La Gloria Cubana Britanicas Extra Cigar (UK Regional Edition – 2017) – Box of 10

This extremely rare vitola was inspired by the Bolivar Britanicas (UK Habanos Regional Edition 2012) which became one of the fastest selling and most sought-after Habanos Regional Editions ever released. The La Gloria Cubana Britanicas Extra resurrects the style of the vitola (albeit with two point wider girth) and offers smoking enthusiasts and collectors the opportunity to once again enjoy its unique smoking characteristics whilst exploring the medium bodied delicate aromas of the La Gloria Cubana brand.

Such a rare and unusual shape is not easy to make. The cigar roller needs to possess exceptional skill to handcraft each cigar which will not only look amazing, but is carefully constructed to provide a consistent blend throughout and a good draw from start to finish. Like the Bolivar Britanicas, only the highest graded cigar rollers in Cuba were assigned the task of producing these rare masterpieces. The bands that dress these cigars are recreations of an example found in a collection in Havana.

The factory name “Británicas” is applied to a unique shape in the world of Havanas. It can best be described as a “Perfecto”, but it has the distinction of a wider aperture at the foot than is customary for cigars of this type, which makes it easier to light up and get going. Why and when the name “Británicas” was chosen by the Cuban industry is unknown, but it seems certain that it was first made for the British market. The shape survived to the present century because it was adopted by Romeo y Julieta for a cigar named the Celestiales Finos, which ceased production in 2002. The original vitola measured 5 3/8 inches (137mm) by 46 ring gauge, but the Gloria Cubana has two extra points added to its girth, which why its been christened a “Británicas Extra”.

To qualify being called a Regional Edition cigar they must be of limited production in a standard Habanos vitola (size) that is new to that particular brand. They must only be sold to customers in the distributors area and since 2006 have been available in individually numbered boxes with each cigar having a second band. The second band for cigars heading to the UK market used to read “Exclusivo Reino Unido” (Exclusive to United Kingdom) but since 2011 has been changed to “Exclusivo Gran Bretana” (Exclusive to Great Britain)