Current Status of Habanos’ Special Releases.

[Trevor2118]

The following is an article by Simon Chase, Hunters & Frankau, UK which give a remarkable in-sight into the current / future status of Habanos Special releases and the recent process involved in developing the 2007 UK Regional Release.

ARTICLE

Innovation Galore

by Simon Chase

In June ‘06, I sat in Havana’s Hotel Nacional surrounded by upwards of one hundred delegates from around the world whose principal role in life is to distribute Cuban cigars. We had just received a presentation from our hosts, Habanos SA, on a cascade of new cigars to be sold this year and in the future.

There were new sizes and new packs. Some were limited editions, while others could only be sold in selected countries or shops. Some had specially aged wrappers and others contained tobaccos that were aged for two, three, even five years.

An exciting pitch but, nevertheless, when it was over, the room fell silent. As probably the most mature delegate present, I broke the ice. “That was fabulous,” I began, “but could you please write down how many different categories of cigars you are planning to make and how they relate to one another. One day,” I continued, “someone will have to explain all this to people who want to buy them and, right now, I don’t know where to begin.”

A couple of months later, a piece of paper arrived on which were described no less than nine different cigar categories, each with its own particular characteristics. Sadly, all nine cannot be unveiled for you here, as several of the categories are still in the planning stage and remain top secret. Consequently, I shall be selective.

First, let me deal with the new additions to the leading Cuban brands as standard lines. These are not limited-production runs celebrating some anniversary or other; they’re simply new sizes that are added permanently to the brand’s range, using its standard tobacco blend.

The last five years have been rich in this type of innovation, starting in 2003 with the introduction of the Cohiba Siglo VI. Measuring 5 7/8 inches in length by a 52-ring gauge, it was the first parejo – or straight-sided – Cuban cigar of this girth ever to hit the market. It was followed in 2004 by the second, the Montecristo Edmundo, at 5 1/3” by 52. The year 2004 also saw the birth of the 4 inch by 50 Petit Robusto from Hoyo de Monterrey, on whose heels in 2005 came the Partagás Serie P No. 2, a torpedo like the Montecristo No. 2. Last year, it was the turn of Romeo y Julieta, which added to its range a robusto size called the Short Churchill, and this year has already seen the arrival of the Petit Edmundo, a 4 1/3-inch version of its elder brother, still with a 52-ring gauge.

A unifying feature of all these new sizes is that none are much more than six inches in length and they are all a 50 or higher ring gauge, which, judging by their success, reflects what smokers want.

The next category is unique because it relates to just one brand. It covers the new range of maduro Cohibas – or Cohiba Maduro 5, to give it its correct title, which was introduced at 2007’s Festival del Habano. The sizes are somewhat mystically named: the 5 ½” by 52 Genios, which means “genies” (think of Aladdin’s lamp); the 4 ½” by 52 Magicos; and the 4 3/8” by 40 Secretos.

What makes these cigars so special lies in the number 5, which flags the five-year aging process to which all their wrappers are subjected. Otherwise, the binder and filler leaves are the same as the ones used for standard Cohibas – although that makes them pretty special anyway.

Moving on, we come to various categories of limited-production runs.

Perhaps the best known is the Edición Limitada series that was first seen in 2000; three to five different sizes have been released each year since then, with the exception of 2002. They come in brands like Cohiba, Montecristo, and Romeo y Julieta, and the cigars are characterized in two ways: first, they are made in sizes that are not already found in the brand’s standard range, and, second, they bear specially aged dark wrappers.

Until this year, only the wrapper leaves had been aged for two years. But from now on, all tobaccos in Limited Edition releases will be matured for this duration. The first cigars to benefit from this new treatment – the 2007 release – are the 5 ½” by 50 Romeo y Julieta Escudos, the 5 3/8” by 46 Hoyo de Monterrey Regalos, and the 6 ½” by 42 Trinidad Ingenios.

Less frequent releases are found in the next category named Reserva. Similar in some ways to the declaration of vintages by port wine producers, Reserva cigars can only be made when sufficient quantities of aged tobaccos are available, because all of the leaves used – wrappers, binders, and fillers – must be aged for at least three years. Prior to 2007, there have only been two releases: the Cohiba Selección Reserva in 2003, and the Partagás Serie D No. 4 Reserva in 2005. The rules dictate that only 100,000 cigars of each release will be made for sale in 5,000 beautifully crafted, numbered boxes containing twenty cigars each.

This year’s release was showcased at the Festival del Habano, and it is the 5 1/8” by 42 Montecristo No. 4 Reserva – a very special version of Cuba’s most ubiquitous cigar.

The Colección Habanos is another category of special sizes that appears annually. Sold only in Casa del Habano franchise shops, of which there are now over one hundred in major cities around the world, they are (if you can find them) easily recognizable because they’re presented in wooden boxes that resemble leather-bound library volumes. Each “book” contains just twenty cigars, and only five hundred books are released each time.

The cigars themselves are huge; one of my favorites was the 2005 edition, the Montecristo Maravillas No. 1, measuring 7 ¼” inches by a mighty 55 ring. Last year, it was Trinidad’s turn with the oddly named Torre Iznaga, at 6 ¾” by 52, and this year it is H. Upmann’s go with another 55-ring monster that, at 6 ¾” 75 inches in length, is called the Magnum Especial.

I am told that collectors snap these volumes up with the enthusiasm usually reserved for J.K. Rowling’s latest offering – so you’d be lucky to see one, let alone buy it.

Though there is another category of special cigars offered in re-creations of old-style humidors, let me move swiftly on to the last category, as it allow me to tell an odd story . This category is known as the Regional Specialty.

For the last three years, the various companies that distribute Habanos around the world have been invited to bid for the chance to develop their own special sizes, which will be made in limited quantities for sale only in their own markets. At Hunters & Frankau, we got one in 2005, which was the Ramon Allones Belicoso Fino. Last year, however, much to our disappointment, we missed out.

Consequently, during 2006, we had to come up with something special for this year. Being an old established company, inevitably we looked back into the records for a great size to resurrect from yesteryear, and… there was one: the 6 ¾” by 50 Por Larrañaga Magnum, which, in its heyday, was a holy grail for cigar enthusiasts.

Its heyday, however, was quite a long time ago – well before the Cigar Boom – the Magnum had been discontinued in 1978. It seemed unlikely that this cigar would mean much to anyone, apart from a few aging dyed-in-the-wool collectors. Also, Habanos SA had reserved the Magnum size name for H. Upmann sizes. We reached an agreement to call it the Magnifico instead, but, nevertheless, the idea was parked.

Enter the hand of fate.

In March of last year, I visited a doctor to discuss a problem about which I shall not bore you. In his consulting room, I spied that he kept his notes in an old Partagás box. Although he was not a smoker, he declared that he was descended from a long line of medical men who had been devoted to Havana’s fragrant leaves. We got on famously and the consultation went extremely well.

A few days later, a small parcel arrived at my home. It was from the doctor and it contained a cigar with an accompanying letter explaining that it had belonged to his grandfather and probably dated from the early years of the twentieth century. Though he did not recommend that I smoke it, he felt it would be of more interest to me than to him. Measuring eight inches in length, it was a doble figurado (pointed at both ends) with a ring gauge of about fifty-five at its widest point. Upon rushing to a copy of a 1912 price list, I found the exact shape staring me in the face.

This was interesting enough, but what really caught my eye was the magnificent band secured around the cigar’s midpoint. Printed in two shades of gold leaf with the brand name in perfect blind embossing (relief lettering in the same color as its background) upon it, the brand was – as I’m sure you’ve guessed – Por Larrañaga.

The size and design of the band were familiar, but I had never seen it printed with such quality. I compared it to examples from the 1940s and 1970s, which simply could not hold a candle to this one.

From that moment on, the idea of re-creating the Por Larrañaga Magnum size under the name of Magnifico returned to the frame with the idea that, if it were possible to turn the clock back a century, we should undoubtedly reproduce this old band in all its finery.

When it comes to printing in the cigar business, there is one man who stands out from the rest. As the owner of a company that recently celebrated its centenary, he is so steeped in lithography’s history that, in his hometown, he founded a museum dedicated to the art. Above all, he is committed to quality. His name is Peter Vrijdag, his company is Drukkerij Vrijdag B.V. and his hometown is Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

At this point, I had never met Peter; we knew each other by reputation but we had never come face to face. I e-mailed him the challenge of re-creating the old band and flew to Eindhoven to discuss it with him at the very end of August.

Just as with the doctor, we got on famously. There were technical difficulties involved in replicating the band – hardly surprising considering the revolution that has taken place in printing over the last twenty years, let alone the last hundred. Another problem was that I only wanted 20,000 bands, as that is the number of Magnificos we plan to make. The job was the smallest Peter had ever undertaken and it was not going to make his fortune. But, generously, he agreed to take it on.

By Christmas of 2007, the breathtaking bands arrived at my office.

The next step was to produce the cigars that would bear the gorgeous bands. During the Festival del Habano at the end of February, we met with the factory director in Havana.

I had managed to obtain from a collector four precious Por Larrañaga Magnums from 1972

In La Corona’s Tasting Room the factory’s professional tasters met with an elite group from the British Havana trade including London Cigar Merchants Desmond Sautter and Edward Sahakian, Hotel du Vin’s world champion cigar sommelier, Fabien Garrigues, Sir Terence Conran, Jemma Freeman,Ana Lopez and Havana Man of the Year, journalist Nick Foulkes.

We smoked the new production against its 35 year-old forebears.

Remember this cigar has not been made since 1978. As the comparative tasting progressed, one thing became clear: the category of flavour of the freshly made cigars was precisely the same as the old ones -smooth, light to medium and delicious.

The project is now complete and 1,400 numbered boxes of Por Larrañaga Magnificos (400 in 25s and 1,000 are in 10s) will be on sale in the UK before the end of the summer, along with several of the other innovations from Habanos SA this year. There is no doubt that, in the world of cigars, these are exciting times.

[brian1]

Trevor,

Thanks for posting that very interesting piece. In my business that is called talking up your own book!!, nevertheless interesting insights from Simon Chase.

[Trevor2118]

» Thanks for posting that very interesting piece. In my business that is called talking up your own book!!, nevertheless interesting insights from Simon Chase.

Simon Chase’s article Innovation Galore (June ’06) gives a remarkable in-sight into the current / future status of Habanos Special releases.

Of special interest was the Habanos response to Simon's question following a presentation from Habanos SA, on a cascade of new cigars to be sold this year and in the future.

His question was:

“That was fabulous but could you please write down how many different categories of cigars you are planning to make and how they relate to one another. One day, someone will have to explain all this to people who want to buy them and, right now, I don’t know where to begin.”

A couple of months later, Simon received a piece of paper (?) which described nine different cigar categories, each with its own particular characteristics. Sadly, all nine could not be unveiled (at the time), as several of the categories were still in the planning stage and remain top secret. What could be advised was as follows:

STANDARD PRODUCTION LINES

1. Additions to Standard Lines.

2. Maduro Cigars. .

LIMITED PRODUCTION LINES

3. Edición Limitada series.

4. Reserva Series.

5. Colección Habanos.

6. Replica Antique Humidors.

7. Regional Speciality (Editions).

8. Unknown.

9. Unknown.

Any speculation on the last 2 Categories??????????? :wink:

[El Presidente]

» 8. Unknown.

»

» 9. Unknown.

»

» Any speculation on the last 2 Categories??????????? :wink:

I do hope that Habanos s.a will take up the idea of a "Heritage Release Program" that we proposed in a submission last October. The idea behind it is that Habanos s.a will choose one discontinued "vintage cigar" each year and release it to all markets. This release would celebrate the history of the Cuban Cigar and reinforce "tradition" alongside "innovation" that is characterised by the newer releases.

[kmax]

» » 8. Unknown.

» »

» » 9. Unknown.

» »

» » Any speculation on the last 2 Categories??????????? :wink:

»

» I do hope that Habanos s.a will take up the idea of a "Heritage Release

» Program" that we proposed in a submission last October. The idea behind it

» is that Habanos s.a will choose one discontinued "vintage cigar" each year

» and release it to all markets. This release would celebrate the history

» of the Cuban Cigar and reinforce "tradition" alongside "innovation" that

» is characterised by the newer releases.

Nice idea Prez I like that one!:-D

[Jimmy2]

That really is a great idea Prez and i mean it!!!:-)

[Ken Gargett]

i met simon at the festival earlier this year. aside from being a decent bloke, he came across as someone who had his finger on the pulse and knew what was going on. unlike some of his countrymen (and that is not something limited solely to that small island), he gave the impression more of going with the flow rather than pushing an agenda.

agree re the heritage idea except someone needs to make certain that wise choices are made re which cigar - it hasn't always been so. after all, some of these cigars were discontinued for a reason. some, on the other hand, have been discontinued for reasons hard to fathom.