Regionals and Limited Editions

[Lucass111]

Ok so I see a lot of RE and LE out there and wonder to myself....are they worth it? I'm sure they bring big money to the retailers but as a consumer what's your opinion and experiences? I'm trying to decide if I should take a chance on some.

[torsion]

Everyone has a view on this - I'll be the first to say, buy some, taste them and make your own mind up.

See a lot of people favouring RE vs LE (I am on that boat)

I don't find value in recent LE pricing, smoked the Talisman again last night after a years rest, although good is it worth the $65 price tag - for me not.

[Islandboy]

The handful that I’ve tried I’ve enjoyed, and in the case of the LE, they seem to offer an amped up version of the marca. I find Capuletos, for example, to be richer and fuller tasting than the other RyJ’s I’ve had.

Wether or not there is value in the pricing is completely open to debate. I’m not independently wealthy, so I lean towards - No. But they’re fun to try once in a while. 

[cigarbigboy]

I'm going to take a stab at answering this.  Absolutely they're not worth the extra coin.  And absolutely they are worth the extra coin... if you have it.

A good quality diamond can be twice the value of one of the same carat weight, though the subtle improvements don't make it twice as nice, it's still double the price.

A bottle of first growth Bordeaux wine can be a notch up from normal Bordeaux, but not twice or three or four times better tasting, though it brings in that much more money.

Is a Mercedes really worth twice as much as a Toyota, after all, the Toyota will bring you around perfectly comfortably.

When you buy an LE, you're not only buying the leaves, you're buying the back story.  You're buying into the fact that this unique blend was limited, and only so many people will buy them.  Often it commemorates something, so you're smoking to an occasion.  Do you want to be one who can, years later, say they tried one, or that they still have a few tucked away in their humidor?  Or do you want to jealously listen to the stories of others who have and wonder how the smoke would have been.

There are components of greater quality, such as aging, in some LEs.  But those alone don't make it worth twice the price of regular production cigars.  However, the experience, the backstory, the uniqueness can increase the overall enjoyment substantially.... 

I try to put away a box of most of the LEs, and look forward to trying them years down the road.  When I'm fortunate, I get two boxes, one to smoke slowly, often with friends, and the other to let age to it's full potential.

Hope this helps.

 

 

[Burningman]

If you are new to the Cigar world I would stick to regular production smokes. Explore the different marcas and figure out the profile you like. It's very easy to get sucked into chasing those often elusive LE & RE. The price can skyrocket simply because they are not widely available and it's human nature to desire things that are scarce.

If you are an experienced smoker buy some and you will be able to decide for yourself if they are worth the price of admission.

[Stump89]

Are they worth it? Depends on what you want out of them. From an investment/ collection standpoint, I'd have to say absolutely.  The value on these can up quickly. From a smoking standpoint, meh, probably not.  I dont find any to be better than the regular production line.

I used to buy a lot of RE/LE.  The prices of some lately are ridiculous, and quality may not be there. I still think that the concept of the programs is pretty cool.  I like to see the different vitolas, aside from the ton of boring petit robustos and montescos that we keep getting.  The new LGC 109 for Switzerland I posted earlier is very cool to me as is the upcoming La Reina for the UK market.

[Colt45]

My personal opinion:

They are not worth more than a minimal premium over regular production.

What do they offer? - sizes not normally found within a marque.

What don't they offer? - quality superior to any other cigar.

If one considers cigars a hobby, I guess collecting unique cigars makes some sense. If one enjoys smoking cigars, as the simple pleasure they ultimately are, I imagine that without a satisfaction guarantee, they make less....

[Edward7]

I am newish to CCs but picked it up at a fast pace. What I notice is that while I’m still smoking a lot, I’ve probably only smoked 1/5 of the offerings from 1/4 of the manufacturers. I’ve picked up about 12 single sticks of LE’s and have had a few LCDH and RE’s. Truly nothing compared to many of you. My take is that they seem to blend an overall flavor profile reminiscent of the make itself, but an amped up version on steroids. More complex and maybe more “full.” 

I personally don’t see the value of buying too many since there are so many I haven’t tried yet in the regular production portfolio. 

Also, it’s a bit of a supply demand scarcity situation plus a lot of marketing isn’t it? 

I’ll buy more in the future because life’s about variety, but I don’t see myself buying boxes of them. 

[eg133]

I'm going to take a stab at answering this.  Absolutely they're not worth the extra coin.  And absolutely they are worth the extra coin... if you have it.
A good quality diamond can be twice the value of one of the same carat weight, though the subtle improvements don't make it twice as nice, it's still double the price.
A bottle of first growth Bordeaux wine can be a notch up from normal Bordeaux, but not twice or three or four times better tasting, though it brings in that much more money.
Is a Mercedes really worth twice as much as a Toyota, after all, the Toyota will bring you around perfectly comfortably.
When you buy an LE, you're not only buying the leaves, you're buying the back story.  You're buying into the fact that this unique blend was limited, and only so many people will buy them.  Often it commemorates something, so you're smoking to an occasion.  Do you want to be one who can, years later, say they tried one, or that they still have a few tucked away in their humidor?  Or do you want to jealously listen to the stories of others who have and wonder how the smoke would have been.
There are components of greater quality, such as aging, in some LEs.  But those alone don't make it worth twice the price of regular production cigars.  However, the experience, the backstory, the uniqueness can increase the overall enjoyment substantially.... 
I try to put away a box of most of the LEs, and look forward to trying them years down the road.  When I'm fortunate, I get two boxes, one to smoke slowly, often with friends, and the other to let age to it's full potential.
Hope this helps.
 
 

This is one of the best well though out responses to this question I’ve heard.

[riazp]

Some are great, some are ok, some are just terrible as in a waste of money. I tend to hunt down the cuba RE's when I visit the island because they can only be found there and its a souvenir of the trip for me. As for all the other RE releases every year, if its RA and I ahve a group doing a split i'll buy a couple to try. Most RE's i have or smoked were from box splits, rarely i'll invest in a full box of them. 

I'd much rather just stick to regular production. some great great cigars out there at a much better price. 

[Chucko8]

This is an interesting thread to read!

I like the idea of keeping a few of these premium offering cigars to hold back for a few years and enjoy at later date. All well and good so long as you have a base of regular cigars to smoke through whilst you wait for that maturation time of these Re/LE smokes.

Think that it's best to stock up on the regular production first then look at sourcing RE/LE after that.

[NSXCIGAR]

I'll just say it--they are absolutely not worth it from a value perspective. They're just not. But then again, many regular production cigars aren't either. 

Is the Monte 5 50% better than a RGP? Absolutely not, despite a 50% higher price. 

There are of course exceptions. For example, some blends are unique to special production. I fault no one for going all in on Edmundo Dantes or La Escepcion if that's what floats their boat as you can't get that anywhere else at any price. 

And of course, a few special productions are worth investing in. But those are few and far between. As far as the question of "is this cigar unique and good enough to justify such price premiums" the answer is no 98% of the time. 

[NSXCIGAR]

4 hours ago, riazp said:

I tend to hunt down the cuba RE's when I visit the island because they can only be found there and its a souvenir of the trip for me.

Yes, and the Cuba price does make them a good value. A Dip Robusto for $8.60 or SLR Double Robusto for $11.70? All day long. At the worldwide price of $25-30? No thanks. 

Not that they're not great cigars, but when for that price you can find Siglo VI, Esplendidos, CoLa and even Monte 80th all with a few years on them, I'll pass. 

[planetary]

Highly variable.  If the format (vitola) is acceptable, and the blend is interesting, I'll consider buying some, just to add a little diversity to the humidor.  But they're once-in-a-while purchases for me. 

I consider high quality regular production cigars a better value and lower risk.

[Hookmaker]

1 hour ago, planetary said:

Highly variable.  If the format (vitola) is acceptable, and the blend is interesting, I'll consider buying some, just to add a little diversity to the humidor.  But they're once-in-a-while purchases for me. 

I consider high quality regular production cigars a better value and lower risk.

Well, you never know the blend before seeing a review or even better, tasting it yourself.

Anyways I’m curious: are there any general trends in blends specifics for regionals? I.e. RA’s for Middle East, Bolivars for Alemanha etc. etc.,?

[javonazul]

On 11/8/2018 at 10:54 PM, cigarbigboy said:

I'm going to take a stab at answering this.  Absolutely they're not worth the extra coin.  And absolutely they are worth the extra coin... if you have it.

A good quality diamond can be twice the value of one of the same carat weight, though the subtle improvements don't make it twice as nice, it's still double the price.

A bottle of first growth Bordeaux wine can be a notch up from normal Bordeaux, but not twice or three or four times better tasting, though it brings in that much more money.

Is a Mercedes really worth twice as much as a Toyota, after all, the Toyota will bring you around perfectly comfortably.

When you buy an LE, you're not only buying the leaves, you're buying the back story.  You're buying into the fact that this unique blend was limited, and only so many people will buy them.  Often it commemorates something, so you're smoking to an occasion.  Do you want to be one who can, years later, say they tried one, or that they still have a few tucked away in their humidor?  Or do you want to jealously listen to the stories of others who have and wonder how the smoke would have been.

There are components of greater quality, such as aging, in some LEs.  But those alone don't make it worth twice the price of regular production cigars.  However, the experience, the backstory, the uniqueness can increase the overall enjoyment substantially.... 

I try to put away a box of most of the LEs, and look forward to trying them years down the road.  When I'm fortunate, I get two boxes, one to smoke slowly, often with friends, and the other to let age to it's full potential.

Hope this helps.

 

 

Could not agree more with this answer! 

[Ken Gargett]

for those whinging about prices, consider what we have to pay in Australia!

i got interested in cigars a few years before we started seeing the LEs and when they first came out, the were amazing bargains. they have gone the full 180 since then. i'm one who would normally opt for LEs over RRs but there are diamonds and dust in both. but a good LE is truly wonderful. 

i agree with the first response suggesting that you really should try some if you can (presumably you would not have posted if you can't). never too soon to start. but try and get a few singles and see what you think. that said, you really need to look at more than just one or two examples to make a fair assessment. 

if they are your thing, try and lay down some boxes. 

finally, if you do find that they really are your thing, be careful you don't become too obsessed and neglect the many very fine regular production. 

[ElJavi76]

Ken's right... There are magic rides with a RASCC or a D4, but if you collect you gotta try these. If you're a casual smoker, then you can stay away. Nothing to see here. 

Truth is it's all about budgets. A $500 dollar box of X LE or RE can get you two boxes of something else. If you're about volume and value then keep smoking reg production.

[jackupster]

Some are worth and some are not. I will consider whole boxes of the 10ct offerings but have never bought a 25ct RE or LE. Thankfully the prez offers 1/4 box options on most of them. I don’t end up with them all but some have been exceptional.  RACA LE and Bushido RE have been favorites! 

[Derboesekoenig]

Sometimes i wonder what the production numbers are on some of the ELs. At least with the ERs, they are numbered and only produce a set number of them. I.E. if they are excellent or not, i guarantee you a great investment if there are only 1500-2500 boxes produced overall. Though most lately have been 5000-7000 thereabouts.

[blakeLA]

On 11/8/2018 at 1:54 PM, cigarbigboy said:

I'm going to take a stab at answering this.  Absolutely they're not worth the extra coin.  And absolutely they are worth the extra coin... if you have it.

A good quality diamond can be twice the value of one of the same carat weight, though the subtle improvements don't make it twice as nice, it's still double the price.

A bottle of first growth Bordeaux wine can be a notch up from normal Bordeaux, but not twice or three or four times better tasting, though it brings in that much more money.

Is a Mercedes really worth twice as much as a Toyota, after all, the Toyota will bring you around perfectly comfortably.

When you buy an LE, you're not only buying the leaves, you're buying the back story.  You're buying into the fact that this unique blend was limited, and only so many people will buy them.  Often it commemorates something, so you're smoking to an occasion.  Do you want to be one who can, years later, say they tried one, or that they still have a few tucked away in their humidor?  Or do you want to jealously listen to the stories of others who have and wonder how the smoke would have been.

There are components of greater quality, such as aging, in some LEs.  But those alone don't make it worth twice the price of regular production cigars.  However, the experience, the backstory, the uniqueness can increase the overall enjoyment substantially.... 

I try to put away a box of most of the LEs, and look forward to trying them years down the road.  When I'm fortunate, I get two boxes, one to smoke slowly, often with friends, and the other to let age to it's full potential.

Hope this helps.

 

 

Great overview!  I agree all around.  Frankly I mostly enjoy LEs for special occasions with friends.  There's something about them being limited that feels celebratory.  They also tend to create great long term value if you collect and resell or trade.  Some I find to really carry better flavor than regular productions, like the Trini Topes (though I know most people here seem to prefer smaller gauge).  Some I don't find age any better than reg prod sticks.  Definitely hit or miss, and from a smoking standpoint, no better than a solid batch of a solid vitola that have been given a few good years of humidor care.  That said, I always try to at least get a single or two of each LE to say I've tried it  

[NSXCIGAR]

On 11/10/2018 at 3:13 PM, Derboesekoenig said:

Sometimes i wonder what the production numbers are on some of the ELs. At least with the ERs, they are numbered and only produce a set number of them. I.E. if they are excellent or not, i guarantee you a great investment if there are only 1500-2500 boxes produced overall. Though most lately have been 5000-7000 thereabouts.

I would venture to guess EL production can be way beyond that. Some not. I think production numbers for them are all over the place. I think you can estimate it by how long a given EL is available coupled with how well it was received.

For example, Cohiba Talisman are very much still available at very good prices. This would lead me to believe this had huge production numbers, like possibly 200,000 sticks. It's well enough received but not as well received as the 14 Robustos Supremos, and those were much harder to find and prices much higher than the Talisman at the same point after release. The RS was probably much closer to 100,000 sticks. 

The Trini Topes was also very well received and those were scarce much faster as well. Again, probably closer to 100,000 sticks. Same with the Party Seleccion Privada. These are absolutely impossible to find at any price.

Then you have something like the Monte Dantes. They were fairly well received and these are absolutely everywhere at a very good price. Rob just had them up again this week or last for goodness sake. I'm thinking closer to 200,000 sticks there too. 

[Derboesekoenig]

On 11/17/2018 at 11:17 AM, NSXCIGAR said:

I would venture to guess EL production can be way beyond that. Some not. I think production numbers for them are all over the place. I think you can estimate it by how long a given EL is available coupled with how well it was received.

For example, Cohiba Talisman are very much still available at very good prices. This would lead me to believe this had huge production numbers, like possibly 200,000 sticks. It's well enough received but not as well received as the 14 Robustos Supremos, and those were much harder to find and prices much higher than the Talisman at the same point after release. The RS was probably much closer to 100,000 sticks. 

The Trini Topes was also very well received and those were scarce much faster as well. Again, probably closer to 100,000 sticks. Same with the Party Seleccion Privada. These are absolutely impossible to find at any price.

Then you have something like the Monte Dantes. They were fairly well received and these are absolutely everywhere at a very good price. Rob just had them up again this week or last for goodness sake. I'm thinking closer to 200,000 sticks there too. 

Seleccion Privada--really? They have some in the LCDH in Dubai.

And the Topes are becoming regular production, though right? So no worries there.

Either way, it's very interesting how long some of them last, whereas some are just a blip. I wonder if they just wing the production based on sales figures as they go? Hmm something to think about.

[joeypots]

Worth it or not is a personal decision. You might like it, me not so much. They just haven't done it for me for more than ten years. I'll take good regular production over  the REs and LEs most days. Put a box of Cohiba Lines Classica, or most other quality regular production, away for a while and compare it with the similar vintage RE or LE of choice. Nine times out of Ten, I'll wager, the regular production will come out on top. There are exceptions, of course, but I'd rather take  a better bet and go with what i know I like. 

[Puros Y Vino]

Good answers so far.  My opinion doesn't differ too much.  When I first started in this hobby, I chased down RE's.  In some cases, it lead to finding cigars that are right up my alley.  My personal fave, the La Escepcion Selectos Finos and the Ramon Allones Celestiales Finos.  There are others I quite enjoy as well.  There's definitely a "chase if better than the catch" appeal to these for sure. Sometimes they are epic, sometimes just good or in rare cases, forgettable.  I have no regrets from what I purchased TBH, but I do prefer to drop my money on regular production stuff I dig. In some cases, I can buy 2x the product. So that's a bonus.  If you have connections in some regions, it doesnt hurt to leverage those to split a box or two and trade for some that you cannot access easily. I've got a couple of tupperdores full of singles, doubles, fivers of RE's.  The only risk you run is if you find a cigar you love but hesitate to pull the trigger when they are generally available upon release. The longer you wait, the higher the demand and the secondary market price.