New Cigars Kick Off Cuba's Cigar Festival

Cigar Industry

New Cigars Kick Off Cuba's Cigar Festival

Feb 24, 2014 | By Gordon Mott

The new Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo de San Juan is 5 7/8 inches by 54 ring gauge, one of the thickest cigars ever produced in the Le Hoyo line.

The 2014 edition of the Festival de Habano kicks off today in Havana with an opening dinner at Club Havana. With participants from more than 80 countries, according to a Habanos S.A. press release, the festival brings together official representatives of Cuban cigars from around the world, cigar lovers and members of the press.

The dinner tonight will honor two new cigars, a Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo de San Juan and a Partagás Serie D No. 6. The Hoyo, which is a new addition to the Le Hoyo series, is 5 7/8 inches by 54 ring gauge, one of the thickest cigars ever produced in this line. The Partagás Serie D No. 6 is 3 1/2 inches long by 50 ring gauge, and represents a new addition to the popular Serie D line.

Habanos also announced that in 2013 the value of its export reached $447 million, an increase of eight percent over 2012. The results cover all 27 brands produced by hand in Cuba, according to the official press release.

The festival continues through Friday, with a series of seminars, visits to cigar factories and the tobacco fields of Pinar del Río, and several gala dinners.

A dinner Wednesday night at the Museo del Bellas Artes will honor the Trinidad brand with the release of a new thicker size, the Vigia at 4 3/8 inches by 54 ring gauge, and the new Cohiba Edición Limitada 2014.

The closing gala dinner on Friday night will highlight the first ever H. Upmann Reserve, the H. Upmann No. 2 Reserva Cosecha 2010, a vintage cigar using tobacco from the 2010 crop. The No. 2 is a pyramid shaped cigar.

Habanos Festival Habanos S.A.

archived comments

"Pour moi, les cubains demeurent les meilleurs cigares. Je fume surtout les Montecristo, Romeo & Juliette et Partagas. J'ai aussi l'occasion de fumer parfois des Cohiba... mais tellement dipendieux ici au Québec (Canada). Par ailleurs, en raison du ridicule embargo des USA contre Cuba, je n'ai jamais acheté et je n'achèterai jamais un cigare américain, qui de toute façon, ne se compare pas aux cubains ou ceux de la République Dominicaine (surtout les Davidoff).. Comme je vis en Suisse (Genève) trois mois par année, j'achète mes cigares cubains chez Davidoff ou chez Gesto Cigare de Genève. En achetant en Suisse, j'économise souvent 80% du coût du cigare. Exemple, le Davidoff Nicaragua, annoncé 52$ US, se vend 70$ à Montréal... et 20 rrancs suisses à Genève!!! Partagas solomonese, 25 francs suisse (environ 30$ canadien)à Genève, 80$ chez Casa Habana à Montréal!!! Enfin, longue vie à Cigar Aficionado, la meilleure revue sur le cigare. Y a-t-il une version française de votre revue? Gilles Petel Montréal Québec (Canada)" —April 17, 2014 18:53 PM

"Pour moi, les cubains demeurent les meilleurs cigares. Je fume surtout les Montecristo, Romeo & Juliette et Partagas. J'ai aussi l'occasion de fumer parfois des Cohiba... mais tellement dipendieux ici au Québec (Canada). Par ailleurs, en raison du ridicule embargo des USA contre Cuba, je n'ai jamais acheté et je n'achèterai jamais un cigare américain, qui de toute façon, ne se compare pas aux cubains ou ceux de la République Dominicaie (surtout les Davidoff).. Comme je vis en Suisse (Genève) trois mois par année, j'achète mes cogares cubains chez Davodiff ou chez Gesto Cigare de Genève. En achetant en Suisse, j'économise souvent 80% du coût du cigare. Exemple, le Davidoff nicaragua, annoncé 52$ US, se vend 70$ à Montréal... et 20 rrancs suisses à Genève!!! Partagas solomonese, 25 francs suisse (environ 30$ canadien)à Genève, 80$ chez Casa Habana à Montréal!!! Enfin, longue vie à Cigar Aficionado, la meilleuire revue sur le cigare. Y a-t-il une version française de votre revue? Gilles Petel Montréal Québec (Canada)" —April 17, 2014 18:51 PM

"Nod to W. Henandez Right!" —March 1, 2014 12:56 PM

"First rule of fight club" —February 28, 2014 09:41 AM

"A friend just returned from a cruise to the Islands, and although he "thought about" bringing home a few Cubans for me (I asked him if he would), he said that upon entry to the US, the first thing customs was looking for, were cigars from Cuba. His wife's new Rolex breezed through on her wrist. Shows to go you the "priorities" that exist. So how do the Gentlemen from Cigar Afficionado get to bring their cigars back? Or do they? Anyone have a clue?" —February 26, 2014 14:45 PM

"Yup, now that Cuba all of a sudden has more tobacco, it can make bigger ring guage cigars... NOT! Now that Cuba is the biggest importer of Nicaraguan tobacco, it can make bigger ring guage cigars. Unfortunately (and additionally), Cuban cigars have more problems compared to decent Nicaraguan cigars recently due to lack of rolling skills in Cuba compared to other cigar-producing countries. Take, for instance, the Davidoff Nicaraguan Toro, which is a consistently great smoke because of its stellar construction. I have smoked several boxes of these and have yet to come across a plugged or otherwise defective one (the same can't be said about Cubans). My two cents are spent, I suppose, on non-Cuban cigars these days!" —February 26, 2014 02:06 AM

"Seems like Cuba is responding to the bigger gauge trend with these new cigars." —February 25, 2014 22:28 PM