Habanos S.A. Teases Festival XVIII Releases

Habanos S.A. has given a slight peak at what new cigars will be unveiled at the upcoming Festival del Habano XVIII, which kicks off Feb. 29 in Havana, Cuba.

In a press release, the Cuban cigar company confirmed that Hoyo de Monterrey will be the marca used for this year’s Reserva Cosecha release, with 2012 vintage tobacco used in the cigar. Additionally, the Cuaba marca will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a release limited to La Casa del Habano stores, while the H. Upmann marca “introduce a significant addition to its regular line.”

This lines up with the leaked 2016 release list that began to surface in Aug. 2015, which made mention of the H. Upmann Magnum 54, as well as the Cuaba 20 Aniversario, which the list referred to as a Joffres Grandes. While specifics haven’t been disclosed, it would figure to be a figurado in sticking with the rest of the line.

Additionally, it would give validity to the speculation that the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 Reserva Cosecha 2012 is in fact the release for this year.

What remains to be seen, however, is what Habanos S.A. has in store for its most well-known brand, Cohiba. This year marks the 50th anniversary for the famed marca, but Habanos S.A. simply said that the brand will be “the strongest player” and will play “a special role” in the Festival. Two new releases have been rumored to be coming: the Cohiba Media Siglo and the Cohiba Humidor Oro Majestuosos 58.

One question that hangs over all these releases is when they will actually arrive in the market. A very limited amount of 2014’s H. Upmann No.2 Reserva Cosecha 2010 began arriving at retail in Oct. 2014, while 2015’s release, the Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchills Gran Reserva Cosecha 2009 has yet to be seen. Also still yet to arrive is the Montecristo 80 Aniversario, which was also unveiled at the Festival del Habano XVII.

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.