2017 Deletions.

[dflan82]

49 minutes ago, SaintMickey® said:

What if anything is everyone "chasing" on this list before its gone?

I'm sure that you will see a lot of similar responses, but personally I will be grabbing a few more quality boxes of BCG, Hoyo du Prince, and a cab of Punch Punch...and probably another box of HUPC.

How about you?

[Fugu]

17 minutes ago, bundwallah said:

The Bolivar Coronas Gigantes, since they're being wiped out completely. Same goes for the VR Don Alejandro.  The VR's didn't do much for me but I do enjoy the BCG's.

Punch 50 cabs too. 

Pretty much the same for me. Add the Boli T1, as the last Bolivar corona   

[SCgarman]

More boxes of these! This just landed in the mailbox yesterday. 5 full boxes in my inventory and need more!

[Philc2001]

" userid="649"] What if anything is everyone "chasing" on this list before its gone?

RyJ Cedros deluxe no 1, Hoyo Du Prince, and possibly the Boli Tubos no 1 (need to try a sampler first).


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[garbandz]

Hope I live long enough to see this "big ring thing" turn around.........

[SaintMickey®]

On 1/31/2017 at 10:40 AM, dflan82 said:

How about you?

Got 2 boxes of RG Perlas coming and maybe some Tubos no1 but not looking too hard.

[Daveyboy777]

I have monte cristo tubos 25 box stamped 2011 bought last year , I have 12 left?are these good? Should I age the rest or not worth keeping long term?


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[Smallclub]

3 hours ago, Daveyboy777 said:

I have monte cristo tubos 25 box stamped 2011 bought last year , I have 12 left?are these good?

You're asking us whether your cigars, from a box you've smoked one half, are good?

[Daveyboy777]

I know there good. Just wanted to know if I should age afew to have them down the road


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[Daveyboy777]

Since there being discontinued


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[JohnS]

51 minutes ago, Daveyboy777 said:

Since there being discontinued


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Thankfully the Montecristo Tubos will still be around. It's the packaging that's changed as the Cardboard 15-pack of Tubos will no longer be available.

[Daveyboy777]

Oh ok thought the cigar itself how would u rate the monte cristo tubos?


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[forgop]

" userid="649"] What if anything is everyone "chasing" on this list before its gone?

I grabbed 2 more boxes of BCG's, a box of the DA's, and a cab of the Punch DC's. I've considered getting some HUPC's.

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[JohnS]

21 minutes ago, Daveyboy777 said:

Oh ok thought the cigar itself how would u rate the monte cristo tubos?

They're one of the few Coronas Grandes (42 ring gauge x 155 mm) left. When they periodically come up on a 24:24 sale they are always popular. I have to remind myself to pick up a box as I post this!

18 minutes ago, forgop said:

I've considered getting some HUPC's.

I assure you, you won't regret it!

[Daveyboy777]

I bought them 25 box in Cuba last February


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[SignalJoe]

On 1/18/2017 at 2:44 AM, El Presidente said:

Perlas, Coronas Especial, Reyes only in carton packs are going. 

I just don't understand Upmann Petit Corona. 

Bolivar Corona Gigante and du Prince we probably sell more than any other retail place on the globe. It bloody hurts but I know they are not big sellers elsewhere. 

Rob, does this mean that BCG is deleted in the dress box of 25 or to be deleted entirely?  

[SignalJoe]

Never mind.  I made the mistake of posting before reading all replies.  Having said that I believe the shot callers must be smoking cigars filled with something other than tobacco!   

[Smoker]

It has always surprised me that such a large number of brands/sizes was sustainable, even in recent years when the range of cubans has become smaller.  I suppose the only hope is that fewer vitolas will mean better overall quality.  Another shocker for me, is the tiny market share that Bolivar has.  Among regular/experienced smokers (on this forum for example) Bolivar always scores very well in polls.  I also think they are among the best value, when you compare the prices with Cohiba or Montecristo for example.  To lose two lines out of an already shrunken range of Bolivar vitolas is quite depressing!  I wonder if Bolivar will end up like Diplomaticos, with just one vitola available?  My money is on the BRC to be the last one.

I find the HUPC slightly less surprising, only because they make so many cigars in the PC size.  Last time I counted, there were 15 in production, with the next most common size having 8 (Robusto). If I had to trim vitolas, I would probably focus on that size, and also on brands like RyJ or MC that have a huge number of sizes in production.

[NSXCIGAR]

On 2/6/2017 at 11:47 PM, SignalJoe said:

Rob, does this mean that BCG is deleted in the dress box of 25 or to be deleted entirely?  

Yep, the BCG will soon be as dead as the Royal Dukes.

50 minutes ago, Smoker said:

I wonder if Bolivar will end up like Diplomaticos, with just one vitola available?  My money is on the BRC to be the last one.

I would guess that the BBF is their best seller. It's actually the only cigar still available in both DB and SLB 25s. I could see the Tubos cut entirely, but HSA seems to leave Minutos and Robustos alone for the most part these days. I just don't see Boli becoming a one model marca. There's also the Libertador which doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Dip expands in the coming years as QdO will soon be. Expect 50+ RG models, but I have a feeling it will. 

 

1 hour ago, Smoker said:

I find the HUPC slightly less surprising, only because they make so many cigars in the PC size.  Last time I counted, there were 15 in production, with the next most common size having 8 (Robusto). If I had to trim vitolas, I would probably focus on that size, and also on brands like RyJ or MC that have a huge number of sizes in production.

HSA has been slowly trimming Marevas continuously for years, except for RyJ which has 5 and is adding another, as is Partagas. HSA works in mysterious ways. At least we'll have the HU Majestics, which are actually quite good and have an outstanding price point. 

On 2/5/2017 at 5:59 PM, Daveyboy777 said:

Oh ok thought the cigar itself how would u rate the monte cristo tubos?

Very consistent and generally very good. More consistent than the No 1 and 3 for me, and longer than the No 3, so a plus there. 

[PatrickEwing]

A BCG was the cigar that turned me into one of you. This news is rough. 

HUPC was the cigar that made me consider PCs and their unique qualities. This news is rough. 

The casual or splurge buyer is the buyer driving the market. Far more people buy one to five cigars a year than those who buy in bulk as aficionados. Recall your first time in a B&M. I knew of three names: Cohiba, RyJ and Montecristo. I was lost beyond that. The retailer's job, therefore, is to either sell me those cigars for familiarity's sake or provide something a beginner could enjoy. Introduce then the HDM Epicure line or even a VR Famoso. And only in ring gauges that seem familiar, i.e. robusto or pyramid/belicoso. So therefore how many among us would ever travel to the brands and ring gauges outside this zone if we were just the casual smoker? Very few. RA, Bolívar, PL, JL? A PC that seems like a waste of money? And if we're going to go big, why a Churchill instead of a DC? People want familiarity and value. HSA, and more importantly, Altadis want money. It's unfortunate but this is further evidence of the marriage between the two. 

I imagine we are heading to a world where these all might be re-introduced on a limited semi-annual basis and be termed "Clasicos" or some other stupid, cynical term and be twice the price. And people will snap them up. And unfortunately I can't blame the business guys for doing it. Doesn't mean I still don't want to rock them in the jaw for doing it though. 

[MahDooRow]

6 hours ago, PatrickEwing said:

A BCG was the cigar that turned me into one of you. This news is rough. 

HUPC was the cigar that made me consider PCs and their unique qualities. This news is rough. 

Rough indeed!  That's putting it mildly.  Many here share your sentiments, including me.  

 

6 hours ago, PatrickEwing said:

The casual or splurge buyer is the buyer driving the market.  Far more people buy one to five cigars a year than those who buy in bulk as aficionados.  And only in ring gauges that seem familiar, i.e. robusto or pyramid/belicoso.  People want familiarity and value. 

I agree with this ^ to a certain extent.  Habanos is no doubt trying to "trim the fat", streamline the scope of regular production offerings and "rationalize" the business.  It serves the casual CC smoker while at the same time driving heightened demand by the afficianado.

 

6 hours ago, PatrickEwing said:

I imagine we are heading to a world where these all might be re-introduced on a limited semi-annual basis and be termed "Clasicos" or some other stupid, cynical term and be twice the price. And people will snap them up. And unfortunately I can't blame the business guys for doing it. Doesn't mean I still don't want to rock them in the jaw for doing it though. 

The Cuban government may be a communist regime, but communism is just a clever term for state sponsored capitalism.  With the high demand (and high prices) for RE and LE cigars, Habanos has figured out how to serve the aficionado while at the same time maximizing profits.  Deleting regular production vitolas that are mostly consumed by the cigar aficionado serves to further fuel the demand for RE and LE cigars.  For now this business model is working, but it sucks for people like me who don't chase after the REs and LEs (unless they are affordable).  

[SCgarman]

5 hours ago, MahDooRow said:

Rough indeed!  That's putting it mildly.  Many here share your sentiments, including me.  

 

I agree with this ^ to a certain extent.  Habanos is no doubt trying to "trim the fat", streamline the scope of regular production offerings and "rationalize" the business.  It serves the casual CC smoker while at the same time driving heightened demand by the afficianado.

 

The Cuban government may be a communist regime, but communism is just a clever term for state sponsored capitalism.  With the high demand (and high prices) for RE and LE cigars, Habanos has figured out how to serve the aficionado while at the same time maximizing profits.  Deleting regular production vitolas that are mostly consumed by the cigar aficionado serves to further fuel the demand for RE and LE cigars.  For now this business model is working, but it sucks for people like me who don't chase after the REs and LEs (unless they are affordable).  

I have never bought RE or LE cigars in my life. No thanks. Regular production cigars suit me fine.

[Smoker]

On 17/02/2017 at 9:00 AM, NSXCIGAR said:

I would guess that the BBF is their best seller. It's actually the only cigar still available in both DB and SLB 25s. I could see the Tubos cut entirely, but HSA seems to leave Minutos and Robustos alone for the most part these days. I just don't see Boli becoming a one model marca. There's also the Libertador which doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Dip expands in the coming years as QdO will soon be. Expect 50+ RG models, but I have a feeling it will.

That's a good call on the BBF, and you could be right.  Actually I would like to find out which is the best seller....I always imagine the Robusto size being more popular.  Perhaps there is even a case for the BPC to be their best seller, as that size is even more popular overall.  I forgot about the Libertador....isn't that a limited edition though?  I didn't know that they were being produced regularly.  If so, I shall add it to my humidor!

[forgop]

I have never bought RE or LE cigars in my life. No thanks. Regular production cigars suit me fine.

Never gonna chase down any RE or EL's myself.

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[NSXCIGAR]

6 hours ago, Smoker said:

That's a good call on the BBF, and you could be right.  Actually I would like to find out which is the best seller....I always imagine the Robusto size being more popular.  Perhaps there is even a case for the BPC to be their best seller, as that size is even more popular overall.  I forgot about the Libertador....isn't that a limited edition though?  I didn't know that they were being produced regularly.  If so, I shall add it to my humidor!

I obviously don't know sales numbers (who does), but I am fairly certain BBF is a monster seller for the marca, and always has been. This is based on anecdotal evidence and also my experience and discussions with people I've known in the business for nearly 20 years. Again, no direct evidence, but I'm sure enough to bet on it. Not saying it necessarily outsells the BRC or BPC, but if it doesn't it still puts up solid numbers. 

As for the Libertador, it's a LCDH release, and no LCDH release since 2009 has been discontinued--a smart move by HSA, particularly since the quality of the LCDHs is typically very good. The vitola (Sublimes) is one HSA loves to make these days. Not that HSA wouldn't do it, but after keeping these LCDHs alive now for 8 years there would be some serious uproar over cutting any of them now as many have earned a loyal following (RAS and HURR come to mind).

As I mentioned, HSA has tended to leave Robustos and, strangely, Minutos, alone recently. Incredibly, the last Minuto cut was the Punch TPC in 2002. In fact, I can't find any other Minutos cut in the last 30 years! And I don't think a Robusto has ever been cut. So again, I think the Tubos and the BPC could eventually go, but the BBF, BRC and BCJ aren't going anywhere and the Libertador hopefully sticks around as do all the LCDHs.