H. Upmann
A historic Cuban premium cigar brand founded in Havana in 1844 and now produced in separate Cuban and non-Cuban supply chains.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
H. Upmann is one of the oldest surviving premium cigar brands. It was established in Havana in 1844 by Hermann Dietrich Upmann, a German banker and tobacco entrepreneur who had arrived in Cuba the previous year while handling commercial affairs for the Bremen-based importing and exporting firm Gravenhorst & Co. Upmann recognized the commercial potential of Cuban tobacco, acquired a local cigar factory, and began selling cigars under his own name. He also founded H. Upmann & Co. bank, initially serving tobacco merchants and manufacturers, so the brand developed within a broader commercial enterprise rather than as an isolated tobacco label. The brand became internationally recognized during the nineteenth century. Its presentation was strongly associated with cedar cigar boxes, and H. Upmann packaging incorporated lithographed images of medals won at international exhibitions as well as Hermann Upmann’s signature. The cigar operation moved to a substantial Havana premises on Paseo de Tacón, later Avenida Carlos III. The factory is now known as the José Martí factory and remains associated with Cuban H. Upmann production. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the company appointed agents in overseas markets, including Charles Landau in North America and J. Frankau & Co. in the United Kingdom. The Upmann family’s banking activities brought severe difficulties during the First World War. The family was accused of supporting a German intelligence network operating through Cuban and American business connections. After Cuba entered the war against Germany in 1917, the bank was closed for an extended period, the company and family members were placed on United States enemy-trading restrictions, and American assets were seized. The banking business later collapsed amid allegations that depositor securities had been used for speculative currency and Mexican oil investments without authorization. By 1922, both the bank and the cigar operation were in bankruptcy. The cigar brand and factory were purchased at auction by J. Frankau & Co., which negotiated with creditors and restored production. Ownership changed several times in the interwar period. J. Frankau was acquired by J. R. Freeman & Son in 1935, and the cigar business was sold in 1937 to Menéndez, García y Cía., the company associated with Montecristo. Production in Cuba continued until the nationalization of the tobacco industry after the Cuban Revolution in 1960. The brand subsequently divided into Cuban and non-Cuban lines. Menéndez and García transferred non-Cuban production first to the Canary Islands and later to the Dominican Republic, where the brand became part of the Imperial Tobacco, now Imperial Brands, portfolio. Cuban-made H. Upmann cigars are produced in Havana by Habanos S.A., the Cuban state tobacco organization, using premium tobacco associated with the Vuelta Abajo region. The Cuban line is known primarily for hand-rolled vitolas, including Sir Winston, Magnum 46, Magnum 50, Magnum 56, Connoisseur No. 1, Connoisseur A, Upmann No. 2, Robusto, Petit Corona and Half Corona. Machine-made Cuban cigars were discontinued in 2002, although machine-made H. Upmann cigarillos, including Mini and Purito formats, and cigarettes are associated with the wider brand portfolio under separate production arrangements. In the 2000s, Habanos rationalized a previously broad range of more than thirty sizes and reduced the core line to approximately sixteen vitolas. H. Upmann was also elevated to global-brand status within the Habanos portfolio and received annual Edición Limitada releases. Today, the name represents a heritage premium-cigar proposition built around Cuban origin, long-established packaging codes, hand craftsmanship and a wide range of traditional cigar formats, while its Cuban and non-Cuban versions remain distinct products governed by different manufacturers and markets.
History
Hermann Dietrich Upmann reached Havana in 1843 while working on commercial matters for a German importing and exporting firm. He subsequently acquired a cigar factory and launched H. Upmann in 1844. At the same time, he established a bank that served the tobacco trade. This dual role connected the brand to Havana’s financial and manufacturing networks and helped it develop international distribution. During the late nineteenth century, H. Upmann built a reputation through international exhibitions and won seven gold medals. The medals became part of the brand’s visual identity, appearing in lithographed form on cigar boxes. The company is also frequently associated with the early use of cedar boxes for cigar presentation and storage. By 1900, production had moved to a large factory on Paseo de Tacón, while the bank operated from separate premises in central Havana. The business remained under Upmann family control through several successions. Hermann retired in 1890 and was followed by his nephew Heinrich, who operated with business partners until his death in 1914. Heinrich’s nephews Hermann and Albert then assumed important roles. Their interests became entangled with German wartime activity during the First World War. United States authorities placed the company and family members on enemy-trading lists, seized American assets and restricted commercial dealings. Cuba also closed the bank after declaring war on Germany in April 1917, and members of the family were later interned or placed under house arrest. The wartime disruption exposed weaknesses in the banking business. Hermann Upmann had invested depositor funds in speculative currency and Mexican oil interests, and bank examiners later discovered that approximately two million U.S. dollars in depositor securities had been sold or transferred. The Upmanns were arrested in 1922 on bank-fraud allegations. Albert’s charges were dropped, and Hermann’s criminal case was also dropped later that year, but the bank and cigar operation were by then insolvent. The cigar business was sold at auction to J. Frankau & Co., which restored manufacturing after negotiating with creditors. J. Frankau was acquired by J. R. Freeman & Son in 1935. The difficulty of managing a Cuban factory from London contributed to the sale of the company in 1937 to Menéndez, García y Cía., the producer associated with Montecristo. Production continued in Cuba until the revolutionary government nationalized the tobacco industry in 1960. Menéndez and García moved the non-Cuban business first to the Canary Islands and then to the Dominican Republic. That branch ultimately became part of Imperial Tobacco and later Imperial Brands. The Cuban branch became part of the state-controlled tobacco system and is produced by Habanos S.A. at the former H. Upmann factory, now called the José Martí factory. Cuban cigars use tobacco from premium growing areas including Vuelta Abajo and are principally hand-rolled. The brand’s product architecture has changed over time: machine-made Cuban cigars ended in 2002, while the traditional handmade range was rationalized after Altadis acquired a controlling interest in Habanos. H. Upmann was subsequently expanded as a globally distributed Habanos brand. Its limited-edition program includes Magnum and Robusto formats, while the core range continues to combine historic vitolas with newer introductions such as Half Corona, Robusto and Connoisseur A.
- 2006
Core range rationalized
[1]The Habanos range is reported to have been reduced to approximately sixteen core vitolas after portfolio rationalization.
- 2005
First cited H. Upmann Edición Limitada release
[1]Habanos introduces a limited-edition Magnum 50 under the H. Upmann marque.
- 2002
Machine-made Cuban cigars discontinued
[1]The Cuban H. Upmann line is concentrated on handmade cigars, while cigarillos and other products continue in associated non-Cuban or separate channels.
- 1960
Cuban tobacco industry nationalized
[1]Production in Cuba enters the state tobacco system after the Cuban Revolution.
- 1937
Brand sold to Menéndez, García y Cía.
[1]The company associated with Montecristo acquires H. Upmann from J. R. Freeman & Son.
- 1922
Bankruptcy and auction sale
[1]The bank and cigar operation enter bankruptcy; J. Frankau & Co. purchases the cigar brand and factory.
- 1917
Wartime restrictions disrupt the business
[1]Following Cuba’s declaration of war against Germany, the bank is closed and the company is placed on the United States enemy-trading list.
- 1900
Manufacturing moves to Paseo de Tacón
[1]The cigar operation is located in a large Havana building on Paseo de Tacón, later Avenida Carlos III.
- 1890
Family succession
[1]Hermann Upmann retires and his nephew Heinrich Upmann succeeds him in operating the business.
- 1844
H. Upmann is established
[1]Upmann acquires a Havana cigar factory and begins production under the H. Upmann name.
Products and positioning
A heritage premium cigar brand positioned around Cuban tobacco, traditional hand-rolling, historic Havana identity, formal presentation and specialist appeal among cigar enthusiasts.
Premium cigars · 1844
H. Upmann Handmade Cigars
The principal Cuban range consists of hand-rolled premium cigars made in Havana from Cuban tobacco, including tobacco associated with the Vuelta Abajo region. The assortment spans small formats such as Half Corona and Petit Corona, traditional coronas, robustos, pyramids and long Churchill-style cigars. The line is distinguished by historic vitolas and formal cedar-box presentation rather than a single standardized size or flavor profile.
Churchill cigar
Sir Winston
Sir Winston is a long Cuban H. Upmann vitola measuring approximately 178 millimeters with a 47 ring gauge. It belongs to the brand’s historic large-format assortment and is associated with the Julieta No. 2 factory designation. The cigar remains one of the best-known offerings in the Cuban range.
Premium cigars
Magnum Series
The Magnum family includes several large-format H. Upmann cigars, notably Magnum 46, Magnum 50 and Magnum 56. Magnum 50 was also used for a prominent Edición Limitada release, while Magnum 48 appeared as a later limited edition. The series gives the brand a recognizable, larger-ring-gauge platform within both the standard and special-release portfolios.
Premium cigars
Connoisseur Series
The Connoisseur line includes Connoisseur No. 1 and Connoisseur A. These are handmade Cuban cigars in medium-to-large formats, with Connoisseur A identified as a Genios vitola introduced in the 2010s. The range extends H. Upmann’s traditional portfolio into larger, contemporary formats while retaining the brand’s established packaging and production identity.
Machine-made cigarillos
H. Upmann Cigarillos
The wider H. Upmann portfolio includes machine-made cigarillos in Mini and Purito formats. These products are distinct from the Cuban handmade cigar line and are produced under separate commercial arrangements associated with the non-Cuban brand portfolio.
Controversies
1922
Bank-fraud allegations and collapse
Hermann and Albert Upmann were arrested after examiners found that depositor securities had allegedly been transferred or sold to support speculative investments. Albert’s charges and Hermann’s later criminal case were dropped, but the bank and cigar business entered bankruptcy.
1917
Wartime enemy-trading restrictions
The Upmann bank and family members were placed under United States enemy-trading restrictions after Cuba entered the First World War against Germany. The bank’s American assets were seized and the Cuban government suspended its operations.
Brand decisions
2006
Rationalization of the Cuban vitola rangeStrategyBackground
The Cuban H. Upmann assortment had contained more than thirty sizes, creating a broad and partly redundant portfolio.
Action taken
Habanos reduced the range to approximately sixteen core vitolas, removing redundant and weaker-selling sizes.
Aftermath
The brand retained a more focused global range while continuing to offer special-edition sizes.
2005
Launch of H. Upmann Magnum 50 Edición LimitadaProduct launchBackground
Habanos had historically concentrated annual Edición Limitada releases on a smaller group of globally distributed marques.
Action taken
Habanos issued a limited-edition H. Upmann Magnum 50.
Aftermath
The release helped support H. Upmann’s elevation to a globally distributed Habanos brand.
2002
Focus Cuban production on handmade cigarsStrategyBackground
The Cuban H. Upmann portfolio had included machine-made products as well as handmade vitolas.
Action taken
Machine-made Cuban cigars were discontinued, leaving the Cuban cigar range centered on hand-rolled products.
Aftermath
Machine-made cigarillos and cigarettes continued to exist in associated non-Cuban or separate product channels.
Recent events
- 2005
H. Upmann becomes an Edición Limitada participant[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Habanos issued an H. Upmann Magnum 50 as an annual limited-edition release, expanding the brand’s profile within the international Cuban portfolio.
- 1922
J. Frankau acquires H. Upmann cigar brand and factory[1]
M&A
The United Kingdom agent purchased the cigar brand and factory at auction and later negotiated with creditors to restart production.
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