Altria Group, Inc., the American multinational
headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is one of the largest and most influential
companies in the tobacco industry worldwide. As of December 2007, it became the
owner of Middleton, the company that originally manufactured Black & Mild
cigars.
John Middleton Inc. was founded as a small
retail tobacco store in Philadelphia in 1856, intending to serve customers
looking for cigars and pipe tobacco. This company began manufacturing its
products in the 1950s and launched the Black & Mild cigar brand in 1980.
Black & Mild is a brand of
"cigarillos" that are very popular in the United States. Unlike
traditional cigars, Black & Mild are made with a blend of high-quality pipe
tobaccos that includes wide-cut Black Cavendish leaves, along with Burley and
Golden Virginia.
They come pre-rolled in a natural tobacco
wrapper, and some are made with a plastic or wooden tip to provide a more
comfortable smoking experience. Other versions also include cigars without a
tip and with a short tip, which are approximately half the size of the original
versions.
The brand is known for its mild and sweet
flavor, with a notably pleasant aroma compared to other cigars. This is due to
the special blend of tobaccos used and the different added flavors, which also
include salty and spicy notes.
Black & Mild offers different varieties,
including the original versions, flavored (such as grape, apple, cream, wine),
and filterless or filtered versions. They are also available in different sizes
and wrappings, such as plastic or wooden wrappers.
Black & Mild is the second-best-selling
large, machine-made cigar in the U.S. They are especially popular among those
looking for an alternative to traditional cigarettes, particularly among those
who enjoy the taste and aroma of pipe tobaccos but prefer the convenience of a
pre-rolled cigar.
Although the company changed ownership in 2007,
it continued to honor its heritage and tradition by producing premium tobacco
products in Richmond, Virginia, and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, quite close
to the original headquarters in Philadelphia.
As an interesting fact, it is worth mentioning
that Altria has its roots in Philip Morris Companies Inc., founded in 1847 in
London, a well-known company that expanded globally and became one of the
largest tobacco manufacturers in the world. In 2003, as part of a strategy to
diversify beyond tobacco and improve its corporate image, Philip Morris
Companies Inc. changed its name to Altria Group, Inc. Later, in 2008, Altria
created Philip Morris International (PMI) to handle all operations outside the
U.S., and since then, Altria has focused primarily on the U.S. market.
A wide variety of these excellent cigars are
available in our store. We invite you to check them out.
