Cigar Notes

The Romeo y Julieta Tacos Cigar was released as another limited edition cigar at the 20th annual Festival del Habanos.  An excellent smoke with a lengthy 168 mm and a 49 ring gauge, this Cuban Cigars size is known as ‘Tacos Imperials’ and is a fine format taken from the ‘1970s. This medium-full bodied Cuban cigar produces a grand, earthly aroma that is quite enjoyable.

Vitola de Galera: Magnum 56

Ring Gauge: 56 (22.23 mm)

Length: 150 mm (5 7/8″)

Strength: Medium to Full

Box Count: 25

Manufacture: Handmade

Origin: Cuba

Story of the Brand

Herman Upmann was the name of a banker. A fanatical cigar enthusiast, in 1840, he offered to open a branch of his family-owned bank in Havana, Cuba. Four years later in 1844, Herman invested in a cigar factory, and from then until 1922, the company traded as both a bank and a cigar business. The success of the family’s operations on the island culminated with increasing political influence. With the advent of World War I, it was revealed that Herman and his brother Albert had used their businesses to house a covert German intelligence network suspected of arming opposition leader general Jose Miguel Gomez in an attempted coup following the 1916 Cuban elections. Subsequently the cigar manufacturer had become bankrupt and the family bank closed, amidst anti-German sentiment, prompting a new chapter for the temporarily disgraced H. Upmann brand.

Following a tumultuous series of acquisitions in the following years, the large H. Upmann factory was sold to the famed Menendez cigar dynasty, responsible for the newly established Montecristo brand in 1935. The complete overhaul of operations by the Menendez family swiftly resuscitated the brand. The new H. Upmann factory still at its present day 405 Amistad Street location, became the largest exporting manufacturer in Cuba, by the time of the Cuban revolution. Since 1844, H. Upmann has become a staple cigar brand in the arsenal of premium Cubans. This longstanding legacy is proudly displayed on the brand’s unmistakable lithography adorned with eleven gold medals, all earned from international exhibitions dating to the 19th century.  H. Upmann cigars offer a smooth, subtle, mild to medium smoke. These cigars are great for beginners, but appeal to the day-time tastes of seasoned aficionados. Their larger sizes are among the most rare and sought-after cigars in the world.