New cigar launches from the Habanos Cigar Festival 2025

While the global market share of New World cigars — non-Cuban cigars that come from countries like Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Honduras — has grown immensely over the last couple of decades, Cuba and its cigar history will always hold an esteemed place in the cigar industry and for cigar lovers.

Whether it is through the use of Cuban seeds or the traditional methods of tobacco farming, several of the prominent cigar companies can trace their journey back to Cuba.

And, for brands like Plasencia, Oliva, Padron, My Father, and Arturo Fuente, among others, the families’ roots are Cuban with previous generations having started their cigar making education in that country’s plantations and cigar factories.

Cigar brands out of Cuba all fall under the purvey of Habanos SA, which is jointly owned by the state-owned Cubatabco (established in 1962 after the nationalisation of Cuba’s tobacco industry after the Cuban revolution) and Altadis.

There are over 25 cigar brands under Habanos SA, including: Cohiba, Partagas, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Trinidad, H Upmann, Quai d’Orsay, Bolivar and Punch.

While Cuban cigars continue to be sought after, there have been challenges from a supply perspective over the last few years for various reasons including increased demand, production and logistical challenges stemming from both the Covid-19 pandemic and underproduction, and the impact of climate change on tobacco farming.

In addition, Habanos SA increased the prices on Cuban cigars globally, with the price of some cigars hiked as much as 100+% in 2022.

This has put certain cigars out of reach for your standard cigar enthusiast or made them truly “special occasion” smokes.

Regardless, the Habanos Cigar Festival is still on my bucket list of festivals to attend, an opportunity to explore and enjoy cigars in the country in which the business of cigars was born and has stretched across the world.

The 2025 edition in late February was the 25th one, with the 23rd Festival — originally slated for 2021 — eventually held in 2023, having been cancelled in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.

With 2025 being the 15th anniversary of the Cohiba Behike line, arguably the crown jewel of Cuban cigars, the finale for the Festival was the launch of the Behike 58, a 7-inch by 58 ring gauge, with the traditional BHK pigtail, rolled at the El Laguito Factory in Havana.

It comes in boxes of 10 with an updated design of both the boxes and the bands. With Cohiba considered one of the most counterfeited cigars, especially the BHK, the bands also incorporate identification codes and chip technology.

Other cigars launched at the XXV Habanos Festival include:

• Upmann Magnum 50 Gran Reserva Cosecha 2019, which is limited to 5,000 numbered boxes containing 15 cigars each and made with tobacco from the 2019 harvest.
• Montecristo Elba Edición Limitada 2025, a 5¾ inch x 54 cigar to commemorate 90 years of Montecristo’s 90th anniversary.
• Punch Princesas Edición Limitada 2025, a 5 3/8 inch x 52 Edmundo to celebrate 185 years of Punch.
• Bolivar Royal Gigantes, a 6 7/8 inch x 53 cigar, limited to 3,000 boxes and part of the Colección Habanos series.
• Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo de San Luis, a 6 3/8 inch x 52 Fragrancias vitola which is made with tobacco from San Luis in Pinar del Río, Cuba’s tobacco growing capital.
• Romeo y Julieta Amantes, which celebrates 150 years of Romeo y Julieta and is a 6 inch x 53 Sobresalientes cigar.
• Partagás Cedros, to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Snake celebration.

I suspect that the best way to get one of these or others that were launched at the XXV Habanos Festival 2025, a trip to Europe is the best bet.

While I lean towards New World cigars, great Cuban cigars have their place in any humidor, mine included.