Rejections. What constitutes one?

[TypicalSituation]

Hey Rob can you elaborate on stonefruit taste? That is a wide range of fruit for me.

I feel like I remember him citing apricot somewhere

[Smallclub]

EVERY cigar store owner here in Virginia has told me his cigars were better than Cubans.

keep in mind that the cigar trade is one of these business where most retailers have less knowledge of the product than many of their customers. You can hear stupidities of the same ilk everywhere…

[CigarEnthusiast]

I feel like I remember him citing apricot somewhere

Thanks!

That was my suspicion.

[santela]

Very informative. I have not bought blind in a long time though, I stick to this place and so far it's been working out great.

[El Presidente]

Understood. I know it'd make the process even slower and not really add any value.

You released your top 30 that seemed to deliver the highest quality for 2014. What might a bottom 5-10 marcas that seemed to deliver the most rejects as a percentage from your inspection standards?

Trinidad Reyes

Trinidad Coloniales

Trinidad Fundadores

R&J Short Churchil

Cohiba Maduro 5 Series

[El Presidente]

So Rob, no issue returning boxes that you've opened?

We just use those for the wholesale trade.

[El Presidente]

Then OPG (in October) and ULA (in November) are the same factory?

Came out of the same Mastercase.

[El Presidente]

I'm sure this has been asked and answered ad nauseam, but am I correct in that all reject/fail boxes go back to the supplier? If I buy blind from *****int, I'm not at risk of any of these fails am I? I've only bought graded/hand picked from FOH sales, but have always wondered, if I buy blind from the site, will I get at least decent PE quality? That's always been my assumption, but never knew for sure how *****int buys compare to what's offered here.

Stock through the site will in the majority of time come through stock that i have picked and set aside. However, I don't pick all stock. An example is that one month I don't pick (out of time) D5. In that case you will receive whatever comes up and is passed by the team in the final check.

I personally don't check unless requested Super Premiums. They are normally in and out.

if we have stock that I have checked, it get's pulled from there first. it is always good to ask if you are not sure.

[SofaKing]

Pres up a little early... its barely 5am there!

[El Presidente]

I always find the "I don't like thick wrappers" comment interesting. With some people believing that the wrapper provides a lot of the flavour to a cigar, wouldn't a thick wrapper provide more flavour than a thinner one?

Thanks for the pics mate!

Mus, thicker wrappers tend to make the cigar fireproof and bitter.

Prized wrappers are thin, oily and supple. You can stretch them in final form. Beautiful.

[El Presidente]

Pres up a little early... its barely 5am there!

I have a half day in the warehouse today and then back Need the early start.

[CigarEnthusiast]

Mus, thicker wrappers tend to make the cigar fireproof and bitter.

Prized wrappers are thin, oily and supple. You can stretch them in final form. Beautiful.

What is your opinion on the impact of the wrapper on the flavor profile?

[El Presidente]

What is your opinion on the impact of the wrapper on the flavor profile?

I haven't time to go into it now but I promise to try over the weekend.

In short form:

"It is nothing" ....it only constitutes say 3-5% of a cigar.

"it is everything"...a pinch of Saffron adds a whole new layer to many a dish

[srbbones]

Awesome thread. Why FOH is the place to be!

[CigarEnthusiast]

I haven't time to go into it now but I promise to try over the weekend.

In short form:

"It is nothing" ....it only constitutes say 3-5% of a cigar.

"it is everything"...a pinch of Saffron adds a whole new layer to many a dish

Thanks! Looking forward to an informative read.

[Ramrod918]

Do you occasionally try a cigar with a wrapper that you normally wouldn't smoke?

example: a mag46/50 but with a quality golden sheen wrapper like the cohibas you speak of.

if so, any examples/profile differences that surprised you if both were HQ wrappers but just shade changes (golden to dark)?

[free85]

Extremely informative. Thank you.

Is it your experience that has brought you to your grading system/thoughts on a particular cigar? IE: have you built this system from smoking a ton of cigars and remembering what seemed to work for a cigar and what didn't?

[El Presidente]

Do you occasionally try a cigar with a wrapper that you normally wouldn't smoke?

example: a mag46/50 but with a quality golden sheen wrapper like the cohibas you speak of.

if so, any examples/profile differences that surprised you if both were HQ wrappers but just shade changes (golden to dark)?

I wish I could find more golden sheen light wrappers. There are just not that many around. For cigars I love and smoke regularly such as the mag 46/898/D4 etc, I can't remember the last box of light wrappers with sheen. Light wrappers and no sheen/flat yes.

I thoroughly enjoy a darker oily wrapper on the mag 50 but I equally enjoy a lighter wrapper with sheen on them and i do come across those. I prize those lighter wrappers. The fruitiness is there from the get go and if anything, they smoke better younger (just my experience).

[El Presidente]

Extremely informative. Thank you.

Is it your experience that has brought you to your grading system/thoughts on a particular cigar? IE: have you built this system from smoking a ton of cigars and remembering what seemed to work for a cigar and what didn't?

The whole system was based on "Rob, what is smoking well now?"

This week I would have gone through 15 cigars in the warehouse checking new stock. The vast majority of what I smoke week to week is current stock received in the past month. The balance is dipping back into stock that I recommended 3 and 5 years ago. it simply helps me get an idea of what is good now and where a cigar is likely to develop.

So in short, the system has been developed on what I see as requisite for a good cigar: wrapper, construction, aroma at cold. The blend is obviously essential and that is where smoking current stock is important. It is how certain cigars get "rediscovered" as something special. Over the past couple of years, R&J E4, Punch Punch, R&J Beli, BBF have been given a "heads up" and many here agree there has been a remarkable turnaround after a long period of mediocrity. Right now I am loving the R&J Churchills and I never thought that would have been the case 18 months ago. You have to smoke current stock to gauge what is going on (if you are in the trade).

I hope that I have shown that there is no mystery to the selection process. Simply a way of maximising the chance of a very good experience in the tasting either short/mid/long term.

[Guest Robo]

When you post a box with different box codes are they all from the same master case?

As an example, on Tuesday you posted Monte #2 with RAE, PMS, LUB and OLM box codes. Were those from the same master case?

Thanks,

Rob

[El Presidente]

When you post a box with different box codes are they all from the same master case?

As an example, on Tuesday you posted Monte #2 with RAE, PMS, LUB and OLM box codes. Were those from the same master case?

Thanks,

Rob

Different mastercases in that case. The only mastercase this month where there were two different codes within were the BBF I posted a pic of.

[Guest Robo]

Different mastercases in that case. The only mastercase this month where there were two different codes within were the BBF I posted a pic of.

Yeah, I didn't think so. LUB is clearly H Upmann and RAE appears to be Partagas (ERDM factory)

[free85]

Thanks again El Pres. As a newbie (in general and around here) I'm trying to get a handle on getting a handle on this stuff!

[jazzboypro]

Very interesting information, thanks for taking the time Rob, should be a sticky IMHO

[Notsocleaver]

How do you determine the quality of foil wrapped cigars like RyJ Cazzies? With cigars that only comes in tubes do you have to open up every stinking one of them to check for quality?