Hoyo de Monterrey
The history of the biggest cigar factory of the 19th century in Cuba.
Hoyo de Monterrey is first of all a story of a place. A backwater in the west of the island. Besides, the literal translation of the word "hoyo" is "hole". This "hole" is actually a valley in the mountainous region of the Vuelta Abajo, a region where the richness of the land is known to give birth to the best tobacco leaves on the island.
The central figure, José Gener y Batet, is a Spaniard from Tarragona who arrived in Cuba in 1831. At the age of 13, he began working with his uncle, who ran a tobacco plantation called "La Majagua".
In the 1950s, José Gener y Batet, thanks to his ambitions, decided to open his own cigar factory and created a new brand: La Escepción. It immediately gained success, especially on the American market.
This success enabled him to acquire, about ten years later, in the 1960s, this famous cigar factory called "Hoyo de Monterrey", as shows the gate at the entrance of the plantation. The gate, which has become a true symbol, is topped by a piece of ironwork with a caption “Hoyo de Monterrey de José Gener”.
Moreover, Zino Davidoff, also in full rise, had chosen the Hoyo de Monterrey factory to make his cigars: the Hoyo de Monterrey Château range.
In 1865, five years after the acquisition of the factory, the Hoyo de Monterrey trademark was officially registered. This step only doubled José Gener’s success, especially in England.
After 30 years of running the business, Don José Grener y Batet decided to return to Spain in 1895, where he died in 1900. Following his death, his daughter, Lutgarda Gener took over the reins of this empire. At the time of José Grener's death, the Hoyo Monterrey factory was the largest in Cuba, employing 350 rollers and producing about 50 million cigars a year.
However, as the family concentrated more on sugar cane plantations than on tobacco, the production capacities decreased. As a result, the two brands, Hoyo de Monterrey and La Escepción, were purchased in 1931 by the company "Fernández & Palicio y Cía, S en C", also owning Punch and Belinda. Following this acquisition, Punch's production was transferred to Hoyo de Monterrey factory, thus creating close ties between the two brands. Nowadays they are still produced together in the La Corona factory.
Today Hoyo de Monterrey is a popular brand in many countries all over the world. The cigars’ high quality is complemented by a wide choice of vitolas. Indeed, Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the Habanos S.A. brands with the widest range. All its cigars are rolled "Totalmente a Mano con Tripa Larga" with tobacco leaves from the Vuelta Abajo region.
To learn more about Hoyo de Monterrey cigars and the history of the brand, we are delighted to invite you to our Art and Culture area, where you will find exclusive pieces - the original documents of the creation of the brand as well as the printing plates and vintage vistas.
(Pieces from our private collection)
For more information, contact us on +41 22 552 2799