Cuba is the cradle of just about everything in what we love to smoke today. If Cuban cigars themselves are no longer the undisputed leader in the world, their legacy – and the Castro revolution — inspired the development of the free world in making great puros. Cohiba is the brand name for two distinct types of cigars. Cohiba is a state-owned tobacco company in Cuba that produces for Habanos S.A. as well as a company that produces for the General Cigar Company in the United States with a plant in the Dominican Republic. Because of the design on the cigar band, the Cohiba made by General Cigar in the US became known as the “red dot Cohiba.” After a long legal battle, the U.S. courts have ruled that the brand must revert to Cubatabaco, the state-owned cigar ministry, in the event that the U.S. embargo against Cuba is lifted and the Cuban Cohiba can be sold in the U.S. Until then, assuming that ruling holds upon appeal, you can buy the non-Cuban Cohiba and enjoy a great cigar for much less than the original version. You will notice today, Cohiba boxes sold in the United States carry a disclaimer that they are not affiliated in any way with the Cuban brand.