Habanos S.A. Deletion List Surfaces

A combination of some 22 brands and packaging formats are scheduled for deletion from the Habanos S.A. catalog in the near future, according to a blog post by a La Casa del Habano retailer.

Christoph Wolters, who runs the LCDH in Hamburg, Germany, posted the list slated for the chopping block to his blog Monday morning, citing the regular practice of pruning “unpopular cigars and cigars not selling in sufficient qualities” from the state-owned cigar company’s portfolio. “Sometimes it’s nothing that makes the cigar community cry – but in some cases the discontinuation is hard to understand, to say the least,” Walters added in the post.

The list currently scheduled for deletion is as follows:

• Cohiba Lanceros in pack of 5
• Cuaba Diademas
• Cuaba Generosos
• H. Upmann Magnum 46 in Cab of 50
• H. Upmann Magnum 50 in Cab of 50
• Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial in Cab of 50
• Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux in Cab of 25
• Hoyo de Monterey Le Hoyo du Gourmet in Cab of 25
• José L. Piedra Nacionales in packs of 5 and bundles of 25
• Juan Lopez Petit Coronas
• Juan Lopez Seleccion No.2 in Cab of 50
• La Gloria Cubana Inmensos
• La Gloria Cubana Medaille d’Or No. 2
• Montecristo No. 3 in packs of 3
• Montecristo Tubos
• Partagás 8-9-8 in boxes of 10
• Partagás Coronas Junior Tubos in packs of 3
• Quai d’Orsay Imperiales
• Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.3
• Saint Luis Rey Double Coronas
• Saint Luis Rey Serie A
• San Cristobal El Morro

It is important to note that some of the deletions are simply for a packaging format, such as the case with the H. Upmann Magnum 46 and Magnum 50 in the 50-count cabinets, while in other cases, a size is going away, such as the Saint Luis Rey Double Coronas and Serie A. As Walters notes in his blog, the 50-count cabinet seems to quickly be becoming a thing of the past, as it is scheduled for deletion from four brands.

Officials from Habanos S.A. have not responded to a request for comment on Walters’ post.

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 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.