Reject Imitations. Authentic Cuban Cigars Only at Rosarito Smoke Shop
- All Cuban Cigars
- Bolivar
- Cohiba
- Cuaba
- Diplomaticos
- El Rey del Mundo
- Fonseca
- H. Upmann
- Hoyo de Monterrey
- Juan Lopez
- La Gloria Cubana
- Montecristo
- Partagas
- Por Larranaga
- Punch
- Quai D’Orsay
- Rafael Gonzalez
- Ramon Allones
- Romeo y Julieta
- Saint Luis Rey
- San Cristobal de La Habana
- Sancho Panza
- Trinidad
- Vegas Robaina
- Vegueros
Bolivar History
About this Brand: Named after Simón Bolívar, Latin America’s great revolutionary hero, this brand appeared on the market in 1901 when the Rocha Cuban Cigar Company began production. Robust, strong, powerful and full-bodied, Bolívars are considered to be a seasoned smoker’s cigar.
The Rocha Cigar Company was notorious for producing world’s smallest Cuban cigar, the Delgado, measuring only 1 7/8 inches by 20 ring gauge, the smallest of the Havanas.
The brand was bought in 1954 by Cifuentes y Cia after Rocha's death and production was moved to the famous Partágas Factory in Havana (today known as the Francisco Pérez Germán factory), where many of its sizes are still produced today. During this time, under Cifuente's direction, Bolívar gained popularity in the world market and became a major export brand.
The Cuban Bolívar has a reputation among cigar aficionados of being one of the strongest and most full-bodied cigars, with its Coronas Junior, Petit Coronas, and Belicosos Finos being famous examples of the marque. In 2002, when Altadis bought a controlling share in the Cuban government-owned cigar distributor, Habanos SA, a number of changes in cigar production were instituted. One of these changes was the decision to gradually turn the various brands of Cuban cigars to either all-handmade or all-machine-made lines. Bolívar, which has historically produced a variety of handmade and machine-made or machine-finished cigars, had several of its vitolas cut from production, with only one remaining, the cigarillo-sized Chicos. It remains to be seen if this size will eventually cease to be produced as well.
Cohiba History
About this Brand: Introduced in 1968 Cohíba cigars were meant only as protocol cigars made solely for Cuban officials and diplomats. Cohíba was not widely distributed until 1982 when 3 sizes were launched: Lanceros, Coronas Especiales and Panetelas. Then, 3 more vitolas were added to the brand in 1989: Espléndidos, Robustos and Exquisitos, completing what is known as “La Línea Clásica”. In 1992, 5 more vitolas were added creating the “Linea 1492”: the Siglo I, II, III, IV and V and recently the long awaited Siglo VI was released. Cohíba remains the “King of the Cubans” as well as Castro’s favourite smoke, before he gave up smoking.
Cuban Cohibas have historically been known to use some of the finest cigar tobacco available in Cuba. The tobacco for Cohiba is selected from the finest Vegas Finas de Primera (first-class tobacco fields) in the San Luis and San Juan y Martinez zones of the Vuelta Abajo region of Pinar del Río Province. In 1992 just 10 carefully selected fields totaling about 700 acres were used for production of the Cohiba brand, their exact location a carefully guarded trade secret.[5] The production of these fields is further selected for quality, with the output of just five of these fields used in Cohiba production in an average year.
The tobacco used to fill the cigars is unique among Cuban brands owing to a special third fermentation in wooden barrels at the El Laguito factory, aimed at producing a smoother flavor than other cigars.Originally all Cohibas were made at the El Laguito factory, a mansion located on the outskirts of Havana converted into a cigar-rolling school for women in 1961. Production of some Cohiba vitolas was later expanded to the Partagas factory in Havana, which manufactures its Cohiba product from pre-blended tobacco received from El Laguito.
Cohiba cigars tends to be medium to full-bodied in flavor.
Cuaba History
About this Brand: The name of this cigar is very old, and dates back to the times of the early Cuban settlers. This was the name of an indigenous tree in the island, featured by its excellent burning properties, that is still grown in the country. These cigars, which stand out by their pleasant aroma, outstanding construction and rich flavors. The cigars are pointed on both ends which lends outstanding combustion to the experience.
Cuaba was officially launched by Habanos president Francisco Linares on November 19, 1996 at Claridge's Hotel in London, Great Britain, as an all-perfecto line of cigars. The brand was launched in an attempt to revive figurados, which had initially been very popular in the early 20th century but had declined since about the 1950s. For the release party, the creator of the line, Carlos Izquierdo González, and fourteen other highly-skilled torcedores (cigar rollers) demonstrated making figurado cigars. The original Cuabas were of slightly differing sizes within the same box, due to a cigar mold not being used to press them into shape. When molds were finally made for Cuaba around a year later, these original non-molded cigars became great collectors' items.
González claims he styled the Cuaba blend after Montecristo, but most cigar connoisseurs believe the blend used is more similar in taste to Romeo y Julieta. Coincidentally enough, most Cuaba cigars are manufactured in the Briones Montoto (Romeo y Julieta) factory.
In 1998, Cuaba had the distinction of being one of the cigar brands chosen to be released with a special vitola (the Distinguidos) in a Millennium Reserve ceramic jar humidor and is often a brand chosen for special releases and humidors.
Diplomaticos History
About this Brand: Introduced in 1966, primarily as a less expensive alternative to the Montecristo, Diplomáticos is one of the few Havana brands which is exclusively dedicated to hand-rolled cigars. It’s cigar sizes mirror the Montecristo nomenclature and they are duly produced at the José Marti Factory, as most of the Montecristo line.
Since its inception and due to the special blending of tobacco, Diplomáticos has become a most respected cigar with distinctively nutty flavors and a medium body. A most enjoyable smoke for cigar connoisseurs worldwide.
Diplomáticos was the first new brand of Cuban cigars after the Cuban Revolution to be sold to the public (Cohiba was the very first brand created post-Revolution, but was only used for President Fidel Castro's private consumption and as diplomatic gifts, not being sold to the public until 1982).
Diplomáticos was initially created in 1966 as a "value" Montecristo, primarily aimed towards the French cigar market. The Diplomáticos line mimics the original Montecristo line in having five numbered sizes, all handmade. The blend used for this line is milder than that used for Montecristo, most likely to cater to the taste of French cigar smokers, and nowadays is usually still a bit cheaper in price than corresponding Montecristo sizes.
The original line consisted of five numbered sizes, corresponding to Montecristo. In 1976, the No. 6 and No. 7 were introduced to the line and were the same size as the Montecristo Especial No. 1 and Especial No. 2, but were discontinued a few years later in the mid-1980s.
Fonseca History
About this Brand: The Spanish poet Federico García Lorca loved Fonseca cigars. Founded in 1891, Francisco Fonseca was the first producer to introduce the metal tube for individual cigars. A pioneer in his time he also created the first tasting room within the factory for his clients to test the selected blends as he also specialized in creating cigars for banquets and receptions.
Fonseca cigars quickly became a success and Don Francisco was responsible for innovative practices such as wrapping his cigars in fine Japanese tissue paper (as they still are today) and packaging cigars in tin tubes (today's tubes are usually made with aluminum). His wife Doña Teresa continued the business after Don Francisco's premature death in Havana of a heart attack in 1929, and merged the brand with T. Castañeda and G. Montero to form the firm of Castañeda, Montero, Fonseca SA.
Production continued uninterrupted after the revolution and the cigars are still produced at the Lázaro Pena Factory in Havana. As a cigar brand, Fonseca is relatively mild by most aficionados' standards, sells for cheaper than most other Cuban cigar brands, and is marketed mostly in Spain and Canada, where the brand is particularly popular.
Since the early years, the Fonseca brand became renowned and cherished for the quality and appearance of its cigars. It is the only Habano in the market which is wrapped in very thin and almost transparent silky paper.
Hoyo de Monterrey History
About this Brand: Established in 1865 by José Gener, a tobacco leaf grower in the Vualeta Abajo region, Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the greatest Cuban cigar factories on the Island of Cuba. Roughly translating to “Valley of Monterrey” this cigar is made from an extremely fertile area in the famed Vuelta Abajo region. Due to its silky richness, complexity of taste, great draw and balanced fragrance and flavor, some believe Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas to be the most sought after Cuban cigar ever made. Produced in 7 factories, Hoyo de Monterrey vitolas and the magnificent Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas are made with only the finest Cuban tobacco.Among connoisseurs, the Épicure No. 2, Double Coronas, and Le Hoyo series are particularly prized.
Being a globally marketed brand, Hoyo de Monterrey has been chosen for Habanos' annual Edición Limitada releases since 2000. Of interesting note is the Particular, which had some production problems during the first Edición Limitada lineup in 2000 with few of the cigars getting out to vendors. This prompted Habanos to release it again the next year, the only Edición Limitada cigar so far to have had this happen. In 2004, a new size was added to the Hoyo de Monterrey line, the Petit Robusto, which also wore a slightly redesigned Hoyo de Monterrey cigar band.
The Hoyo Série was introduced about 1970 and presents a stronger, full bodied flavor. For a real treat, try the Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas or the Hoyo de Monterrey Épicure No. 2.
Hoyo de Monterrey also produces two machine-made cigarillos: the Mini and the Midi.
La Gloria Cubana History
About this Brand: Introduced in 1885 by the Sociedad Cabañas y Castro, it was soon a success amongst cigar cognoscenti for their being well-manufactured Havana cigars of an excellent aroma, strength and palate.
After the Revolution, it seems that production of La Gloria Cubana ceased for several years, until around 1965 when the brand was apparently resurrected at the Partagás Factory. It is produced in smaller quantities than other brands and maintains its popularity with connoisseurs, the Médaille d'Or No. 2 being a particularly prized vitola.
This brand has similar traits to those of El Rey del Mundo and of Rafael González. Together, they make up a triad of very well presented cigars in mid sizes and mild-mid to mid-strong palates, and an excellent quality-price ratio.
La Gloria Cubana also produces two machine-made cigarillos: the Mini and the Purito.
Rafael Gonzalez History
About this Brand: The first remarks on this brand date back to 1936 when it was registered under the name “La Flor de Márquez”. It was object of a relaunch in style in Spain, to become a highly popular brand in the important Spanish market. This is a premium, mid-strength cigar presented in very beautiful and pleasing wrapper colors.
Juan Lopez History
About this Brand: Juan López Sena created this brand in 1880. Manufactured in very small quantities, these cigars are characteristically woody and very pleasant on the palate. A mild cigar by Cuban standards, when allowed to age about 10-15 years the aromas become quite impressive.
Montecristo History
About this Brand: Launched in 1935 by the H. Upmann factory, the given name was a tribute to famed “Count of Montecristo”, the cigar smoking hero of Alexandre Dumas’s novel. Today, Montecristo is the most sought after cigar in the world, currently accounting for almost 25 % of Cuba’s annual cigar exports.
Known by cigar lovers as “Monties”, these cigars original line had only five numbered sizes, with a tubed cigar added during the 1940s, but otherwise remained unchanged until after nationalization. With Menendez and Garcia gone after 1959, one of the top grade torcedores, José Manuel Gonzalez, was promoted to floor manager and proceeded to breathe new life into the brand. In the 1970s and 1980s, five new sizes were added: the A, the Especial No. 1 and 2, the Joyita, and the Petit Tubo. Three other sizes, the Montecristo No. 6, No. 7, and B, were released but subsequently discontinued, though the B can occasionally be found in very small releases each year in Cuba.
Through the 1970s and 1980s, Montecristo continued to rise in popularity among cigar smokers and firmly entrenched itself as one of Cuba's top selling cigar lines. The Montecristo No. 4 is, itself, the most popular cigar in the world market.
In 2004, another new edition to the regular line was made with the Edmundo, a large robusto-sized cigar, named for the hero of Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantès.
Montecristo is also regularly chosen to be featured in Habanos SA's annual Edición Limitada selection of cigars with a darker vintage wrapper and there are numerous limited edition releases of special Montecristo cigars for special occasions, anniversaries, the annual Habanos Festival, charities, etc.
Delicious, full-flavored and highly recognizable to the palate due to their unique tobacco blend and distinctive flavor. The Montecristo brand is also highly popular as the result of it’s exceptionally consistent quality.
Partagas History
About this Brand: Partagás cigars were branded in 1845 by Don Jaime Partagás, and are known as one of the oldest and most well-known Cuban cigar brands. The supply of all these cigars always seems to fall short of the worldwide demand.
The Spaniard Don Jaime Partagás Ravelo had worked in the Cuban tobacco business for years before establishing his own factory, Real Fábricas de Tabaco Partagás in 1845, on 60 Industria Street in Havana, one of the largest of its time. The name, which translates as "Partagás Royal Tobacco Factory," was supposedly chosen because of Don Jaime's status as cigar supplier to various European and Asian nobility. Don Jaime owned many of the best plantations in the Vuelta Abajo tobacco-growing region of Cuba and being able to choose from among the finest tobaccos on the island made the brand incredibly successful. Don Jaime is also believed to have experimented with various methods of fermenting and aging tobacco and is legendarily credited with hiring the first lector to read to and entertain the cigar rollers as they worked.
In 1958, the Partagás Factory was the second largest exporter of Cuban cigars (the H. Upmann Factory being the only one bigger), accounting for over a quarter of all exported tobacco goods.
Before and after the Revolution, the Cuban-produced Partagás has been one of the most revered and highest-selling brands of cigars in the world. By the middle 1990s the brand had become the second leading selling Cuban brand, following Montecristo, with annual sales of approximately 10 million cigars.
These cigars are characterized as full, rich, and filled with earthy flavors. Following a heavy meal, a Partagás Lusitania is the perfect way to relax and enjoy the afternoon or evening. Because of the outstanding quality of these cigars, they tend to be relatively expensive, particularly the aforementioned and sought after Partagás Lusitania.
Punch History
About this Brand: Originally intended for the British market and established in 1840 by Don Manuel López, these cigars have become the second oldest Havana brand still in production. The name was drawn from the famous comic book “Punch & Judy”. Mr. Punch, with his unmistakably sly smile and cigar in hand, still adorns the box of these outstanding Cuban cigars
Like most other businesses around the world, the Cuban cigar industry faced financial hardships. In 1930, the firm of Fernández, Palicio y Cía bought up the brand, where it became one of the company's headlining cigar marques, along with Belinda, La Escepción, and Hoyo de Monterrey, and maintained its popularity with British cigar smokers.
After the embargo was set against Cuba by the United States, Fernando Palicio fled Cuba for Florida, where he subsequently sold his cigar lines to the Frank Llaneza and Dan Blumenthal of Villazon & Co., which has continued to make Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, and Belinda cigars from Honduran tobacco for the American market.
Cuba subsequently nationalized the tobacco industry and Punch continued production and is still a popular, multi-locally-marketed Cuban cigar line. Among connoisseurs, the eponymous Punch, Double Corona, Churchill, and Super Selection No. 2 are especially prized and sought after.
Standard bearers of quality, these cigars possess a spicy aroma and fragrant bouquet. They are medium-bodied cigars known for their superior construction and reliability. The tremendous popularity of Punch cigars amongst the British also trapped Sir Winston Churchill who, upon visiting the Monte y Zulueta factory during his stay in Havana, offered his name to a size of this brand.
Quai D’Orsay History
About this Brand: The Quai d'Orsay brand was created by Cubatabaco in 1973 for the French state tobacco monopoly, SEITA, and was blended with French tastes in mind, being a milder brand. There are a few competing stories as to what the marque's name refers to: one is that it is referring simply to the famous Paris avenue, another is that it refers to the French Foreign Ministry that is located on it, and another is that it is referring to the headquarters of SEITA which is also on the same avenue.
Quai d'Orsay was apparently outside of the umbrella of Habanos SA for a number of years and was managed directly by Cubatabaco and SEITA, but judging by packaging, Habanos SA documents, and SEITA's merger with Tabacalera into the multi-national tobacco company of Altadis, it appears Quai d'Orsay is a part of Habanos SA like all other Cuban-made brands of cigars.
Another oddity of the Quai d'Orsay line are its Corona cigars. Up until the late 1980s, Quai d'Orsay still manufactured its Coronas in two different wrapper shades: Claro and Claro Claro. As the fashion for lighter wrappers diminished (and supposedly as consumers noticed they were paying more for essentially the same cigar with the wrapper making a very minor difference) production eventually ceased of the Coronas Claro Claro. Though the box still says Coronas on it, the official production name is still Coronas Claro.
Light wrappers tend to adorn these smokes and the flavors are often of mild toasted tobacco and a mild sugary sweetness.
Ramon Allones History
About this Brand: The brand was created by brothers Ramón and Antonio Allones (no relation to the Antonio Allones of El Rey del Mundo fame) in 1845 and is supposedly the first cigar brand to have utilized colorful lithographs for box art, the first brand to utilize bands on cigars, and the first to package cigars in the "8-9-8" style (though there are several rival claimants as to who first made box art and bands).
The brand went through numerous ownership changes before it was finally bought by the Cifuentes family and production was moved to the famous Partagás Factory, where Ramón Allones cigars are still made to this day.
After the Revolution, production continued uninterrupted and Ramón Allones has consistently stayed popular with cigar aficionados through the decades. In the opinions of many, it shares many similarities with its cousin Partagás as far as body, sizes, and packaging. It has always been produced in smaller quantities than Partagás, possibly to ensure higher quality and raised demand for the brand.
Since 2001, when Altadis bought a controlling share of Habanos SA, the Ramón Allones marque has seen the majority of its manufactured sizes discontinued, including the much-beloved Coronas and even the 8-9-8 size it helped pioneer. Of the sizes available now, the Specially Selected, Gigantes, and Small Club Coronas are still incredibly popular among aficionados.
Rolled in the Partagás factory, which specializes in full-bodied cigars, these cigars will not disappoint those looking for complex and rich flavors. Characteristics of the brand include lovely dark wrappers, excellent construction, near perfect combustion, a rich flavor and wonderful aromas. Ramón Allones cigars tend to be the perfect after-dinner smoke. These cigars age beautifully.
El Rey del Mundo History
About this Brand: Believed to have been created, along with Sancho Panza, by German businessman Emilio Ohmstedt in 1848, El Rey del Mundo (King of the World in Spanish) was at one time the most expensive and prestigious cigar brand in the world. Renown for its silky smooth wrapper it was one of the most expensive and successful cigars of the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Spanish businessman Antonio Allones took over the brand sometime around 1882 (a rival version of the brand's history claims the brand became defunct after Ohmstedt's death and Allones re-registered it, but cigar connoisseur Min Ron Nee maintains the brand was passed to Allones from Ohmstedt's company, based on records stating Allones as the owner of El Rey del Mundo from as early as 1873). Under Allones, the brand reached the height of its worldwide prestige. In 1905, Allones' company was bought by the Díaz Hermanos y Cía venture, owned by Cándido Vega Díaz (supposedly the namesake of Don Cándido cigars), which was later renamed the Rey del Mundo Cigar Co. to reflect its most famous asset. The company also produced such famous brands as Sancho Panza, Rafael González, and Don Cándido.
Production continued after the Revolution and the brand maintained its popularity through the 1960s and 1970s, but as the world taste started to run towards stronger cigars, the milder El Rey del Mundo brand began to lose its status as a foremost brand of Cuban cigars. Despite its loss of popularity, El Rey del Mundos cigars are still prized for their mild, complex flavors, with the Choix Supreme, Grandes de España, and Demi Tasse sizes being particularly popular among connoisseurs.
A classic medium-bodied Cuban cigar good for smokers of all levels, El Rey del Mundo boasts a mixture of the finest tobacco, rich bean flavors, and a distinctively floral aroma.
Romeo y Julieta History
About this Brand: Founded in 1873, the Romeo y Julieta brand used to print over 2'000 different cigar bands ! The “Romeos” are one of the most well-known and popular of all of the Havana brands. Over 40 shapes and sizes are produced, some of which are considered the very best in their size.
With so many different sizes and so much pressure on production, it is especially impressive that the entire brand continues to be appreciated as one of superior quality. The brand is also credited with introducing the “Churchill” shaped cigar, in honor of the famed British Prime Minister. British lore claims that when Churchill would meet with foreign heads of state, he would insert a straightened paperclip through the length of his cigar, allowing for an unusually long ash to hold. Because of this unnerving trick he would often disarm his guests during delicate negotiations.
Romeo y Julieta also produces three machine-made cigarillos: minis, clubs and puritos.
Saint Luis Rey History
About this Brand: In 1940, this brand was registered under the name “Zamora y Guerra”. Known for their flavor ranging from mild to medium, these Habanos are hand made by experienced rollers, with most celebrated leaves from the Vuelta Abajo.
Bean flavors (vanilla, coco and coffee) are very present in all of these smokes. Made from the finest tobacco one will occasionally notice a subtle honeyed sweetness and a distinct grassy aroma typical to this line.
San Cristobal de La Habana History
About this Brand: The latest, and probably the last, of the new Series of Havana brands. Launched in 1996, these cigars have been given the original name of the city of Havana, when it was founded by settlers back in 1519, San Cristóbal (Saint Christopher) de La Habana.
TThe 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. These new cigars, the Officios, Mercaderes and Muralla, also feature an additional "La Casa del Habano" band as these cigars were only available at La Casa del Habano retailers.
Sancho Panza History
About this Brand: Founded in 1852, Sancho Panza was named after Don Quixote’s faithful squire in Cervantes’s famous novel. Sancho Panza is a uniquely delicate, elegant and very subtle cigar. They rank among the most consistently well-made Cuban cigars.and are well suited to occasional, beginner, or daytime smokers alike. All sizes are relatively mild. The brand is well known for its enormous “A” size Sanchos cigar and the pointed Belicoso cigar.
Trinidad History
About this Brand: According to Adriano Martínez, a former executive of Habanos SA, in Min Ron Nee's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars, the Trinidad brand was first produced in 1969 at the El Laguito factory in Havana.
In the early 90's, the cigar received much attention in Cigar Aficionado after an interview with Avelino Lara (formerly the manager of El Laguito, and a producer of cigars for the Graycliff Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas until his death on October 27, 2009). In the 1992 interview, Lara claimed that Trinidad was an ultra-exclusive brand that only Fidel Castro was authorized to hand out as diplomatic gifts. Lara also claimed Trinidads were of a higher quality than the much-lauded Cohibas that had formerly been diplomatic exclusives before their mass-market release in 1982. Two sources have contradicted Lara's claims: President Fidel Castro himself and the afore-mentioned Mr. Martínez.
In 1995, Cigar Aficionado hosted the Dinner of the Century in Paris, France, where, among other rarities, the guests became the first outside of diplomatic circles to taste Trinidad cigars. In February 1998, the Trinidad brand was released for public consumption at an opening ceremony in the Habana Libre Hotel in Havana. The initial release was only in one size: the Fundador. Though Martínez and others maintain that the blend did not change in the transition from a diplomatic gift to a mass-marketed cigar, the size did. The diplomatic Trinidads only came in one size, that of a Laguito No. 1 (the same as the Cohiba Lancero). The Fundador instead comes in a new size with a factory name of Laguito Especial, the same length as a Laguito No. 1 but with a ring gauge of 40 instead of 38.
In November 2003 at a black tie dinner hosted by UK importer Hunters & Frankau at the Hilton Park Lane in London, England, three new sizes were debutted for the Trinidad line: the Coloniale, the Reyes, and the Robusto Extra.
Vegas Robaina History
About this Brand: This brand bears the name of the property of the best Cuban tobacco grower: Don Alejandro Robaina. The San Luis area has the finest tobacco of the Vuelta Abajo region. Approximately 30 % of the tobacco exported from Pinar del Rio province uses Vegas Robaina (Robaina Tobacco plantation) wrapper, making the plantation a tobacco legend. These cigars are almost always excellently constructed, full-bodied and rich in complex tobacco flavors.
Don Alejandro has, himself, become a celebrity in the world of Cuban cigars, with many aficionados and tourists in Cuba flocking to his farm in the San Luis region of the Vuelta Abajo to meet the man himself and see his tobacco vegas.
Don Alejandro died on April 17, 2010 after being diagnosed with cancer in 2009.
Vegueros History
About this Brand: An homage to the cultivators of the Vuelta Abajo plantations, Vegueros literally translates to “harvester”. It honours cultivators of the tobacco plantations in Vuelta Abajo who were anonymous artists for hundred of years.
In 1961, the Francisco Donatién Factory in the Pinar del Río province of Cuba began producing cigars for domestic consumption, along with the cigarettes it had been producing for years. These cigars were commonly rolled for national banquets and other public affairs and became colloquially known as Vegueros, after the farmers and field hands that work on Cuba's tobacco and sugar cane plantations. The first people outside of Cuba to become acquainted with these cigars were tourists on sight-seeing trips out to Cuba's cigar tobacco-growing regions. In 1997, Habanos SA launched the cigars for export.
These cigars are mild, slightly herbaceous and well balanced. They compare favourably to any of the more famous “major” brands at a fraction of the cost. Construction, quality and colors are second-to-none. Vegueros is a well-kept insider’s secret.
H. Upmann History
About this Brand: The history of this brand began around 1840 when Herman Upmann, a banker and cigar aficionado invested in a cigar factory which served dually as a bank and cigar business. Following the failure of both companies in 1922, a British firm by the name of J. Frankau & Co. took over the factory until 1935 when it was sold to the Menendez y García Company... and so was the legend reborn.
The Cuban-made brand still remains a popular cigar in the world market, where it is made in a variety of fully handmade, hand-finished, and machine-made vitolas. In 2002, when Altadis SA bought a controlling share in Habanos SA, numerous changes were made to the Upmann lineup. The vast array of Upmann sizes was rationalized, with redundant and poor selling sizes among the company's more than 30 vitolas eliminated. By 2006, according to the company, the H. Upmann line had been whittled down to just seven handmade and five machine-made sized.
In 2005, Habanos SA made an uncharacteristic move by releasing a new H. Upmann size as part of their annual Edición Limitada release. This is odd because the rule of the past has been that only the five globally distributed marques (Cohíba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagás, and Hoyo de Monterrey) have been used for Edición Limitada releases, whereas H. Upmann is a multi-locally distributed brand. This limited edition size was the large Magnum 50, thought to be an enticement to smokers with whom the Magnum 46 is very popular. Shortly afterwards, Quintero was demoted to a multi-local brand in the Habanos portfolio and H. Upmann was raised to a global brand, with distribution in every nation that imports Habanos cigars.
Characteristically, H. Upmanns are mild to medium-bodied cigars great for the beginner’s palate. Their larger sizes are among the most coveted and sought after cigars in the world. A promising smooth, subtle and mild to medium smoke.
Por Larranaga History
About this Brand: Por Larrañaga is a brand with a long history. Founded in 1834, it enjoys a well-earned reputation for quality. By the end of the 19th century, Por Larrañaga had become a well-known premium cigar brand producing both expensive and inexpensive cigars. In 1925, Por Larrañaga became the first factory to make machine-made cigars which soon resulted in a boycott by factory workers. At the time of the revolution, Por Larrañaga was the sixth largest producing Cuban brand.
Up until the 1970s, Por Larrañaga remained a respectable and popular premium cigar brand. In the 1980s production fell dramatically and due to trademark litigation in the 1990s, export of the brand was reduced to only a few countries. For some time the brand was reduced to almost entirely machine-made or hand-finished and was mainly sold in Canada and the Middle East. Now the brand has made a bit of a comeback, with two of its four vitolas being totally hand-made.
In 2006, Habanos produced a few thousand boxes of Por Larrañaga Lonsdales (a discontinued vitola much mourned by aficionados of the brand) for release in Germany. The cigars were packaged in 25-count dress boxes and marked with a special second band that read "Exclusivo Alemania" (Germany Exclusive).
The brand was resurrected in the United States in early 2007 as Por Larrañaga Cuban Grade, by Florida-based importer Cuban Imports. No Cuban tobacco is used in these cigars; they use Dominican and Honduran filler, a Mexican binder, and either an Ecuadoran-grown Connecticut-seed wrapper or a Mexican maduro wrapper. It is also worth noting that Altadis USA has had some variations of the brand, none containing Cuban Tobacco, of course.
These cigars have an unmistakable sweet taste which is the hallmark of this brand. Excellent cigars to smoke young, but equally, perfect to age.
Today, Rosarito Smoke Shop is your best option when buying cigars, tobacco & accesories. Three main reasons identify us. First, we are the only certified dealer of Habanos in this area in Baja. Our cigars are kept in the best conditions as far as humidity and temperature, inside are walk-in humidor. We have been serving are customers proudly since 1987.
Rosarito Smoke Shop is the most trusted seller of Cuban cigars in the Tijuana-Ensenada Corridor. All of our fine authentic Cuban cigars are supplied by IEPT (Importadora y Exportadora de Puros y Tabacos), the official distributor of authentic Habanos in Mexico.
We offer confortable couch seating with Satellite TV. Come and enjoy your favorite sports/events, while enjoying a wide selection of cigars.
We are located only 15 miles south of the Tijuana/San Diego International Border. In the heart of downtown Rosarito, one block from the beach, great hotels, restaurants and bars.
Rosarito Smoke Shop| Blvd Benito Juarez #907-2| info@RosaritoSmokeShop.com | tel: (661) 612-5994| from USA: 011-52 (661) 612-5994 | Privacy
