The Cuaba Cigar brand appeared in 1996 and reflects the growing mid-1990s interest in shaped cigars. Four brand new factory shapes - all perfectos - were developed for this brand at the timee of its launch in late 1996. The blend offers a mild to medium, full flavour in a small range of sizes with medium-girth ring gauges, and represents traditional shapes and flavour of the pre-nationalization era of Cuban cigars. A new shape, the Distinguidos was first shown in February 1998, is marketed for the year 2000.