In 1971, General Cigar, which had acquired rights to the name outside of Cuba, introduced a completely distinct Macanudo as a brand unto itself.
It was developed in Jamaica under the leadership of Ramón Cifuentes, a veteran of Cuban cigar maker Partagas.
[citation needed] Macanudo, a small label made in limited quantities for the market in the United Kingdom, was seen as the principal vehicle for growth in the premium cigar category.
A careful effort was made to reblend the product for the large American marketplace (then and now subject to a ban on Cuban tobacco, the industry's gold standard) using select binder and filler from the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Mexico and Connecticut shade-grown wrapper.
Mass advertising was conducted in support of the brand, which by the early 1990s had grown into the best-selling premium cigar label in the United States.