The world of cigars

While the UK government has launched a consultation on “plain packaging” after passing the generational ban in the spring, an exchange of letters between London and the ambassadors of three producing countries reveals the intensity of a behind-the-scenes showdown waged by Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras to protect their heritage. In a rare joint effort, the ambassadors of Cuba,

The Honduras Cigar Festival will take place at the end of January 2027. As the last of the four major producing nations yet to host an international festival, Honduras is preparing to take a significant step forward in promoting its cigar industry. Following a meeting between President Nasry Asfura and representatives of the Honduran Tobacco Artisans Council (CATAH), authorities announced

The Swiss group’s decision is a direct consequence of the tightening of anti-cigar legislation in Belgium and the Netherlands.   “We are very proud to represent such a prestigious brand in the Benelux region, but I would have preferred to see Davidoff hire five more people here and thus demonstrate that our sector is growing,” Fred Vandermarliere, CEO of VCF-Oliva,

The most expensive cigar in the Cuban portfolio appears at this price in the latest issue of the Journal Officiel.   The Cohiba BHK 58, the most expensive cigar in the Cuban portfolio, will retail for €370 per stick in France. Unveiled at the 2025 Festival del Habano, the BHK 58 has been available only in a special 15th-anniversary box

By sanctioning the Sino-Cambodian businessman nine months after the United States, the European Union can no longer hope to influence Chen Zhi’s fate — but risks complicating that of Habanos distributors.   On July 30, 2026, the European Union added Chen Zhi and Prince Holding Group to its sanctions list for human rights violations — more than nine months after

Following the generational smoking ban, the UK is now considering plain packaging for cigars. A consultation has been launched. The UK has apparently not had its fill of poorly calibrated anti-smoking policies. After definitively adopting the “generational ban” this spring, which will make it illegal from January 1 next year to sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1,

The Trinidad Vigia Reserva Cosecha 2022 will be launched in Switzerland on September 19.   The Trinidad Vigia Reserva Cosecha 2022 will be the first new release of the 2026–2027 season. It will also mark the first time a Trinidad cigar has been featured in the Reserva series. The Reserva program was established in 2003 to showcase standard-production vitolas made

“The 26th Habano Festival will not be held this year,” writes Habanos S.A., announcing a program of festivities for Cohiba’s 60th anniversary. First step: the launch of the Cohiba Talismán as a regular production cigar in London next October. “The Organizing Committee of the Habano Festival announces that, after evaluating the current situation and with the purpose of preserving the

The iOS and Android app lists smoking lounges around the world. It also details the tobacco laws in force in each country. WorldLounges has released version 2.0, a complete overhaul of its cigar lounge directory. The app is free and available in seven languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese. WorldLounges lists over 1,400 locations across 120 countries

More than 33,000 fake Cuban cigars were seized. The counterfeits were being shipped across Europe. The Spanish Civil Guard has arrested three individuals and is investigating four others for counterfeiting Cuban cigars. The suspects face charges of smuggling, intellectual property infringement, membership in a criminal organization, and labor rights violations. A total of 33,840 counterfeit cigars were seized during the

A cigar may be granted the “Dominican cigar” GI if it contains at least 90% Dominican tobacco.   With the creation of the Regulatory Council for the “Dominican Cigar” Geographical Indication (GI), Dominican tobacco is moving closer to obtaining Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. As we reported last April (see L’Amateur English Edition #26), the Dominican Tobacco Institute (INTABACO)

He had been leading Drew Estate since 2016—two years after the group was acquired by the American giant Swisher. Glenn Wolfson, CEO of Drew Estate since 2016, has passed away at the age of 70, the company announced in a statement on Monday, June 29. Last May, he had informed his teams that he was undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.

The distributor for the Africa-Middle East region cites the disappearance of sea freight from Cuba and the rising cost of air freight.   “A surcharge of 6.5% will be applied to all invoices [for Cuban cigars] to partially offset the increased freight expenses,” Phoenicia announced in an email to its clients. “The current geopolitical situation and the ongoing challenges in

Three measures from the reform package adopted on June 19 directly concern the tobacco industry. We put them to two Cuban economists. 176 economic measures, no less. The reform package adopted on June 19 by the Cuban National Assembly is presented by the regime itself as the most significant turning point since Raúl Castro’s lineamientos in 2011. Among them, three

As in the world of cigars, two rums bearing the same name coexist: one in the United States, the other everywhere else. The legal battle surrounding Havana Club rum has just taken a new turn in the United States. On Tuesday, June 16, a U.S. federal appeals court ruled in favor of the Cuban state-owned company Cubaexport and rejected Bacardi’s

The group’s thirty-third store benefits from the Habanos Specialist label. It is based in Strassen, just outside the capital of the Grand Duchy.   The Dominique London group continues its expansion. Dominique Gyselinck has just opened its 33rd boutique, this time in Luxembourg. A strategic location that also caters to the many Belgian enthusiasts affected by stricter regulations. Located in

Tabacuba aims to finally achieve this goal that was missed last year, thanks in particular to solar-powered irrigation.   Tabacuba hopes to plant 14,000 hectares of tobacco next season in Vuelta Abajo, the country’s main tobacco-growing region, according to a report from the official Cuban news agency ACN. This target for cultivated area is the same as the one set

For several weeks, the cigar world has been in turmoil in Sweden and Northern Europe. At the heart of the matter: a legal case involving Chen Zhi and a Swedish blog that has been publishing a stream of approximations and insinuations about Elite Trading, the exclusive distributor of Cuban cigars in the region. Between amalgams and speculation, L’Amateur de Cigare