An Idea for the Ages

[sounddust]

Chanced upon this picture while reading one of my fave cigar blogs(couldn't attach the image as it was "dynamic")

http://cigarfan.files.wordpress.com/2009/0...w=450&h=338

Ignoring the Cohiba knockoff, it was just a WDITOT(Why Didn't I Think Of That?) moment for me.

[laficion]

Well, It's like they say, If it feels good, do it. I find the idea pretty cool, why not ? This is not

new, In the 1800's, a lot of cigar smokers used to smoke their cigars in that manor.

The blog is very interesting but this time, with the knockoff and the cigar maker, It

really pissed me off so I left my two cents of an opinion on the comment section of the blog.

[sounddust]

Wow Guy, you sure let Mr Ortiz have a piece of your mind! I was aware of this clownish knockoff a while ago from another blog, but just thought that it was just another ridiculous marketing stunt, ala almost everything from Gurkha. However, the fact that this Mr Ortiz is being touted as one of the creators of the most famous marque in history simply boggled the mind. I wasn't too sure about my history, so I decided to mention about the cigar-in-a-pipe instead. I'm curious as to what Mr Ortiz has to say about his Isabella from MIAMI.

Speaking of which, is it true that Don Pepin Garcia was the best roller in Cuba at the time of his leaving for Miami?

[laficion]

I agree, TB, but Garcia proved It.

What did this ORTIZ prove ? only that he's a BSer and still making cheap crapy cigars.

[Rogers72]

I know an old guy who smokes crap cigars (swishers, dutch masters, etc.) and always smokes the cigar down close to the nub and then pulls out his pipe and put it in there to finish it. He always says that he was raised during the Great Depression and was taught not to be wasteful.

[sounddust]

Great revelations all, shows how damn little I know about the history of this glorious hobby of ours.

[tyler4178]

Not to add fuel to the fire, but here is another Cohiba knock-off I recently came across at my local B&M. Sorry for the poor picture quality.

[BonVivant]

A little trivia.

When Che with comrades were attempting revolutions around the world, they would cut the cigars in little pieces, put it in a pipe and smoke it. Tobacco was scarce away from home...

[Huckins]

I cut-up plugged cigars and smoke'm in my pipe. Waste not, want not!

[sounddust]

Not to add fuel to the fire, but here is another Cohiba knock-off I recently came across at my local B&M. Sorry for the poor picture quality.

Ah, the Siglo series, this time from one of the biggest dogs in the industry, Altadis. It's also reviewed on the same blog and surprise, surprise, guess how it fared...

All the money in the world and this is the best marketing strategy it can come up with

[tyler4178]

All the money in the world and this is the best marketing strategy it can come up with

It seems to be Altadis's modus operandi. An Altadis rep gave me the Siglo. In my conversation with him, the impression was there is something more "sinister" and deliberate about their recent lines. Altadis (ala Imperial) are fully aware the embargo will lift one day. Plans have been made. The NC lines will NOT go anywhere, according to the rep, as they make too much money. Altadis does see itself as the sole distributer in the U.S. for CCs. As the rep stated, "we have the money and the distribution channels for the U.S. market, they [Habanos S.A.] do not." He sees a world where only a few select B&Ms will carry CCs with Altadis/Imperial dictating the terms. Or at least, that was my impression. And yes, I know this topic has been beat to death recently in another thread.

[Colt45]

Altadis does see itself as the sole distributer in the U.S. for CCs. As the rep stated, "we have the money and the distribution channels for the U.S. market, they [Habanos S.A.] do not." He sees a world where only a few select B&Ms will carry CCs with Altadis/Imperial dictating the terms. Or at least, that was my impression.

Unless I'm missing something, this does not seem out of line or much different than how things are currently done. HSA currently provides cigars

to regional distributors world wide, who then provide cigars to licensed retailers within their region.

As Imperial has a half stake in Habanos, I could certainly see Altadis USA being the U.S. distributor - why give it to someone else? They might have

smaller regional distributors beneath them, or they may provide cigars directly to licensed retailers in the U.S. I would fully expect the retailers

to be selected and licensed by Habanos / Altadis (read have the $$$ to be "selected").

But until it actually happens, we're all simply speculating.

[Stalebread]

. . . I could certainly see Altadis USA being the U.S. distributor - why give it to someone else? They might have smaller regional distributors beneath them, or they may provide cigars directly to licensed retailers in the U.S. . . .

But until it actually happens, we're all simply speculating.

Is it just a rumor that Lew Rothman of JR Cigar is at the front of the line to distribute Cuban cigars in the US?

[Colt45]

Is it just a rumor that Lew Rothman of JR Cigar is at the front of the line to distribute Cuban cigars in the US?

I recall reading something similar some time ago. I may be mistaken, but I also thought I read that Altadis bought JR, so I guess it might not

be so far fetched that he might be involved in some way.

Once again, conjecture.

[sounddust]

I don't quite get their strategy, from my understanding, of presenting a crappy-ass knockoff to consumers in anticipation of the real good stuff. Or perhaps they just wanted to piss General Cigars off. Whatever it is, any clash of the titans should be a hoot to watch.