Buying Boxes Blind

[planetary]

This is part of the fun of buying in Cuba, the search and hunt and then the kill of finding that perfect box.

I would much rather sacrifice this "fun" if we could get consistent quality.

I'd also much rather that all cigars of the world were marketed to all locations, to also eliminate the "fun" of buying the cigars you would like to buy.

Viva los killjoys.

[Smoker]

These variations in boxes....do they also apply to special editions? Or are those more consistent and carefully produced by the factories?

[raymond5737]

It's solely my opinion, but it's a downside for me to not know every time if the cigars I'm buying are as good or even close to the last time I purchased the exact same cigar. To me that's a downside or a negative.

That being said, I love Cuban tobacco and know how to and not how to buy. I also accept that some years are great, some are ok, and some not so desirable. That's the Cuban cigar game we all play.

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The next layer of our hobby is how the cigar tastes with age on it. So you buy a 2015 box and let it rest a couple of weeks/months and you taste to see if it can deliver. The cigar is so-so. So you wait another 2 months, 6 months two years and you keep trying them until you hit a good one. Then you are all excited because you hit Nirvana. You invite a pal over and light up that exact same cigar and it sucks or tastes different and you feel deflated that you didn't get what you expected. Then your friend leaves and you light up another one and once again Nirvana. Now that tells a little more about this hobby of ours.

[Smoker]

The next layer of our hobby is how the cigar tastes with age on it. So you buy a 2015 box and let it rest a couple of weeks/months and you taste to see if it can deliver. The cigar is so-so. So you wait another 2 months, 6 months two years and you keep trying them until you hit a good one. Then you are all excited because you hit Nirvana. You invite a pal over and light up that exact same cigar and it sucks or tastes different and you feel deflated that you didn't get what you expected. Then your friend leaves and you light up another one and once again Nirvana. Now that tells a little more about this hobby of ours.

It tells us to invite more friends round to use up the poor cigars.

[JC67]

H Upmann are reliably good

[Shikar]

Codes can be a good guide in some lines.

If you see PSP listed of recent stock, say a Box of ARG JUN 15 Esplendido. If my commentary states that quality from the mastercase was overall high, then you could do worse than tracking down a vendor with that specific code. It will take out some of the risk.

Most vendors will check stock for you. Ideally find one who will go the extra mile.

This is about as selfless as it gets.

He speaks like a fellow cigar lover, not someone trying to sell you the next box on the pile.

Think about that.

Regards.

[TonyAccardo]

This is about as selfless as it gets.

He speaks like a fellow cigar lover, not someone trying to sell you the next box on the pile.

Think about that.

Regards.

I think at this point Rob would almost have to beat people back. I honestly can't see myself ever buying anywhere else. I'll admit that I was skeptical at first but after only a few orders, I was off to the races with FOH's 24:24!! It's hard not to buy, buy, buy when you know the quality that you're getting here on a consistent basis.

[jfire]

There was a group created by 13(?) guys on another board in 2013(?) (I helped create the group)

We smoked over 5500 CCs/NCs collectively with about 45/55% of each. Many brands and many sizes of all cigars Dominican/Nica/CC. We logged and posted the results from spreadsheets quarterly.

The result was that NCs have a plugged rate of about 1% or less and CC had a plugged rate of about 1.5% out of the 5500 cigars smoked and logged over a 12 month period.

The testing variables were

-that a cigar had to be stored in each humidor between 63%-68% humidity.

-Needed at least 2 months humidor rest.

-If it was tight before being lit. It must of been dry boxed for three more days before being smoked and declared plugged.

There were other variables but again this was all logged and placed into a exhaustive database monthly.

It was a fun test to do. But honestly for all the work the one BOTL did logging (and creating the spreadsheets) I wish it would of gained more Cigar forum(s) presence. (There was even sub scores broken down into plugged rates of ALL BRANDS of cigars and which had the highest or least plugged brands in the world, respective to each brand.)

Cheers.

Justin

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[Anth87]

No need to buy blind with 24:24!

I'll never forget my first box JL2's first one was one of the best I've smoked

[Guest scsi]

Which is great if you live in Auzzieland....

Not so easy if you live elsewhere

[TonyAccardo]

Just as with fine wines, you take in as much information concerning your cigars of interest as you can, and then lay your money down, basically making a bet that this box is going to be the jackpot. As with wines, no matter how expensive, it's a gamble that usually leaves the bettor left wanting but when that bet pays off, it makes it all worth it. I'd rather have things like this than the predictable and monotonous regularity that is the new world cigar purchase. You pretty much know what you're getting and because of this, rarely are you pleasantly surprised.

[El Presidente]

There was a group created by 13(?) guys on another board in 2013(?) (I helped create the group)

We smoked over 5500 CCs/NCs collectively with about 45/55% of each. Many brands and many sizes of all cigars Dominican/Nica/CC. We logged and posted the results from spreadsheets quarterly.

The result was that NCs have a plugged rate of about 1% or less and CC had a plugged rate of about 1.5% out of the 5500 cigars smoked and logged over a 12 month period.

The testing variables were

-that a cigar had to be stored in each humidor between 63%-68% humidity.

-Needed at least 2 months humidor rest.

-If it was tight before being lit. It must of been dry boxed for three more days before being smoked and declared plugged.

There were other variables but again this was all logged and placed into a exhaustive database monthly.

It was a fun test to do. But honestly for all the work the one BOTL did logging (and creating the spreadsheets) I wish it would of gained more Cigar forum(s) presence. (There was even sub scores broken down into plugged rates of ALL BRANDS of cigars and which had the highest or least plugged brands in the world, respective to each brand.)

Cheers.

Justin

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Thanks Justin. A great piece of data of which I wasn't aware.

We are always happy to have members elsewhere share their research/data on FOH, with the appropriate permissions of course.

[planetary]

There was a group created by 13(?) guys on another board in 2013(?) (I helped create the group)

We smoked over 5500 CCs/NCs collectively with about 45/55% of each. Many brands and many sizes of all cigars Dominican/Nica/CC. We logged and posted the results from spreadsheets quarterly.

The result was that NCs have a plugged rate of about 1% or less and CC had a plugged rate of about 1.5% out of the 5500 cigars smoked and logged over a 12 month period.

The testing variables were

-that a cigar had to be stored in each humidor between 63%-68% humidity.

-Needed at least 2 months humidor rest.

-If it was tight before being lit. It must of been dry boxed for three more days before being smoked and declared plugged.

There were other variables but again this was all logged and placed into a exhaustive database monthly.

It was a fun test to do. But honestly for all the work the one BOTL did logging (and creating the spreadsheets) I wish it would of gained more Cigar forum(s) presence. (There was even sub scores broken down into plugged rates of ALL BRANDS of cigars and which had the highest or least plugged brands in the world, respective to each brand.)

Cheers.

Justin

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Justin - do you happen to have a link to the data? Would be interested in taking a look!

[joejack11]

i bought a box of monte edmundos blind before, and it was garbage...... rob was right on that one.

[habanolover]

Ahhhhh, the mystery that is the Cuban cigar She wares a veil here and a fan of feathers there to play a game of peek a boo, sometimes hiding her most sought after parts But on those star aligned occasions when the fan slips and the veil falls and her best is revealed, it makes the game worthwhile.

So, the question really is how do we increase ability to get beyond the veil and feathers more often? Engage the hobby, do the "work", enjoy the game. I lurk and learn more than I speak...I find a quiet joy in hearing others opinions and looking for patterns, Prez KNOWS...I listen to what he says, I enjoy scouring for reviews...I enjoy taking a chance on consensus cigars I've never tried, but some "on the bubble" smokes I will most likely never try(Vegueros). Finally, after I've done the "work" and am ready to strike, I have vendors I can trust...my buy budget is relatively slim and precious but with the above process I can recall only ONE box over the last several years that I can honestly say I did not enjoy.

My humble advice is not to look for a "microwave" approach to surety, but to engage, inform yourself and take a properly calculated risk of purchase. Just my .02

[irratebass]

I now make the vast majority of my purchases from our hosts. For me, it is less about "buying blind" than about trusting the vendor and their wholesale source.

I couldn't agree more.....I was very skeptical about making my 1st purchase.....so many hurdles & rules it seems like.....def do your homework, but after 3 box purchases from Rob & Co....I am more than happy I took the risk with them

a cigar had to be stored in each humidor between 63%-68% humidity.

-Needed at least 2 months humidor rest.

-If it was tight before being lit. It must of been dry boxed for three more days before being smoked and declared plugged.

Cheers Justin

This is great info to know....thanks for sharing

[Orion21]

I learned my lesson 5 years ago not to buy on price and have the vendor verified thru the regional distributor. My lesson was learned on two boxes of 2010 Partagas EL's. One box I bought from a popular gray source and the other box from Rob during a LITH. The box from the gray source was $15 less with seals intact. When opened the cigars were dirty and quite dry. They smelled fine, so I let them rest for over a month. I smoked a few and they were crap. Abused, mishandled - whatever happened they were ruined. I had my box from Rob arrive within that same period...

The difference was astounding. They were hand selected PSP and beautiful. Dark, oily and pungent smelling - so I let them rest. When I smoked my first I knew I would never buy blind again. The cigars from Rob were amazing and exactly as advertised. Now I know some on here don't buy into the whole HQ or PSP program and claim to receive cigars just as good from blind sources. However, the main difference in paying Rob insures you are receiving those perfect hand selected cigars vs depending on a cigar lottery.

So my best advice for new guys into the hobby, and maybe some of you older ones too, is to never buy blind. Verify your source with the regional distributor, like I did with Rob and my other main source, and make requests. Ask for hand picked boxes, or if you lose out on a 24:24 like I do all the time use the great info Rob provides in those posts to track down those months and codes. We're spending hundreds of dollars per box on cigars guys, so why in the hell would you just buy blind!?!?!?!

[SCgarman]

I learned my lesson 5 years ago not to buy on price and have the vendor verified thru the regional distributor. My lesson was learned on two boxes of 2010 Partagas EL's. One box I bought from a popular gray source and the other box from Rob during a LITH. The box from the gray source was $15 less with seals intact. When opened the cigars were dirty and quite dry. They smelled fine, so I let them rest for over a month. I smoked a few and they were crap. Abused, mishandled - whatever happened they were ruined. I had my box from Rob arrive within that same period...

The difference was astounding. They were hand selected PSP and beautiful. Dark, oily and pungent smelling - so I let them rest. When I smoked my first I knew I would never buy blind again. The cigars from Rob were amazing and exactly as advertised. Now I know some on here don't buy into the whole HQ or PSP program and claim to receive cigars just as good from blind sources. However, the main difference in paying Rob insures you are receiving those perfect hand selected cigars vs depending on a cigar lottery.

So my best advice for new guys into the hobby, and maybe some of you older ones too, is to never buy blind. Verify your source with the regional distributor, like I did with Rob and my other main source, and make requests. Ask for hand picked boxes, or if you lose out on a 24:24 like I do all the time use the great info Rob provides in those posts to track down those months and codes. We're spending hundreds of dollars per box on cigars guys, so why in the hell would you just buy blind!?!?!?!

Buying ELs from a Swiss vendor is a risky crapshoot as you have no idea what you are getting, that is if the cigars are even genuine. But all the regular production stuff I smoke is perfectly fine, and I have no problems with quality.