El Septimo was founded in 2005 in France, they have since relocated to Switzerland, establishing its presence as a Geneva-based luxury cigar brand. The name “El Septimo” means “the seventh” in Spanish, it symbolises the seventh day of creation, which is a day of rest and reflection - reflecting the brand’s commitment to the joy and privilege of life.
El Septimo takes a meticulously controlled approach to sourcing it’s tobacco, cultivating leaves in the mountainous regions near San José, Costa Rica at 3,000 metres, using only rainwater and no chemicals. Only the top 10% of handpicked leaves are aged between 5 to 15 years in white rum barrels, then blended and hand-rolled using traditional Cuban entubar techniques. The final packaging and quality control takes place in Switzerland and features an incredible Art Deco design.
Collections & Innovation
Over the years, El Septimo has expanded its portfolio to over 40 blends across several distinguished collections:
- Sacred Arts - The El Septimo Sacred Arts Collection is a line of cigars that are inspired by the biblical story of the seven days of creation and the famous painters who depicted them. Each cigar has a different blend, size, colour and flavour, and is named after a renowned artist, such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael, Dali, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. The cigars are handcrafted with premium tobaccos from Costa Rica and aged for 10 years in cedar barrels.
- The Emperor - Eleven new cigars & El Septimos first line of Connecticut-wrappers, dedicated to the world’s most sovereign rulers. This Collection boasts lighter-bodied, smooth, and creamy blends. They are made with aged tobacco from Costa Rica and come in different sizes and wrappers (Including Connecticut and Maduro).
- Luxus Collection – consisting of ten tobacco lines aged for 10 years, and matured for a year or less. This Collection includes some of El Septimo’s best-sellers and the world’s most-known brands, because come on, have you ever seen cigars like these before?! Cigars range from 2-inch 20-minute smokes, to tiny Torpedos and even baby cigarillos. But, one thing remains the same: All of the cigars part of the line possess refined aromas, velvety smokes, and are known for their oily and supple dark wrappers.
- The Zaya - Offering cigar aficionados the quintessential range of flavours, The Zaya Collection is blended from a selection of the highest quality tobaccos, aged up to 15 years, and rolled with five fillers. This is why cigars in this Collection range at slightly larger ring gauges, because the cigars are packed with more tobacco, hence offering more complex flavours.
- Gilgamesh Collection – This collection is a line of cigars that is inspired by one of the oldest stories based on the historical records of Assyrian King Gilgamesh. The collection offers both medium-bodied and full-bodied cigars. The cigars are made from aged Costa Rica tobacco, some of which are 10 years old, and have shiny, dark and stain free wrappers. The collection features three different blends: King Sargon, Aqua Anu and Sable Shamash, each with a unique flavour and aroma.
In 2019, El Septimo was acquired by Tounan Company in 2019, since then El Septimo has expanded from its European roots to a global footprint with boutiques in 14 countries across four continents. The brand continues to earn acclaim with the Robb Report naming El Septimo among the 10 best cigars in the world for 2025, marking the third year in a row receiving this honour.
Written by Oliver Partington
