Havatampa Jewels Black & Gold Cigar – (BIRCH TIP) – USA

Hav-A-Tampa cigars were originally made in Tampa, but not anymore. They make them in Puerto Rico. But one of the most popular brands that began in Tampa in 1902 is still available in the 21st Century.

Hav-a-Tampa was one of the very few early cigar companies that was totally American owned. Using the name of the city in the cigar brand name also helped make Tampa known as a Cigar City. It’s signature line was, “Won’t you Hav-A-Tampa Cigar?”

The Tampa company introduced its signature Tampa Jewels cigar in 1931. They were sent to military bases all around the world.

Hav-A-Tampa produced several additional name brands including Tampa Sweet, Tampa Nugget and the also famour Phillies. The Hav-A-Tampa factory was very nondescript Riga Boulevard building east of Ybor City. The company became the first to bring machines into the cigar-making business, which revolutionized their cigar business.

By 1996, the company had sales up around $140 million from 859 million cigars made annually by 800+ employees in Tampa and Selma.

The company was sold in 1997 to Tabacalera. That company is the largest tobacco enterprise in Madrid, Spain.

Tabacalera then merged with a French tobacco leader in 1999. The newly formed company was called Altadis S.A. That company consolidated cigar-making operations.  Their American cigar manufacturer based at Tampa was incorporated as Altadis U.S.A.

Imperial Tobacco of England bought the U.S. cigar operation in 2008. Closing the Tampa Hav-A-Tampa factory in 2009 left only one cigar factory in all of Cigar City Tampa. That was J.C. Newman Cigar Company that has now over 150 employees and is now the only cigar factory still rolling cigars in Tampa

The Have-A-Tampa also is known as the first to employ a wooden Birch tip. This gives the lips and mouth a more dynamic feel. The brand is the largest wood-tipped cigar seller in the world.