Cuaba: Is there a future? If so, how would you fix it?

[El Presidente]

Cuaba....oh Cuaba...where are you going.

Apparently no where fast

There is no other premium marque that sits on the shelf as long as Cuaba. I walk past them month in and month out in the humidor and I can here the box lids opening ...whispering.."pick me..pick me...find me a home Rob"

I don't want to break their little hearts....but it is unlikely there will be no home coming until they reach "aged or vintage" 5-10 years and then they will invariably find a home where they will be placed at the back of the humidor....one maybe two sampled...and the rest to age for a decade more.

Now I actually like some Cuaba...when rolled correctly and when the wrappers don't look like toilet paper left out in the sun for a month.

Great Cuaba screams "Peanut Butter" and toasted tobacco to me. love the profile. Just when you decide to put it in your rotation...you quickly are reminded why you haven't done so prior....no consistency in construction = a frustrating experience.

i think Cuaba has a future ( no I haven't started drinking yet).....It just needs a major rethink for as the saying goes "If you keep doing what you have always done....you keep getting what you have always got"

In my opinion:

Step one. Reduce it to two sizes in the Divinos and Distinguidos

Step two. Dedicated Rollers only making these cigars. The blend is right in both

Step Three Premium wrappers only

Step Four 50 Cabs only. limited Production (but not an LE) of 75000 sticks each = 1500 cabs of each annually.

Done correctly i believe they would be highly sought after and sell 80% more volume than they do now.

Your thoughts? alternative plan?

[shlomo]

Cuaba is a "premium" marca?

The Divinos are outstanding.

The Salomones put the Partagas version to shame.

The Diademas is a rare vitola.

Can't comment on the Distinguidos.

Honestly, the marca name "Cuaba" just is flat and kind of uninspiring, and the band itself is just awful. I know people don't smoke the band or taste the name, but people do make purchases based on something other than simply taste many times...

[fookite]

Like you say, the problem is that people throw the Cuabas in the back of their humidor and forget about them.

The solution? Bigger boxes, so they take up the entire shelf. Cut the line to 100 cabs of Diademas.

[oliverdst]

Cabs of 50 would be a impeditive to many people try them. But if they know it's limited 1500 a year it would sell quickly.

If Vegueros have been redesigned why not Cuabas?

[DrunkenMonkey]

The solution: Put those rollers to work making punch ss1 and bolivar CE.

[polarbear]

I've never had one I've been impressed with

The shape is nice and I like the fact that HSA has a line that is dedicated to the Salamones but every Cuaba I've had has left me flat.

In terms of fixing the marca...

I think Rob is right, cut the line down a little

Start using premium materials and rollers and give the packaging a revamp.

As much as I'd love to see what a 50 cab of Divinos and Distinguidos would look like, without a price decrease i think such large format packaging would be a bad idea.

Maybe still with 10 count boxes primerally and allocate a small amount of production to 50 Cabs...

[Smallclub]

Cuaba is a "premium" marca?

Of course it's a premium marca. I remember an interview of Jorge Maique when he was head of Coprova, distibutor for France (before he was appointed head of HSA's marketing arm), in the french magazine L'Amateur de Cigare, in which he explained that HSA considered Cuaba as a first class product that will continue to be supported until it encounters the success it deserves…

[Guybrush]

Never had a problem with the Salomones and the one Distinguido I tried was not wrong at all.

The band is awful indeed.

[rigby]

step one: education… most smokers have forgotten about the perfecto. pre WW11 perfectos where common, look at any Loonie Tunes cartoon. The rich "fat cat" smoking a cigar… always a perfecto.

step two: trim the line in the middle.

step three: EL. I know that some will disagree… but, a good EL would create some positive "hype" for the whole marca.

step four: step out of the box and enjoy something different ;-)

[Smallclub]

step one: education… most smokers have forgotten about the perfecto. pre WW11 perfectos where common, look at any Loonie Tunes cartoon. The rich "fat cat" smoking a cigar… always a perfecto.

So what? I don't get the point… Education to what? mimic wealthy people of the past? what's the relation whith quality?

step three: EL. I know that some will disagree… but, a good EL would create some positive "hype" for the whole marca.

Did the Cuaba Pyramid EL from 2008 create some positive "hype"? I don't think so, although it was a great cigar…

[ewipper]

Reopen romeo factory. No other solution.

[mychetboy]

1. Premium wrappers only

2. Change blend! 1/2 Hoyo 1/2 partagas = unique

2. Give the people what they want...Coronas, Lonsdales and Corona gorda and Robusto sizes...forget the rest!

[rigby]

So what? I don't get the point… Education to what? mimic wealthy people of the past? what's the relation whith quality?

Did the Cuaba Pyramid EL from 2008 create some positive "hype"? I don't think so, although it was a great cigar…

the point I was making is simple… Cuaba is a throwback to the past. I have smoked many Cuaba and have not had a problem with quality.

EL cigars do create positive "hype" when good… you just proved it… your quote: "it was a great cigar"...

[shlomo]

Of course it's a premium marca. I remember an interview of Jorge Maique when he was head of Coprova, distibutor for France (before he was appointed head of HSA's marketing arm), in the french magazine L'Amateur de Cigare, in which he explained that HSA considered Cuaba as a first class product that will continue to be supported until it encounters the success it deserves…

My question was; what makes it a more premium cigar than Hoyo or Partagas or even Montecristo? Trinidad and Cohiba are what I would consider "premium" based on cost per gram as opposed to others that all hover around the same price points.

[shlomo]

the point I was making is simple… Cuaba is a throwback to the past. I have smoked many Cuaba and have not had a problem with quality.

EL cigars do create positive "hype" when good… you just proved it… your quote: "it was a great cigar"...

His point was that there was a Cuaba EL already that was received with excellent reviews all around and it still did nothing for the marca. Same with a book release that has done nothing to help it.

[Jszeto]

So what? I don't get the point… Education to what? mimic wealthy people of the past? what's the relation whith quality?

Did the Cuaba Pyramid EL from 2008 create some positive "hype"? I don't think so, although it was a great cigar…

the point I was making is simple… Cuaba is a throwback to the past. I have smoked many Cuaba and have not had a problem with quality.

EL cigars do create positive "hype" when good… you just proved it… your quote: "it was a great cigar"...

Simply put, there needs to be discussion and dialogue about Cuaba and it is happening right here. This, in my humble opinion, is education itself.

[SMQQKIN]

I am not so sure it is worth the effort that would be necessary to make this Marca into something....

[El Presidente]

Simply put, there needs to be discussion and dialogue about Cuaba and it is happening right here. This, in my humble opinion, is education itself.

Bingo

[shlomo]

I am not so sure it is worth the effort that would be necessary to make this Marca into something....

So your solution would be to discontinue it in favour of some Montecristo Grand No. 2, RyJ Double Churchill, Hoyo Epicure number 17 and Partagas Series X no. 463?

IMO, it is always worth the effort, especially when all it takes is a bit of lip service, positive reviews and some attractive pricing.

[El Presidente]

I am not so sure it is worth the effort that would be necessary to make this Marca into something....

Imagine a world where LGC/Cuaba/Ramon Allones/Diplomatico/El Rey Del Mundo/Sancho Panza each was a specialty unit owned 50% by a passionista and 50% by HSA.

The passionista funds and develops the Marque but under the auspices of the HSA partnership. However you could not own more than one Marque in the JV.

if you couldn't take Cuaba and increase sales by 10000% then there would be something wrong.

New blood, new ideas, passion, resources.

[rigby]

His point was that there was a Cuaba EL already that was received with excellent reviews all around and it still did nothing for the marca. Same with a book release that has done nothing to help it.

I agree that the help has been less than it should have been… however another EL in this marca could help… look at it this way… the last one way in 2008 and here we are in 2014… still talking about it.

I respect Cuaba because it offers something that a lot of other marcas do not, a retrospective to the past, something different. It would be a loss if discontinued, for everyone who enjoys a good cigar.

[rigby]

Imagine a world where LGC/Cuaba/Ramon Allones/Diplomatico/El Rey Del Mundo/Sancho Panza each was a specialty unit owned 50% by a passionista and 50% by HSA.

The passionista funds and develops the Marque but under the auspices of the HSA partnership. However you could not own more than one Marque in the JV.

if you couldn't take Cuaba and increase sales by 10000% then there would be something wrong.

New blood, new ideas, passion, resources.

Nail… Head.

I vote for El Pres to take over Habanos!

All in favour...

[SMQQKIN]

So your solution would be to discontinue it in favour of some Montecristo Grand No. 2, RyJ Double Churchill, Hoyo Epicure number 17 and Partagas Series X no. 463?

IMO, it is always worth the effort, especially when all it takes is a bit of lip service, positive reviews and some attractive pricing.

HSA has discontinued many good cigars over the years that has left us scratching our heads. Not so sure this one would be missed.

[polarbear]

So your solution would be to discontinue it in favour of some Montecristo Grand No. 2, RyJ Double Churchill, Hoyo Epicure number 17 and Partagas Series X no. 463?

How about shutting down Cuaba and Monte Open and rebuilding Ramon Allones, LGC or Diplomatico instead?

[shlomo]

How about shutting down Cuaba and Monte Open and rebuilding Ramon Allones, LGC or Diplomatico instead?

How about releasing one truly limited cigar every year, instead of 3, 10 regionals on a rotating basis year after year (instead of 20-25), limit the amount of other double banders and "special" releases, and rebuild those marcas that way instead of decimating yet another marca that while has not been around a long time at all, still has a relevant place in the Cuban cigar world....