Two of Habanos S.A.’s newest ultra-premium cigars are about to get their Swiss release.

Both the H. Upmann Sir Winston Gran Reserva Cosecha 2011 and Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 Reserva Cosecha 2012 will be offered at La Casa del Habano retailers in the country as of March 21, while Habanos Specialist shops will be able to sell them as of April 4.

The H. Upmann Sir Winston Gran Reserva Cosecha 2011 is a 7 x 47 Churchill vitola, also known as the Julieta No.2. It uses tobacco from the 2011 crop grown in Cuba’s Pínar del Río province, the westernmost province and home to the island’s premium tobacco farms. A total of 5,000 boxes of 15 cigars are being produced, making for a total run of 75,000 cigars. In Switzerland, it is being offered for CHF 1,425 per box, or just under $1,500.

This is the first time that the H. Upmann marca has been used for a Gran Reserva release, which is considered to be among Habanos S.A.’s top cigars produced. All of the tobacco has been aged for a minimum of five years, before rolling the cigars, and only released when there is enough tobacco to produce such a release as opposed to on a fixed schedule.

The Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 Reserva Cosecha 2012 is a 4 9/10 x 50 robusto that was shown off at the 2016 Festival del Habano and has been slowly trickling out into the market since January. It too gets a production of 5,000 boxes, though each box contains 20 cigars, making for a total run of 100,000 cigars. It is being offered for CHF 780 in Switzerland, approximately $820.

Much like the Gran Reserva release, the Reserva line is highly coveted, though the tobacco is aged for three years prior to rolling.

Images courtesy of Habanos S.A./Intertabak AG.

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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 and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, 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.