Romeo y Julieta is a brand of premium

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...

s, currently owned by Imperial Brands. The brand is currently owned by two Imperial Brands

subsidiaries A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a sa ...

Habanos S.A. Habanos S.A. is a Cuban manufacturing company of tobacco that controls the promotion, distribution, and export of premium cigars and other tobacco products for Cuba worldwide. It was established in 1994. Ownership of Habanos S.A. is split equal ...

in Cuba and Altadis in the Dominican Republic.

History

The Romeo y Julieta marque was established in 1875 by Inocencio Alvarez and Manin García. The brand is the Spanish name for Shakespeare's famous tragedy,

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

. 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 José "Pepin" Rodriguez Fernández, 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 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 B ...

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 Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

was perhaps the brand's most famous devotee.Marca Romeo y Julieta
/Ref> The flagship ''vitola'' of the brand is named in his honor, a long 7" by 47 ring gauge cigar known as the Churchill. After Rodriguez's death in 1954 (he was 88 years old), the revolution, and the subsequent

nationalization Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to pri ...

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 U.S.A. The Cuban government nationalized the brand and still produces and distributes it worldwide as one of its top-selling global brands.

Products

''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. Romeo Y Julieta Churchill Cigars Tubo

* Belicoso - 5" × 52 (140 × 20.64 mm), Campana, a belicoso * Belvedere - 4" × 39 (124 × 15.48 mm), Belvedere, a short panetela * Cazadores - 6" x 44 (162 x 17.46 mm), a lonsdale * 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 * 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

Bibliography

* Nee, Min Ron - ''An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars'' (2003, Reprinted: 2005),

References

External links