José L. Piedra

About

José L. Piedra Cigars There are a few factors which set José L. Piedra apart from the rest of the Cuban cigar catalogue. While the overwhelming majority of tobacco used for Habanos comes from the legendary Vuelta Abajo region, Piedra cigars use the tobacco from the Vuelta Arriba area their founder first settled in. Almost all of their counterparts from the 26 other brands are made using Tripa Larga (long filler tobacco) while Piedra uses Tripa Corta (short filler tobacco). These differences serve to offer a wonderful expression of the Havana cigar experience, allowing regular smokers to expand their knowledge and new smokers to begin their journey at an amazingly accessible price point. José L. Piedra have always been proud to be different. When the founder made his way to Cuba from Asturias in Spain towards the end of the 19 th century, conventional wisdom was that Havana was the place to be, and that the fertile lands to the east of the capital were the place to profit from tobacco harvests. Piedra decided instead to head for Remedios, one of the oldest tobacco-growing regions in Cuba, and make his fortune his own way. Three generation of the family took care of the business in the years up to the Revolution, garnering particular success in the American market. Unfortunately, their reliance on this huge customer base was eventually their downfall, as the Embargo signed by President John F Kennedy saw their largest sales source reduced to zero overnight. Dark times fell across the Piedra brand, and production was ultimately shut down. In 1996 the name was revived, and Piedra was positioned alongside Quintero cigars as being producers of affordable, machine-made cigars. In the early part of the 2000s this practice was halted, with all Cuban cigars reverting to being totally handmade, but these 2 brands kept their reputations for affordability. The initial line of only 3 cigars was expanded in 2007 and again in 2019, forming the Regular Production vitolario we have t