Romeo y Julieta owes its origins to William Shakespeare’s tragic lovers, and dates back to 1875.

Don ‘Pepin’ Rodriguez, a talented promoter and one of the first to recognize the power of the cigar band, brought the brand international fame during the early years of the 20th Century. More than 20,000 different bands were used in his production during his heyday.

It was Winston Churchill who became a fan. Romeo y Julieta Churchill, the marque’s most famous size, was named after him following his 1946 visit to Havana.

Two new sizes have been introduced in the 21st century that use the name. 2006 saw the addition of the Short Churchill size, a robust size that had been missing from the range until then. Second, launched as part of the 21st Festival del Habano in 2010, were Wide Churchills, which boasted a 55 ring gauge to comply with the trend among enthusiasts for larger girths.

Romeo y Julieta’s blend of selected filler and binder leaves from the Vuelta Abajo region provides a balanced and aromatic medium body.

Romeo and Julieta Linea de Oro was originally announced in 2020 in celebration of 145 years of the iconic brand. It comes in three sizes: Dianas, Hidalgos, and Nobles. There are three sizes in the classic range, all blending to a medium to full taste, an improvement on the famous medium-bodied blend.

An embossed medallion is set on the lid of the cigar boxes, which come in stylish red lacquer. There are 20 unique cigars here, each adorned by a gold foot band, a band bearing the name of its vitola, and an edge trimmed with holographic elements, similar to the vitolas from Cohiba.