“Every cigar has a story,” is a commonly heard phrase in the industry. While many of the stories   trace back hundreds of years, some cigar brand stories are more current. Take the commonly used “Cuban heritage brands” reference. These are cigar brands whose name originated in Cuba – and thus convey the heritage and history of Cuban cigars – but were not made there. In this month’s edition of the Retailer Corner we examine what it means to be “Cuban heritage,” and we take a look at some of the most popular Cuban heritage brands available today and why these brands are important for brick and mortar stores.

Since the first cigar factory opened in 1676, Cuba has been synonymous with the word “cigar.” Up until the early 1960s, the United States was one of the largest importers of Cuban cigars. But with the cooling of relations between the island nation and the US following the Cuban Revolution, a trade embargo ended American adult consumers ability to legally obtain Cuban cigars.  

 A number of cigar makers who left Cuba went on to set up farms and factories in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Spain’s Canary Islands. Hence many of the brand names once known as Cuban, but now grown and manufactured elsewhere by these Cuban ex-patriots, became known as “Cuban heritage” brands.

Cuban heritage brands are among the most popular and better-selling brands in the U.S. marketplace. Walk into any brick and mortar humidor and you’re likely to see these historic brands, including such names as Montecristo, Partagas, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann, La Aroma de Cuba, Henry Clay, Punch, San Cristobal, Saint Luis Rey and many more. Some adult cigar smokers today may not even be aware that many of their favorite brands trace their origins to Cuba. Those who do know often attribute such brand appeal to the colorful and dramatic stories surrounding these legendary brands.

It’s important for retailers to have brand diversity in their humidor, and Santa Clara has a huge selection of these famous brands that will be familiar with your customers. Be sure to check out SantaClaraCigars.com to see our entire Cuban heritage brand portfolio. We often have great deals online and in our catalog – deals that can save you money and increase your profit margins.

When it comes to premium cigars, and especially these great Cuban Heritage Cigars, we hope we’ve treated you to some insight into this great industry. It is very important to carry the right mix of cigars, but it’s also important for you to be a fountain of knowledge, a source of history and a sharer of experience for your adult consumers. After all, remember that adage that has worked for centuries: “Nothing sells better than a great story!”