To cut costs, Tabacuba trialing monkeys in packaging departments

[El Presidente]

Tabacuba has obviously commenced trialing monkeys within the packaging department of at least one factory. Apparently the training is in its infancy....but don't worry they will pick it up shortly

Well folks...apparently the below box ....which is the worst presented box I have ever seen since I started in 96....passed quality control

I want to take those new to cuban cigars slowly through the tell tale signs of a poorly put together box of cigars. In this case....the classic Partagas D4. Look closely as you may miss the subtle nuances.

The Top Layer.

Did you pick it? yes...the bands are slightly misaligned.

Note also there is a cigar missing. No worries....they put in a block of cedar to cover that part. I suspect smoking the cedar block would result in a tight draw.

let's see if Bubbles did any better on the bottom layer?

....yes bubbles did. There is indeed a full row of cigars.....albeit alignment is still a little way off.

And some people wonder why we check the cigars! When I opened the box this afternoon i called over the warehouse team. We were in tears of laughter

[ramon_cojones]

this can't be real life

the cigars are obviously bad, send them to me and I will dispose of them proper

[El Presidente]

this can't be real

100% real my friend. About 3pm this afternoon. I still can't believe it.

[IPORTER]

Jesus!!! When I saw the first photo, I thought you were taking the Mickey Pres!! Is this for real? How the heck did that get through QC??? New on the job???

Amazing stuff....

[El Presidente]

the cigars are obviously bad, send them to me and I will dispose of them proper

The only explanation I have is:

A. that they were the odds and ends (remnants from the sorting table), placed in a box never meant to be sealed and sent.

B. they were meant to be taken home and sold on the street.

[El Presidente]

or possibly there is some sort of Morse code

[BradNC]

Has to be a coded message for help from a roller. ?

[Ryan]

or possibly there is some sort of Morse code

Has to be a coded message for help from a roller. ?

That's what I was thinking. Binary code, with enough boxes they could get out the time and GPS coordinates for the boat to Key West.

The only time I have seen cigars in a box like that in a factory was at the banding station. When the person applying the bands didn't like the look of the cigar, they would place it upside down in the box to highlight it to whoever was inspecting the final product.

[LordAnubis]

The only time I have seen cigars in a box like that in a factory was at the banding station. When the person applying the bands didn't like the look of the cigar, they would place it upside down in the box to highlight it to whoever was inspecting the final product.

Ahahah Wow that puts a whole new spin on it!!!

"Tabacuba trialling monkeys in quality control to cut costs"

[TheDistrictJP]

"let's see if Bubbles did any better"

Slightly hung over and I can't stop laughing at this.

[rodrigodeanda]

Oh dear! Ok, the cigar alignment is very very wrong but to put a piece of freaking cedar instead of a cigar that's just hilariously wrong, literally.

[leftimatic]

Question is how did they smoke?

[...]

lopsided packaging

[laficion]

OH brother !!!! ,And they have to defend THAT In the world ?, Good luck boys . They are the REAL monkeys !!!!!

Guy

[LGC]

Too funny!!!

... and this is why depending on factory codes as an indication of quality is an exact science

[nutcracker]

I'm horrified Pres - that can't have some out of Partagas, surely? D4 are wonderful sticks - that's just wrong!!!

Are you sure you didn't get those from a guy on the beach in Mexico?

[Bernardini]

That's funny and a bit scary.....

[Drguano]

To be fair, packaging cigars is just their day job. Here is where they excel:

[Habana Mike]

Oh dear! Ok, the cigar alignment is very very wrong but to put a piece of freaking cedar instead of a cigar that's just hilariously wrong, literally.

Cedar should have been on the bottom layer. 13 on top, 12 and a block below.

There were only 11 on top with the block though so box of 24

[topdiesel]

Good eye prez.

I would have missed that error. Once you mentioned the slight discrepancy it became obvious, but I really struggled with it at first.

[1LegLance]

Remember folks it is a Communist country and normal business rules don't apply.

Do some research on what it takes to get fired from your job in a cigar factory.

Ask if you have ever noticed any little tracking papers to show who rolled a particular cigar, who sorted the colors to put a grouping together, who built the box, who banded the sticks and packaged them?

The normal rules of "do a bad job and lose your job" don't apply in an system where the consumer is NOT king.

Production quotas, hard currency, top down decisions and then think about how the marketing folks Habanos, SA is a completely different company.

Sad as that box is I more likely believe the idea that the cigars were flipped as a quality flag and then the box accidentally went out the door than anything else. But then again nothing from Cuba can be too crazy to be true.

[monkey66]

Why do they always blame the monkeys ...not cool.

[Puros Y Vino]

Serious hatchet job.

[nutcracker]

I know!!! - It was when all you Aussies visited the factory! Everything got turned upside down, and you confused the poor lad - he didn't know which was was up anymore.

[Bartolomeo]

ABR code?

April Fools joke?