donutboy2000 Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 Not the SLR Churchills!!! Are these deletions being driven by the current economic situation or is Habanos positioning their lines for the possible end to the US embargo?
shrink Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 How large (boxes) is a Master Case of Partagas Serie du Connaisseur's?Maybe Piggy, Colt and myself can go in together? This is a serious question. Add me to the list, Chuck.
SnakeHips Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 Not the SLR Churchills!!!Are these deletions being driven by the current economic situation or is Habanos positioning their lines for the possible end to the US embargo? I think it's probably more to do with the proliferation of overpriced oversized limited cigars; gotta' get the tobacco from somewhere you know, and what better targets than slow-selling cigars popular only among hobbyists? Last year they did the same thing, and there was much gnashing of teeth. The year before that they did the same thing, and there was much gnashing of teeth, and the previous year and the previous year. This has been happening since long before the economic downturn, but started mainly after Habanos introduced the Edicion Limitada series...curious. @bunburyist A line with one cigar is tragic, to me, but not particularly strange I don't think. Habanos has created a whole new marque just for one cigar (Edmundo Dantes), and if I'm not wrong, Troya, Belinda and Cabañas all subsist on a single vitola, and Por Larrañaga was down to two for a short while. But it's really sad to see a good line like Diplomaticos relegated to the stature of these bargain tripa corta brands. Quintero, La Flor de Cano and Los Statos de Luxe have more vitolas for God's sake. Diplomaticos can't be that unpopular to sell less than all these tripa corta brands, right? Less than Quai D'Orsay? This is mindblowing to me.
soltino Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 How large (boxes) is a Master Case of Partagas Serie du Connaisseur's? Good question Tampa, and I think if the Connies really do get the chop you'll have plenty of people from FOH willing to come in on a Master Case. The cigars listed as potentially being deleted account for about a third of my regular smokes. Some of these are also irreplacable. By that I mean that there is no other cigar that I would go to if that particular cigar was deleted. Thus I can't 'replace' that missing cigar with some other cigar from a different marca, or choose a slightly different vitola. So I would just end up doing the same as Colt, spending less on cigars, which I very much doubt is the end result that HSA are after... and certainly not top of my list either
samb Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 Unless.....room is being made for a Diplo Robusto or some such I fully support the robusto vitola... But, Thin gauge cigars really are where its at in terms of intensity, and its an utter shame to see them go.
bunburyist Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 @bunburyistA line with one cigar is tragic, to me, but not particularly strange I don't think. Habanos has created a whole new marque just for one cigar (Edmundo Dantes), and if I'm not wrong, Troya, Belinda and Cabañas all subsist on a single vitola, and Por Larrañaga was down to two for a short while. But it's really sad to see a good line like Diplomaticos relegated to the stature of these bargain tripa corta brands. Quintero, La Flor de Cano and Los Statos de Luxe have more vitolas for God's sake. Diplomaticos can't be that unpopular to sell less than all these tripa corta brands, right? Less than Quai D'Orsay? This is mindblowing to me. I can only assume some of those lower end brands have high sales figures in place like Spain etc where they tend to prefer decent tobacco flavour value smokes, rather than one poncy smoke a week.
gdmw Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 A sad day in the long history of cuban cigars! Not the first sad day, and probably not the last sad day. I so wish that history and tradition was more valuble for the sons of ******* running the show at habanos nowadays.. Please save the punch rs's, the partagas sdc's, the dip's, slr, cs gde! We should all send e-mails over there telling them to stop this madnes!
kilroy Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 How large (boxes) is a Master Case of Partagas Serie du Connaisseur's?Maybe Piggy, Colt, Kilroy and myself can go in together? This is a serious question.
anacostiakat Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 How large (boxes) is a Master Case of Partagas Serie du Connaisseur's?Maybe Piggy, Colt and myself can go in together? This is a serious question. I am in!
PigFish Posted December 8, 2009 Author Posted December 8, 2009 How large (boxes) is a Master Case of Partagas Serie du Connaisseur's?Maybe Piggy, Colt and myself can go in together? This is a serious question. With one foot on a financial grave and the other on a wet cigar butt... I am not a prime partner! I am however always willing to entertain an exceptional cigar deal, on an exceptional cigar. My '07 vintage #2's are wonderful cigars, those are the newest that I own... I think! Does anyone have a bead on what is now available now (Rob) and know what the current quality is? Next, what would you guys be looking at. 1, 2, or 3's? I have always thought that the No. 2 was the best bang for the buck although as you know I smoke all three models. From an investment perspective, if they are truly to be cancelled the No. 1 may be the most recognized and highest valued but I am only speculating. I don't think finding partners will be a problem!!! -LOL - Piggy
Wiley Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 I hate to be a doomsayer, but I've been trying to resign myself to the idea that eventually they will cut every cigar I care about. Apparently, the cigars many of us love are not fat enough, or long enough, or expensive enough for the average idiot buying cigars on a whim, or to impress some other idiot. (Or they make the poor fools green!) And I think many of us have something between disdain and utter contempt for what Habanos is selling to the unwashed masses. My only hope is that someday other companies will have access to Cuban tobacco and they might choose to cater to a a more discerning client (us.)
MontrealRon Posted December 8, 2009 Posted December 8, 2009 This is the worst, most depressing cigar news ever. If my doctor told me that I had to stop smoking cigars, I could always find a new doctor. There is no replacement for a SDC #1. (or 2 and 3). I remember my first one, four years ago, an '02 from a box I bought at the Partagas factory store, smoked that same night at the Tropicana. It was pure heaven, and lasted from the minute that I sat down, until we were ready to leave. Talk about enhancing an already great experience! No other cigar that I have had, before or since, would have been so perfect for the moment. At my age, I will probably be able to buy enough of these before they are gone, to at least have one as an occasional treat, for the rest of my life. I feel sorry, though, for the next generation, who will hear legends from the old-timers, about the great cigars that used to be.
jawofboston Posted December 9, 2009 Posted December 9, 2009 What I don't understand is how they can cut so many lanceros just when a lot of NC lanceros are getting popular.
MontrealRon Posted December 9, 2009 Posted December 9, 2009 What I don't understand is how they can cut so many lanceros just when a lot of NC lanceros are getting popular. It's simple. When ignorance combines with stupidity, this is what you get. That said, most of the blame lies with ourselves, the consumers. When we pay inflated prices for RE and EL gimmicks, and fancy packaging, and leave the classic old-school cigars sitting on retailer's shelves and gathering dust in warehouses, what can we really expect? Myself, I adore the LGC skinnies. But if you look at currently available boxes, they are usually from '02. That is to say that after 7 years, Habanos SA has still not managed to sell off that production run. Are there later productions still in storage? Who knows? But why on earth would Habanos consider producing more, and investing in the varnished wood boxes, and taking up space in climate-controlled warehouses, if they are still holding such old stock? Around 2 or 3 years ago, they drastically cut the prices on the #3's and 4's, at least those for sale in Cuba. So, are they flying of the shelves? Not exactly. If they are sometimes hard to find, is it because of high demand, or is it because retailers and distributors don't even order them? So, guys, stock up. There is a window of at least two years. Many of the 2002 deletions were still readily available for 5 or 6 years. Maybe, if there is a sudden increased demand for certain vitolas, and existing stock is quickly sold, there might just be a re-consideration of some of the de-listings. Even if it is not immediate, there is a history of de-listed cigars suddenly reappearing. It is Cuba, after all, and all things are possible!
ChanceSchmerr Posted December 9, 2009 Posted December 9, 2009 Well said, MontrealRon.......we can think of it as Stimulus Spending!
MontrealRon Posted December 9, 2009 Posted December 9, 2009 Well said, MontrealRon.......we can think of it as Stimulus Spending! Good one, brother! After all, haven't we been told that it is our patriotic duty to stimulate the economy, even if it means going deeper into debt to do so? So, as personally distasteful as it may be, let us do what we must, and BUY MORE CIGARS !!!
PigFish Posted December 9, 2009 Author Posted December 9, 2009 My arguement is alway the same. For those who prefer these cigars... they won't just buy a fat one to replace the ones they have lost. Those customers are gone! Pretty soon it appears that my choices of cigars will be Monte or Cohiba! I find it likely that they will start bustin' out the Coronas Especiales and the Especial #2 as well to see how well the market bears losing them! I mean why make both???? The fact is, that the most expensive part of the cigars retail unit is likely the damn box! I believe that the cost cutting measures are likely due more to the box than anything else. The cigar itself is grown and produced in Cuba where the government owns everything. The box, especially specialty boxes like the SLB's and the 898's are probably produced under contract in another country or the materials themselves are at least farmed and likely machined elsewhere costing the Cubans real money, not labor. When you consider that in a communist country life is cheap; not a political statement as much as a monetary one; just look at what Cubans are paid by their government, then you understand the philosophy. Here is how it boils down to me. Unsold cigar must be stored regardless their size. Producing tobacco and the storage of same is a reality regardless the shape the tobacco is in. Storage is not likely climate controlled in Cuba in most places. The storage element is out. The only "hard currency" out of the country for these cigar is then the boxes. **** the box I say!. Tie the bundles, perhaps larger ones of 50 in a bulk ribbon and cello wrap the bunch. Discount the cigars the price of the box and watch people buy them! The truth is, the connoisseur is buying the cigar not the box! Yes... the box is handy to me too, but based on my process not worth losing the cigar over! You listening Tabacuba... you dumb bastards!!!
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