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Backwoods Smokes
View on WikipediaThis article contains promotional content. (April 2022) |
| Product type | Cigar |
|---|---|
| Owner | Universal Leaf co. |
| Produced by | ITG Brands |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1973 |
| Markets | United States |
| Website | backwoodscigars.com |
| Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1 | |
Backwoods is an American brand of cigars that was introduced in 1973. This product was notable during the 1970s and 1980s for heavy advertising, which became one of the more obvious examples of how companies at the time reacted to changing laws and cultural views on public health and smoking culture.
History
[edit]Backwoods Smokes were released in the United States shortly after the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act was enacted by President Richard Nixon on April 1, 1970. They were a part of a wide attempt by cigarette manufacturers at the time to circumvent the universal ban on cigarette advertising, which came about as both consumers and professionals became more aware of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking.
Fearing loss of profit from being unable to advertise cigarettes through the heavy influence of television, several companies began to market "little cigars" instead. This allowed their new products to be advertised to the television-viewing public without violating the new ordinance enacted by President Nixon.
Backwoods Smokes were designed to have a rustic, "manly" appeal to them, and to appear as natural as possible. Marketing was directed heavily at outdoorsmen and similar groups. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that the cigars are made from all-natural tobacco with no homogenized components. They are frequently classified as mild and flavorful. Over the years, the company began to produce different flavors and types of these cigars, much like most other small cigar companies on the market today.[1]
Advertising
[edit]
Backwoods Smokes were advertised heavily throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with virtually no changes being made to their target group during this time. An example advertisement from 1983 shows a man climbing the side of a snowy mountain, with the phrase "If you ever wanted to climb Mt. Rainier, you're a natural Backwoods man" in large print. In the foreground, a hand is holding up a pack of Backwoods Smokes that says "Wild 'N Mild Smokes, All Natural Tobacco". In a sidebar, the advertisement also reads:
"For an experience that's strictly wild, you can't top a climb like this. But for one that's wild and mild, pack along Backwoods Smokes. Backwoods are all natural tobacco, with genuine Broadleaf wrapper aged one full year to bring out its natural sweetness. Backwoods Smokes. For the man who likes his pleasures wild and mild. ALL NATURAL TOBACCO. HOW CAN ANYTHING THAT LOOKS SO WILD TASTE SO MILD?"[2]
This illustrates a common concept during advertising for tobacco products at the time; growing public health concerns had largely changed the perceptions of the general public towards smoking. In reaction to this, many advertising campaigns began to be directed at very specific groups of people, rather than at the public as a whole. This effect was long-reaching and can be seen in the wide variety and number of tobacco products available in more modern times.
Use with cannabis
[edit]Backwoods are commonly used by cannabis smokers to create blunts. Users unroll the cigar, discard the tobacco, then reroll the cigar with ground cannabis to smoke.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Backwoods Cigars retail, prices, and consumer ratings Published by Famous Smoke Shop.
- ^ "Tobacco Documents online archive" Archived 2009-07-13 at the Wayback Machine, 1999-2007, accessed 28 July 2007
- ^ Giovenco, Daniel P; Miller Lo, Erin J; Lewis, M Jane; Delnevo, Cristine D (November 2017). ""They're Pretty Much Made for Blunts": Product Features That Facilitate Marijuana Use Among Young Adult Cigarillo Users in the United States". Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 19 (11): 1359–1364. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntw182. ISSN 1462-2203. PMC 5896518. PMID 27613943.
External links
[edit]Backwoods Smokes
View on GrokipediaBackwoods is an American brand of machine-made, all-natural tobacco cigars manufactured by ITG Brands, introduced nationally in 1981.[1] These cigars feature a unique rustic structure described as "WILD & MILD," with a roll-your-own appearance, frayed ends, tapered bodies, and unfinished heads, distinguishing them from conventional filtered cigars.[1] The brand achieved overnight success upon launch, becoming the world's number one selling all-natural cigars due to their distinctive taste, aroma, and packaging appeal.[1] Backwoods offers flavored varieties including honey, sweet aromatic, Russian cream, and berry, often infused into the natural leaf wrapper and filler tobacco.[2] Gaining prominence in urban and hip-hop cultures during the 1980s, the cigars became widely used as wraps for marijuana blunts, contributing to their enduring popularity despite health risks comparable to cigarettes in terms of nicotine addiction and tobacco-related harms.[3][4][5]
History
Introduction and Early Development
Backwoods Smokes is an American brand of machine-made cigars manufactured by Altadis U.S.A., a subsidiary of Imperial Brands, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The brand was introduced in 1973, shortly after the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of 1970 banned broadcast advertising for cigarettes effective January 2, 1971, prompting tobacco companies to pivot toward cigars to maintain promotional avenues on television and radio.[3][6][7] These early cigars were designed with a rustic, unbound appearance featuring a natural tobacco leaf wrapper that consumers twist to seal, distinguishing them from mass-produced cigarettes and evoking a hand-rolled tradition despite machine production. The initial focus was on all-tobacco blends without filters, targeting smokers desiring a fuller, more aromatic experience amid shifting regulatory landscapes.[8][1] Heavy advertising campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s capitalized on the brand's "wild and mild" positioning, emphasizing outdoor, rugged imagery to appeal to a broad demographic. This strategy contributed to rapid growth, with national expansion solidifying Backwoods as a convenience store staple by the early 1980s.[9][2]Ownership and Production Changes
Backwoods cigars were first introduced in 1973 and achieved national distribution in the United States in 1981 under initial production in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as machine-made products featuring natural broadleaf tobacco wrappers.[8] The brand's ownership transitioned to ITG Brands, LLC, a subsidiary of Imperial Brands plc, as part of Imperial's 2015 acquisition of U.S. tobacco assets including several cigar lines, enabling expanded market presence while retaining machine-made manufacturing focus distinct from Imperial's premium hand-rolled offerings.[10] [1] Production later shifted to facilities in the Dominican Republic, where the cigars continue to be machine-made with 100% natural tobacco for varieties like Original and flavored options, maintaining the signature rustic, tapered design with frayed ends.[11] This relocation supported cost efficiencies and supply chain adaptations in the machine-made segment, as confirmed by recent factory operations, without altering the core all-tobacco composition that differentiates Backwoods from homogenized alternatives.[1] No major disruptions to product formulation have been reported post-transition, with Imperial retaining the brand amid divestitures of unrelated premium cigar lines in 2020.[12]Expansion and Product Evolution
Backwoods cigars expanded nationally in 1981 following initial limited introduction, transitioning from a niche offering to a mainstay in the machine-made premium cigar category, produced in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with an emphasis on all-natural tobacco and rustic, tapered designs that simulated handmade quality.[8][13] Product evolution centered on flavor diversification to broaden consumer appeal, beginning with the Original variant—featuring a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper and binder over homogenized filler—and progressing to infused options like Honey, Vanilla, and Sweet Aromatic, which incorporated natural flavorings into the tobacco for enhanced taste profiles without altering the core unfiltered, rustic construction.[14][15] Refinements in tobacco selection and wrapping techniques over decades maintained consistency in burn quality and aroma, while the lineup grew to include bolder profiles such as Dark Stout and Honey Bourbon, reflecting adaptations to shifting preferences in the cigar market dominated by flavored, affordable alternatives.[14][16] In Spring 2023, Backwoods introduced the California Range, a set of seven products designed with lighter nicotine delivery and regional flavor emphases, such as fruit-infused variants, to target West Coast markets amid evolving regulatory and consumer trends toward milder tobacco experiences.[17]Product Features
Manufacturing and Materials
Backwoods cigars are produced using a blend of 100% natural tobacco for both the filler and wrapper, distinguishing them from many mass-produced cigars that incorporate homogenized tobacco sheets.[18] The wrapper consists of a single Connecticut Broadleaf maduro leaf, selected for its robust flavor and natural sweetness, which is aged for at least one year prior to use to enhance its profile.[19] This whole-leaf wrapper is minimally processed, contributing to the product's rustic appearance and texture, unlike synthetic or processed alternatives common in cheaper machine-made cigars.[14] In manufacturing, Backwoods employs proprietary machinery unique to the brand to form its distinctive rustic, elongated shape, simulating a hand-rolled aesthetic while enabling efficient production.[13] The process begins with the filler tobacco—a mix of premium varieties including aged Connecticut and other natural tobaccos—being bunched and infused with flavor essences where applicable, using high-quality essential oils applied directly to the tobacco rather than post-rolling sprays for purer taste distribution.[20] The wrapper leaf is then applied over the bunch, secured without visible seams, and the cigar is packaged in foil pouches to preserve freshness, reflecting a machine-made efficiency tailored for consistency in a natural-leaf product.[14] This method, developed by Swisher International, prioritizes whole-leaf integrity over traditional hand-rolling, allowing for scalable output while maintaining claims of all-natural composition.[21]Varieties and Flavor Profiles
Backwoods cigars are produced in multiple varieties, each utilizing a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper infused with distinct flavorings, combined with Dominican and Honduran filler tobaccos for a mild-to-medium body smoke.[16] The flavors range from natural tobacco profiles to sweetened and aromatic infusions, catering to preferences for subtlety or boldness, with most varieties offering a smooth draw and aromatic exhale.[22] Production emphasizes hand-rolling on the leaf wrapper, which contributes to varied burn characteristics across flavors.[23] Key varieties and their profiles include:| Variety | Flavor Profile |
|---|---|
| Original | Provides a straightforward, unadulterated tobacco taste with earthy and aromatic notes, appealing to those seeking a classic, non-infused experience; mild strength with a balanced smoke.[22] [16] |
| Honey | Features robust tobacco undertones sweetened by subtle honey notes, delivering a mellow sweetness that enhances the natural leaf without overpowering; smooth and approachable for casual smokers.[22] [16] |
| Honey Berry | Combines honey sweetness with tart berry fruitiness, creating a vibrant, dessert-like profile atop the tobacco base; popular for its juicy aroma and lingering sweet finish.[22] [16] |
| Sweet Aromatic | Offers mellow tobacco wrapped in aged maduro leaf with honey-bourbon-like aromatic sweetness, yielding a smooth, vanilla-tinged smoke with subtle spice.[16] [22] |
| Russian Cream | Delivers a creamy, dessert-inspired profile blending tobacco with vanilla and coffee hints, noted for its smooth texture and exotic richness.[16] |
| Honey Bourbon | Infuses naturally sweet tobacco with bourbon barrel notes, providing a gentle, oaky depth and mellow broadleaf wrapper influence for a refined, spirit-forward taste.[16] |
| Dark Stout | Presents full-bodied tobacco with complex stout beer elements, including dark cocoa, roasted coffee, and malt undertones, for a bold, beverage-mimicking intensity.[22] [16] |