Brand Name Story: Cohiba

Cohiba is a brand for two kinds of premium cigar, one produced in Cuba for Habanos S.A., the Cuban state-owned tobacco company, and the other produced in the Dominican Republic for US-based General Cigar Company. The name cohíba derives from the Taíno word for “tobacco.”
The Cuban brand is filled with tobacco
that comes from the Vuelta Abajo region of Cuba which has undergone an extra fermentation process. Cuban Cohiba was established in 1966 as a limited production private brand supplied exclusively to Fidel Castro and high-level officials in the Communist Party of Cuba and Cuban government. Often given as diplomatic gifts, the Cohiba brand gradually developed a “cult” status. It was first released commercially for sale to the public in 1982.
cohiba_robusto
The US Cohiba brand name was registered in the United States by the General Cigar Company in 1978 and cigars using that trademark have been produced for the American market in the Dominican Republic on a large scale from 1997. This Cohiba is related to the Cuban product in name only, containing no Cuban tobacco, and thus is the only “Cohiba” that can be sold legally in the United States.

Vitolas in the Cohiba Line
A slide lid cabinet box of Cohiba Robustos
The following list of vitolas de salida (commercial vitolas) within the Cohiba 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.
The La Línea Clásica Series
Corona Especial – 6″ × 38 (152 × 15.08 mm), Laguito No. 2, a panetela
Espléndido – 7″ × 47 (178 × 18.65 mm), Julieta No. 2, a churchill
Exquisito – 4⅞” × 33 (124 × 13.10 mm), Seoane, a small panetela
Lancero – 7½” × 38 (191 × 15.08 mm), Laguito No. 1, a long panetela
Panetela – 4½” × 26 (114 × 10.32 mm), Laguito No. 3, a small panetela
Robusto – 4⅞” × 50 (124 × 19.84 mm), Robusto, a robusto
The La Línea 1492 Series
Siglo I – 4″ × 40 (102 × 15.88 mm), Perla, a petit corona
Siglo II – 5⅛” × 42 (130 × 16.67 mm), Mareva, a petit corona
Siglo III – 6⅛” × 42 (156 × 16.67 mm), Corona Grande, a long corona
Siglo IV – 5⅝” × 46 (143 × 18.26 mm), Corona Gorda, a grand corona
Siglo V – 6¾” × 43 (171 × 17.07 mm), Dalia, a lonsdale
Siglo VI – 5⅞” × 52 (149 × 20.64 mm), Cañonazo, a robusto extra
The Maduro 5 Series
Genios – 5½” × 52 (140 × 20.64 mm), Estupendos, a robusto extra
Magicos – 4½” × 52 (114 × 20.64 mm), Magicos, a petit robusto
Secretos – 4⅜” × 40 (111 × 15.88 mm), Reyes, a petit corona
The Behike Series
BHK 52 ring gauge × 119mm in length
BHK 54 band gauge × 144mm length
BHK 56 band gauge × 166mm length
Edición Limitada Releases
Double Corona (2003) – 7⅝” × 49 (194 × 19.45 mm), Prominente, a double corona
Sublime (2004) – 6½” × 54 (165 × 21.43 mm), Sublime, a double robusto
Pirámide (2001/re-release in 2006) – 6⅛” × 52 (156 × 20.64 mm), Pirámide, a pyramid
Special Releases
Millennium Reserve Pirámide – 6⅛” × 52 (156 × 20.64 mm), Pirámide, a pyramid
Behike – 7½” × 52 (191 × 20.64 mm), Behike, a double robusto (106)

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