Cohiba Cigars

The name cohíba derives from the Taino word for "tobacco". Cohíba was originally a private brand supplied exclusively to Fidel Castro and high level Cuban government and communist party officials. Often given as diplomatic gifts, the Cohíba brand gradually developed a "cult" status. Castro decided to release his personal cigars as a premium cigar brand for public consumption when the 1982 World Cup was held in Spain. In the 1990's, US-based cigar manufacturer General Cigar Company, Inc. began mass-marketing a Dominican-made cigar under the "Cohiba" name for the US market. In the pilot episode of Sex and the City, when offered a lesser cigar, Mr. Big says, "Cohibas, that's all I smoke."