Fugu

Sure Bijan, believe me, long enough in this game to be aware of the situation. Yet, in the thread starter, Rob asked about whether it is making sense to members. And to me, for my purely selfish, very personal demands as a smoker, it doesn’t make much sense. I really don’t care what HSA marketing might have debated. Perhaps I fall for a misunderstanding here, may be. But just because HSA does what it does over the last two decades I don’t have to agree with it or show an understanding for decisions that don’t serve my needs, do I? To Rob’s particular inquiry (“Does how the connie 2 fits in to the Upmann stable make sense to anybody?”), I can only respond with a clear ‘no’. It’s too tight a stacking compared to the remainder of the brand. But if then, following your (or NSX’s) logic, from now on and forever only cigars of thicker girth are “admissible”, then what format should I ask for instead? For a 56 or a 50 rg? Personally, I see that as a vast redundancy. A waste of good tobacco and a missed opportunity to truly re-extend the range. Sorry for refusing to jump through that hoop. 😉

You didn’t listen to me (see above) Not at all, of course is it a debate of adding either one or the other. Of course is it a trade-off. Habanos is cannibalising on each other formats within the marca. Where do you think the tobacco of the former PC goes? They could have killed the Regalias or the Majestic instead, if they deemed those formats obsolete. They didn’t. For a reason. I don’t question their motivation. Cigars like the PC have been sold too cheap for their reasoning. You can hide more “neutral” tobacco in a fatty, plus, easier to make, inflating girth and inflating pricing (absolute and relative - maxing returns). If folks today want to be duped that way - bigger is better - so be it. But they can mark me off as a buyer of the new ‘in’-formats. A share, together with the likes of me, that is lost to the brand. But as long as there are always another two jumping on the (band)waggon to willingly fill in this gap, you’re probably right. I am hardly motivated to buy any new cigar today since HSA forced me to hoard those formats I like(d) to smoke and that are long gone the way of the dodo. I can only argue from my personal perspective as the consumer (not willing to submissively take on the producer’s biz position) and according to that the cluster(f#€&) of wider formats is just nonsense to me.

What I was trying to convey with my previous post was: It’s a fundamental difference whether you got four Coronas Gordas (whose blends were distinctly different) or four Marevas (for that matter) within a wide and diverse vitolario of 25 (up into the 2000s, including formats such as Ninfas, Perlas, Franciscanos, Minutos, Marevas, Coronas, Coronas Grandes etc.... so why should one measly complain about a fourfold replication of highly popular and versatile formats?). Or, on the other hand, having 7 robusto-ish (and above) cigars within a vitolario of 17 (of which most smaller offerings are former MM, C&Cs at best). Granted, new formats that appear to be hip today - times are changing. But - not a single quality offering in the 42-gauge or under range? Your‘re fine with that? Plus - technically, a difference of one or two rg-points in the sub-42 range means more variation than two rg in the 50-plus range, from a smoking-mechanics aspect. Indeed, your very argument, diversity of choice! A tight variation of Gordos-offerings I don’t see as ‚diversity of choice‘. Before they even dare to think about adding another > 47-rg format under H. Upmann they should not forget their loyal following and do something for those folks. And I am not speaking of an overpriced C&C tarted up in a childish tin that no one needs. Marketing crap. What the heck did they think?! Today it seems all more about tinsel and glitter than it is about the smoking. But there is at least one, which I unfairly forgot to mention, and that’s the Noellas. A truly fine cigar, while pricey, a serious offering.

I generally try to keep it < 600 °C

- Makes no sense - Unneeded format - And for that they killed the PC?!? What the line did - and that’s the only merit I see - they brought the attention back to the Connie 1. But that tight stacking of formats (plus, let’s not forget, we got the Royal Rob at 52 x 135 - by the above “logic” make that the new regular Connie 3) is comical. No, it’s trying to shamelessly cash in on the fad-smokers. Apples and oranges. Unfair comparison at least. Those were from a time when portfolios were much more diverse anyway. But today, having six fatties and no decent quality-offering in the lower rg-region is (and that’s how I feel as a long-time HU amateur) nothing less than offensive.

Ah, forget that list. Too many non-sensical codes diluting the true information.

OGA was ‘11. MUR was ‘13. Consensus seems to be ALT for ‘12. OGA followed by MUR, switching mid 2012. ALT isn’t Partagás. Anyways, nice haul 👍.

Haha, ditto! 😁

True. But was rather meant along the lines of theory of state, more the general concept than specifically being addressed at Cuba. I should have better phrased it „with the ‘ideal’ of transitioning...“. By which I meant to allude to the intermediary character of socialism on the way striving for “true” communism, following Marx & Engels..... 1953 Yup, there’s not few having a hard time seeing the fundamental difference....

should - corrected for you, Fuzz. (out of curiosity, where do you see or which state would you define as implementing a form of "democratic socialism"?) The reality looks quite different. And that holding in particular for socialist systems, which are defining themselves and their people's value through "work". Once your value as a unit of labour vanishes and you start to only cost you're just seen as a burden. There's a reason why in the former German "Democratic Republic" you were allowed to finally leave the country (to the west) once you reached retirement.... a purely materialistic, not a friendly, humane move. What we see in Cuba is archetypal rather than the exception. Basically I agree, Nino, but this isn't Cuba-specific by far. This is the fate of all non-democratic, socialist, transitioning to communist, regimes forms of government. 'Dictatorship of the proletariat' still is dictatorship. And historically, always has there been a strong tendency to shift it towards a personal, at least autocratic dictatorhip. Just take a quick look around...

Jeez, you guys are kids. And plan on retiring as teens.... 😅

Can very much relate to that. In fact, more and more I find myself now reaching for a Coloniales (or even a Reyes), when I had chosen the HUPC before, in order to slow down on the PC. The Coloniales shares a lot of good Upmann quality.

Had been more 3-4x in the past

Thanks, John. I was sure there was some locality-reference involved for the Trini, but had no clue yet where to put the Esmeralda. What, no love for the Super Ramon? 💕💖🦍😁 (...what stands the WTF20 for, again?)

Well, with Alma signifying ‘soul’ and Esmeralda ‘emerald’ (the gem), I think they chose some fairly decent names. Sure, also women’s names (and, for that matter, quite a few location names in the Spanish speaking world). But what’s wrong with that? More appealing to me than any of the bellicose Magnums. Or such “brilliant” names like Novedosos (and may future save us from a Double Catalina) But isn’t there no better name than ‘soul’ for a cigar?