Rollers and Blends Question

[Claudius]

It's often said that the rollers have no idea what they're rolling. I have a hard time understanding how that's possible. People roll cigars for years but have no idea what they'll end up as (marca)? But let's assume that is so for the sake of the argument. How will the people who band them know what they are?

[Mel39]

Hi Claudius;-)

I would think that factory management have to know what the Torcedors or Torcedoras are churning out because they would be providing them with the leaf presumably.

I was given a DVD by the LCDH when I was in Cuba. I was going to post it on You Tube for everyone to see but then had second thoughts as I would be infringing copyright, it was also too long and would have to have been put up in chapters..

There it showed that the banding comes quite late in the process. The sticks are quality controlled,weighed, tested and stored for a further length of time before being graded, banded and boxed.

Mel39

[shrink]

» It's often said that the rollers have no idea what they're rolling. I have

» a hard time understanding how that's possible. People roll cigars for

» years but have no idea what they'll end up as (marca)? But let's assume

» that is so for the sake of the argument. How will the people who band them

» know what they are?

Not to be facetious, but how do the people who smoke them know what they are? The bands? When Rob sends out blind tasting samples, the guesses are all over the map. I'm embarassed to admit it, but he once sent me an aged Punch Churchill that I would have sworn was an Upmann Monarch. I would have bet on it.

I can't believe that the rollers aren't told what marca they're rolling. Why wouldn't they? Something about this doesn't make sense.

[Claudius]

» Hi Claudius;-)

» I would think that factory management have to know what the Torcedors or

» Torcedoras are churning out because they would be providing them with the

» leaf presumably.

»

» I was given a DVD by the LCDH when I was in Cuba. I was going to post it

» on You Tube for everyone to see but then had second thoughts as I would be

» infringing copyright, it was also too long and would have to have been put

» up in chapters..

»

» There it showed that the banding comes quite late in the process. The

» sticks are quality controlled,weighed, tested and stored for a further

» length of time before being graded, banded and boxed.

»

»

» Mel39

Hi Mel

Cool, why dont you share it on mininova.org, then? File size wouldnt be a problem. Copyright... probably, but come on, we smoke so much we've paid for all the copyright in the world for this thing :-D

[Claudius]

» Not to be facetious, but how do the people who smoke them know what they

» are? The bands? When Rob sends out blind tasting samples, the guesses are

» all over the map. I'm embarassed to admit it, but he once sent me an aged

» Punch Churchill that I would have sworn was an Upmann Monarch. I would

» have bet on it.

That's another debate, really, but I know what you mean. At the risk of sounding (yet again) like the ******* I probably am, let me put it this way: most people cannot taste the difference between a Bordeaux and a Côtes du Rhône, and yet they are very different. It doesn't matter what most people can taste; what matters is what can be tasted if one has the ability.

» I can't believe that the rollers aren't told what marca they're rolling.

» Why wouldn't they? Something about this doesn't make sense.

That's exactly what I thought. Why wouldn't they? What does it matter? And most importantly, how the hell do they tell the cigars apart when it comes to banding and boxing them? Or are we all being fooled by the bands when in fact all the cigars are the same for a given vitola de galera!? :-|

Well, I have found out since I posted the initial question, so here you go:

the blend is determined by a master ligador (master blender) who allocates the relative amounts of volado, ligero, seco for approx. 50 cigars to each torcedor. Once the cigars are rolled, the floor manager applies a band with a code on it to the cigars to make a bundle and puts the bundle into the escaparate. The cigars with identical codes on the bands are then sorted by color, banded, boxed. :-)

[Mel39]

» Hi Mel

»

» Cool, why dont you share it on mininova.org, then? File size wouldnt be a

» problem. Copyright... probably, but come on, we smoke so much we've paid

» for all the copyright in the world for this thing :-D

I didn't know about Mininova.

I'll check it out and have a play when I have time.

Off out now to have a panini and coffee at Starbucks al fresco as that is the only way I can enjoy a smoke in the UK now. Don't know what I'll do when winter really strikes.

Problem with posting the link here is that it could be Rob that gets into trouble re copyright. Once sorted, I'll run it past Rob first.

Thanks Claudi.

Mel39

[Claudius]

You don't have to post a link, mininova is searchable. We'd just have to know what it's called. I hope you'll get heated outside areas for the winter!

[Mel39]

» You don't have to post a link, mininova is searchable. We'd just have to

» know what it's called. I hope you'll get heated outside areas for the

» winter!

Done Claudius,

Search for Habanos. There are two, don't know if they're the same.

Check the Enthusiasts Guide.

Let me know how you get on and what you think.

Mel39

[Claudius]

» » You don't have to post a link, mininova is searchable. We'd just have

» to

» » know what it's called. I hope you'll get heated outside areas for the

» » winter!

»

» Done Claudius,

» Search for Habanos. There are two, don't know if they're the same.

» Check the Enthusiasts Guide.

»

» Let me know how you get on and what you think.

»

» Mel39

Hey Mel, nice one! I see 2 results, but only 1 file with an upload date of Nov 4, so that's yours :-) Make sure you keep seeding it, as right now, it is not downloading anything. On the other hand, you may not be finished uploading it?

[smokum]

We see the numbered canvas / cloth bundles in nearly every article on cuban cigar production.

[Mel39]

»

» Hey Mel, nice one! I see 2 results, but only 1 file with an upload date

» of Nov 4, so that's yours :-) Make sure you keep seeding it, as right

» now, it is not downloading anything. On the other hand, you may not be

» finished uploading it?

My fault Claudius,

although I have downloaded a few BTs, I'd never actually made one and therefore never seeded my own .

Should be OK now.

Also now on piratebay org under it's correct title:

An enthusiast's guide.........

[Claudius]

Hi Mel, the link on the bay seems better, I am connected to 4 peers in 3 countries (USA, NL and SWE), but no seeds, ie. the guy who has the file is not sharing it. Does it show as a seed in your microtorrent or whatever you use?

[GP012]

I just loaded the torrent from Pirate bay, but I can't DL anything as there's no seed.

Mel, if you want, I can give you my FTP information and you can upload it to my server. That way we could get a few guys to DL it quickly and seed so anyone else could get it.

[Claudius]

» I just loaded the torrent from Pirate bay, but I can't DL anything as

» there's no seed.

»

» Mel, if you want, I can give you my FTP information and you can upload it

» to my server. That way we could get a few guys to DL it quickly and seed

» so anyone else could get it.

Yep, no seeds. Fantastic idea G!

[Colt45]

I'm not a big fan of openly discussing piracy on the forum of a friend........

[El Presidente]

» I'm not a big fan of openly discussing piracy on the forum of a

» friend........

I appreciate the sentiment Colt.

Unless I am mistaken, the DVD is an information video produced by Habanos s.a.

If that is what it is then I do not see a problem unless it is a commercial venture. If the DVD has a retail sale price then we should not discuss in public its piracy (particularly in the case where the likely offended party owns a large % of my sole supplier ;-) )

[El Presidente]

PS

My experience is that at any given time of the day, when approached, rollers are rolling Cohiba's or Limited Edition Cigars....which they are prepared to sell you (under the table) at a great price ;-)

[JMH]

» PS

»

» My experience is that at any given time of the day, when approached,

» rollers are rolling Cohiba's or Limited Edition Cigars....which they are

» prepared to sell you (under the table) at a great price ;-)

So that's how you always have such great specials running ;-)

[Mel39]

»

» Unless I am mistaken, the DVD is an information video produced by Habanos

» s.a.

»

» If that is what it is then I do not see a problem unless it is a

» commercial venture. If the DVD has a retail sale price then we should not

» discuss in public its piracy (particularly in the case where the likely

» offended party owns a large % of my sole supplier ;-) )

Hi Rob and welcome home.

I've stopped posting on this thread (apart from this of course:-) )

yes, it is a genuine Habanos SA CD Rom

In fact it is headed "Interactive Training CD-Rom" over the main title which is "An Enthusiast's Guide to Habanos"

It was gifted to me and there is no price on it and of course I would not charge for sharing any content.

I am surprised that you do not have a copy. Perhaps it is only given to LCDH staff.

If I remember, I will willingly gift it to you via Lisa, when we meet.

Regards and apologies for any unintentional upset I may have caused.

Mel39

[Claudius]

I've seen it here: http://www.mininova.org/tor/977954

[El Presidente]

» Regards and apologies for any unintentional upset I may have caused.

»

I suspected it was a training video Mel and hence no problem posting it. No apologies needed.

When in Havana, the Habanos s.a boys are more interested in watching "Team America" which I bought them. We put it on at the Melia Cohiba Divan and they think it is hilarious