Some 166 years later, Partagas continues making history. Its broad vitola stock, classic lineage and intense taste have turned it one of the most prestigious Habano brands. Now Partagas is surprisingly making two new launches that could be exclusively puffed on during the 13th Habano Festival: the new Series E No.2, ring gauge 54, with its new vitola called Series No.2 and the new and Series D No.5 which is joining the larger-than-life Series D.

If a Habano aficionado anywhere on the face of the earth were asked to mention a brand he knows about or he likes the most, Partagas is always high on that list, even though it’s true this prestige and knowledge are far greater among dry-behind-the-ears smokers who appraise the strong character and intense taste Partagas always brings. Partagas was born 166 years ago and its vast vitola stock features Habanos that have contributed to turn this brand into what it is right now: an icon of taste from the world’s finest black tobacco, especially the 8-9-8s, the Lusitanas or the Series D No.4. For this 13th Habano Festival, Partagas has come around with a couple of new launches that will allow smokers who value strong-character Habanos to enhance their array of options: the new Series E, inaugurated with the Series No.2 vitola, and the Series D No.5, that puts more muscle into the mystic Series D. The new Partagas Series E No.2 (ring gauge 54, 140mm long, factory vitola Duke) opens a series exclusively designed for 54-ring gauge Habanos –the largest Habanos has ever unveiled so far for this brand. For its part, Partagas Series D No.5 (ring gauge 50, 110 mm long, factory vitola D No.5), will round out a range for a brand that already boasts the sought-after Series D No.4, though shorter in length and a burning time of approximately 20 minutes which is very much in keeping with the new circumstances hitting smokers all around the globe. The list of virtues coming our way from Partagas includes the fact that the brand’s cigars continue to be rolled at the same factory where the process started 166 years ago, perched on the same location, on 520 Industria Street, and under the same structure. In addition, the building’s bottom floor is home to the La Casa del Habano Partagas, a genuine symbol of this franchise owned and run by Habanos S.A. with over 140 stores all around the world that sell all 27 Habano brands in the market right now with the finest service money can buy.

The Power of Variety Some substantial documents, like the Illustrated Habanos Encyclopedia put out after the 1959 Cuban revolution by authors Adriano Martinez and Min Ron Nee, vouch for Partagas’ many niceties, like its wide array of proposals for smokers. Looking back into its longstanding history since 1845 to date, a multitude of Habanos have paraded out of the workshops, many of them ingrained in the collective memory of both Habano collectors and historians. Some undisputed hallmarks are Aristocratas, Astorias, Belvederes, Bonitos and Capitols. The spectacular Culebras, the Eminentes, the Fabulosos, the Filipos and the Habaneros are just some of Partagas’ past and current vitolas readers can look up in the abovementioned encyclopedia. And no one should fail to mention the large-format Lonsdales and Lusitanias, the coveted and scarce Salomones –solely sold today at the Casa del Habano franchised stores. Today, Partagas continues to be one of the most assorted brands in the market, churning out some 20 vitolas designed to please as many expectations as possible among the followers of these factory vitolas, always within the boundaries of strong character and taste this particular brand has to offer. In the medium ring gauge realm, the top prizes go to Partagas by Partagas No.1, Coronas, Super Partagas, Petit Coronas Especiales, Mille Fleurs, Aristocratas, Shorts, Partagas de Luxe, Coronas Senior and Coronas Junior. Last but not least, the thin ring gauge gathers the likes of Series Du Connoisseur No.1, No.2 and No.3 were discontinued not too long ago, yet they remain on the minds of many aficionados of thin ring gauge formats that were all the rage in the past. Its rich and intense taste, coupled with an unrivaled aroma, has paved the way for Partagas to live out as a brand. This is an unmistaken expression of a style marked by the distinguished character of a lineage forged in Cuba’s finest tobacco traditions.

The new Partagas Series E No.2 (ring gauge 54, 140mm long, factory vitola Duke) opens a series exclusively designed by 54-ring gauge Habanos –the largest Habanos has ever unveiled so far for this brand. For its part, Partagas Series D No.5 (ring gauge 50, 110 mm long, factory vitola D No.5), will round out a range for a brand that already boasts the sought-after Series D No.4. This format provides in roughly 20 minutes the chance of feeling the wallop-packing taste of Partagas, a condition that makes it a vitola of choice under the new restrictions that pound smokers hard all around the world

Partagas’ Royal Cigar Factory As one of the special moments on the day reserved for the grand tour around some Habano-making facilities, this 13th edition of the Habano Festival will give attendees the possibility of visiting the historic Partagas Factory opened in 1845. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime moment for visitors because following the launch of the brand’s two latest vitolas, the larger-than-life building standing next to the National Capitol in Havana will undergo a scheduled all-out restoration process and it will remain closed to the public during that span of time. Experts believe this brand’s early going harkens back a little before the factory’s grand opening when enterprising Spanish businessman Jaime Partagas from Catalonia acquired a few tobacco plantations in the western regions of Vuelta Abajo and Semi Vuelta. Partagas’ life was marked by a brilliant career as a merchant. In addition to one of the most distinguished Habanos on the face of the earth, his legacy also includes countless legends and myths tied up to love affairs, his unshackled craving for good-looking women and heaps of conflicts that came along his flings. That explains the cause of his death as he fell into an ambush in a crossroad back in 1861, though some historians link his passing to a commercial lawsuit with Pedro Mato, an old acquaintance of his. But the fact of the matter is that against all odds the brand was never dampened on the heels of the tragic news. On the contrary, Partagas’ demise added a cloak-and-dagger touch to the fame of these top-quality cigars that has lived out for years all the way to our times. The Partagas Royal Cigar Factory continues to churn out totally hand-rolled cigars of superb quality, including those that this time around will start basking in the limelight, like the new Series E No.2 and Series D No.5 that will surely help take the prestige of this Habano brand up a notch.

Partagas is a product with over a century and a half existence under its belt, distinguished for its strength and assorted vitola stock that make it one of the most sought-after brands among smokers in search of strong-tasting Habanos