By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Historic release: Habanos will introduce its first Regional Edition cigar designated for the entire African continent on Nov. 21.
- Limited production: The Bolívar Safari will be limited to 16,666 individually numbered boxes of 12 cigars, with an expected retail at €43 per cigar.
- African debut: The cigar will launch in Côte d’Ivoire before expanding to other African markets.
Cuba’s latest cigar is going on safari, and this time the destination is an entire continent.
Habanos S.A. will introduce the Bolívar Safari on Nov. 21 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, marking the first Cuban Regional Edition cigar produced specifically for Africa.
The release expands Habanos’ long-running Edición Regional program, which has produced exclusive cigars for individual countries and territories for more than two decades. Although South Africa has previously received Regional Editions, Safari is the first designated for Africa as a whole.
The new cigar measures approximately 4 3/8 inches (110 mm) long and has a 54-ring gauge, a short, thick format known in Cuban factories as Torres. It shares these dimensions with the Trinidad Vigía.
Safari also introduces a first for the Bolívar brand: a pigtail cap, according to Phoenicia Trading, the Cyprus-based distributor responsible for Cuban cigar sales in numerous international markets.
Production will be limited to 16,666 individually numbered boxes, each containing 12 cigars, for a total of 199,992 cigars. The expected retail price is approximately €43 ($48) per cigar, or €516 per box.
Phoenicia TAA Cyprus and Zino Abidjan, its local distribution partner in Côte d’Ivoire, will organize the launch. The debut celebration is scheduled for Nov. 21 at the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire.
Initial sales will be limited to Zino Cigares outlets in Côte d’Ivoire, with broader distribution across Africa planned for later.
Phoenicia distributes Cuban cigars in more than 50 countries across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, making the company a significant partner in Habanos’ international distribution network.
The Edición Regional program allows authorized distributors to commission cigars for their territories, typically using brands and formats outside the company’s regular global portfolio. Regional Editions are distinguished by an additional red-and-silver band that identifies the designated market.
Bolívar, one of Habanos’ established premium cigar brands, is known for its full-bodied profile and for tobacco sourced from Cuba’s Vuelta Abajo region.
