By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Selected Tobacco opened a 3,000-square-meter facility in Madrid and said it marks Spain’s first premium cigar production facility in over 50 years.
- The company says the site includes a 24-room, multi-cedar-lined aging complex described as the world’s largest of its kind.
- Founder Nelson Alfonso said the project is intended as a long-term commitment to craft, aging, and responsibility rather than to scale.
Selected Tobacco announced the opening of a new 3,000-square-meter (30,000-square-foot) facility in Madrid, saying the project marks the return of premium cigar production to Spain after more than five decades.
The company described the five-story building as an integrated site for cigar production and aging, as well as for design development and hospitality space. “More than a factory,” Selected Tobacco said the structure is intended to function as a complete ecosystem supporting long-term production.
Founder Nelson Alfonso said Madrid was the only location where the project could be built, framing the launch as a long-term commitment to quality and tradition rather than to scale.
“This factory is not about size or scale,” Alfonso said. “It is about responsibility. Responsibility to history, to the people who work here, and to the cigars we release into the world. Spain gave tobacco a place centuries ago. Now we give it time again.”
According to coverage of the announcement, the facility is organized to accommodate both production and visitors, with a layout that includes dry goods storage that can be converted into an event space, design offices, and areas where visitors can observe cigar rollers at work.
A key feature highlighted in the announcement is a multi-cedar-lined aging complex on the fourth floor. Selected Tobacco described the installation as the “world’s largest” multi-cedar-lined humidor, comprising 24 individual aging rooms designed to support its proprietary aging process under controlled conditions. The same floor also includes executive offices and a showroom displaying design work credited to Alfonso.
The rear of the facility includes tobacco fermentation rooms and aging areas, with spaces that use French oak wine barrels to rest wrapper and filler leaves, according to the announcement coverage. The company also said the building includes a hydroponic grow room for cultivating tobacco plants and germinating hybrid seeds for future crops.
Selected Tobacco’s portfolio includes premium cigar brands such as Atabey, Byron, and Alfonso. The company has emphasized extended aging and presentation as part of its positioning in the premium segment.
The announcement was distributed through United Cigars, which lists Selected Tobacco (including Atabey, Byron, Alfonso, and Bandolero) in its distribution agreements.
