As the story goes, the Baccarat brand came to be in 1871, created by Carl Upmann, brother of H. Upmann. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, the brand was widely popular among Cuban smokers. But as so often happens, the success came to an end, and the brand declared bankruptcy. A cigar maker from the Netherlands grabbed up enough shares of the company after bankruptcy to manufacture and sell cigars using the Upmann name. Somehow, he found a loophole around the copyright infringement laws.
Time travel to 1989 and Fumas Tobacco, led by Julio Eiroa, gave Baccarat cigars new life under Caribe. The cigars were an instant hit. Shortly after, working as partners with the Eiroa family, Sal Fontana assumed production responsibilities for Baccarat cigars under Camacho. This is around the time that the blend became mostly Honduran. The new blend was a smash hit. Smokers loved the mellow creamy profile that would become a signature of Baccarat—one that remains to this day.
The trick is to raise Havana seed tobacco in Honduran soils, place them in a Mexican binder, and wrap it all up in a Connecticut, Candela, or Maduro leaf.
Soon the cigar boom of the 1990s would hit and send Baccarat to the next level. Baccarat was now seen as the brand that offers a value cigar without skimping on quality. Around 1998 Camacho Cigars experienced financial struggles that involved unionization, with the union ultimately locking Camacho out of their factory. Massive financial hits would follow, and the company barely made it through. The one thing that did keep them afloat? Baccarat cigars. They never saw a dip in sales. In fact, sales only increased.
Time travel another 10 years to 2008 when Davidoff acquired Camacho and the Rancho Jamastran factory in Honduras. The Eiroa family remain owners of their Honduran tobacco fields and oversee all Baccarat production. This is great news for longtime lovers of Baccarat. Not only is the brand in solid financial hands, but it also remains in the highly-capable hands that gave it new life in 1989.
Among the quality blends in Baccarat cigars are the Baccarat Original. This hand-rolled stick is one of the top-selling cigars in the industry today. It uses a shimmering Connecticut shade wrapper to deliver a seductively creamy texture. Another is the Baccarat Candela which uses a Candela wrapper to bring more earthy flavors to the mix.
Many cigar smokers want quality smoke at a down-to-earth price. Baccarat offers this and a long track record of consistency and care to its devout following.