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Romeo y Julieta
Product type	Cigars
Owner	Imperial Brands
Produced by	Habanos S.A.; Altadis
Country	Cuba; Dominican Republic
Introduced	1875; 150 years ago
Related brands	Cohiba; Montecristo
Website	habanos.com/romeoyjulieta/
	Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1

Romeo y Julieta is a brand of premium cigars, currently owned by Imperial Brands. The brand is currently owned by two Imperial Brands subsidiaries, Habanos S.A. in Cuba and Altadis in the Dominican Republic.

History

The Romeo y Julieta marque was established in 1875 by Inocencio Alvarez and Manin García. The brand is the Spanish name for Shakespeare's famous tragedy, Romeo and Juliet.

Between 1885 and 1900, the brand won numerous awards at different tasting exhibitions (as still evidenced by the gold medals on the brand's logo). However, the brand truly bloomed after it was acquired by José "Pepin" Rodriguez Fernández, former head of the Cabañas factory in Havana, and his firm, Rodríguez, Argüelles y Cia, in 1903. Being a very cosmopolitan man, Rodriguez constantly travelled across Europe and the Americas, actively promoting his brand, and entering his horse, the aptly named Julieta, in racing events across the world.

As a result of his salesmanship, the brand became exceptionally popular around the world among wealthy customers, many of whom demanded personalized bands for their cigars. At its height, as many as 2000 personalized cigar bands were produced for customers. The brand was also known at this time for specializing in figurado cigars (shaped cigars, such as ones that taper — any cigar that does not have straight, parallel sides) such as perfectos and pirámides, with over a thousand such shapes believed to have been in production.

Sir Winston Churchill was perhaps the brand's most famous devotee.^[1]^[2] The flagship vitola of the brand is named in his honour, a long 7" by 47 ring gauge cigar known as the Churchill.

After Rodriguez's death in 1954 at 88 years of age and the revolution and subsequent nationalization of the tobacco industry, the brand was moved to La Romana in the Dominican Republic, where production of a Romeo y Julieta cigar for the American market continues today under the direction of Altadis U.S.A. The Cuban government nationalized the brand and still produces and distributes it worldwide as one of its top-selling global brands.

Products

Vitolas in the Romeo y Julieta Line

The following list of vitolas de salida (commercial vitolas) within the Romeo y Julieta marque lists their size and ring gauge in Imperial (and Metric), their vitolas de galera (factory vitolas), and their common name in American cigar slang.

Belicoso - 51⁄2" × 52 (140 × 20.64 mm), Campana, a belicoso
Belvedere - 47⁄8" × 39 (124 × 15.48 mm), Belvedere, a short panetela
Cazadores - 63⁄8" x 44 (162 x 17.46 mm), a lonsdale
Cedro de Luxe No. 1 - 61⁄2" × 42 (165 × 16.67 mm), Cervantes, a lonsdale
Cedro de Luxe No. 2 - 55⁄8" × 42 (143 × 16.67 mm), Corona, a corona
Cedro de Luxe No. 3 - 51⁄8" × 42 (130 × 16.67 mm), Mareva, a petit corona
Churchill - 7" × 47 (178 × 18.65 mm), Julieta No. 2, a churchill
Corona - 55⁄8" × 42 (143 × 16.67 mm), Corona, a corona
Coronita en Cedro - 51⁄8" × 40 (130 × 15.88 mm), Petit Cetro, a petit corona
Exhibición No. 3 - 55⁄8" × 46 (143 × 18.26 mm), Corona Gorda, a grand corona
Exhibición No. 4 - 5" × 48 (127 × 19.05 mm), Hermoso No. 4, a corona extra
Petit Corona - 51⁄8" × 42 (130 × 16.67 mm), Mareva, a petit corona
Petit Julieta - 37⁄8" × 30 (98 × 11.91 mm), Entreacto, a small panetela
Petit Princess - 4" × 40 (102 × 15.88 mm), Perlas, a petit corona
Regalía de Londres - 45⁄8" × 40 (117 × 15.88 mm), Coronita, a petit corona
Romeo No. 1 - 51⁄2" × 40 (140 × 15.88 mm), Crema, a corona
Romeo No. 2 - 51⁄8" × 42 (130 × 16.67 mm), Petit Corona, a petit corona
Romeo No. 3 - 45⁄8" × 40 (117 × 15.88 mm), Coronita, a petit corona
Short Churchill - 47⁄8" × 50 (124 × 19.84 mm), Robusto, a robusto
Sport Largo - 45⁄8" × 35 (117 × 13.89 mm), Sport, a short panetela
Wide Churchill - 51⁄8" × 55 (130 × 21.83 mm) Montesco

Edición Limitada Releases

Exhibición No. 2 (2000) - 75⁄8" × 49 (194 × 19.45 mm), Prominente, a double corona
Robusto (2001) - 47⁄8" × 50 (124 × 19.84 mm), Robusto, a robusto
Hermoso No. 1 (2003) - 61⁄2" × 48 (165 × 19.05 mm), Hermoso No. 1, a grand corona
Hermoso No. 2 (2004) - 61⁄8" × 48 (156 × 19.05 mm), Hermoso No. 2, a grand corona
Petit Pirámide (2005) - 5" × 50 (127 × 19.84 mm), Petit Pirámide, a petit pyramid
Escudo (2007) - 51⁄2" × 50 (141 × 19.84 mm) Gordito, a robusto extra
Duke (2009) - 51⁄2" × 54 (140 × 21.43 mm) Duke, a robusto extra