Habanos S.A. Celebrating Year of the Dragon With Montecristo Brillantes

For the fifth time in as many years, Habanos S.A. is celebrating the Chinese New Year by releasing a new cigar.

This year, the company is celebrating the Year of the Dragon by releasing the Montecristo Brillantes, a 5-inch (128mm) x 53 robusto gordo packaged in 18-count boxes. This appears to be the first time Habanos S.A. has used this size for a commercial release.

As has been the case with various other releases from companies commemorating the Chinese Zodiac calendar, the Brillantes is packaged in boxes that incorporate a red and gold color scheme. In Chinese culture, red is a color that symbolizes good fortune while the gold accents are meant to symbolize wealth. There is also an NFC feature that allows consumers to learn more about the cigar as wel as verify the box as authentic.

Habanos S.A. debuted the NFC feature in boxes for the Cohiba Siglo de Oro—which celebrated the Year of the Rabbit—that was released last year.

This is the fifth consecutive year that Habanos S.A. has created a cigar for the Chinese lunar calendar:

• Romeo y Julieta Maravillas 8 (6 1/10 x 55) — 2020
• Hoyo de Monterrey Primaveras (6 7/12 x 48) — 2021
• H. Upmann Magnum 52 Year of the Tiger (5 7/8 x 52) — 2022
• Cohiba Siglo de Oro 4 1/2 x 54 —2023
• Montecristo Brillantes (5 x 53) —2024

While neither pricing nor production numbers have been announced, the cigars were shown off during an event Habanos S.A. hosted with Infifon HK Ltd.—the distributor of Cuban cigars in mainland China—which took place at The Murray Hotel in Hong Kong on Jan. 29.