Habanos S.A.’s 2020 Humidor Auction Sets Record, Sells Cohiba Humidor for $2.65 Million
Last night’s humidor auction at the XXII Festival del Habano set multiple records for the Habanos S.A., the Cuban cigar conglomerate.
In total, six lots raised at least €4.27 million ($4.71 million) for Cuba’s health system, a record amount for the annual humidor auction and including likely the most expensive humidor ever sold.
Of note, halfwheel estimates suggest that the total is €4.36 million ($4.81 million), Habanos S.A.’s auction screens put up a number of €4.27 million on the screens.
Lot 00: Simon Chase’s Humidor (€380,000)
The night started with a bit of a surprise, a nod to auctions of year’s past. The family of the late Simon Chase, a longtime employee of Hunters & Frankau—the U.K.’s importer of Cuban cigars, donated his personal humidor.
Chase, who passed away last year, was the auctioneer for many of the Festival del Habano humidor auctions and a fixture in the Cuban cigar world for decades. The auction duties are now handled by Christie’s, who said that this was the only humidor Chase owned.
The humidor itself was rather on brand, it was a Ramon Allones Hunters & Frankau Aniversario 225 humidor, released in 2015 to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the British firm. Furthermore, it was a project that Chase worked on.
When the humidors were released in 2015, it sold for roughly $6,500; Chase’s humidor sold for €380,000, ($419,000).
Lot 1: H. Upmann Humidor (€360,000)
As is often the case, the H. Upmann humidor pays tribute to the roots of the man the brand is named for. Herman Upmann was a German banker who came to Cuba and established the H. Upmann brand and factory. He is widely credited with being the first to use labels for cigars. This humidor is made to look like a safe, a nod to his banking roots. Habanos S.A. says that the humidor uses “tobacco being likened to gold bars and leaves used to make the (cigar).”
Inside are 355 cigars, which are stored in trays, similar to safe deposit boxes:
- 20 H. Upmann Aromáticos
- 20 H. Upmann Connoisseur As
- 20 H. Upmann Connoisseur Bs
- 20 H. Upmann Connoisseur No.1
- 20 H. Upmann Connoisseur No.2s
- 20 H. Upmann Double Coronas
- 50 H. Upmann Sir Winstons
- 20 H. Upmann Magnum 46s
- 20 H. Upmann Magnum 50s
- 25 H. Upmann Magnum 54s
- 20 H. Upmann Magnum 56s
- 20 H. Upmann Noellas
- 20 H. Upmann No.2s
- 20 H. Upmann No.4
- 20 H. Upmann Royal Robustos
- 20 H. Upmann Super Magnums
The humidor has been produced by Grupo Caoma in Cuba. It is sponsored by Ron Legendario, a Cuban rum brand, it includes bottle 22/1,850 of Legendario 500 Aniversario La Habana.
Lot 2: Partagás Humidor (€400,000)
Habanos S.A. says this humidor is modeled after a chaveta, the tool used by cigar rollers to cut the tobacco before rolling. In this specific instance, the chaveta would be used by a right-handed roller. This humidor was designed Osviel Carrillo Probance and produced by Unión Humidores. It is made using okume wood, cedar, mahogany and metals.
It contains 390 cigars:
- 25 Partagás 109s
- 25 Partagás 8-9-8s
- 25 Partagás Churchills de Luxes
- 35 Partagás Legados
- 25 Partagás Lusitanias
- 25 Partagás Maduro No.1s
- 25 Partagás Maduro No.2s
- 25 Partagás Maduro No.3s
- 25 Partagás Presidentes
- 20 Partagás Salomón No.2s
- 25 Partagás Serie D No.4s
- 25 Partagás Serie E No.2s
- 25 Partagás Serie P No.2s
- 25 Partagás Sobresalientes
- 35 Partagás Tropicales
Lot 3: Romeo y Julieta Humidor (€400,000)
This year’s dinner pays tribute to Romeo y Julieta, which is celebrating its 145th anniversary this year with the launch of the new Romeo y Julieta Linea Oro.
Habanos S.A. says this humidor is a hybrid between the literary world from which the Romeo y Julieta name comes from and the tables used by cigar rollers. It is made of mahogany and features references to the story in the form of flowers, a staircase, red blanket—and of course—a balcony. The humidor was made by Humidores Habana out of okume, cedar, mahogany, silver, steel and nickel. The lot also includes a bottle of Bodega Torres’ Reserva del Mamut brandy, which is limited to 999 bottles.
It includes 380 cigars:
- 20 Romeo y Julieta Belicosos
- 25 Romeo y Julieta Churchills
- 40 Romeo y Julieta Dianas
- 20 Romeo y Julieta Fabulosos No.6s
- 20 Romeo y Julieta Hermosos No.1s
- 40 Romeo y Julieta Hidalgos
- 50 Romeo y Julieta Julietas
- 20 Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchills
- 35 Romeo y Julieta Petit Royales
- 40 Romeo y Julieta Nobles
- 25 Romeo y Julieta Selección de Luxes
- 25 Romeo y Julieta Short Churchills
- 20 Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchills
Lot 4: Montecristo Humidor (€420,000)
The Montecristo brand was established 85 years ago, named after The Count of Monte Cristo. This humidor is inspired Alejandro Dumas’s book, it’s a gigantic wooden book standing 5 feet tall and nearly four feet wide. It was produced by Grupo Caoma out of mahogany, cedar and okume.
It opens up to reveal an inside shelving stay with pull-out trays. Habanos S.A. says there is a secret storage area that is able to store more cigars.
Inside are 450 cigars:
- 20 Montecristo 520
- 20 Montecristo Double Corona
- 20 Montecristo Double Edmundo
- 50 Montecristo Dumas
- 20 Montecristo Eagle
- 20 Montecristo Edmundo
- 20 Montecristo Gran Edmundo
- 50 Montecristo Herederos
- 50 Montecristo Leyeanda
- 50 Montecristo Maltés
- 20 Montecristo Maravillas
- 20 Montecristo Master
- 20 Montecristo No.2
- 20 Montecristo Sublimes
- 50 Montecristo Supremos
Lot 5: Cohiba Humidor (€2,400,000)
Like the aforementioned Partagás humidor, this Cohiba humidor is also inspired by the chaveta. This time, the humidor features two different sections containing 13 different drawers. The humidor was made by Unión Humidores using okume, cedar, mahogany, titanium, silver, steel and nacre.
This lot also includes a bottle of Havana Club 1519, made in honor of the 500th anniversary of Havana which was celebrated last year. The rum is limited to just 500 bottles and this is bottle number 20.
The Cohiba humidor contains 550 cigars:
- 20 Cohiba 1966
- 20 Cohiba BHK 52
- 20 Cohiba BHK 54
- 20 Cohiba Coronas Especiales
- 20 Cohiba Espléndidos
- 20 Cohiba Genios
- 20 Cohiba Gran Corona
- 20 Cohiba Lanceros
- 20 Cohiba Mágicos
- 30 Cohiba Majestuosos 58
- 20 Cohiba Medio Siglo
- 50 Cohiba Novedosos
- 20 Cohiba Pirámides
- 20 Cohiba Pirámides Extra
- 20 Cohiba Robustos
- 20 Cohiba Robusto Especial
- 20 Cohiba Robustos Supremos
- 20 Cohiba Siglo III
- 20 Cohiba Siglo IV
- 20 Cohiba Siglo V
- 20 Cohiba Siglo VI
- 20 Cohiba Sublimes Extra
- 50 Cohiba Talismán
Brooks Whittington
I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the cigar blog SmokingStogie in 2008 after realizing that there was a need for a cigar blog with better photographs and more in-depth information about each release. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars. I am a co-founder of halfwheel and now serve as an editor for halfwheel.
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