Monte 4 Reservas

[Mel39]

Popped into the JJ Fox concession in Selfridges, the large London Department Store to pick up another couple of Magnificos for mates and the salesman brought my attention to the new in today, Monte 4 Reservas.

Bloody hell, they are asking £580 for the box of 20's almost 1200 USD and all because they are aged for 3 years?

Also had my question answered on the sale of singles of the Magnificos. They are actually selling the singles from the numbered 25's boxes. So yes, they will run out and fairly quickly too, I guess. These are being sold at £20 a stick singly.

Mel39

[Ginseng]

» Popped into the JJ Fox concession in Selfridges, the large London

» Department Store to pick up another couple of Magnificos for mates and the

» salesman brought my attention to the new in today, Monte 4 Reservas.

» Bloody hell, they are asking £580 for the box of 20's almost 1200 USD and

» all because they are aged for 3 years?

»

» Also had my question answered on the sale of singles of the Magnificos.

» They are actually selling the singles from the numbered 25's boxes. So

» yes, they will run out and fairly quickly too, I guess. These are being

» sold at £20 a stick singly.

»

» Mel39

Good god! $60 a stick for the M4R? I'm speechless. For that price, I'd rather go for the Trinidad Torre Iznaga or the big fat Upmanns in the new book. Wow. I don't know what to say.

Interesting about breaking up the 25-counts on the Magnificos. Are they finding that the 25's are sitting on the shelves while the 10's are moving?

Wilkey

Edited because I need to read more carefully. :-P

[brian1]

I am surprised that there actually is a thriving retail cigar business in the U.K. when you can buy the exact same product elswehere for half the price and have it delievered to your door.

[Colt45]

» Popped into the JJ Fox concession in Selfridges, the large London

» Department Store to pick up another couple of Magnificos for mates and the

» salesman brought my attention to the new in today, Monte 4 Reservas.

» Bloody hell, they are asking £580 for the box of 20's almost 1200 USD and

» all because they are aged for 3 years?

»

And my understanding is that the tobacco is aged three years - not the rolled cigars. If it were / is in fact

the rolled cigars being held for three years, I might see it, but not if it's simply aged tobacco, even though

it's supposed to be the best of the best.

Another thing I try to keep in mind, but usually don't follow, is the quality of the harvest for that year.

So the tobacco for these would presumably be from '04? How was that year? Bottom line for me is

that I see this as another marketing gimmick, though I guess people are voting with their wallets.

[jdbrown]

Although not a huge Monte 4 fan my 06 box is I pretty decent. My guess is that I can sit on my box for 4 years and have the same for less!

[brian1]

Agreed,

I tried one when I was in geneva recently and its a nice monte #4 but thats it. Nothing special.

» » Popped into the JJ Fox concession in Selfridges, the large London

» » Department Store to pick up another couple of Magnificos for mates and

» the

» » salesman brought my attention to the new in today, Monte 4 Reservas.

» » Bloody hell, they are asking £580 for the box of 20's almost 1200 USD

» and

» » all because they are aged for 3 years?

» »

» And my understanding is that the tobacco is aged three years - not the

» rolled cigars. If it were / is in fact

» the rolled cigars being held for three years, I might see it, but not if

» it's simply aged tobacco, even though

» it's supposed to be the best of the best.

» Another thing I try to keep in mind, but usually don't follow, is the

» quality of the harvest for that year.

» So the tobacco for these would presumably be from '04? How was that year?

» Bottom line for me is

» that I see this as another marketing gimmick, though I guess people are

» voting with their wallets.

[Colt45]

» Although not a huge Monte 4 fan my 06 box is I pretty decent. My guess is

» that I can sit on my box for 4 years and have the same for less!

I enjoy the No.4, and I have an '06 box as well - they are good and getting better. My guess would be

that the reserva tobacco probably is "better", but at such a premium?

» Agreed,

»

» I tried one when I was in geneva recently and its a nice monte #4 but

» thats it. Nothing special.

Right. So where's the value? At the risk of sounding redundant, to me it's a shiny box and a fancy band.

But I have no problem with people buying them and enjoying them.

[Mike33]

Probably for the investment is why people are buying them. The Partagas D4 Reserva are now going for over $1200 and selling pretty rapidly when they do go on sale. Personally, I don't see any value in them at all, but thats neither here nor there.

I would not buy a box of either the Monte #4 or Partagas D4 Reservas even if had the money. I'd rather spend the money on tracking down some 9-10 year old boxes of the same rather than buy fancy packaging.

[Ginseng]

» Right. So where's the value? At the risk of sounding redundant, to me it's a shiny box

» and a fancy band. But I have no problem with people buying them and enjoying them.

I suppose the value comes in two related dimensions.

1. Exclusivity (read "snob appeal")

2. Resale value on the secondary market

I can't fathom a new (limited) production cigar in a simple (but pretty box) being worth $60 in "smoke-quality" value. Especially if it's compared to the $6 M4 upon which it is based. 10X increase in value? I don't see it. Not for smoking at least. But then, is the M4 the correct basis for comparison?

Wilkey

[n2advnture]

» » Right. So where's the value? At the risk of sounding redundant, to me

» it's a shiny box

» » and a fancy band. But I have no problem with people buying them and

» enjoying them.

»

» I suppose the value comes in two related dimensions.

»

» 1. Exclusivity (read "snob appeal")

»

» 2. Resale value on the secondary market

»

» I can't fathom a new (limited) production cigar in a simple (but pretty

» box) being worth $60 in "smoke-quality" value. Especially if it's compared

» to the $6 M4 upon which it is based. 10X increase in value? I don't see it.

» Not for smoking at least. But then, is the M4 the correct basis for

» comparison?

»

» Wilkey

Completely agree Wilkey. I think that H S.A. is completely out of their mind with the pricing on this one.

More than the PSD4 reserva which was crazy expensive itself but in the recent years of REs not out of line.

The Monte 4 Res is completely insane IMHO and I bet they will probably be sitting on the shelves next to the Cohiba Selecion Reservas :-D

~M

[n2advnture]

double post

[Claudius]

» » Right. So where's the value? At the risk of sounding redundant, to me

» it's a shiny box

» » and a fancy band. But I have no problem with people buying them and

» enjoying them.

»

» I suppose the value comes in two related dimensions.

»

» 1. Exclusivity (read "snob appeal")

Agreed.

» 2. Resale value on the secondary market

Not sure people will actually want these, except for people who collect everything.

» I can't fathom a new (limited) production cigar in a simple (but pretty

» box) being worth $60 in "smoke-quality" value. Especially if it's compared

» to the $6 M4 upon which it is based. 10X increase in value? I don't see it.

» Not for smoking at least. But then, is the M4 the correct basis for

» comparison?

Sure the M4 is the correct basis for comparison, after all they are M4s, just "Reserva". However, you cant compare internet pricing for the M4 to UK retail and call it 10 times more expensive, it's 3 times more expensive if you take both prices from Czar, for example.

The leaves are aged 5 years, not 3, I believe.

[Colt45]

» I would not buy a box of either the Monte #4 or Partagas D4 Reservas even

» if had the money.

I'm with you here. If I were a gazillionaire, I'd have to pass on these - it just doesn't make sense to me.

» I suppose the value comes in two related dimensions.

»

» 1. Exclusivity (read "snob appeal")

»

» 2. Resale value on the secondary market

Secretly, I wish people wouldn't buy for these reasons, as it can have an effect on peons like myself.

But I've come to realize, and finally accept, that it's not all about me...

»

» But then, is the M4 the correct basis for comparison?

In that they've chosen this cigar, I guess we have to - I don't think we could compare it to the Cohiba Piramide?

» Completely agree Wilkey. I think that H S.A. is completely out of their

» mind with the pricing on this one.

I guess we do have to keep in mind the dollar valuation, but still.....

[Colt45]

» The leaves are aged 5 years, not 3, I believe.

According to the HSA website it is three years:

The Reserva de Montecristo, pays tribute to Montecristo No. 4, the flagship factory size of the brand, and to its smokers, and was officially presented during the closing ceremony of the Festival. Manufactured with tobacco leaves specially selected and carefully aged during three years continues keeping the outstanding feature of being particularly distinctive among others.

[greenpimp]

I think it's all from the 2002 harvest.

Insane prices. And yet people will buy them.

There are a lot of millionaires in the world.

[shrink]

» There are a lot of millionaires in the world.

Not quite enough. We could use a couple more, eh Matt?

[brian1]

» » »

» The Monte 4 Res is completely insane IMHO and I bet they will probably be

» sitting on the shelves next to the Cohiba Selecion Reservas :-D

»

» ~M

Yes, I agree I think Habanos SA messed the pricing and timing of these badly by pushing them out at year end after ALL the ELs and ALL the RE's who do they think is going to buying these at that price.

Look at it this way you could have 2 boxes of the 2006 CoMids for less.

[greenpimp]

» » There are a lot of millionaires in the world.

»

» Not quite enough. We could use a couple more, eh Matt?

Funny you should say that. Am currently working on "pet rock for China" project. Guaranteed millions in the works. So many people in the world, even a bad idea'll make you rich. And then we can buy all the super duper reserva especial du mondes we want! Muhaha!

[jdbrown]

Poor Monte 4 Res is taking a beating!

[Mel39]

»» And my understanding is that the tobacco is aged three years -

Yep sorry about that, you are of course quite right.

[Mel39]

» Interesting about breaking up the 25-counts on the Magnificos. Are they

» finding that the 25's are sitting on the shelves while the 10's are

» moving?

»

» Wilkey

I wouldn't have thought so. They seem to have been selling singles from the off, which of course was only a few weeks ago. They did say that they had opened another box since yesterday. This is a department store for big spenders Wilkey, with designer concessions of all the big names, such as Gucci, Louis Vuiton etc., Just on my two flying visits I saw expensive humis being sold, so the punters are big spenders and a £500 box of cigars shouldn't be on their shelves for long.

I turned down the top 3 boxes of tens, I looked at. It was only minor things like a split cedar leaf and in one box, 1 stick had a white mark. The saleswoman explained that was from the white linen cloth they wrap the tobacco in. I don't think so.

In my opinion they won't be around for long with such a limited number supposedly being made.

[Ginseng]

» I wouldn't have thought so. They seem to have been selling singles from

» the off, which of course was only a few weeks ago. They did say that they

» had opened another box since yesterday. This is a department store for big

» spenders Wilkey, with designer concessions of all the big names, such as

» Gucci, Louis Vuiton etc., Just on my two flying visits I saw expensive

» humis being sold, so the punters are big spenders and a £500 box of cigars

» shouldn't be on their shelves for long.

» I turned down the top 3 boxes of tens, I looked at. It was only minor

» things like a split cedar leaf and in one box, 1 stick had a white mark.

» The saleswoman explained that was from the white linen cloth they wrap the

» tobacco in. I don't think so.

»

» In my opinion they won't be around for long with such a limited number

» supposedly being made.

Thanks for the perspective on things over there, Mel. Cheers!

Wilkey

[brian1]

» », 1 stick had a white mark.

» The saleswoman explained that was from the white linen cloth they wrap the tobacco in. I don't think so»

What.... thats the best one I have heard in a while.

[El Presidente]

» Right. So where's the value? At the risk of sounding redundant, to me it's

» a shiny box and a fancy band.

Well...right now you can buy one here and re-sell it in the UK for a 100% profit

[Colt45]

» » Right. So where's the value? At the risk of sounding redundant, to me

» it's

» » a shiny box and a fancy band.

»

»

» Well...right now you can buy one here and re-sell it in the UK for a 100%

» profit

And that's why you have a "job" smoking cigars on the deck, and I have a job staring at a computer

eight hours a day