United Cigars Schedules Red Anchor The Admiral to Ship in Early September

When United Cigars showed off its new Red Anchor The Admiral line at the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show, the company didn’t have a firm shipping date in place, saying only that it was planned for a fall release. Now, the company has announced it will begin shipping during the first full week of September.

The cigar dips into the history books for its name, specifically a line that was originally released in 1772 in Holland, according to the company. This modern version uses an Ecuadorian habano 2000 wrapper, a Dominican Monte Plata binder, and fillers that include Dominican San Vicente and habano 92, along with Pennsylvania broadleaf. The company bills it as being medium in strength and medium-plus in body.

It is being released in a 6 x 52 toro vitola priced at $25 per cigar and $625 for a box of 25 cigars. It is a limited edition release, as for this initial launch just 250 boxes were produced by the Kelner Boutique Factory in the Dominican Republic.

“I am very honored and proud that our cigar factory was given the opportunity to relaunch this historical brand,” said Hendrik Kelner Jr., owner of Kelner Boutique Factory. “We made a blend using some of our best family farmed tobaccos, this was a personal cigar project, I wanted to involve the family as much as possible.”

The project had another layer of connection for Kelner, as his family’s roots trace back to Holland, home of the original Red Anchor cigar.

“Every aspect of Red Anchor has been carefully crafted to properly encapsulate the 250-year history,” said Oliver Nivaud, director of sales for United Cigars. “Working closely with Hendrik Kelner Jr. and the KBF team has been very smooth, this is a perfect marriage.”

According to United Cigars, Red Anchor’s history dates back to 1770 when a trademark was registered by a cigar shop. Two years later, Albertus Hillen Sigarenfabriek started making the Red Anchor cigars at a factory in Delft, Holland. The brand was passed to various family members until it was sold to Martinus Hioolen in the 1890s, who expanded the brand’s reach. In 1909, the company added new machines and started using tins but the brand faced challenges in the 1920s due to market saturation and new excise taxes. In March 1937, Red Anchor went out of business.

As for the future of the line beyond this initial launch, at the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show, Nivaud told halfwheel that the company is planning four new sizes for the line to be released in 2023.