Habano styles
There are seven forms of presentation for individual Habanos, and many options of packs you can buy. With band The classic Habano: dressed with a band to identify its brand. With double band In some cases, a second band identifies the vitola, or where appropriate,…
The Merchants and the Seas – Habano cigar treasure chests
Founded in Beirut, Lebanon, Phoenicia is one of the biggest distributors of Habanos. It is now offering a special collection of four lines – Phoenicians, Mediterranean, Volutes and Horizon. Each line is limited to 100 humidors containing 40 cigars each. A fifth line called Journey,…
Dressing the cigar box
Cuba was the first to introduce the classic labelled cigar box in the mid-19th Century, and it remains the best-known form of Habano packaging. The extravagant paper trimmings on the box are called habilitaciones, literally dressings. Each label has its own time-honoured name and all…
Applying cigar bands
Cigar bands were introduced in the 1860s by Don Gustavo Bock, a European who had arrived in Havana to make his fortune in cigars. Legend has it that the idea sprang from a desire to protect the white-gloved fingers of his more refined customers from…
Sorting wrapper colours
No product on earth enjoys a more painstaking treatment in its presentation and packaging, starting with the perfect colour-matching of the wrappers. Wrappers come in many finely distinguished shades of colour, and great care is taken to ensure that all of the cigars in any…
Totally handmade filler
An extraordinary craft that has changed little in 200 years. Variations in the method of making 1. Totally handmade, long filler All but a small number of Habanos are made totally by hand, with a filler composed of full-length tobacco leaves. According to the…
Processing sun-grown leaf for Habano fillers and binders
Filler and binder leaves are subjected to a much more complex and extensive process than wrappers, including several fermentations. Air curing All filler and binder leaves are cured in the farmers’ traditional Curing Barns. As with wrappers, the leaves are sewn together and hung on…
Shade-grown leaf for Habano wrappers
The processing of the tobacco leaves used to make a Habano differs according to their method of cultivation and their final function in the cigar. Below is a brief description of the processes used for the leaves that are destined to become wrappers. Air curing…
The ritual of cutting, lighting and smoking a Habano
Like wine or any fine beverage, the construction of a premium cigar is a meticulous and time-consuming process. Each part of the cigar is carefully crafted by the best cigar rollers and has a crucial role in the experience of smoking. Cutting the cap The…