L’histoire de Por Larrañaga

Little known to the general public because of its limited vitolario, the Cuban brand Por Larrañaga nevertheless enjoys a strong reputation among seasoned aficionados. Since its creation in 1834, it has produced highly refined cigars, distinguished by their complex flavors and impeccable presentation. Classified in the “Other” category of the Habanos S.A portfolio, it is regularly selected by the Cuban company to produce regional editions.

The Birth of Por Larrañaga

The Por Larrañaga brand was created in 1834 by Ignacio Larrañaga, a Spanish immigrant who arrived in Cuba in 1825. It is considered one of the oldest Cuban cigar brands, alongside Cabañas. In his book “The Book of the Cigar Connoisseur” (1967), Zino Davidoff even states that it may have been registered before the Cabañas brand.

Initially located at 94 O’Reilly Street in Havana, Por Larrañaga quickly stood out thanks to the excellence of its cigars in terms of craftsmanship. From its earliest days, it thus earned the nickname “The University of Havana.” In 1840, it moved its factory to 58 San Miguel Street in order to meet the need to increase production.

Highly appreciated by intellectual and financial elites, the brand enjoys a strong international reputation. Among its greatest admirers are filmmaker Orson Welles and poet Rudyard Kipling. The latter notably celebrated it in his poem The Betrothed: “There is peace in a Larrañaga, there is calm in a Henry Clay; but the best cigar in an hour is finished and thrown away.” It is also in this poem that the author immortalized the now-famous line “And a woman is only a woman, but a good Cigar is a Smoke.”

A two-sided popularity

If Por Larrañaga’s popularity is mainly explained by the quality of its premium cigars, it also owes much to the fact that, alongside this high-end production, the manufacturer offered more affordable cigars. The brand was therefore appreciated just as much by the elite as by the broader public. In 1870, it was bought by Antonio Rivero Martinez. Under his leadership, Por Larrañaga would become the first Cuban brand to produce machine-made cigars.

Launched in 1925 in the new factory on Carlos III Street, this industrial revolution was driven by the new owner’s determination not to suffer production stoppages during the various social movements. It was nevertheless not without hiccups, since, concerned about the future of their profession, the workers at the Por Larrañaga factory went on strike and forced the new owner to send his new machines back to the United States.

Even so, change was underway. Cigar producers had in fact realized that using machines made it possible to increase output while lowering cigar manufacturing costs by around 25%. While it took several years to train a torcedor, it also took only one to two weeks for a worker to learn how to operate a machine.

Despite their considerable renown at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, Por Larrañaga cigars have always been produced in relatively small quantities. They therefore account for only 5.3% of total Cuban cigar exports. In 1937, the company passed into the hands of the British firm Morris & Morris. It then became the property of the Cuban state from 1961 onward, and production was transferred to the famous La Corona factory. At that time, Por Larrañaga was the 6th best-selling brand of Cuban cigars in the world.

Years of turmoil

Until the 1970s, the brand managed to maintain the solid reputation it had enjoyed since the end of the 19th century. During the 1980s, however, consumer appeal declined for no apparent reason, leading to a sudden drop in production. This decline in activity accelerated during the 1990s, following a dispute over trademark rights, which forced Por Larrañaga to reduce its imports to just a few countries, including Canada and countries in the Middle East. Throughout this period, the brand virtually abandoned all of its “Totalmente al Mano” production to focus on machine-made cigars.

The return of premium production

In 2002, the brand made a major turnaround in its commercial strategy and announced that, from then on, its entire portfolio would be handmade. Shortly afterward, it released 3 new vitolas that are now part of the regular Por Larrañaga catalog:

• The Petit Coronas (42 x 129 mm)
• The Panetelas (36 x 127 mm)
• The Montecarlos (33 x 159 mm)

Renowned for the smoothness and complexity of their aromas, Por Larrañaga cigars are made entirely from long-filler or short-filler tobaccos grown in the Vuelta Abajo region. Mild to medium in strength, they are also recognized by their smooth, oily Colorado Claro wrapper, as well as their elegant gold band, which has changed very little since its introduction in the 1960s.

In 2006, Cigar Aficionado magazine rated a cigar from the brand for the first time. The Petit Coronas received an impressive score of 91, proving that Por Larrañaga still has the ability to produce top-tier cigars. That same year, the brand was chosen to create its first regional edition. Since then, no fewer than 17 regional editions have been produced by Por Larrañaga. Among them, we can notably mention:

• The Lonsdale (42 × 165mm) Regional Edition for Germany – 2006.
• The Valiosos (52 x 156mm) Regional Edition for Switzerland – 2009.
• The Gran Robusto (50 × 160mm) Edición Regional Países Bajos – 2017.
• The Leones (42 × 155mm) Regional Edition for Spain – 2021.

The brand has also produced an exclusive cigar for the HABANO & ALMA and Habanos Specialist boutiques, the Picadores No. 1 (48 x 127mm), a vitola discontinued in the 1970s and reintroduced in 2014. It is the only cigar from the brand to feature a colored band. In 2020, Por Larrañaga expanded its regular range with a fourth vitola: the Galanes (52 x 120 mm). With a 52 ring gauge, this cigar follows the “Short Smokes” trend and is the brand’s first cigar to offer a ring gauge above 50.

Although Por Larrañaga remains less famous today than other Cuban brands, its long history, the quality of its craftsmanship, and its recurring presence in special Habanos S.A releases make it a top choice for all aficionados in search of an authentic and refined experience.