In 2017, the United States lifted some trade and travel restrictions on Cuba. When this happened, everyone got overwhelmed with joy due to the fact you can travel back from Cuba to the United States with a small number of Cuban cigars. The holy grail of cigars amongst cigar smokers seems to be getting your hands on Cuban Cigars.

As I’m continuing to navigate through the history of cigars, I didn’t know some brands that I smoke, and love originated in Cuba. When the embargo happened, these companies fled Cuba and moved to other countries such as Nicaragua or the Dominican Republic.

So, for this week’s Top 5, we compiled five cigars that were the first Cuban Heritage Brands a few hundred years ago. From Romeo y Julieta to Cohiba, here are our Top 5 Cuban Heritage Brand Cigars for you to enjoy.

Don’t forget to get the limited time sampler at the link below.

The first cigar up on our Top 5 Cuban Heritage Brands is the delicious Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua. The brand itself gained popularity in 1946 after Winston Churchill visited Havana and fell in love with the blend. Fast forward to today, the Reserva Real Nicaragua is another epic cigar from the minds of AJ Fernandez and Rafael Nodal. AJ Fernandez fled Cuba as a child and has made it a point to pay homage to his home country in the cigars he makes (as you will see later down the list).

Produced in the Dominican Republic, this new iteration of the Reserva Real line is a delicious Nicaraguan Puro medium-bodied smoke that is a mouther watering treat. Some delicious flavor notes you’ll experience while smoking this 6 x 54 Toro are wood, coffee, cinnamon, sweet spice, and cedar on the backend.

Available in four different sizes, including the Toro, the Reserva Real Nicaragua arrives in a pack of 10, a box of 20, and a box of 25. This being a Romeo y Julieta cigar made by AJ Fernandez, it has Cuban Heritage footprints all over this smoke. So stop by our website today to enjoy this delectable smoke right away.

Next up on our Top 5 Heritage Brand Cigars is a brand that Michael Jordan himself always smoked. If you watched “The Last Dance” documentary two years ago, you saw he always had a Cuban cigar in his hand while driving on the golf course or to the games.

Cohiba was Fidel Castro’s preferred brand was created in 1966. Since the 1980’s it’s been offered to the public and a go-to cigar from Cohiba has always been the Cohiba Connecticut. This medium-bodied 5.50 x 50 gem is cloaked in a golden Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, while being bound by Mexican San Andres tobaccos, and filled with tobaccos that hail from Brazil and the Dominican Republic.

Flavor notes you’ll detect while smoking this gem are toast, almonds, cream from the wrapper, and cocoa flavor notes on the backend. If you feel like trying another size of the Cohiba Connecticut, then you have six other options to choose from. Whether you’d like to get the Cohiba Connecticut in a pack of 5, or a box of 20, you can pick up this gem on our website or at your local brick and mortar today.

Coming in next on our Top 5 Cuban Heritage Brands is a brand that launched in Cuba back in 1845. For years, it remained the world’s bestselling brand for Dominican cigars. The Partagas Cortado has swept us away here at JR Cigars. Every element of this line is unique and delicious in its own way. It might be since this cigar is the first cigar under the Partagas name to be handcrafted in Nicaragua, as well as being the brand’s first cigar to use Ecuadorian-seed Connecticut tobaccos for its wrapper.

Alongside the Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper, the Cortado features Indonesian tobacco for the Binder and tobaccos from Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua to make up the filler. This unorthodox combination of tobaccos makes for some delicious flavor notes to grace your palate.

Some notes you’ll detect while smoking the Cortado are cedar, leather, sweet cream, and a subtle spice that lingers on the backend. Along with the 5 x 50 Robusto, that’s in this Top 5, the Cortado from Partagas comes in one more size, a 6 x 52 Toro. These gems arrive in a stunning red box of 20 and would be an upgrade to your humidor. So stop by JR Cigars today to get a piece of history in the Partagas Cortado.

The last two cigars on our Top 5 Cuban Heritage Brand list hail from AJ Fernandez. The Ramon Allones original was established in 1837. Since then, the brand has changed several times then eventually was bought out by Partagas. In 2018, AJ Fernandez released the Ramon Allones. The original Ramon Allones was his father’s favorite cigar when they lived in Cuba. So, his rendition of this Cuban classic means a lot more than your average cigar line may mean.

Putting his classic AJ touch on it, the Ramon Allones is a medium-full-bodied Nicaraguan Puro that utilizes Criollo 98 and Corojo 99 tobaccos for the wrapper, the binder, and the filler. Some delicious notes you’ll detect while smoking this historical smoke are fresh cut grass, cedar, cashews, and espresso on the backend.

We featured the 6 x 52 Toro in this Top 5 sampler; however, you have the option to get the Ramon Allones in three other sizes that all arrive in a box of 20. Once you try the Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez, you’ll be addicted and want to add this gem to your humidor ASAP!

Last, but certainly not least, is another cigar from AJ Fernandez that was recently released to the masses. The H. Upmann Nicaraguan Heritage by AJ Fernandez is the last stogie on our Top 5 Cuban Heritage Brands list. AJ made this cigar specifically to pay homage and show love to his old homeland. Fleeing from Cuba due to Fidel Castro, AJ and his family made their way to Nicaragua. In Nicaragua, AJ fell in love with making cigars. So, with the Heritage, AJ wanted to create something that showed his love and admiration for Cuba.

Creating this line on his own farm “Finca la Lillia” that’s named after his grandmother, the H. Upmann Nicaraguan Heritage is a medium to full-bodied smoke that is cloaked in a Brazilin Mata Fina wrapper, while Nicaraguan Habano tobaccos make up the binder and the filler. These delicious tobaccos that make up the Heritage produce some mouthwatering flavor notes for you to enjoy.

Flavor notes you will detect while smoking this cigar are Earth, Oak, Leather, Coffee, and spice on the backend. Available in five different sizes, including the 6 x 54 Toro in this Top 5, the H. Upmann Nicaragua Heritage by AJ Fernandez comes in boxes of 20 that won’t break the bank. If you’re in search of another banger from AJ Fernandez, then the H. Upmann Nicaragua Heritage is the smoke for you!

Montecristo is probably the most well-known cigar brand in the world, being recognizable even by non-cigar smokers.  The Dominican version is among the best-selling cigars in the country and has several different lines for various flavor and strength preferences.

While I am a big fan of the entire Montecristo line, I would have to say the Montecristo Epic Craft Cured is my overall choice.  It is hand-rolled in Nicaragua by the legendary Plasencia family.  It uses a Rosado Oscuro wrapper for a rich and zesty flavor, while its Ometepe binder adds in a deep, smokey taste as well.

The Epic Craft Cured is, in my opinion, has the most balance of any Montecristo cigar.  Its rich profile, top-notch construction, and enticing aroma make it an easy choice.

The Ramon Allones line is not as well-known as some of the other heritage brands, but to true aficionados, it has always been a respected line.  General Cigar was responsible for making the non-Cuban version for years until they eventually gave it over to legendary blender AJ Fernandez.

In the summer of 2018, AJ released his version of the Ramon Allones, and it has since been heralded as not only one of the finest cigars to carry the name but also one of AJs finest cigars.  It uses a Habano Oscuro wrapper, giving it deep notes of espresso and sweet spice.  Its construction is nearly perfect and it is incredibly visually appealing.

Not only did the new Ramon Allones showcase the talents of AJ to an even wider audience, but it also helped breathe life into a brand that many felt was on its last legs.

Cabañas may not be the most popular Cuban brand in history, but it was, in fact, one of the first.  Dating back to 1820, the Cabañas line was a small, local Cuban brand that was eventually shelved in 2004.

This year, the team here at JR Cigar teamed up with Don Pepin Garcia of My Father fame to bring the cigar brand back to the forefront.  So far, the results have been nothing short of stellar.

The new Cabañas is a Nicaraguan puro that uses a Habano Rosado, the same variety used on the original My Father line.  It is bustling with flavor and has that signature My Father construction.  Being that it is a private label for us, the price of this premium smoke makes it even more appealing.

H.Upmann is what I like to call a historic boutique brand.  While it may not be recognizable to the general populace, any cigar smoker knows the brand.  The Cuban version was the favorite smoke of President John F. Kennedy and was the last Cuban cigars he bought before singing the embargo.

For years AUSA has been making its own version of the H. Upmann. While they have had some very popular releases such as the H. Upmann Cameroon and the Banker, this year saw the release of two of the best cigars the brand has ever released.

The H. Upmann Hispaniola takes its name from the island that composes both Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  It is made from tobaccos grown by the Mendez family, the first family of Dominican tobacco.  It is medium to full-bodied with a complex profile with notes of spice, leather, and coffee.

It is the second AUSA cigar to receive a 90+ rating on HalfWheel, the other being the Montecristo Epic Craft Cured.

Besides Montecristo, it is easy to say that Cohiba is the most recognizable Cuban heritage brand in the world.  The Cuban Cohiba’s are considered the finest in the industry, while the Dominican version is a best-selling, top tier premium cigar.

While the Dominican Cohiba’s have always had a versatile portfolio, this year we saw the release of the first Connecticut wrapped Cohiba, and it was surprisingly one of the best ever created.

Many Connecticut wrapped cigars are known to be smooth and creamy, but the Cohiba Connecticut also adds in flavor and complexity not usually seen in such a cigar.  Notes of cedar, cream, light coffee, and subtle sweetness makes this among the most flavorful Connecticut cigars in the industry, and the most well-rounded Cohiba available.