La Gloria Cubana Británicas Extra Edición Regional Arrives in the U.K.

A cigar originally intended for release in 2017 has just debuted in the United Kingdom.

Hunters & Frankau, the U.K.’s importer of Cuban cigars, has announced that it has begun shipping the La Gloria Cubana Británicas Extra, a 5 3/8 x 48 perfecto. The cigar is the same shape as a previous Edición Regionals for the U.K., the Bolívar Británicas that was originally released in 2012.

It is limited to 6,000 numbered boxes of 10 cigars. Retailers in the U.K. have listed the cigar for around £300 per box, roughly $375 based on current conversion rates.

The cigar wears a special version of the La Gloria Cubana band that was found in archives by Jemma Freeman, executive director for Hunters & Frankau, though the date of when the band was previously used is unknown. Underneath that is the typical Edición Regional band indicating that it is exclusive to Great Britain.

It’s not uncommon for Edición Regional cigars to arrive a bit late, but this is a bit different. The Edición Regional program allows distributors to commission special sizes of cigars from select brands. Cigars that are selected as a release for one year routinely are released in the subsequent year and occasionally, the delay is a bit longer.

The Británicas Extra was originally part of the 2017 program but is not being released until 2020, an uncommon three-year delay. Furthermore, it is coming out after the U.K.’s 2018 Edición Regional, the El Rey del Mundo La Reina, which was released last year.

A representative from Hunters & Frankau confirmed to halfwheel that the recommended retail price is £30.20 per cigar or £289 for a box of 10.