RyJ Lineup discussion: Favorites & Comparables

[NSXCIGAR]

36 minutes ago, MrVoyondon69 said:

Interesting fact on the bribery…Distros are closer to OPEC then anything else in this game

I would say it has more to do with HSA being a monopoly. They hold the distributors hostage. It's just a supply & demand issue with the cheapies. The distributors wouldn't ask for them as they're not really popular. But HSA says if you want the Monte 2 you've got to take the Romeo tubos. Eventually it just gets blown out to the gray markets probably at a loss but I'm sure the distributors chalk it up to the cost of doing business with HSA. 

36 minutes ago, MrVoyondon69 said:

old Cazadores and even Quintero Brevas from late 90s early 2000s and he said they were better then now.

I have not been impressed with modern Cazadores. To me they taste like the Romeo tubos. I would fully expect pre-2000 examples to be very different as most CCs were. 

Everything was different then. I've mentioned I really liked the Partagas machine mades and there was a brand called Los Statos de Luxe that I also very much enjoyed. I liked the Brevas and I could find them up until around 2004 with late 90s codes. It says the brand was deleted in 05 but they may not have been produced after 2001. 

Anyway, all those cigars were cheap and were indeed cheerful. There were plenty of great, cheap machine-made or short filler options then. The last one I smoked was PL Panetelas. If course they had to cut it but they keep the inferior RG Panetelas Extra. I was finding those for about $60/box until 2018 and there's still quite a few boxes in Cuba. I picked up few last time so I still have some. 

Also I was a big fan of JLP Petit Cetros. It was the only JLP I liked. They cut those in 2016 I believe but you can also still find them in Havana. 

[Rhinoww]

On 7/11/2022 at 3:41 PM, therealrsr said:

We have a family wedding coming up in September of next year.  There will be a cigar lounge that I am supplying so I bought 50 each of the tubos 1 & 2.  Cool wedding take away for non-cc folks (if not smoked there) and they will be safe waiting because I ain't touching them lol.

It’s always important to have something to give away. Like the chicago cop with the throw down gun on the hip and the concealed one they shoot you with 😂

so yes, I recently picked up a romeo 1,2,3 box combo deal with little intention of smoking them. 

[Frinkiac7]

On a whim I bought two boxes of Belvederes (21 box codes) a couple months ago and I have been pleasantly surprised. I think they will be better in a year. Not my favorite C&C by any means but very serviceable. Mostly just good crisp tobacco flavor, occasional sweetness. I would buy more if they were on sale again.

[RDB]

This thread inspired me to open a new box of Churchills (ABO NOV 18). Pretty nice looking with a definite rosado sheen:

Sure enough, the first example smoked well, but perhaps a little more generic than I’d have expected. No hurry, we’ll see where they go.