Biggest QdO ever?

[Stump89]

https://halfwheel.com/quai-dorsay-capitolio-coming-to-france/282148

Just saw this article this morning.  New RE for France is the Sublimes vitola. I have enjoyed the QdOs that I've had, but I have never seen one this size before.  Definitely following the RE trend of more expensive and big ring gauge. I also suspect this is part of marketing strategy for the 'revamped' QdO brand.  What do you think about this one?

[Puros Y Vino]

I like the Sublime vitola and QdO in general.  This is an interesting release.  The pricing doesn't seem too horrible given the size of the cigar.  And while I'm not a huge fan of the increasing RG trend, the Sublime has been around for a while and there's been some excellent cigars as a result.

[99call]

what a waste of tobacco!!   this will just mean with wont see Coronas Claro for another year,  joy!

 

[99call]

I wonder if they'll change the box font to comic sans?

[Puros Y Vino]

1 minute ago, 99call said:

what a waste of tobacco!!   this will just mean with wont see Coronas Claro for another year,  joy!

 

Have they been MIA? Didn't know that.  I somewhat suspect the tobacco for the RE's is never truly indicative of each marca's flavour profile. With one exception. The RA Regionals. Those are amped up compared to the regular line.  I wish the reverse were true.

[JGD]

I love QdO’s and I’m a huge fan of the size. Hopefully they’re still around come March as I booked a trip to Paris last week.

[99call]

6 minutes ago, bundwallah said:

Have they been MIA? Didn't know that.  I somewhat suspect the tobacco for the RE's is never truly indicative of each marca's flavour profile. With one exception. The RA Regionals. Those are amped up compared to the regular line.  I wish the reverse were true.

Well, there are a few suppliers that still have them (at nearly double i'm used to paying) or suppliers I don't trust

The lack of availability of the coronas claro seemed to coincide with the release of the 50 and the 54.  

[Stump89]

28 minutes ago, FatherOfPugs said:

Might have to get a box of these.......I like the size, and QdO!

Same. The price doesnt seem too bad given its double band status.  I dont buy many REs anymore, but might be worth a box.

[TBird55]

If only they would keep  the ring gage at 47 or even 49. 

[99call]

Inside the HSA 'ideas brainstorming session".  Cant wait until we have a new Starbucks line

 

[Derboesekoenig]

5 minutes ago, FatherOfPugs said:

Agree. I don't buy much RE or EL, but these have me intrigued.

I would be a helluva lot more intrigued if they started producing coronas again

[ChefBoyRG54]

4 hours ago, 99call said:

Well, there are a few suppliers that still have them (at nearly double i'm used to paying) or suppliers I don't trust

The lack of availability of the coronas claro seemed to coincide with the release of the 50 and the 54.  

given some of the 50/54 boxes came from MSU, that could be plausible

But given that no regionals have been coming from mother factories, its probably pretty safe to assume the regional release wont have much of an impact on the other qdo regulars, nor will it likely represent qdo for the same reason.

[99call]

11 minutes ago, ChefBoyRG54 said:

But given that no regionals have been coming from mother factories

I will completely put my hands up and accept my naivety, but 'mother factory' or not, isn't there just a certain amount of tobacco that you can use for the QDO blend available at any one time? i.e if there is only enough for a cigar you can sell for $20,  you're not going to use that tobacco for a cigar that can only sell for $10. 

[ChefBoyRG54]

3 minutes ago, 99call said:

I will completely put my hands up and accept my naivety, but 'mother factory' or not, isn't there just a certain amount of tobacco that you can use for the QDO blend available at any one time? i.e if there is only enough for a cigar you can sell for $20,  you're not going to use that tobacco for a cigar that can only sell for $10. 

well, spit balling i would think the sublime uses more than twice the tobacco as the corona

but regardless, if one factory has x tobacco to roll with, but they arent rolling the regional, i don't think that applies.  If the regional was coming from there also, then different conversation altogether, but not like theyre shipping super special tobacco out to be rolled elsewhere for regionals.  Id be surprised to see a new regional with Partagas codes at this point.  Has become merely a marketing scheme to charge way more for provincial factory products in shiny boxes with extra bands.  Its funny. 

The new PL Coronas dont even have LC codes, but the hype train is fired up.  Probably will be more disappointing than the RA898 regionals(imo)

[BrightonCorgi]

5 hours ago, bundwallah said:

I like the Sublime vitola and QdO in general.  This is an interesting release.

Totally agree.

[99call]

13 minutes ago, ChefBoyRG54 said:

23 minutes ago, 99call said:

 

well, spit balling i would think the sublime uses more than twice the tobacco as the corona

 hmmm?   in terms of generating flavour and evolution, I would say there is a great deal of tobacco in a 54rg that is of a lower standard than in a 42rg, I.e. aimless filler tobacco. Obviously with increased rg you are getting a percentage gain on binder and wrapper too. 

I guess what i'm trying to illustrate is, is that, it's not as if you get a shipment to your factory of tobacco that is perfect for QDO, and decide to many Party 898's with it.   Surely there is an isolation and 'purposing; of the right tobacco, from fermentation onwards.    I.e. at some point someone must go, "out of the current tobacco available, only this quantity is suitable for QDO" irrespective of factory, surely it needs to be purposed to go to that factory in the first place!?

[ChefBoyRG54]

 hmmm?   in terms of generating flavour and evolution, I would say there is a great deal of tobacco in a 54rg that is of a lower standard than in a 42rg, I.e. aimless filler tobacco. Obviously with increased rg you are getting a percentage gain on binder and wrapper too. 
I guess what i'm trying to illustrate is, is that, it's not as is you get a shipment to your factory of tobacco that is perfect for QDO, and decide to many Party 898's with it.   Surely there is an isolation and 'purposing; of the right tobacco, from fermentation onwards.    I.e. at some point someone must go, "out of the current tobacco available, only this quantity is suitable for QDO" irrespective of factory, surely it needs to be purposed to go to that factory in the first place!?

I'm not sure what you are getting at.

If all this mass purposing of very specific tobacco for certain marcas at each factory is so regulated, as you describe, why then would they add a bunch of 'aimless filler tobacco'?

[99call]

Just now, ChefBoyRG54 said:

why then would they add a bunch of 'aimless filler tobacco'?

Because the people that buy them, don't care what they taste like, as long as they have a double banded donkey dick. as a midlife crisis accessory. 

Take the Upmann Mag 56, a very very good cigar. I'm still convinced it was pumped with lots of needless tobacco (just to get the size), that the tobacco that made is great, could be skimmed down to a corona gorda easily. 

[ChefBoyRG54]

Because the people that buy them, don't care what they taste like, as long as they have a double banded donkey ****. as a midlife crisis accessory. 
Take the Upmann Mag 56, a very very good cigar. I'm still convinced it was pumped with lots of needless tobacco (just to get the size), that the tobacco that made is great, could be skimmed down to a corona gorda easily. 

It's true that a lot of people buying double banded gimmick cigars care more about posting cool now smoking pics, agree with you there

But adding any extra tobacco would surely change the profile, no? More seco...not same cigar etc. Unless there is a combustible tobacco that has no flavor

I've had some large format cigars that have been exceptional. Even tho I prefer Lonsdale over all else

[sjmistry]

Reviving this post. Has anyone tried one of these yet? How are they fresh? Thoughts on short/medium/long term? 

Thanks. 

-Shake

[gojira]

First I have to say that this is a big cigar but I think that I have finally accustomed to these big RG cigars. Move with the flow, adapt or die, whatever. This is what we are getting now so I might as well take the pain and go with them.

I'm a big fan of QdO and I think that since the revamp some of them have become more accessible young. This wasn't the case before and they always needed quite some time down before getting to where I like them.

I got a call from my B&M when they were released, ask them to put a few boxes on hold for me and went to buy a stack of boxes for myself and some friends. Around half the boxes I have inspected so far are ugly. So this is one that shouldn't be purchased blind. All boxes of the first batch have been rolled at the Partagas factory. Most boxes of the first batch had light wrappers. The second batch landed last week and they have mostly darker wrappers now.

I went for a few singles on top of my boxes and have already smoked 2 of them. Both were MSU SEP18. I have to say that this is the first QdO I had that already is a stellar smoke. Smoking time was around 2 hours and 10 minutes for both. Both were a little under medium strength. No amonia at all. A very creamy cigar with some nice sweet spicy notes, a little milk coffee and CREAM, lots of it. I don't like cigars that are too sweet but they got it right with this one. The sweetness is very pleasant. I only had one Secreto Cubano when it was released it was way to sweet for me, haven't revisited them since.

Construction was spot on, the burn was razor sharp. But I was able to handpick my cigars, so  that's probably the reason why. There was no need at all to retouch or relight the cigar a single time.

The last two inches packed a punch, but this is normal for a cigar as young.

I believe that these will age beautifully. Certainly one to bury a few boxes in the back of your humidor if you like light to medium strong cigars and don't mind the size of the Capitolio.

I will add more boxes in to my stash in the future.

Here are a couple of pics:

[BrightonCorgi]

I hope the blend is closer to the Gran Corona and Corona instead of the Imperiales.  Imperiales is too mild and uneventful.

[BJRPorter]

Yo @99call Cuba has to take the iniative to expirement with different sizes and blends. If they were to simply focus on quantity, by only rolling the vitola that uses the least amount of tobacco, think about how boring this forum would be.

Yes, attempting to sample each different RE is a waste of time, money, and energy, but the RE program has seemed to produce some gems.

@gojira I agree the QdO Secreto is definitely sweet, but I do enjoy it on occasion. I have never smoked anything even close.

[99call]

21 minutes ago, BJRPorter said:

Yo @99call Cuba has to take the iniative to expirement with different sizes and blends. If they were to simply focus on quantity, by only rolling the vitola that uses the least amount of tobacco, think about how boring this forum would be.

Yes, attempting to sample each different RE is a waste of time, money, and energy, but the RE program has seemed to produce some gems.

Hmmm Sorry I just dont agree with you, which is fine.

In terms of a the sweet spot of blending ratios, you can achieve anything you would want to in a 42-48 format.   Fat cigars are placebo effect, pure and simple.  If making a cigar fatter or longer is the only creative outputs of what HSA can achieve......then give up now....how aimless. 

Breathing life into La Escepcion brilliant!  yes! this is what they should be doing.   Cabanas y Carbajal, Gispert, Sibony,   let's see these things return to the market.  Yes there may be some red tape, but it cant be rocket science.   Cuba has a rich heritage of its own,  it shouldn't be selling out, and pandering to the lowest common denominator. i.e 'Diplomaticos Ammunition'.   Yes, they don't want to return to an era of 1000s of boxes gathering dust on shelves,  but it's worth while remembering lots of this, was pre-internet. 

I would suggest the RE LE programme might be running at a 40% hit rate and 60% miss.     Yes you will get them all to sell out,  but thats not the important thing.. When you hear all the reviews trickle in,  more often than not.....people are not that impressed. 

In conclusion smoking high quality, dynamically blended, well rolled tobacco is interesting.  Smoking fistfuls of second rate seco......is not. 

Just my opinion,, I respect you don't agree.

[gojira]

30 minutes ago, BJRPorter said:

Yo @99call Cuba has to take the iniative to expirement with different sizes and blends. If they were to simply focus on quantity, by only rolling the vitola that uses the least amount of tobacco, think about how boring this forum would be.

Yes, attempting to sample each different RE is a waste of time, money, and energy, but the RE program has seemed to produce some gems.

@gojira I agree the QdO Secreto is definitely sweet, but I do enjoy it on occasion. I have never smoked anything even close.

I will have to revisit the Secreto as they have a couple of years on them now.

I agree that the RE program has produced some gems. I buy quite a few REs, sure it's a lottery. But if I don't like them once they have a few years on them I can just sell them or trade them away.