Alejandro Robaina
Encyclopedia
Alejandro Robaina was a Cuba
n tobacco
grower.
in La Habana Province
of Cuba
but he grew up and lived most of his life in the renowned tobacco-growing Vuelta Abajo
district of Pinar del Río Province
where his family had been growing tobacco since 1845. He became involved with his family's tobacco growing business at the age of ten, having smoked his first cigar just shortly before then. He took over the operations of the plantation after the death of his father Maruto Robaina—also an acclaimed tobacco grower—in 1950 and remained an independent grower even after the 1959 Cuban Revolution
when plantations were often absorbed into cooperative
organizations. In a 2006 interview with Cigar Aficionado
magazine, Robaina stated that he spoke with Castro and that he "told Fidel I did not like cooperatives or state farms and that the best way to grow tobacco was through family production. He wanted me to join a cooperative and I told him no."
The tobacco leaves from Robaina's plantations are often considered among the best in the world and have been used by high quality cigars brands such as Cohiba
and Hoyo de Monterrey. Robaina himself has been dubbed the "Godfather of Cuban tobacco."
During the 1990s, Robaina was recognized by the Cuban government as the country's best tobacco grower. In 1997, Vegas Robaina
cigar brand was created by the Cuban government-owned company Habanos S.A. to honour Robaina's accomplishments in the industry, although cigar experts have had a hard time detecting Robaina's tobacco in the cigar and Robaina himself never provided a definitive answer. Robaina is the only tobacco grower with a Cuban cigar named after himself and has spent several decades travelling the world as Cuba's unofficial tobacco and cigar ambassador. His travelling subsided as he got older and he received visits at his home and plantation by thousands of cigar enthusiasts and tourists annually.
Robaina was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and died in his home on his tobacco plantation near San Luis, Pinar del Río
. He handed over the majority of the day-to-day operations of the plantation to his grandson Hiroshi several years before his death.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
grower.
Biography
Robaina was born in AlquízarAlquízar
Alquízar is a municipality and city in the Artemisa Province of Cuba.The town is located in the south-west corner of the province, south-west of San Antonio de los Baños and west of Güira de Melena....
in La Habana Province
La Habana Province
Havana Province was one of the provinces of Cuba, prior to being divided into two new provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque on January 1, 2011. It had 711,066 people in the 2002 census. The largest city was Artemisa .-Geography:...
of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
but he grew up and lived most of his life in the renowned tobacco-growing Vuelta Abajo
Vuelta Abajo
Vuelta Abajo is a district in the Pinar del Río Province of Cuba. It lies in the extreme western part of the island, bordered on the north by the Órganos Mountains. A great deal of tobacco is grown in the district, and "Vuelta Abajo" can also refer to the high quality type of cigar tobacco from...
district of Pinar del Río Province
Pinar del Río Province
Pinar del Río is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is at the western end of the island of Cuba.-Geography:The Pinar del Río province is Cuba's westernmost province and contains one of Cuba's three main mountain ranges, the Cordillera de Guaniguanico, divided into the easterly Sierra del Rosario and...
where his family had been growing tobacco since 1845. He became involved with his family's tobacco growing business at the age of ten, having smoked his first cigar just shortly before then. He took over the operations of the plantation after the death of his father Maruto Robaina—also an acclaimed tobacco grower—in 1950 and remained an independent grower even after the 1959 Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
when plantations were often absorbed into cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
organizations. In a 2006 interview with Cigar Aficionado
Cigar Aficionado
Cigar Aficionado is an American magazine that is dedicated to the world of cigars. Published since September 1992, the magazine is known for its articles about different brands of cigars worldwide, and for the celebrities that have appeared on its cover. It is also noted for its opposition to the...
magazine, Robaina stated that he spoke with Castro and that he "told Fidel I did not like cooperatives or state farms and that the best way to grow tobacco was through family production. He wanted me to join a cooperative and I told him no."
The tobacco leaves from Robaina's plantations are often considered among the best in the world and have been used by high quality cigars brands such as Cohiba
Cohiba (cigar brand)
Cohiba is a brand for two kinds of premium cigar, one produced in Cuba for Habanos S.A., the Cuban state-owned tobacco company, and the other produced in the Dominican Republic for US-based General Cigar Company...
and Hoyo de Monterrey. Robaina himself has been dubbed the "Godfather of Cuban tobacco."
During the 1990s, Robaina was recognized by the Cuban government as the country's best tobacco grower. In 1997, Vegas Robaina
Vegas Robaina (cigar brand)
Vegas Robaina is the name of a premium cigar brand, produced on the island of Cuba for Habanos SA, the Cuban state-owned tobacco company. - History :...
cigar brand was created by the Cuban government-owned company Habanos S.A. to honour Robaina's accomplishments in the industry, although cigar experts have had a hard time detecting Robaina's tobacco in the cigar and Robaina himself never provided a definitive answer. Robaina is the only tobacco grower with a Cuban cigar named after himself and has spent several decades travelling the world as Cuba's unofficial tobacco and cigar ambassador. His travelling subsided as he got older and he received visits at his home and plantation by thousands of cigar enthusiasts and tourists annually.
Robaina was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and died in his home on his tobacco plantation near San Luis, Pinar del Río
San Luis, Pinar del Río
San Luis is a municipality and city in the Pinar del Río Province of Cuba. It is centered mainly on agriculture , stock raising....
. He handed over the majority of the day-to-day operations of the plantation to his grandson Hiroshi several years before his death.