The Hoyo de Monterrey Primaveras, the cigar with which Habanos S.A.’s is celebrating the Year of the Ox, now has a date for its launch and retail release.

The cigar will debut on Jan. 13 via a virtual event hosted by Pacific Cigar Co., the distributor of Habanos S.A. products in the Asia Pacific region, and will feature Leopoldo Cintra Gonzalez, Habanos S.A.’s commercial vice-president, and Jose Maria Lopez Inchaurbe, vp of development for Habanos S.A.

It will then hit retail stores in the area on Jan. 14, with other parts of the world presumably receiving it in the near future, though Habanos S.A. has not yet announced when that will happen.

The Primaveras is a grand corona that measures 6 7/12 inches (167mm) long and has a 48 ring gauge, a parejo vitola known as the Hermosos No. 1. It’s the same size as the San Cristobal Mercaderes, a La Casa del Habano exclusive release, as well as the Romeo y Julieta Hermosos No. 1 Edición Limitada 2003 and the Montecristo Dantés Edición Limitada 2016.

A total of 8,888 boxes of 18 cigars are being released, with the numbers a nod to the number 8, which is a lucky number in Chinese culture. Each box features a red and gold color scheme, which are not only the colors of Hoyo de Monterrey but also meaningful colors in Chinese culture, as red symbolizes good fortune and joy, while yellow or gold symbolizes wealth.

Pricing has not yet been announced yet, but an unconfirmed report by Cigar Aficionado indicates it will sell for HK$685 ($88.35) per cigar, which would mean a full box would be priced at just under $1,600. As with all Habanos S.A. releases, pricing can vary widely based on the region in which the cigar is sold.

It is a follow-up to last year’s Romeo y Julieta 8 Maravillas, which celebrated the Year of the Rat.

The launch event is accepting reservations through Monday.

Image courtesy of Habanos S.A.

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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, 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.