The Rafael González brand was established in the 1930s. One format in particular became famous: the Lonsdale. Measuring 165 mm in length and 16.67 mm in circumference (ring gauge 42), it is technically a Cervante in terms of its format, but is far better known by its trade name, Lonsdale.
It was the first to be called a Lonsdale, named after Lord Lonsdale, the sporting Earl from England, a famous cigar lover of that era. Today, several other Habanos brands still use this name for this size.
On the lid of every box there is a distinctive English inscription stating that the cigars should be smoked within one month of dispatch from Havana. Otherwise, they should be left to mature carefully for a period of one year.
Rafael Gonzalez cigars consist of a mild-flavoured tobacco blend made from filler and wrapper leaves from the Vuelta Abajo tobacco-growing region. All sizes are produced using the ‘totalmente a mano, tripa larga’ technique and are entirely hand-rolled long-fillers. Only the Panetela Extra size is ‘totalmente a mano, tripa corta’ – a short-filler cigar made entirely by hand, comprising tobaccos from the Semi Vuelta region.