How Many Boxes of RE/LE Do You Buy?

[polarbear]

Depends on a mixture of 3 factors

Marca, size, price

When my cigar buying was in full swing I normally ordered at least 1.5-2 boxes of the EL I liked the best each year.
Typically, I only looked at the REs if I could find some for a decent price or were from a marca I enjoyed in a size I liked
I bought 2 boxes of the RACF based solely on the Marca and Vitola  and tend to grab at least a handful of any Diplo RE I can find/afford (had to pass on the Bushido, too rich for my blood)

Currently, maybe 40% of my CC collection consists of double banders but my buying has slowed considerably in recent years as more adult expenses came in and import duty has gone up

[SCgarman]

None. In fact I have never bought a box of EL or RE cigars. Too much coin, IMO. Regular production suits me just fine

[UpInSmoak]

I've bought two.  2009 HU Mag 48 which i have since sold or traded off.  And 2011 RA Allones. While I didnt care for the RA when they were young, the last one I had a few weeks ago was quite good.  

[BonVivant]

Edicion UN limitada = none

Edicion Regional = few, that are true to the brand

[Bohn007]

1 hour ago, UpInSmoak said:

I've bought two.  2009 HU Mag 48 which i have since sold or traded off.  And 2011 RA Allones. While I didnt care for the RA when they were young, the last one I had a few weeks ago was quite good.  

I have a Cab of RA Gran Robustos that was amazing but you have to be careful. I think that it's easier to get burned on an EL or Regional than to hit a home run.  

[GavLew79]

Two boxes. One to smoke, one to keep. 

I took the bait on:

Por Larrañaga Sobresalientes UK RE 14

Cohiba LE14 jawbreakers

Quai d'Orsay Robusto Diplomaticos FR RE 14 or 15?

Diplomaticos Cuba RE 15

Ramon Allones Club Allones LE 15

[godpheonix]

all these issues ( marketing, prices, quality...etc ) aside, you have to admit that the LE\RE programs have produced some pretty unique\excellent smokes over the years. some are definitely  worth grabbing. i tend to buy much more RE because the wrappers are not of the maduro kind like LE's. makes LE's tend to taste the same in many ways. a good example of what i'm saying, think of the Bushido and the Eslavo. Sancho Panza makes only 2 regular production cigars, both are on average...just ok or below that. the Eslavo is what Sancho Panza should be! but you can't get that quality in normal production because there's just no choice\variety. the same idea goes with Diplomatico, exception is the recent Dip 2's that have been out but you get the point. personally though i try to avoid anything over 52 gauge and much prefer under 50 gauge which is good cause that means there's less out there that i'm tempted to buy under these 2 programs. much easier on my wallet!

[godpheonix]

6 hours ago, UpInSmoak said:

I've bought two.  2009 HU Mag 48 which i have since sold or traded off.  And 2011 RA Allones. While I didnt care for the RA when they were young, the last one I had a few weeks ago was quite good.  

yes. these needed time, a strong sucker this one! many people say it's like the RA's of old. i tend to agree with that statement. these have years to go before you see the best of them. so don't be quick on smoking your stash just yet! the same goes for the HDM regalos, which also had the community split up. at 10 years of age now, they are just starting to show their true colors i think.

the LE\RE programs should be taking with the idea that they are not made to smoke right out of the gate. word of advise, sample progressively over the years until it reaches your preference, but i doubt that would be in the first few years!

 

[Fugu]

19 hours ago, PigFish said:

The EL is designed to move (some of) the secondary collector market speculation money to the primary market, capturing the initial profit, plus speculator profit for the producer. Where the collector/speculator generally earned his money by holding cigars, creating a market (even a false one) based on age, bolstered by Tabacubas poor inventory control practices and their penchant for destroying great tasting traditional cigars, supported by the real, uncontrived history of a cigars performance; the producer in this case, has taken it upon themselves to create 'contrived' market value by adding an extra band and shiny box to an untested cigar.

Very well put.

But I don't have a dogma here. And I guess I am finding much of my own motives reflected in what Jerocco sais. I always try to sample them with an open mind, and if good and pricing is fair for me, do buy. In that, ELs have to be considered very differently to Regionals, which are often - also here in this thread - tarred with the same brush. There is a very different approach to both, however. Regional editions I essentially see as "regular production" in a special format (with blends usually being true to the marca's core blend). They don't set aside particular tobacco for those (you often get to hear claims of importers such as, "we tweaked the blend for our customers"..., while HSA states regionals to be produced based on the marca's core profile. Perhaps a bit of both...). And most European Regionals are often rather fair-priced (seems to be different for PCC, when one hears about double or triple pricing) compared to ELs, so it usually is not much more of a commitment as with any regular.

As for the argument that it's being a one-off run - very true indeed - well, (QC issues aside) it still is a natural product. In essence, all regular production can be / has to be treated as a one-off run, as well. It just is ephemeral by nature. There are good years and good batches and there are lesser production runs. We all experience that every so often... . Nobody would debate the same in wine vintages, really. I do buy what I like, where I see quality and potential and what I can afford. But I buy thoughtful and selective: Uninspiring or ridiculous formats (Robustos Extremos), or where I can get the same or better in regular production, or where I am requested to pay an obvious markup (only) for a shiny presentation - I skip. L+S or attractive historic formats - I support. Perhaps in the (forlom?) hope to see some of that back in regular production some day.

What angers me is the obvious cannibalization - the cutting of regular for the sake of special production.

With these double-bandeds I see it this way - ERs are essentially a marketing instrument for sparking interest and for market exploration. ELs are for generating revenue (and cirumventing wrapper limitations). LCDHs are quite often, but not consistently, for offering a promo smoke. The latter I have the most difficulty in explaining its existence.

[shlomo]

8 hours ago, Bohn007 said:

I have a Cab of RA Gran Robustos that was amazing but you have to be careful. I think that it's easier to get burned on an EL or Regional than to hit a home run.  

No such thing as getting burned by an EL or RE purchase. There are tons and tons of suckers who buy cigars only to be able to brag about them. AFAIK there has never been a "limited" production cigar go down in resale value a year or two after release. Heck, look at the prices of "aged" stock on here when they pop up for sale. 2 years after the box date and somebody will buy your cigars for minimum 1.5x their original price. Safer than the markets.

[Bohn007]

1 hour ago, Fugu said:

With these double-bandeds I see it this way - ERs are essentially a marketing instrument for sparking interest and for market exploration. ELs are for generating revenue (and cirumventing wrapper limitations). LCDHs are quite often, but not consistently, for offering a promo smoke. The latter I have the most difficulty in explaining its existence.

I don't uderstand the LCDH either except that it is out there to help support the LCDH franchise by offering them something first before other places get them on the secondary market. A good example is the RA Superiores which are an outstanding cigar, IMHO, and can be found for about $10 dollars a stick. 

[joeypots]

Not too many now. Used to buy them but I found that with quality regular production I am happier and like the cigars better. If I'm going to indulge in a special cigar I'll take a aged Cohiba over almost anything.

[canadianbeaver]

We buy cigars that we are going to love, because of smoke, taste and experience. When in Italy, we brought home lots of Italian RE's. Incredible. Same with Amsterdam and when they were combined with Belgium, Luxembourg, then without Lux. Wow.

More interested in vintage now or specific marca and vitola.

Free world. Buy what you want and love it.

[LLC]

It will always depend on how much I like the cigar but if I do usually 5-10 or 12 in the case of the RA CA.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Fugu]

4 hours ago, Bohn007 said:

A good example is the RA Superiores which are an outstanding cigar, IMHO, and can be found for about $10 dollars a stick.

Absolutely with you on this one. ORs had been even much lower than that. That was really fair pricing.

[Smoking Ninja]

4 hours ago, Bohn007 said:

I don't uderstand the LCDH either except that it is out there to help support the LCDH franchise by offering them something first before other places get them on the secondary market. A good example is the RA Superiores which are an outstanding cigar, IMHO, and can be found for about $10 dollars a stick. 

Agree, I love those RA Superiores.  I found them for about $8 a stick.  What a value!!

[PapaDisco]

I think about 1/4 or 1/3 of my boxes are EL's or RE's, and the majority being Asia Pacific of course.  I try to get 3-6 boxes of ones I like so that I can treat them like any other regular production cigar in the rotation and don't have to ration them.  I've particularly enjoyed the Asia Pacific regionals to be consistently good surprises.

I don't think they're that much more expensive than regular production.  Sure there are a few crazy prices, but most of them seem to be 10-20% more than a regular box price, and they're easily that much better and that much more reliable.  It's not like they're all Bushido pricing.  

[JohnS]

On ‎25‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 0:36 PM, MrGlass said:

I agree with this.  I tend not to buy boxes of the LE and RE releases based on the price but I will jump at the opportunity for a sampler or a box split so that I at least have the opportunity to experience them.  

I concur, and thanks for your part in that split with the H.Upmann Magnum 56 LE's a few months ago, I'm very grateful!