Late last month, the new Cohiba Siglo de Oro began shipping to stores in Asia. In Hong Kong, each cigar will cost you more than $300 per cigar.
The Cohiba Siglo de Oro celebrates the Chinese New Year and the symbol associated with the Zodiac calendar, which is a rabbit. As for the cigar, it measures 4 1/2 (115mm) x 54, a new size known as exitosos within the Cuban naming system.
When the cigar was announced in January, pricing was not announced. Pacific Cigar Ltd., the Cuban cigar distributor for most of Asia, told halfwheel that the pricing in Hong Kong is set at HKD 2,388 ($304.85) per cigar.
That pricing in Hong Kong is more important than it might seem. Last year Habanos S.A. implemented a global pricing standard, a system where pricing for Cuban cigars around the world is supposed to be based on the prices in Hong Kong. The new pricing policy isn’t exact, but the $300 price point is likely a decent guide for what consumers should expect to pay in other markets.
While there are very few cigars that cost $300, this is the second new Cohiba in 12 months to enter into this pricing stratosphere. Around this time last year, the Cohiba 55 Aniversario debuted in Lebanon with a price tag of $300 per cigar.
The Siglo de Oro is limited to 18,888 boxes of 18 cigars, a total release of around 340,000 cigars. Those boxes not only include various rabbit graphics throughout but also include an NFC, the first time the Cuban cigar company has used the technology. According to Habanos S.A., the NFC will allow consumers to not only learn more about the cigar but also to verify the box as authentic.
In addition to paying tribute to the Year of the Rabbit, the Siglo de Oro also celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Cohiba Línea 1492, best known for the various Siglo named sizes, like Siglo IV and Siglo VI.