There is an old wrought-iron gate overlooking a square in the Vuelta Abajo village of San Juan y Martinez which bears the inscription ‘Hoyo de Monterrey: Jose Gener 1860’. It leads to one of Cuba’s most renowned ‘vegas finas’, a plantation specialising in sun grown tobaccos for binders and fillers, where Jose Gener started his career before founding the brand in 1865.

Hoyo’s flagship is the Double Corona, with its delicacy of flavour combined with a richness of taste is a credit to the rollers and blenders at the La Corona factory where it is made.