Oliva cigars now officially in New Zealand. For the last few years, Oliva Cigars are easily obtainable for cigar enthusiasts in New Zealand. Yet officially, the Oliva Cigar Company has no representation down under. Until now. Oliva Cigars and Canteros are now distribution partners for the cigars that Oliva Cigar Company is producing in Esteli, Nicaragua.

Canteros

New Zealand has a very restrictive tobacco policy. The tobacco tax is the second-highest in the world, after Australia. And there are only two importers for premium handmade cigars. That’s Pacific Cigar Company, the Habanos distributor for almost all of Asia and Oceania, and Canteros. Pacific Cigars is purely importing Cuban cigars, leaving Canteros a monopoly on new world cigars.

For years now, Canteros sells Oliva but obtained the cigars through wholesalers. When a mutual friend introduced Brian Shapiro from Oliva Cigars to Grant Ovenden, the owner of Canteros, a conversation started. That conversation is now causing a distribution agreement between the two partners. Oliva Cigars is coming to New Zealand without a wholesaler in between.

First shipment

Canteros is expecting the first shipment to arrive in the next two weeks. When New Zealand customs releases the cigars, Canteros uploads them to its website for other retailers and cigar enthusiasts in New Zealand to purchase. Oliva becomes part of a large family in New Zealand. Canteros import brands from Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. From Nicaragua, Canteros gets cigars from Joya de Nicaragua, Drew Estate, J.C. Newman, Dunbarton, and Fratello for example. Honduran brands in the Canteros portfolio are Kafie 1901, Oscar Valladares, and Alec Bradley. Arturo Fuente and Casa Cuevas are amongst the Dominican cigar brands. The list is too long to name all brands. Recently Rocky Patel and Casdagli cigars joined the family as well. And now Oliva Cigars is officially in New Zealand.