My B&M now carries Liga Privada, now what?

[TheKidCigar]

Yes, I agree with the second part.

But I fail to see any connection between [assumed] higher crop yields and the company leaders.

Maybe it's my inner conspiracy theorist speaking here, but I'm just under the impression that production isn't necessarily the problem.

I can see how it would be in some people's best interest to keep LP as exclusive and elusive as possible. Whereas it's JDs attitude to put as many great cigars in the hands of as many people as possible. I'm just saying there's nothing holding JD and the rest of the DE crew back from doing just that now. Putting Liga in more retailers hands.

This is also ONLY the speculation of one dude on the Internet.

And yeah, Sean, that's basically what I'm getting at hahaha

 

[KoreanCowboy]

You guys got it all wrong... The only reason they can open new accounts us because Saka isn't there anymore to smoke up all the broadleaf. (I heard he could smoke, like, fifty double coronas in an afternoon).

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Haha! Saka is a smoking machine!

We have a DE ambassador, who shall remain nameless, in our local cigar club and he is well versed in all the workings of DE. His take on it is pretty simple. The T52 wrapper takes 2 1/2 years to ferment. What happens if the next crop isn't as big or as good or something happens during fermentation or during storage, etc. The T52 wrapper is also used on other Liga sticks which also are effected by these issues and thus also eats up the supply. Also, they only have so many qualified rollers and buncheros for the Liga line and can only make so many a day, so there's another limitation. As for the new accounts, they have a very strict loyalty policy with their retailers and if a Liga shop that's been with them since the beginning has an issue with someone else it can affect who gets a Liga account. DE knows they could have 1,000's of Liga accounts, but they honestly can't and don't want to keep up with that demand.

 

[KoreanCowboy]

Yes, I agree with the second part.

But I fail to see any connection between [assumed] higher crop yields and the company leaders.

Maybe it's my inner conspiracy theorist speaking here, but I'm just under the impression that production isn't necessarily the problem.

I can see how it would be in some people's best interest to keep LP as exclusive and elusive as possible. Whereas it's JDs attitude to put as many great cigars in the hands of as many people as possible. I'm just saying there's nothing holding JD and the rest of the DE crew back from doing just that now. Putting Liga in more retailers hands.

This is also ONLY the speculation of one dude on the Internet.

And yeah, Sean, that's basically what I'm getting at hahaha

Actually J Dizz doesn't want to flood the market. This is something I had the pleasure of discussing with him last month at an after event party. He wants to provide the very best cigars not the highest quantity of OK cigars.

 

[TheKidCigar]

Yes, I agree with the second part.

But I fail to see any connection between [assumed] higher crop yields and the company leaders.

Maybe it's my inner conspiracy theorist speaking here, but I'm just under the impression that production isn't necessarily the problem.

I can see how it would be in some people's best interest to keep LP as exclusive and elusive as possible. Whereas it's JDs attitude to put as many great cigars in the hands of as many people as possible. I'm just saying there's nothing holding JD and the rest of the DE crew back from doing just that now. Putting Liga in more retailers hands.

This is also ONLY the speculation of one dude on the Internet.

And yeah, Sean, that's basically what I'm getting at hahaha

Actually J Dizz doesn't want to flood the market. This is something I had the pleasure of discussing with him last month at an after event party. He wants to provide the very best cigars not the highest quantity of OK cigars.

Well there's still that gray area between flooding the market and keeping them almost unobtainable. I'm not trying to come in here pointing fingers at one dude saying, "oh, Saka left, now it'll be easier to get LP." But in reality it's sort of come down to just that.

 

[mdwest]

I dont KNOW anything.... but I dont THINK your theory holds a whole lot of water..

Steve was only the CEO for a year.. (promotion announced last year in August at IPCPR).. LP was hard to obtain prior to his promotion.. and stayed hard to obtain while he was the the HMFIC chair... the rest of the leadership team at DE has remained largely the same during the CEO transitions...

I also recall a thread here with pics of a new, larger, improved, etc.. factory being built by DE in Nica being posted earlier this year that a bunch of guys visited while on the Cigar Safari (I think thats right?).. with the stated intention for building it being the increase of production capability.. Steve would have been involved in that project from its inception.. and I am guessing he was a large supporter of it since its build happened on his watch...

 

[Fallinher0]

I'm sure with how big DE is they could very well catch up with demand, but why would they... manipulating the market extends the products life cycle.

 

[JDog]

You guys got it all wrong... The only reason they can open new accounts us because Saka isn't there anymore to smoke up all the broadleaf. (I heard he could smoke, like, fifty double coronas in an afternoon).

LOL... good point.

If I was Drew Estate and I was truly in the business to only make money, I would just sell the acid line. Kuba Kuba annual production alone = LFD + Illusione + Tatuaje annual production figures. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's a point that I've heard from others in the industry. It seems like the time spent by Drew Estate's management team on Liga Privada's supply/account issues may be disproportionate when you consider how large their other businesses are. It's interesting when you think about it: Stores want Liga Privada so bad... "give me an account! " But these same stores, overall, probably sell a lot more acid product.

If there was any more room in the infused cigar market, I would be spending my time making the next Kuba, Kuba. But if the infused market is saturated, maybe focusing on the super premium market makes sense. If Drew Estate's want to have a significant share of that market, they'll solve their tobacco supply chain issues quickly. I still think they're pricing themselves out with certain smokes, but I'm not an expert... I think I want to light-up a cigar now.

 

[TheKidCigar]

I dont KNOW anything.... but I dont THINK your theory holds a whole lot of water..

Steve was only the CEO for a year.. (promotion announced last year in August at IPCPR).. LP was hard to obtain prior to his promotion.. and stayed hard to obtain while he was the the HMFIC chair... the rest of the leadership team at DE has remained largely the same during the CEO transitions...

I also recall a thread here with pics of a new, larger, improved, etc.. factory being built by DE in Nica being posted earlier this year that a bunch of guys visited while on the Cigar Safari (I think thats right?).. with the stated intention for building it being the increase of production capability.. Steve would have been involved in that project from its inception.. and I am guessing he was a large supporter of it since its build happened on his watch...

I'm simply looking at 2 facts.
The day after Saka was said to have left a number of Liga accounts in New England alone were opened. And the fact that these new accounts wouldn't have happened if they didn't have the product to back it and not hurt their existing customers. Everyone is free to draw their own conclusions, the truth is that we won't ever know.

All in all I'm glad to see they're making moves to make LP more available for us, the consumer. Great cigars, I recommend them to anyone looking for a quality full bodied smoke with quality leaf

 

[mdwest]

not disagreeing with your facts... just pointing out potential flaws in the theory..

for example.. the 24 hours that separate Steve's departure announcement and multiple new LP accounts being opened in NE doesnt provide nearly enough time for DE to be able to meet the new demand requirements unless actions were taken well in advance of the decision being made for Steve to leave... where did the extra inventory come from? how much extra inventory are we talking about? how long did it take to plan for and then produce that extra inventory to supply those new accounts?

also.. its no coincidence that all of this is taking place within weeks of IPCPR... July and August are huge months in the industry.. when major announcements are made... changes take place.. new accounts are opened.. new lines are revealed.. etc..

Again... I have ZERO inside information.... just speculating (like you)...

[video=youtube_share;ie5-LrulBGk]http://youtu.be/ie5-LrulBGk[/video]

:grin:

 

[strife]

I hear there's a a little grassy knoll in Nicaragua where JD and Steve used to meet to hammer out their sales strategies called la área cincuenta y uno.

 

[TheKidCigar]

not disagreeing with your facts... just pointing out potential flaws in the theory..

for example.. the 24 hours that separate Steve's departure announcement and multiple new LP accounts being opened in NE doesnt provide nearly enough time for DE to be able to meet the new demand requirements unless actions were taken well in advance of the decision being made for Steve to leave... where did the extra inventory come from? how much extra inventory are we talking about? how long did it take to plan for and then produce that extra inventory to supply those new accounts?

also.. its no coincidence that all of this is taking place within weeks of IPCPR... July and August are huge months in the industry.. when major announcements are made... changes take place.. new accounts are opened.. new lines are revealed.. etc..

Again... I have ZERO inside information.... just speculating (like you)...

[video=youtube_share;ie5-LrulBGk]http://youtu.be/ie5-LrulBGk[/video]

:grin:

Hahahaha yeeesss that's hilarious!

I dunno, I'm a cynical jerk who thinks he was manipulating the market and stockpiling LP to keep it mysterious. The product was always there, IMO. Now we're just gonna be able to smoke it

 

[YodisMatt]

I am by no means an expert on cigars and the manufacturing of them but why would they stock pile and sit on their leaf and already rolled cigars?

When they blend them don't they get them to where they want them to be so that if a shop gets them they can be smoked ROTT and enjoyed and not need to be aged. Meaning if they stock pile their supplies they will then be aging everything even more and as we know that can change a cigars profile meaning what they produce isn't the same as what the lines was originally?

 

[sean]

I hear there's a a little grassy knoll in Nicaragua where JD and Steve used to meet to hammer out their sales strategies called la área cincuenta y uno.

HAHAHAHA!!!! I just spit coffee out my nose!

 

[sofc]

Are these new accounts stocked with Liga? Even reg production ?

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

All of this has been an interesting back and forth read. Naturally, no one really knows fact from speculation. However, the fact is this; more accounts equals more places to buy LP which equals more happiness for us all.

 

[sofc]

And maybe Liga was easier to find before because all of you weren't buying up everything in sight? As they get more popular, the demand would presumably increase

 

[sixspeedsam]

I recently listened to an interview with Saka on a podcast ... they actually had a clause in his exit agreement that he would get an allotment of cigars for some time, and he himself thought it was to generous and knocked it down. I think his comment was it felt unfair that he'd get that many, when folks are knocking down doors and developing carpal tunnel clicking around to find elusive sticks.

My grassy knoll speculation ... the factory was being built, is almost done. IPCPR is first and foremost a retailer trade show - drumming up new accounts is why all the vendors are there. Opening an account isn't necessarily saying the same thing as "you'll be stocked floor to ceiling with every vitola we make...". I suspect the larger factory will open up the inventory backlog a bit, more skilled rollers, larger aging rooms, etc.

With Nica Rustica and MUWAT Kentucky fire cured on deck, it only makes sense to expand their retail footprint.

 

[SDShark]

Buy a few. smoke them. If you like them, buy more if your wallet can handle the punishment.

 

[sean]

If you don't like them, you can leave the extras out at night with a glass of rum... I heard Steve Saka will fly down your chimney and leave you a present under that plastic tree in your living room.

 

[ciggy]

Buy a few. smoke them. If you like them, buy more if your wallet can handle the punishment.

This for sure and if you do buy alot of them...word is there expecting a big price increase if they haven't already marked them up.