Cigar Profile: Romeo y Julieta

Romeo y Julieta Cigar

From time to time we like to put a spotlight on a specific cigar manufacturer. In this blog we’ve chosen one of the most highly respected brands in the business, Romeo Y Julieta.

Named after Shakespeare’s famous play (obviously), Romeo Y Julieta was started in Cuba in 1875 by Inocencio Alvarez and Mannin Garcia. In their first 25 years of operation the company won numerous gold awards, many of which are still seen on the packaging art.

The brand took off in 1903 when it was acquired by the flamboyant Jose Rodriguez Fernandez. He traveled the world promoting the brand, and even had a horse named Julieta who competed in races as he traveled.

Sir Winston Churchill was such a fan of the brand that the company still makes a 7”, 47 ring gauge cigar in his honor, the ‘Churchill’. In 2006 the company released a new short Churchill robusto for those without the time for the full version.

After the Cuban revolution and subsequent embargo by the U.S, the company split into two locations. There are still Romeo Y Julieta factories in Cuba, but the smokes you’ll find in American stores come from the La Romana factory in the Dominican Republic. La Romana is also home to such world-class cigar makers as Montecristo and H. Upmann.

Romeo Y Julieta cigars are among the highest quality anywhere, with obvious attention given to every detail. If you’re new to the brand, we would recommend their signature Churchill, in either the standard or robusto size.