History & origin
Cohiba was born in 1966 in Havana, created on Fidel Castro's initiative to offer an exceptional cigar to his heads of state and diplomatic guests.
For nearly twenty years, it remained a brand reserved for dignitaries - inaccessible to the public. It was only in 1982 that it was made commercially available, first in Europe, then worldwide.
Its name comes from the Taíno word for tobacco. Today owned by Habanos S.A., Cohiba remains the absolute symbol of the Cuban cigar - and one of the most imitated brands in the world.
Cuba
Cigar profile
Cohiba uses exclusively Vuelta Abajo leaves, selected from the finest plots.
The house's defining characteristic is its third fermentation - an additional process that softens the tobacco and refines the aromatic profile. The result is an elegant, complex cigar, rarely aggressive.
Notes of cedar, coffee, and gentle spice. Medium to medium-full strength depending on the line.
The Behike line, reserved for medio tiempo leaves, represents the pinnacle of the house's production.
The cigar that heads of state smoked before anyone else could buy one.
History & origin
Montecristo was founded in 1935 at the Particulares factory in Havana. Its name was inspired by Alexandre Dumas' novel - legend has it that readers would read aloud to the rollers as they worked, and The Count of Monte Cristo was a particular favourite.
It quickly became one of the most celebrated Cuban brands, surviving the Revolution and the nationalisation of the tobacco industry in 1960.
Today owned by Habanos S.A., Montecristo is the best-selling Cuban cigar brand in the world - present in virtually every lounge from London to Hong Kong.
Cuba
Cigar profile
Montecristo produces medium to medium-full bodied cigars, built for consistency and balance.
The profile is classic Cuban - notes of cedar, cocoa, and light earth, with a smooth, even draw.
The No. 2 torpedo is considered one of the greatest cigars ever made. The Línea 1935 represents the house's premium offering, using aged tobacco and more complex blending.
Reliable across the range, Montecristo is often the first Cuban a new smoker encounters - and rarely the last.
The most recognised name in Cuban tobacco. Earned, not marketed.
History & origin
Partagás was founded in 1845 by Don Jaime Partagás, a Catalan immigrant who built one of Havana's most ambitious tobacco operations.
The Real Fábrica de Tabacos Partagás, located just behind the Capitol building, became one of the city's landmarks - and one of the first factories to employ readers to entertain workers during rolling.
After the Revolution, production continued under state control. Today owned by Habanos S.A., Partagás remains one of Cuba's oldest and most storied brands, with a history stretching nearly 180 years.
Cuba
Cigar profile
Partagás is known for its full body and intensity - among the boldest profiles in the Cuban portfolio.
The tobacco draws heavily from Vuelta Abajo, with long fermentation times that produce a deep, earthy character. Notes of dark earth, leather, coffee, and a persistent spice that lingers through the finish.
The Serie D No. 4 robusto is the house's most iconic cigar, and one of the best-selling Havanas worldwide. Not a cigar for beginners - but one that rewards those who seek complexity over comfort.
Nearly 180 years old. Still one of the most complex cigars coming out of Cuba.
History & origin
Romeo y Julieta was founded in 1875 in Havana by Inocencio Alvarez.
Its name was chosen to evoke romance and universality - and the strategy worked. By the early twentieth century, it had become one of the most exported Cuban brands, particularly popular in Britain. Winston Churchill was among its most devoted admirers, smoking up to ten cigars a day - a loyalty so well known that the house named its most iconic size after him.
Today owned by Habanos S.A., Romeo y Julieta remains one of the most widely distributed Cuban brands in the world.
Cuba
Cigar profile
Romeo y Julieta produces medium-bodied cigars - among the most accessible in the Cuban portfolio.
The profile is smooth and approachable: notes of cedar, cream, light spice, and a gentle floral quality.
The Churchill, a 178mm vitola, is the house's signature cigar and one of the most recognised formats in the world.
The Wide Churchill and the Reserva Real offer more complexity for those seeking depth beyond the classic range. An ideal entry point into Cuban tobacco - elegant without being demanding.
Churchill smoked ten a day. There are worse habits to inherit.
History & origin
Arturo Fuente was founded in 1912 by Arturo Fuente Sr., a Cuban immigrant who established his first factory in Tampa, Florida.
The brand survived fires, hurricanes, and economic hardship before relocating to the Dominican Republic in the 1980s - a move that would define its modern identity.
The Fuente family remains independent to this day, one of the last major cigar dynasties not absorbed by a larger group. Their Chateau de la Fuente plantation in the Dominican Republic, where they grow their own wrapper leaves, is considered one of the most significant achievements in New World tobacco.
Dominican Republic
Cigar profile
Arturo Fuente produces cigars across a wide range of strengths, from the approachable Flor Fina to the powerful Hemingway series.
The house is best known for the Opus X - the first premium cigar to use a Dominican-grown wrapper, a development that reshaped the industry's perception of New World tobacco.
Notes of cedar, orange peel, dark spice, and cocoa. Medium-full to full body. The Añejo series, aged in cognac barrels, adds a distinct sweetness to the profile. Fuente cigars reward patience - they are often best several years after production.
A family business that outlasted empires. Still independent. Still exceptional.
History & origin
Davidoff was founded by Zino Davidoff, a Geneva-based tobacconist whose family had fled Ukraine in the early twentieth century.
Zino spent years in Cuba learning the craft before establishing his brand in the 1960s, positioning it from the outset as the most premium cigar in the world. The brand was originally produced in Cuba, but a famous split with Habanos S.A. in 1992 - over quality control disputes - led Davidoff to relocate production entirely to the Dominican Republic.
The transition proved the strength of the brand: Davidoff today is the global benchmark for luxury cigars, distributed in over 130 countries.
Dominican Republic
Cigar profile
Davidoff produces cigars of exceptional consistency and refinement - mild to medium body, with an emphasis on elegance over power.
The profile is clean and precise: notes of cream, white pepper, cedar, and subtle floral undertones.
The Millennium Blend and the Anniversary series represent the house at its most complex. The Winston Churchill line, a collaboration with the Churchill estate, offers a fuller, more robust profile.
Davidoff cigars are a fixture in the lounges of luxury hotels across Asia - their white band is among the most recognised in the region.
Left Cuba over a quality dispute. Won the argument.
History & origin
Padrón was founded in 1964 by José Orlando Padrón, a Cuban exile who left his country following the Revolution and established his factory in Miami before relocating to Nicaragua.
The choice of Nicaragua was deliberate - Padrón recognised early the potential of Jalapa and Estelí tobacco, and built his brand around it. The family business remains entirely independent, now run by the second generation.
Padrón is widely considered the finest Nicaraguan cigar producer - a reputation built not on marketing, but on decades of consistent, uncompromising quality.
Nicaragua
Cigar profile
Padrón produces full-bodied cigars of exceptional depth and consistency.
The tobacco is sun-grown in Nicaragua and aged for a minimum of two and a half years before rolling - a process that produces a smooth, rich profile without harshness. Notes of dark chocolate, coffee, earth, and a distinctive sweetness that comes from the aged Nicaraguan leaf.
The 1964 Anniversary Series, produced to mark the house's founding year, is considered one of the finest cigars made outside Cuba. The 1926 Serie represents the pinnacle of the range. Padrón cigars are a benchmark for New World tobacco.
Left Cuba with nothing. Built Nicaragua's most respected cigar house.
History & origin
Oliva was founded in 1886 by Melanio Oliva, a Cuban tobacco grower whose family cultivated leaf in Pinar del Río for generations.
Following the Revolution, the family relocated to Nicaragua, where they initially grew tobacco for other manufacturers before launching their own branded cigars in the 1990s. The Oliva family remained independent until 2016, when the brand was acquired by the Belgian group J. Cortès - though production and family involvement have continued unchanged.
Today Oliva is one of the most awarded independent cigar brands in the world, consistently recognised by Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Inspector.
Nicaragua
Cigar profile
Oliva produces medium to full-bodied cigars with a distinctly Nicaraguan character - bold, earthy, and complex, with excellent value across the range.
The Serie V, made with sun-grown Nicaraguan tobacco, is the house's flagship: notes of dark earth, espresso, leather, and black pepper, with a long, warm finish. The Serie O offers an accessible entry point without sacrificing quality. The Master Blends series represents the house at its most refined.
Oliva is among the few brands that can compete with Padrón at the top of the Nicaraguan category - and often at a lower price point.
A Cuban tobacco family that found its voice in Nicaragua.