Por Larranaga PC

[sandholm]

Hi

I have gone through plenty of boxes of PLPC, aged and fresh once and i am just amazed by the consistency/flavor and smell, and yesterday I started to think around this and came up with some questions I cant really understand.

1: What is it that makes this cigar/size so unique, why are there no "bad" once? ( am I just lucky?)

2: Why do they only produce it as a PC, why not a lancero cigar, or corona size? Just imagen that flavor in a lancero....

3: Why does it live a life in the shade, this cigar outperform so many big sellers (example : Montecristo 4, Montecristo open, Jose L Piedra)

They are almost all in the same price range and I believe that the above three sell much much more then the PLPC?

Any thoughts about this?

cheers

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

There have been other totalmente a mano sizes of Por Larrañaga produced in the past, but the Petit Corona is the only one in regular production nowadays. However, quite a few sizes of PL have been released as Regional Editions in recent years, including the Valiosos in Switzerland last year.

[laficion]

1: What is it that makes this cigar/size so unique, why are there no "bad" once? ( am I just lucky?)

Hey sandholm,

Don't spread the word around tooo much, HSA may just get the word that over at PL, they're rolling some

great stuff and decide to discontiue them.

[bigfunkyg]

Would tend to agree for the most part, however I smoked one over the weekend that had it's moments but was quite bitter and harsh. It does make you rather fearful that being such a limited line that they would axe this cigar. However PC's being the second best Habanos vitola you wonder how many more they could cut.

[PigFish]

Several things come to mind here when I think of PC's, PL's and H SA!

PL was the name of a fine LD (Lonsdale) and other sizes... then came H SA!

While they are not all good; which reflects the CC as a whole not just the PLPC, or the PC in general, they do represent how good a cigar can be. I think there is perhaps some unintended science behind the size of the PC; the ring gauge certainly. The cigar perhaps represents an etherial perfection in the cigar world, at least to me. We could speculate for days on what it means to be perfect, others could argue the term or the application. For those of us who enjoy the mareva size; we simply know it to be true!

While there is much good to be said about the PLPC its roots are in the size (IMHO). I have met very few PC's that I don't like and for those who love them, I suggest the RGPC before they become extinct as well.

The PC represents smoking time well spent. It also means money well spent and since they don't carry the profit margin of the robusto they are always in the sights of the "they don't sell, marketing crowd." They don't sell is code for, we don't make as much on those! The cigars are a value to those who enjoy real tobacco over marketing hype and that is why we are always in fear of losing them! Despite their diminutive size... they are giants in my smoking library. -Piggy

Great thread!

[Stalebread]

What about the Montecarlos and the Panetelas?

The Montecarlo is on my short list of cigars to try soon.

As far as I know, both are still in production. Or do I have that wrong?

[MontrealRon]

What about the Montecarlos and the Panetelas?

The Montecarlo is on my short list of cigars to try soon.

As far as I know, both are still in production. Or do I have that wrong?

They are both in production, and both represent excellent value for money spent.

The Montecarlo is a particular favorite of mine, more so even than the PC!

[toto]

PLPC is one of my go to cigars.

After 5 years of aging, have yet to find one that has failed me!

Like Piggy's post, PCs are my go to size.

[El Presidente]

For a period of time the PLPC were unofficially axed. It was the connoisseur market who demanded they come back and supported them when they did. 50 cabs fly these days from specialist retailers.

it is very hard to launch a new line or support a flagging existing line of cigars. Duty free is 25% of global Habanos trade and unless you are Montecristo/R&J/Cohiba/ you are friendless in terms of the mass market.

The crackdown globally in tobacco advertising/promotion makes it nigh impossible to get a new general market cigar up outside of the big three and perhaps Partagas.

HSA has left it to Regional Releases where the distributors take the risk. It is not ideal.

I can see it coming around full circle within the next few years. Their profitability model (HSA) is flawed. If you look at a Piramide Profitability structure with Behike at the top and Jose Piedra/Quintero at the bottom (Firewall) the next layer is becoming weaker and weaker. The central structure of the Piramide has cracks and requires reinforcement through a few new lines or bringing back of deleted PC's and Corona's albeit in a new way.

[DrunkenMonkey]

For a period of time the PLPC were unofficially axed. It was the connoisseur market who demanded they come back and supported them when they did. 50 cabs fly these days from specialist retailers.

it is very hard to launch a new line or support a flagging existing line of cigars. Duty free is 25% of global Habanos trade and unless you are Montecristo/R&J/Cohiba/ you are friendless in terms of the mass market.

The crackdown globally in tobacco advertising/promotion makes it nigh impossible to get a new general market cigar up outside of the big three and perhaps Partagas.

HSA has left it to Regional Releases where the distributors take the risk. It is not ideal.

I can see it coming around full circle within the next few years. Their profitability model (HSA) is flawed. If you look at a Piramide Profitability structure with Behike at the top and Jose Piedra/Quintero at the bottom (Firewall) the next layer is becoming weaker and weaker. The central structure of the Piramide has cracks and requires reinforcement through a few new lines or bringing back of deleted PC's and Corona's albeit in a new way.

Damn, I hope you're right, Prez. I'm going to dream about 50 cabs of regular production PL coronas.

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

What about the Montecarlos and the Panetelas?

The Montecarlo is on my short list of cigars to try soon.

As far as I know, both are still in production. Or do I have that wrong?

Yes, you're right: the Montecarlos and Panetelas are still in production, not just the Petit Coronas, as I stated earlier. I was fooled by memory: at one time the Ms and Ps were machine-made. Mea culpa!

[Leopolis Semper Fidelis]

While they are not all good; which reflects the CC as a whole not just the PLPC, or the PC in general, they do represent how good a cigar can be. I think there is perhaps some unintended science behind the size of the PC; the ring gauge certainly. The cigar perhaps represents an etherial perfection in the cigar world, at least to me. We could speculate for days on what it means to be perfect, others could argue the term or the application. For those of us who enjoy the mareva size; we simply know it to be true!

While there is much good to be said about the PLPC its roots are in the size (IMHO). I have met very few PC's that I don't like and for those who love them, I suggest the RGPC before they become extinct as well.

The PC represents smoking time well spent. It also means money well spent and since they don't carry the profit margin of the robusto they are always in the sights of the "they don't sell, marketing crowd." They don't sell is code for, we don't make as much on those! The cigars are a value to those who enjoy real tobacco over marketing hype and that is why we are always in fear of losing them! Despite their diminutive size... they are giants in my smoking library. -Piggy

Great thread!

I used to look askance at the PC/Mareva size, but not any longer. In fact, I'm becoming a convert to it. You put the case well, Piggy. Gracias, amigo.

[Habana Mike]

I too have long been a fan of these more diminuitive vitolas but I find myself moving more toward larger sticks of late. A result of longer smoking sessions in the evening where it comes down to 2 PC or 1 longer, wider stick. When you look at the ROI on that, the larger sticks come out ahead.

Regardless I've always enjoyed PLPCs, have gone through a number of cabs in my career and still have a few in the lower reaches of my humidors. Can't say they're always stellar and I've had my share of tight ones, though all in all quality and taste has been up there.

[pnutbutrsangwich]

Here's a cigar that "ain't what it used to be". Since approx 06 when they were brought back out in great quantity, this cigar has been nothing special at all IMO. The older ones can be enjoyable, but their popularity now stems from a great deal of people chasing the ghost of a cigar that has been gone for a long time. Some of the 04s are rockin right now but I've tried some older ones that do nothing for me either.

Obviously their popularity speaks for itself, however. Some people like em... just not me.

[jquest63]

The PLPC was my 2009 cigar of the year and has been a favorite of mine for years. Would love to see a PL lancero, however am not holding my breath waiting. Although Ive enjoyed other various PL formats, none have delivered and satisfied me in the way the PLPC does.

[khomeinist]

Here's a cigar that "ain't what it used to be". Since approx 06 when they were brought back out in great quantity, this cigar has been nothing special at all IMO. The older ones can be enjoyable, but their popularity now stems from a great deal of people chasing the ghost of a cigar that has been gone for a long time. Some of the 04s are rockin right now but I've tried some older ones that do nothing for me either.

Obviously their popularity speaks for itself, however. Some people like em... just not me.

Lol. So if you like recent PLPC you are 'chasing ghosts?'

Nah. I think recent quality has been quite good. They are excellent young with the woodiness dominating and they are excellent with some age as the caramel and cream components become more expressive.

What is missing from the recent production PLPCs? Construction is solid. Flavors are there. Is the rare mystique all that is lacking?

I would love to see a PL Laguito #2.