Ken Gargett Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Cuaba....oh Cuaba...where are you going. Apparently no where fast There is no other premium marque that sits on the shelf as long as Cuaba. I walk past them month in and month out in the humidor and I can here the box lids opening ...whispering.."pick me..pick me...find me a home Rob" I don't want to break their little hearts....but it is unlikely there will be no home coming until they reach "aged or vintage" 5-10 years and then they will invariably find a home where they will be placed at the back of the humidor....one maybe two sampled...and the rest to age for a decade more. Now I actually like some Cuaba...when rolled correctly and when the wrappers don't look like toilet paper left out in the sun for a month. Great Cuaba screams "Peanut Butter" and toasted tobacco to me. love the profile. Just when you decide to put it in your rotation...you quickly are reminded why you haven't done so prior....no consistency in construction = a frustrating experience. i think Cuaba has a future ( no I haven't started drinking yet).....It just needs a major rethink for as the saying goes "If you keep doing what you have always done....you keep getting what you have always got" In my opinion: Step one. Reduce it to two sizes in the Divinos and Distinguidos Step two. Dedicated Rollers only making these cigars. The blend is right in both Step Three Premium wrappers only Step Four 50 Cabs only. limited Production (but not an LE) of 75000 sticks each = 1500 cabs of each annually. Done correctly i believe they would be highly sought after and sell 80% more volume than they do now. Your thoughts? alternative plan? i think the question should be 'why would you fix it?' dump them. save the good stuff. dodgy fetid lumps that my possums wouldn't touch if they were covered in honey are not worth saving. even the devil gets some souls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Every time you even mention the word Cuaba in a review video, Ken looks like he is getting an enema. Maybe get the best Cuaba you can find, and do a review video with Ken? didn't we try that? the mere thought of smoking one of those has sent my sphincter slamming shut. still, if rob has decided to end the video program, no better way to say so than turning up at my place with those dog droppings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shlomo Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 how about we cut cuaba completely. we can do the same for rg, sp, erdm, lgc and slr as well since they are not hugely popular. we can transfer bolivar and trinidad and bring them into the partagas and cohiba fold. ra could be rebranded as ryj junior. eventually, all cigars could be called a siglo vi and the world will be a better place! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyGunz Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Smoked one, it was flat and had an awfully tight draw, never re-visited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I'm surprised to hear so much "hatred" for cuaba. The Divino is my go to small cigar, I have plenty of boxes and I love them with little to no age on them. The solomones puts the partagas one to shame. I wonder how many negative comments come from people who have never even tried them. I would however cut down on how many offerings the brand currently produces. I'm also not sure changing the presentation is the key, let's look at LGC, beautiful bands, beautiful boxes still they don't sell much and they keep cutting from the line. I think an LE or RE is likely the key to maybe bring it back from the dead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotusguy Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I'm surprised to hear so much "hatred" for cuaba. The Divino is my go to small cigar, I have plenty of boxes and I love them with little to no age on them. The solomones puts the partagas one to shame. I wonder how many negative comments come from people who have never even tried them. I would however cut down on how many offerings the brand currently produces. I'm also not sure changing the presentation is the key, let's look at LGC, beautiful bands, beautiful boxes still they don't sell much and they keep cutting from the line. I think an LE or RE is likely the key to maybe bring it back from the dead? Cuaba had an LE - it was a flop... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Cuaba had an LE - it was a flop... Should have expanded that it should be a small ring gauge cigar in a box of 25. Similar price point as the RA extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Cuaba had an LE - it was a flop... actually that was pretty much the only cuaba i have enjoyed, though not one of the great LE's. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainQuintero Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Habanos no longer produces HU half coronas in tins because metal was getting harder to get. As a matter of fact in my opinion this could be the reason the new Vegueros are só late. I thought the new V's were late because someone has to sit and eat all the biscuits out of the 100,000 tins they just ordered before the cigars can be put in them! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliverdst Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I thought the new V's were late because someone has to sit and eat all the biscuits out of the 100,000 tins they just ordered before the cigars can be put in them! probably you are right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallclub Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Cuaba had an LE - it was a flop... A relative flop, due to the high price, but the quality was generally noticed and appreciated, rightly. Very good cigar IMO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maplepie Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 A relative flop, due to the high price, but the quality was generally noticed and appreciated, rightly. Very good cigar IMO. LE was the only thing (that I've found) enjoyed by those who didn't like Cuaba much. They still maintain their niche market by why only have niche when you could expand it past that like the LE has shown? Sent from my BlackBerry Q10 using Tapatalk for Android. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maplepie Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Loooks more like sardine tins to me Quinny:) But your idea sounds like a good Cuban Superize Me plot Sent from my BlackBerry Q10 using Tapatalk for Android. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewipper Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Im imagining having HSA as a partner and I'm thinking that Davidoff wasn't stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainQuintero Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 It depends on where Davidoff stands now, and where it stood in the 90's. I'm guessing if they were supplying fine cigars in the 90's their image was higher than it is now: medium range perfumes/aftershaves and bits of medium quality trinkets like cuff links, ties etc In the 90's was their image was more akin to Cartier, Rolex etc? As someone young, Davidoff today certainly doesn't seem to be at the top tier of luxury goods to me such as Cartier, Rolex etc Maybe the decline from the best in luxury cigars to medium quality NCs was just the start of their slide into medium quality goods from top-end luxury products. HSA wanting big slices of profits probably didnt help matter either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewipper Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Maybe the decline from the best in luxury cigars to medium quality NCs was just the start of their slide into medium quality goods from top-end luxury products. Huh? Medium quality NC's? What decline? Davidoff cigars are impeccably rolled and totally consistent, and the tobacco the hallmark of quality. Many people are turned off by the flavor, but that tells me nothing about their quality. You can't get anybody to buy El Rey Del Mundo Tainos either, it didn't make them "medium quality." To the contrary. If Cuba had that kind of quality control there wouldn't be a grey market or any need for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainQuintero Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Huh? Medium quality NC's? What decline? Davidoff cigars are impeccably rolled and totally consistent, and the tobacco the hallmark of quality. Many people are turned off by the flavor, but that tells me nothing about their quality. You can't get anybody to buy El Rey Del Mundo Tainos either, it didn't make them "medium quality." To the contrary. If Cuba had that kind of quality control there wouldn't be a grey market or any need for one. Actual qualities are somewhat less important than perceived quality for business. Especially when something as subjective as taste is a central theme. We both agree on the Tainos which suffer from the same issue. Most regular smokers will take a BHK56 over a Taino. That doesn't mean they are wrong, it points to successful image marketing. Offer 100 smokers the choice between a Cuban Davidoff and a NC Davidoff and the perceived quality of the CC version will mean most, if not all, will take the CC. The only people who are claiming that the NC Davidoffs are on par, if not better than their CC cousins seem to be those working for Davidoff. I'm not saying the NC versions are bad cigars or that one person's taste is more valued over another. They most likely are rolled better than how the CC version were rolled. But are they on the same 'luxury' level which Davidoff apparently strive to? Personally I don't think so. I would say it is a reasonable statement to also say that the majority of smokers would agree. Top-tier Fuente and Padrons I would guess would rank higher in terms of 'luxury items' than NC Davidoffs too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewipper Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Huh? Medium quality NC's? What decline? Davidoff cigars are impeccably rolled and totally consistent, and the tobacco the hallmark of quality. Many people are turned off by the flavor, but that tells me nothing about their quality. You can't get anybody to buy El Rey Del Mundo Tainos either, it didn't make them "medium quality." To the contrary. If Cuba had that kind of quality control there wouldn't be a grey market or any need for one. Actual qualities are somewhat less important than perceived quality for business. Especially when something as subjective as taste is a central theme. We both agree on the Tainos which suffer from the same issue. Most regular smokers will take a BHK56 over a Taino. That doesn't mean they are wrong, it points to successful image marketing. Offer 100 smokers the choice between a Cuban Davidoff and a NC Davidoff and the perceived quality of the CC version will mean most, if not all, will take the CC. The only people who are claiming that the NC Davidoffs are on par, if not better than their CC cousins seem to be those working for Davidoff. I'm not saying the NC versions are bad cigars or that one person's taste is more valued over another. They most likely are rolled better than how the CC version were rolled. But are they on the same 'luxury' level which Davidoff apparently strive to? Personally I don't think so. I would say it is a reasonable statement to also say that the majority of smokers would agree. Top-tier Fuente and Padrons I would guess would rank higher in terms of 'luxury items' than NC Davidoffs too. This is not my post that you appear to be quoting, it's yours, kindly fix it so that your words aren't attributed to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironpeddler Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I'm late to this party and quite frankly a bit shocked at the call by some members to abolish the brand. One post mentioned how the shape was traditional and a throwback to yesteryear...and when I read that, I totally agreed. What shocked me was the response to that statement and the attempt to draw on Cuaba's issues to justify their termination. It just needs to be tweaked a little. I guess having smoked cigars for 40+ years, you don't take all this too seriously. At the end of the day, it's a cigar...it doesn't define me, it enhances my lifestyle. The older you get, the more the phrase "variety is the spice of Life" means to you. Personally, I like the Cuaba line because of their unique shape & flavor profile. In a country where Cuban cigars are not readily available, I was a little shocked when Rob said they didn't sell. To me, the Divinos is a perfect lunch time cigar and the Generosos a perfect after dinner smoke...and I would have thought that would equate to being a great 'walk-in sale' for a cigar shop based on how quickly they can be enjoyed...but alas, Rob said otherwise. In my eyes, it's the Cuban version of a Fuente Short Story,...a quick smoke that offers a larger ring size in flavor. But, that hasn't always been the case with some of the boxes I received. Yes, I have had issues with their construction over the years as it's not an easy cigar to roll...and I guess that was the point of this thread to start with. They need to treat this brand better if there is any hope in it's survival. It needs to stop being treated as the HSA's illegitimate stepchild. But even with all it's issues, Cuaba offers a cigar that no other company comes close to by using the figurado as it's baseline shape and a distinct flavor that no other cigar has...and that appeals to me. But truth be told, I haven't bought a box in some time due to their issues of off flavors and draw difficulties. I guess from smoking these things for so long, over time and by the shear number of cigars I've smoked (and being an old billy goat), you develop the ability to appreciate each cigar for what it is. When fresh, I enjoy that grassy, earthy, hay-like flavor. As they age, they get a bit fruity and sweeter. But there are times when they aren't as appealing. But once through that stage, you begin to appreciate the creamy, woody flavors at each step as they evolve over time. Smoking cigars would be a whole lot less interesting if I was judging a cigar's progress from one definitive point of taste. I'm not on board with the elimination of the smaller vitolas because I think that's what defines the brand. God knows we have plenty of other brands out there to fill the void in every other size category. What needs to survive for Cuaba is their uniqueness. The band is fine, that in of itself is one of the components that sets them apart. They need to blend the smaller sizes just a bit better to match the flavors produced in the larger sizes that smoke better, sooner...and that is not hard to do IF THEY MAKE THE ATTEMPT TO DO SO! I just smoked my last 2008 EL last night and I have to say, it was very nice....like a Monte #2, Jr. The weird thing is, every time I smoked one, it was like a visual oxymoron to see a #2 shape with a Cuaba band on it. While it finally evolved into a great cigar, the shape was so pedestrian towards the brand's identity. It's like they created a nice cigar in a piramid shape and threw a dart at a dartboard and it hit the Cuaba moniker. I hope the powers that be are listening to their customers at the wholesale & retail levels and putting a plan together to revive this brand to where their uniqueness is matched in their performance once lit. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainQuintero Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 SnipI love the passion that comes across here, high five! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blakes Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Great post! It could also relate to a few other brands they have neglected in recent years too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallclub Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Great post! It could also relate to a few other brands they have neglected in recent years too. Agreed. Reading this I realize how much I miss the early 2000's Divinos that I purchased in (or from) Spain, where they were so cheap. The construction issues were rather rare and the blend was consistent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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