Founded very early in the 1900’s by José F. Rocha, Bolívar has been a popular Cuban brand for the better part of a century. Named after the South American revolutionary, Simón Bolívar, it wasn’t until 1921 that it was registered in Cuba. In 1954, after the death of Rocha, the Bolívar brand was sold by the J.F. Rocha y Cia firm to the Cifuentes y Cia company and production was moved to the Partágas Factory. Only a short time later amidst the Cuban Revolution, the Cifuentes family fled Cuba. With their departure, the newly formed, nationalized company Cubatabaco, took over the factory and the Bolívar brand. Almost two decades later in 1978, Ramón Cifuentes sold the rights to the Bolívar name to General Cigar Company, which then started producing and selling the non-Cuban tobacco version of the Bolívar cigar. Though the name and registered trademark outside of Cuba was now owned by General Cigar Company, Cubatabaco, and now Habanos S.A., has continued to produce its Cuban version. One of the Cubatabaco Bolívar vitolas that was being produced at the time was the Petit Coronas. It seems fitting that the Petit Coronas that I’m reviewing today was produced some time in ...
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