Typos in the cigar business by Punch Joe

[El Presidente]

Typos in the cigar business by Punch Joe

We find them every day, everywhere, anywhere. You may think is a thing of the past yet we come across with typos again and again. Err is human, hence we make mistakes.

Let’s begin with La Escepción. Perhaps the most famed one dating from 1850’s. Catalonian José Gener was so stubborn regarding the issue of naming his newly born yet later renowned brand that he deserved to be topping the charts. Story has it that when he was kindly questioned about the misspelling of the word Excepción by a close employee, his face turned into a groaning expression to later dismiss the poor messenger in a chain of insults while slamming the door as the final statement that “he wasn’t in need for a corrector of such details of less importance for his own business”has already been made. Certainly, the brand was called as such and the iron door guards still bear the name La Escepcion at the main entrance.

Next on the list would beLa Exelencia brand. Diego L. Trujillo was a Cuban cigar manufacturer who migrated first to New York, then to Key West. His ‘La Exelencia’ was one of the most outstanding labels in the industry produced by George Schlegel Lithographers of New York and described in the July 4, 1880 edition of Tobacco: The history of the label is hinged on the left hand shield, the design of which consists of the Havana and Key West lighthouses, between which is suspended a key, and over which is the American Eagle. Despite the lovely design, the word Exelencia is, beyond borders, a typo.

One may think it’s a pre-revolution flaw but evidence shows that the misfortune one way or another re-emerges. One of my favourite typos is the 1980’s H.Upmann glass jar bearing the name of Crystales Claro instead of Cristales (in good Spanish). The plausible fusion of the words Crystals and Cristales is crystal clear to me and rather ugly to say the least. Can’t decide on who’s to blame: Either Cubatabaco, Uneta or the Cuban Lithographic Company. LOL. No piece of information is available. I once said cheerfully: We could be credited as the creators of the tobacco Spanglish.

It is not clear enough but rumour has it that Simón Vela Peláez, owner of the brand Gispert launched a vitola to honour a relative who finally made it to become a Senator (Senador) and he named it Cenadores One. The debate is based on the word Cenadores which is an old form standing for Gazebos, Kiosk and Marquees.(in Spanish: Carpa, Quiosco and Glorieta respectively) It may be ruled out from the list until we have new information about it.

And to finish off, let me show you the Gold Medalist of all times (drum rolls!)

We know for sure that the proper name of the vitola is Demi Tasse , a 32 girth x 100 mm cigar. But some people think otherwise.

[Jeremy Festa]

Cool. Love this tipe of stuff!

[brutusthebuckeye]

Hilarryious !

[Smallclub]

The De Mi Tassy has a different blend, with more lyjero and less seko.

[Dbone]

Learn something neu every day, thanks Joe!

[laficion]

Great stuff José,Thanks,I love the spelling of the ERdM's.

[Louich]

Wow Rob ! Very interesting facts.

[CUBANO]

Thanks. We Cubans always try to make life a little more interesting. BTW I have two cousins in Cuba, one named Xiomara and the other Siomara. Pronounced the same way.

[finecigar]

Thanks for sharing Rob! Humorous and informative!

[Guybrush]

What about the new Connossieur A ?

[frenchkiwi]

Great post as usual Jose. Love those wrought iron doors.

Reminds me of a (forgive me Lisa) Lisa typo on this forum calling a cigar the Hoyo de Pute . "Pute" meaning "*****" in french (and all the Le Hoyo series have french names so a contextually accurate typo). I'll let your imagination fill in the many possible meanings of the full expression.