Favorite Factory Code


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I'm pretty new to CC and have built up a little collection (150 sticks or so) and have gone through enough boxes to see a difference in factory codes.

Just wondering what are some of your favorite factory codes when it comes to the cigars in your rotation?  Do you look for particular years too?

thanks!

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38 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

I wouldn't say there are codes that matter except for El Laguito, but I think it's worth pursuing codes that show consistent quality. This spreadsheet organizes codes by frequency of appearance on the 24:24 through Jan 2016 and gives you an idea what the most reliable codes are over the years in terms of the criteria that Rob screens out for before putting the cigars up. You can certainly see general trends and certain codes popping up more frequently, i.e. being selected as HQ/PSP by Rob more often. Generally, the more frequently they appear at all, the more Rob found that are of adequate quality.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bXWspUyDYpTnd1pZVPddm2sJkE7TR19aJyx6QzMl0h4/edit#gid=43676742

 

Not to diss your hard and useful work IN THE LEAST but to determine what codes are more reliable, wouldn't we also need to know the total volume Rob receives?  Say he puts up 11 RUS codes, but if he received 1,100 boxes, that's only 1%. Say he only puts up one SAB code, but if he received 2 boxes, that's 50%.

 

Am I off base in my thinking?

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1 hour ago, NSXCIGAR said:

I wouldn't say there are codes that matter except for El Laguito, but I think it's worth pursuing codes that show consistent quality. This spreadsheet organizes codes by frequency of appearance on the 24:24 through Jan 2016 and gives you an idea what the most reliable codes are over the years in terms of the criteria that Rob screens out for before putting the cigars up. You can certainly see general trends and certain codes popping up more frequently, i.e. being selected as HQ/PSP by Rob more often. Generally, the more frequently they appear at all, the more Rob found that are of adequate quality.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bXWspUyDYpTnd1pZVPddm2sJkE7TR19aJyx6QzMl0h4/edit#gid=43676742

thanks!  great info to check out!

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Code chasing has likely become a mere hobby at best I think.  However my favorite codes over last few years have been RAE (March-August 15) and ARG (All Of 2014). Every cigar I've had from RAE Jun15 has been awesome (BBF, Monte 2, D4, and Siglo 2), and I had some ARG Jun14 Siglo 6 which were just incredible (maybe best box I've ever had) and ARG Dic14 Sir Winstons-amazing.  More recently TOS (Bushidos, Dip2s, La Fuerza and Mag 56) and ETP (Bolivar Royal Corona, Bolivar Petite Corona, and Partagas P2) have all been really nice!  Maybe this helps?  

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7 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

I wouldn't say there are codes that matter except for El Laguito, but I think it's worth pursuing codes that show consistent quality. This spreadsheet organizes codes by frequency of appearance on the 24:24 through Jan 2016 and gives you an idea what the most reliable codes are over the years in terms of the criteria that Rob screens out for before putting the cigars up. You can certainly see general trends and certain codes popping up more frequently, i.e. being selected as HQ/PSP by Rob more often. Generally, the more frequently they appear at all, the more Rob found that are of adequate quality.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bXWspUyDYpTnd1pZVPddm2sJkE7TR19aJyx6QzMl0h4/edit#gid=43676742

You know mate, I don't know what to make of all the data, but I think it is cool anyway!!!

What inspired you to survey this? I am very curious? -R

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36 minutes ago, PigFish said:

You know mate, I don't know what to make of all the data, but I think it is cool anyway!!!

What inspired you to survey this? I am very curious? -R

Hey.  Thanks to NSX for mentioning the sheet; I thought it was doomed to obscurity.  Back in Feb earlier this year, after Zane was asking some questions, I pulled that sheet together because I wondered if we could detect some trends in the stock Rob was selling.  Chasing box codes isn't my thing, but the data is kind of fun to play with. :) You can read more about it in the following thread, if you so choose:

I've since updated the data a little bit, up to mid-May.  Due for another update!

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4 hours ago, Hutch said:

That might work for some, but only those with similar tastes to Rob. At risk of being blasphemous :) I do not fall into that category. Rob likes, and offers as "top shelf", the darkest and oiliest wrappers...I much prefer the lighter shades. The only time I agree with him, and scramble to grab a box or two, is when the wrappers are red. On that we agree :) 

Rob's selections are based on a bit more than wrapper color. Generally speaking, nearly everything that Rob puts up excluding seconds are at least PE. Rob inspects even PE for construction and generally has personally sampled much of the PSP and HQ and has deemed them of good quality. When Rob continually puts up those codes it's a safe bet that there's a greater likelihood of that code producing decent cigars relative to other codes. If one is blind buying, you get what you get anyways in terms of wrapper color and oil content. If you're not buying blind, simply request that code and a lighter shade or less oil.

To answer the ratio question, yes, I suppose if 10/1000 ABC codes make it vs 1/2 XYZ codes then the XYZ has a better batting average, but stock allocation is harder info to come by. All we have is what we have, and since code chasing really isn't of much importance, I think looking at what's been put up month-to month is a fairly reasonable guide.

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2 hours ago, planetary said:

Hey.  Thanks to NSX for mentioning the sheet; I thought it was doomed to obscurity.  Back in Feb earlier this year, after Zane was asking some questions, I pulled that sheet together because I wondered if we could detect some trends in the stock Rob was selling.  Chasing box codes isn't my thing, but the data is kind of fun to play with. :) You can read more about it in the following thread, if you so choose:

I've since updated the data a little bit, up to mid-May.  Due for another update!

... you put it together???? I take it all back!!!! -LOL

Just kidding! Good work, et al. -Piggy

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Below are three El Laguito Codes from last few years.  Taken from others research.  BTO code is a little unclear to me as to when HSA started using it and when they stopped.  It doesn't seem to follow the typical pattern of August to two years laters July.  If anyone has any late 2011 BTO boxes or any late 2013 MUO boxes I would be interested to know.  If you see a box with one of the three codes below it was from El Laguito.  There is research online about the codes all the way back to 2001, but it's not perfect.  This is main reason chasing codes is not really valuable, just kind of fun to look at the data.  

Overwhelming data from last year and this year so far suggests EML and TOS are the best factory codes per what Rob has put up as PSP.  Its pretty confident these are the codes for the La Corona factory.  However as Hutch mentioned above Rob's judgement of quality could differ from your own personal tastes so yet another reason specific codes aren't really an end all be all of quality.  Have fun, enjoy yourself, but don't take anything too seriously in all this.  Box code chasing is not an exact science by any means.

Last 3 El Laguito codes:

BTO-2012-2013

MUO--2014-2015

AMO--2015-2016

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15 hours ago, Hutch said:

I feel safe in saying that Rob had never sampled any cigars from a single one of the boxes he's sold to me. :) At most, he's seen the wrappers. 

But I do buy from him simply because he does take greater care in inspecting his stock than any other vendor I use. 

I don't think sampling from each box is necessary when there appears to be a general trend in a mastercase. But at least Rob's putting up cigars that he has confirmed smoke reasonably well from certain codes with similar characteristics. And again, Rob does frequently poke and prod for construction as well, not just glance at wrappers. 

Again, this perfectly illustrates why code chasing isn't a recommended approach. But if you are code chasing, looking for codes that have frequently produced good quality is pretty much the only guide.

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On 9/7/2016 at 10:51 AM, NSXCIGAR said:

I wouldn't say there are codes that matter except for El Laguito, but I think it's worth pursuing codes that show consistent quality. This spreadsheet organizes codes by frequency of appearance on the 24:24 through Jan 2016 and gives you an idea what the most reliable codes are over the years in terms of the criteria that Rob screens out for before putting the cigars up. You can certainly see general trends and certain codes popping up more frequently, i.e. being selected as HQ/PSP by Rob more often. Generally, the more frequently they appear at all, the more Rob found that are of adequate quality.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bXWspUyDYpTnd1pZVPddm2sJkE7TR19aJyx6QzMl0h4/edit#gid=43676742

I have been pouring over this the last two days. EXCELLENT WORK SIR!!!

There are some of us that would like to buy aged boxes but really have nowhere to start. Like most things in life, a certain amount of risk is involved. I would LOVE to buy aged boxes via FOH  but it seems they don't come up too often. At least with some type of data we can at least make an educated guess at which boxes to buy. (OR maybe just make us feel better about the risk :) ) 

Thank you for the hard work. 

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The best BBF's & BRC I've EVER smoked were MUR 12!!


Notes taken :) Two of my favorite smokes right now.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

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