First launched in London in 2017 as a Cohíba Edición Limitada, the Talismán quickly became a sought-after cigar in the Cohíba portfolio.
Nine years later, it returns to the same city with a very different status: as a permanent member of the Cohíba Línea Clásica.
As we prepare for a major celebration in London this week, it feels like the perfect moment to take a closer look at the Talismán — its origins, evolution, distinctive character, and the journey that has taken it from limited-edition release to a permanent fixture in the Cohíba range.
Here’s a deep dive into the Cohíba Talismán.
The beginning: a new Cohíba for 2017
The Talismán was produced at the El Laguito cigar factory in Havana and measured 154mm by 54 ring gauge, making it one of the larger formats in the Cohíba portfolio at the time.
As an Edición Limitada, it used specially selected tobacco that had been aged for at least two years before the cigars were rolled.
When the cigar was first announced, it was given the factory name Cañonazo Doble. By the time of its release, it was referred to as the Sublimes No. 1.
The original production is believed to have been in the region of 500,000 cigars.
But there was something about the finished cigar that had not been expected.
The pigtail surprise
The original Habanos marketing imagery showed the Talismán with a conventional-looking head.
When the finished cigars arrived in London, however, they had pigtail caps.
Cigar Aficionado reported on the appearance of the pigtail, including the contrast between the original promotional imagery and the finished cigar. The publication also reported that Habanos was asked about the change but offered no explanation.
Habanos’ own launch material subsequently described the pigtail as one of the cigar’s distinguishing features.
So it is worth being precise about what happened.
This was not simply a case of some original Talismáns having pigtails and others not having them. The more interesting comparison is between the cigar as originally pictured and the finished 2017 cigar that actually appeared at the London launch.
The pigtail subsequently became part of the Talismán’s identity and has remained a defining feature of the cigar.
London gets the first Talismán
The Talismán’s history is closely tied to London.
On 7 November 2017, Habanos and Hunters & Frankau held the cigar’s worldwide launch at the Corinthia Hotel. The UK was the first market to receive it, as confirmed by Habanos’ report of the worldwide London launch.
The event looked fantastic. Ajay Patel of No 6 Cavendish Square even went as far as wearing his Cohiba polo shirt to really get into the spirit of things!
The launch price was £65 per cigar, or £600 for a box of ten.
At the time, there was no way of knowing how the cigar would develop. It was a new Cohíba Limited Edition and an unusually large one at that.
Mitchell Orchant formerly of CGars Ltd was already impressed by its popularity, describing it at the time as:
“In fact our fastest selling cigar in history.”
Cigar Aficionado later awarded the Cohíba Talismán Edición Limitada 2017 a 91-point rating, with tasting notes including honey, minerals and almond, followed by cocoa powder and oak.
The 2019 production
Habanos produced an additional quantity of Talismáns in 2019.
This was not presented as a new 2019 version of the cigar. In its announcement, Habanos explained that the additional quantity used tobacco from the same harvest as the original production.
The cigars retained the same dressings and labels, while the boxes carried 2019 production dates. Habanos also stated that the tobacco had been aged for at least two years before the cigars were made.
In practical terms, this is why collectors encounter Talismán boxes dated both 2017 and 2019, even though both productions form part of the same Limited Edition story.
For collectors, the box date therefore matters, but it does not mean that the 2019 cigars represent a completely different Talismán release.
From £600 box to collector cigar
The Talismán’s position in the market has changed considerably since its launch.
A box of ten cost £600 in 2017. In the years since, boxes have achieved considerably higher prices on the secondary market. Recent UK auction examples include a Cohíba Talismán 2017 sale recorded by Online Cigar Auctions at £2,320, while Bond Roberts has also recorded sales of original Talismán boxes.
Current retail asking prices are higher again. Surrey Cigars has listed a box at £4,500, while Havana Cigar Exchange has listed the Talismán at £4,620 including VAT.
These figures are not directly comparable: auction results represent completed transactions, while retail prices are asking prices. Nevertheless, they illustrate how dramatically the Talismán’s position has changed since its £600 launch.
A cigar that was originally bought to be smoked has increasingly become something collectors think twice about opening.
The wider Cohíba story & Cohiba at 60
The Talismán also makes more sense when viewed against Cohíba’s history of major anniversary releases.
For its 40th anniversary in 2006, Cohíba produced the original Behike, a highly restricted anniversary cigar that would go on to become one of the most recognisable names in the brand’s history. Habanos’ account of the original Behike provides the background to its introduction.
The Cohíba 1966 followed for the 45th anniversary in 2011, with Habanos’ announcement documenting the cigar’s release.
For the 50th anniversary in 2016, Cohíba introduced several significant cigars, including the Majestuosos 1966.
Then came the 55 Aniversario in 2021, with Habanos documenting the celebrations.
The pattern is clear: Cohíba has repeatedly used its major anniversaries as an opportunity to introduce significant, and often highly unusual, cigars.
The Talismán is different.
Had circumstances in Cuba been different in 2026, it is tempting to imagine another new anniversary cigar — perhaps even a 60-ring-gauge Behike as the obvious way to mark Cohíba’s 60th anniversary.
Instead, Habanos has taken an established Limited Edition and brought it into the brand’s permanent range, making the Talismán one of the centrepieces of Cohíba’s 60th anniversary.
That makes its place in the anniversary story rather more interesting than simply being another cigar produced to mark a milestone.
Back to London
There is something particularly fitting about where Habanos has chosen to present it.
The Talismán was first launched in London on 7 November 2017. Now, on 7 October 2026, London will once again host its worldwide presentation.
The timing is especially notable because the traditional Habanos Festival in Havana will not take place in 2026. Instead, Cohíba’s 60th-anniversary year is being marked through events and presentations around the world, with London taking centre stage for the Talismán.
As reported here previously, the worldwide presentation will take place at the Orangery at Kensington Palace. Tickets for this are now SOLD OUT.
But the Talismán celebrations continue beyond the main launch.
On 8 October, James J. Fox will host an exclusive Talismán sampling at its St James’s Street cigar shop and sampling lounge, with the new cigar paired with Eminente rum and a traditional Cuban cocktail. James J. Fox’s event brings together Sean Croley of Hunters & Frankau and Eminente’s Luca, with tickets priced at £400 per guest.
Dominique London will also host The Road to Talismán at 26 Pall Mall, featuring the new Cohíba Talismán alongside Ana Lopez and Jose Cejas, Champagne, 12-year-old Eminente Rum and curated small bites. The event takes place on 8 October from 5–8pm, with tickets priced at £400 per guest.
The 2026 Talismán
The new Talismán will now be part of the Cohíba Línea Clásica, but the UK presentation also gives the cigar a distinctive anniversary treatment.
The presentation includes a three-cigar Talismán set, with 6,500 boxes produced and a second band marking Cohíba’s 60th anniversary.
No. 6 Cavendish’s 2026 Talismán presentation
The established 154mm × 54 ring gauge format remains, as does the Talismán identity that collectors have known since 2017.
A 10-cigar box will also be available.
A new foot band, bearing the name of the vitola, will be added to every cigar. The packaging will also incorporate an NFC chip within the papeleta, providing access to additional product information.
Each reference in the Línea Clásica will feature a vitolina containing further information about the cigar.
The Línea Clásica is only the second Cohíba portfolio to incorporate NFC technology, following the Behike line.
The 2026 Talismán represents an intriguing new chapter for the cigar. Exactly how readily available it will prove to be, however, remains to be seen. We know how quickly sought-after Cohíba releases can disappear, and with just 6,500 of those special anniversary presentations produced, there is unlikely to be any shortage of interest.
For enthusiasts, the return of the Talismán is certainly something to look forward to — particularly in a special London presentation marking Cohíba’s 60th anniversary.
There is also something fitting about its return to the capital. First introduced in London, the Talismán has now come full circle, returning to the city for its latest chapter.
One question I’ll be particularly interested to hear from fellow cigar smokers is how the new Talismán compares with the original 2017 and 2019 productions.
The format and identity may be familiar, but the tobacco — and the time behind the cigar — will inevitably form part of the story. I’ll have to rely on the experiences of others for that comparison, as I haven’t smoked the 2017, 2019 or 2026 production myself.
It will be fascinating to hear whether the 2026 release captures the character of those earlier Talismáns, or whether it develops a character of its own.
Are you in London for the Cohiba Talisman event and looking for some great cigar establishments to visit while you’re here?
Take a look at my A–Z guide to London’s cigar bars, terraces and smoking lounges — featuring venues across the capital worth checking out.
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