Popular Post El Presidente Posted March 29, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted March 29, 2017 Hard to believe that the first quarter of 2017 is over It has been a helter skelter start to the year for us here and showing no signs of slowing down. Again, I am blessed by a fantastic team who have not only stepped up to the plate in terms of their own workload but are putting their ideas forward and executing them. The one big cloud on the horizon is wrapper quality and underfilling of mid to late 16 stock that we are seeing in 2017 to date. Three points. 1. Take a deep breath. Not all is bad. Far from it. There are some exceptional cigars coming through. I am not running a Chicken Little Line. 2. First quarter 2017 is the worst quality wrapper I have seen on average since 1999/00. 3. Underfilling is becoming a noticeable problem again on some cigars. A picture says a thousand words. I love the beautiful red hue wrappers of great Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchills. Done right they are bliss to smoke and even though they are nowhere near my preferred gauge I appreciate what they bring to the table. I went through a mastercase of Wides yesterday which were to be honest.....appalling. Check the wrapper on the below. More importantly, look at the level of underfilling. Quality control my hairy arse. La Corona factory, not some provincial factory. It wasn't a single mastercase by any means. You wonder why I don't put up many Trinidad reyes on 24:24? Havana....we have a problem. Now the above are exceptions. They are just far more common in 2017 that they were in 2016. They were rare in 2015/14. One of the reasons I have brought in Greg to help me in the warehouse selection is that it is taking me far longer to find FOH quality stock for 24:24. We do and will continue to do so. However unless things improve dramatically in the last three quarters of 2017 (and I can see no catalyst for such a change), then we are all in for a tough year. Be careful when purchasing 2016 stock blind this year. Work with vendors who will work with you. If buying blind and you have a choice of 15 or 16 stock then go 15. 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dowjr1 Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Wow... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jimmy_jack Posted March 29, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted March 29, 2017 Rob I must say, I appreciate this information. Those pictures speak volumes. Very important to have good helpful vendors and its thoughtful for you to mention it. That being said....what the literal F*&K. They talk an awful lot about QC to be sending that out. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv2fly Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 OUCH!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwaller Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Great info and pictures! I've seen many requests for pictures of "fail" cigars... here they are. Mighty spectacular failures, I might add... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliverdst Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Just imagine buying a box in UK, Brazil, Austrália and get these cigars... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JohnS Posted March 30, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted March 30, 2017 1 minute ago, oliverdst said: Just imagine buying a box in UK, Brazil, Austrália and get these cigars... Yes, and if underfilling and poor wrapper is more common in the first quarter this year, well then, we have every reason to appreciate our host more. Thank you El Pres! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cep Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Thx Prez for all that you do. Keep up the good work. I love the fact that I have a vendor I trust fully to not put crap up for sale. It is worth everything to me. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcease022 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I am curious what happens to the cigars that are sent back. I meant to ask this before. Do they get discarded by PCC or by H. SA or do they get distributed by PCC to other vendors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texwrangler Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I very much enjoyed reading this thread. Really shed's alot of light on the subject and has made me appreciate more my current inventory and will be more selective in the future of what I buy. I haven't bought blind in ages and don't see that changing, especially with the current conditions. Many thanks.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunod Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I just replied to a topic about Connie A's and blind buying. Can't do it and after this post, for sure no way. I've received about 10'boxes this quarter from our host and every box was spot on. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuffDaddie Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Good info Rob.Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeski Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Prez. Thank you not only for the great offerings but the lesson you teach on this great site. I look forward to a lot more of both for many years to come. Thanks again. Brian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusticdonut25 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Wow this was amazing information! The honesty and upfront nature I have witnessed from our host is second to none and what other retailers should base their practices on. That is why I only order from FOH for my CCs. It is crazy to see that these would even be sent to a distributor for sale. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cubatabaco Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Rob I must say, I appreciate this information. Those pictures speak volumes. Very important to have good helpful vendors and its thoughtful for you to mention it. That being said....what the literal F*&K. They talk an awful lot about QC to be sending that out.Couldn't be said any better! The money that is spent by the consumer on this "thing of ours" calls for better QC from the start. I can't thank Rob and his team enough for what they do. Not many, if any, vendors will do what they do for their customers.Thank you! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gusto616 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Wow, thank you for the heads up, Prez.That would probably explain why I received the following Coros from a friend who recently visited Havana and bought two boxes at the Nacional Hotel store. I thought the salesperson must have just taken him for a novice, which he is, and sold him fakes.Some ugly wrappers & way under filled... was disappointed to see it. However the one I tried, which had a single thick black hair sticking out of the foot (as I mentioned in a different thread), tasted pretty good though lacking some expected oomph.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangolf18 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 11 minutes ago, gusto616 said: Wow, thank you for the heads up, Prez. That would probably explain why I received the following Coros from a friend who recently visited Havana and bought two boxes at the Nacional Hotel store. I thought the salesperson must have just taken him for a novice, which he is, and sold him fakes. Some ugly wrappers & way under filled... was disappointed to see it. However the one I tried, which had a single thick black hair sticking out of the foot (as I mentioned in a different thread), tasted pretty good though lacking some expected oomph. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Ouch. Those bands are pre-2014. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy_jack Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 alright....these underfilled pics are scaring me....lol. I have only bought on a couple occasions from other vendors and had good experiences. If this there is a real chance of this happening though...forget it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gusto616 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Ouch. Those bands are pre-2014.So you think my first theory was correct ? (Fakes)Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archosaur Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 25 minutes ago, gusto616 said: That would probably explain why I received the following Coros from a friend who recently visited Havana and bought two boxes at the Nacional Hotel store. I thought the salesperson must have just taken him for a novice, which he is, and sold him fakes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Is there a box code on these? I hope they are authentic for you, but I really don't like the look of these. As mentioned, that style of band is old, and it doesn't look embossed either. Is there embossing on the band? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gusto616 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Is there a box code on these? I hope they are authentic for you, but I really don't like the look of these. As mentioned, that style of band is old, and it doesn't look embossed either. Is there embossing on the band?No embossing & no code,which is why I thought bogus at first but wasn't sure if there was a cardboard box involved with COROS - obviously I don't buy them by the boxThe box in the pictures is not from my friend, it's an empty Sig II box I'm using for storageMy friend just gave me a handful gratis, I declined to buy themSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kuma Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Rob thanks for the heads up. I kind of had a uneasy feeling as of late. Once I heard about the problem with the amount of rainfall which was not the normal amount Cuba should get for a growing season(s). I thought this would just add more fuel to the fire. Combined with China, States, Europe, Middle East, eastern euorpe all seeking Cuban cigars may have put more pressure on the Cuban cigar industry. I started smoking habanos around 2010 and was lucky to see the Cuban cigar industry blossom around 2013 thru 2015. It just seems like yesterday that every 24:24 Rob had up the percent of PSP's seemed to "ruled the roost". There seemed to be more PSP's than Hq's and because the quality of the smokes were super high very few PE's ever went up for sale. Ah yes 2014 was by far the best smokes I have ever seen / smoked in my very short smoking life (2010 - Now), Again that sinking feeling arose again a while back when I bought a box of Behike 52's (2016) and could not beleive that these were Behikes. You see my smoking life really started in Spain on vacation in 2010 when I bought a box of 52's for $270.00 at a cigar shop on the Rambala in Barcelona. These were from god they were smooth as silk smoking wise and even to the touch. If I knew then what I know now I'd be a very happy happy man. My how things have changed ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archosaur Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Just now, gusto616 said: No embossing & no code, which is why I thought bogus at first but wasn't sure if there was a cardboard box involved with COROS - obviously I don't buy them by the box The box in the pictures is not from my friend, it's an empty Sig II box I'm using for storage My friend just gave me a handful gratis, I declined to buy them Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Understood. No embossing (and that is not the only red flag with the bands), awful wrappers, horrendous looking tobacco in the feet...I think your first instinct on these was accurate. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irratebass Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Like the majority of you, I thank Rob for this thread and the pics, beware gentlemen, if buying elsewhere, do your research and talk to your vendors, or just by from Rob and Co......with no issues. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1LegLance Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Wow that is horrible underfilling.... Funny that in 99/00 we were all angry about overfilled/plugged, terrible tasting sticks as HSA tried to ramp up production by factors instead of percentages. For those of us who pretty much smoked our inventory while waiting for things to improve this is a real scare. I only buy here and 1 other vendor that many folks know well. And while I trust that vendor completely it does help to see the 24:24 pics and know the sticks have been hand selected. Just goes to show why we fondle the cigars when we pick out cigars, imagine all the folks who just order/walk in a LCDH and grab a sealed box without ever cracking it open....scary. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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