Bolivar Cigars

Bolivar brand is without a doubt not for beginners to Cuban Cigars. Cuban cigars of this brand have a reputation of being full bodied and believed to be the strongest cigars produced in Cuba. In its commencement (year 1921) Bolivar Cuban Brand were producing the world smallest cigars but with the time it moved to produce stronger cigar types. The name of these Cuban cigars was given in honor to the South American hero Simon Bolivar. Currently the Bolivar cigars have gained popularity in the world market and have become a major Cuban export brand.

Cohiba Cigars

The name Cohiba derives from Taino word for "tobacco”. There’s something important to say about the origin of this Cuban cigar, in the beginning it was produced uniquely for Fidel Castro and the high Cuban government people. The cigars before they were given away, had an extra fermentation process, which gives a smoother flavor to this Cuban cigar, the tobacco were sowed in the first class tobacco fields in Cuba, the tobacco was carefully chosen by the professionals to make the Cohiba Cigar the best of the best ever made. The flavor of these cohiba cigars tends towards medium to-full bodied.

Cuaba Cigars

The Cuaba Cuban cigars are relatively new in the Cuban cigars market. They were first introduced in 1996 in London, and became very popular because of their exclusive format: Fugurado o Perfecto. These are very difficult cigars to make, and it is not surprising that in a box of Cuabas, the Cuban cigars don’t have exactly the same shape. Originally Cuaba was a type of tree with excellent burning properties that Indians used. Cuaba Cuban cigars are distinguished by their rich aroma, outstanding burning qualities, and excellent cigar construction.

Diplomaticos Cigars

In the beginnings only the high ranking people, Cuban cigars rollers and the foreign politicians knew about this brand. The Diplomaticos Cuban Cigars were given as a diplomatic present. This was the first cigar brand that appeared after the Cuban Revolution and was created primarily for the Western European cigars market. Presently Diplomaticos Cuban cigars have 5 sizes or formats, equivalent to the Montecristo line. Soon Diplomaticos Cuban cigar’s delicious and rich taste made these Cuban cigars another famous brand between tobacco experts. It is one of the few Cuban brands exclusively devoted to handmade cigars. The sizes and names essentially mirror the Montecristo nomenclature. The Diplomaticos Cuban Cigars are considered to be medium to full body.

El Rey Del Mundo Cigars

This Cuban cigar along with Sancho Panza is believed to have been created back in 1848. The El Rey del Mundo is considered to be one of the cigar industry’s oldest Cuban brands and it was at one time the most expensive and prestigious cigar brand in the world. As the world taste started to run towards stronger cigars, this milder brand began to loss its status as a foremost brand of Cuban Cigars, but despite its loss of popularity El Rey del Mundo is still prized for their mild, complex flavors among cigar connoisseurs. In recent years the decision was made to reintroduce the El Rey del Mundo Cuban cigar to a broader market using the tried and true Cuban methods that have made this brand one of the longest-lived cigar brands in the industry.

Fonseca Cigars

In the Cuban cigars market the brand under the name of Don Francisco Fonseca was registered back in 1907. Since then Fonseca Cuban cigar quickly became a success and Don Francisco began innovative practices such as wrapping his cigars in fine Japanese tissue paper (as they still are today) and packaging Cuban cigars in tin tubes (today's tubes are usually made with aluminum). The image of Francisco Fonseca, the man who developed this Cuban brand, still adorns the box today. The Fonseca cigars is considered to exhibit a rich but mild flavour. As a Cuban cigar brand, Fonseca is relatively mild by most aficionados’ standards, sells for cheaper than most other Cuban cigars, and is marketed mostly in Spain and Canada, were the brand is particularly popular.

Gloria Cubana Cigars

The La Gloria Cubana cigar brand was created in 1885 by Sociedad Cabanas & Castro, and then 20 years later it was bought by Jose F. Rocha, who was in charge of manufacturing cigars of his factory. Later in 1954 the Cifuentes family bought this Cuban cigar along with the Bolivar brand from Rocha’s former company and further more production was moved to the Partagas Cuban factory, where it is still produced today. It has become very popular as a Cuban cigars export brand. La Gloria Cubana is currently produced in smaller quantities than other Cuban cigar brands but maintains its popularity with connoisseurs.

H. Upmann Cigars

The H. Upmann is a premium Cuban cigar and through the late 1800s, the H. Upmann Cigar brand gained international recognition at various exhibitions and won seven gold medals which still adorn the lithographed art on today's H. Upmann Cuban boxes, along with Hermann Upmann's original signature. American President John F. Kennedy, before signing the embargo to Cuba made a request to bring H. Upmann Cuban cigars for his personal use. This brand of Cuban cigars is available in a stunning range of handmade and machine –made sizes. The H. Upmann premium Cuban cigars brand offers a mild to medium strength body.

Hoyo De Monterrey Cigars

The name of these Cuban cigars translated literally to English would be: “The hole of Monterrey” in allusion to the curved terrain used by the tobacco growers. The Hoyo de Monterrey cigar is definitely for tobacco connoisseurs. Red Auerbach, the world famous basketball coach, was famous smoking Hoyo de Monterrey cigars after each victory of their team. The tobacco of this Cuban brand has exceptional burning properties, balanced fragrance and flavor. Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the Cuban cigars that have the largest cigar sizes available, from Petit Robusto to Double Coronas.

Juan Lopez Cigars

The Juan Lopez Cuban cigars brand has a limited range but the workmanship is first-rate with a medium to strong flavor. The Juan Lopez cigars are the unique Cuban cigars that are only made by hand. Limited quantity of these Cuban cigars is made.

Montecristo Cigars

The world famous cigars Montecristo are known by their quality standards from which other brands are created. Smoking this Cuban cigar is a privilege that few can enjoy. Its rich aroma, smooth smoke and what Cuban cigar experts call a perfect cigar construction. What is the attribute that this Cuban cigar has that no other cigars doesn’t? It’s the rich history, experience from 1935, talented cigar rollers and the most important the extraordinary Cuban tobacco leaves are the factors that make this brand special.

Partagas Cigars

From the beginnings in 1845, Partagas Cuban cigars were made from the finest tobacco, selected from the best Cuban plantations in Vuelta Abajo tobacco-growing region of Cuba. Jaime Partagás Ravelo, the creator of Partagás Cuban cigars, has experimented with many types of fermentation and aging his tobacco to create the unique quality cigars. Since its creation, Partagás was one of the most respectful and best selling Cuban cigars in the world. Furthermore it’s the second biggest cigar exporter, after H. Upmann Cuban cigars. Many cigar connoisseurs consider this to be their favorite brand of Cuban cigars Earthy, intense flavor and the exquisites aroma, makes from the Partagas Cuban cigars a truly legend.

Por Larrañaga Cigars

The Cuban cigars brand Por Larrañaga was registered in 1834 and up until the 1970s; Por Larrañaga cigar remained a respectable and popular premium Cuban cigar brand. In the 1980s, production fell dramatically and due to trademark litigation in the 1990s, export of these Cuban cigars was reduced to only a few countries. Now the brand has made a bit of a comeback, with two of its four vitolas being totally hand-made. Cigar Aficionado's December 2006 issue reviewed its first Por Larrañaga outside of its "Connoisseur's Corner". The petit corona selected scored an impressive 91.

Punch Cigars

The Punch Cuban brand was first registered back in 1840 and it quickly became a success. Nowadays these Cuban cigars are very popular, multi-locally-marketed Cuban cigar line. Among connoisseurs this Cuban cigar brand is especially prized and sought after. The Punch cigar has a full rich flavour (machine-made or machine bunched) with a hand-rolled wrap paper.

Quai D’Orsay Cigars

The Quai D’Orsay Cuban cigar brand was named after a famous bridge in Paris, Quai D’Orsay. Created in 1970, the Quai D’Orsay Cuban cigar brand was mainly produced for the French market. It was blended with French tastes of mild toasted tobacco and mild sugary sweetness, which makes it to be a milder brand. Light wrappers tend to adorn these smokes.

Rafael Gonzalez Cigars

The Rafael Gonzalez Cuban cigars brand is recognized to be medium bodied. The Cuban producer company is well known to have introduced the Lonsdale size, named after Hugh Cecil Lowther, the fifth earl of Lonsdale.

Ramon Allones Cigars

The Ramon Allones brand was created in 1845 and it is supposedly the first Cuban cigar brand to have used colorful lithographs for box art, the first brand to use bands on cigars and the first to package cigars in the “8-9-8” style. The Ramon Allones Cuban brand went through several owners before it was finally bought by the Cifuentes family and production was moved to the famous Partagas, where Ramón Allones cigars are still made to this day. This Cuban cigar brand has consistently remained popular among Cuban cigars connoisseurs who say that it shares similarities with its cousin Partagas as far as body, packaging and sizes.

Romeo Y Julieta Cigars

The Romeo and Julieta Cuban cigar brand was established in 1875 and it is named after the Shakespeare tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Between 1885 and 1900, the Romeo and Julieta brand won several awards at different testing exhibitions, which are still nowadays on the gold medals on the brand’s logo. The brand became exceptionally popular around the world among wealthy customers many of whom requested personalized brands for their Cuban cigars; among which we can mention Sir Winston Churchill as the brand’s most famous devotee. The Romeo and Julieta brand used to print over 2,000 different cigar brands. The “Romeos” are one of the most well-known and popular of all the Cuban cigars. Over 40 shapes and sizes are produced, some of which are considered in the very best in their size.

Saint Luis Rey Cigars

In 1940, the Saint Luis Rey Cigar Cuban Habanos brand was registered under the name “Zamora y Guerra”. Known among connoisseurs for their flavour ranging from mild to medium, these Cuban Habanos are hand made by experience rollers, with most celebrated leaves from the Vuelta Abajo”

San Cristobal De La Habana Cigars

In 1519 a small settlement was established on a Caribbean shore. The colonists decided to name it San Cristobal after Christopher Columbus, but native Indians preferred a word from their own language; la Habana. Years after, San Cristobal de la Habana became the beautiful and sensual cosmopolitan capital of Cuba. San Cristobal De La Habana Cuban cigars were officially launched on November 20th, 1999 and are unrelated to the existing Cuban cigar brand before the Cuban revolution. The brand initially launched with 4 cigars (El Morro, El Principe, La Fuerza, and La Punta). In 2004, to celebrate the brand's fifth anniversary, 3 additional cigars were produced for the V Anniversary Humidor and eventually released for public sale.

Sancho Panza Cigars

The Sancho Panza Cuban cigar brand was founded in 1852 and was named after Don Quixote’s faithful squire in Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s famous novel. Sancho Panza is a uniquely delicate and very subtle cigar which ranks among the most consistently well-made Cuban cigars and are well suited to occasional, beginner, or daytime smokers alike. All sizes are relatively mild and this Cuban cigar brand is well known for its enormous “A” size Sancho’s cigar and the pointed Belicoso cigar.

Trinidad Cigars

The Trinidad Cuban cigars were first produced in 1969 at the Laguito factory in la Habana. Marketed for the first time in 1998, when it was presented in la Habana during the annual gala in which the “Hombre Habano del Año” awards are bestowed. Connoisseurs around the world already knew about this Cuban brand, since a variation of it but with 38 ring gauge, had been used since 1969 as a diplomatic present from the government of the Republic of Cuba.

Vegas Robaina Cigars

The Vegas Robaina Cigar Cuban cigar brand bears the name of the property of the best Cuban tobacco grower: Don Alejandro Robaina. The San Luis area produces the finest tobacco of the “Vuelta Abajo” region. Approximately 80% of the tobacco exported from Pinar del Rio province uses Vegas Robaina (Robaina Tobacco plantation) wrapper, making the plantation a tobacco legend. These Cuban cigars are almost always excellently made, full bodied and rich in complex tobacco flavors.

Limited Editions

The "Limited Edition" originally made its appearance in 2001 with the launch of the Partagas Piramides - still regarded by some as one of the best cigars to date. Characterized by a specially prepared and aged dark Maduro wrapper the cuban cigars sported a unique gold and black band with the year of production. The fermentation for the partagas piramide limited edition cigars also serves to impart approximately 10% more strength to the cuban cigar as indicated by the "toasted" taste of the tobacco.

The process that complete the flavor of any limited edition is very much an ongoing experiment conducted by agronomists expecialized - the agricultural production division responsible for the cultivation of tobacco leaf in Cuba. Each year since 2001 Limited Edition cuban cigars have been produced in selected marques. Once these prestigious and rare cuban cigars have been distributed and sold Worldwide they pass into the annals of cigar history. Inevitably the more popular cuban cigars specially created within this format will appreciate in value by virtue of scarcity alone.