El Sol Cigars - Celebrating 97 years

El Sol™ started producing some of the Dominican Republic's best cigars back in the late 1920's.  Then in 1929, El Sol opened up its first US cigar store in Ybor City, Florida.  El Sol became the Tampa areas oldest and most respected cigar store and had been serving customers for 93 years with handmade, premium cigars produced in the Dominican Republic and delivered throughout the United States.  Three generations of the Saitta family, Guy, son Tony and grandson Bob have all managed the family business.  Back in 1929, the first El Sol™ cigar was made by Guy Saitta. His shop was originally on 7th Avenue in the Ybor section of Tampa. Guy and Mary, both master cigar makers, worked very hard doing what they liked to do. Guy was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1904, Mary was Tampa-born in 1907.  El Sol may be the 2nd oldest cigar brand in America,  The oldest brand is the J.C. Newman Cigar Company, founded in 1895. It is also the oldest family-owned premium cigar maker in the United States. Their historic El Reloj factory in Tampa, Florida, is the last remaining cigar factory in Tampa from the early 1900s, not far from where El Sol started in Ybor City. 

In 2015, El Sol™ was acquired by a freind of Bob Saitta.  From 2015 until 2021, production volumes decreased until 2021 when a long time customer of El Sol™, Marco Zvanik, decided that the company could not just fade away after 93 years, so he decided to bring the company back to its former glory.  With the original recipe in hand, El Sol began working with some of the Dominican Republic's best boutique tobacco producers to find the perfect blend of Premium, locally farmed, organically produced tobacco.  You won't be able to find El Sol's in cigar shops as they are produced in small batches using only premium grade tobaccos.  For this reason, we only produce a certain quantity of El Sols each year.  When they are gone, they are gone. 

In September 2025, El Sol Cigars will celebrate our 97th year by launching a new line of cigars created by Master blender, Juan Rodriguez.  Juan has over 35 years of experience in cigar making through his former position as master roller and blender for several legendary cigar brands.  He now collaborates with various industry professionals and works very closely with Leo Reyes, current owner of De Los Reyes—one of the largest and famous tobacco growers and suppliers in the Dominican Republic—to select the finest tobacco for the exclusive blends of El Sol Cigars.  Today, you can find two Premium cigars offered by El Sol.  Both are hand made using only long fill Premium Dominican tobacco.  The cigars are available in either a Natural Connecticut wrapper or a Colorado full flavored wrapper.  Both cigars are 60 ring x 6 inch cigars.  Yes, these are a man size cigar.   When you light up an El Sol, you need to carve out the time for yourself to sit down and enjoy it.  Every aspect of design, quality, size, shape, feel, taste and flavor is painstakingly analyzed, evaluated and judged before being allowed to receive the El Sol name.   You won't find a better tasting, better quality cigar anywhere.