Fidel Castro’s favorite brand, Cohiba, was established in 1966 as the top brand in Havana for diplomatic purposes. The word “Cohiba” originated from the Taino language of the Indians and is considered to have been created after Columbus first observed Cuban locals smoking bundles of tobacco leaves. As mentioned, only a select few people and those of political importance were allowed to smoke these amazing cigars in the beginning. The first Cohiba cigars were allegedly given to Fidel Castro’s bodyguard by a local torcedor in the middle of the 1960s. After that They were manufactured specially for Fidel Castro since he loved them so much. As a result, El Laguito Factory started making regular cigars that included the unnamed tobacco mixture that would later become known as the famous Cohiba. These cigars were introduced in 1968 under the Cohiba name, still just for Castro. Castro gave up his monopoly over Cohiba in 1982, and the brand was commercialized with the cigars made available for general purchase.
Due to JFK's embargo, Cohiba was introduced as a premium cigar brand in markets outside of the US. The first three cigar varieties were introduced in time for Spain's World Cup hosting. This was a coincident and this made Cohiba an almost overnight success! The Coronas Especiales, Lanceros, and Panetelas were the first cigars to be introduced.