Capitalism is alive and well, at least when it comes to Cuban cigars. Habanos has unveiled yet another super-expensive, limited edition cigar at this year's Habanos Festival—presumably with an equally impressive profit margin. This one comes in the form of the relatively new but popular Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchill, a 5 1/8" long smoke in a relatively thick 55 ring gauge.
While no price has been set, judging from the past, we'd expect the cigar to be three to four times the cost of a regular production Wide Churchill. That would put it in the $75-$100 range in England.
And that's assuming you're quick enough to buy them as soon as they're released. Expect them to appreciate quickly, like most rare or aged Cuban cigars. For instance, the Partagas Lusitania Gran Reserva was released at about $100 each but now sells for around $150 at the few dealers left with stock.
From the official announcement:
The evening will be dedicated to the first Gran Reserva from Romeo y Julieta in its Wide Churchills vitola (ring gauge 55 x 130mm in length), which comes in a unique and exclusive edition of 5,000 numbered boxes. All the leaves that go into the Romeo y Julieta Gran Reserva Cosecha 2009 have been carefully selected in Vuelta Abajo* (Pinar del Río*) and subjected to a long and meticulous five-year ageing process. With its unique dimensions among standard Habanos vitolas, it is particularly attractive to smokers who enjoy thick gauge Habanos with a balanced and aromatic blend.