You're put in charge of RyJ...

[CaptainQuintero]

What do you do? Clearly the marca has been suffering for a decade now with shocking consistency issues, how would you bring it back to it's former glory?

Personally:

Keep and don't touch the cazadorez

Keep the wide Churchill

Keep the short Churchill but sort out consistency issues

Keep the regular Churchill but perform in depth analysis and review of the blend and production process, this cigar should be in the top 5 coming out of Cuba, a flagship of Havanas

Keep the cedros #3

Keep the PC

Bring back the tres petit corona

Release the Duke as regular or LCDH production

Scrap everything else; the rest has been made si badly for so long that no one will touch seriously, the dour new releases are just bloating the already heaving marca that is struggling to compete, concentrate on getting the above list supplied with decent tobacco regularly and sort out QC

Bring back the single gold band for the Churchill

Bring back the silver coloured screw top tubes

Seriously, RyJ should be the equal of Cohiba in terms of quality, it's the only marca that non-smokers can consistently name when I ask (including Cohiba) and this brand power is being utterly wasted

[Hafner32]

Of the RyJ that I have sampled, I agree that the short and wide churchills were the ones I've enjoyed the most along with the few Dukes I have tried. I agree that the Duke would make a great LCDH offering. It doesn't get as much pay as many other cigars here but The ones I have had recently have been great.

[Jnaube]

I would personally cut more than 50 percent of the line up. Too much stuff in there. It's like when you leave a lawn unattended for a couple of years, bad stuff eventually starts to grow. The Duke for me was a success. I do think you have to keep the churchill and the Beli. For the rest... Pfft

[ramon_cojones]

can the whole line since it's nothing but a shade of its former glory

[PaulP]

The marque simply needs a 6 x 60, a motorcycle give away, and a tatooed front man.

[CaptainQuintero]

Cedros 1 and 2

Romeo 1,2,3

Exhibition 3 and 4

Petit Churchill

julieta 5 pack tin thing

Belicosos

Host of cheapies that aren't needed if the TPC was brought back:

belvederes

coronitas en cedros

millie fleurs

regalies de londres

sports largos

petit julieta

I mean none of the above are ever made with any consistency, decent tobacco or blending and that's 16 cigars that are wasted resources when some marcas like Ramon Allones only have three in their whole stable!!

I love RyJ when they are on, I just hope that things get better sooner rather than later, I think I saw Rob mention that it looks like there might be the start of a revival happening in terms of quality so fingers crossed

[Blakes]

I love RyJ when they are on, I just hope that things get better sooner rather than later, I think I saw Rob mention that it looks like there might be the start of a revival happening in terms of quality so fingers crossed

I've never had any luck with R&J......... until now. Picked up a box of HQ PC's and HQ SC's and they are both fantastic. Beautiful flavour profile, something i would love to smoke regularly if they were all like this. I hope Rob is right and this is the turning point.

[Blakes]

it's the only marca that non-smokers can consistently name

I agree.

[polarbear]

I love the Wide Churchill and dearly miss what the Churchill used to be

I've had one Duke is was a seriously good

Perhaps add a Lancero or 898 into line and can eveything else except the cheaper Tubos you often find at 7/11's in Aus

The tubos have pretty much kept the brand viable over the years so it seems a shame to cut them from the line even though they arent the best at times

[Lotusguy]

Focus on quality and consistency.

Shitcan the Belicosos and most of the cheapies.

[mazolaman]

I've never had any luck with R&J......... until now. Picked up a box of HQ PC's and HQ SC's and they are both fantastic. Beautiful flavour profile, something i would love to smoke regularly if they were all like this. I hope Rob is right and this is the turning point.

Damn right.

For many years, RYJ has been slated on here, but I have had many very good RYJ smokes, cazzies, short churchies, romeo no 3...all of which have had that cherry sheen to the wrapper, and a real cherry-fruity taste, distinctly RYJ...there are some greats out there.

I agree with the premise though, reduce the range a bit, and stop bringing out variations on the churchill....

[Dimmers]

Noob question - why / how has Habanos let RyJ become so maligned as compared to other marcas? Is it the lack of quality control at the factories rolled at only, or poor crops in the region it is predominately grown, or has Habanos simply neglected the brand to concentrate on others or something else or a combination of all the above? It seems that even amongst my friends who don't smoke regularly, RyJ is known for its poor quality.

[CaptainQuintero]

Noob question - why / how has Habanos let RyJ become so maligned as compared to other marcas? Is it the lack of quality control at the factories rolled at only, or poor crops in the region it is predominately grown, or has Habanos simply neglected the brand to concentrate on others or something else or a combination of all the above? It seems that even amongst my friends who don't smoke regularly, RyJ is known for its poor quality.

I think there was a blend change around 95 due to a different strain of tobacco eing used which affected certain cigars eg the Churchill and celestiales finos, the deep fruity aromatic flavours being replaced by harsh, herby or tarry blends

the 1998-2001 issues certainly didnt help and the RyJ factory was shut down and the rollers spread about from 2004 (I think?) and still haven't got a factory of their own, I think they are all in the Upmann factory at the moment?

I think it's probably a combination of poor materials being used too often, unsettled workers and Cuba concentrating on other projects (How much effort has been pushed into the Monte Opens, ELs, REs, book releases et al) I mean San Cristobal, Vegas R, Cuaba, Monte Opens, Maduro 5 lines have all essentially been released while RyJ has been left behind.

I mean on a Birthday or special occasion how many people stand looking at a Esplendidos, Siglo 6, BHK, Sir Winston or an EL/RE deciding what to celebrate with. the RyJ churchill should be in that elite group.

[Random]

Was not the RyJ factory closed in 2011?

And me think that overproduction was the main reason. Too many fancy packages, cedros and cheapies.

[winelover]

I liked the petit pirimades LE 2005s. Good size for the time pressed smoker and plenty of those dark cherries we all love. Put it in the regular line up, even if it is only me who buys them!

[nikesupremedunk]

Add more vitolas in the line up as there aren't enough.

Seriously I wouldn't know what to do. Would like to see the statistics though and see how much of each vitola is selling. The only RyJ I enjoyed was the 2004 EL Hermoso 2.

[oliverdst]

I liked the petit pirimades LE 2005s. Good size for the time pressed smoker and plenty of those dark cherries we all love. Put it in the regular line up, even if it is only me who buys them!

I'd buy them either. For sure.

[vitruvius]

I love the wide Churchills as well. I have also ordereda box of Cazadores from the May LFTW based on mostly good reviews here onFOH andfrom Rob himself. These two should at least be kept in the regular lineup.

[Dimmers]

Thanks for the info CaptainQ! Hoping RyJ can return to it's former glory.

[LGC]

Make only the TPC in cab, PC, Corona, Cazadores, and Churchill tubo... trash the rest of the line.

We might have some smokable cigars at this point.

[maverickdrinker]

Slim the lineup slightly; one example of each core vitola

bring back the Celestiales Finos, corona

bring Duke to regular production

introduce a lancero and lonsdale/dalia

start with 10 count SLB and then bring up to 25 count SLBs for each vitola

[Smallclub]

It seems to be trendy to trash RyJ as a marca, but you guys forget that Partagas has exactly the same problem…

[cigcars]

Cedros 1 and 2

Romeo 1,2,3

Exhibition 3 and 4

Petit Churchill

julieta 5 pack tin thing

Belicosos

Host of cheapies that aren't needed if the TPC was brought back:

belvederes

coronitas en cedros

millie fleurs

regalies de londres

sports largos

petit julieta

I mean none of the above are ever made with any consistency, decent tobacco or blending and that's 16 cigars that are wasted resources when some marcas like Ramon Allones only have three in their whole stable!!

I love RyJ when they are on, I just hope that things get better sooner rather than later, I think I saw Rob mention that it looks like there might be the start of a revival happening in terms of quality so fingers crossed

Uhm, actually I LIKE the Cedros 1 and 2; and the Exhibition No. 3 is a GREAT alternative to the unfortunately worsening Belicosos that I used to enjoy. Actually, I'd like to see the Celestiales Finos return. And - does anybody remember their Prince of Wales? L-o-o-o-o-n-g forgotten or discontinued, but it used to be in the same select category as the Sir Winston and Ramon Allones Gigantes, no?

[canadianbeaver]

Cazadores - love! Wide Churchill, when on, great. Same goes for many other marcas too. Only ones that can say are Teflon for me are RA and Cohiba.

[Smallclub]

And - does anybody remember their Prince of Wales? L-o-o-o-o-n-g forgotten or discontinued, but it used to be in the same select category as the Sir Winston and Ramon Allones Gigantes, no?

Yes I remember it and no it didn't play in the SW's category. It was a very old school cigar, but a mild one, certainly not a cigar for everyone. If it were released today, it would be trashed big time on the cigar forums…