Michels-Vandermarliere-Shapiro
At the 2022 Intertabac fair, held in Dortmund, the Belgian cigar maker VCF won two Cigar Trophy awards. The ‘Oliva Serie V Maduro’ won the award for Best Brand Nicaragua. A jury award for Charity & Community went to the Escuela Oliva in Esteli. The Cigar Trophy Awards are an initiative of the internationally lauded Cigar Journal.
Intertabac in Dortmund is an important annual appointment for cigar producers and aficionados around the globe. The VCF family is always proud to participate in this blue-chip multi-day event. “To be awarded not once but twice, by connoisseurs and aficionados from the worldwide cigar community, means a lot to us. It is a reward for our entire staff. They all work relentlessly each day to unite craftsmanship, passion and ambition”, says Fred Vandermarliere of VCF.
Oliva Serie V Maduro: ode to the depth of flavor
The Oliva brand has been member of the Vandermarliere Cigar Family since 2016. But the name also carries along a trace of 135 years of cigar history. The Oliva Serie V Maduro is emblematic to the quality that is firmly linked to each Oliva premium cigar. It is rich in flavors that bring to life the Latin American plains and offers the complexity every aficionado searches for.
Escuela Oliva: giving back to the community
With a mix of nutritional and educational strategies, the Escuela Oliva in Esteli, Nicaragua, is making admirable progress developing the skill sets of more than 100 local children whose parents work at the nearby cigar factory Tabolisa by Oliva. Each Oliva cigar sold contributes to the program.
A virtuous circle of quality and impact
“It is one thing to win awards. It is another to be awarded for two very different things. And this fact makes us extra proud. At VCF we strive for the best experience an aficionado can get. We can only achieve this by zooming in on every stage of the process, from tobacco seed to end product. And in turn, this end-to-end approach has to be sustainable. That’s why we invest in our local communities as much as in our quality chains. These two awards mirror that strategy. They give us confidence to continue our path and double down on our efforts”, concludes Fred Vandermarliere.