Brand guide
Cohiba
Cohiba is two unrelated cigar brands: the Cuban Cohiba, made at El Laguito in Havana and sold by Habanos S.A., and a US Cohiba made in the Dominican Republic by General Cigar.
Cuban Cohiba began as a state gift cigar
Habanos dates Cohiba to 1966 and says for years it was made mostly as gifts for government figures, Fidel Castro among them.
Wikipedia traces it to the mid-1960s, when one of Castro's bodyguards shared cigars rolled by a local artisan, Eduardo Rivera. Production went to El Laguito, a mansion on the edge of Havana that had become a rolling school in 1961. Avelino Lara, who ran El Laguito, was asked to create the blend. Cubatabaco registered the trademark in Cuba in 1972.
The public got Cohiba in 1982, timed to the World Cup in Spain. Three sizes at first.
Who owns Cuban Cohiba?
Cuban Cohiba is marketed by Habanos S.A., a joint venture in which Cuba's state-owned Cubatabaco holds half.
The other half has changed hands. Wikipedia says Altadis held it, Imperial Tobacco bought Altadis in 2008, and Imperial announced in 2019 that it would sell its premium cigar business, Habanos stake included. Wikipedia names Allied Cigar Corp. as the buyer for markets outside the US. Habanos was founded in 1994.
Where Cuban Cohiba leaf comes from
Habanos says Cohiba leaf comes from the San Juan y Martínez and San Luis areas of the Vuelta Abajo, in Pinar del Río.
It calls the leaf "the selection of the selection." Two of the three leaf types get an extra fermentation, per Habanos. Behike, launched in 2010, was the first Habanos blend to use Medio Tiempo, a rare top-of-plant leaf. Where the Vuelta Abajo sits is on our tobacco regions guide.
The US Cohiba and General Cigar
General Cigar registered the Cohiba name in the United States in 1978 and sells its own Cohiba there, made in the Dominican Republic.
Wikipedia says large-scale Dominican production began in 1997. The US cigar contains no Cuban tobacco and shares only the name. Its packaging states it is not affiliated with the Cuban brand. Fans call it Red Dot, after the dot inside the "O" on the band. In 2023 General added the box-pressed Riviera. General Cigar is a subsidiary of Scandinavian Tobacco Group.
The name has been in court for decades. In 2005 the Second Circuit upheld General's exclusive US trademark, and in 2006 the Supreme Court denied Cubatabaco's petition. A 2014 Federal Circuit ruling let Cubatabaco seek cancellation of General's registrations. The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in 2015.
Cohiba lines and stated strength
Habanos publishes a strength for each Cuban Cohiba line, and the sizes below come from Wikipedia's vitola lists.
| Line | Owner | Maker strength | Notable sizes (in x ring) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Línea Clásica | Cuba (Habanos) | Medium to full | Robusto 4 7/8 x 50, Lancero 7 1/2 x 38, Espléndido 7 x 47 |
| Línea 1492 (Siglo I to VI) | Cuba (Habanos) | Medium | Siglo I 4 x 40 up to Siglo VI 5 7/8 x 52 |
| Maduro 5 | Cuba (Habanos) | Medium to full | Secretos 4 3/8 x 40, Mágicos 4 1/2 x 52, Genios 5 1/2 x 52 |
| Behike | Cuba (Habanos) | Full | BHK 52, 54 and 56 (ring), 4 1/2 to 6 1/2 in long |
| Cohiba ("Red Dot") | US (General Cigar) | Not in sources checked | Made in the Dominican Republic |
Habanos does not give a separate wrapper origin per line; it says all Cohiba leaf is Vuelta Abajo. Wikipedia notes Maduro 5 uses maduro wrappers. Línea 1492 marked 500 years since Columbus reached Cuba.
Cohiba milestones on both sides
The Cuban and US Cohiba timelines run in parallel from 1978.
- 1966: Cuban Cohiba created at El Laguito.
- 1978: General Cigar registers Cohiba in the US.
- 1982: Cuban Cohiba released to the public.
- 1992: Línea 1492 launches.
- 1997: Large-scale Dominican production of US Cohiba.
- 2007: Maduro 5 launches.
- 2010: Behike launches.
- 2016: Cuban Cohiba marks 50 years.
What to know before you buy a Cohiba
Two products share the Cohiba name, so the country of manufacture on the box is the fact that separates them.
The red dot on the band marks the General Cigar version. Cuban Cohiba runs from a slim 4 1/2 x 26 Panetela to a 7 1/2 x 38 Lancero, and Siglo VI and Behike sit at 52 to 56 ring. Size any of them up on our cigar size explorer.
Cuban vs US Cohiba questions
Is the US Cohiba the same as the Cuban Cohiba?
No. Wikipedia says the US Cohiba from General Cigar is related to the Cuban product in name only and contains no Cuban tobacco, and its packaging states it is not affiliated with the Cuban brand.
Why is the US Cohiba called Red Dot?
The nickname comes from the red dot in the middle of the "O" in "Cohiba" on its bands and boxes, according to Wikipedia.
Where is Cuban Cohiba made?
Habanos says Cuban Cohiba has been made at the El Laguito factory in Havana since its creation in 1966. Wikipedia adds that some sizes were later made at the Partagás factory.
Who owns the Cohiba trademark in the United States?
General Cigar registered Cohiba in the US in 1978. Wikipedia reports that the US Supreme Court denied Cubatabaco's petition in 2006 and declined a later appeal in 2015.
Where the Cohiba facts come from
- Cohiba brand, Habanos S.A.
- Cohiba (cigar), Wikipedia
- General Cigar Company, Wikipedia
- Habanos S.A., Wikipedia