Juan Clemente

History of Juan Clemente Cigars

Mr. Jean Clemente moved to Latin America when he was quite young, and aspired to create premium cigars, using tobacco leaves from the Dominican Republic. He launched the Juan Clemente brand in April 1982, in Switzerland and France. The brand name is in fact a Latinized version of his name. The cigars were then distributed internationally, but the biggest market has remained outside the United States, to countries like France, Canada, Spain, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Japan, and most Latin American countries. The brand was an instant hit for its quality, and it stood out from the rest because of its unique looks, which featured a foot band instead of a headband. 

Popularity of Juan Clemente Cigars

Mr. Clemente always wanted to produce excellent cigars that were made from most costly Dominican tobacco leaf that was available. The result was Juan Clemente cigars, which were immediately successful as soon as they were launched in 1982. People appreciated the fragrant bouquet of aromas and the mild flavor, and the cigar was recognized by many connoisseurs and aficionados for its quality and taste. The credit for the cigar’s popularity also goes to Club Exports, Kay Stephan, who did excellent promotion for the brand.

However, in the mid 1990s, there was a boom of many cigar brands entering the market, which was quite overwhelming for Juan Clemente cigars. Even though the brand had received many accolades and great reviews, Club Imports had to downsize, and the promotion diminished considerably. In the period 2000 - 2001, the Geneva branch of Davidoff took over most of the distribution of Juan Clemente cigars, but it did not receive much success and the cigars are now distributed by Nyack, Club Imports in New York, and F & K Cigar Company in Missouri, St. Louis.