Altezas Reales 1871 Makes Its Debut

In the cigar world, the name Cifuentes is synonymous with the Partagás brand, but now it will also be associated with Altezas Reales 1871, a new line that recently debuted at a launch party at Empire Cigar Lounge in Dadeland, Fla.

The cigars are the creation of Rafael Cifuentes III, who worked with the El Titan de Bronze factory in Miami to create his debut line. The blend features an Ecuadorian habano-seed wrapper atop a Nicaraguan binder and filler, a profile that Cifuentes said contains a bit of what he describes as the “old Partagás taste,” specifically saying that he was inspired by the Partagás cigars from the 1990s, particularly the Serie D. No.4.

The cigars are offered in three sizes:

• Altezas Reales 1871 Corona (5 3/4 x 48) — $17.60 (Box of 10, $176)
• Altezas Reales 1871 Toro (6 x 52) — $18.60 (Box of 10, $186)
• Altezas Reales 1871 Robusto (5 x 50) — $16 (Box of 10, $160)

Each of the three sizes is limited to a production of 1,000 boxes, making for 10,000 of each vitola and just 30,000 cigars for the line, which gets its name from the Spanish phrase for royal highnesses. He said he selected El Titan de Bronze for its ability to produce cigars in the traditional Cuban method of entubado bunching and finishing the cigars with a triple cap. Like all Cuban cigars, the Altezas Reales 1871 line is box-dated, letting consumers know when the cigars were packaged.

Rafael Cifuentes III is the great-grandson of Ramón Cifuentes Llano, who acquired the Partagás factory in Havana, Cuba, over a century ago. The factory remained in the Cifuentes family until the fallout from the Cuban Revolution in 1959, which included the new Cuban government taking over the entire tobacco industry. As a result, Ramón Cifuentes Toriello, Ramón Cifuentes Llano’s son, left the island in 1961 and would eventually license the Partagás name to General Cigar Co. in the 1970s, with the first non-Cuban Partagás appearing in 1977. The Cifuentes name remains on many of General Cigar Co.’s Partagas cigars to this date, and the company has released several offshoot lines that honor members of the Cifuentes family.

To create Altezas Reales 1871, Rafael Cifuentes III said he began by revisiting the places that once echoed the rich history of his family’s craft. “Accomplishing this feat would not have been possible without the support and expertise of numerous individuals who have contributed their knowledge and experience,” he said.

The cigars are distributed by Flor de Tabacos La Lealtad, Inc., a Miami-based distribution company owned by Cifuentes.

Update (Sept. 21, 2023) — A line in this post incorrectly referred to Rafael Cifuentes III as “Ramón.” 

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.