The Complete Guide For Habanos' Enthusiasts

[antaean]

I just received a copy of "The Complete Guide For Habanos' Enthusiasts (La Guia Completa Para los Amantes de Habanos)" as a free gift for buying a box of cigars from JR Cigars online. The book is paperback with glossy paper and color photos of various Habanos. The size is about 10" high by 6.5" width, glued binding, and about 140 pages. It contains a brief synopsis of the brands and decent quality color photos of singles and a few boxes. There is no publication date but seems like it should be fairly recent info. For example, the pics of the Bolivars are shown with the current bands. No tasting notes or prices are given.

This seems like a nice reference but is certainly not of the calibre of the classic encyclopaedia by MRN. For a free gift along with cigars I buy anyway, I like it.

One thing that caught my eye: There is no listing for Por Larranaga Petit Coronas, but the Monte Carlo, Panatela, Lolas en Cedro, and Juanitos are shown. The Monte Carlo and the Panatela are listed as "totalmente a mano" and the others as "mechanizado". I was surprised as I thought only the PLPC's were totalmente a mano. Of course I was also surprised there were no PLPC's listed.

This book is very nice, but I would not rate it as a "must have".

Cheers,
antaean

 

[PTownshend]

Hello antaean,
First off, I think its common knowledge (at least around these parts) that the PLPCs have been discontinued (according to MRN, since 2002 - according to others here, perhaps several years).

Secondly, I have ordered a box of cigars from JR today and am awaiting this book. I'm sure it won't even scrape the surface of bountiful information such as the aforementioned MRN book, but it IS up to date (MRN has only gone up to 2002, I believe), and that (along with the real size photos) are enough for me to get this reproduction of the original book.

Once the book and cigars show up, I'll try and give it a review.....

Darren

 

[alpi57]

Actually the PLPC is back in production although in small quantities. The PLMC is machine made. The only part that is rolled by hand is the wrapper, due to its size which machine cannot roll. So as a purist point of view it is a machine made cigar nevertheless. But that doesn't make it a bad cigar. On the contrary it is a very nice and sought after cigar.

 

[Ginseng]

For the price, it's not a bad thing. I certainly would not have paid more than $10 for it if I saw it at Barnes and Noble. And the thing is riddled with grammar and spelling errors. It's obvious that they didn't have a native English speaker on the editing team. I can see how a vendor might like to have a few of these on the counters but there's not much in the way of unique information it provides. And it doesn't tell you why what, why and where "found in most countries" and "found in few countries" means.

Wilkey

 

[Brickhouse]

Thanks for the book review. Saw this in the catalog and was curious on how it was.

 

[Black Plague]

Don't get hung up too much on what is "officially" discontinued or still in production. For example, it that same book it says they still make Por Larranaga Juanitos (and even says the same on Habanos' website's official production list), which I have never seen.

Plus the book is a bit dated. The PLPC was axed, but then reinstated in 50 cabs, which you can still find produced every year and sold by many vendors.

 

[CgarDan]

Anyone know where I can get a copy of the MRN book. Looked at Amazon and B&N but could not find it

 

[Ginseng]

Anyone know where I can get a copy of the MRN book. Looked at Amazon and B&N but could not find it

There is no printer information and no ISBN. Most likely, it's a closed job for the Habanos S.A. organization. Spend a couple of bucks with JR and it's yours.

Wilkey

 

[CgarDan]

Anyone know where I can get a copy of the MRN book. Looked at Amazon and B&N but could not find it

There is no printer information and no ISBN. Most likely, it's a closed job for the Habanos S.A. organization. Spend a couple of bucks with JR and it's yours.

Wilkey

Actually JR has a different book I am talking about the Min Ron Nee book

 

[Ginseng]

Anyone know where I can get a copy of the MRN book. Looked at Amazon and B&N but could not find it

There is no printer information and no ISBN. Most likely, it's a closed job for the Habanos S.A. organization. Spend a couple of bucks with JR and it's yours.

Wilkey

Actually JR has a different book I am talking about the Min Ron Nee book

Oops, sorry. PM sent.

Wilkey