Intel on new codes

[JohnS]

2 hours ago, yannis said:

hi John, maybe you can help me ,I just got a fabulous looking box of d4s, with the code ABO,  SEP 18.I am curious to know which factory may be,many thanks!

I concur with what @Tstew75 has said! 👍

1 hour ago, yannis said:

well in that case , what ever factory is, they ve done a great job

My August 2018 box of Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4s also agrees. (It's) A great example of the ABO code.

[NSXCIGAR]

On 3/23/2021 at 12:22 PM, Tstew75 said:

I would (wildy) speculate this could be another La Corona code. They have probably rolled all the cigars listed at one time or another...

I'm not aware that multiple codes have ever been used for the same factory. Not that it's impossible but no one has ever witnessed it in a factory to my knowledge and I'd say production patterns among certain cigars don't support that.

There have been some cases of potentially overlapping codes or very short runs of a code but that would have been pre-2010 and only for a very short time, like 6 months. 

[Tstew75]

Just now, NSXCIGAR said:

I'm not aware that multiple codes have ever been used for the same factory. Not that it's impossible but no one has ever witnessed it in a factory to my knowledge and I'd say production patterns among certain cigars don't support that.

There have been some cases of potentially overlapping codes or very short runs of a code but that would have been pre-2010 and only for a very short time, like 6 months. 

Again, wild speculation on my part. We all say the same thing, that multiple codes aren't used for the same factory, yet the factory code list here on FOH directly refutes that.  I'm still in the former camp, but no one knows with 100% certainty.

https://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/topic/136579-historical-factory-codes-list/

[NSXCIGAR]

5 hours ago, Tstew75 said:

Again, wild speculation on my part. We all say the same thing, that multiple codes aren't used for the same factory, yet the factory code list here on FOH directly refutes that.  I'm still in the former camp, but no one knows with 100% certainty.

https://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/topic/136579-historical-factory-codes-list/

I have serious issues with some of those conclusions. And yes, some we do know with 100% certainty since factory stamping can be and has been observed up through obviously March of last year.

Codes like OBM and LMB, OMS and BUP were not very common. BUP in particular I've seen as recently as AGO 19, so you would have to believe BUP outlasted both ETP and MSU which we know for a fact are Partagas factory. 

Also, I highly doubt MEL was ever La Corona. Not all of any cigar is rolled at one factory, even staples. I just saw a 50 cab of PLPC with a GEL FEB 20 code. That doesn't mean GEL is La Corona. Also, MEL cranked out a ton of Vegueros at that time. I have rarely, if ever, seen any La Corona Vegueros. Certainly not the volume that exists. 

We also have certain known quirks in models and factories since at least 2010. For example, most VR Famosos are rolled at Donatien in Pinar while most all Unicos are rolled in HU. Sure enough, we have clear transitions in both. Famosos = SLE-->ARS-->BSM and Unicos = LUB-->MEG-->BRE-->GEM. And all the "staples" of each factory follow along with those codes. There's a lot of consistency in major factory productions if you look for it. It's easy to come to incorrect conclusions based on the number of provincials that can crank out anything on any given day. 

There just doesn't seem to be any reason (even HSA's logic) to roll certain staples under a different code in the same factory. Cranking out 1/50 cabs of PLPC in La Corona with a different code seems highly unlikely. The most logical and simplest explanation is that an odd code for a staple cigar is a provincial factory.

[Bijan]

Earlier in this very thread we had the factory codes through 2013/2014 with I believe no double codes:

 

[Tstew75]

20 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

I have serious issues with some of those conclusions. And yes, some we do know with 100% certainty since factory stamping can be and has been observed up through obviously March of last year.

Codes like OBM and LMB, OMS and BUP were not very common. BUP in particular I've seen as recently as AGO 19, so you would have to believe BUP outlasted both ETP and MSU which we know for a fact are Partagas factory. 

Also, I highly doubt MEL was ever La Corona. Not all of any cigar is rolled at one factory, even staples. I just saw a 50 cab of PLPC with a GEL FEB 20 code. That doesn't mean GEL is La Corona. Also, MEL cranked out a ton of Vegueros at that time. I have rarely, if ever, seen any La Corona Vegueros. Certainly not the volume that exists. 

We also have certain known quirks in models and factories since at least 2010. For example, most VR Famosos are rolled at Donatien in Pinar while most all Unicos are rolled in HU. Sure enough, we have clear transitions in both. Famosos = SLE-->ARS-->BSM and Unicos = LUB-->MEG-->BRE-->GEM. And all the "staples" of each factory follow along with those codes. There's a lot of consistency in major factory productions if you look for it. It's easy to come to incorrect conclusions based on the number of provincials that can crank out anything on any given day. 

There just doesn't seem to be any reason (even HSA's logic) to roll certain staples under a different code in the same factory. Cranking out 1/50 cabs of PLPC in La Corona with a different code seems highly unlikely. The most logical and simplest explanation is that an odd code for a staple cigar is a provincial factory.

If you feel that strongly about all of this, lets put our heads together & clean up the FOH list. This stuff is not only interesting, but matters.

[NSXCIGAR]

1 hour ago, Tstew75 said:

If you feel that strongly about all of this, lets put our heads together & clean up the FOH list. This stuff is not only interesting, but matters.

I really don't think it's that complicated. You've got El Laguito, Partagas, HU, La Corona and Donatien. I don't think there's any "RyJ" factory anymore. BM is long gone.

It's pretty easy to figure out the major factories and the rest are provincials. People rarely visit those factories so codes are next to impossible to confirm as they can produce any and all cigars. 

The most useful application for this info is really just tracking production in general. 

[Ryan]

Carlos Baliño?

[Tstew75]

5 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

I really don't think it's that complicated. You've got El Laguito, Partagas, HU, La Corona and Donatien. I don't think there's any "RyJ" factory anymore. BM is long gone.

It's pretty easy to figure out the major factories and the rest are provincials. People rarely visit those factories so codes are next to impossible to confirm as they can produce any and all cigars. 

The most useful application for this info is really just tracking production in general. 

It's might not be complicated to you, but certainly is for most newer CC smokers...

[Edicion]

I posted on another thread before but hoping some can help out as this thread seems more appropriate. 

What about the TUE '20 code for some Cohibas (Siglo VI) I have seen recently. What factory is that?

Thanks for help. 

[Tstew75]

Just now, Edicion said:

I posted on another thread before but hoping some can help out as this thread seems more appropriate. 

What about the TUE '20 code for some Cohibas (Siglo VI) I have seen recently. What factory is that?

Thanks for help. 

This is likely a provincial code, as it's not one of the known 5 'mother factory' codes.

[Edicion]

Just now, Tstew75 said:

This is likely a provincial code, as it's not one of the known 5 'mother factory' codes.

Wow I never heard this before, so that means it could a number of unknowns. Great to learn sth new. 

[Tstew75]

8 minutes ago, Edicion said:

Wow I never heard this before, so that means it could a number of unknowns. Great to learn sth new. 

Correct. If you scroll above in chain you'll see the current codes for the mother factories...literally any other code is likely provincial/unknown.

[NSXCIGAR]

8 hours ago, Tstew75 said:

It's might not be complicated to you, but certainly is for most newer CC smokers...

I mean it's not a complicated process. The major factories are almost all quickly determined. I haven't seen any compelling evidence that major factories use multiple codes. 

I think what most people are asking on a regular basis is whether anyone has experience with a particular code, not what factory that code is. Obviously, the majority of factories are provincial at any given time. 

Since no one uses the search function here the only way to deal with it is to pin a thread or to add it to FOHinfo or something. This thread can be updated @CaptainQuintero, but again, it would have to be searched for.

 

 

[Jauwels]

Hello,anyone has boxes with e esl 19 code?Any good quality boxes?

[Paso]

44 minutes ago, Jauwels said:

Hello,anyone has boxes with e esl 19 code?Any good quality boxes?

I have ESL ABR19 Monte 1 good quality box 

[tstoner]

I have a very nice looking box of Cohiba Esplendidos ESL MAR 19. Haven't smoked any yet but look super nice!

 

[NW_Oregon]

Most Recent box codes I've gotten are

SOU DIC 19 and TRS NOV 19 - Partagas Shorts

OMU SEP 20 - Hoyo Du Deputes

no idea what factories those are. figuring they're smaller provincial factories 

[Jimmy_jack]

im getting a box of psd4 that are EDL Nov 20...maybe EOL? Anyone seen that code before? New to me. 

[Bijan]

4 hours ago, Jimmy_jack said:

im getting a box of psd4 that are EDL Nov 20...maybe EOL? Anyone seen that code before? New to me. 

I have a box of Siglo III that's EOL DIC 19

Not oustanding, not terrible. Have had 3-4 and shared a few with friends. Probably have a few more this summer then sit on the rest.

[grundlemere]

On 3/27/2021 at 1:59 PM, MrBirdman said:

As others have noted it's not. That said, I am still wondering about how COVID precautions will have effected where rollers are assigned. Maybe it's had zero effect.

In any case, so far I would say that LTO has been the best code, better even than MAR. They even released some Cohiba Reserva with an LTO, which one would think confirms they've got some top rollers. But then again it's Cuba, so who knows. 

Any further intel on LTO? I just got a nice box of CoLas from there, ENE 21. Was wondering if it was a second MAR code or if anyone had cracked it so far. Probably hard without factory tours.

[SpecialK]

The ones I have and I'm not sure about are:

 

BLT

GOB

SOU - H Upmann ?

BOE

OER - H Upmann ?

[Corylax18]

3 hours ago, grundlemere said:

Any further intel on LTO? I just got a nice box of CoLas from there, ENE 21. Was wondering if it was a second MAR code or if anyone had cracked it so far. Probably hard without factory tours.

Factories don't run two codes at the same time. We've seen MAR ENE 21 boxes, so LTO is not El Laguito, we can call that pretty definitively. There might be a month of transition as they shift one one code to the next, but that's a very brief period every couple years. Its been 18 months or so since they switched to MAR, so I wouldnt expect a new EL Code until late this year or early next. 

[hm151]

On 6/16/2021 at 8:10 AM, SpecialK said:

The ones I have and I'm not sure about are:

 

BLT

GOB

SOU - H Upmann ?

BOE

OER - H Upmann ?

GOB here, Hoyo Primaveras. GOB DIC 20