Gran Reserva or Limited Edition Worth it?

[Uwiik]

As my “regular” production cigar has approached almost 3000 sticks now I begin to get interested in the more exclusive Gran Reserva/Limited Edition releases. During my recent trip to Dubai I was offered a box of Cohiba Year of the Rabbit by the shop manager in LCDH JBR, but at the time I couldn’t stomach spending US$5500 for 18 pcs of heavenly sticks but the thought been haunting me ever since. Checked with local vendor and turned out they are pretty well stocked to the brim with limited releases from various marca and now I have the itch. The big question is, is it really that good justifying the crazy price? 

[NSXCIGAR]

Are they good values? No. Some are very good of course but there are 93-94 point cigars out there for $20. Would you spend 5-10 times that for a 95-96 point cigar? That's up to you. The principle of diminishing returns applies. 

[El Presidente]

Some are, some aren't, but it is a personal decision. 

When you start looking at Uber premium cigars.....and if you are weighing up the price tag/utility return ratio....then those cigars were never intended for you. You are simply not the target market. 

Many folk make 100k a year.  Some 100k a month. Some 100k a week. Yes, some even 100k a day. 

.....you know where the Uber Premium are being targeted 😉

 

.....and no, I don't buy Uber Premium. I do get to smoke them and I respect their qualities however. 

[Uwiik]

I understand and thank you both for the insight. I understand about diminishing return of value, a 50K rose gold Rolex Daytona doesn’t even compare to a G-Shock when it comes to function. I guess I will be sitting in the middle where I might buy some uber premium just to satisfy my itch and to decorate my walk in but it will never make it in my monthly/weekly/daily rotation. So I assume the answer is yes, they do taste different in a better way compared to the well accepted regular production sticks? In what way? Better selection of leaves? Properly aged leaves? Better cigar rollers/most senior ones? 

[Lt4-396]

B.C maybe EL's were worth it. Regionals and LCDH releases definitely were worth it. After, not so much. I've just had such a mixed bag of experiences from the EL's and RE's that I can't imagine wanting to reach for one over the classics given their current costs. Although I am happy with the few select boxes I have. Then again as Rob stated, I am no longer the target audience which is unfortunate.

[NSXCIGAR]

1 hour ago, Uwiik said:

So I assume the answer is yes, they do taste different in a better way compared to the well accepted regular production sticks? In what way? Better selection of leaves? Properly aged leaves? Better cigar rollers/most senior ones? 

Most special production is above average in terms of quality. Ostensibly leaf selection, blending and rolling all play a part in that. Some special production is exceptional. Some is average or below. It's probably an 80-10-10 rule or bell curve type distribution. 

[SirVantes]

Let me offer one perspective: my smoking buddy, who is one of my best friends, has almost nothing but ELs as he got into the game early.  He has literally stacks of boxes, going back to Monte Robustos EL 2000, a hillock of Cohiba Sublimes, a knoll of Partagas D2s.  When I go over for a smoke, I get completely free rein to his humidor; absolutely no need to be shy, so I have gone through most of his EL collection.

I'll come to my point: even though I get to choose ELs (for free), I more often than not choose to smoke a regular production or a RE (from his stash or mine); it's just my palate.  Are ELs worth it if I have to pay (current prices) for them?  The answer is obvious enough to me.

[Uwiik]

3 hours ago, Lt4-396 said:

B.C maybe EL's were worth it. Regionals and LCDH releases definitely were worth it. After, not so much. I've just had such a mixed bag of experiences from the EL's and RE's that I can't imagine wanting to reach for one over the classics given their current costs. Although I am happy with the few select boxes I have. Then again as Rob stated, I am no longer the target audience which is unfortunate.

I was told by a couple people that LCDH releases usually are pretty good. I just got my first LCDH is the form of La Trova. 

3 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Most special production is above average in terms of quality. Ostensibly leaf selection, blending and rolling all play a part in that. Some special production is exceptional. Some is average or below. It's probably an 80-10-10 rule or bell curve type distribution. 

Do you have recommendations and what to avoid? 

2 hours ago, SirVantes said:

Let me offer one perspective: my smoking buddy, who is one of my best friends, has almost nothing but ELs as he got into the game early.  He has literally stacks of boxes, going back to Monte Robustos EL 2000, a hillock of Cohiba Sublimes, a knoll of Partagas D2s.  When I go over for a smoke, I get completely free rein to his humidor; absolutely no need to be shy, so I have gone through most of his EL collection.

I'll come to my point: even though I get to choose ELs (for free), I more often than not choose to smoke a regular production or a RE (from his stash or mine); it's just my palate.  Are ELs worth it if I have to pay (current prices) for them?  The answer is obvious enough to me.

Lucky you 😁

[SirVantes]

1 hour ago, Uwiik said:

Lucky you 😁

Nah, lucky me would be if I enjoyed free ELs. But then I’ve always been a glass-too-small kind of guy. 

[SigmundChurchill]

14 hours ago, Uwiik said:

As my “regular” production cigar has approached almost 3000 sticks now I begin to get interested in the more exclusive Gran Reserva/Limited Edition releases. During my recent trip to Dubai I was offered a box of Cohiba Year of the Rabbit by the shop manager in LCDH JBR, but at the time I couldn’t stomach spending US$5500 for 18 pcs of heavenly sticks but the thought been haunting me ever since. Checked with local vendor and turned out they are pretty well stocked to the brim with limited releases from various marca and now I have the itch. The big question is, is it really that good justifying the crazy price? 

IMHO, the best cigars have always been the Colección Book cigars and special humidor cigars. The Reservas and Gran Reservas are up there too.  

I remember when the EL's came out.  The price was in the $300-$400 range, which was a lot at the time. I bought multiple boxes of all of them. It didn't take long before we realized that they all tasted the same, regardless of the marca. They all had this oscuro wrapper that overpowered the flavor profile, making a Cohiba taste the same as a Partagas, which tasted the same as a Montecristo. Many cigar smokers stopped buying them in favor of the regular production cigars, but there are always people who are going to chase that shiny extra band on the cigar.

In the last decade or so, they have made EL's a little more unique, not using the oscuro wrapper on every single EL. The results have been hit or miss. I won't buy a box of EL's without trying a single first. Too high a risk of wasting my money. Regionals are a mixed bag as well.

[BrightonCorgi]

If you're building a collection like you are, you need at least few of the baller boxes just to say you have them. 

[ha_banos]

You gotta scratch that itch! Get some singles a well LEs REs etc. They always look good 🤩 and you can try everything that way.

[Uwiik]

Let the itch scratching begin. 😝

[Chibearsv]

The only GR I’ve tried are SW I bought a few years ago. They are perfect in look, flavor balance, and construction. It’s still Sir Winston but a perfect version. Worth it?  I’d rather have 2 boxes of SW regular production since they are damn fine cigars anyway.  LEs are very hit or miss for me and rarely what I expect flavor wise from the Marca. Not necessarily a bad thing but harder to predict. I’ve had really good experiences with RE and LCDH generally. 

[El Hoze]

I have smoked I believe at least one of every Reserva/Gran Reserva released. I have purchased a few boxes as well. They have all been incredibly good and I have never had one that did not have perfect construction/draw/burn.  In my mind they are an example of what Cuba can do when they want to create a good cigar. Value is certainly a different question, especially at today’s prices, but in my mind I would say comparing any Reserva/GR to an Opus X is beyond a stretch. I have probably 20 boxes of Opus X collecting dust, I would trade them for any box of Reserva/GR someone was willing to part with in a heartbeat. 

[El Presidente]

4 hours ago, El Hoze said:

 I would say comparing any Reserva/GR to an Opus X is beyond a stretch. 

Agreed. 

Opus and Padron Anny are Premium. GR and Book releases are a whole new level both in delivery and price. 

[NSXCIGAR]

15 hours ago, Uwiik said:

I was told by a couple people that LCDH releases usually are pretty good. I just got my first LCDH is the form of La Trova. 

Do you have recommendations and what to avoid? 

The LCDH/HS releases are also generally above average. And the laquered box releases seem--at least so far--to be a bit of an additonal step up, however the prices reflect that. 

Unfortunately one can't know if there's a below average special release until the reviews come and/or you've tried them. Impossible to predict. Many need some age. I can tell you the only recent ER I've found to be disappointing was the ERDM L'Epoque. I had a couple and I find them very light and bland. I also didn't find the QdO Baalbeck or SLR Pura Vida to be that great. The only hard and fast rule I can give you is that when an ER uses fancy packaging, or is a celebratory release for the distributor, it has a better chance of being above average. 109s also are very good bets. 

[Uwiik]

12 hours ago, El Hoze said:

Agree, I would happily trade my 6” tall humidor full of OpusX, Padron Aniv and Ashton with a few boxes of Gran Reserva if somebody would.

12 hours ago, El Hoze said:

I have smoked I believe at least one of every Reserva/Gran Reserva released. I have purchased a few boxes as well. They have all been incredibly good and I have never had one that did not have perfect construction/draw/burn.  In my mind they are an example of what Cuba can do when they want to create a good cigar. Value is certainly a different question, especially at today’s prices, but in my mind I would say comparing any Reserva/GR to an Opus X is beyond a stretch. I have probably 20 boxes of Opus X collecting dust, I would trade them for any box of Reserva/GR someone was willing to part with in a heartbeat. 

So you would say that if price is no object, having GR/R/Book is a sublime experience when the occasion is right?

10 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

The LCDH/HS releases are also generally above average. And the laquered box releases seem--at least so far--to be a bit of an additonal step up, however the prices reflect that. 

Unfortunately one can't know if there's a below average special release until the reviews come and/or you've tried them. Impossible to predict. Many need some age. I can tell you the only recent ER I've found to be disappointing was the ERDM L'Epoque. I had a couple and I find them very light and bland. I also didn't find the QdO Baalbeck or SLR Pura Vida to be that great. The only hard and fast rule I can give you is that when an ER uses fancy packaging, or is a celebratory release for the distributor, it has a better chance of being above average. 109s also are very good bets. 

Judging from your comments and a few others I can conclude that LCDH, Gran Reserva, Reserva and Book (in no particular order) are the ones to look for if I want to experience that “WOW” effect. I just saw the price for Book collection and I was like “WTF”🤣 I imagine if I have one burning in my hand as equivalent to saying, “lookie here, I am burning Natuzzi single seater on my fingers 😎”…LOL! This is crazy, but really how much better is the Book collection when compared to Gran Reserva? A serious question!

[TacoSauce]

14 minutes ago, Uwiik said:

I would happily trade my 6” tall humidor

[Uwiik]

Believe me when I say 6” tall humidor doesn’t hold that much OpusX with how they present their boxes, not even 20 boxes 😅

[Boss Hog]

11 hours ago, Chibearsv said:

I’ve had really good experiences with RE and LCDH generally. 

Likewise.

[NSXCIGAR]

4 hours ago, Uwiik said:

I can conclude that LCDH, Gran Reserva, Reserva and Book (in no particular order) are the ones to look for if I want to experience that “WOW”

Reserva & Gran Reserva, yes, those seem to consistently impress. The books not so much. I've had a few and while very good I wouldn't put them up as the best Cuba can do. And they are actually more expensive than the GR/RR. I've had ERs that were better.

Special Humidor I've had a few of and quality is about same as the books as far as I can tell. The RyJ Grand Churchills for example were what I would call about as good as a very good regular Churchills (which can be hard to come by). Although I wouldn't rule out a book or Special Humi having the capacity to be exceptional I would not assume it. 

I would say other than the GR/RR the best cigars Cuba produces can be found in the few lacquered box LCDH/HS releases and the top 10% of ERs. Occasionally an EL will show up to be exceptional like the Cohiba RS, Monte 520, HU Mag 56 or Trini Topes. But there is often years between exceptional ELs. 

[Uwiik]

13 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Reserva & Gran Reserva, yes, those seem to consistently impress. The books not so much. I've had a few and while very good I wouldn't put them up as the best Cuba can do. And they are actually more expensive than the GR/RR. I've had ERs that were better.

Special Humidor I've had a few of and quality is about same as the books as far as I can tell. The RyJ Grand Churchills for example were what I would call about as good as a very good regular Churchills (which can be hard to come by). Although I wouldn't rule out a book or Special Humi having the capacity to be exceptional I would not assume it. 

I would say other than the GR/RR the best cigars Cuba produces can be found in the few lacquered box LCDH/HS releases and the top 10% of ERs. Occasionally an EL will show up to be exceptional like the Cohiba RS, Monte 520, HU Mag 56 or Trini Topes. But there is often years between exceptional ELs. 

Couldn’t thank you enough for the wealth of knowledge. 🙏 Eyeing a box of Sir Winston GR, never had one and so far couldn’t even get the regular one but so far I like the few Upmann I ever tried.  

[SigmundChurchill]

3 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Reserva & Gran Reserva, yes, those seem to consistently impress. The books not so much. I've had a few and while very good I wouldn't put them up as the best Cuba can do. And they are actually more expensive than the GR/RR. I've had ERs that were better.

Special Humidor I've had a few of and quality is about same as the books as far as I can tell. The RyJ Grand Churchills for example were what I would call about as good as a very good regular Churchills (which can be hard to come by). Although I wouldn't rule out a book or Special Humi having the capacity to be exceptional I would not assume it. 

I would say other than the GR/RR the best cigars Cuba produces can be found in the few lacquered box LCDH/HS releases and the top 10% of ERs. Occasionally an EL will show up to be exceptional like the Cohiba RS, Monte 520, HU Mag 56 or Trini Topes. But there is often years between exceptional ELs. 

No offense, but I often find your comments to be bizarre and off the wall, in that they are the polar opposite of the general consensus of experienced cigar smokers.  

I have had cigars from every book, and have owned most of them and I have yet to try one that wasn't exceptional.  From everything I have ever discussed, read or seen, that is the experience of the vast majority of experienced cigar smokers.  In fact, I am pretty sure this is the very first time I have ever read anything negative about them.

[Sandman]

4 hours ago, SigmundChurchill said:

No offense, but I often find your comments to be bizarre and off the wall, in that they are the polar opposite of the general consensus of experienced cigar smokers.  

I have had cigars from every book, and have owned most of them and I have yet to try one that wasn't exceptional.  From everything I have ever discussed, read or seen, that is the experience of the vast majority of experienced cigar smokers.  In fact, I am pretty sure this is the very first time I have ever read anything negative about them.

You are correct. Obviously he’s never tried a Partagas C1, Partagas Sobresaliente, most of the Partagas anniversary humidors, the 125th RyJ humidor, SCDLH O’Reily, etc. I could go on and on.