La Flor del Caney Especiales
The La Flor del Caney Especiales stands as one of the most elusive discontinued cigars in Cuban tobacco history. Released around 1980, this machine-made cigar enjoyed only a brief production run before being discontinued during the same decade, making it an extraordinarily rare find for modern collectors and enthusiasts.
Specifications
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Cigar Name | Especiales |
| Factory Name | Culebras (straight) |
| Ring Gauge | 39 |
| Length | 146 mm (5¾″) |
| Official Weight | 6.67 g |
| Construction | Machine-made |
| Band | Standard band A |
| Packaging | Dress box of 25 cigars in cellophane |
| Status | Discontinued (circa 1980s) |
Background and History
The Especiales emerged from the La Flor del Caney brand as a 1980 release, representing the machine-made segment of Cuban cigar production during that era. Despite being classified as a regular production cigar rather than a limited edition, its time on the market was remarkably short-lived.
Production ceased at some point during the 1980s, leaving behind only scattered examples that occasionally surface in specialized collections. The combination of machine-made construction and the brand's relatively modest market position contributed to few surviving specimens, elevating the Especiales to near-mythical status among cigar historians.
Construction and Presentation
As a machine-made cigar, the Especiales was manufactured using automated processes rather than hand-rolling techniques typically associated with premium Cuban cigars. The straight Culebras vitola measured 146 millimeters in length with a slender 39 ring gauge, offering an elegant, slender profile.
Each cigar was individually wrapped in cellophane and presented in dress boxes containing 25 units. The standard band A adorned each specimen, consistent with the brand's visual identity during this period.
Collectibility
Today, the La Flor del Caney Especiales ranks among the most challenging Cuban cigars to acquire. Its brief production window, combined with machine-made construction that was not typically preserved by serious collectors of the era, has resulted in extreme scarcity. When examples do appear, they represent significant historical artifacts from a transitional period in Cuban cigar manufacturing.