La Gloria Cubana

La Gloria Cubana is the name used for two related but distinct premium cigar brands. The historic Cuban marque is produced on the island of Cuba for Habanos S.A., the Cuban state tobacco company responsible for the international marketing of Cuban cigar brands. A separate non-Cuban version is made in the Dominican Republic by the El Credito Cigar Company for General Cigar Company. The two lines share the La Gloria Cubana name but are separate commercial products with different production bases and corporate histories. The brand traces its origins to 1885, when it was created by Sociedad Cabañas y Castro. In 1905, José F. Rocha acquired the marque and manufactured it at a Havana factory on Miguel Street. Following Rocha's death in 1954, the Cifuentes family purchased La Gloria Cubana and Bolívar from Rocha's former company. Production was subsequently transferred to the Partagás Factory, a facility that remained associated with the Cuban brand after the move. The Cuban Revolution brought the seizure and nationalization of the brand and factory by the new government. Production was suspended for several years, but La Gloria Cubana was reportedly revived around 1965 at the Partagás Factory. In the post-revolutionary period it became an export-oriented marque known for relatively limited production and for attracting experienced cigar enthusiasts. The Médaille d'Or No. 2 is particularly associated with the brand's enthusiast reputation. The Cuban range has included traditionally hand-made long-filler cigars in slender and medium-sized formats, alongside machine-made cigarillos such as the Mini and Purito. Its named hand-made vitolas include the Médaille d'Or No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4, as well as the Taíno. The brand has also appeared in country-specific regional editions and in La Casa del Habano exclusives, including releases such as Marshall, Glorioso, Deliciosos, Triunfos, Belux No. 1 and Inmensos. The Dominican-made branch developed separately in the modern commercial cigar market. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo sold La Gloria Cubana to General Cigar Company in 1999 for an undisclosed amount. General Cigar's El Credito operation continued producing the non-Cuban line in the Dominican Republic. Because the Cuban and Dominican products have distinct manufacturing and ownership histories, references to La Gloria Cubana should identify which version is being discussed. Publicly available reference material does not establish a single consolidated corporate owner for both lines.

La Gloria Cubana was established in Havana in 1885 by Sociedad Cabañas y Castro. Two decades later, José F. Rocha acquired the brand and produced it at a factory located at 364 Miguel Street in Havana. Rocha died in 1954, after which the Cifuentes family acquired La Gloria Cubana and Bolívar from the former Rocha company. Manufacturing was moved to the Partagás Factory, creating the production association that remains central to the Cuban marque's historical identity. The Cuban Revolution transformed the brand's ownership and operating structure. The revolutionary government seized the factory and related tobacco assets, and La Gloria Cubana production stopped for a period. The marque was apparently brought back into production around 1965 at the old Partagás Factory. In later decades, the Cuban version was marketed internationally through the state tobacco system and became a relatively small-production brand aimed in part at experienced cigar consumers. Its Médaille d'Or No. 2 acquired particular recognition among aficionados. The Cuban range developed around hand-made cigars in several long, narrow formats. Listed vitolas include four Médaille d'Or sizes and the Taíno, while the brand also offered machine-made Mini and Purito cigarillos. The marque was extended through regional editions made for particular markets, including Adriatic, United Kingdom, Cuba, Switzerland and the Belgium-Luxembourg market. A further exclusive, Inmensos, was associated with La Casa del Habano outlets. A separate Dominican production history emerged under Ernesto Perez-Carrillo and the El Credito Cigar Company. In 1999, Perez-Carrillo sold La Gloria Cubana to General Cigar Company. The transaction amount was not publicly disclosed in the cited reference. The Dominican-made line therefore belongs to the commercial non-Cuban premium cigar sector, while the Cuban line remains linked to Habanos S.A. and Cuban production. The shared name reflects brand continuity but does not mean that the two product lines are manufactured in the same country or by the same operating company.

• 1999

  Non-Cuban business sold to General Cigar

  [1]La Gloria Cubana (cigar)en.wikipedia.org

  Ernesto Perez-Carrillo sold the Dominican-made La Gloria Cubana business to General Cigar Company for an undisclosed amount.

• 1965

  Cuban production reportedly resumes

  [1]La Gloria Cubana (cigar)en.wikipedia.org

  The Cuban marque was apparently revived at the Partagás Factory after a post-Revolution production interruption.

• 1954

  Cifuentes family acquisition

  [1]La Gloria Cubana (cigar)en.wikipedia.org

  After Rocha's death, the Cifuentes family acquired La Gloria Cubana and Bolívar from Rocha's former company.

• 1905

  José F. Rocha acquires the marque

  [1]La Gloria Cubana (cigar)en.wikipedia.org

  José F. Rocha bought La Gloria Cubana and manufactured it at a Havana factory on Miguel Street.

• 1885

  Brand established in Havana

  [1]La Gloria Cubana (cigar)en.wikipedia.org

  Sociedad Cabañas y Castro created the La Gloria Cubana cigar marque.

A connoisseur-oriented premium cigar marque with historic Cuban origins, limited production, slender classic vitolas and separate Cuban and Dominican expressions.

• Hand-made premium cigar

  Médaille d'Or No. 1

  A long, slim panetela measuring approximately 7 1/4 inches by 36 ring gauge. It is listed under the factory vitola Delicado Extra and represents the brand's traditional slender cigar style.

• Hand-made premium cigar

  Médaille d'Or No. 2

  A roughly 6 3/4-inch by 43 ring-gauge cigar corresponding to the Dalia factory vitola. It is one of the marque's best-known offerings and is especially regarded by cigar enthusiasts.

• Hand-made premium cigar

  Médaille d'Or No. 3

  A slim panetela measuring approximately 6 7/8 inches by 28 ring gauge. Its factory vitola is Panetela Larga, emphasizing the marque's historic preference for narrow formats.

• Hand-made premium cigar

  Médaille d'Or No. 4

  A smaller slim panetela of approximately 6 inches by 32 ring gauge, identified with the Palmita factory vitola.

• Hand-made premium cigar

  Taíno

  A large-format cigar of approximately 7 inches by 47 ring gauge, corresponding to the Julieta No. 2 factory vitola and commonly described using the Churchill format.

• Machine-made cigarillo

  Mini

  A machine-made La Gloria Cubana cigarillo offered as part of the Cuban brand's smaller tobacco formats.

• Machine-made cigarillo

  Purito

  A second machine-made cigarillo in the Cuban La Gloria Cubana range.

• Limited-edition premium cigars

  Regional editions and La Casa del Habano exclusives

  The marque has appeared in market-specific releases such as Marshall, Glorioso, Deliciosos, Triunfos and Belux No. 1, as well as the La Casa del Habano exclusive Inmensos. These editions were tied to particular countries, regions or specialist retail channels.

• 1999

  Sale of the Dominican-made brand to General Cigar CompanyM&A

  Background

  Ernesto Perez-Carrillo owned the non-Cuban La Gloria Cubana business before selling it to General Cigar Company.

  Action taken

  General Cigar Company acquired the brand for an undisclosed price and continued its Dominican production through El Credito Cigar Company.

  Aftermath

  La Gloria Cubana continued as a non-Cuban premium cigar line separate from the Cuban marque produced for Habanos S.A.

  Source

• 1999

  Ernesto Perez-Carrillo sells La Gloria Cubana to General Cigar Company[1]La Gloria Cubana (cigar)en.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Ernesto Perez-Carrillo sold the non-Cuban La Gloria Cubana business to General Cigar Company. The reported transaction price was not disclosed.

1. 1La Gloria Cubana (cigar)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2General Cigar Co. Announces Price Increasehalfwheel.com