In its first year, Mayflower Cigars stormed the industry in ways experts had never seen before as Michael Knowles’ cigar endeavor proved not just to be a successful business venture, but a new movement of appreciation for premium cigars.
The success was never in doubt. Mayflower Cigars launched on November 9, 2023, and within the first 36 hours, it sold four months’ worth of inventory. But the movement of customers flocking to Mayflower’s site months later to purchase the cigars again proved that Knowles’ vitolas weren’t just popular — they had an enduring quality that left a mark on enthusiasts and first-timers alike.
In year one, Mayflower Cigars sold over 285,000 cigars, bringing in over $3.6 million in revenue. The sales weren’t only from its massive launch. Mayflower Cigars customers continued to buy Dawn and Dusk vitolas throughout the year, and the brand shows no signs of slowing down.
“I expected that the launch would be a success because I knew the product was excellent. However, the historic success of Mayflower surprised even me,” Knowles said. “But perhaps it should not have, as the entire Mayflower story has been nothing short of providential.”
Mayflower Cigars are handmade in Esteli, Nicaragua, and created along with designers at Oliva Cigar Co. in a factory known for producing some of the highest quality cigars in the world. Oliva CEO Cory Bappert told The Daily Wire that the initial launch of Mayflower Cigars yielded stunning results.
“I’ve been in the business a long time. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. I’ve seen a lot of brands launched, and to see the first 24 hours from a year ago was insane,” Bappert said. “And Michael and everyone at The Daily Wire, I applaud them for what they did there. That’s nothing short of amazing.”
The Oliva CEO added that Mayflower Cigars’ launch was “very unconventional,” adding that the brand “may have broken the mold with this one.”
Alex Svenson — the Procurement and Special Projects Chief at BrandShopper, an outdoor sports and cigars e-commerce platform — has been in the cigar business for over 20 years. He said that Knowles’ knowledge of cigars impressed him.
“Michael had a very intimate knowledge of the process of how cigars are made. He had a very specific idea of what he wanted,” Svenson said. “He’s got a great palette.”
“It became apparent really quickly when I met Michael that this dude really knows his stuff,” he added. Svenson said that Knowles has continued to take a hands-on role with Mayflower Cigars. “Almost to the point of being a pain in my ass,” he quipped.
Knowles said he’s “had this brand in the back of my mind for about 15 years.”
“I even pitched it to Daily Wire five or six years ago,” he added. “The best part, unusual in these types of things, is that the company came together precisely as I hoped it would. Everything from the branding to the distribution to, of course, the blends, have not only met but exceeded the wildest expectations I had for them. The whole process has been an absolute delight.”
The brand’s top item was the 8-cigar assortment, which comes in a wooden Mayflower box and lets customers sample four Mayflower Dawn cigars and four Mayflower Dusk cigars. But all the Mayflower Cigars hype wasn’t just about the 8-cigar assortment. The company offers much more, such as the Mayflower XIKAR® Xi2 Cigar Cutter and a travel humidor to preserve Mayflower Cigars on the road. The brand also recently released the Mayflower Smoking Jacket, a custom velvet jacket designed and tailored in collaboration with Shepherd’s, a custom men’s suit company in Kansas City, Missouri, co-founded by Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.
Mayflower Cigars also has multiple new product announcements in store.
In just one year, Mayflower Cigars, under the direction of Michael Knowles, has lit the cigar industry on fire, and year two promises even more surprises.
“We got a lot done in Mayflower’s first year: two blends, seven vitolas, a couple premium accessories, an avalanche of revenue, and a bespoke smoking jacket collaboration that sold out instantly,” said Knowles. “And even still, the best is yet to come.”
