Newcomer (Newbie) Q&A

[Toast & Taste]

How are cigars packaged for shipping from Cuba to the distributors; and from the distributors to retailers like El Pres?

Is there some sort of elaborate system, or do they just chuck half a Boveda pack into each cargo container and call it good?

 

Big Al

 

[El Presidente]

11 hours ago, Toast & Taste said:

How are cigars packaged for shipping from Cuba to the distributors; and from the distributors to retailers like El Pres?

Is there some sort of elaborate system, or do they just chuck half a Boveda pack into each cargo container and call it good?

 

Big Al

 

Air freight. Palletised cardboard mastercases (for example 1300 sticks (52 boxes) in a Monte 4 mastercase). 

Cigars are a lot tougher than most people give them credit for 

[MDC81]

1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

Air freight. Palletised cardboard mastercases (for example 1300 sticks (52 boxes) in a Monte 4 mastercase). 

Cigars are a lot tougher than most people give them credit for 

In your opinion: is there any benefit to adding a Boveda to orders? 

p.s. I’m in Mid-West, USA.

[Toast & Taste]

1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

Air freight. Palletised cardboard mastercases (for example 1300 sticks (52 boxes) in a Monte 4 mastercase). 

Cigars are a lot tougher than most people give them credit for 

That makes sense. I am assuming that they are also very young, and therefore no danger of drying out....??

I know that for most of my boxes, I smoke a stick ROTP, and have yet to have one that was not smokable. And those units travel a loooooong way. Of course, a month or more in the humidor opens up a whole new dimension.

Big Al

[El Presidente]

59 minutes ago, Toast & Taste said:

That makes sense. I am assuming that they are also very young, and therefore no danger of drying out....??

 

Generally, the cigars themselves leave Havana with a high moisture content. Within 10 days they would be resting in the distributors climate controlled warehouse. 

[fitzy]

Does cutting a cigar before dry boxing make any difference? I've noticed that my dry boxed cigars the first half or so of the cigar burns great but the second half won't stay lit. This is after about 5 days of dry boxing a Lusi.

[dicko]

Does cutting a cigar before dry boxing make any difference? I've noticed that my dry boxed cigars the first half or so of the cigar burns great but the second half won't stay lit. This is after about 5 days of dry boxing a Lusi.

I've precut a few times and have not noticed any difference personally.

The 2nd issue sounds like a humidity issue. 5 days in a wet climate might mean it takes on some moisture as opposed to you humidor depending on what you are using to dry box with. Maybe examine where you are dry boxing and play around with wait times. I like 24-48 hours.

Regarding humidity issues check out our member pigfish posts.


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[fitzy]

1 hour ago, dicko said:

I've precut a few times and have not noticed any difference personally.

The 2nd issue sounds like a humidity issue. 5 days in a wet climate might mean it takes on some moisture as opposed to you humidor depending on what you are using to dry box with. Maybe examine where you are dry boxing and play around with wait times. I like 24-48 hours.

Regarding humidity issues check out our member pigfish posts.


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Hmm I left my boveda sensor with the cigars in my dry box and it was just about 50%. I'm going to setup a 58% tupperdore and keep the stuff I'm going to smoke in the next few months in there. I'll see how they smoke then. Keep the rest in my 65% box.  

[Riverstyx]

Two questions on aged stock being sold on 24:24:

Is that supply stashed by Rob?  Or is it members who keep their stash with Rob and decide they want to sell it (e.g. consignment)?

How is pricing determined?  If it's stock members have stored with Rob, do they have a say in how it's priced?

[prodigy]

A friend of mine constantly refers to dark wrapper Cubans as being "Spanish market" and light colored wrappers as being "English market". Is there any truth to this? Seems like all the markets get what ever Cuba decides to send, so I have a hard time believing that concept.

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[luv2fly]

3 hours ago, Riverstyx said:

Two questions on aged stock being sold on 24:24:

Is that supply stashed by Rob?  Or is it members who keep their stash with Rob and decide they want to sell it (e.g. consignment)?

How is pricing determined?  If it's stock members have stored with Rob, do they have a say in how it's priced?

Rob can provide full details but from what I understand, the aged stock comes from at least 2 sources.

1.  PCC Vintage Program - The distributer holds stock back and releases them as their Vintage Program.

2. Member locker stock that members decide they no longer want or need to liquidate for personal reasons.  I do not know how pricing is figured out but from what I have seen the pricing is fair and consistent with what aged stock goes for.  That is based on my limited knowledge of the subject regarding aged/vintage cigars.

That is just my take on it.  I am by no means an expert or in the know....

On a personal note, I have purchased aged stock here and could not be happier.

[OllyBond]

I just ordered for my first time from the store last Wednesday. It is now Wednesday the following week and it still hasn't shipped. Is this normal? Or should I email support? I was hoping to have them in the next couple weeks, so i could acclimatize them before a trip at the end of june.

[THEMISCHMAN]

I just ordered for my first time from the store last Wednesday. It is now Wednesday the following week and it still hasn't shipped. Is this normal? Or should I email support? I was hoping to have them in the next couple weeks, so i could acclimatize them before a trip at the end of june.

Normal. Have patience. Some of my orders have taken around 7-9 to ship and usually a week or two to get to me. It takes time.

[OllyBond]

22 minutes ago, THEMISCHMAN said:

Normal. Have patience. Some of my orders have taken around 7-9 to ship and usually a week or two to get to me. It takes time.

Thanks MISCHMAN. This is a change of pace for me. I'm used to getting them within a week. However, they are inconsistent with quality. I would rather wait and know I'm getting good cigars. I'm trusting what all of you have been saying about ordering from Rob. Be good to yourself  brother

 

[THEMISCHMAN]

Olly, also relatively new to the CC scene myself. I have used three different vendors and trust two. The FOH crew has great customer service and it’s very appreciated. If you are in the U.S. sign up for shipping alerts through USPS. It’s a handy tool they they offer.

 

[Dynamo320]

When purchasing a quarter box option off 24:24 with multiple factory code/dates, is it possible to find out which one was shipped to you?  OCD minds would like to know!  Also, what does the asterisk next to certain boxes indicate?

[benfica_77]

11 hours ago, Dynamo320 said:

When purchasing a quarter box option off 24:24 with multiple factory code/dates, is it possible to find out which one was shipped to you?  OCD minds would like to know!  Also, what does the asterisk next to certain boxes indicate?

When I get the email saying that the package has been sent from the FOH logistics team. I try to ask them for the box code ASAP and typically they can tell me. I order a lot of quarter boxes and this process has worked well for me.

[Nick_36]

What does it mean when someone describes a cigar as a "mongrel"? Does it mean that it is young and unrefined or a hodgepodge of different flavours without any particular note coming to the fore?

[El Presidente]

On 5/5/2018 at 1:59 AM, fitzy said:

Does cutting a cigar before dry boxing make any difference? I've noticed that my dry boxed cigars the first half or so of the cigar burns great but the second half won't stay lit. This is after about 5 days of dry boxing a Lusi.

I do an "express" dry box from Time to time when a or when I think a draw will be tight.  tight. I just put it in the fridge for an hour or so.  Pre-cutting certainly achieves a better result if you are looking for a quick/express dry box. 

[El Presidente]

6 hours ago, Nick_36 said:

What does it mean when someone describes a cigar as a "mongrel"? Does it mean that it is young and unrefined or a hodgepodge of different flavours without any particular note coming to the fore?

Mongrel / elbows

Its good. It's real good. It just has some rough edges that need to be polished with some time down.  The mongrel can  take the form of  pepper, bite, nicotine, strength

Young cigars with mongrel to me are like a gun rookie.  

[El Presidente]

On 5/10/2018 at 10:23 AM, OllyBond said:

I just ordered for my first time from the store last Wednesday. It is now Wednesday the following week and it still hasn't shipped. Is this normal? Or should I email support? I was hoping to have them in the next couple weeks, so i could acclimatize them before a trip at the end of june.

They will  be on their way. Our automated tracking notification has just been sorted. Teething errors of the new system 

Our system is well known and I make no apologies for it.  We bring in stock from the warehouse each Monday for the previous weeks orders. 90% of this is hand selected. It will go out that week unless there is a public holiday (April is renowned for them here) and then it will be a day or two late. 

In the end we are not the quickest. We don't pull a box from the warehouse shelf and send. There are plenty of vendors who do that (and there is nothing wrong with that at all).  

if time is of the essence then we are not the vendor for you. From order to delivery it is going to be around 3 weeks. 

[El Presidente]

On 5/11/2018 at 2:07 PM, Dynamo320 said:

When purchasing a quarter box option off 24:24 with multiple factory code/dates, is it possible to find out which one was shipped to you?  OCD minds would like to know!  Also, what does the asterisk next to certain boxes indicate?

Please don't. The team is overworked as it is.  The asterix denotes the code the offering mostly is. 

[OllyBond]

Hey no worries El Presidente. I look forward to recieving them. 

Be good to yourself!

[patrick_harmon44]

This reminds me of the time when I read about the rants on PLPC, bought a box from FOH. 
Very young and fresh, I enjoyed only the 1st half, [mention=1537]Fuzz[/mention] nubbed his. 
Five years down the track, same box. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole cigar, [mention=1537]Fuzz[/mention] complained about the lack of mongrel. 
So to each their own. 
 
Bad smoke - Did not enjoy the experience (though this may not be 100% due to the cigar), plugged, hard to stay lit (constantly needing the torch), bad flavours... 
 

I think it's also important to note that it's critical during these moments to take mental notes, or physical, and try and see if certain conditions or habits are affecting the smoking experience. I'm happy to learn when certain cigars tar or stall when smoked certain ways or even when certain cigars aren't effected by relighting.

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[patrick_harmon44]

The genios is a chocolate bomb if you can find a good box. They were great groomsman presents for my wedding. Also got a box of the smaller vitola that were a hit for the "new" smokers.

Can anyone suggest non-regular production cigars that are "Robusto-esque" size that would be good for a special occasion? I want to buy 2 cigars and hold them for a special occasion the Monte 80 is to big, La Trova is getting meh reviews and the Talisman is pricey as heck and a bit too big.  Would the Cohiba Maduro Genios be a good option? El Pres seem to like it on his FOH review.  Thanks everyone! 

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