Is 3 x 60 around the corner?

[hdroadglide]

interesting read. so you can make frank a 3 x 60 buttplug if it means there'll be more dirty rats for me!!!!!

 

[Farani]

Haha well written Steve. Thanks for dropping some knowledge on our asses. The trend for large RG has seemed to nix the coronas and corona gordas from lines, though. I know it's happening because one is selling and the other isn't. My issue is really with what the consumer is purchasing in higher volume, not at the manufacturers, since they have to produce what is going to sell. So I get upset about what is bought at high volume by the consumer, which ends up killing off the vitola I want, the corona/corona gorda. We need a renaissance in smaller RG!

 

[Le Buzz]

Thanks for the insight Steve... definitely opened my eyes as to the reason these are so popular.

Even thou I don't like these fireplugs, I'll be a little less taken aback when I see a 4x60 or the like... now considering the advantages from a business standpoint for cigar makers.

I do hope we get to see more awesone coronas and londsdales come to market though, as there is clearly a demand. Just look at the tat black pl, or the dirty rat.

Cheers

 

[ssaka]

Haha well written Steve. Thanks for dropping some knowledge on our asses. The trend for large RG has seemed to nix the coronas and corona gordas from lines, though. I know it's happening because one is selling and the other isn't. My issue is really with what the consumer is purchasing in higher volume, not at the manufacturers, since they have to produce what is going to sell. So I get upset about what is bought at high volume by the consumer, which ends up killing off the vitola I want, the corona/corona gorda. We need a renaissance in smaller RG!

You are right, consumers determine ultimately what is made - they set the trends, not us...

The lack of corona-girth cigars in the marketplace is -not- the result of fireplug formats, but rather other economic and consumer-related pressures and issues.

Putting my cigar passion aside and looking at it from solely a bean-counter's perspective, it would be ideal if consumers hated dark, heavy leaf cigars, wanted to only smoke robustos and toros made with candela wrappers and indo picadura filler... much easier to make, much lower in cost and with a great cost to pricepoint ratio.

Putting my love of cigars back in play, I am glad they don't and are willing to pay for cigars like the Dirty Rat because I would really hate our biz if all we made was what economics alone dictated.

The issue is that many consumers perceive that bigger is better and almost all consumers equate size with cost/price, but this is not case. Consumers are regretfully less than informed as a result of being fed 2nd hand cigar knowledge by people that don't really know jack shit about making cigars.

I better stop now before the "adjustment bureau" comes to reset me... <snicker>

BR,

STS

ps: Saw that movie last night, good premise, good acting, but too slow imo. I kept wanting something to be blown up... ;>

 

[Flyer75]

In my short smoking career, I've had about 3-4 60 rg smokes and it just hurts, really, it hurts my jaw. I prefer the 48-54 size. I will try the MUWT though.

 

[dpricenator]

I'm always waiting for something to blow up.


Thanks for the insight Steve.

 

[unfairtoast]

Why stop at 60 RG?
Push the Envelope!

 

[dbeckom]

WOW...great read! Thanks for the insight!

 

[ZachF88]

Why stop at 60 RG?
Push the Envelope!

Drew estate has done a 100 ring gauge.... it's called the egg!

:barf::barf::barf::barf:

 

[jfdIII]

A few quick comments:

1] I might not like these fireplugs, you may not like these fireplugs, but as long as someone does with a wallet they will be made.

2] From a manufacturer's view they are great cost recovery product. We end up with a lot of great second cuts and small capa that cannot make robusto vitolas and up - the market will not absorb the number of petite coronas necessary to utilize this high quality leaf, so being able to make it into premium grade fireplugs is perfect.

3] Since fireplugs garner greater sales volume and profit margin than coronas they are definitely a good product from the manufacturer's standpoint.

4] Now here is why they are good for YOU even if you hate the shape:

All cigars in a factory are interrelated production wise - you can not make big cigars unless you make little, you can not make great cigars unless you make mediocre cigars, you can not make beautiful oscuro cigars unless you make mottled ugly ones and on and on.

You must make all cigars because any factory that producing more than a couple thousand sticks a day must buy their tobacco in proportion to what the crop delivers, ie. good, bad, great, ok, large, small, broke, wind swept, etc etc tobacco - or if you are a big factory like ours, you often have to buy the entire crop "as is".

You can't just buy fab tobacco, you must buy it all and then it is your job as the manufacturer to sort it all out, ferment it, sort it, ferment it, sort it, sort it, sort it... literally we will sort a crop purchase 30 plus times before each tobacco is finally designated to a particular product. So even when you pay $38lb some of it will end up on fumas...

The cost to manufacturer cigars is always a moving target, it is impossible to determine what any single cigar costs to make, everything is based on average yields, indexes, run rates and qc filter rejections rates... heck the cost isn't the same from day to day. It drives the beancounters totally crazy... that is why I believe this is a terrible business for big Euro tobacco companies to get into - they try so hard to make everything work in a model on a spreadsheet and it drives them crazy...

The number of fumas we sell and for what price indirectly and directly impacts the price of every ultra premium we make.. Liga Privada is interrelated to LVH and vice versa, there can not be one with out the other.

So when a manufacturer can make and sell one of the premium quality fireplugs for a better price than if he had instead shifted that leaf into picadura for fumas, it helps to reduce the cost of other cigars in the factory, which in turns mean you favorite toro and double coronas cost less.

In short, you are the beneficiary of every cheap bundle sold, of every fireplug you hate the shape of and so on. So you may not like to smoke this stuff, but thankfully someone does, because if they didn't the cigars you happen to like to smoke would be SIGNIFICANTLY higher in cost.

I gotta learn to type less...

BR,

Steve Saka
Prez, Drew Estate

Absolute sage! Thank you, Mr. Saka.