Preferred Box Code MONTH

[cmbarton]

We all know box code game well and most, if not all, focus on the factory code but what about the month code?  Crops have cycles so it would seem to reason that some months are better than others for quality leaf.

Do you have a month that you prefer?  

[HarveyBoulevard]

I really like DIC. Just something about it...

[Chibearsv]

I haven’t really made a correlation between month and flavor or quality. In my limited experience a good cigar can happen with any month.  Is there a month you prefer @cmbarton?

[Fuzz AI]

5 minutes ago, HarveyBoulevard said:

I really like DIC. Just something about it...

But which factory? MOB DIC, SOM DIC or EAT DIC? Just curious.

[Chibearsv]

2 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

But which factory? MOB DIC, SOM DIC or EAT DIC? Just curious.

RAT DIC?

[TBird55]

21 minutes ago, HarveyBoulevard said:

I really like DIC. Just something about it...

Not so sure I would have said that...?

[smitte3]

Birthday months are always nice to get.

[cmbarton]

Of course, I know nothing about the tobacco crop cycles in Cuba but for some reason I have convinced myself that winter month boxes (DIC, ENE, FEB) are poor quality since those aren’t growing seasons.

But then again, since these leaves are aged before rolling, those might be the better boxes and the summer boxes are the poor quality.

Just a question I thought I’d put out there ... 

[El Presidente]

40 minutes ago, cmbarton said:

Of course, I know nothing about the tobacco crop cycles in Cuba but for some reason I have convinced myself that winter month boxes (DIC, ENE, FEB) are poor quality since those aren’t growing seasons.

But then again, since these leaves are aged before rolling, those might be the better boxes and the summer boxes are the poor quality.

Just a question I thought I’d put out there ... 

Tobacco is aged for 18 months to three years + so as you pointed out, the issue of "growing seasons" is irrelevant.

You will find great, poor and in between cigars from any month. 

It can be more problematic in the wet season (June/july/August). If it is raining for a week/extended periods, all that tobacco in the fabricas absorbs the moisture making it very difficult to roll properly. 

[Guest Nekhyludov]

1 hour ago, Fuzz said:

But which factory? MOB DIC, SOM DIC or EAT DIC? Just curious.

UGE DIC is the only way to go.

[Guest Nekhyludov]

@cmbarton I've often wondered about this question. For some reason, JUN and OCT are disproportionately over-represented in my inventory, and have been for some time. I used to wonder if quality was affected by the humidity in Havana at the time they're rolled. Or my buying habits are seasonal.

[bdw1984]

26 minutes ago, Destro said:

UGE DIC is the only way to go.

Forgot RUB DIC

[Islandboy]

2 hours ago, HarveyBoulevard said:

I really like DIC. Just something about it...

 

1 hour ago, smitte3 said:

Birthday months are always nice to get.

Late to the party, so I see the subject of DIC has seen substantial growth already, with a firm following. But it is my birthday month...so DIC it is ?

[Bri Fi]

I love that a bunch of grown ass men have the sense of humor of 12 year olds haha. 

[La_Tigre]

6 hours ago, Fuzz said:

But which factory? MOB DIC, SOM DIC or EAT DIC? Just curious

1. UGE DIC

2. RUB DIC

3. EAT DIC

4. SOR DIC

[Çnote]

12 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Tobacco is aged for 18 months to three years + so as you pointed out, the issue of "growing seasons" is irrelevant.

You will find great, poor and in between cigars from any month. 

It can be more problematic in the wet season (June/july/August). If it is raining for a week/extended periods, all that tobacco in the fabricas absorbs the moisture making it very difficult to roll properly. 

Getting back to topic, isn't this a little speculative as the code is a packing date and not technically a rolling date? Aren't there a few more steps between rolling and boxing that, Cuba being Cuba, could add a month or so?

[Fuzz AI]

24 minutes ago, Çnote said:

Getting back to topic, isn't this a little speculative as the code is a packing date and not technically a rolling date? Aren't there a few more steps between rolling and boxing that, Cuba being Cuba, could add a month or so?

Cuba being Cuba, they could be stamping the boxes before rolling....

[Guest Nekhyludov]

1 hour ago, Çnote said:

Getting back to topic, isn't this a little speculative as the code is a packing date and not technically a rolling date? Aren't there a few more steps between rolling and boxing that, Cuba being Cuba, could add a month or so?

That's an interesting point. I've always assumed that cigars are rolled and boxed in the same month, but there's actually no real reason to think that. It's probably impossible to determine when the sticks were rolled v. when they were boxed v. when the box was stamped.

[cmbarton]

Lots of interesting perspectives!  

However, despite the popularity of DIC box codes, I don’t think this thread will be getting added to the Newbies board!

[La_Tigre]

4 hours ago, Fuzz said:

Cuba being Cuba, they could be stamping the boxes before rolling....

Very possible. Seems like we are chasing a rabbit down a hole in this discussion about month codes. 

[TBird55]

16 hours ago, Bri Fi said:

I love that a bunch of grown ass men have the sense of humor of 12 year olds haha. 

It's in our genes...?

[Silverstix]

20 hours ago, cmbarton said:

Of course, I know nothing about the tobacco crop cycles in Cuba but for some reason I have convinced myself that winter month boxes (DIC, ENE, FEB) are poor quality since those aren’t growing seasons.

But then again, since these leaves are aged before rolling, those might be the better boxes and the summer boxes are the poor quality.

Just a question I thought I’d put out there ... 

 

19 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Tobacco is aged for 18 months to three years + so as you pointed out, the issue of "growing seasons" is irrelevant.

You will find great, poor and in between cigars from any month. 

It can be more problematic in the wet season (June/july/August). If it is raining for a week/extended periods, all that tobacco in the fabricas absorbs the moisture making it very difficult to roll properly. 

Forgive my lack of knowledge, but when could June/July/August rolled cigars end up in boxes?  I always assumed there is a gap of time between rolling and boxing, and the date stamps on the box are from when they are boxed, not necessarily rolled. 

[El Presidente]

2 hours ago, Silverstix said:

 

always assumed there is a gap of time between rolling and boxing, and the date stamps on the box are from when they are boxed, not necessarily rolled. 

You are talking a couple of weeks max unless the boxes are not ready for one reason or another. 

Those who have toured a factory recently can give an update. 

[medzikone]

As Rob mentioned - after harvesting tabacco rests for some time.

At least 6 months for wrapper leaves.

At least 9 months for volado, 12-18 months for seco and 24 months for ligero. 

The harvesting starts in December and ends in first weeks of March. There is time for curing and other things. Then when leaves are rolled by torcedores, bundles of cigars resting for at least 7 days in Escaparte.

So, as you can see - it depends ?