Special Line Of Cigars In Md. Marks Civil War
IKE WILSON
The Frederick News-Post
FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- As youngsters, David and Steve Castro camped on Antietam Battlefield and splashed in the Monocacy River. David recalls a time when Frederick was called Fredericktowne.
As business owners, the Castro brothers thought that naming three of their premium cigars after local historic icons was an appropriate way to recognize localized history, and Antietam, Monocacy and Fredericktowne cigars were born.
"We have a lot of Civil War buffs" who frequent the store, David said. "Being in a Civil War area close to the Antietam and the Monocacy, and being that the roots of Frederick derived from Fredericktowne, we came up with the idea to reflect the historic area."
The three hand-rolled tobacco blends have been on sale for about five years and trademarked by Castro Brothers Cigars.
The three cigars, available in Robusto, Toro, Churchill and Pyramid sizes, are a great blend for those who want a classic cigar with a great finish, David said.
The cigars' wrappers, fillers and binders are a combination of Nicaraguan Habano, Nicaraguan, Honduran, Claro Sumatra, Ecuadorian, Connecticut, Brazil and Nicaragua.
Davidus Cigars began in 1996 on the Golden Mile in Frederick. With nine locations, the Castro brothers' company is Maryland's largest cigar-store chain.
"All we do is premium, hand-rolled cigars," David said. "We don't just make a cigar to have our name on it. We create a masterpiece to offer value and superior quality."
Castro Brothers cigars are produced in Honduras. The three cigars are sold only at Davidus Cigars stores, but the company has had inquiries from other stores to sell their brand, David said.
Business is good, David said.
The company bought its current location at 529 W. South St. in Frederick last year and renovated it to include a cigar lounge, walk-in humidor and the company's corporate office. Two new stores were acquired from the competition and opened recently in Westminster and Reisterstown.
"We've been busy getting it ready to go," David said.
Information from: The Frederick (Md.) News-Post, http://www.fredericknewspost.com
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
