Connie 1 vs Connie A

[Lotusguy]

I thought Connie A came out in like 2013...  

Correct. I can only assume he meant a Connie 1.

[Hocky27]

Glad this thread came up. I was recently wondering the same thing. Will have to keep an eye out for when the A's appear again.

[David88]

In my opinion the 'A' is a superior cigar. BUT when the price is close to double that of the Connie 1 it will depend on the budget of the smoker. If you have the money for the 'A' then go for it. If you are looking for a budget conscious regular smoke then pick up a box of Connie 1s as you wont be disappointed (in my opinion).

[Lotusguy]

In my opinion the 'A' is a superior cigar. BUT when the price is close to double that of the Connie 1 it will depend on the budget of the smoker. If you have the money for the 'A' then go for it. If you are looking for a budget conscious regular smoke then pick up a box of Connie 1s as you wont be disappointed (in my opinion).

As hinted above, it is not close to double. $260 versus $180.

[David88]

3 hours ago, Lotusguy said:

As hinted above, it is not close to double. $260 versus $180.

Sorry I just took my estimate of prices from here (quite selectively though!). Connie A is currently available to buy from the store for $359 whereas Connie 1 can be picked up for less than $200 which is why I said close to double. It certainly feels like a big premium to pay! 

[NSXCIGAR]

6 hours ago, Lotusguy said:

As hinted above, it is not close to double. $260 versus $180.

Lowest price I've ever seen for Connie A is low $300s and that was on special...I wouldn't feel comfortable purchasing any Connie A for $260. Typically, the price is going to be anywhere from $340-$360, so that is about double the typical price for Connie 1. Factor in that the A is 13.8g and the 1 is 10.86g, the A has about a 33% actual premium. IMHO, the A is arguably about a 33% better cigar, and if I can get a 33% better cigar for 33% more money, I'd prefer that.

[Fugu]

In those countries in Europe where prices are fixed, the A is 1.4x Connie 1, i.e. 40% markup. Which feels fair.... (see NSXes calc. above).
Original release had been stocked at B&Ms for about USD 13.50 at that time (before the EUR-surge) - compare that with current PCC regionals....

[earthson]

On 9/5/2017 at 7:07 PM, BarryNY said:

Connie A is a cigar that EVERYONE....I mean EVERYONE loves when they smoke it.

Nerp.  I don't love them - odd size and lacking the specific "kaleidoscopic explosion" flavor and aroma that I associate with the Upmann character.  They remind me of the RA Superiores - they're TOO refined and TOO smooth.  They're good, but seem to move away from what I've come to love from the brand.  And don't even get me started on the price/gram disparity between it and other offerings.

I'm a huge fan of the PC, Conn 1 and SW.  The Conn A did not wow me and when/if the PC ever disappear from production, the Conn 1 will be my go-to.  The Conn A struck me as a cigar HSA blended to appeal to everyone by including as many flavors as possible.  Complex? Sure, but they lack the character that helps me to decide whether I want an Upmann or something else.  And the fact that they come ready to rock out of the blocks makes me think they may not age well.

I'm obviously in the minority here.

[ErikB]

The Connie A is a double cheeseburger to me , the Connie 1 a nice piece of Camembert on a fresh baguette


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[JohnS]

3 hours ago, ErikB said:

The Connie A is a double cheeseburger to me , the Connie 1 a nice piece of Camembert on a fresh baguette.

Then, logically speaking, you'd have to call the H.Upmann Sir Winston a "Royale with cheese!"

[ElJavi76]

On 9/8/2017 at 3:33 AM, NSXCIGAR said:

Lowest price I've ever seen for Connie A is low $300s and that was on special...I wouldn't feel comfortable purchasing any Connie A for $260. Typically, the price is going to be anywhere from $340-$360, so that is about double the typical price for Connie 1. Factor in that the A is 13.8g and the 1 is 10.86g, the A has about a 33% actual premium. IMHO, the A is arguably about a 33% better cigar, and if I can get a 33% better cigar for 33% more money, I'd prefer that.

If you wouldn't feel comfortable with a Connie A circa $260... I paid @$257 for a box. Go look at the pics on the recently purchased thread I posted of my box. Impeccable. I smoked one last night and it was as advertised, nothing short of amazing. They're out there for decent sale prices. Don't be afraid to explore if the vendor is reputable.

Evidence of last night's smoke below...

[luvdunhill]

I paid $270/25 for the A and sampled one from each box. Taste, look and smoke great.

 

The 1 so far for me are excellent in the complexity department aged. Given aged examples, I would gravitate for towards the 1.

 

[Troels]

Connie a's so well priced in cuba ...

bought two boxes from 2015 in jan 2016 - havent really been shining yet though - might have to revisit this afternoon

[torsion]

Well Thursday is the new Friday especially since the weather still permits a comfortable outdoor smoke.For once tonight it didn't take me long to decide what to smoke when I thought about this thread.Not smoked a Connie A in a while and had pulled out a couple for a herf last weekend which didn't get lit.
What a glorious cigar!Def within my top 5 this year.Tonights sample being from a 5er MEG '16 I believe.Very, very good!




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[GrouchoMarx]

Thinking of pulling the trigger on some "A"s - I not its not on the cubancigarwebsite though.

Do you think I'd like these given that some of my fav sticks are coros, mag56, epi 1, churchills (various), monte 2, eddys ....??? (Oh and trini vigias / fundys)

[wabashcr]

19 minutes ago, GrouchoMarx said:

its not on the cubancigarwebsite though.

https://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/brand/h-upmann#habanos-specialist-exclusive-2013

[GrouchoMarx]

Oh THERE it is - but I was under the impression that this is a "current production" stick? It says a 2013 release?

Confused....

[wabashcr]

2013 is the year it was released as a Habanos Specialist exclusive.  Just like the RA Superiores was released as a LCDH exclusive in 2010.  The LCDH and Habanos Specialist exclusives aren't limited to the year they were released.  They'll keep making them until they decide to stop.  Most of them have been fairly popular, so they seem to be safe from the ax.  Although this year's Habanos Specialist exclusive is supposed to be the Upmann Connie B, which isn't a remarkably different vitola from the A.  There has been some speculation that if the B does come to fruition, they may cut back or eliminate the A.  Certainly no official word that I'm aware of.

[GrouchoMarx]

Thanks @wabashcr !  Learn something new every day.

[stigmata]

Still have boxes of Connie 1s from 2011
Can't go past those
They're heavenly
Smoothed out and so refined.
Glad I went deep than I ever had for cigars.
The pricepoint, quality and consistency were fantastic

[NSXCIGAR]

On 9/9/2017 at 10:07 AM, ElJavi76 said:

If you wouldn't feel comfortable with a Connie A circa $260... I paid @$257 for a box

To be clear, I am always quoting prices including shipping. Also, I know that some trusted vendors were selling the A for high $200s shipping included for a while until the original 13-14 stock ran out. I really haven't seen a price like that for at least a year or even two. But I do concede that up until 2016 it may have been possible to find Connie A for around $260 without shipping. Anything less is absolutely suspect as it would be below HSA pricing to the distributor.

And feel free to PM me any source that sells Connie A for less than $300 including shipping...

[ElJavi76]

8 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

To be clear, I am always quoting prices including shipping. Also, I know that some trusted vendors were selling the A for high $200s shipping included for a while until the original 13-14 stock ran out. I really haven't seen a price like that for at least a year or even two. But I do concede that up until 2016 it may have been possible to find Connie A for around $260 without shipping. Anything less is absolutely suspect as it would be below HSA pricing to the distributor.

And feel free to PM me any source that sells Connie A for less than $300 including shipping...

I paid $257 (I'll preface by saying this was a sale price. Reg price at this vendor stands at $285.) for a shipped box of Connie As. My box code was MEG FEB 16. Please see pics in link below. (Gotta click on my username in the link to see my post) These things are flawless, with great sheen on their dark wrappers.

Do you know what HSA is charging these guys for a box? AT LCdH's in Cuba, Connie A boxes go for approximately 204 CUC, and that's retail. A master case to a retailer that does big numbers has to be in the neighborhood. 

If suspect Connie's look like the ones I got... I'll keep buying and stashing. I understand folks hesitation with certain vendors cause we've all been burned (or at least a good portion of the FOH brotherhood has with other vendors), which is why we trust Rob's very transparent process. 

Risk / Reward. It's a crap shoot sometimes, but sometimes you come out on top. 

Cheers and happy smoking!

 

[Smoking Ninja]

1 hour ago, ElJavi76 said:

I paid $257 (I'll preface by saying this was a sale price. Reg price at this vendor stands at $285.) for a shipped box of Connie As. My box code was MEG FEB 16. Please see pics in link below. (Gotta click on my username in the link to see my post) These things are flawless, with great sheen on their dark wrappers.

Do you know what HSA is charging these guys for a box? AT LCdH's in Cuba, Connie A boxes go for approximately 204 CUC, and that's retail. A master case to a retailer that does big numbers has to be in the neighborhood. 

If suspect Connie's look like the ones I got... I'll keep buying and stashing. I understand folks hesitation with certain vendors cause we've all been burned (or at least a good portion of the FOH brotherhood has with other vendors), which is why we trust Rob's very transparent process. 

Risk / Reward. It's a crap shoot sometimes, but sometimes you come out on top. 

Cheers and happy smoking!

 

I got a box from that vendor as well.  The same box code and cigars look absolutely beautiful.  I wish I picked up more...  They are definitely legit!!  Lets hope they will run another promotion on Connie A again soon!

[NSXCIGAR]

6 hours ago, ElJavi76 said:

Do you know what HSA is charging these guys for a box? AT LCdH's in Cuba, Connie A boxes go for approximately 204 CUC, and that's retail.

Absolutely not saying your box isn't genuine. The price is just on the absolute lowest end of the possible spectrum. 

Also, you can't use Cuba LCDH prices as a comparison. They often do odd things with their pricing. Trini Fundys have always been in the low-mid 200s in Cuba which is WAY below HSA distributor price. Same with many of the LCDH releases. I believe RA Superiores and HU Robustos are in the low $70 range in Cuba but that has to be at or below HSA distributor pricing. 

And I believe I know which vendor you're referring to as they still do list the A at $285 with shipping but are out of stock currently. I guess I'll be signing up for their email alerts! 

[Buck14]

I see current "A" at $299 and "1" at $225 with shipping extra fee from my reliable CC vendor.