Havana Whispers : The Rumour Mill

[El Presidente]

What's happening in Havana/Cuba? 

News and rumours on cigars, restaurants/paladars, factories, clubs,  currency etc etc etc. 

Post them up here as you come across them. let's see if we can shed some light and get some answers where possible 

[SCgarman]

What other good cigars are they going to f-up and discontinue? Any news yet?

[El Presidente]

The discontinued list for this year comes out shortly. It is released at the HSA annual distributor marketing meeting which is at this time of the year each year. 

I have heard from three members here over the past week that Ramon Allones Gigantes are on the chopping list.  We will find out soon enough. 

[havanaclub]

That’s depressing... RAGs up tonight?


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[El Presidente]

No RAGS unfortunately! even if they are thrown to the wolves they will be around for a while. 

[havanaclub]

No RAGS unfortunately! even if they are thrown to the wolves they will be around for a while. 

Hopefully, unlike the BCG that just vanished.


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[oliverdst]

Pointing the 3 already debated recently:

- New Quintero Band;

- Festival dates 2019 (18-22/feb);

- One year gap in Regionales.

The first two I had with different sources so I bet will happen. The third one not mine.

 

[SigmundChurchill]

Any rumors on when the CoRo Reservas will be available?

Or how big of a 2nd mortgage I will have to take out to buy a box?

[Mossome]

I’ve heard rumors from several people that Mag 46s are being discontinued. 

[El Presidente]

10 minutes ago, Mossome said:

I’ve heard rumors from several people that Mag 46s are being discontinued. 

They have invested pretty heavily in the "Magnum" line.   46 48 50 54 56 

[SCgarman]

14 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

They have invested pretty heavily in the "Magnum" line.   46 48 50 54 56 

Smoked a Mag 50 once. (gifted to me). It was one of the most mundane, boring, too large a format cigars I have ever had. I would never spend money on these. Maybe the 46 is better. I like smaller vitolas. The mareva is really a great size 5X42. 

[El Presidente]

1 minute ago, NYgarman said:

Smoked a Mag 50 once. (gifted to me). It was one of the most mundane, boring, too large a format cigars I have ever had. I would never spend money on these. Maybe the 46 is better. I like smaller vitolas. The mareva is really a great size 5X42. 

I have never yet formed an opinion on the tasting of one cigar. I would just be cheating myself as there are too many variables which are difficult to control (including my own self). 

 I have even smoked 20 or so various Monte Opens 

[Drguano]

I love the whole Mag lineup except I have not embraced the 54. I have only had 2 of them and the jury is still out. Mag 48 with espresso in the morning, 46 anytime, 50 when I can give it the attention it needs and the 56 when I’m going to run with the bulls. I had a 54 in Paris right after getting off the plane and one in London at one of Foxes rum soaked evenings. I’ll have to revisit but it is a bit short and chubby...

[alloy]

1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

 

 I have even smoked 20 or so various Monte Opens 

We all I'm sure, at FOH are very sorry to hear this. Our sympathies.   

[Ken Gargett]

1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

I have never yet formed an opinion on the tasting of one cigar. I would just be cheating myself as there are too many variables which are difficult to control (including my own self). 

 I have even smoked 20 or so various Monte Opens 

so how much did you get for your soul?

i do understand what you say and the more one can experience a smoke, the more one should be able to understand it. the problem is that you have effectively an unlimited supply and can easily do that. the rest of us have to make do as best as we can with what we have. if i have only one XYZ and perhaps three ABC's, then that is what i have to make my decision on. if i do not like that one XYZ then it will ensure i do not go and buy a box. the usual sad case of reality colliding with aspirations. 

[SCgarman]

8 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

so how much did you get for your soul?

i do understand what you say and the more one can experience a smoke, the more one should be able to understand it. the problem is that you have effectively an unlimited supply and can easily do that. the rest of us have to make do as best as we can with what we have. if i have only one XYZ and perhaps three ABC's, then that is what i have to make my decision on. if i do not like that one XYZ then it will ensure i do not go and buy a box. the usual sad case of reality colliding with aspirations. 

I knew the Mag50 was not for me. I was bored with it after 45 minutes. It dragged on and on. 

Love the Upmann PC and for a bigger size the #2 has loads of flavor. And a smoking time to keep my interest.

[El Presidente]

1 hour ago, Ken Gargett said:

so how much did you get for your soul?

i do understand what you say and the more one can experience a smoke, the more one should be able to understand it. the problem is that you have effectively an unlimited supply and can easily do that. the rest of us have to make do as best as we can with what we have. if i have only one XYZ and perhaps three ABC's, then that is what i have to make my decision on. if i do not like that one XYZ then it will ensure i do not go and buy a box. the usual sad case of reality colliding with aspirations. 

can't agree. 

With cigars, a firm opinion based on one interaction is worthless.  There are simply too many variables. 

Who said to "go and buy a box"?    A single at a different time, different circumstance. Try  maybe 3 over a year or two. If you find it is not to your taste....it is a reasoned opinion. 

 

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, El Presidente said:

can't agree. 

With cigars, a firm opinion based on one interaction is worthless.  There are simply to many variables. 

Who said to "go and buy a box"?    A single at a different time, different circumstance. Try  maybe 3 over a year or two. If you find it is not to your taste....it is a reasoned opinion. 

 

hang on. you were talking 20 earlier, so a box give or take. now back to three. not really that much difference from one. but certainly better, i agree (you appear to be disagreeing with something you think i have said rather than what i have said). 

i fully agree the more the better and yes, suggesting something is set in stone based on one smoke is silly. anything we do (or i do elsewhere) can only be based on what that one (or two or more if that is the case) offers and reveals. obviously more experience can modify that. hence, for example, why i asked you (not sure if this will be on the vid or not) whether you'd tried others of that recent LE and if they had the same burn issues. if you had said, no, every other one has been perfect then i'm more likely to think my/ours were outliers. 

not saying "firm" opinions but reality is simply that often we have only the one opportunity. if that is a dud then i am happy to be proved wrong down the track but given that like most, i have a limited cigar budget (extremely limited of late), i am not going to risk my dosh. i would need that evidence first. it may be enough that half a dozen people all insist it is fabulous, though more likely i am going to need another try. 

[Guest Nekhyludov]

6 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

A single at a different time, different circumstance. Try  maybe 3 over a year or two. If you find it is not to your taste....it is a reasoned opinion. 

This seems to me to be an entirely reasonable approach.

I often find myself, however, doing the exact opposite and writing off a particular cigar after one bad experience. The scarcest commodity I have is an uninterrupted 90 minutes to enjoy a cigar, and I find that I'm generally not willing to revisit one I didn't enjoy previously. I don't mind the money, but I can't get that time back.

Once bitten, twice shy, as they say.

[El Presidente]

4 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

hang on. you were talking 20 earlier, so a box give or take. now back to three.

 

We gave the Monte Open such a hard time, that is one line of cigars  that I have revisited more than usual.  I am in the trade and that is my job. 

I wouldn't expect anyone to smoke a cigar they were unsure of /disliked, 20 times.  

[SMQQKIN]

Can't tell you how many times I've smoked 1 cigar & been very disappointed to later revisit the box 6, 12 or 18 most later to find them to be glorious. However, if there are construction issues or you just don't like the ring gauge or length is a different scenario.

[Ken Gargett]

i'm not sure where this fits in the scheme of things but i have a box of Hoyo de Monterrey ‘Le Hoyo du Roi’ from 2007. not sure where they came from - rob i suspect (can't imagine i would have bothered bringing them back from cuba), but definitely not a size i would normally go near. i checked and we did a vid on them in 2010 and we both liked them and had them around 90 which surprised us. i suspect i bought the box after that. 

i had one the other day and it absolutely blew my socks off. as good a small cigar as i can ever recall. stunning. wonderful. now if it had been the first i tried, yes, i would have bought truckloads. i checked my notes and have had about 8 from the box. 2-3 have been very good, nowhere near this but early 90s. the rest, bog average and mid 80s best. 

so where the hell does that leave us? if the first 4-5 had all been the poor ones, i'd have probably used the box for compost. but based on the one the other day, if it and the others had been first up, then i would have stocked up to the gills. so i would never dismiss a cigar based on one. but if i had one of the duds early (or a couple, then i certainly would never have bought them). i know in a perfect world that does not happen but reality is that we have to make these choices on what info we have. 

[JohnInCleveland]

11 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

hang on. you were talking 20 earlier, so a box give or take. now back to three. not really that much difference from one. but certainly better, i agree (you appear to be disagreeing with something you think i have said rather than what i have said). 

i fully agree the more the better and yes, suggesting something is set in stone based on one smoke is silly. anything we do (or i do elsewhere) can only be based on what that one (or two or more if that is the case) offers and reveals. obviously more experience can modify that. hence, for example, why i asked you (not sure if this will be on the vid or not) whether you'd tried others of that recent LE and if they had the same burn issues. if you had said, no, every other one has been perfect then i'm more likely to think my/ours were outliers. 

not saying "firm" opinions but reality is simply that often we have only the one opportunity. if that is a dud then i am happy to be proved wrong down the track but given that like most, i have a limited cigar budget (extremely limited of late), i am not going to risk my dosh. i would need that evidence first. it may be enough that half a dozen people all insist it is fabulous, though more likely i am going to need another try. 

I had a single Monte double edmundo in Havana and it was one of my favorite smokes of all time.  I bought a box and enjoyed none of them.  

 

You don't have to have a whole box but there's so much variation from stick to stick sometimes.  

[Mossome]

3 hours ago, El Presidente said:

They have invested pretty heavily in the "Magnum" line.   46 48 50 54 56 

I know, that’s why I was surprised to hear this. They way Habanos has been trending larger ring gauge though, it wouldn’t be out of the question. Are you saying this is a false rumor?

[Notsocleaver]

1 hour ago, Mossome said:

I know, that’s why I was surprised to hear this. They way Habanos has been trending larger ring gauge though, it wouldn’t be out of the question. Are you saying this is a false rumor?

Could be that they are discontinuing a packaging option. Have we ever seen a cigar with two different packaging types be completely discontinued in one fell swoop?