Any questions for Habanos s.a?

[El Presidente]

I believe we have a press conference + a few meetings with PCCHK and Habanos s.a

Feel free to post any questions you may have. I will print this post out last minute before I leave and have them addressed as best I can. Will post follow up once I return.

[shortsqueeze]

1. Isn't the Epi 2 supposed to be a peppery flavor profile? Why have most examples post 2002 been more creamy than peppery?

2. What blends have been altered since 2003, which vitolas reverted to their "old" blends, which are on the block to be fixed?

3. Is Habanos SA freezing all cigars prior to export? For domestic sale in Cuba as well?

4. Bring back Punch Monarcas and Partagas Lonsdales?!

5. Why not offer BBF in a 50 cab?

[trumpetchris]

Can you send me free cigars, Habanos S.A.?

Can the Ramon Allones Belicoso regional be made into a full release?

Any plans for other maduro cigars outside of Cohiba?

[mef]

Thanks for opportunity Prez.

Question for Habanos SA

What further steps Habanos SA will be taking to continue improving the quality of the cigars ie. colour, draw, blending, box codes, freezing etc?

Question for PCCHK

Any thoughts about a cigar ambassador for the Asia Pacific region?

mef

[tigger]

Are there plans to return any of the narrower (ie: 42 & 43 ring) gauge cigars that have been discontinued in recent years to regular production?

[Jimmy2]

H. Upmann Super Coronas there is a big demand for them on the market i have seen boxes going for $500.00 !

This was truly a great cigar will they bring it back anytime soon.

Also some regional releases like Edmundo Dantes (thanks tigger) ,PL Robo/Lonnies and RA Beli that i think should be regular production .

Will they ever become regular prodution or any regional release for that matter in the future?

[Sandman]

Is it possible to have a PL corona gorda made? This would be a hot seller.

Please bring back the original Davidoff and Dunhill blends!!!!!! Possibly in a new marca. If not, please explain, they are damn good and will sell like wildfire.

Please make the RyJ Churchill and Cohiba Esplendido smokable young! Why not, these are supposed to be classics, and yet fail to impress in recent years.

[El Presidente]

Keep them coming. Will print out in 27 hrs...:-)

[56Tweed]

» Are there plans to return any of the narrower (ie: 42 & 43 ring) gauge

» cigars that have been discontinued in recent years to regular production?

This is a BIG question for me too. There are some great cigars in that range that were cut.

I would also like to see the PL and RA lines reviewed. The popularity of the regionals should show that there is demand for those marcas.

I'm also interested in 50 and 100 count cabinets/humidors. Like the old school cabinets with 100 PCs or Coronas. :-P

[broozer]

» Are there plans to return any of the narrower (ie: 42 & 43 ring) gauge

» cigars that have been discontinued in recent years to regular production?

AND along those lines: are sales of thinner ring gauged cigars REALLY that much lower than fat ones? i'd like to see more thin ring gauged cigars come out wether that be in regular production or limited release.

bruce

[Mark Twain]

With the re-release of the Bolivar Gold Medals and the Partagas Culbreas, will Habanos consider a “heritage” program? By “heritage,” I mean looking at certain vitolas that have been discontinued in the past, but still gain a high level of interest on the vintage cigar market. These include, but are not limited to:

Ramon Allones 898

Ramon Allones Coronas

Por Larranga Lonsdales

H. Upmann Super Coronas

H. Upmann Coronas

Sancho Panza Doradoes

Partagas Lonsdales

[asmith]

» Feel free to post any questions you may have.

When will Lisa have full control of Czars?

[El Presidente]

» » Feel free to post any questions you may have.

»

» When will Lisa have full control of Czars?

Your kidding me....I just cooked a Paella for lunch.

[broozer]

» » » Feel free to post any questions you may have.

» »

» » When will Lisa have full control of Czars?

»

» Your kidding me....I just cooked a Paella for lunch.

now you're making me hungry!

bruce

[Ken Gargett]

» » Feel free to post any questions you may have.

»

» When will Lisa have full control of Czars?

the question is how long ago did she get it? the only thing that rob controls these days is the massive profits.

[Don Candido]

» Keep them coming. Will print out in 27 hrs...:-)

1) Why are there more problems with consistency with Havana cigars? Why can't the cigar construction quality from Cuba be commensurate to that of other cigar producing nations?

I see great improvement in quality over the past decade, more recently in particularly, and I applaud it. I just wonder, why is it that if I was asked who rolls the best cigars, I would answer Arturo Fuente and if asked who rolls the best tobacco, I would say the Cubans?

2) Are all cigar rollers, cigar smokers? I would assume the answer is no, but I wonder if a non-smoker can ever achieve the craftsmansip level of a smoker? I honestly do not know, but sometimes I wonder.

3) Since quality is the theme of my questions - Would Habanos S.A. consider a premium regular release product? Something like the items found in collectors humidors, but sold on a continuing regular basis, perhaps in regular boxes? It would have to be truly excellent blends and rolls to accomplish what I am thinking about.

There have been many truly amazing vitolas and blends released in collectors items since the millennium – and a few previously. I love them, but it would be nice to also have premium blend/roll of certain cigars available at all times. I envision it as a “Habanos Premium Series” – available in multiple brands - ultimately. A very high-end blend of some of the favorites that have appeared in very limited quantities available to the general public at somewhat premium rates – if need be, but over an extended period of time. Or perhaps releases of new vitolas and blends.

What would I want to see offered I have tried in the past? From Partagas – the Sobrasalientes. From Cohiba the Piramides or Gran Coronas or both. From Hoyo de Monterrey perhaps the Gran Piramide, Montecristo Marvillas or Salomones, Vegas Robaina Maestros, Etc…

I know Habanos S.A. is always thinking of how to best market their smokes and they are doing a great job. However, I see room in their offerings for something like what I am talking about.

4) I also love the cajon-type presentation of 50 to 100 cigars, but would like to see something get released along these lines that is also recurring - not limited in the 150 to 500 release range. If it disappears and comes back from time to time, that is fine, but there is enough stuff out there with limited release. How about bringing back a cajon for the average havana cigar smoker to add to his portfolio once in a while? I thought this is what the Montecristo B was going to be, until I saw there were only 150 being made! This is the perfect vitola for a recurring cajon release. But then again, so is the Montecristo Edumdo El Conde 109 or the El Rey del Mundo Vikingos...

[asmith]

» Your kidding me....I just cooked a Paella for lunch.

I want pictures, I still don't belive that you did it. I had been hanging out for Paella for two years and I left Czars a hungry man.

[Don Candido]

» » Your kidding me....I just cooked a Paella for lunch.

»

» I want pictures, I still don't belive that you did it. I had been hanging

» out for Paella for two years and I left Czars a hungry man.

Hey Rob,

I do not want to tell you how to do your job, but feed the friggin' guy dammit! He sends out the most meticulously packaged smokes I have ever received!

Love,

DC

[Claudius]

Hi Rob

Why dont you ask them about the Ramon Allones campanas that are scheduled for France after being a UK release. I assume it's the same blend, but could you get confirmation? And also, isnt this release a slap in the face to Hunters and Frankau?

And more generally, if ERs become ERs in other markets, how can they be considered ERs? In 20 years time, they will have been available everywhere at some point in time.

And please tell them that there's a huge demand for 50 cabs of RASCC!

[El Presidente]

Great questions.

Smithy...there are leftovers in the Fridge. Have Lisa courier them.

DC....he eats like a horse and I fed and watered him daily until last May when he decided to follow his lifes dream to build the iconic ***

backpacker resort in North Queensland.

"Fudge Packers" is going well I understand.

[jdbrown]

Cabs of RASCC..get that into production ASAP

[Don Candido]

» Great questions.

»

» Smithy...there are leftovers in the Fridge. Have Lisa courier them.

»

» DC....he eats like a horse and I fed and watered him daily until last May

» when he decided to follow his lifes dream to build the iconic ***

» backpacker resort in North Queensland.

» "Fudge Packers" is going well I understand.

Oh I am I confusing the Smittys?

So is that why they call it Queensland?

[tigger]

» Please bring back the original Davidoff and Dunhill blends!!!!!! Possibly

» in a new marca.

I think that would be impossible to pull off, as I don't think any of the strains of tobacco that went into those blends are still being grown.

It does make for a question that ties in with Mark Twain's "Heritage Program" idea though:

Have there been any thoughts about growing - even in limited amounts - older varieties of tobacco in order to recreate "classic" blends?

[Colt45]

» Oh I am I confusing the Smittys?

»

If I may interject -

when Smithy left to start Shangri-La-Di-Da Island, he was replaced by Simon - aka Minismithy.

In truth he was actually replaced by Rob's dog Cohiba, but he was found to be overqualified

for the position, so duties reverted back to Minismithy.

[greenpimp]

I know it's been touched on, but have they thought of making a cigar completely from old Corojo? Something I've dreamt of for awhile.

I've heard that the seeds still exist multiple locations, and even with the loss of more plants to disease, etc, the premium afforded an all Corojo cuban cigar would more than make up for it. Really juice it up, shiny box it, limitada the crap out of it.

That would be a box of cigars I would save up for.