Hirochi Robaina’s HR Cigars Brand Returns With New HR Black Line

At last week’s InterTabac 2024 in Dortmund, Germany most people were talking about the lack of a booth for Habanos S.A. In contrast, a famous Cuban cigar person was making a surprise comeback in his own booth. Hirochi Robaina and HR Cigars are back.

For five years or so, the HR Cigars brand has been dormant. It’s now back, with distribution agreements for international markets and a new line. When HR Cigars debuted in 2014, it was one of the top stories in the cigar industry. Hirochi is the grandson of the legendary Alejandro Robaina, the famed tobacco grower whose prominence remains unparalleled in Cuba. Habanos S.A. created the Vegas Robaina brand, the lone example of a modern Cuban cigar named after a living person, and his death was covered in the New York Times.

The younger Robaina has also achieved outsized fame. He was the successor to his grandfather’s farm in Cuba, which he still operates today. His ability to launch HR Cigars, while still owning the farms in Pinar del Río, Cuba is a unique exception compared to most Cubans who have to choose between a life in Cuba or a life outside of the country.

It remains unknown what caused HR to disappear from shelves, but for as much talk as there was about how big HR Cigars could be, within a year, there was almost as much disarray. The plan was for HR Cigars, made in Nicaragua, and with Robaina serving as a figurehead, a worldwide luxury cigar brand, with high prices and limited distribution. At one point, the company hoped to get 50 retailers to place significant orders for HR, which would lead to Robaina going on a cross-country tour to launch the brand. While many within the industry were buzzing at Robaina’s entry into the U.S. market, his name didn’t resonate with consumers and the excitement quickly dissipated.

Furthermore, things quickly got weird. In the summer of 2015, less than a year after the cigars went on sale, Robaina announced that he would no longer work with Cubanacan and its owner Robert Mederos, who was responsible for distributing the cigars. That same week, La Palina announced that Robaina would be working with the brand, something that never came to fruition. The following week, the La Corona Factory, which was making the HR Cigars, announced that it too would stop working with Cubanacan over claims of unpaid bills. Cubanacan and La Corona—along with the owners of the two sides—sued one another; the dispute was settled in 2016.

Spence Drake, the former vp of sales for Cubanacan, ended up launching his own company, White Hat Distributors, which became the distributor for HR Cigars. That went on for about three years, but Drake fell off the map and exited the cigar business sometime around 2020, today he is in the mortgage and home buying business. Since then, HR has been a thing of the past.

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“Reviving HR Cigars is about more than just bringing back a brand—it’s about reigniting a passion for authentic, handcrafted cigars that tell a story,” said Hirochi Robaina in a press release distributed by Small Batch Brokers B.V. “We are dedicated to preserving the traditions that have made this brand iconic while embracing innovations that enhance the experience for both seasoned connoisseurs and new enthusiasts alike.”

Last week, there was in H.R. booth with Robaina himself inside in Dortmund, Germany. Given the last five years, this was a complete surprise. Perhaps even weirder, the brand seems to be picking up more or less where it left off. The HR Blue, White and Signature lines that were part of the first generation of HR Cigars are already back on shelves in Switzerland, where URS Portmann Tabakwaren—which has a store in Saint Gallen—is the distributor.

Vintage Cigars will distribute the cigars in the Middle East, while Small Batch Brokers B.V. has the rights to Europe and Asia. What has not been determined is distribution in the U.S., though the company plans to once again sell cigars in the U.S. and it’s expecting to exhibit at the 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show, which takes place April 12-14 in New Orleans.

It’s not just a matter of returning to the market, there’s also a new HR Black Line that uses an Ecuadorian habano over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers. The company says that this is the strongest cigar in the portfolio.

The HR Black will be offered in three vitolas:

• HR Black Short Toro (4 1/8 x 55)
• HR Black Small Toro (4 3/4 x 55)
• HR Black Extra Toro (5 7/ 8 x 55)

Pricing has not been announced; the cigars could arrive on shelves before the end of the year.

The La Corona Factory is listed as the manufacturer.