Partagás Cigars: The Complete Guide to Havana's Boldest Name

By Michel Besson, Fine Cigars Club

Few cigar brands carry the weight of history — and drama — that Partagás does. Founded in 1845, it is one of the oldest continuously produced cigar brands in the world, built by an ambitious Catalan immigrant who called his factory "Royal," supplied the courts of Europe, and met a violent, still-unexplained end on his own tobacco plantation. Behind the story sits one of Havana's defining flavours: bold, earthy and full-bodied, the benchmark against which other powerful Cubans are measured. This guide covers the history, the factory and tobacco, what defines the Partagás taste, the range we stock, how to choose, and the questions smokers ask most.

The History of Partagás

Partagás was founded in Havana in 1845 by Don Jaime Partagás Ravelo, a Catalan who had emigrated to Cuba and worked his way up through the tobacco trade. He was a genuine pioneer — one of the first to take a serious, systematic interest in the cultivation and fermentation of tobacco, not just the rolling of it, and he acquired prime plantations in the Vuelta Abajo region of Pinar del Río to control the quality of his leaf from the ground up.

He named his company the Real Fábrica de Tabacos Partagás — "Royal Factory." The word Real (Royal) was no idle flourish: it signalled that Partagás supplied tobacco to the royal houses of Europe, a mark of prestige that set the brand apart from its earliest days.

The murder of Don Jaime

Don Jaime's story ends in mystery and violence. In 1868, he was murdered on one of his own tobacco plantations in the Vuelta Abajo. The circumstances have never been fully established — theories over the years have ranged from a business dispute to a crime of passion involving a rival — but the killing of one of Havana's most successful cigar men remains one of the great unsolved dramas of the tobacco world. The brand passed to his son, and later, in 1900, into the hands of the Cifuentes family, who would run and grow it for the next six decades and cement its reputation.

Revolution and the split into two Partagás

When Fidel Castro's government nationalised the Cuban cigar industry after the 1959 revolution, the Partagás factory was seized. Ramón Cifuentes, the family owner and steward of the brand, left Cuba — and, as so many exiled Cuban cigar families did, eventually re-established the name abroad. The result is that, to this day, Partagás exists as two separate brands:

• The Cuban Partagás, made in Havana by Habanos S.A. from 100% Cuban tobacco — the original, and the cigars we stock.
• A non-Cuban Partagás, made in the Dominican Republic (today by General Cigar) for the United States and some other markets, often using different tobaccos such as a Cameroon wrapper.

Same name, same root, two very different cigars — a direct legacy of the revolution. If you see "Partagás" in the US, it is the Dominican version; the Havana original is what a UK or European aficionado means by the name.

The factory — the icon and the working floor

Here is a detail most guides get wrong. The grand, ochre-and-red Real Fábrica de Tabacos Partagás building behind Havana's Capitolio — the one on every postcard, dated 1845 across its facade — is the brand's spiritual home and still houses a famous Casa del Habano cigar shop and tourist destination. But the rolling galleries there are now closed. Actual production relocated a few years ago to a working factory at the corner of Calle San Carlos and Peñalver in Central Havana (a former Pollack tobacco warehouse).

That working factory is one of Cuba's "Big Four" cigar factories, and — like several of Havana's great houses — it rolls more than its namesake: Partagás, Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta, Bolívar and Montecristo all come off its galleries, hand-rolled from Vuelta Abajo tobacco using the traditional Cuban double-binder method. So a Partagás and a Cohiba may well be made by the same hands, in the same building — a reminder of how interconnected Havana's brands truly are.

The lector tradition

Partagás is closely associated with one of the cigar world's most romantic customs: the lector. Since the nineteenth century, a reader would sit at the front of the rolling gallery and read aloud to the torcedores as they worked — newspapers and political news in the morning, novels in the afternoon. It relieved the monotony, educated the workforce, and shaped cigar culture in ways that still echo today. The Cuban cigar Montecristo, in fact, is said to take its name from The Count of Monte Cristo — a favourite of the rollers, read aloud by the lector. The tradition lives on in Havana's factories.

A Partagás Timeline: Key Dates and Releases

Partagás is one of the few cigar brands whose story spans nearly two centuries. Here are the milestones that shaped it:

• 1827Don Jaime Partagás Ravelo is active in the Havana tobacco trade, building toward his own operation.
• 1845The Real Fábrica de Tabacos Partagás is founded — the "Royal Factory," so named for supplying tobacco to the royal houses of Europe. It remains one of the oldest cigar brands in the world.
• 1868Don Jaime is murdered on one of his Vuelta Abajo plantations; the crime is never solved.
• 1900The Cifuentes family takes over, and will steward the brand for six decades.
• 1930sThe "Alphabet Series" (Series A, B, C and D, cigars numbered 1–4) is introduced, largely for the British market — the origin of the now-legendary Serie D.
• c. 1960The Alphabet Series, including the Serie D No. 4, is discontinued; the Cuban industry is nationalised after the revolution and owner Ramón Cifuentes leaves Cuba, seeding the later Cuban/Dominican split.
• 1975Amid a revival of interest in the robusto size, the Serie D No. 4 is reintroduced — the cigar that would become the most famous Partagás of all, and one of the most popular Cuban cigars in the world.
• 2005Habanos expands the Serie D and introduces the Serie P No. 2 pirámide.
• 2008The Serie D No. 5 debuts (initially as a Limited Edition, later regular production), continuing the modernisation of the classic line.
• 2018The Línea Maduro is introduced, a maduro-wrapper extension of the brand.
• 2023Partagás receives its ultra-premium line, the Línea Maestra (Origen, Rito and Maestro), unveiled at the Habanos Festival — the first Habanos line made from 100% San Luis tobacco from the Vuelta Abajo, with distinctive blue bands and tapered "109" heads. It reached world markets in 2024 (UK: October 2024).

That last release is telling. Each of Cuba's great houses now has a super-premium line, and they arrived in sequence — Cohiba Behike (2010), Montecristo Línea 1935 (2017), Romeo y Julieta Línea de Oro (2020) and Partagás Línea Maestra (2023) — with Partagás the most recent of the four to be crowned. It's a neat illustration of how these storied brands continue to evolve side by side.

What Defines the Partagás Taste

Partagás is the benchmark full-bodied Havana — the brand connoisseurs reach for when they want power, depth and unmistakably Cuban character. The house style is bold, earthy and rich: leather, cocoa, espresso, black pepper and a deep, woody earthiness, often with a spicy backbone and real complexity. Where a Romeo y Julieta is balanced and elegant and an H. Upmann delicate, Partagás is muscular and characterful — a cigar with presence.

That doesn't mean harsh. A well-made Partagás is powerful and refined, with the flavours layered rather than blunt. It's a cigar for the smoker who wants their Havana to make a statement — which is exactly why the Serie D No. 4, its most famous robusto, is one of the most celebrated full-bodied Cuban cigars in the world.

The Partagás Range We Stock

We carry a focused selection of genuine Cuban Partagás, spanning the brand's classic full-bodied vitolas.

Partagás Serie D No. 4

The definitive Partagás and one of the great Cuban robustos. The Serie D No. 4 is a benchmark full-bodied Havana — rich leather, cocoa, espresso and pepper in a perfectly proportioned robusto. If you smoke one Partagás in your life, make it this. It is the yardstick for powerful Cuban cigars, and a permanent fixture in serious humidors.

Partagás Serie P No. 2

A full-bodied pirámide (torpedo) that shows Partagás power in a tapered format. The Serie P No. 2 shares the celebrated 52-ring-gauge pirámide shape of the Montecristo No. 2, but delivers the unmistakable Partagás profile — earth, spice, leather and depth — with the concentrated intensity that the torpedo tip brings.

Partagás Línea Maestra Maestro

The brand at its most modern and prestigious. The Línea Maestra Maestro is a super-premium line, a refined and beautifully presented expression of the Partagás character for the collector and the connoisseur.

Partagás Capitols

A more approachable format that still carries the house signature. The Capitols offer the Partagás flavour in an accessible size — a fine way to enjoy the brand without a long time commitment.

You can browse the full range on our Partagás collection page.

Which Partagás Should You Choose?

If you're new to the brand — start with the Serie D No. 4. It's the definitive Partagás and one of the world's great robustos; nothing else shows you the brand's character so completely.

If you love a torpedo — the Serie P No. 2. The pirámide shape concentrates the Partagás intensity beautifully.

If you want something special — the Línea Maestra Maestro, the brand's super-premium line, for an occasion.

If you want a shorter smoke — the Capitols deliver the house style in a more accessible format.

If you love full-bodied, powerful Havanas — Partagás is the brand for you. If you already enjoy a rich Ramón Allones you'll feel at home here. Those who prefer something more balanced might compare a Romeo y Julieta, or the more elegant H. Upmann.

How to Spot a Genuine Cuban Partagás

As one of the most famous — and most counterfeited — Havana brands, buy with care:

• Buy from a reputable source. Genuine Cuban cigars reach the UK through the official distributor, Hunters & Frankau, and carry the English Market Selection (EMS) mark — your first assurance of authenticity and correct storage.
• Know your Partagás. Remember there are two brands: the Cuban original (what you want) and the Dominican version. In the UK and Europe, genuine Partagás is the Havana.
• Check the box. Genuine Cuban boxes carry the government warranty seal, the "Habanos s.a." and "Hecho en Cuba / Totalmente a mano" markings, and a factory code and date stamp.
• Look at band and construction. Genuine Havanas are impeccably rolled with a smooth draw and even burn. Crude bands, a spongy feel or uneven construction are warning signs.

We source all our Cuban Partagás through Hunters & Frankau, so every cigar is genuine English Market Selection stock.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who founded Partagás, and when? Partagás was founded in Havana in 1845 by Don Jaime Partagás Ravelo, a Catalan immigrant and tobacco pioneer. He named his company the Real Fábrica de Tabacos Partagás — "Royal Factory" — reflecting that he supplied tobacco to the royal houses of Europe. It is one of the oldest cigar brands in the world.

Is it true the founder was murdered? Yes. Don Jaime Partagás was murdered in 1868 on one of his own tobacco plantations in the Vuelta Abajo. The circumstances were never fully established and the case remains one of the great unsolved dramas of the cigar world. The brand passed to his son and later to the Cifuentes family.

Why are there two different Partagás brands? After the 1959 Cuban revolution nationalised the industry, owner Ramón Cifuentes left Cuba and the name was later re-established abroad. Today there is a Cuban Partagás (made in Havana by Habanos S.A. from Cuban tobacco — the original) and a non-Cuban Partagás (made in the Dominican Republic for the US and some markets). The cigars we stock are the Cuban originals.

Where are Partagás cigars made, and where does the tobacco come from? Genuine Cuban Partagás are made in Havana by Habanos S.A. The famous Real Fábrica building behind the Capitolio is now mainly a Casa del Habano shop; actual production moved to a working factory in Central Havana that also rolls Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta, Bolívar and Montecristo. The tobacco is grown in the Vuelta Abajo region of Pinar del Río — the finest tobacco terroir on earth.

Is Partagás a strong cigar? Yes — Partagás is the benchmark full-bodied Havana: bold, earthy and rich, with leather, cocoa, espresso, pepper and deep woody notes. It's powerful but refined, not harsh. The Serie D No. 4 is its most famous expression and one of the world's great full-bodied robustos.

What is a Partagás Culebra? The Culebra is one of the cigar world's most unusual presentations, historically associated with Partagás: three cigars braided and twisted together, tied with ribbon, to be separated and smoked individually. It originated in the factories — legend holds rollers were once permitted to take home three cigars a day, braided together to deter pilfering. It remains a curiosity and a talking point.

Explore our full range of genuine Cuban Partagás cigars, or read our companion guides to Cohiba, Montecristo, H. Upmann and Romeo y Julieta.

Fine Cigars Club is a UK retailer of premium cigars. All Cuban cigars we sell are genuine Havanas supplied through official UK channels.