Ramón Castro, faithful smoker and experienced harvester Ramon Castro Ruz, Cuban President Fidel Castro’s brother, loves working in the field since he was a kid. This prestigious planter and grower has been puffing at cigars since he was 10. “The Cohiba is Cuba’s best cigar, and you can take that to the bank. There are items for export, but I don’t go picking cigars by their colors but rather by the way they burn.” “I like this little gentleman here,” he said referring to the Habano he had trapped between his fingers during the interview. “The Cohiba Esplendido. But, well, I smoke other brands as well.”

Enrique Mons, the guy who certified the brand To Enrique Mons, Cohiba is now at its best with 40 years under its belt. This expert chaired the blue-ribbon panel that certified the quality of these beloved cigars in 1982 when they were ready for the world. “The Cohiba, make no mistakes about it, is as good as it was forty years ago, even better. That’s achieved by sticking to strict curing standards and timing. The mixtures have remained the same, but the bands have grown in number.” “Now forty years after its big break, Cuba’s landmark cigar is the number-one of its kind in terms of image and creativeness. Not from a marketing standpoint because this product is made for deep-pocket guys. However, it does stand for Cuba’s cigars.”

Osmar Hernández, current directorgeneral of El Laguito For Omar Hernandez, El Laguito’s current director-general, Cohibas are a major allure from the viewpoint of his professional career, and as a smoker. “To me, Cuba’s landmark cigar is no other than the Cohiba. It’s all about its history, its steady climb up the world market through all these years. It’s a cigar whose quality never sags. It’s also a cigar that boasts pretty high quality standards, and in our factory we always go the extra mile to keep that world-class level up.”

Emilia Tamayo, the feminine touch of Cohiba Emilia Tamayo became the first woman who ever ran a cigar factory in Cuba and she did it for a whole decade at El Laguito, from 1994 to her retirement. She began working at El Laguito in 1975 as an office clerk, and together with her husband Jorge Biton (former chief of finished products, among other stints) coped with complexities and shared many good moments. “I only smoke Cohiba Exquisitos, my favorite cigar. Lanceros and Explendidos are way too strong. That was my favorite cigar. I never smoked while I was working, but at night at home.”