Publication Details
| Publisher | Habanos S.A. |
| Release Date | April 2003 |
| Collaboration | Joint venture with Hunters & Frankau UK |
Overview
Released in April 2003, this comprehensive reference work emerged from a collaborative effort between Habanos S.A. and the distinguished UK distributor Hunters & Frankau. The publication serves as an authoritative snapshot of the Cuban cigar landscape at a pivotal moment in the industry's history.
Format and Contents
The guide arrives housed in a rigid cardboard folder containing loose-leaf pages designed for easy reference. Beyond the primary content, collectors receive three supplementary materials: a 57-page booklet titled "Cultivating a Tradition of Perfection," a cardboard ring gauge tool for measuring cigars, and an informative poster displaying "The Guide to Habanos Sizes."
Readers should note that an unauthorized soft-cover American reprint exists in circulation. This version reportedly offers no additional content beyond the original publication.
Brand Coverage and Organization
At the time of publication, the guide documented 33 active Habanos brands. Each brand receives its own dedicated loose-leaf page featuring full-color photographs of every cigar in the lineup, complete with authentic band imagery. The pages measure 165mm by 240mm and fold outward to accommodate the complete range of vitolas within each brand.
The cigars within each brand section follow a logical classification system, organized into three distinct categories:
- Handmade long-filler cigars
- Handmade short-filler cigars
- Machine-made cigars
Historical Significance
This publication captures the Habanos portfolio precisely at the dawn of 2003, preserving a record of the industry before significant transformations took hold. Notably absent are any Special Release offerings, which were documented separately.
The historical value of this guide has only increased with time. Every machine-made cigar documented within these pages has since either been discontinued entirely or transitioned to handmade production. Furthermore, all six fully machine-made brands active in 2003 have since vanished from the Habanos catalog entirely.
Verdict
For serious collectors and historians of Cuban tobacco, this publication represents an invaluable record of a bygone era in Habanos production. The combination of visual documentation, organizational clarity, and the capture of now-extinct machine-made offerings makes this a worthy addition to any enthusiast's library. Highly recommended.