Filtered Cigars

History of Filtered Cigars

Filtered cigars have been on the market for nearly a century, and their origin story is as interesting as it is long. The history of filtered cigars dates back to the early 1900s when cigarettes were starting to gain popularity in America. Smokers who enjoyed the taste and convenience of cigarettes but wanted a longer-lasting smoke began clamoring for an alternative.

In 1915, an Austrian immigrant named George Washington Hill founded the American Tobacco Company (ATC). He was seeking a way to compete with Philip Morris, which had started producing mass-market cigarettes two years earlier. Hill turned his attention to developing a cigar that would appeal to smokers who preferred cigarettes but still desired the rich flavor of traditional cigars.

During World War I, soldiers were given loose tobacco instead of cigarettes because they lasted longer and were easier to carry. After witnessing these makeshift "cigarette substitutes" in action, Hill's team developed a new product: the "Little Cigar." These small cigars filled with high-quality tobacco quickly became popular among consumers looking for something stronger than a cigarette but smaller than a full-sized stogie.

The Little Cigar was initially marketed towards women, billing itself as less intimidating than traditional cigars while also being more “elegant.” After all, smoking has always been seen as somewhat of an exclusive pastime – even in its most basic forms – so it made sense that Little Cigars try and position themselves as such.

Filtered little cigars weren’t introduced until much later in the timeline; Phillip Morris released their first filtered cigarillo in 1966. Retailers began selling them under several different names - filtered premium cigarillos being one example - eventually settling on ‘filtered little cigars’. Since then, other cigarette companies including R.J Reynolds joined Phillip Morris offering similar products (more on this soon!).

Since then, filter-tipped little cigars have sold well within lower-income customer groups since they cost less than full-sized super-premium brands yet deliver comparable smoking experiences (that’s right…a cherry-flavoured Swisher Sweet CAN actually be compared favourably versus everyone’s favourite Island Coast cigar).

So there we have it! The history of filtered little cigars. From being marketed towards females specifically by ATC Mr Hill himself over 100 years ago; helping out soldiers during WW1 protect some precious lung space; all the way through to becoming highly-rated budget smokes among current customers after catching up with evolving times at large-scale tobacco companies.

Regardless of your personal preferences or whether you’ve ever tried them before: filtered little cigars definitely stand testament to one segment attending every type of smoker out there!