CUBAN CIGARS: THEIR LEGENDS RELIVED
Birth of Legendary Brands
Cuban brands, of course, are often heralded as the world's best. Sadly, while the Cuban “mystique” and hype still exists among the general public, the reality is that the “forbidden fruit” Cuban cigars cannot hold a candle to most of the top-tier brands coming out of countries such as Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. While the soil in Cuba remains ideal, the best cigar makers fled for greener pastures after the Communist revolt, taking along with them all their collective know-how and passion for cigar making. What incentive is there to deliver superior products and value in Cuba? None. And those in the industry will tell you that besides a small, select few brand names, construction is horrendous and inconsistency abounds in what's left of the Cuban cigar industry. And it is a fact, that for us cigar lovers, today is the Golden Age of cigars - where quality tobaccos, superior craftsmanship, expertise and experimentation mean that today, you can smoke the best handmade cigars in the world at very reasonable prices. So don’t yearn for that forbidden fruit, you can legally get the very best here. Nevertheless, there remains an allure and a nostalgia regarding those magical days and brands of old Cuba. The following is a brief background of a few renowned old Cuban brands.
Partagas
Created in 1845, Partagas combined experimental farming, fermenting, and blending methods, as well as an enormous amount of advertising to become a household name throughout the world. Ramon Cifuentes was the man responsible for building this brand’s reputation. Still going strong, the original Partagas factory is now Cuba’s oldest continually operating factory. Since Fidel Castro’s nationalization of the industry, Ramon Cifuentes fled the country, and today the majority of Partagas cigars are made in the
Dominic Republic.
Cohiba
Cohiba has become one of the most sought after and talked about cigars in the world. Although Cohiba is one of the youngest brands to come out of Cuba, its origin is questionable to say the least. However, one thing is certain; the name Cohiba comes from the Taino Indian word for “tobacco.” Although there are several theories behind this cigar, the most frequented legend is as follows: In 1966 Fidel Castro was handed an unbanded cigar created by Avelino Lara. Castro enjoyed this cigar so much he hired Lara to be his own personal roller. Story has it that this cigar was created solely for Castro and his crew until 1982, when production went public. Cohiba quickly became Cuba’s flagship cigar. Today, this brand is also made by General Cigar in the Dominican Republic, and this version is a big seller in the United States.
Punch
Although this powerhouse of a cigar provides smokers with quite a punch, this is not how the name came about. Trying to appeal to the British market, creator Don Manuel Lopez named the brand after a popular character from the Punch and Judy puppet show; a show broadcast in Britain in 1840. This character was also the mascot of the well known Punch magazine. The marketing scheme was a success. Punch became one of the top cigars in Britain, and an instant “go-to” cigar for Winston Churchill. Ironically, Punch cigars have outlived the magazine after which it was named. However, you can still see this crazy puppet on Punch cigar boxes as well as many of their advertisements.
Romeo y Julieta
Inspired by the Shakespeare classic, the Romeo y Julieta cigar brand was created in 1875 by Inocencio Alvarez Rodriguez and Jose Manin Garcia. It began as a small, unknown brand, until it was sold to “Don Pepin” Hernandez. Pepin increased production immensely, adding various sizes and shapes to the line. With these changes, along with a fierce advertising strategy, Romeo y Julieta became a huge success. Winston Churchill himself frequently enjoyed the largest sized cigar within the line, originally labeled the Clemenceau. After a short amount of time, the Clemenceau size was named after Winston, giving us the Romeo y Julieta Churchill. Romeo y Julieta remains one of the top Cuban cigars on the market, as well as a top selling Dominican brand.
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