Selected Tobacco has announced the opening of a new 3,000-square-meter (30,000-square-foot) premium cigar facility in Madrid, marking the return of premium cigar production to Spain for the first time in more than half a century.
The five-story facility represents a significant milestone not only for Selected Tobacco, but for the broader premium cigar industry, reconnecting Spain with its historical role in global tobacco production while establishing a modern, vertically integrated model centered on patience, precision, and long-term vision.
Founded by Nelson Alfonso, Selected Tobacco is known for its ultra-premium brands, including Atabey, Byron, Alfonso, and Bandolero. According to the company, Madrid was the only location considered for the project, reflecting Alfonso’s personal ties to Spain and his desire to reestablish the country as a meaningful contributor to premium cigar craftsmanship—not through nostalgia, but through intentional design and structure.
The Madrid facility is organized across five levels, guiding both cigars and visitors through the full lifecycle of production. The ground floor serves as the point of entry for raw tobacco, where receiving and sorting begin the process of fermentation, aging, and refinement. Above, a central core provides dry-goods storage and flexible space capable of hosting events for up to 350 guests.
Upper floors house Selected Tobacco’s design studios, where blends, packaging concepts, and long-term projects are developed, as well as rolling galleries where master torcedores can be observed at work. The facility also features what the company describes as the world’s largest multi-cedar-lined humidor, comprised of 24 individual aging rooms designed to support Selected Tobacco’s proprietary aging protocols.
Additional areas are dedicated to fermentation and leaf aging, including rooms outfitted with French oak wine barrels used to rest wrapper and filler tobaccos. A hydroponic grow room allows for seed development and agricultural experimentation, reinforcing the company’s commitment to continuity from seed to finished cigar.
The top floor of the facility includes a private smoking lounge and outdoor terrace overlooking Madrid, designed as a space for reflection and conversation. Sophisticated ventilation, a two-story humidor, and private lockers for visiting lounge partners underscore the company’s emphasis on hospitality alongside production.