Cuba Production Numbers.

[El Presidente]

Habanos s.a will hold steady production at approximately 150 million cigars annualy until it has construction and blend consistency under control.

Now that construction issues have largely been improved, they will be finetuned. The new frontier is blend consistency which poses a significant challenge.

Only 33% of the 10 Million Cohiba's produced annually are made at El Laguito. Blend consistency within and between factories is paramount and this is the focus of the next few years.

[cvm4]

Good to hear they're focusing more on what makes or breaks a cigar, consistency and taste!

[anacostiakat]

» Habanos s.a will hold steady production at approximately 150 million cigars

» annualy until it has construction and blend consistency under control.

»

» Now that construction issues have largely been improved, they will be

» finetuned. The new frontier is blend consistency which poses a significant

» challenge.

»

» Only 33% of the 10 Million Cohiba's produced annually are made at El

» Laguito. Blend consistency within and between factories is paramount and

» this is the focus of the next few years.

Yes this is a welcome focus.

[Colt45]

» The new frontier is blend consistency which poses a significant

» challenge.

»

» Only 33% of the 10 Million Cohiba's produced annually are made at El

» Laguito. Blend consistency within and between factories is paramount and

» this is the focus of the next few years.

This is something I don't quite understand. If the blends are determined beforehand,

and the proper ratios of tobacco, from the same farms, are meted out to the rollers,

how is there a lack of blend consistency? (taking out of cosideration roll inconsistency)

Is it because the correct tobacco does not always get to the tables, or rolled into the

cigars? Tobacco coming from different farms?

Questions, questions, questions.......

[12stones]

» » The new frontier is blend consistency which poses a significant

» » challenge.

» »

» » Only 33% of the 10 Million Cohiba's produced annually are made at El

» » Laguito. Blend consistency within and between factories is paramount

» and

» » this is the focus of the next few years.

»

» This is something I don't quite understand. If the blends are determined

» beforehand,

» and the proper ratios of tobacco, from the same farms, are meted out to

» the rollers,

» how is there a lack of blend consistency? (taking out of cosideration roll

» inconsistency)

» Is it because the correct tobacco does not always get to the tables, or

» rolled into the

» cigars? Tobacco coming from different farms?

» Questions, questions, questions.......

Now, this is just speculation but IMO the situations you described are possible but I don't think you can dismiss roll consistency. Being a very manual process, this is one of the biggest inputs to the process and could be one of the largest factors to inconsistency.

[Colt45]

» I don't think you can dismiss roll consistency.

Regarding overall consistency of quality, you are of course correct. My question is

more directed at the consistency of the actual blend of tobaccos used.

[El Presidente]

» how is there a lack of blend consistency? (taking out of cosideration roll

» inconsistency)

» Is it because the correct tobacco does not always get to the tables,

Simple error is one reason Colt.

Another is leaf substitution which does occur. Lets say a factory is making Partagas Serie D No 4's in on out of Havana location. They are scheduled to produce 30,000 sticks of D4. They get to 26,950 but run out of Ligero from San Luis. They have ligero from San Juan so substitute. The mentality of meeting targets at all costs still lingers in some areas.

The above scenario is Habanos s.a's worst nightmare.

[Smokin_Safari]

''The mentality of meeting targets at all costs still lingers in some areas.''

hahahahahahahahahaha!!

Prez, you've been here & understand the lack of systems. I was at the Holguin facility yesterday for a PCC Party function - they really wanted to show off, but don't like questions.

[Deano]

I haven't experienced too much of a problem with blend consistency.

To me , marquee similarity is more of a concern. That is the taste differences between, say a Bolivar and a Partagas are getting smaller and smaller.

Or maybe my taste buds just need a break...;-)