H. Upmann

Steeped in mystery, spies, and intrigue, the history of the H. Upmann cigar company is as rich as the very cigars themselves. It all started in 1840 when German bankers and brothers, August and Hermann Upmann, opened a branch of their family bank in Havana. Hermann was most interested in the cigars of Cuba and began sending them back to family in Europe. While the bank was successful for a time, before undergoing tribulations of its own, the cigar brand would go on to great success. H. Upmann cigars would win seven gold medals, which are still on the cigar boxes today.

At the outbreak of WWI, Hermann’s nephews Alpert and Hermann were helming the bank and cigar company. Lamentably, the two took to using their position of power and dealings with the U.S. to run and conceal a German Intelligence network of spies. The Upmanns and their agents were accused of inflaming revolts in Haiti and the Dominican Republic and providing arms to a Cuban Coup d'etat.

While the cigar company and bank were seized by the U.S. and eventually would change hands numerous times before its nationalization, the brothers would never fully recover legally or financially from the straits they were put in. Today, H.Upmann is still produced in Havana in the original H. Upmann factory (now renamed Jose Marti).

Using premium tobaccos from the blue ribbon Vuelta Abajo region, H. Upmann remains a Cuban staple with over 30 vitolas and scores of blends on the market today. Considered one of the most sought after Cuban cigars on the market, H. Upmann brings a robust smoking experience to the beginner and connoisseur alike. Interested in trying one on your own? Find your next box only at VIP Cuban Cigars today!