After Five Decades, Spain Welcomes First Premium Cigar Factory

[JohnS]

After Five Decades, Spain Welcomes First Premium Cigar Factory

January 19, 2026 - Press Release 

Selected Tobacco announces the opening of its new 3,000-square-meter (30,000 SqFt) facility in Madrid, marking the return of premium cigar production to Spain for the first time in over half a century.

For founder and creator Nelson Alfonso, Madrid was the only place this project could exist. Spain is his home, and the decision to build here reflects a desire to reconnect the country with its historic role in tobacco while establishing a modern standard rooted in quality and patience.

The facility is organized across five levels, designed to guide both product and visitors through the full lifecycle of a cigar. Guests are welcomed on the first floor, where a contemporary entry leads into a central division that separates the front and rear of the building. This expansive core serves as primary dry goods storage and can be converted into an event space capable of hosting up to 350 guests. 

The second floor houses the Selected Tobaccos design team, where blend direction, packaging concepts, and long-term projects are developed. On the third floor, visitors can observe torcedores rolling cigars, offering a transparent look into the rolling process.

The fourth floor is dedicated entirely to aging and presentation. Here, guests encounter the world’s largest multi-cedar lined humidor, comprised of 24 individual aging rooms. This environment allows Selected Tobaccos production to move through its proprietary aging process under precise conditions, reinforcing consistency across every release.

The fifth floor offers a private smoking lounge and outdoor terrace, providing a setting designed for reflection and conversation. Ventilation allows guests to enjoy their aged cigars that they can select from the two-story humidor.

At the rear of the building, the focus shifts to raw tobacco transformation. Guests can view the fermentation process in large, purpose-built rooms, alongside dedicated aging spaces filled with French Oak wine barrels used to rest wrapper and filler leaves. 

The facility also includes a hydroponic grow room, where tobacco plants are cultivated and hybrid seeds are germinated for future crops. This controlled environment supports experimentation and long-term agricultural planning, reinforcing Selected Tobaccos commitment to continuity from seed to finished cigar. From here, guests return by elevator to the ground level, where the journey concludes at the starting point of every cigar. Receiving and sorting take place here, where tobacco enters the facility and begins its progression through fermentation, aging, and production. 

“This factory is not about size or scale,” said Nelson Alfonso, Founder of Selected Tobacco. “It is about responsibility. Responsibility to history, to the people who work here, and to the cigars we release into the world. Spain gave tobacco a place centuries ago. Now we give it time again.” 

The Madrid facility represents a defining step forward for Selected Tobacco, bringing production, aging, design, and hospitality under one roof while reaffirming Alfonsos commitment to structure, patience, and long-term vision. 

Source: https://www.cigarjournal.com/after-five-decades-spain-welcomes-first-premium-cigar-factory/

[El Presidente]

https://tobaccoreporter.com/2026/01/23/selected-tobacco-opens-spains-first-premium-cigar-factory-in-50-years/

Selected Tobacco Opens Spain’s First Premium Cigar Factory in 50 Years

 

Selected Tobacco opened a new 3,000-square-meter (30,000-square-foot) premium cigar factory in Madrid, marking the return of premium cigar production to Spain for the first time in more than 50 years. The five-story facility signals a rare revival of Spain’s historic role in global tobacco manufacturing, reintroduced through a modern, vertically integrated model focused on long-term aging, craftsmanship, and controlled production.

Founded by Nelson Alfonso, and known for cigar brands Atabey, Byron, Alfonso, and Bandolero, Selected Tobacco said Madrid was the sole location considered for the project, reflecting Alfonso’s personal connection to Spain and a deliberate effort to rebuild the country’s presence in premium cigar making through contemporary infrastructure rather than nostalgia.

The facility is designed to guide tobacco and visitors through the entire production lifecycle. Raw tobacco enters on the ground floor for sorting, fermentation, and aging, while upper levels house design studios, rolling galleries for master torcedores, and a central space capable of hosting industry and consumer events. A key feature is what the company describes as the world’s largest multi-cedar-lined humidor, consisting of 24 individual aging rooms, supporting Selected Tobacco’s proprietary aging protocols.

Additional areas are dedicated to fermentation and leaf aging, including rooms equipped with French oak wine barrels used to rest wrapper and filler tobaccos. A hydroponic grow room supports seed development and agricultural experimentation, reinforcing a seed-to-cigar philosophy. The top floor includes a private smoking lounge and terrace overlooking Madrid, emphasizing hospitality alongside production.