It was over ten years ago when I tried and became fascinated with wood tipped cigars, specifically the Hav-A-Tampa which are machine made cigars made in Altadis USA, by the same makers of Phillies and Backwoods. This cheaper alternative to hand rolled cigars came in different variations?original, black and gold as well as sweet and vanilla. I would occasionally purchase all flavors, but I personally loved the black and gold and the sweet and vanilla ones. Back then they were widely distributed in the United States and were popular for their reasonable prices. Apart from the price, they had built-in wooden tips made of birchwood, made them more convenient and comfortable for non-cigar smokers. They were smooth and they tasted great too, which was a great value for the price. Hav-A-Tampa Jewels Sweet cigars were made from a distinct blend of Honduran and Dominican imported tobacco. It was aromatic and pleasing too because of its unique design. Eventually it became the world?s most famous wood-tipped cigar outselling other brands due to its price and great quality when it comes to flavor. It was great for any occasion and it was very convenient to take whenever I would go out and have drinks with friends. These light cigars came with a binder and filler.

Unfortunately, due to new laws and the decline in economy, they had to close their factory in Settner in 2009 despite their many efforts to keep the company alive. ?The said factory had operated for more than 50 years since 1902. Back then, SEITA which was the French tobacco monopoly and Tabacalera, the former Spanish Tobacoo giant formed Altadis, a multinational company which manufactured cigarettes, tobaccos and cigars. Later on it was bought by the Imperial Tobacco company in February 2008 before it closed down. Nowadays, Black and Mild Wood Tip Wine Cigars and Swisher Wood Tips are available alternatives.

Image from Cigars.com