.gif)
Romeo y Julieta (cigar brand)
Encyclopedia
Romeo y Julieta 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 La Romana, Dominican Republic
for Altadis SA
.
.
Between 1885 and 1900, the brand won numerous awards at different tasting exhibitions (as still evidenced by the gold medals on the brand's logo). However, the brand truly bloomed after it was acquired by Jose "Pepin" Rodriguez Fernandez, former head of the Cabañas factory in Havana
, and his firm, Rodríguez, Argüelles y Cia, in 1903. Being a very cosmopolitan man, Rodriguez constantly travelled across Europe and the Americas, actively promoting his brand, and entering his horse
, the aptly named Julieta, in racing events across the world.
As a result of his salesmanship, the brand became exceptionally popular around the world among wealthy customers, many of whom demanded personalized bands for their cigars. At its height, as many as 2000 personalized cigar band
s were produced for customers. The brand was also known at this time for specializing in figurado cigars, such as perfectos and pirámides, with over a thousand such shapes believed to have been in production.
Sir Winston Churchill
was perhaps the brand's most famous devotee. The flagship vitola of the brand is named in his honor, a long 7" by 47 ring gauge cigar known as the Churchill. Nellie Tayloe Ross
, the first woman to serve as governor of a state in the U.S., also frequently smoked them.
After Rodriguez's death in 1954 (he was 88 years old), the revolution
, and the subsequent nationalization
of the tobacco industry, the brand was moved to La Romana in the Dominican Republic, where production of a Romeo y Julieta cigar for the American market continues today under the direction of Altadis SA. The Cuban government nationalized the brand and still produces and distributes it worldwide as one of its top-selling global brands.
In 2006, a new addition was made to the regular Romeo y Julieta lineup. The Short Churchill size, a Robusto, was introduced at the 8th Annual Habanos Festival in Havana, Cuba in 2006.
Romeo y Julieta also produces three machine-made cigarillo
s: minis, clubs and puritos.
Hand-Made Vitolas
Edición Limitada 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...
, 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 the other produced in La Romana, 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...
for Altadis SA
Altadis
Altadis is a multinational purveyor and manufacturer of cigarettes, tobacco and cigars. Altadis was formed via a 1999 merger between Tabacalera, the former Spanish tobacco monopoly and SEITA, the former French tobacco monopoly...
.
History
The Romeo y Julieta marque was established in 1875 by Inocencio Alvarez and Mannin Garcia. The brand is named for Shakespeare's famous tragedy, Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
.
Between 1885 and 1900, the brand won numerous awards at different tasting exhibitions (as still evidenced by the gold medals on the brand's logo). However, the brand truly bloomed after it was acquired by Jose "Pepin" Rodriguez Fernandez, former head of the Cabañas factory in Havana
Havana
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...
, and his firm, Rodríguez, Argüelles y Cia, in 1903. Being a very cosmopolitan man, Rodriguez constantly travelled across Europe and the Americas, actively promoting his brand, and entering his horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
, the aptly named Julieta, in racing events across the world.
Cigar band
A cigar band is a loop made of paper or foil fitted around the body of a cigar to denote its brand or variety. Although origins of the device are the subject of several legends, modern historians credit a European immigrant to Cuba named Gustave Bock with invention of the cigar band in the 1830s...
s were produced for customers. The brand was also known at this time for specializing in figurado cigars, such as perfectos and pirámides, with over a thousand such shapes believed to have been in production.
Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
was perhaps the brand's most famous devotee. The flagship vitola of the brand is named in his honor, a long 7" by 47 ring gauge cigar known as the Churchill. Nellie Tayloe Ross
Nellie Tayloe Ross
Nellie Tayloe Ross was an American politician, the 14th Governor of Wyoming from 1925 to 1927, and director of the United States Mint from 1933-1953. She was the first woman to serve as governor of a U.S. state. To date, she remains the only woman to have served as governor of Wyoming...
, the first woman to serve as governor of a state in the U.S., also frequently smoked them.
After Rodriguez's death in 1954 (he was 88 years old), the revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
, and the subsequent nationalization
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
of the tobacco industry, the brand was moved to La Romana in the Dominican Republic, where production of a Romeo y Julieta cigar for the American market continues today under the direction of Altadis SA. The Cuban government nationalized the brand and still produces and distributes it worldwide as one of its top-selling global brands.
In 2006, a new addition was made to the regular Romeo y Julieta lineup. The Short Churchill size, a Robusto, was introduced at the 8th Annual Habanos Festival in Havana, Cuba in 2006.
Romeo y Julieta also produces three 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: minis, clubs and puritos.
Vitolas in the Romeo y Julieta Line
The following list of vitolas de salida (commercial vitolas) within the Romeo y Julieta 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
- Belicoso - 5" × 52 (140 × 20.64 mm), Campana, a belicoso
- Belvedere - 4" × 39 (124 × 15.48 mm), Belvedere, a short panetela
- Cedro de Luxe No. 1 - 6" × 42 (165 × 16.67 mm), Cervantes, a lonsdale
- Cedro de Luxe No. 2 - 5" × 42 (143 × 16.67 mm), Corona, a corona
- Cedro de Luxe No. 3 - 5" × 42 (130 × 16.67 mm), Mareva, a petit corona
- Churchill - 7" × 47 (178 × 18.65 mm), Julieta No. 2, a churchill
- Corona - 5" × 42 (143 × 16.67 mm), Corona, a corona
- Coronita en Cedro - 5" × 40 (130 × 15.88 mm), Petit Cetro, a petit corona
- Exhibición No. 3 - 5" × 46 (143 × 18.26 mm), Corona Gorda, a grand corona
- Exhibición No. 4 - 5" × 48 (127 × 19.05 mm), Hermoso No. 4, a corona extra
- Mille Fleur - 5" × 42 (130 × 16.67 mm), Petit Corona, a petit corona
- Petit Corona - 5" × 42 (130 × 16.67 mm), Mareva, a petit corona
- Petit Julieta - 3" × 30 (98 × 11.91 mm), Entreacto, a small panetela
- Petit Princess - 4" × 40 (102 × 15.88 mm), Perlas, a petit corona
- Regalía de Londres - 4" × 40 (117 × 15.88 mm), Coronita, a petit corona
- Romeo No. 1 - 5" × 40 (140 × 15.88 mm), Crema, a corona
- Romeo No. 2 - 5" × 42 (130 × 16.67 mm), Petit Corona, a petit corona
- Romeo No. 3 - 4" × 40 (117 × 15.88 mm), Coronita, a petit corona
- Short Churchill - 4" × 50 (124 × 19.84 mm), Robusto, a robusto
- Sport Largo - 4" × 35 (117 × 13.89 mm), Sport, a short panetela
- Wide Churchill - 5" × 55 (130 × 21.83 mm) Montesco
Edición Limitada Releases
- Exhibición No. 2 (2000) - 7" × 49 (194 × 19.45 mm), Prominente, a double corona
- Robusto (2001) - 4" × 50 (124 × 19.84 mm), Robusto, a robusto
- Hermoso No. 1 (2003) - 6" × 48 (165 × 19.05 mm), Hermoso No. 1, a grand corona
- Hermoso No. 2 (2004) - 6" × 48 (156 × 19.05 mm), Hermoso No. 2, a grand corona
- Petit Pirámide (2005) - 5" × 50 (127 × 19.84 mm), Petit Pirámide, a petit pyramid
- Escudo (2007) - 5" × 50 (141 × 19.84 mm) Gordito, a robusto extra
- Duke (2009) - 5" × 54 (140 × 21.43 mm) Duke, a robusto extra
See also
- Cigar brands
- Romeo y Julieta (cigarette)Romeo y Julieta (cigarette)Romeo y Julieta cigarettes were launched in Cuba in 1999, where they are made. They are sold in Brazil, France, Mexico, Spain, the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, Paraguay and the United Kingdom. Made of the same tobacco as their older cigar namesakes, Romeo y Julieta cigarettes are notable for...
- Gerald Garson, a judge bribed, in part, with Romeo y Julieta cigars