H. Upmann 175 Anniversary Arrives in Stores

The first shipments of the H. Upmann 175th Anniversary have begun arriving in stores.

Altadis U.S.A. is celebrating the historic Cuban cigar brand’s anniversary with a Nicaraguan puro featuring a wrapper that comes from three-year-aged medio tiempo leaves—some of the highest on a tobacco plant—and which underwent a unique fermentation process where they were sandwiched between broadleaf tobaccos. This process slowed down the process and gave the tobacco a unique taste and elasticity, according to the company.

It is the creation of Abdel “A.J.” Fernandez and produced at his factory in Estelí. It is available in a single 7 x 50 Churchill vitola priced at $18, but comes in two packaging formats: traditional boxes of 10 as well as 50-count humidors containing 50 cigars, which are priced at $1,250. Of note with the humidor, it comes  with slots for Boveda humidification packets as well as a Boveda Butler humidity sensor in the lid.

Both formats are limited production, with 14,750 boxes and 50 humidors produced for the release.

The H. Upmann brand was created in 1844 by Hermann Dietrich Upmann, a German banker who had gone to Cuba the year before. On the island, Upmann established a bank and bought a cigar factory, and his brand is credited with being the first to use labeled cigar boxes. Currently, there are two H. Upmann brands, the Cuban-made brand owned by Habanos S.A., and that of Altadis U.S.A., which is only sold in the United States.