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Cuban Factory Box Codes
- Thread starter waterboy
- Start date
smokem94
BoM Sept. 05
There is very little info out there on current box codes and it is constantly changing. Someone over at Cigar Weekly recently posted something...sorry I couldn't help, but I for one do not look at nor care about box codes. They have never really mattered to me.
I pay attention to the date, but that is about it. I have heard that the factory portion of the code used to be of greater interest as quality seemed to vary based on the location of the factory (provencial, etc.), but that these days it doesn't matter as much. I saw the list on cigarweekly, but most of the boxes I have ordered recently aren't on there.
I too pay attention to the date. It seems to be akin to vintage for wines. I am curious as to factory identification only to gain some perspective as to where it was made. The code will have no impact on whether or not I enjoy the smokes or not. I am curious though, if the quality issues have been addressed, then why keep the factory codes secret? Just my quirky curiosity running omok.
I think that the imortance and the intent of factory codes were part of a bygone era, where there was more time to produce the amount of quantity to match demand. Although quality is (barely) still intact, the demand has risen dramatically, and orders are produced wherever it is convenient and/or efficient. Before, cigars were only produced in a certain factory (or factories) only. Some still are, but the brands in high demands are distributed accross more than one (or a few) factories.
I also just pay attention to the date.
I also just pay attention to the date.
indyrob
BoM Feb '06 & Sept. '08
I think that is left over from the "old days" when consumers would prefer one factory over another, even if it was the same marque & vitola in question.
With that said, I think that if you were to pick up a box of RASCC that was XXX 03/06, you would want to search out a box with the same factory code in the future, but if they keep changing the codes you're shit outa luck of getting the same factory again next year.
I think that the sentiment that Habanos is trying to say is that the "new era" is homogonized and all factories will be able to produce the same product w/o any noticable difference. Only time will tell.
-Rob
indyrob
BoM Feb '06 & Sept. '08
I think that the main reason people ever gave any concern what-so-ever was because there was a code on the bottom of the box. NIVELACUSO became something of a game because it also started to carry the factory as well. It just gave us something else to gloat over. Take these two as an example:
1985-1998 SS meant Sancti Spiritus
1999 the previous designation of SS now could be from any of these factories:
CEG Arroyo Blanco
COT Cabaiguen
CGI Fomento
CNI Guayoa
CTO Jatibonica
CUN Perea
CID Sancti Spiritus
CDU Taguasco
CAC Trinidad
CCA Zaza del Medio
SO even though NIVELACUSO was fun trying to get a certain year, it only clued us in on about 15 factory codes to choose from. The 4 month span of NETAGIDOCU and the 8 months of (xx)OO opened up the factory count to 60+ different factories broken down by provinces.
The main thing about factory codes is that it's supposed to be an internal accounting method and nothing more than that. We should care about the dates because that's what is what remains important to the hobby.
Every few years or so Habanos tries to push out a new strain to test the market reaction, Hurricanes and othe enviormental hazzards will have an impact, your own tastes will lean towards one crop over another...(but that would be more encompassing than just to one marque but more unilateraly. If the 2004 VR's are really good for you, I would bet that the Upmann's would be equally as good...even if you didn't care for the marque too much before.)
Hopefully you'll remember this when it comes to factory codes:
A bigmac in Indianapolis will invariably taste the same in Ventura.
The reason is strict control pratices and training, modernization and training, working out the kinks and training.
Okay...that was a bit wordy.
-Rob
FYI, here's a link to an old and ancient source of box codes.
indyrob
BoM Feb '06 & Sept. '08
Hey that's a good link. I've forgotten about that one.
Great post IndyRob. I enjoyed it. Thanks for the link Knife. It's too bad they have to be so mysterious about the origins of the cigars. I like to purchase what I like repeatedly. I guess they want to keep such info a secret. Thanks again to all for weighing in.
cvm4
BoM - July '05 & Dec. '10
If you want to know what might be good codes to look out for, then look at what the box codes for edition regionals are. You know that Habanos SA isn't going to screw up a limited batch like that. But at the same time, it could happen.