flor blend is grown in the tropical Recôncavo region of Bahia. “Mata Fina is a mild, aromatic tobacco variety, whilst Mata Norte is stronger and sweeter.”

Numerous renowned manufacturers from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and the USA use these two Brazilian tobacco varieties in their blends, which has significantly increased demand in recent years. Felix appreciates this and attributes it to the high quality and flavour of the tobaccos. “Mata Fina works well in all parts of the cigar; in my opinion, it’s best in the filler.”

The company currently produces four million cigars by hand each year. So one can certainly describe them as boutique cigars.