Romeo y Julieta was famously introduced to the world of premium cigars in 1875. As with many of Cuba's earliest brands, RyJ drew inspiration from classic literature, incorporating Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet into the cigar's title. And, as with many of Cuba's best-selling names, the seizing of private businesses by the communist Cuban government in the early 1960s forced business owners to reinvent their brands elsewhere. In the case of Romeo y Julieta, opportunity to reintroduce the beloved brand to U.S. consumers was found in Cuba's neighboring island of the Dominican Republic.
Both versions of the RyJ brand exist to this day-both occupying more space in cigar enthusiast's humidors than nearly any other cigars in the world. But it's become clear that the Dominican-based RyJ has become poised to modernize the name-introducing multiple blend iterations and collaborations over the past few decades in an attempt to offer consumers a wide range of smoking experiences for any and every palate.
