In the international panorama of slow smoke, the aging of cigars represents the ultimate expression of patience and technical mastery. Modifying the organoleptic structure of a Habano through controlled maturation is a fine art, and few actors in the world know how to interpret it like Hunters & Frankau. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the AITS (Association of Independent Tobacco Specialists), the historic exclusive distributor of Habanos for the United Kingdom has announced the release of its highly anticipated and exclusive selection from the House Reserve.
This new release draws directly from the company's treasure trove of memories: a collection of excellent vitolas encompassed under the prestigious title of Aged & Rare.
The Art of Controlled Aging: The Pillars of House Reserve
Since the turn of the millennium, Hunters & Frankau has annually selected and preserved a series of particularly promising Havana cigar boxes. These boxes are not immediately released to the market, but are instead left to age in the company's warehouses, which maintain ideal microclimatic conditions. Under the constant and rigorous supervision of Warehouse Manager, the temperature and relative humidity parameters are kept constant to allow perfect evolution of the tobacco.
Time, in this way, acts as a perfect refiner. The process of aging It softens the natural tannins of the tobacco leaves, rounds out the aromatic edges and offers a decidedly more elegant, subtle and complex smoke. The cigars presented in this release boast a minimum maturation of well ten years. In fact, each box has an identification sticker on the front with the wording 10+, 15+ or 20+, a testament to the years that have passed since cigars were rolled, boxed and shipped from the prisons of Cuba.
Rarity Categories and the “Revisado” seal”
What makes this House Reserve an unmissable event for collectors and connoisseur is the presence of categories of extraordinary rarities. Among the cigars released there are in fact first editions (first releases), historical lines now out of production (discontinued lines), Regional Editions and Limited Editions of absolute cult.
Authenticity and perfect preservation are guaranteed. Before leaving the Hunters & Frankau warehouse, each individual box is opened and inspected by highly qualified quality technicians. Once the box passes inspection, it is stamped. “Revised” (Checked).
Two fundamental elements contribute to completing the certification process:
- the Certificate of Release: applied to the outside of the box and signed by the Warehouse Manager, reports the exact date of manufacture in Cuba, the date of release from the House Reserve and the specific rarity categories of the contents;
- the foot ring: each single cigar is embellished with a second band positioned on the foot, which certifies its belonging to the collection Aged & Rare.
The protagonists of the release: the vitolas in detail
The selection presented in this round is a true anthology of the Vuelta Abajo. Among the available masterpieces, the following stand out:
- San Cristóbal de la Habana – El Morro: a prison vitola Paco (49 x 180 mm long), a historic and majestic format, now out of standard production, capable of unique aromatic evolutions.
- Romeo and Julieta – Añejados Piramides: cigars that have undergone the aging protocol directly in their original boxes in Cuba before release, enhancing the brand's sweet and spicy notes.
- Por Larrañaga – Monte Carlo: a classic Delicious (cepo 33 x 159 mm), an old-fashioned format that benefits enormously from the time factor, enhancing the delicacy of the caramelized blend typical of the brand.
- Montecristo – Double Edmundo: the famous Doubles (50 x 155 mm barrel), which over the years of aging loses its youthful edges to offer an opulent, velvety and very balanced smoke.
- Hoyo de Monterrey – Churchill: the declination of the vitola Julieta No. 2 for lovers of an aromatic and elegant smoke, where light strength marries an extraordinary tertiary complexity.
- Juan López – Superb Selection: the highly sought-after UK Regional Edition (originally released in 2016 in the format Geniales, cepo 54 x 150 mm), now re-proposed after ten years of maturation which have redefined its structure.
- Trinidad – Topes (Edición Limitada 2016): a Topes (56 x 125 mm strain) which represents the quintessence of modern large-stump smoking, where time has perfectly integrated the typical strength of Limited Editions with the aromatic finesse of Trinidad.
- Romeo and Julieta – Duke (Limited Edition 2008): a must-have for collectors (format Duke, cepo 54 x 140 mm). With almost twenty years of history since its conception, it represents the sublimation of the band mature and prolonged aging.
This release from Hunters & Frankau's House Reserve is not simply a commercial venture, but a celebration of the culture of the time. For the enthusiast of slow smoke, to be able to access certified boxes Revised With over a decade of meticulous refinement behind it, it represents the definitive opportunity to understand the true evolution of a great Habano.
Photo credit: Hunters & Frankau
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