Do you guys think HSA has an opinion on which brands have better tobacco

[dangolf18]

Just wondering if the top crop (best quality tobacco) is reserved for certain brands. Wondering if HSA officials would say, "Oh yea, we use better tobacco for H.Upmann than Partagas, etc.).

Also, do they intentionally use better tobacco for certain vitolas within a marca, such as perhaps better tobacco for Montecristo Especiales No.1 and Especiales No.2, and lesser quality tobacco for the high production cigars such as the No.4, No.5, etc?

[Colt45]

I imagine (because I can't possibly know) that it's rather blend dependent and somewhat fluid. Season to season, harvest to harvest will yield tobacco that might not be exactly the same as last harvest's or the harvest before that, etc.

So if they are in fact looking for some type of marque consistency, it might not be as simple as saying this harvest's best tobaco will go to marques x, y, or z - regardless of their qualities. Then there are processing variables - tobacco for Cohiba supposedly goes through extra fermentation, etc.

Good question......

[dangolf18]

Thanks. It's just disheartening seeing lines such as the Monte Opens being cranked out when the only intent was to make a profit. I like it when producers of any good put their heart and souls into a new product/line because it's representative of their best effort and their main principles. Wondering how much HSA really cares about their cigars and if the intent with creating a new line or marqa reflects their pride in creating a genuinely remarkable, great product. Wondering if they actually care about their product as a reflection of their culture, etc. or if it's just about making money. You see consistently gimmicky cubans being released such as RyJ Julietas and the small extra petite cigars coming to the market. And they continue to delete many great cigars and marqas and replace them with crap.

[mk05]

What's your theory on Apple employees and iPads?

[Colt45]

Thanks. It's just disheartening seeing lines such as the Monte Opens being cranked out when the only intent was to make a profit.........

It's nice to think romantically about the Cuban cigar industry, and I guess at some level, there have been, are now, and will be people within the industry who care greatly about what they do.

But it is a business, and most businesses exist to make a profit. Even before nationalization, cigar companies produced cigars to sell and earn a profit. Per your example, the Montecristo Open line was developed to draw in new smokers, to create new business. I don't believe the tobacco used for the Open line is tobacco taken away from another - I believe they have enough tobacco to go around, so to speak.

[maverickdrinker]

It's nice to think romantically about the Cuban cigar industry, and I guess at some level, there have been, are now, and will be people within the industry who care greatly about what they do.

But it is a business, and most businesses exist to make a profit. Even before nationalization, cigar companies produced cigars to sell and earn a profit. Per your example, the Montecristo Open line was developed to draw in new smokers, to create new business. I don't believe the tobacco used for the Open line is tobacco taken away from another - I believe they have enough tobacco to go around, so to speak.

Well put. At the end of the day, it is about the bottom line and profits for the organization.

[maverickdrinker]

tobacco that is shipped to a factory is based on what each factory is rolling. In other words, it is based on blending requirements. The quality of the tobacco is determined before hand. Poor grade goes to cigarettes and the rest is for rolling. next grade goes to machine mades or hand finished etc.