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  • Cuba Marks Cohiba Anniversary

    Cuba Marks Cohiba Anniversary

    Leopoldo Cintra Gonzalez (Right) -Photo: Timothy Donahue

    Although a year late, Habanos is celebrating its most iconic brand’s 55th birthday.

    By Timothy S. Donahue

    Cuba is trying to get back to a sense of normalcy. Covid served a crushing blow to the reclusive island’s tourism industry. It also caused chaos in its cigar production chain from the farms to the factory floor. However, after a year’s delay, Habanos, the government-owned distributor of Cuban cigars, is welcoming cigar connoisseurs to celebrate the 55th anniversary of its most iconic brand, Cohiba.

    While officially the event began on Wednesday with a cocktail reception at the El Laguito event center nearby where Cohibas are produced, media were given an opportunity Tuesday to mingle with representatives of Habanos. During the media event, Leopoldo Cintra Gonzalez, commercial vice president for Habanos, told Tobacco Reporter that the Cohiba brand has shown strength throughout its history and remains one of the most exclusive cigars on the global market.

    He mentioned Cuba’s “always present” former leader Fidel Castro who first launched the Cohiba brand in 1966 and passed away in 2016. “It has not been an easy 55 years. We have had to be very innovative, which is normal for Habanos,” Cintra Gonzalez said through a translator. “But for this [exquisite] brand, because of the love everyone puts into the brand … especially the hands of the torcedors in El Laguito who put in so much effort … remains a favorite of consumers around the world.”

    Typically, brand anniversaries for Habanos happen during the company’s annual cigar festival held in February. However, that event has been cancelled the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Next year, the festival will return, and the 2023 Festival del Habano XXIII will take place from Feb. 27 to March 3.

    Thursday, attendees will attend a tour of the El Laguito factory during operating hours and have an opportunity to see how the Cohiba cigars are produced followed by a gala dinner Friday evening that will include an auction of two exclusive humidors, the proceeds from which will help support the Cuban healthcare system.

    The Cohiba 55 Aniversario, which measures 5 9/10 inches (150 mm) long with a 57 ring gauge, is a new vitola called Victoria. The cigar also wears a foot band, the first time an Edicion Limitada release from Habanos has done so. All of the tobacco blend comes from the Pinar del Rio province of Cuba and includes seco and ligero filler leaves, undergoing an additional fermentation in barrels to give the brand a distinctive aroma and flavor.

    According to media reports, Phoenicia Trading Co. stated in May that the retail price of the Cohiba 55 Aniversario at its duty-free location in the Beirut airport would be $300 per cigar.

    Timothy Donahue is the assistant editor of Tobacco Reporter. Since joining our team in January 2013, he has become not only an expert on the traditional tobacco business but also a well-respected voice in the rapidly developing vapor industry. Tim spends much of his time on the road, attending conferences and interviewing industry representatives. His networking skills, work ethic and quick mind are valuable assets to our diverse audience.
  • Habanos Reports Record Turnover

    Habanos Reports Record Turnover

    Photo: Habanos

    Habanos reported a turnover of $568 million in 2021, up 15 percent growth over the previous year.

    “The 2021 results confirm the solid path we are on, despite the crisis caused by Covid-19. Last year we surpassed the $500 million mark for premium cigar sales worldwide, an all-time record for the category and a testament to the enormous potential of our business,” Habanos wrote in a statement attributed to its co-presidents, Inocente Núñez Blanco and Luis Sánchez-Harguindey Pardo de Vera.

    “We are very proud to lead the premium cigar category and to continue to grow despite the situations experienced over the past two years,”

    In terms of volume, Habanos, top markets were Spain, China, Germany, France and Switzerland. Europe remains Habanos’ main regional market, with 59 percent of global sales volume, followed by Asia Pacific (16 percent), America (14 percent) and Africa and the Middle East (11 percent).

    “At Habanos, we maintain our commitment to offer the best experience to our aficionados, exclusive products and novelties, all in keeping with the quality, tradition and unique origin that make our Habanos  a luxury product appreciated all over the world,” Commercial Vice President Leopoldo Cintra González and Vice-President of Development José María López Inchaurbe wrote in a press note.

    “Our aficionados have remained loyal to Habanos and their tastes and, in many cases over the past year, they have incorporated into their domestic consumption vitolas and brands that used to be part of a more social consumption.”

    According to Habanos, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed consumer habits. However, working with its distributors, the company said it was able to keep alive smokers’ passion for Habanos with a combination of product launches, virtual events and—when possible—face-to-face events.

    While strong demand, in combination with the pandemic, has delayed the supply of some of Habanos’ bestselling vitolas, the company managed to export 38 new products in 2021. Habanos says it the supply situation has gradually improved after the first quarter of 2022.

    Following the pandemic-related cancelation of the Habanos Festival in 2021 and 2022, the company presented several new products, including : Cohiba Ambar Cohiba Ideales and Cohiba Edición Limitada 2021, at is virtual Habanos World Days.

    Habanos will commemorate the 55th anniversary of its prestigious Cohiba brand on Sept. 9 in Havana.

  • Habanos Cancels 2022 Cigar Festival

    Habanos Cancels 2022 Cigar Festival

    Photo: Habanos

    The 2022 Habanos Festival has been officially canceled for the second year in a row.

    “Habanos S.A. has been working to celebrate the 23rd Habanos Festival scheduled for February 2022, but we are forced to cancel said celebration due to the new epidemiological situation of the coronavirus in the world,” the company wrote on its website.

    Instead, Habanos plans to treat its fans to the Habanos World Days, a virtual event that allows premium tobacco aficionados to share experiences and enjoying the rich culture that surrounds this exclusive handcrafted product.

    This virtual meeting debuted in 2021 with more than 9,000 aficionados from over 140 countries, 200 media outlets and more than 75,000 visits for three days. The program included a visit to the Habanos virtual stand featuring a special Humidor designed in commemoration of Cohiba’s 55th anniversary. During the event, Habanos unveiled the nominees for the prestigious Habanos 2020 Awards, which recognize outstanding personalities for their work in the categories of Communication, Business and Production; and the winning aficionados  for the online version of the Habanos World Challenge International Contest, which measures general Habano knowledge in its various stages of the process, from cultivation and production to enjoyment.

    The Habanos Festival highlights Cuba’s cigar culture, with farm visits, factory tours and product samplings along with lavish entertainment.

    Read Tobacco Reporter’s review of the 2020 Habanos Festival here.