Cohiba is the most famous Cuban Cigar brand in the world and, according to many, the very finest as well. Cohiba is one of the most coveted Cuban Cigars brands on the market. The origins of this cigar brand are worthy of a prize winning novel. Legend has it that Fidel Castro sampled by chance one of his bodyguards daily smokes. Upon tasting how wonderfully balanced and aromatic the tobacco tasted, as well as how well the cigars were constructed, he requested to summon the artisan responsible for producing such a gem. His name was Eduardo Ribera.
Soon after, an abandoned villa was turned into a makeshift cigar factory and Ribera was in-charged with training a group of torcedores on his practices of barrel ageing as well as rolling this fine tobacco leaves. That villa, known as El Laguito, still manages to produce the finest cigars the world over. Officially founded in 1966, Cohiba cigars were exclusively made for the El Comandante, Fidel Castro. For years, it remained a brand that was smoked exclusively by Castro and, on occasion, gifted to other senior officials and heads of states. The general public had to wait until 1982 when Cohiba cigars were finally released, initially in hotel in Madrid, for public consumption. The first few releases featured the all-time classics; the Cohiba Lanceros, the Cohiba Coronas Especiales and the Cohiba Panetelas. Today, there are many different types of Cohiba vitolas and blends that aficionados get to enjoy, including the Cohiba Esplendidos and the prestigious Cohiba Behike (with its rare Medio Tiempo leaf), as examples.
The word ‘Cohiba’ is the Taino word for tobacco, a language that derives from the indigenous ‘Arawak’ tribe from Cuba. The tobacco used for Cohiba, as well as other brands like Montecristo Cigars, are grown in the world-famous Pinar del Rio, Cuba – an area known to produce the best tobacco in the world. The land itself is completely covered in volcanic soil that enriches the terroir with unique yet distinctive flavours and aromas that many aficionados have grown to recognise around the world. To this date, nobody know where the farms – or ‘vegas’ – used for Cohiba Cigars are actually located. It’s one of Habanos’ best kept secrets. The fact is, there are very few plantations that meet the quality standards to grow tobacco for Cohiba cigars, and there are strict requirements that must be met in order to make the grade. On top of that, only the most-skilled torcedores are appointed to wrap a Cohiba. The Cohiba factory itself, El Laguito, has a relatively small number of torcedores employed onsite. It takes years of practice along with a huge amount of dexterity to make the cut. This demonstrates how Quality control is essential when it comes to making those premium-grade cigars like the Cohiba Behike, for example. The brand today, currently holds the title for the most expensive marca in the whole world – with each Cohiba cigar dressed with a unique, holographic band to deter the many attempts to counterfeit their immaculate cigars.
