New Cohiba Pirámides Extra Now Arriving On Market
The new Cohiba Pirámides Extra, the first figurado in the regular-production Cohiba line, is making its way to market. The cigars have gone on sale at a limited number of cigar shops, and their full-fledged arrival is expected by the middle of this month.
The Pirámides Extra is a new size, or vitola, for Cuba, measuring about 6 5/16 inches long by 54 ring gauge. Standard Cuban pirámides (the most famous is the Montecristo No. 2) run slightly thinner and shorter, measuring 6 1/8 inches by 52.
The Cohiba Pirámides Extra was the star of the opening night at February’s Habanos Festival. There, the audience was treated to a preview tasting of the smoke.
The cigars come packed with some elements found on Cohiba Behikes, with the Taino head on the cigar band, some holograms to deter counterfeiters and glorious, stately packaging.
Like Behikes, these Cohibas are also quite expensive, with prices ranging from about $350 to $500, depending on the country and local taxes. They went on sale last week at the Casa del Habano in London, which still had them in stock this morning, priced at £287 ($456) for a box of ten, and £33.70 ($54) for a single stick. A Swiss retailer that had them in stock went through a shipment in two days. There they sold for $435 a box. Elsewhere in Europe, some retailers are expecting prices of $350 a box. Casa del Habano stores in Mexico have been selling them for a week, where they are retailing for about $450 per box.
Cuba has put considerable emphasis on the Cohiba brand in recent years, delivering high profile cigars with very high prices. Most have lived up to expectations with very high ratings from Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider. The Cohiba 1966 Edición Limitada, released last year, scored 94 points in both publications. The Cohiba Behike BHK 52, unveiled in 2010, scored 97 points and was named Cigar Aficionado’s No. 1 cigar of 2010.
Look for a rating soon in an upcoming issue of Cigar Insider.
Note: The original version of this story, published on September 5, had an error about the blend of the new cigar. The Cohiba Pirámides Extra is not made with any medio tiempo tobacco. Habanos says that Cuba reserves its medio tiempo for use in the Cohiba Behike line of cigars.
