Roots of the Leaf, Legends Rolled Through Time

José "Pepin" Rodriguez Fernández acquired Romeo y Julieta in 1903 from founders Inocencio Alvarez and Manin García, transforming it into a global icon by tirelessly traveling Europe and the Americas to promote the brand. His efforts earned the loyalty of the world's elite, most notably Sir Winston Churchill, whose name now graces its flagship cigar.

Ernesto Perez-Carrillo's journey from jazz drummer to master cigar artisan is a testament to passion and reinvention. With help and inspiration from his family, he has earned Cigar Aficionado's No. 1 Cigar of the Year three times, a distinction few have ever achieved.

From the high-altitude tobacco fields of Nicaragua to your hands, every My Father Cigar is a masterpiece, handcrafted by José 'Pepín' Garcia and his family through a meticulous, years-long process rooted in tradition and perfection.

Alan Rubin founded Alec Bradley in 1996, naming the brand after his own children, and fought through a saturated post-boom market. Failing at golf course-targeted cigars and flavored after-dinner blends, he pivoted and found his footing with budget tobacconist cigars. His persistence paid off when the 2007 launch of the full-flavored "Tempus" line broke the brand into the mainstream, eventually reaching millions of cigar lovers worldwide.

Following Cuban exile, Simon Camacho founded his namesake brand in Miami in 1961, crafting bold, full-bodied cigars rooted in authentic Cuban Corojo tradition. Today, under the stewardship of Davidoff, that celebrated heritage continues to flourish from the rich soils of Honduras.

Named after the ferocious Nepalese "Gurkha" soldiers who impressed the British Army in 1814, the Gurkha cigar brand was acquired by Kaizad Hansotia in 1989 for just $149 and has since grown into the "Rolls Royce of cigars," producing eight million cigars annually across 58 countries.

Oscar Valladares went from chauffeuring cigar industry visitors through the tobacco fields of Honduras to launching his own brand in 2012 after a humbling period of debt, driven by a deep love for his homeland and the craft. His debut cigar, a Mayan inspired release wrapped in an unfermented tobacco leaf, caught the attention of a US retailer and quietly launched him onto the international stage.