If the decision to bring back Cuban Cigars were a "Eurovision Contest"

[El Presidente]

Hypothetical

Maximus Supremo Robusto, the 23rd VP of Habanos (since 2010), has announced at the 2017 Habanos Festival that Habanos will online poll the world each year between March and June to determine a cigar to be brought back into regular production for a guaranteed period of two years. Should minimum sales numbers of 250,000 cigars (10,000) boxes be sold over that 24 month period, the cigar will be guaranteed production for the following decade. All boxes will be in 25 counts.

Each year, a selection of 5 cigars will be put up. While the winner has guaranteed production, the losing cigars can not be polled again for 7 years.

The cigars for 2018 are a choice from the following:

Ramon Allones 898

la Gloria Cubana Medaile D'Or Number 2

Punch Super Seleccion Number 2

H. Upmann Super Corona

Partagas Lonsdale

I have a fair idea which will come out ahead. Your pick?

PS....yes, while the MO2 is not officially discontinued, it might as well be.

[sactochris]

BCE

[NSXCIGAR]

Partagas Lonsdale with RA 898 a close second.

But really...all of them please!

[Fugu]

...., the losing cigars can not be polled again for 7 years.

Coming with a heavy flipside

[CaptainQuintero]

Which cigars are the Eastern European cigars which will block vote for each other?

[PuffDaddie]

Ramon Allones 898 is the one.

[Ken Gargett]

monday morning and you are already bored?

if my aunt was my uncle....

[Ken Gargett]

but seriously, how does the punch SS2 not get every vote?

[Bartolomeo]

Punch....

[Shrody234]

I like the idea.

All of these are before my CC time, but I know the 898 is missed by many and probably for good reason. I love the marca and would love to get my hands on some; my vote would be the RA 898.

[Smallclub]

Punch SS2 with a Upmann Super Corona blend in a LGC2/RA898 packaging

[LLC]

RA898 but would love to see the Dip4 on that list.

[JohnS]

RA898 but would love to see the Dip4 on that list.

Spot on...my exact sentiments too!

[Lant63]

Punch

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NSXCIGAR]

Man, I'm having some voter's remorse I didn't go with the 898 or the SS2...

[jmg]

one more vote for all of them

[westg]

Punch SS2

[oljud]

BCE

This...

//O

[TheMonk]

The RA did come back, albeit very briefly!

[cottierm]

Punch SS2 by far!

[riazp]

Easy one for me Punch SS2

[joeypots]

My preference in order

1) Punch Super Seleccion Number 2

2) Ramon Allones 898

3) Partagas Lonsdale

4) la Gloria Cubana Medaile D'Or Number 2

5) H. Upmann Super Corona

[GasGuy82]

My thoughts on this...

You would have to be able to put at least the first two runners-up in the drawing for the following year, otherwise, we will be faced with a situation where BCE, RA 898, Punch SS1, Punch SS2, MdO2, Tainos, PL Lonsdale etc all come up one year and then we all are punished for an additional 7 years with no luck on getting those cigars. The following or third year, a cigar like the Partagas Corona ends up getting the nod where it would not have had a chance against the cigars I mentioned above.

Even more concerning, the further we get away from the point in time those cigars we discontinued, the less chance the flavor profile will be able to be recreated. Sure we will get back the nostalgia, the vitola, the marca, but will it really be what people remember? Having never had a non RE RA 898, I've read that the cigar was untouchable for a number of years after release. Does HSA have the balls to recreate that cigar or will they take creative license to make it appeal to a wider audience and more approachable in its youth?

[vinnyvega]

SS2

No brainer

[khomeinist]

Yeah. Punch from this lot.