2025 PCA Trade Show Pre-Game Report Part 4: Why Altadis U.S.A. will be “The Company” of the PCA Show

For the 15th year, the Cigar Coop brand will provide coverage of the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show and Convention. This is also the 15th consecutive Trade Show we are covering, and we are proud to be a part of a tiny group of media to say that. Our four-part series for the 2025 PCA Trade Show has you covered, whether you are going to the show or following from home.

In 2018, I started a tradition on Cigar Coop of selecting one company that I felt would be poised to be the star of the Trade Show. This has often been judged on product innovation, building momentum, and, more recently, intangibles going into the show. Altadis U.S.A. is my selection for “The Company” at the 2025 Premium Cigar Association. This is the second time in three years it has captured the honor.

Two years ago, Altadis U.S.A.’s return to the PCA Trade Show (after withdrawing in 2020) was a big intangible reason why I had them as “The Company” of the show. This time, it’s quite different. Altadis’ lineup, which is quite strong, contributes to earning the honor this year.

The brands of Altadis U.S.A. are some of the most iconic in the history of premium cigars. About ten years ago, Altadis U.S.A. sought to modernize the look and feel of the brands as a part of its ongoing product innovation. In this author’s opinion, it was met with mixed results. When Rafael Nodal came in as Director of Product Capability, he not only strengthened Altadis’ product innovation capabilities but also preserved many of the classic attributes of the brands of Altadis U.S.A. This has seemed to pay off quite well, resulting in many accolades. This year, Altadis U.S.A. comes in with quite a strong lineup that should have both retailers and consumers excited.

Altadis U.S.A. had major anniversary milestones for arguably its two most prominent brands: Romeo y Julieta (150th) and Montecristo (90th). Rafael Nodal was a guest on the 2025 Virtual Trade Expo and said the Montecristo anniversary is being pushed out till later in the year to allow Altadis to focus on Romeo y Julieta – and boy does Altadis have a home run with the Romeo y Julieta 150th anniversary.

Romeo y Julieta 150th Anniversary

This will be the star of the booth for Altadis U.S.A. There will also be a commemorative Romeo y Julieta 150th Anniversary humidor. Altadis U.S.A. has also said its booth will showcase the story and history of the Romeo y Julieta brand. In a world where so many cigar brands pop up, I think showcasing the brand’s history and story is important and will solidify its iconic status.

Folks attending the Procigar 2025 Festival had a chance to try the Romeo y Julieta 150th Anniversary. There is a fantastic tobacco story with this release. Over the years, Altadis U.S.A. has worked with many key growing partners for its tobacco, and they all play a role in the 150th. The blend includes an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper sourced from AJ Fernandez and a Mexican binder from the Turrent family. The fillers include Dominican tobaccos for José Mendez & Co. and Peruvian and Honduran tobaccos from the Plasencias.

In this author’s opinion, you have a strong release when you have a strong tobacco story. When you have a strong release, you will have a strong trade show.

H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez Heritage Finca Providencia

H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez Heritage Finca Providencia is a limited edition, but it’s a limited edition of one of Altadis USA’s biggest successes, done in collaboration with AJ Fernandez. This is another Altadis USA release where the story is the tobacco.

The Heritage Finca Providencia is branded similarly to the H. Upmann Nicaragua AJ Fernandez Heritage. While the original Heritage was a combination of Brazilian and Nicaraguan tobaccos, the Heritage Finca La Providencia features all Nicaraguan tobaccos. It also goes a step further in that all of the Nicaraguan tobaccos are grown on AJ Fernandez’s Finca (farm) Providencia.

H. Upmann has also been an area in the Altadis booth with activations. In the past, there were custom hats and even a barbershop. I’m curious to see if Altadis brings another activation station to the booth for H. Upmann this year.

Trinidad Espiritu Miami Edition

In the past six years, Altadis USA has focused on developing the Trinidad brand. A significant development occurred in 2019 with the release of the Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 1 Toro. This line features contemporary packaging that contrasts with the classic design. Subsequently, the company introduced the Espiritu Series No. 2 and the Espiritu Series No. 3, which contributed to the ongoing evolution of the Trinidad brand and its blends.

This year, there is a new addition, the Trinidad Espiritu Miami Edition. Like the previous three versions, this cigar pays tribute to a specific region, in this case, the city of Miami. Although it does not contain any U.S. tobacco, it is a Nicaraguan puro. Featuring a contemporary design, Altadis adds a classic touch by offering this cigar in a single size – the iconic No. 2 Belicoso.

The Espiritu Miami Edition is a limited edition. While I’m not the biggest fan of limited edition releases, this was smart because it keeps the momentum going with Trinidad without developing a whole new line. AJ Fernandez also makes it; we know the Altadis-AJ partnership has been strong. I have no reason to believe this won’t be another big hit.

Montecristo

While Montecristo is celebrating its 90th anniversary, Altadis has opted to focus on Romeo y Julieta’s 150th anniversary and defer Montecristo to later in the year. That being said, there will be some items for Montecristo fans.

First up, there is a line extension to Montecristo White. What’s cool is the kind of line extension Altadis is bringing. In this case, it’s the Montecristo White Series Diadema. This adds a 52 x 6 line figurado extension to the White Series. Altadis isn’t known for a lot of Diademas, and it’s exciting to see this come to one of the most successful Montecristo lines. What’s cool for retailers is that they can pick between 10 or 20 count boxes to bring in.

While it’s not a new line, the Montecristo M is making its first PCA Trade Show appearance.

The Montecristo M is produced in Nicaragua by AJ Fernandez. It’s a cigar that features all Nicaraguan tobaccos for the binder and filler. The wrapper is Ecuadorian Connecticut, grown by A.S.P. Enterprises. The report and Altadis U.S.A. say the wrapper has aged 20 years. Because of the aging required for the wrapper, the Montecristo M will be produced in limited quantities.

In addition, my impression is that Dunbarton was one of the most prepared companies going into the 2024 PCA Trade Show. Not only is their preparation top-notch, but based on the company’s history of execution, I expect that to be top-notch as well.

Aging Room Cigars

Aging Room Cigars is the brand owned by Rafael Nodal and distributed by Altadis U.S.A. Arguably, it might be the strongest lineup for Aging Room ever. Aging Room releases incorporate a musical theme, and what better place to showcase cigars with this theme than New Orleans?

First up is the new Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Concerto. This cigar is making its debut at PCA 2025. The success of the original Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua and its follow-up, the Quattro Nicaragua Sonata. Think original Quattro Nicaragua as full, and Sonata as medium – Concerto is said to fall in between. However, once again, the story is about tobacco. The Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Concerto is a Nicaraguan puro. The star of the show is an exclusive hybrid wrapper from one of AJ Fernandez’s most exclusive farms, Finca La Lilia. The blend also uses extra-aged tobaccos. The blend also includes leaves from the first harvest of AJ Fernandez’s Finca Los Espejos almost 12 years ago.

While it was released prior to PCA, let’s not forget about Aging Room La Bohème. La Bohème was a standalone brand in Rafael Nodal’s Boutique Blend Cigars portfolio. La Bohème is the name of an opera composed by Giacomo Puccini, a favorite of Nodal. In fact, Nodal has said this cigar brings together his three passions—his love for music, his love for Cuban culture, and his love for cigars. When Nodal brought Boutique Blends into a strategic partnership with Altadis, La Bohème went on hiatus.

La Bohème made its return this year, but this time it has been rebranded as Aging Room La Bohème. In addition, AJ Fernandez is now blending this cigar – and yes, the story is once again the tobacco. The new La Bohème features a hybrid wrapper from Broadleaf and Habano seed grown in the Connecticut Valley. The remainder of the blend features Nicaraguan tobaccos from Estelí.

Final Thoughts

Two years ago, Altadis U.S.A. won “The Company” Cigar Coop’s “The Company” of Trade Show based on the fact that it was making its presence after a four-year hiatus from the Trade Show. This time it’s very different, it’s about the tobacco, some amazing packaging, a great story, and perhaps most importantly, compelling releases.