The great Cuban brands

Rafael González A 1930s marque whose boxes still carry their famous English inscription advising that the cigars should be smoked within one month or … Quai d'Orsay Commissioned in the early 1970s for the French state tobacco monopoly and named for the Parisian quay. A pale, elegant, softly aromatic … Ramon Allones Founded in 1837 by a Galician émigré and credited with being the first house to dress its boxes in printed labels and … Diplomáticos A quiet connoisseur's marque created in 1966, long prized as an understated alternative to Montecristo. The No. 2 pirámide is one of … Vegueros Named for the tobacco farmers of Pinar del Río and made in the town of San Juan y Martínez itself. Relaunched in … Sancho Panza Named for Don Quixote's faithful squire and registered in 1852. A mild, dry, subtly salty blend with a devoted following in Spain … Juan López Founded in the 1870s by the Spaniard Juan López Díaz and today one of the smallest marques in the portfolio, hand-made entirely … Montecristo Founded in 1935 and named after the Dumas novel read aloud to the rollers, Montecristo is the best-known and best-selling Habanos marque … El Rey del Mundo 'The King of the World' — a confident name from 1882, when the house of Antonio Allones commanded some of the highest … Romeo y Julieta A marque of the belle époque, famed since the 1870s and adored by Winston Churchill, whose name graces its most celebrated vitola. … Partagás Established in Havana in 1845 by Don Jaime Partagás, one of the oldest names in tobacco. The blend is unapologetically full and … Punch One of the oldest Havana marques, registered in 1840 and named after the English puppet Mr Punch. Long a favourite in the … H. Upmann Founded in 1844 by the German banker Herman Upmann, whose bank failed but whose cigars endured. Refined and subtle, with the Sir … San Cristóbal de La Habana Launched in 1999 and named after the city of Havana itself, with vitolas named for the fortresses that guarded her harbour. A … Cuaba Revived in 1996 as the only Habanos marque devoted entirely to figurados — every vitola is a double-tapered perfecto, rolled by a … Trinidad Named for the colonial city of Trinidad de Cuba, this small marque began life in 1969 as a gift cigar for foreign … Por Larrañaga Registered in 1834, the oldest marque still in production, and immortalised in verse by Rudyard Kipling. A gentle, sweet, cedary blend beloved … Bolívar Named for Simón Bolívar, the liberator of South America, and true to the name: one of the fullest, most powerful blends Havana … Vegas Robaina Created in 1997 to honour Don Alejandro Robaina, the most famous wrapper grower in Vuelta Abajo. A rich, rounded blend offered in … José L. Piedra A family marque from Remedios revived in 1996 — honest, short-filler cigars made with Vuelta Arriba leaf, offering true Cuban character at … Quintero Founded in Cienfuegos in the 1920s by Agustín Quintero, and still the marque for an unpretentious everyday Havana — short-filler cigars with … Saint Luis Rey A small marque from the 1940s named, it is said, for the town of San Luis in Vuelta Abajo. Robust and dark … Cohiba Created in 1966 and reserved for many years for diplomatic gifts, Cohiba stands at the very top of the Habanos portfolio. Its … La Gloria Cubana A venerable marque dating to 1885, revived in the 1960s and long a quiet favourite of collectors. A refined, medium-bodied blend made … Test Fonseca Founded in 1892 by Don Francisco Fonseca, who dressed his cigars in white tissue paper — as the house still does. A … Hoyo de Monterrey From the famous plantation gate — the 'hoyo', or hollow — at San Juan y Martínez. A delicate, aromatic blend that makes …