Seven Deadliest ….

No not the seven deadly sins rather the magnificent horological seven. Seven Wonders of the World a very interesting article featuring a comparison of today’s horological cream of the crop Grand Complications.

Featuring the following watches:

Audemars Piguet 'Grand Complication'
Blancpain '1735'
Franck Muller 'Mega'
I.W.C. 'Grand Complication'
Jaeger-LeCoultre 'Tryptych'
Patek Philippe 'Sky Moon Tourbillon'
Vacheron Constatin 'Tour de L'ile'



From Spring 2008 Vox Magazine / Antiquorum
Brandon Thomas (Director, Horological Expert) - Geneva Office

I have to concur with Brandon’s findings especially his astute conclusion as to the ultimate “winner” (perhaps better to say the preferred choice) in this great company of the magnificent seven achievements of the utmost horological scale. As unattainable to mere mortals are they all - they are non the less, if not even more, impressive to experts and collectors alike. Hope you enjoy the reading.

Habanos Regional Edition (Edición Regional) Series.

Habanos Regional Edition (Edición Regional) Series.



Since 2005, Habanos SA has released the Regional Edition (Edición Regional) Series. The phenomenal success of the German 5th Avenue Gold Medal release in 2004 is considered by many as the real initiating factor to the Regional Release series.

Initially, the worldwide Global & Niche brands were excluded from this series, but in 2007 a "Montecristo" was released in Mexico under the Edmundo Dante brand name.

The Regional Edition (ER) cigars are special limited-production cigars made for specific regional markets on a (normally) once-off basis and are available for a 1 or 2 year period. After this, the cigar can be considered by Habanos for inclusion in the current production range. Each release is initiated by the Regional Distributor, who underwrites the setup costs. Some distributors elect to reissue in the second year. Reissue cigars are identical but the box leaflet has a statement "Its great acceptance encourages us to present this edition again.....".

The cigars may be new vitolas or reinstated old vitolas. The cigars normally have two bands. The main band is normally standard production but can be a modified or old replica band. The second band is a uniform regional edition band (red & silver) printed with the word "Exclusivo" and the Region Name (in Spanish). The 2005 UK release only had a single band.

The Spanish region names are as follows: (incomplete)
• Alemania - Germany
• Asia Pacifico - Asia Pacific
• Benelux - Belgium
• Canadá - Canada
• España - Spain
• Francia - France
• Medio Oriente - Middle East
• Mexico- Mexico
• Reino Unido - United Kingdom

Chronological Regional Edition (Edición Regional) series releases:

2005 RE This first year had 5 releases.
• Italy - Punch - Superfinos
• Italy - Ramon Allones - Seleccion Suprema
• Switzerland - Ramon Allones - Eminencia
• Switzerland - Punch - Robustos
• UK - Ramon Allones - Belicoso
________________________________________
2006 RE This year had 6 new releases.
• Asia Pacific - Punch - Super Robusto
• Asia Pacific - Ramon Allones - Estupendo
• France - Bolivar - Libertadores
• France - Juan Lopez - Obus
• Germany - Por Larranaga - Lonsdales
• Germany - Bolivar - Colosales
________________________________________
2007 RE This year had 8 new releases.
• Asia Pacific - Por Larranaga - Robusto
• Baltic States - El Rey del Mundo - Vikingos
• Belgium - Ramon Allones - Specially Selected Gran Robusto
• Canada - Bolivar - Simones
• Middle East - Bolivar - Double Coronas
• Spain - Vegas Robaina - Maestros
• UK - Por Larranaga - Magnificos
• Mexico - Montecristo Edmundo Dantes - El Conde 109
________________________________________
2008 RE This year 17 new releases are proposed.
• Arab Emirates - Punch - Robusto
• Asia Pacific - Bolivar - Shorts
• Asia Pacific - Por Larranaga - Belicosos Extra
• Caribbean - Juan Lopez - Petit Piramides
• Caribbean - La Gloria Cubana - Marshall
• France - Bolivar - Petit Libertador
• France - Ramon Allones - Especial
• Hong Kong - Bolivar - Harmony
• Italy - El Rey del Mundo - Especiales
• Italy - Punch - Diadema
• Middle East - Ramon Allones - Phoenicios
• Portugal - Vegas Robaina - Petit Robusto
• Spain - Ramon Allones - Grandes
• Switzerland - Bolivar - Legendarios
• Switzerland - Juan Lopez - Maximo
• United Kingdom - Punch - Piramides
• United Kingdom - La Gloria Cubana - Gloriosos

Information from www.cubanCigarWebsite.com

Habanos Edición Limitada - Limited Edition Series

Habanos Edición Limitada - Limited Edition Series



Since 2000, Habanos SA has released the Limited Edition (Edición Limitada aka EL) series from within their premium brands. The EL series distinguishes itself by the release of cigars that are not part of the current production range. Initially, the cigars were manufactured using a selection of two-year old aged wrappers from the upper level of the plant, to produce a unique darker color. From 2007 on, the binder and filler leaves were also aged for two years. The EL’s are produced for that year only and being highly sought after they typically fetch a higher premium on the retail market. Selective series if they are hugely successful more often than not are reproduced a few years later as a regular series.

Chronological Limited Edition (Edición Limitada) series releases:

2000 LE The first release of this series involved four brands.
• Hoyo de Monterrey - Particulars
• Montecristo - Robustos
• Partagas - Piramides
• Romeo y Julieta - Exhibicion No.2
________________________________________
2001 LE These cigars were not released until mid 2002, but have 2001 limited edition bands.
• Cohiba - Piramides
• Hoyo de Monterrey - Particulars
• Montecristo - Double Corona
• Partagas - Serie D No.3
• Romeo y Julieta - Robustos
________________________________________
2002 LE No releases this year due to the late release of the 2001 LE cigars.
________________________________________
2003 LE This release involved five brands.
• Cohiba - Double Coronas
• Hoyo de Monterrey - Piramides
• Montecristo - Montecristo C
• Partagas - Serie D No.2
• Romeo y Julieta - Hermoso No.1
________________________________________
2004 LE This release involved four brands.
• Cohiba - Sublimes
• Hoyo de Monterrey - Epicure Especial
• Partagas - Serie D No.1
• Romeo y Julieta - Hermoso No.2
________________________________________
2005 LE This release involved three brands.
• H Upmann - Magnum 50
• Montecristo - Montecristo D
• Romeo y Julieta - Petit Piramides
________________________________________


2006 LE This is the Fifth Anniversary of the Limited edition Series. It involved a re-issue of three of the most popular LE cigars to date.
• Cohiba - Piramides
• Montecristo - Robustos
• Partagas - Serie D No.3
________________________________________
2007 LE This release involves three brands. This was the first release where all the tobacco (wrapper, binder, & filler) has been aged two years.
• Hoyo de Monterrey - Regalos
• Romeo y Julieta - Escudos
• Trinidad - Ingenio
________________________________________
2008 LE This release will involve three brands.
• Cuaba - Piramides
• Montecristo - Sublimes
• Partagas - Serie D No.5

Information from www.cubanCigarWebsite.com

It's again that great forbidden smoking time of the year – 10th Habanos Festival

From 25th to 29th February, La Habana, was a venue of the 10th Habanos Festival which is a center point of the distributors, specialists and lovers of the best cigar in the world. During that time the presentation were held of all of the novelties to be incorporated to the Habanos portfolio in 2008, to the cigar aficionados world .
Inside the Habanos Festival besides the novelties for 2008 the most pleasurable experience must be the local of Havana which create a unique atmosphere to fully enjoy the unique aroma, flavors and texture of the Habanos, the true celebrated stars of the Festival.

Habanos Novelties

There are three new Limitadas officially announced for the 2008 that will debut during the Habanos Festival, including the Partagas Serie D No. 5, Cuaba Piramid, and the Montecristo Sublimes. The great news is that also the H. Upmann Magnum 50 (which was a Limitada a few years back) will become a regular line, as will something from Hoyo de Monterrey the line extension to Epicure which would be Epicure Especial, which was as well a 2004 EL.
Another thing worth of a note is the addition of few new Tubos (like the super cool black on red Partagas Serie P No. 2) to the market, as with the previous few years that saw the intro of the hugely successful Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill, Cohiba Siglo II, VI, etc.

CA’s James Suckling tasting of the Habanos 2008 Edición Limitadas:

Cuaba Piramides
6 1/8 by 52 ring
This is the same size as the popular Montecristo No. 2. It is super refined and long with light coffee and nutty character. Full flavored with a long finish. Gorgeous and fresh. All is in balance. Perfect draw.
93 points (non blind)

Montecristo Sublimes
6 1/2 by 54 ring
The strongest of the three, it shows lots of espresso bean, roasted meat and earth under the tobacco. Full and rich. Long and flavorful. Full throttle.
92 points (non blind)

Partagas Serie D No. 5
4 1/3 by 50 ring
This is essentially a Serie D No. 4 but short. However, it has a different flavor profile and is more spicy. The cigar comes across a little herbal at first but turns to dried flowers. Full and balanced with a spicy finish. I smoked three yesterday. The more I smoke them, the more I like them.
91 points (non blind)

All of these sound very tasty and they should be available in a few month so hopefully I will have a chance to sample all of them and report with my personal impressions.

Winter Blues All Around Me

This winter has been brutal and is simply killing me emotionally. The sheer severity of the cold weather, short muggy dreary days and overall my inability to function is effectively slowly doing me in. Lack of daily enjoyment of sun, almost non existent outdoor activity, no motivation for any sports or exercise is leaving me demoralized and just plain useless. This is probably the reason I don’t spend much time contemplating and discussing all those things that usually make my grey matter tick. I surely can’t wait for a little change of scenery, a few sun rays and that simple magic which that beautiful change of seasons finally brings. I know we all go through it, but this time it’s got me real bad - the good old winter blues.

First post in 2008 … what?

Well I have been quite busy wrapping things up left over from last year and dealing with all the challenges the New Year presents. This year I decided not to have many New Years resolutions as frankly unless one is really adamant about change they really never work out as planned. So firstly I will not be bullshitting myself or you for that matter with excuses like the one you just read in the first sentence. We all heard by now that much overused line of “excuses are like assholes as everyone has one!” so I will not be that lame and end up using it on myself. So what am I getting at?

Basically in the last few months I was just not motivated, simply too lazy to write something that I would not consider meaningful to post. Although I stated at the initiation of this blog I would write my daily thoughts, musings & interests about anything that currently makes me tick, well I just never actually followed up on it as I didn’t find it that interesting to be writing about. The reason was that when I wrote about these things they just sounded like ramblings and not something that I would be proud to publish. So this made me think am I being true to my blog mission statement? No excuses, it was decision time. The resolution is that from now I will not self edit this blog, not in regards to the content, writing style or any kind of suitability. So expect more posts, thoughts & opinions as often they come to me you’ll see it next here – promise.

Ulysse Nardin new E catalog

Check out this pretty cool E catalog by ULYSSE NARDIN