Artista was founded in 1956 by Ramón "Pulita" Rodríguez. Three generations of the family have devoted their lives to the cigar business, with their father and grandfathers pioneering and laying the groundwork for today's growth. The brand is one of the most experienced cigar leaf producers in the Dominican Republic, producing between 4.5 and 5 million pounds of leaf annually. The company has five cigar factories and 60 leaf plantations, including one in Ecuador that occupies 800 acres (324 hectares) and produces approximately 7.5 million cigars annually. The brand carries on the tradition of Dominican cigars, using the meticulous rolling techniques of the old generation, but also integrating science into the growing and management of the cigars, making them a fusion of tradition and technology. Noticeably, the brand's Midnight Robusto and Buffalo Ten Natural Toro have been selected as one of the top 25 cigars of the year by the authoritative cigar magazine Cigar Journal.
