Matusalem
07-27-2008, 08:01 PM
I got bored and finally peeled back one of the more detail oriented cigar books I have and did some reading. I thought I'd quote some of the history of this brand. (Of course reference accounts vary somewhat). Here's what I came up with:
Bienvenido Pиrez, popularly called ґChico`, became the chief of Fidel Castro`s bodyguards after the Revolution. In 1963, Chico offered him one fuma made by his friend Eduardo Rivera. A fuma is a cigar rolled by the torcedor for himself. Fidel Castro like the cigar immediately and asked Eduardo Rivera to make more. Fidelґs anonymous cigar soon became a legend.
These cigars stated to be offered as diplomatic gifts to foreign heads of state as early as 1964, when it did not yet have a name or its own cigar band. Cigar bands bearing the name of the VIPs who received them were used instead.
In 1964 a a small factory was set up in a former country club to make these cigars.
The cigar did not have a name. In 1966, Eduardo Riveraґs personal assistant, Celia Sanchez, during one of their conversations, christened it Cohiba. Cohiba was what the Indians called cigars during the time of Christopher Columbus.
In 1967, the original facroty move to the present El Laguito Factory, a former beautiful country mansion built in the 1920s.
Although the cigars were given the name Cohiba in 1966, the new brand did not have a design until 1969. The first design only lasted for a very short time. The second design lasted until 1989 when the Cohiba label inside the wooden box was changed , and in 1994 when the cigar band was slightly modified.
In 1967, two additional new sizes, Laguito No.2 and Laguito No.3 were created. In 1969, along with the original Laguito No.1 size, they were given the commercial names of Lanceros, Coronas Especiales and Pantelas respectively.
I also did a search on-line and found this at Cigar Aficionado which suggests the Cohiba Robusto later made the term "Robusto" an industry standard description much like Lanceros became a description across brands and regions.
But it's fascinating to think that when Chase entered the cigar trade back in the late 1970s, he says "the word robusto did not exist. In fact, it did not make its first public appearance until 1989."
http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Features/CA_Feature_Basic_Template/0,2344,2220,00.html
Here's what Simon Chase said:At the time, Chase said, most premium cigars were thinner and longer than robustos. "It started with the new 38-gauge sizes created at El Laguito for Cohiba in 1966. Known at the factory as Laguito No. 1 and No. 2 [now the Lanceros and Coronas Especiales] and measuring 192mm [7 1/2 inches] and 152mm [6 inches] in length, respectively, they were first introduced to the public around 1970 as Montecristo Especial No. 1 and Especial No. 2 and also as the Davidoff Nos. 1 and 2."
And it all started with Cohiba Robusto. As Chase explained, the Cubans believed that their flagship brand needed an upgrade after close to two decades of the same thing, so they came up with the new sizes in 1989: the Esplendido, the Exquisito and the Robusto. They certainly never realized at the time that they were about to revolutionize the cigar industry with the robusto.
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To keep completely of the essence, this afternoon I enjoyed the hell out of a Cohiba Robusto Reserva with roughly 5 ounces of Diplomatico R.E. rum. An outstanding combo IMHO.
If time permits, I'll try to transcribe some more historical info of some of the other known Cuban brands (past & present).
Bienvenido Pиrez, popularly called ґChico`, became the chief of Fidel Castro`s bodyguards after the Revolution. In 1963, Chico offered him one fuma made by his friend Eduardo Rivera. A fuma is a cigar rolled by the torcedor for himself. Fidel Castro like the cigar immediately and asked Eduardo Rivera to make more. Fidelґs anonymous cigar soon became a legend.
These cigars stated to be offered as diplomatic gifts to foreign heads of state as early as 1964, when it did not yet have a name or its own cigar band. Cigar bands bearing the name of the VIPs who received them were used instead.
In 1964 a a small factory was set up in a former country club to make these cigars.
The cigar did not have a name. In 1966, Eduardo Riveraґs personal assistant, Celia Sanchez, during one of their conversations, christened it Cohiba. Cohiba was what the Indians called cigars during the time of Christopher Columbus.
In 1967, the original facroty move to the present El Laguito Factory, a former beautiful country mansion built in the 1920s.
Although the cigars were given the name Cohiba in 1966, the new brand did not have a design until 1969. The first design only lasted for a very short time. The second design lasted until 1989 when the Cohiba label inside the wooden box was changed , and in 1994 when the cigar band was slightly modified.
In 1967, two additional new sizes, Laguito No.2 and Laguito No.3 were created. In 1969, along with the original Laguito No.1 size, they were given the commercial names of Lanceros, Coronas Especiales and Pantelas respectively.
I also did a search on-line and found this at Cigar Aficionado which suggests the Cohiba Robusto later made the term "Robusto" an industry standard description much like Lanceros became a description across brands and regions.
But it's fascinating to think that when Chase entered the cigar trade back in the late 1970s, he says "the word robusto did not exist. In fact, it did not make its first public appearance until 1989."
http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Features/CA_Feature_Basic_Template/0,2344,2220,00.html
Here's what Simon Chase said:At the time, Chase said, most premium cigars were thinner and longer than robustos. "It started with the new 38-gauge sizes created at El Laguito for Cohiba in 1966. Known at the factory as Laguito No. 1 and No. 2 [now the Lanceros and Coronas Especiales] and measuring 192mm [7 1/2 inches] and 152mm [6 inches] in length, respectively, they were first introduced to the public around 1970 as Montecristo Especial No. 1 and Especial No. 2 and also as the Davidoff Nos. 1 and 2."
And it all started with Cohiba Robusto. As Chase explained, the Cubans believed that their flagship brand needed an upgrade after close to two decades of the same thing, so they came up with the new sizes in 1989: the Esplendido, the Exquisito and the Robusto. They certainly never realized at the time that they were about to revolutionize the cigar industry with the robusto.
________________________________________________
To keep completely of the essence, this afternoon I enjoyed the hell out of a Cohiba Robusto Reserva with roughly 5 ounces of Diplomatico R.E. rum. An outstanding combo IMHO.
If time permits, I'll try to transcribe some more historical info of some of the other known Cuban brands (past & present).