F#%k the LGC Revolution where's my regular production at?

[Duxnutz]

As the title implies, just wondering where the #2 is at production wise. Are they diverting tobacco to inflated Regional/Limited releases as a matter of course now???

[LGC]

REs, LEs, Añejados, Reservas, Gran Reservas, Super Reservas, Super LEs...... and bargain blends... the future of Habanos..

[TomF]

I hope they release some #2's sometime soon. The only box I have is now officially half full...(and if I exercise the ultimate in self-control I can maybe limit myself to 3 or 4 a year)

[PapaDisco]

REs, LEs, Añejados, Reservas, Gran Reservas, Super Reservas, Super LEs...... and bargain blends... the future of Habanos..

I suppose we could call this the "Go Big or Go Home" product strategy?

[Fugu]

As the title implies, just wondering where the #2 is at production wise. Are they diverting tobacco to inflated Regional/Limited releases as a matter of course now???

Rhetorical question, Dux?

Of course that's what they are doing, and what they admit they are doing!

[Hafner32]

I thought I saw the LGC #2 on the Discontinued List along with some other favorites like the Des Dieux and the Quai Imperiales. Not sure how accurate that list is, but I haven't seen any available recent production in quite some time. It would be interesting to see if anyone has any 2015 date codes to try and see how recently it has been boxed.

[Olga]

2, 3, 4 bands cigars are wanted and sell, just look at Instagram. Can anyone blame Habanos?

I thought it was just the newbies going crazy for them but I gotta say.. I saw the same craziness here.

[CoCigarSmoker]

I enjoy trying some of the RE, LE, etc offerings. I don't do it because of what they cost or to sell them or anything of the sort. Typically I just snag one to five of them every so often to try something different or to have on hand for a special occasion. Different strokes for different folks.

Also, I will say some have been drastic disappointments. But then again, for my palate, the diplo bushido was one of the best cigars I've ever had....if I had 2k I'd buy a whole box....but I don't so I'll have to be content with the one I have left in my humi.

Cheers,

Seth

[topdiesel]

I don't fault anyone for buying or wanting to buy these ultra-expensive cigars (in five years people will probably laugh that I considered this ultra-expensive when they read the archives-$550ish for 20). There is certainly a sirens song draw to them. I am just fatigued by the number of super special, limited edition, low production, extra hard to find (yet available enough to buy).

When these cigars seem to outnumber the regular production, I start to see that some of the regular production are actually the hard to find exclusive smokes. This is the case with the former premium, Cohiba and many of the smokes in my favorite vitolas. Thank goodness they haven't destroyed and hopefully won't phase out the Petite coronas.

[sactochris]

I just want one.

[Orion21]

I don't want any.

From Rob's review on the 24:24 I know it will be an almost $30 disappointing experience. The best lay down cigars I have ever bought were big and brash when young and calmed down into amazing smokes. None of my "light, but complex" cigars aged into anything but "light, but complex" cigars - meaning too light of a profile for me. I don't need to smoke a $30 wind tunnel that might develop some real flavors over the next few years. I'll stick with cigars that have an actual track record like the Cohiba robusto or Siglo VI if I want that road map. Shoot I didn't even complain about the RA EL 2015 at $16ish per cigar! I'll stick to RASSC, Partagas shorts, RASS, Ramon Allones Superiores, JL2, etc and stock up before they get rid of these too to make way for $30 limited addition pieces of dookie!

[skalls]

Was disappointed in the price but not surprised. Habanos knows where the money is and it's the le/re market. Don't fault them at all for doing this but it is disappointing.

On the plus side, that means 2-4 boxes of other cigars I could buy instead.

[ChanceSchmerr]

Thank goodness they haven't destroyed and hopefully won't phase out the Petite coronas.

Don't tell the Punch PCdP, Partagas PC, SLR PC (my all time fav), ERDM PC, RA PC, Diplo #4..........

Those were mostly the best ones!

I won't comment publicly on forums about the LGC RE PCCs. You can all probably guess my thoughts....LOL

[Akela3rd]

Was disappointed in the price but not surprised. Habanos knows where the money is and it's the le/re market. Don't fault them at all for doing this but it is disappointing.

On the plus side, that means 2-4 boxes of other cigars I could buy instead.

Completely agree. Why do people spend $$$s on re/le cigars? Are they really that much better? IMHO it's just to say they have and Habanos do know this. I've been gifted a couple (RyJ '13, Bolivar '14) and got a box of the RACA '15s but would rather spend on tried and trusted regulars - PD4s, Monte 2s for example. Nothing wrong with something special/limited now and again but once everything is special/limited where does special /limited go then? Bigger, fatter, shinier, costlier. Take the bloody "look at me, look at me" bands off and see who's impressed by your bulbous cartoon cigar.

And yes, I am bitter cos I can't afford them all!

[El Presidente]

Time for a reality check

It is PCC/Distributors who put their own money up for Regional Releases....Not Habanos s.a.

It is the distributors who come up with the vitola, packaging and pricing. HSA approves the recommendation on the first two aspects.

The blend for the releases is worled out between the distributors and HSA/Tabacuba via a series of tirals/samples.

HSA provdides a price to the distributors for production and produces the cigars.

[Orion21]

Completely agree. Why do people spend $$$s on re/le cigars? Are they really that much better? IMHO it's just to say they have and Habanos do know this. I've been gifted a couple (RyJ '13, Bolivar '14) and got a box of the RACA '15s but would rather spend on tried and trusted regulars - PD4s, Monte 2s for example. Nothing wrong with something special/limited now and again but once everything is special/limited where does special /limited go then? Bigger, fatter, shinier, costlier. Take the bloody "look at me, look at me" bands off and see who's impressed by your bulbous cartoon cigar.

And yes, I am bitter cos I can't afford them all!

I can afford them and I am sick of the price gouging. It was one thing when the Montecristo 520 came out at $20-$25 per cigar in 2012. The EL's had traditionally been more expensive than the regionals, but now that has changed. I remember when I bought my boxes of RACF for $235 per box!!! Now fast forward and five fewer cigars is going for more than double that price! I a very aware that cigars are a luxury item and some people just don't care what the price may be, they buy. I guess I am basically pissing into the wind on this one. It seems that PCC has decided that their regionals should be priced at the upper tier of HSA production.

[Blakes]

I have sort of found myself wanting Habanos to make them even fatter, even more expensive and adorned with as many bands as possible.. the sooner they flog this whole RE/LE thing to death the sooner they can get back to making 'real' cigars!

[Lant63]

With all due respect to everyone and their opinions, if Habanos produces a good-great cigar I am going to buy it. I've smoked two of the four Montesco releases for this year, and I have to say the Juan Lopez Malecon and the Ramon Allones 35th anniversary are two of the best cigars I've smoked all year. Both are true to their marca and very flavorful. People paid for the Bushido, which was about the same price so why shouldn't PCC price this release the same way? As long as the cigar is true to the LGC profile I will probably buy a box, or three.

[Lant63]

I have to add on:

Do I like the size? No I do not, I much would rather a especiales, and I am pissed the VR Especiales was canceled for this year.

Do I like the price? No, I don't 3 boxes of LGC MDO 4 instead is very tempting. But if it is good, I can't really complain.

Honestly though, instead of this 55x50 how cool would Bolivar, LGC, RA, and JL especiales have been this year? Hell, they could be more expensive and I would still pay for them.

[oliverdst]

Sadly in the last few years we have this same thread with the same posts, changing only the thread subject.

[ChanceSchmerr]

Time for a reality check

It is PCC/Distributors who put their own money up for Regional Releases....Not Habanos s.a.

It is the distributors who come up with the vitola, packaging and pricing. HSA approves the recommendation on the first two aspects.

The blend for the releases is worled out between the distributors and HSA/Tabacuba via a series of tirals/samples.

HSA provdides a price to the distributors for production and produces the cigars.

Fair enough, Rob.....I guess the question is: Has the rapid expansion of RE/LE program had the result of lowering production of Regular Production cigars, if not the discontinuation of Regular production cigars, because HSA has simply left themselves without enough tobacco to maintain production of everything they would normally roll, after rolling all the double/triple banders? (poor harvests have a hand in that too, most likely).

If that's the case, it's a lamentable situation regardless, one made more disappointing by an ever-increasing high price for those multi-band cigars that have edged out the regular-priced ones that many folks enjoy already.

If that's not the case........then folks are just whinging about the high price because it's higher LOL! Still Lamentable, but only economics to blame there...

[Olga]

Time for a reality check

It is PCC/Distributors who put their own money up for Regional Releases....Not Habanos s.a.

It is the distributors who come up with the vitola, packaging and pricing. HSA approves the recommendation on the first two aspects.

The blend for the releases is worled out between the distributors and HSA/Tabacuba via a series of tirals/samples.

HSA provdides a price to the distributors for production and produces the cigars.

Thanks for clarifying Rob but question.. when Regionals sell so well and so fast.. isn't Habanos s.a. more inclined to make more of those than regular productions?.. hence the cuts?

[topdiesel]

Don't tell the Punch PCdP, Partagas PC, SLR PC (my all time fav), ERDM PC, RA PC, Diplo #4..........

Those were mostly the best ones!

I won't comment publicly on forums about the LGC RE PCCs. You can all probably guess my thoughts....LOL

Right, I guess I just meant that there is still plenty of variety in the pc. Whereas the coronas and dalias are just disapearing all together with a few remnants.

[earthson]

Shortage of wrapper tobacco coupled with the fact that many overpriced and overhyped re/el sell out. Many RE are wonderful (if expensive). Most EL have left me with buyer's remorse.

I know the OP was meant to be rhetorical, but, hey - there's newbies present!

I just finished stocking up to take me past any market upsets should the US embargo be called off on account of infertility. All are under 50 rg and with the exception of the RACA, all feature one lone band.

[CaptainQuintero]

It could just be efficiency.

Remember a few years back each region was getting 2-3 RE releases a year and backlogs were getting out of hand.

It may just be simpler for HSA and distributors to say "instead of having 2 REs this year at $15 a cigar, let's just produce one at $30"

HSA wins as less workload plus less tobacco is used whilst they're having production issues, distributors win as they get one release to manage/worry about instead of delays and stress