Retailer

Dutch Masters Cigars Guide

Dutch Masters is a machine-made cigar and cigarillo brand and one of the oldest recognized names in American cigars, dating back to 1911. It's a fixture of the convenience-store cigar rack, known for a smooth, even burn rather than complex, slow-aged tobacco.

This guide covers Dutch Masters' history, its main flavors, what to expect from the smoke, and where the pricing lands.

Dutch Masters' History

Dutch Masters has been around since 1911, making it one of the longest-running cigar names still sold in the U.S. today. The brand built its reputation on consistency: a smooth, even burn that made it a dependable pick long before the flavored-cigarillo boom reshaped the category.

Like most brands in this segment, Dutch Masters shifted to machine production to meet national demand, and it's stayed a mass-market, convenience-store name for over a century. That longevity puts it in the same company as White Owl, Swisher Sweets, and Black & Mild: the handful of pre-World War I and early-20th-century names that still dominate the gas-station cigar shelf.

Best Dutch Masters Flavors

Dutch Masters' core lineup starts with its original, unflavored blend, sometimes sold under the Palma name, alongside a range of flavored cigarillos.

  • Dutch Masters Original/Palma: The classic, unflavored blend the brand built its name on.
  • Flavored cigarillos: Dutch Masters also sells a lineup of flavored variants, similar in spirit to the sweet, fruit-forward flavors White Owl and Swisher Sweets offer. Exact flavor names and availability shift over time and by retailer, so check the official Dutch Masters site or your local convenience store for the current lineup.

If you want a specific flavored pick by name, White Owl and Swisher Sweets both publish clearer, more stable flavor rosters. See our White Owl guide for a rundown of that brand's named flavors.

Flavor Profile & Strength

Dutch Masters sits at the mild end of the strength scale, in line with the rest of the machine-made cigarillo category. These are built for a fast, easy smoke, not a slow one you sip over an hour.

What sets Dutch Masters apart from its shelf-mates is the burn. The brand has built over a century of reputation on a smooth, even burn: fewer relights, fewer canoeing issues, and a consistent draw from the first puff to the last. The flavor itself is mild and mellow rather than sharp or peppery, which is part of why it's stayed popular as an easy, no-fuss option.

Price & Where to Buy

Dutch Masters is priced at the value end of the market, generally running under $2 per stick. It's sold mostly in multi-packs rather than as premium singles, and its primary retail footprint is convenience stores and gas stations rather than dedicated cigar shops.

Browse Dutch Masters cigars at Famous Smoke Shop — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For premium hand-rolled brands instead, see our best place to buy cigars online guide.

Who Dutch Masters Cigars Are For

Dutch Masters suits someone who wants a classic, long-running name with a dependable, smooth burn rather than a slow-burning premium cigar. It's a common first-cigar entry point for people trying the category out, since it's cheap, widely available, and easy to smoke without much technique.

It's not built for anyone chasing the tobacco complexity of a hand-rolled cigar; the construction, filler quality, and burn time are a different experience entirely. For that, our best cigars for beginners guide points to approachable, inexpensive picks made from real whole-leaf tobacco.

Dutch Masters vs White Owl

Dutch Masters and White Owl are both century-old, machine-made names that share the same convenience-store shelf, but they've built their reputations on different strengths.

Dimension Dutch Masters White Owl
Founded 1911 1887
Known for Smooth, even burn Pioneered the HTL wrapper
Price Under $2/stick Under $2/stick
Strength Mild Mild
Retail footprint Convenience stores, gas stations Convenience stores, gas stations

Pick Dutch Masters if a consistent, smooth burn matters most to you. Pick White Owl if you want a clearer, better-documented lineup of named flavors. At this price and strength tier, both are close enough that whichever one your local store stocks usually decides it.

FAQ

Is Dutch Masters a premium cigar brand?

No. Dutch Masters is a machine-made brand at the value end of the market, sold mainly through convenience stores. It's a different category from hand-rolled premium cigars in construction, tobacco quality, and price.

When was Dutch Masters founded?
  1. That makes it one of the oldest recognized cigar names still sold in the U.S. today.
Is Dutch Masters a good, reputable brand?

Within the machine-made, value segment, yes. Dutch Masters has stayed in continuous production for over a century and is best known for a smooth, even burn, though it's not comparable to a hand-rolled premium cigar in tobacco quality or complexity.

What flavors does Dutch Masters come in?

Dutch Masters sells an unflavored Original/Palma blend plus a range of flavored cigarillos. Specific flavor names change over time, so check the official site or your local retailer for what's currently stocked.

Track your humidor free.Log what you own, rate what you smoke, and get a reminder before your Boveda packs dry out.Open the Humidor Tracker →