First Release - 2010 Regional Editions

[tigger]

I should clarify Rob.

I wonder if people are confusing the differences in tobacco over time with a blend change - particularly when we're talking about a cigar that was originally released when Hsa/Cubatobacco were trying out the RE concept, didn't know how it would fly, and might have used tobacco that wasn't "run of the mill" or available in large quantities over time.

[El Presidente]

There are four tobacco varieties cultivated at any one time. The average vairety lasts 7 years before it is retired (although some are dumped much quicker).

This means that you will have tobacco strains at the beinning of their lifecycle, throgh the mid point of thier life cycle and at the end of their life cycle all being grown.

Given all this the toacco strains being utilized in all cigars is constantly under change over a relatively short period of time. Picture a Bell Curve (production) with the belly of the curve utilizing the 2-3 major strains under cultivation. Approx every 2 years a new strain migrates into the belly of the curve and one migrates to the tail.

If we consider this decade I think most of us would have noticed significant changes in flavour 2001-2003, 2004 -2005, 2006-2008.

[Stalebread]

This has always confused me. I keep hearing the blends are different for the UK and French Beli but HSA refutes this completely. They make a RA Beli not a UK RA Beli or a French RA Beli. So I have been told many times.

Interesting note, Rob.

I have to confess that I've not smoked both. Still holding on the singles I have of the French version.

My French cigar-smoking friends who have smoked both say that they are not the same but they are similar.

Another thought is, however, if HSA makes an RA Beli, not a UK or French RA Beli, doesn't that fly in the face of particular Regional Editions blended especially for each region? So the RA Beli is made and shipped to the UK or France or, eventually, to Germany. What makes that Regional Edition special? Is it only the regional band? I know I sound skeptical but after seeing the "not allocated" designation on the 2009 list of Regional Editions I do question the degree to which cigars are really created with a particular region in mind. Maybe it's the brand and size that is requested by the various distributors and not the blend, per se? As long as it's a good cigar, a really good cigar, I guess it doen't matter one way or the other.