Forged Cigar Company: The Younger Half of Scandinavian Tobacco Group
Forged Cigar Company is five years old and holds some of the oldest names in the business. It was created on 1 February 2021 out of Scandinavian Tobacco Group's US premium portfolio and today runs Cohiba, Punch, Bolivar, Diesel, La Gloria Cubana, Alec Bradley and El Rey del Mundo. Here is what it is, why it exists, and exactly which brands live there.
Shop the Forged family See the General Cigar sideMost cigar houses grow. Forged Cigar Company was assembled. Scandinavian Tobacco Group announced it on 13 January 2021 and it began distributing on 1 February 2021, taking five brands out of General Cigar Company and giving them their own sales organisation focused on brick-and-mortar tobacconists.
The logic was channel focus. One house could concentrate on the shops, while the other kept the legacy structure. Whether that reasoning holds is a question for the trade. What matters to a smoker is that Forged now owns a genuinely strong portfolio, and that brands move between the two houses often enough that almost every write-up of it is wrong.
What Forged actually is
Forged is one of two US premium houses inside Scandinavian Tobacco Group, the Danish company formed in 2010 when Swedish Match merged its cigar operations with Skandinavisk Holding. STG owns General Cigar too. Both houses draw on the same factory network.
The distinction is commercial, not industrial. Forged brands and General Cigar brands are made in the same places, by the same people, from the same tobacco. What differs is which sales team represents them and how the portfolio is positioned.
The three moves, stated plainly
This is the most misreported sequence in American cigar coverage, so here it is without ambiguity.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 13 Jan 2021 | STG announces Forged Cigar Company. |
| 1 Feb 2021 | Forged begins distributing with exactly five brands, all taken from General Cigar: Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Bolivar Cofradia, Diesel and Chillin' Moose. |
| 22 Feb 2023 | STG announces the acquisition of Alec Bradley for $72.5 million. |
| 1 Mar 2023 | The Alec Bradley deal closes. Founder Alan Rubin stays on as an advisor. |
| By 1 Jun 2023 | Alec Bradley is integrated into Forged, roughly ninety days after close. |
| 2 Feb 2026 | The FOCUS2030 reshuffle. Into Forged: Cohiba, Punch, Havana Honeys. Out of Forged, to General Cigar: Partagas, Room101, Don Tomas. |
Every brand at Forged today
| Brand | Arrived | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Cohiba | Feb 2026 | The US Cohiba, made in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Red Dot, Blue, Black, Connecticut, Nicaragua. |
| Punch | Feb 2026 | Registered in Havana in 1840, made in Honduras since 1965. Gran Puro, Rare Corojo. |
| Bolivar | Feb 2021 | A 1902 Havana marque. The Cofradia in Natural and Oscuro, made at HATSA in Danlí. |
| Diesel | Feb 2021 | Blended and made by A.J. Fernandez in Estelí. Whiskey Row, Sherry Cask, Estelí Puro. |
| La Gloria Cubana | Feb 2021 | The Little Havana brand Ernesto Perez-Carrillo built. Serie R, Serie R Estelí, Wavell. |
| Alec Bradley | Jun 2023 | Alan Rubin's brand. Prensado was Cigar Aficionado's No. 1 cigar of 2011. |
| El Rey del Mundo | — | Another Havana name rebuilt in Honduras. |
| Chillin' Moose | Feb 2021 | The value line in the portfolio. |
| Havana Honeys | Feb 2026 | Flavoured and infused small cigars. |
| Odyssey | — | A newer addition. |
Note: our vendor records still group a few Partagas items under Forged. Partagas moved to General Cigar in February 2026, though it comes out of the same factory either way.
The brands in depth
Cohiba, the American one
The most argued-about band in the business. The US Cohiba is a separate brand from the Cuban Cohiba, separately owned, made in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Red Dot on Cameroon wrapper is the flagship, Black is the maduro, Connecticut is the mild one, Blue and Nicaragua sit medium to full.
Punch, since 1840
Named for the English puppet and the satirical magazine, aimed at the British market. Punch left Cuba with Fernando Palicio after nationalisation and has been made in Honduras since 1965. Gran Puro is a genuine Honduran puro; Rare Corojo spent two decades as a limited annual before going to regular production for 2025.
Bolivar, and the two Cofradias
Bolivar runs one line in two wrapper expressions that swap leaves: Natural is Ecuadorian Sumatra over Connecticut broadleaf; Oscuro is aged Connecticut broadleaf over Ecuadorian Sumatra. Both from HATSA in Danlí.
Diesel, and the barrels
Diesel is the A.J. Fernandez line. Whiskey Row ages its Mexican San Andrés binder in spent Rabbit Hole bourbon barrels; Sherry Cask ages a Brazilian Arapiraca binder in casks that held thirty-year Pedro Ximénez before the bourbon. Estelí Puro is a straight Nicaraguan puro from Fernandez's own farms.
La Gloria Cubana, and the Serie R
La Gloria Cubana is the brand Ernesto Perez-Carrillo built at El Credito on Calle Ocho during the 1990s boom. The Serie R, launched 2002, is the line that made big ring gauges a category rather than a novelty, running up to a 7 x 70.
Alec Bradley, and the number one
Alec Bradley is Alan Rubin's brand, named for his two sons. The Prensado Churchill was Cigar Aficionado's number one cigar of 2011 at 96 points, and the Prensado Torpedo took number eight in 2023 at 95.
Where Forged cigars are made
Forged does not own factories. Its brands are produced across the STG network and, in Alec Bradley's case, at independent makers.
| Factory | Country | Brands | House character |
|---|---|---|---|
| HATSA / STG Danlí | Honduras | Punch, Bolivar | Earth and leather, dry and savoury |
| Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez | Estelí, Nicaragua | Diesel | Full, peppery, exceptionally well constructed |
| General Cigar Dominicana | Santiago, DR | Cohiba, La Gloria Cubana | Balanced and smooth |
| Raíces Cubanas | Honduras | Alec Bradley Prensado, Magic Toast, Post Embargo | Firm bunching, savoury Honduran |
| Plasencia | Nicaragua and Honduras | Alec Bradley Nica Puro, American lines, Double Broadleaf | Five generations of growers |
| Tabacalera La Alianza | Dominican Republic | Alec Bradley Gatekeeper | Ernesto Perez-Carrillo's own factory |
There is a pleasing circularity in that last row. Perez-Carrillo built La Gloria Cubana, which is now a Forged brand, and his own factory today makes a different Forged brand's cigar.
Wrappers and leaf across the portfolio
Cameroon Connecticut Broadleaf Ecuadorian Connecticut Ecuadorian Habano Ecuadorian Sumatra Honduran Havana Seed Honduran Olancho San Agustin Nicaraguan Colorado Nicaraguan Habano Mexican San Andrés Brazilian Arapiraca Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Wrapper shades, palest to darkest: Double Claro / Candela Claro Colorado Claro Colorado Colorado Maduro Maduro Oscuro
Primings: where the leaf grew on the plant
| Leaf | Position | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ligero | Top primings | Most sun, most oil, most nicotine. Strength and depth, slowest burning. Sits at the core of the bunch. |
| Viso | Upper middle | More flavour than seco, less weight than ligero. Used in the Bolivar Cofradia Oscuro filler. |
| Seco | Middle | Aroma and mid-palate. The balance leaf. |
| Volado | Lower primings | Thin and mild. Combustion. |
| Medio Tiempo | The crown | Two rare leaves above the ligero. Very concentrated. |
Written phonetically the top leaf comes out "lahero" or "lejero"; the word is ligero, lee-HEH-roh. Also worth knowing: capa wrapper, capote binder, tripa filler, torcedor roller, vitola size, pilón fermentation stack, puro a single-country cigar, prensado box-pressed.
Growing regions in these blends
Nicaragua: Estelí volcanic and powerful · Jalapa sweeter and refined · Condega balanced and aromatic · Ometepe island soil with a distinctive earthy sweetness.
Honduras: Jamastran powerful, closest to Estelí · Danlí balanced · Olancho darker and more rustic.
Dominican Republic: Cibao valley, piloto cubano and olor, smooth and aromatic.
Which Forged brand is for you
| If you want | Go to |
|---|---|
| A mild, creamy morning cigar | Cohiba Connecticut |
| Something sweet and dark after dinner | Cohiba Black or Bolivar Cofradia Oscuro |
| A distinctive Cameroon wrapper | Cohiba Red Dot |
| Dry, savoury, honest Honduran value | Punch Gran Puro |
| Barrel-aged tobacco done properly | Diesel Whiskey Row |
| A pure Nicaraguan with nothing on top | Diesel Estelí Puro |
| A big ring gauge that actually works | La Gloria Cubana Serie R |
| Real strength from Nicaraguan Estelí leaf | La Gloria Cubana Serie R Estelí |
| A classic maduro robusto | La Gloria Cubana Wavell Maduro |
Six serious brands, one house. Start wherever your palate already lives.
Shop the Forged family Call 1 818-719-9885Questions people actually ask
What is Forged Cigar Company?
One of two US premium cigar houses inside Scandinavian Tobacco Group. It was announced on 13 January 2021 and began distributing on 1 February 2021 with five brands taken from General Cigar Company.
Which five brands started Forged?
Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Bolivar Cofradia, Diesel and Chillin' Moose.
Which brands does Forged hold now?
Cohiba, Punch, Bolivar, Diesel, La Gloria Cubana, Alec Bradley, El Rey del Mundo, Chillin' Moose, Havana Honeys and Odyssey.
What moved in the February 2026 reshuffle?
Cohiba, Punch and Havana Honeys moved into Forged. Partagas, Room101 and Don Tomas moved out to General Cigar. Nothing else moved.
Did Bolivar and Diesel move to Forged in 2026?
No. Both have been Forged brands since the house was created in February 2021. This is the most common error in coverage of the 2026 reshuffle.
When did Alec Bradley join Forged?
By 1 June 2023, roughly ninety days after Scandinavian Tobacco Group closed its $72.5 million acquisition of the company on 1 March 2023.
What is the difference between Forged and General Cigar?
They are sister houses inside the same parent company with separate sales organisations. Their cigars come from the same factory network. A brand changing houses does not change the cigar.
Does Forged own factories?
No. Its brands are produced across the Scandinavian Tobacco Group network, principally HATSA in Danlí, Honduras and General Cigar Dominicana in Santiago, plus A.J. Fernandez's factory in Estelí for Diesel and independent makers for Alec Bradley.
Are Forged's Cohiba, Punch and Bolivar the Cuban brands?
No. Cuban Cohiba, Punch, Bolívar, La Gloria Cubana and Partagás all exist separately under Habanos S.A. and cannot legally be sold in the United States. The Forged versions are separate American brands made outside Cuba.
Which Forged brand is the mildest?
Cohiba Connecticut. Cohiba Red Dot on Cameroon wrapper is next.
Which is the strongest?
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Estelí and Diesel Estelí Puro, both built on Nicaraguan tobacco from the Estelí valley. Cohiba Black is the fullest of the Cohiba lines.
Who is A.J. Fernandez?
A third-generation Cuban tobacco man based in Estelí, Nicaragua, and the industry's most in-demand contract blender. He makes Diesel for Forged and has also worked on Hoyo de Monterrey's La Amistad line for General Cigar.
What does ligero mean?
The leaf from the top of the tobacco plant: most sun, most oil, most nicotine, slowest burning. It provides a blend's strength. Seco is the middle leaf for aroma, volado the lower leaf for burn.
What is a puro?
A cigar in which wrapper, binder and filler all come from one country. Punch Gran Puro is a Honduran puro and Diesel Estelí Puro is a Nicaraguan one.
Do you carry all the Forged brands?
We carry Cohiba, Punch, Bolivar, Diesel and La Gloria Cubana. Alec Bradley is not currently on the shelf, but call us on 1 818-719-9885 and we will tell you what we can source.
For adults 21+. Please enjoy responsibly.
Cigar Inc. · 21900 Burbank Blvd UNIT 265, Woodland Hills, CA 91367 · 1 818-719-9885 · Info@Cigarinc.com
