PCA 2023: El Septimo

When you release gold and jewel-encrusted lighters priced at $5.5 million, there’s the inevitable question of what do you release as a follow-up? For El Septimo, the answer seemed fairly easy: a trio of ashtrays priced at nearly double the amount of those lighters. And then, you reap in the attention that comes with such an opulent option with which to collect your ashes.

El Septimo returned to the PCA Convention & Trade Show with largely the same booth design as it used in 2022, though the large information table was moved to the front of the booth, the overhead banners changed from a large square in 2022 to two circles in 2023, and some of the seating areas were reworked a bit. As in years past, there were lots of display cases that were packed with cigars and cigar accessories, as well as jewelry, watches, and a number of other items with El Septimo branding.

Not only was El Septimo’s booth one of the brightest on the show floor, it was also one of the most consistently busy, with retailers and others stopping by not just to place orders but to get photos and videos with the $10 million ashtrays and other products on display.

I believe it was also the only one with security guards, which as you will see below, if not in the video above, is for very good reason, as there were some pretty high-priced items on display that merited their presence.

El Septimo The Emperor Collection Empress of Sheba

Somewhat surprisingly, El Septimo did not release many new cigars this year; in fact, it was just one. The Empress of Sheba joins the company’s Emperor Collection, which debuted in 2022. And like those other cigars in the collection, the company isn’t disclosing much in the way of details as to the blend, saying only that the tobacco used is from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Nicaragua. I also didn’t see the cigar in boxes, but after the show concluded, the company issued a press release that indicated it would be introducing “Choose-Your-Color” packaging for its cigar boxes, with the Empress of Sheba set to be offered in three different colored boxes, white, purple and green.

• Wrapper: Undisclosed
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Undisclosed

• El Septimo The Emperor Collection Empress of Sheba (6 x 60) — $20 (Box of 20, $400)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2023

El Septimo The Emperor Collection/Sacred Arts Torch Lighters

While there weren’t many new cigars in the El Septimo booth this year, the company went big into accessories, offering new lighters that used designs from seven of its lines, including the recently added Emperor Vartan, named for Vardan Mamikonian, an Armenian military leader who died at the Battle of Avarayr, a 451 battle believed to be one of the first wars fought to defend Christianity.

• Emperor Alexander
• Emperor Augustus
• Emperor Vartan
• Emperor Napoleon
• Emperor Yao
• Sacred Arts Raphael
• Sacred Arts van Gogh

MSRP: $250

Production: 500 Lighters Per Design

Release Date: Sept. 1, 2023

El Septimo The Emperor Collection/Sacred Arts Cutters

Much like the lighters, these dual-blade guillotine cutters feature artwork from five lines in the Emperor Series and two in the Sacred Arts Collection.

• Emperor Alexander
• Emperor Augustus
• Emperor Vartan
• Emperor Napoleon
• Emperor Yao
• Sacred Arts Raphael
• Sacred Arts van Gogh

MSRP: $200

Production: 500 Cutters Per Design

Release Date: Sept. 1, 2023

El Septimo The Emperor Collection/Sacred Arts Ashtrays

These dual-slot ashtrays provide what I thought was the best canvas for the artwork, as they are a good bit larger than the lighter and cutter, and the art doesn’t need to work around the accessory.

• Emperor Alexander
• Emperor Augustus
• Emperor Vartan
• Emperor Napoleon
• Emperor Yao
• Sacred Arts Raphael
• Sacred Arts van Gogh

MSRP: $450

Production: 500 Ashtrays Per Design

Release Date: Sept. 1, 2023

Not pictured.

El Septimo Crossbody Cigar Cases

From what I recall, I don’t remember seeing these in the booth, nor were they shown off during my tour, so I don’t have much to report on them.

MSRP: $450

Production: 500 Cases Per Design

Release Date: Sept. 1, 2023

El Septimo Masterpiece Ashtray Napoleon

Now for what you were likely coming to see, the first of the $10 million ashtrays. This one is part of the Emperor Collection and pays tributes to Napoleon, with the French leader affixed to a horse. It is cast of 18k gold and contains a total of 440 carats of stones, a mixture of VS diamonds, rubies and sapphires. One of Zaya Younan’s other companies, MPA Studio de Création—a design studio based in Paris—designed the ashtrays, which were then produced in Italy.

MSRP: $10 Million

Production: 1 Ashtray

Release Date: Sept. 1, 2023

El Septimo Masterpiece Ashtray Sacred Arts

The Sacred Art Collection ashtray depicts Saint Michael, the archangel, battling the devil. Younan told halfwheel that the ashtray is made of 18k solid gold and has 425 total carats of diamonds, rubies and sapphires.

MSRP: $10 Million

Production: 1 Ashtray

Release Date: Sept. 1, 2023

El Septimo Masterpiece Ashtray Zaya

Rounding out the trio is the Zaya Collection ashtray, the largest of the three on display. It features two lions on each side, and has the largest amount by weight of precious stones; 486 carats of VS diamonds, rubies and sapphires are used to decorate the ashtray, which the company says is made of solid 18k gold.

MSRP: $10 Million

Production: 1 Ashtray

Release Date: Sept. 1, 2023

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.