The cigar industry has a rich history marked by significant milestones and transformations. We’ve grouped significant historical time periods into “eras” creating a general timeline for significant historical events. Through ups and downs, the industry has continued to grow and evolve, adapting to challenges such as new regulations and rising taxes.
The Golden Age of Cigars (1800s-1930s)
With popular Cuban brands like Romeo y Julieta, Montecristo, and H. Upmann to pre-Revolution Clear Havanas, Cuban tobacco reigned supreme throughout the Golden Age. The heyday of the cigar industry saw many smaller, local tobacco shops rolling their own cigars in-house from imported Cuban tobaccos. Some popular larger premium cigar brands during this time were La Corona and Justin Suebert.
The Rise of Clear Havanas (1930s-1962) — La Prosa c.1946
Cigar manufacturing was a paramount industry in the United States for the first half of the 20th century. Clear Havana was a blanket term for any cigar made in the United States with Cuban fillers and binder. Dominating the U.S. premium cigar market up until the Cuban embargo, Clear Havanas were a less expensive option than the importation of true Havanas produced in Cuba. One favorite among American cigar enthusiasts throughout the 1940s was La Prosa, a Clear Havana made in Ohio. Another popular choice was Consuegra, manufactured in Tampa, Florida.
The Cuban Embargo (1960)
In 1960, the Cuban cigar industry nationalized and the following year the Cohiba brand was created for Fidel Castro and other high-ranking government officials and diplomats. CUBATABACO (Cuban Tobacco Company), the state-run tobacco company was formed in 1962, greatly limiting the amount of Cuban brands available to the international market. The very same year, cigar enthusiast President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation expanding a full economic embargo, including strict travel restrictions. This, as many know, hindered the relationship between U.S. and Cuba, and the potential for authentic Cuban premiums to ever grace the U.S. market, and led to many great Cuban cigar makers relocating to other tobacco growing regions around the world. Popular destinations included Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, and the Canary Islands. Since cigar companies in the U.S. could no longer get their hands on Cuban tobaccos, inventories depleted in just a few years following the embargo and Clear Havanas ceased to exist.
The Post Embargo Landscape (1962-1980s) — Don Diego c.1970
This period in cigar history saw a rise in large-scale cigar companies and a decline in the smaller factories. Large cigar conglomerates from the U.S. were now importing cigars mainly from Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and the Canary Islands. Some U.S. factories continued production, however. The Villazon family in Tampa, Florida took Honduran binder and filler tobaccos and crafted Hoyo de Monterrey Governors c.1965-1968, marking a new beginning in the U.S. premium cigar market. Another area exporting cigars was Europe, with one of the first brands to be created following the Cuban Revolution was Dunhill Montecruz. Many of the classic, pre-revolution Cuban brands were reborn elsewhere during the Post-Embargo period. One such brand was El Rey del Mundo, which was crafted by the first tobacco factory in Honduras.
The Boom Era (1990s) — Partagás 150 Don Ramón
Cigar sales and imports sky-rocketed during the U.S. cigar boom of the mid-1990s. The rise in cigar consumption was further accelerated by the debut of Cigar Aficionado magazine in 1992. Many smaller boutique cigar makers fell short of meeting this demand and even Macanudo, dubbed “America’s best-selling cigar,” found itself sold out at times. Despite shortages, a few notable brands that made their debut during the cigar boom include Rocky Patel, Oliva, and Perdomo. The main cigar production was now the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Honduras. One of the most sought-after cigars during this period was Partagás 150 Don Ramón. Released only once in 1995 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Partagás, these cigars feature an authentic 1977 Cameroon wrapper that was aged in Spain; a wrapper you simply won’t find on another cigar. The Partagás 150 changed the face of the cigar industry forever and are now almost exclusively owned by private collectors.
Current Day
Despite growing concerns over FDA regulations, rising taxes, and a decline in cigar-friendly venues across the nation, the cigar industry has seen steady growth following the end of the 1990s cigar boom-bust. There’s no denying that some of the finest tobaccos that have ever been grown are coming from top manufacturers in places like Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.
