2009 Limited Editions

[chrisguinther]

How about an H. Upmann or RyJ Lancero???? Give me a reason to buy EL's, HSA.

[PigFish]

I think that we would have very little to argue over if the uniqueness was one of extraordinary quality and taste. I am honest about cigars if nothing else even though I have a sensitive value threshold. My value threshold will not cause me to lie about an extraordinary cigar. I would love to own a 911 Turbo. A nice cabin class twin engine turboprop airplane would also be a nice addition to my material possessions. I can't afford either of them. As a result I don't deride the owners or the machines on the basis on their ability to posses what I cannot or perform where my machine cannot. Nor do I pose with something lesser rationalizing it. I like to buy the best that I can afford but sometimes I am forced to be content with being envious. There is always a faster gun!

I deride junk!!! I am hypersensitive to overpriced junk. My dissatisfaction with EL's is many fold and price is only part of it. They should be the best cigars made from the best materials. They should be the best tasting and the best finished. They should be collectable and a good investment. You can expect them to be expensive. What irks me about them is that the price is a reality, the other aspects are often a fantasy. I am truly disappointed by their performance. I don't expect to bracket race a Smart Car. I also don't expect to find a poor finish on a Ferrari. There are real expectations of products and some of those expectations are as simple as tradition and others are as obvious as price.

Someone above brought up speculation and perhaps I am now taking that out of context. But with tradition, marketing and price all on one side of the coin, value, performance and satisfaction needs to be on the other. The EL coin is double sided having been struck with marketing and price on both sides. There is no other side, not to any reliable extent anyway.

I have never been one you use or like the use of a double headed coin; I just don't like to be cheated.

[Ken Gargett]

I think that we would have very little to argue over if the uniqueness was one of extraordinary quality and taste. I am honest about cigars if nothing else even though I have a sensitive value threshold. My value threshold will not cause me to lie about an extraordinary cigar. I would love to own a 911 Turbo. A nice cabin class twin engine turboprop airplane would also be a nice addition to my material possessions. I can't afford either of them. As a result I don't deride the owners or the machines on the basis on their ability to posses what I cannot or perform where my machine cannot. Nor do I pose with something lesser rationalizing it. I like to buy the best that I can afford but sometimes I am forced to be content with being envious. There is always a faster gun!

I deride junk!!! I am hypersensitive to overpriced junk. My dissatisfaction with EL's is many fold and price is only part of it. They should be the best cigars made from the best materials. They should be the best tasting and the best finished. They should be collectable and a good investment. You can expect them to be expensive. What irks me about them is that the price is a reality, the other aspects are often a fantasy. I am truly disappointed by their performance. I don't expect to bracket race a Smart Car. I also don't expect to find a poor finish on a Ferrari. There are real expectations of products and some of those expectations are as simple as tradition and others are as obvious as price.

Someone above brought up speculation and perhaps I am now taking that out of context. But with tradition, marketing and price all on one side of the coin, value, performance and satisfaction needs to be on the other. The EL coin is double sided having been struck with marketing and price on both sides. There is no other side, not to any reliable extent anyway.

I have never been one you use or like the use of a double headed coin; I just don't like to be cheated.

i think that is getting pretty close to the real argument. that said, with 3-4 different cigars under the program each year, one must reasonably expect a degree of variation. however, it should be degrees of excellence. to even contemplate discussing an EL as a poor cigar, as some have been, is a blight on the entire program. it should never happen.

i guess that they have now released between 30 and 40 different cigars under the EL program. i would argue that ten to twelve of them should be all time classics, 20 ish very very good, and the last few could perhaps escape with just good. in reality, i think we have perhaps three or four classics, a similar amount as very very good, most of the rest acceptable (as quality goes, without taking into account what they should be) and a few that fall well short.

[neal875]

i think that is getting pretty close to the real argument. that said, with 3-4 different cigars under the program each year, one must reasonably expect a degree of variation. however, it should be degrees of excellence. to even contemplate discussing an EL as a poor cigar, as some have been, is a blight on the entire program. it should never happen.

i guess that they have now released between 30 and 40 different cigars under the EL program. i would argue that ten to twelve of them should be all time classics, 20 ish very very good, and the last few could perhaps escape with just good. in reality, i think we have perhaps three or four classics, a similar amount as very very good, most of the rest acceptable (as quality goes, without taking into account what they should be) and a few that fall well short.

Ken: What are the 3 or 4 classics from the program?

[Ken Gargett]

Ken: What are the 3 or 4 classics from the program?

i think the cohiba DC from 03 seems universally accepted as a great cigar. probably gets a little personal aft6er that but rob named most of them earlier. the 2000 partagas pyramides and the hoyo pyramides (03 from top of head). the cohiba sublimes - 04 i think. i've loved the monte sublimes from last year but they seem to have too much variation - not that i have encountered it - to count. cohiba pyramides from 06 right up there.

[neal875]

i think the cohiba DC from 03 seems universally accepted as a great cigar. probably gets a little personal aft6er that but rob named most of them earlier. the 2000 partagas pyramides and the hoyo pyramides (03 from top of head). the cohiba sublimes - 04 i think. i've loved the monte sublimes from last year but they seem to have too much variation - not that i have encountered it - to count. cohiba pyramides from 06 right up there.

Never got a chance to try the Cohiba DC but the others you mention are very good indeed. I would also add the H. Upmann Magnum 50 and the Partagas Series D No. 2 to the roster.