From tradition to innovation: the legendary heritage of Meerapfel cigars

Discover the epiche fascinating story of the Meerapfel family through its centuries-old history and exceptional cigars...

In the vast community of cigar makers, none can boast a heritage as rich and long-standing as the Meerapfel family. A true legend in the industry, the Meerapfel family has perpetuated its know-how for 11 generations, and continues to leave its mark on every aspect of cigar making. From trading Cuban tobaccos to safeguarding Cameroonian tobacco, from international distribution of major brands to the creation of ultra-premium cigars, no area of expertise escapes this lineage of cigar-makers. In this article, we invite you to relive some of the most significant events in cigar history through the intersecting destinies of the members of the Meerapfel family.

Key events in the Meerapfel family history

If the the Meerapfel family's beginnings in the cigar industry goes back to 1876date on which Meir II Meerapfel (1847-1927) founded the first Meerapfel cigar factory in Untergrombach, Germany. early 17th centurywhen this Jewish family of German origin embarked on the tobacco growing and trading.

Inspired by the passion of his ancestors who travelled the world to sell their precious tobacco, Meir II founded the Meerapfel Compagnie and in 1876 the first Meerapfel hand-rolled cigar factory.

In 1920, Ernest Meerapfel (1885-1964), Meir's son, left the comfort of the small village of Untergrombach to explore the uncharted territories of Indonesia. His expeditions brought back what would become the world's most sought-after cape leaves. In 1933, the Meier Meerapfel & Söhne becomes Germany's largest importer of cape leaves from Java and Sumatra. But the arrival of the Nazis in power and the outbreak of the Second World War put an abrupt end to this trend. success story family.

After the destruction of their factory, Ernest and his family left Germany and emigrate to the United States. They moved to New York, where Ernest relaunched his tobacco business. Later, he also produced cape leaves in Florida. His activities led him to develop close ties with Cuban tobacco growers.

In 1959, Heller Meerapfel (1921-2011), Ernest's son, befriended Che, then Cuba's Minister of Industry. This relationship enabled him topurchase a considerable stock of 160,000 bales of Cuban tobacco which he then exported to Europe and the United States until the embargo of 1962. The Meerapfel family thus became the leading international exporter of Cuban tobacco. Heller's good relations with Che also enabled him to recover manuscripts by Hemingway (1899-1961), which had remained in Cuba after his death, so that they could be entrusted to Princeton University in New Jersey.

Thanks to Heller's excellent relations with Cuban producers, his son.., Richard Meerapfel (1951-2003), spent almost a year in Pinar del Rio to learn the ancestral techniques of Cuban growers. In 1981, he was the first American to be allowed into the sacred region of "brown gold", the Vuelta Abajo, since the start of the Cuban Revolution. Between 1982 and 1985, he continued the family business, buying the best tobaccos in the region and exporting them to Europe.

The Cameroonian tobacco epic

While Heller was the first member of the Meerapfel family to travel to Africa in 1963, it is his son, Rick Meerapfel, who is the the true architect of Cameroon tobacco preservation.

The story of Cameroonian tobacco and the Meerapfel family begins in the 1960s, when production was still controlled by the French government. When France abandoned its operations in Central Africa in the early 1990s, Rick launched his own tobacco company: the CETAC S.A. (Compagnie d'Exploitation des Tabacs Centrafricains).

His passion and determination have introduced new forms of culture to this part of the world, and renewed the way Central Africans perceive tobacco. According to Rick's son Joshua Meerapfel, his father also had a social mission in Cameroon: " Helping Africans to help themselves "*. The country's social, economic, political and environmental conditions made tobacco growing particularly difficult in this region. Richard therefore set out to offer his workers sufficiently stable and remunerative working conditions, so that they would not respond to the call of the gold or diamond mines.

Today, the family owns around 3,000 tobacco plantations in Cameroon and employs as many farming families, making it one of the largest tobacco producers in the world. one of the region's leading employers. The situation remains very complicated and growing conditions difficult. Most of us are without electricity, and the oil we depend on is as expensive as in Europe. What's more, irrigation systems are a dream; during long periods of drought, we have nothing left. Yes, and we don't use artificial fertilizers. We never use the same land twice; our small producers move with the harvest cycles.. " This permanent political and environmental instability explains why Cameroonian capes are as rare as they are precious.

This incredibly fine tobacco was introduced to Africa by German colonists and developed from Sumatran seeds. It is appreciated for its distinctive sweetness and savory aromas. Today, Cameroonian capes are used to dress some of the world's most prized cigars, such as theArturo Fuente Don CarlostheAshton Heritage and Meerapfel Meir Churchill. They are one of the main reasons behind the Meerapfel family's legendary reputation, without which Cameroonian tobacco would probably have disappeared.

Meerapfel cigars

After the destruction of the Untergrombach factory, the Meerapfel family specialized in the growing cape leavesthe tobacco trade and the high-end cigar distributionespecially for brands Arturo Fuente and Padron. But we had to wait until 2022, and the release of the collection Master Blendsso that the first Meerapfel cigars reappear after an absence of over 150 years. Joshua and JeremiahRichard's sons, have returned to tradition with the launch of 4 exclusive cigar lines and creating a a whole new segment in the premium cigar market: " the UberLuxury ".

Meir cigars, Ernest, Heller and Richard pay tribute to emblematic figures of the Meerapfel family in classic, timeless formats. They are made from Cameroonian wrapper, rigorously selected from the best harvests since the 1980s, and a blend of exceptionally rare, very aged tobaccos chosen from the family's personal reserves.

Although their exact mix remains a secret, these lines tend to reproduce the flavours that have marked each era. They embody the unique explorations of those who leave behindèto them the illusion of security and comfort, to conquer only the best - the complexity of UberLuxury. " Each year, only 613 boxes of each size are produced and distributed in the 100 stores that have had the privilege of being selected by Meerapfel & Söhne. These are cigars of unparalleled rarity and exclusivity and transport the connoisseur to faraway lands, to discover forgotten flavors.

Alongside these exceptional cigars, the Meerapfel brothers have developed the "Meerapfel selection. Announced for 2023, this range includes the lines La Estancia Exclusiva "EE,  La Estancia "EST, MAESTRANZA " MAE ", CARR LINEÉE " SQ " and Machetero " MACH ". Some of these blends are made from pre-revolutionary Cuban tobacco.

Through these unique cigar rangestoday's guardians of the Meerapfel heritage continue to advocate and perpetuate the values of this legendary family. Every Meerapfel cigar is an expression of the hard work, passion and uncompromising spirit that have driven each Meerapfel generation since 1876.. More than mere consumer products, they embody the travels, the quest and the testimony of these men whose exceptional destinies are inextricably linked to the history of cigars.

* https://www.cigarjournal.com/meerapfel-tobacco-group-excellent-wrappers-from-cameroon/