Cohiba

Year of Foundation: 1927
Tobacco Country: Cuba
Tobacco Procedence: Vuelta Abajo
Factory: El Laguito

Officially launched in 1968 after being the personal favorite marca of Cuban leader Fidel Castro for several years, Cohiba started operating in El Laguito factory with the objective of rolling super-premium cigars offered exclusively as diplomatic gifts or for high government officials. There is also a Dominican Cohiba cigar brand that was started after the Cuban revolution. However, the original brand is Cuban Cohiba that is mentioned here.

Cohiba quickly developed a mystic aura, being so difficult to find, however in 1982 it finally got to the world market as a premium brand, with only limited vitolas at the time: the Panetela, the Corona Especial, and the Lancero. Few years later, the Robusto, the Exquisito, and the Espléndido were added. And in 1992, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Americas by Columbus, Cohiba launched the Línea 1492 with 5 extremely sought after cigars: Siglo I, Siglo II, Siglo III, Siglo IV, and Siglo V, while the Siglo VI was added in 2002.

Cohiba only uses carefully selected premium tobacco from the Vuelta Abajo region in the Pinar del Río Province, which then undergoes an extra fermentation process in wooden barrels at the El Laguito factory. However not all cigars are rolled in this factory, Cohiba also shares the Francisco Pérez Germán factory with Partagás. Cohiba cigars are famed for being of extremely good quality and for being medium to full strength.

Cohiba's best sellers are the Cohiba Robusto, the Cohiba Siglos series and the Cohiba Maduros series.