14ymedio, Havana, 6 December 2023 — The most recent cigar presented by the monopoly Habanos SA to its international clientele is the El Rey del Mundo Royal Series, a formidable medium-strength tobacco that is recommended to be paired with rum. Along with its impeccable presentation – cedar box, quality certificate and ring with gold details – the new Casals brand, manufactured in Las Tunas for the province’s bodegas, leaves much to be desired.
The story of both tobaccos is that of the prince and the pauper. The King of the World was launched in Cyprus this Saturday, at a luxury tasting for 450 guests organized by distributor Phoenicia T.A.A, a long-time business partner of the regime. The Casals, for its part, was only received by the officials of the Property Registry in Las Tunas who registered the product “for the retail market.”
Even in photos, the careful workmanship of the Royal Series says everything the connoisseur needs to know: it is a high-end cigar, whose price has not even been set yet, with all the prestige of a brand like El Rey del Mundo, founded in 1882. The box of 15 Casals is not made of cedar, but of a material similar to bagasse, and its fittings – the internal and external ornaments – are not gold and embossed, but rather mustard colored.
The box of 15 Casals is not made of cedar, but of a material similar to bagasse, and its qualifications are not gold and embossed, but rather mustard colored
The Las Las Tunas brand, its manufacturers claim, alludes to Enrique Casals, a former member of the 26th of July Movement who was charred to death in the municipality of Jobabo during the so-called Bloody Easter, in 1956. Carlos Betancourt, provincial director of Acopio, Beneficio y Torcido de Tabaco, has many plans for the product, however humble it may be, such as its “insertion in bars, shops and tourist spaces.”
However, he regretted that the production volumes “will not be considerable,” as long as there are not enough rollers – they are already “training” them – and Casals “increases its quality.” Not only will its marketing not reach Cyprus