Juan López Selección Suprema (RE 10+) 6 5/8” (170mm) x 52 ring gauge
Just 20,000 Selección Suprema were produced by the Empresa de Habana at their factory in San Antonio de los Baños in Havana Province, in 2009. The size is known as a Torre Iznaga in the factories of Cuba and has never been seen in the classic Habanos portfolio. The inspiration for the unique bands that adorn these rare Havanas comes from an album of old cigar bands which revealed that it was customary for Juan López cigars to include size names on its bands and that embossing was sometimes used.
2021 Aged & Rare Collection
Hunters & Frankau’s Aged & Rare collection consists of cigars that have been matured for a minimum of ten years in our warehouse. Every box is marked with a 10+, 15+ or 20+ to indicate the number of years since they were rolled, boxed and dispatched from the factories of Cuba. Like the first release in 2019, this collection is very limited in quantity.
It is not only their age that makes House Reserve cigars especially rare. Some of the releases have additional noteworthy features. These can be separated into three categories:
First Releases
These are boxes of cigars that arrived in the UK during the year they were launched by Habanos S.A. that were then laid down for ageing. They are known as First Releases and are particularly sought after amongst collectors.
Discontinued Lines
Cigars that are no longer being rolled in Cuba are known as Discontinued Lines. Often once very popular cigars that have now, for any number of reasons, ceased to be made. These cigars attract additional attention due to the scarcity value.
Limited Editions, Regional Editions, Reservas & Gran Reservas
These were limited production cigars at the time of release and so rarity is an integral part of their initial concept. Some of the House Reserve releases within this category will not have been seen in many shops for a number of years. Also, all but the UK Regional Editions were made using specially aged tobaccos, adding to the overall maturity.
Identifying Aged & Rare cigars
Before a box is released from House Reserve every single cigar has been checked by fully-trained Habanos S.A. quality technicians, specially flown in from Cuba for the purpose. Boxes that meet their approval are stamped ‘Revisado’, which means ‘Checked’.
A Release Certificate is also affixed to the outside of every box. This certificate, signed by our Warehouse Manager, confirms the date of manufacture in Cuba, the date of release from House Reserve, and the rarity categories that apply to its contents.
Each box carries an EMS stamp showing the year in which it was released from House Reserve. However, if during its time in our care the box was cleared from Bond sometime earlier, it will also carry the EMS stamp from the year in which that event took place.
Finally, each individual cigar is dressed with a footband confirming that it is Aged & Rare and comes from Hunters & Frankau’s House Reserve.