By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Milestone anniversary: Habanos is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its flagship brand, Cohiba, the most prestigious name in premium cigars.
- Diplomatic origins: First made in 1966 as a private cigar for Fidel Castro and used as diplomatic gifts, Cohiba expanded into global markets.
- Signature craftsmanship: Cohiba cigars are crafted with Vuelta Abajo tobacco and undergo a special fermentation process.
Cuban cigar producer Habanos S.A. is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its flagship brand Cohiba, marking six decades of what many see as the most prestigious name in the premium cigar industry.
Originally developed in 1966, Cohiba started as a private cigar reserved for Fidel Castro and other high-ranking Cuban officials, often given as diplomatic gifts before it eventually became available in international markets.
The brand was built using carefully selected tobacco from Cuba’s Vuelta Abajo region, widely regarded as one of the world’s top tobacco-growing areas. Cohiba cigars are also known for a unique production process that includes an extra fermentation step for some tobacco leaves, which adds to the brand’s signature aroma and flavor profile.
Production initially occurred at Havana’s El Laguito mansion, where expert torcedores hand-rolled cigars using the traditional tripa larga (long-filler) method, a hallmark of premium Habanos.
The brand’s name itself reflects Cuba’s rich tobacco heritage. Cohiba derives from a Taíno word for tobacco, referring to the leaves Christopher Columbus saw when he arrived in the Caribbean in 1492.
Over the decades, the brand expanded into several major product lines, including the Classic, Siglo, Maduro, and Behike series. Launched in 2010, the Behike line is widely regarded as one of the most exclusive cigars in the world and features the rare Medio Tiempo leaf, which grows at the top of certain tobacco plants and is available only in limited quantities.
Habanos has also released special editions to celebrate milestones in the brand’s history, including the Reserva line introduced in 2002 and the Gran Reserva line launched in 2009, both of which feature longer tobacco aging and stricter leaf selection.
“The secret of Cohiba’s success over these six decades has been the perfect combination of tradition and innovation, with a common denominator: the pursuit of excellence,” said Beatriz Garrido and Álex Fernández-Blanco Barrero, operational marketing managers at Habanos, told media representatives.
The anniversary was expected to be a highlight of the 26th Festival del Habano in Havana, an annual event that typically features factory tours, seminars, product launches, and a gala dinner attended by retailers, distributors, and aficionados from around the world.
However, Habanos S.A. announced in February that the 2026 festival has been postponed indefinitely due to Cuba’s worsening fuel shortages and infrastructure disruptions affecting travel to the island. The company said new dates will be announced at a later time.
Despite the delay, the anniversary highlights the lasting impact of a brand that started as a private cigar for Cuba’s political leaders and grew into one of the world’s most recognizable symbols of premium tobacco craftsmanship.
