Cohiba is the flagship brand of Habanos S.A. It was created in 1966 for President Fidel Castro himself and was made at the then top secret, but now world famous, El Laguito factory. At first, it was only seen outside Cuba as gifts for heads of state and visiting diplomats. In 1982 Cohiba was made available in limited quantities to the open market. The name is an ancient Taino Indian word for the bunches of tobacco leaves that Columbus first saw being smoked by the original inhabitants of Cuba – the earliest known form of the cigar. The leaves for Cohiba are the “selection of the selection” from the five finest plantations in the San Juan y Martinez and San Luis districts of the Vuelta Abajo zone..