Cohiba: History and Legend of the World's Most Mythic Cigar

The history of Cohiba begins as a state secret: a cigar rolled for a single man, gifted to heads of state before being sold to anyone else. To understand this saga is also to understand what a great Havana cigar requires once you bring it home, starting with a cigar humidor capable of preserving its balance. Here, step by step, is how a brand born in 1966 became the benchmark for Cuban cigars, what truly forms its reputation, and how to enjoy it in the right conditions.

Who created Cohiba? The origins of the Cohiba story

Cohiba was not invented by an industrialist, but by a twist of fate. In the early 1960s, Bienvenido Pérez, known as "Chicho," a bodyguard to Fidel Castro, smoked cigars with an unusual aroma. They were rolled by a friend, the torcedor Eduardo Ribera, from a blend he had developed himself. Castro tasted them, enjoyed them, and requested that these cigars be produced for him from then on.

The project took shape in 1966, in a large mansion in the residential neighborhood of El Laguito, west of Havana. The factory was not listed in any commercial directory: its cigars were reserved for Castro, his inner circle, and, above all, for diplomatic gifts. Eduardo Ribera trained the first rollers there, as El Laguito made a rare choice for the time: entrusting production to an almost entirely female team. A few years later, the management of the factory went to Avelino Lara, a master torcedor who would structure the house's methods for decades.

A diplomatic cigar before being a product

For sixteen years, it was impossible to buy a Cohiba. Those who smoked them received them from the hands of the Cuban government: ministers, ambassadors, foreign heads of state. This absolute rarity built the myth long before the first box was ever sold. Ironically, Fidel Castro stopped smoking in 1985, at the very moment his brand began to conquer the world.

What does the word Cohiba mean?

The word Cohiba comes from the language of the Taínos, the indigenous people of Cuba. According to Spanish chroniclers, it referred to the rolled tobacco leaves that the Taínos smoked, particularly during ceremonies. It is therefore one of the oldest known words used to describe what we call a cigar today.

Key dates in Cohiba history

The brand has evolved through successive major lines, each expanding the range without renouncing its original identity. Here are the essential landmarks.

When was Cohiba marketed?

Cohiba was made available to the public in 1982, sixteen years after its creation. Cuba decided then to entrust its finest signature to the international market, with formats directly derived from its diplomatic production. The public organization responsible for exports, today Habanos S.A., gradually made it the showcase of the Cuban cigar.

Why is Cohiba so renowned?

Cohiba's reputation rests on three pillars that the brand has claimed since its origin: tobacco selection, an additional fermentation step, and the expertise of its rollers. The rest is a matter of maintained rarity and political prestige.

Strict selection in the Vuelta Abajo

The tobacco comes from the Vuelta Abajo, in Pinar del Río province, considered the most renowned terroir in Cuba. Cohiba draws from a select number of vegas (plantations) among the most highly regarded, with severe sorting of the leaves.

A third fermentation

This is the most cited technical signature: a portion of the filler leaves, the seco and the ligero, undergoes a third fermentation in barrels, whereas most Cuban cigars stop at two. This step rounds out the tobacco and contributes to the brand's recognizable profile, at once rich and polished.

Concentrated expertise and maintained rarity

The most delicate formats, the Lancero above all, are entrusted to the most experienced rollers. Production remains measured relative to global demand, which fuels both prices and, the downside, massive counterfeiting.

This prestige has a very concrete corollary: an exceptional cigar only keeps its qualities if it is stored with rigor. A cedar humidor for your Havanas stabilizes humidity and protects the aromas that the triple fermentation took years to build.

Cuban vs. Dominican Cohiba: what is the difference?

There are two Cohibas, and they have nothing in common except the name. The Cuban Cohiba, produced in Cuba and distributed by Habanos S.A., is sold everywhere except the United States. The Dominican Cohiba is manufactured in the Dominican Republic by an American group that registered the name in the United States in the late 1970s, taking advantage of the embargo established in 1962.

The two houses have opposed each other for decades in American courts. For the European enthusiast, the rule is simple: at an authorized retailer in France, the Cohiba is Cuban.

The cigar of the powerful, beyond the embargo

The embargo reinforced the brand's aura: for many Americans, the Havana became the forbidden fruit. Elsewhere, Cohiba established itself as the cigar of negotiations and great occasions, often associated with cinema, politics, and hushed salons. An image that owes as much to the narrative as to the contents of the box.

How to store and enjoy a Cohiba

A great story is not enough: a poorly stored Havana quickly loses what makes it valuable. Storage should be maintained at around 65 to 70% relative humidity and a temperature of 16 to 20 °C, away from light. Spanish cedar remains the reference wood: it buffers humidity and accompanies aromas without crushing them. To monitor these values, a reliable hygrometer and a well-maintained humidor humidifier make all the difference.

Frequently asked questions about Cohiba history