H. UPMANN

H. Upmann :: A Brief History

                Since 1844 H.Upmann is a staple cigar brand in the arsenal of Premium Cubans. This longstanding legacy is proudly displayed on the brand’s unmistakable lithography adorned with 11 goldmedals, all earned from international exhibitions dating to the 19 the century.
                The brands’ origin lies in the Hupmann family’s immigration to Cuba from Britain in the 1840’s.Brothers Hermann and August would go on to stylise the name of their cigar brand to “H.Upmann”, the “H” connoting “hermanos” or brothers in Spanish.
                By 1891, H.Upmann cigars had become a household name, along with an adjacent H.Upmann commercial bank being founded in Havana shortly after.
The success of the family’s operations on the island culminated with increasing political influence. With the advent of the 1^st world war, it was revealed that Hermann and his brother Albert had used their businesses to house a covert German intelligence network suspected of arming opposition leader general Jose Miguel Gomez in an attempted coup following the 1916 Cuban elections. Subsequently the cigar manufacturer had become bankrupt and the family bank closed, amidst anti-German sentiment, prompting a new chapter for the temporarily disgraced H.Upmann brand.
                Following a tumultuous series of acquisitions in the following years, the large H.Upmann factory was sold to the famed Menendez cigar dynasty, responsible for the newly established Montecristo brand in 1935. The complete overhaul of operations by the Menendez family swiftly resuscitated the brand. The new H.Upmann factory still at its present day 405 Amistad street location, became the largest exporting manufacturer in Cuba, by the time of the Cuban revolution.
                After the revolution, the Menendez’ left the island, leaving the factory to be managed by state operated Cubatabaco. It is at this time the brand’s most famous ambassador JFK ordered 1200 H.Upmann Petits before signing proclamation 3447 placing an embargo on U.S trade with Cuba in 1962.
                Tales of political intrigue and social upheaval only scratch the surface of the illustrious history of this legendary brand, that has maintained a consistent and unique flavour to this day, just as it maintains Hermann Hupmann’s original signature on each box.
                H.Upmann’s are defined by their implacable and distinct aroma, described by many as “metallic”. The staff at La casa del Habano posit the smell of this light-medium bodied smoke is immediately distinguishable as an H.Upmann, even in a packed lounge.