SANCHO PANZA - Cuban House Of Cigars

SANCHO PANZQ

Sancho Panza :: A Brief History

Sancho Panza stands as one of the most overlooked brands of Habanos S.A’s entire
catalogue. Despite its establishment as early as 1848 by German national Don Emilio Olmstedt,
this brand has had a particularly tumultuous journey. However just like the brand’s namesake,
the scrappy and daring counterpart to Don Quixote’s adventures, the brand has survived earning
its place amongst the most revered Cubans.
Following Omstedt’s death, the brand was acquired by Salvador Perito y Cia in 1874,
before once again being purchased by the firm “Munoza Alonso” in 1898. These acquisitions
were not enough to solve the woes of this small cigar company supported solely by local clients,
going broke in 1920.
It was only under the direction of the Rey Del Mundo Company in the 1930’s, after an
unsuccessful partnership with Ramon Allones, that the brand came into its own, establishing it’s
penchant for large sized cigars. In this period the legendary Sancho was created, the original
Montecristo A vitola. In the 1960s, Sancho releases were amongst the most exciting and novel of
all. The gargantuan Dulcineas is a perfecto, half wrapped in aluminum foil, while the parejo
sized Dorado is wrapped in gold-aluminium paper foil as seen with the Bolivar Gold Medal.
Rey del Mundo’s expertise and acclaim garnered through having “the most expensive
cigar in the world” helped establish Sancho Panza’s place on the international market.
In the post-revolution period, the brand enjoyed popularity in Spain, its medium-bodied
unique grassy taste resonating with Iberian palettes. Contemporarily, the popularity of the brand
has been eclipsed by the expansion of global brands such as Cohiba and Montecristo, pushing
Sancho Panza to the realm of the aficionado.
The aging processes of Sancho Panzas are very well documented, by virtue of the brands’
long tradition. The metamorphosis of these cigars has become the obsession of niche groups of
aficionados; the patience required often isolating the amateur smoker. Sancho Panzas
unanimously get better with time, their distinct grassy flavour morphing to an exquisite balance
of woody sweetness and saltiness.