EAR: Why have Churchills fallen out of favor? Where did it all go awry?

[SCgarman]

Pretty safe to say that for the "majority" of members here and in the cigar smoking community that Churchill/ Double corona sized cigars are not practical when one has a job/wife/children, other things in life to keep them busy. Only a small minority has 2+hours to sit with a cigar and dedicate their undivided attention on it. FWIW I was gifted a NC Romeo y Julieta Churchill perhaps 10 years ago or so. Guess where it is now? Still in my humidor cabinet in a dress box with several other loose cigars. Why haven't I smoked it? TBH, no interest in that size of cigar. Still have several original Hamlet Tabaquero Salomones stuffed away also. Nice cigar? Yes. Too large/too long smoking time? Yup!

[ELDonDeTabacco]

I agree they are hard to find.

DC is one of my favorite vitolas, similarly the Lonsdale and Churchill. For me Time and location is the hardest part. I enjoy a nice cigar, but winters in SW Ontario suck! Im limited to smoking in my garage.

I would love to be able to find some of the above vitolas from Cuba, but they seem to be sought after too. Big Cuban cigars are definitely a niche market.

[El Presidente]

4 hours ago, Chibearsv said:

Curious: what are a couple of your favorites?  I haven't found an NC Churchill yet that could hold my attention from beginning to end.  An Espy or SW on the other hand, I'll burn my fingers to get them nubbed.

It is hard to go up against Ferraris 

Joya de Nicaragua Numero Uno 

Padron Churchill maduro or natty. 

Oliva MV / Illusione Haute 

 

 

[Çnote]

14 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Padron Churchill maduro or natty. 

Padron 1964 Diplomaticos will rock you, unfortunately they are creeping to CC prices and are limited availability unless you have a source with 30 years of Padron support.

[SCgarman]

8 minutes ago, Çnote said:

Padron 1964 Diplomaticos will rock you, unfortunately they are creeping to CC prices and are limited availability unless you have a source with 30 years of Padron support.

My source has them in stock. $425usd/box. Hell of a lot cheaper than most Habanos. Can't even buy RASS or PSD4 for anywhere near that now.

[Bagman]

3 hours ago, Çnote said:

Padron 1964 Diplomaticos will rock you, unfortunately they are creeping to CC prices and are limited availability unless you have a source with 30 years of Padron support.

I don't know what you are talking about.  They are abundant and much cheaper than cubans.  There are even on sale right now at least at 2 places.  425 for a churchill.  What cuban churchill is near 425?

[Hoepssa]

 Skinny cigars are harder to roll than fat RG ones, so I believe they tend to let you know ppl 'prefer' short ones.

 When selling DC/Churchill doesn't make more money than selling Robustos, they know what they are going to do.

[Greenhorn2]

They haven't fallen out of favor, just supply.

[Çnote]

6 hours ago, Monterey said:

I don't know what you are talking about.  They are abundant and much cheaper than cubans.  There are even on sale right now at least at 2 places.  425 for a churchill.  What cuban churchill is near 425?

 

9 hours ago, SCgarman said:

My source has them in stock. $425usd/box. Hell of a lot cheaper than most Habanos. Can't even buy RASS or PSD4 for anywhere near that now.

I'm seeing them at B&Ms for +$500, 20% increase and creeping up, some sizes not showing up on every order as usual. Online dealers will eventually have to raise prices. Buy them cheap while you can. There's a bunch of Padron skus that haven't been shipped in months I've been told. 

[anacostiakat]

As Churchies and DC's are two of my favorite sizes it is alarming.  I like to relax in the evenings with no rush for happy hour so these sizes fit.  I think folks was a larger ring size and shorter smoke for whatever reasons.  Sadly, not sure I could afford more DC's/Churchies even if they were available at this point.  

 

[Hammer Smokin']

On 6/14/2023 at 7:41 AM, BrightonCorgi said:

Spending two hours to smoke a single cigar is what has to be advocated & advertised to the consumer.  Turning off the phone to be in the moment with a churchill almost needs explaining.  Outside of "being outside", a lot of cigar consumers don't have handy spot to smoke such a cigar.  Cigar bars come at a cost and one has to travel.

turn off the phone? how can you take the picture of you holding the triple labeled cigar, ensuring your rolex is clearly in focus, preferably with a custom cuff'd shirt. 

can you imagine smoking a cigar without showing the world you are doing so? 

[BrightonCorgi]

41 minutes ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

turn off the phone? how can you take the picture of you holding the triple labeled cigar, ensuring your rolex is clearly in focus, preferably with a custom cuff'd shirt. 

can you imagine smoking a cigar without showing the world you are doing so? 

Sad reality of today. 

[El Presidente]

7 hours ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

turn off the phone? how can you take the picture of you holding the triple labeled cigar, ensuring your rolex is clearly in focus, preferably with a custom cuff'd shirt.

.....and I struggle to get Ken to wear pants. 

 

 

 

 

 

[SCgarman]

1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

.....and I  struggle to get Ken to wear pants. 

Did he have to borrow a pair of socks and shoes for your wedding? 😉

[Bagman]

16 hours ago, Çnote said:

 

I'm seeing them at B&Ms for +$500, 20% increase and creeping up, some sizes not showing up on every order as usual. Online dealers will eventually have to raise prices. Buy them cheap while you can. There's a bunch of Padron skus that haven't been shipped in months I've been told. 

Used to be 400, now 425.  6%  And that is a recent update.  B&M's are a different thing.  I'm talking about buying them online like most of do for our cubans.  I see most sizes available online and most places with stock. 

[SCgarman]

1 hour ago, Monterey said:

Used to be 400, now 425.  6%  And that is a recent update.  B&M's are a different thing.  I'm talking about buying them online like most of do for our cubans.  I see most sizes available online and most places with stock. 

There is a Florida chain of B&M cigar super stores that also sells online. They are one of Padron's largest accounts in the USA, That's my go to shop.

[NSXCIGAR]

On 6/14/2023 at 10:30 AM, SCgarman said:

Only a small minority has 2+hours to sit with a cigar and dedicate their undivided attention on it.

 

On 6/14/2023 at 5:25 AM, Silverstix said:

carving out 2+ hours to sit outside and smoke a cigar is tough to pull off for a lot of people.

Large cigars are as popular as ever. Sublimes sell out. Cigars like Rio Seco, Monte Leyenda are very popular and big boy special production like Maravillas and BHK 56 are always in demand. And of course we see many ERs in Churchills that have done extremely well. ERDM Tainos, QdO Clemenceau. They even reissued the Imperiales in a travel humi this year. The Larranaga 47 for the UK is coming out soon and I have no doubt it will do well. 

I don't think it's an issue of larger cigars. The question is is it something about the Churchills vitolas specifically or something else? Was there a reduction in the popularity of Churchills before 2002 or was it because there weren't many good Churchills made after 2002? 

Esplendidos remains extremely popular. Obviously Sir Winston is as well. I would say RyJ Churchills sell well and I think the case can be made that it's been an average cigar for 20+ years. The only other Churchills were BCG which wasn't particularly good until it's last two years, QdO Imperiales which was in a highly unpopular brand, LGC and ERDM Tainos were also small brands and very inconsistent.

And many of the Churchills that existed before 2002 weren't really fantastic. I recall smoking Hoyo, Partagas, Punch, SLR, SP and Boli Churchills and really not being impressed in the late 90s. Of course the other RyJ, Prince of Wales, was notoriously mediocre. The only one that kind of held it's own was the HU Monarcas and that was always overshadowed by the SW.

So it's difficult to really pin down exactly what's happened with the Churchills. Self inflicted? Consumer preference? 

[BettyHumpder]

seeing a lot of people bashing the damn kids and their damn technology. disappointing and unimaginative. your tastes were different than your parents’. 

i’m a millennial. i just don’t want 2+ hours of tobacco most of the time, if i’m being honest. especially from the same cigar. i’d rather have something lighter then something stronger if i am smoking that long, unless it is *really* good. 

[Ford2112]

Whippersnappers

[Bigpink]

I’ve never had a Churchill or DC but I’d probably love them. I generally smoke early in the morning (around 4 or 5), so I’ve got the time!

[Silverstix]

7 hours ago, BettyHumpder said:

seeing a lot of people bashing the damn kids and their damn technology. disappointing and unimaginative. your tastes were different than your parents’. 

i’m a millennial. i just don’t want 2+ hours of tobacco most of the time, if i’m being honest. especially from the same cigar. i’d rather have something lighter then something stronger if i am smoking that long, unless it is *really* good. 

This is it.  Of course Esplendidos and Sir Winnie will always sell out, those are recession proof.  But a lot of people, you and I included, either don't have the time or the desire to sit outside and puff on a stogie for 2+ hours.  I like my robusto and PC, even minuto.  1 hour and the show is over.  

[Cigar Surgeon]

We just did our weekly recap videos last night, and one of the cigars we were talking about was the Tatuaje Lomo de Cerdo Tuxtla.  It's 5-1/18" x 52 RG.  Just based on that I'd assume somewhere between 1 hour 40 - 2 hours 15 minutes smoking time as a typical range.

2 hours and 47 minutes.

Great value for the smoking time but man I don't want to be smoking for close to 3 hours.

[BoliDan]

55 minutes ago, Cigar Surgeon said:

We just did our weekly recap videos last night, and one of the cigars we were talking about was the Tatuaje Lomo de Cerdo Tuxtla.  It's 5-1/18" x 52 RG.  Just based on that I'd assume somewhere between 1 hour 40 - 2 hours 15 minutes smoking time as a typical range.

2 hours and 47 minutes.

Great value for the smoking time but man I don't want to be smoking for close to 3 hours.

It's definitely for certain times when you know you will not be moving anyway. I only bust out a Churchill when I'm brewing beer out back or watching a ball game.

[SCgarman]

8 hours ago, Cigar Surgeon said:

We just did our weekly recap videos last night, and one of the cigars we were talking about was the Tatuaje Lomo de Cerdo Tuxtla.  It's 5-1/18" x 52 RG.  Just based on that I'd assume somewhere between 1 hour 40 - 2 hours 15 minutes smoking time as a typical range.

2 hours and 47 minutes.

Great value for the smoking time but man I don't want to be smoking for close to 3 hours.

Nope. 90 minutes is max for me. 60 is the sweet spot.

[fokker4me]

I have a 2 to 2.5 hour ride into the mountains almost every weekend. To me a Churchill or DC are perfect for this purpose when the weather permits. Take the top down on the Jeep and enjoy the ride with coffee. My favorite size is a lancero but when driving and with the top down they prove to be too small and delicate.

 

On 6/14/2023 at 10:20 AM, Ford2112 said:

I think people are just into instant gratification and are in a hurry. I blame cell phones . My favorite sizes are lonsdales,lanceros,corona/grand corona,and churchills. Not these stupid jaw breakers that I see all the internet cigar superstars touting on Instagram

We think exactly alike, and many on this forum do as well, but it makes me question are the people smoking these seemingly always increasing in size cigars not connoisseurs like we are? Or just the silent majority?