La Gloria Cubana (cigar brand)
Encyclopedia
La Gloria Cubana is the name of two premium cigar
brands, one produced on the island of Cuba
for Habanos SA
, the Cuban state-owned tobacco company, and other produced in the Dominican Republic
and Miami, Florida
by El Credito Cigar Company for General Cigar Company
, now a subsidiary of Swedish Match
.
. After Rocha's death in 1954, the Cifuentes family bought both La Gloria Cubana and Bolivar
from Rocha's former company. Production was moved to the Partagás
Factory, where it's still produced today, and became very popular as an export brand.
After the Revolution, it seems that production of La Gloria Cubana ceased for several years, until around 1965 when the brand was apparently resurrected at the Partagás Factory. It is produced in smaller quantities than other brands and maintains its popularity with connoisseurs, the Médaille d'Or No. 2 being a particularly prized vitola.
La Gloria Cubana also produces two machine-made cigarillo
s: the Mini and the Purito.
Hand-Made Vitolas
Edición Regional Releases
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
brands, one produced on the island of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
for Habanos SA
Habanos SA
Habanos S.A. is the arm of the Cuban state tobacco company, Cubatabaco, that controls the promotion, distribution, and export of Cuban cigars and other tobacco products worldwide. The word habanos means literally from Havana, and is the word used in the Spanish-speaking world for Havana cigars...
, the Cuban state-owned tobacco company, and other produced in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
by El Credito Cigar Company for General Cigar Company
General Cigar Company
General Cigar Company is one of the largest manufacturers of cigars in the world. It has been owned by Swedish Match since 2005.-Company history:...
, now a subsidiary of Swedish Match
Swedish Match
Swedish Match is a Swedish company based in Stockholm that makes snus, tobacco, cigars , Red Man Chewing Tobacco, dipping tobacco, matches and lighters. It was founded as Svenska Tändsticksaktiebolaget by Ivar Kreuger in 1917 in Jönköping...
.
History
The La Gloria Cubana brand was created in 1885 by the Sociedad Cabañas y Castro, then bought twenty years later in 1905 by José F. Rocha, who manufactured the brand from his factory at 364 Miguel Street in HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
. After Rocha's death in 1954, the Cifuentes family bought both La Gloria Cubana and Bolivar
Bolivar (cigar brand)
Bolívar is the name of two brands of premium cigar, one produced on the island of Cuba for Habanos SA, the Cuban state-owned tobacco company, and the other produced in the Dominican Republic from Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco for General Cigar Company, which is today a subsidiary of Swedish Match...
from Rocha's former company. Production was moved to the Partagás
Partagas (cigar brand)
Partagás is among the oldest extant brands of cigars, established in Havana in 1845. The name is used today by two independent and competing entities, one produced on the island of Cuba for Habanos SA, the Cuban state-owned tobacco company, and the other produced in the Dominican Republic for the...
Factory, where it's still produced today, and became very popular as an export brand.
After the Revolution, it seems that production of La Gloria Cubana ceased for several years, until around 1965 when the brand was apparently resurrected at the Partagás Factory. It is produced in smaller quantities than other brands and maintains its popularity with connoisseurs, the Médaille d'Or No. 2 being a particularly prized vitola.
La Gloria Cubana also produces two machine-made cigarillo
Cigarillo
A cigarillo is a short, narrow cigar. Unlike cigarettes, cigarillos are wrapped not in paper but in whole-leaf tobacco. Cigarillos can be found for purchase alone or in packs, and are often made without filters...
s: the Mini and the Purito.
Vitolas in the La Gloria Cubana Line
The following list of vitolas de salida (commercial vitolas) within the La Gloria Cubana marque lists their size and ring gauge in Imperial (and Metric), their vitolas de galera (factory vitolas), and their common name in American cigar slang.Hand-Made Vitolas
- Médaille d'Or No. 1 - 7 1/4" x 36 (184 x 14.29 mm), Delicado Extra, a long panetela
- Médaille d'Or No. 2 - 6 3/4" x 43 (171 x 17.07 mm), Dalia, a lonsdale
- Médaille d'Or No. 3 - 6 7/8" x 28 (175 x 11.11 mm), Panetela Larga, a slim panetela
- Médaille d'Or No. 4 - 6" x 32 (152 x 12.70 mm), Palmita, a slim panetela
- Taíno - 7" x 47 (178 x 18.65 mm), Julieta No. 2, a churchill
Edición Regional Releases
- Marshall (Adriatic 2008) - 4 7/8" x 50 (124 x 19.84 mm) Robusto, a robusto
- Glorioso (United Kingdom 2008) - 6 1/8" x 50 (156 x 19.84 mm) Doble, a robusto extra