Romeo and Julieta Hermosos No.1 Special Edition 2003

In mid-2002, a limited number of Romeo y Julieta Robustos wearing an ”Edicion Limitada 2001” cigar band were available for sale on the international market. Made in March/April 2002, these cigars are made with aged wrappers of 2 years of age with a high proportion of ligero leaves, like the Edicion Limitada produced in 2000.

Pre-Revolution History

It is believed that the brand Romeo y Julieta was first launched in the 1850s by Inocencio Alvarez Rodriguez and Jose ”Manin” Garcia Garcia. The brand was named after the characters of the famous Shakespeare play. It was registered officially in 1873 with an address at No. 87 San Rafael Street, Havana.

In 1903, the Factory was bought by Jose Rodriguez Fernandez, popularly known as ”Don Pepin” of the firm Rodriguez, Arguelles y Cia, which he founded a short time earlier with friends. ”Don Pepin” was a very affable and brilliant businessman. A socialite who had many friends both within and outside Cuba. Ina very short time the Romeo y Julieta brand became an international success.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Romeo y Julieta was an internationally famous brand, specializing in figurado shape cigars. It is estimated that at least 1000 different vitolas of these shapes were produced before the Revolution.

Post-Revolution History

Production remained uninterrupted after the Revolution and the brand popularity dint not changed. In fact, the brand seems to have increased in popularity since the Revolution. A lot of the pre-Revolution figurado cigars were discontinued in the 1960s and 1970s because of the fall in popularity of these shapes.

Characteristics of Romeo y Julieta cigars :

Romeo cigars are characterized by robust and complex flavors. Every kind of flavors imaginable, floral, nutty, herbal, ”tangy”, fruity, woody, beans(cocoa, coffee, vanilla, etc.) are present in abundance. The hallmark unmistakable ”Rome” style taste is that none of these flavors stands out in particular.

Besides being rich and complex in flavors, another advantage of Romeo y Julieta cigars is that they are not particularly tannic and need relatively short aging time to appreciate. Most models taste brilliant at 3 to 5 years of aging. Nonetheless, nearly all models age extremely well and can continue to improve beyond 20 years of age.