I’m starting a new weekly segment called the Friday Brand Feature, where I talk about various cigar brands, whether they offer cigars, accessories or something else — like custom cigar patches. I’m sure you’re saying, “well that was obvious by the name.” Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ve never been called the most complex person ever.
Anyway, this week I wanted to focus on a small brand that I actually have a little history with. I won’t say the outlet, but I did write about Lovely Cigars before, which gave me the opportunity to try the lineup of cigars they offer, like No. 162 or their newest variety, Bay City Cigars in Maduro and Connecticut.
I wanted to highlight the brand again, in a new way, and share that with everyone. So, kick back, grab a drink, light one up with me and let’s dive in.
Based out of the Green Bay area — in Wisconsin — Lovely Cigars actually gets its namesake from a legacy cigar business that operated out of the same area in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The region was actually a hotspot for the cigar trade back in the day, thanks to the Great Lakes and Fox River, which made for excellent trade channels. And one of the oldest cigar brands in the state was called Ain’t They Lovely.
The brand did business as far away as Chicago. But the real takeaway is the beautiful artwork that adorned the brand’s cigar boxes. As Lovely Cigars tells it, “part of the original artwork on the boxes incorporates blue ribbon medals from the World’s Columbian Exposition, better known as the “World’s Fair” in 1893.”
And after rediscovering that artwork, Mike Gehm, Keith Archiquette, and Dylan Masse revitalized the brand. The artwork and the Ain’t They Lovely name serves as inspiration for the new company, Lovely Cigars, with one of its flagship releases even using the original name.
The brand’s mission and focus? Time is precious, and your time is valuable. They want you to enjoy every minute you have with their cigars, through a quality experience that’s memorable, with plenty of relaxation and joy.
“We aren’t only making cigars – we’re creating experiences, bringing relaxation and joy, while creating a new cultural experience through tobacco.”
It was Mike Gehm who originally told me that “tobacco is a great equalizer,” which is absolutely true. People from all walks of life can gather and enjoy in the moment. “We can sit together, [and] experience the camaraderie, joy and escape from the constant onslaught of the day.”
In an earlier conversation, one of the brand’s owners, Mike Gehm, explained that they did travel down to Nicaragua, which is where the tobacco and the cigars come from. It’s fairly apparent when you have the chance to smoke them, too. The flavors are complex. The experience is phenomenal, and, personally, I always keep some of their cigars in my humidor at home.
You can buy the cigars online to give them a try, which I would highly recommend. They currently have four releases, two of which are the Bay City Cigars — in Connecticut and Maduro shade. The other two releases are the Ain’t They Lovely Elegante X2, in a 6 inches by 52 size, and the No. 162. They are all delicious. For instance, Ain’t They Lovely is thick with cream, cinnamon, baking spices, and hints of citrus.
Be sure to follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook, and show them some love when you can.
Briley has over 16 years in the publishing and content marketing business. He's been writing about cigars for nearly half that in various forms. What makes him a tour de force is he also smokes them.
Source: Lovely Cigars
Source: Lovely Cigars
Source: Lovely Cigars
Source: Lovely Cigars
