blessednxs65
Is it Nicaraguan
More than 80% of Cuban cigar sales come from just seven brands!
Los Angeles, October 26 Its no secret that Habanos, S.A. has become much more aggressive with the introduction of new shapes, sizes and specialty items to the catalog of Cuban cigars available on the worldwide market.
But, with demand continuing to grow as new markets are opened, especially in Africa and Eastern Europe, factory capacity is a problem and so some shapes and sizes are being discontinued.
In fact, figures provided to us by our friend Reinhold Widmayer, editor-in-chief of the European Cigar-Cult Journal, indicate that just seven of the 27 export brands contribute about 82 percent of all Habanos sales revenue and account for about 83 percent of all cigars sold:
Montecristo: 23% of all cigars sold; 29% of all revenue;
Romeo y Julieta: 15% of all cigars sold; 12% of all revenue;
Partagas: 11.8% of all cigars sold; 12.4% of all revenue;
Jose L. Piedra: 11.6% of all cigars sold; 2.3% of all revenue;
Cohiba: 11% of all cigars sold; 20% of all revenue;
Quintero y Hermano: 5.3% of all cigars sold; revenue not available;
Hoyo de Monterrey: 4.8% of all cigars sold; 5.5% of all revenue.
Other well-known brands such as H. Upmann (2.4% of cigars sold, 2.1% of revenue) and Trinidad (1.5% of cigars sold, 2.5% of revenue) are small contributors and others such as Bolivar, Punch and Ramon Allones barely register.
Consequently, 23 shapes in 11 different brands are being discontinued this year, including some long-time favorites that wont be missed by the smoking public, but by connoisseurs who will only have fond memories of them:
Bolivar Coronas (5 1/2 inches by 42 ring)
Diplomaticos No. 1 (6 1/2 x 42)
Diplomaticos No. 3 (5 1/2 x 42)
El Rey del Mundo Coronas De Luxe (5 1/2 x 42)
El Rey del Mundo Tainos (7 x 47)
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo Coronas (5 1/2 x 42)
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo Short Coronas (5 1/8 x 42)
Juan Lopez Coronas (5 1/2 x 42)
Juan Lopez Panatelas Superba (5 x 34)
Partagas Churchills de Luxe (7 x 47)
Partagas de Partagas No. 1 (6 5/8 x 43)
Partagas Coronas (5 1/2 x 42)
Quai dOrsay Gran Coronas (6 1/8 x 42)
Rafael Gonzalez Lonsdales (6 1/2 x 42)
Rafael Gonzalez Panetelas (4 5/8 x 34)
Rafael Gonzalez Slenderellas (6 7/8 x 28)
Romeo y Julieta Tres Petit Coronas (4 5/8 x 40)
Saint Luis Rey Coronas (5 1/2 x 42; both packings)
Saint Luis Rey Lonsdales (6 1/2 x 42; both packings)
Sancho Panza Bachilleres (4 5/8 x 40)
Sancho Panza Coronas (5 1/2 x 42)
Sancho Panza Corona Gigantes (7 x 47)
Sancho Panza Sanchos (9 1/4 x 47; both packings)
Although none of the 27 brands is being completely eliminated, some have been considerably contracted:
Diplomaticos: dropped two of five shapes;
El Rey del Mundo dropped two of seven shapes;
Juan Lopez dropped two of five shapes;
Rafael Gonzalez dropped three of seven shapes;
Saint Luis Rey dropped two of six shapes and
Sancho Panza dropped four of seven shapes.
Among the casualties are some famous cigars. The Rafael Gonzalez Lonsdale introduced the shape and it was easily the most famous shape in that line. The Sancho Panza Sanchos was the gentlest of all the Cuban A-shaped cigars and the El Rey del Mundo Tainos is remembered for the gorgeous, oily wrappers that characterized the brand in its heydey of the 1960s.
The elimination of the Partagas Churchills de Luxe ends the Churchill format in the Partagas line although a double corona the popular Lusitania will still be produced. The end of the Partagas de Partagas No. 1 leaves only the more popular 8-9-8 Cabinet Selection (varnished) in the near-Lonsdale size of 6 5/8 inches by 43 ring on the Partagas roster.
In addition to the 23 cigars no longer to be made listed above, another 16 cigars had some forms of packing eliminated:
La Flor de Cano Petit Coronas, five-packs
La Flor de Cano Selectos, five-packs
Fonseca Cosacos, three-packs
H. Upmann Monarcas (no tube), boxes of 25
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo des Dieux, five-packs and boxes of 50
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo du Depute, five-packs and boxes of 50
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo du Maire, five-packs
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo du Prince, five-packs and boxes of 50
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo du Roi, five-packs
Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas, three-packs
Partagas Habaneros, five-pack
Punch Churchills, boxes of 25
Saint Luis Rey Churchills, boxes of 25
Saint Luis Rey Petit Coronas, five-packs and boxes of 25
Sancho Panza Belicosos, boxes of 25
Trinidad Fundadores, boxes of 50
Its another indication of how Habanos has become more sensitive to market conditions as it tries to concentrate on what is selling. Its good business, but for those who remember the shapes and sizes being eliminated, theres a little less romance to the Havana cigar line today.
Los Angeles, October 26 Its no secret that Habanos, S.A. has become much more aggressive with the introduction of new shapes, sizes and specialty items to the catalog of Cuban cigars available on the worldwide market.
But, with demand continuing to grow as new markets are opened, especially in Africa and Eastern Europe, factory capacity is a problem and so some shapes and sizes are being discontinued.
In fact, figures provided to us by our friend Reinhold Widmayer, editor-in-chief of the European Cigar-Cult Journal, indicate that just seven of the 27 export brands contribute about 82 percent of all Habanos sales revenue and account for about 83 percent of all cigars sold:
Montecristo: 23% of all cigars sold; 29% of all revenue;
Romeo y Julieta: 15% of all cigars sold; 12% of all revenue;
Partagas: 11.8% of all cigars sold; 12.4% of all revenue;
Jose L. Piedra: 11.6% of all cigars sold; 2.3% of all revenue;
Cohiba: 11% of all cigars sold; 20% of all revenue;
Quintero y Hermano: 5.3% of all cigars sold; revenue not available;
Hoyo de Monterrey: 4.8% of all cigars sold; 5.5% of all revenue.
Other well-known brands such as H. Upmann (2.4% of cigars sold, 2.1% of revenue) and Trinidad (1.5% of cigars sold, 2.5% of revenue) are small contributors and others such as Bolivar, Punch and Ramon Allones barely register.
Consequently, 23 shapes in 11 different brands are being discontinued this year, including some long-time favorites that wont be missed by the smoking public, but by connoisseurs who will only have fond memories of them:
Bolivar Coronas (5 1/2 inches by 42 ring)
Diplomaticos No. 1 (6 1/2 x 42)
Diplomaticos No. 3 (5 1/2 x 42)
El Rey del Mundo Coronas De Luxe (5 1/2 x 42)
El Rey del Mundo Tainos (7 x 47)
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo Coronas (5 1/2 x 42)
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo Short Coronas (5 1/8 x 42)
Juan Lopez Coronas (5 1/2 x 42)
Juan Lopez Panatelas Superba (5 x 34)
Partagas Churchills de Luxe (7 x 47)
Partagas de Partagas No. 1 (6 5/8 x 43)
Partagas Coronas (5 1/2 x 42)
Quai dOrsay Gran Coronas (6 1/8 x 42)
Rafael Gonzalez Lonsdales (6 1/2 x 42)
Rafael Gonzalez Panetelas (4 5/8 x 34)
Rafael Gonzalez Slenderellas (6 7/8 x 28)
Romeo y Julieta Tres Petit Coronas (4 5/8 x 40)
Saint Luis Rey Coronas (5 1/2 x 42; both packings)
Saint Luis Rey Lonsdales (6 1/2 x 42; both packings)
Sancho Panza Bachilleres (4 5/8 x 40)
Sancho Panza Coronas (5 1/2 x 42)
Sancho Panza Corona Gigantes (7 x 47)
Sancho Panza Sanchos (9 1/4 x 47; both packings)
Although none of the 27 brands is being completely eliminated, some have been considerably contracted:
Diplomaticos: dropped two of five shapes;
El Rey del Mundo dropped two of seven shapes;
Juan Lopez dropped two of five shapes;
Rafael Gonzalez dropped three of seven shapes;
Saint Luis Rey dropped two of six shapes and
Sancho Panza dropped four of seven shapes.
Among the casualties are some famous cigars. The Rafael Gonzalez Lonsdale introduced the shape and it was easily the most famous shape in that line. The Sancho Panza Sanchos was the gentlest of all the Cuban A-shaped cigars and the El Rey del Mundo Tainos is remembered for the gorgeous, oily wrappers that characterized the brand in its heydey of the 1960s.
The elimination of the Partagas Churchills de Luxe ends the Churchill format in the Partagas line although a double corona the popular Lusitania will still be produced. The end of the Partagas de Partagas No. 1 leaves only the more popular 8-9-8 Cabinet Selection (varnished) in the near-Lonsdale size of 6 5/8 inches by 43 ring on the Partagas roster.
In addition to the 23 cigars no longer to be made listed above, another 16 cigars had some forms of packing eliminated:
La Flor de Cano Petit Coronas, five-packs
La Flor de Cano Selectos, five-packs
Fonseca Cosacos, three-packs
H. Upmann Monarcas (no tube), boxes of 25
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo des Dieux, five-packs and boxes of 50
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo du Depute, five-packs and boxes of 50
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo du Maire, five-packs
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo du Prince, five-packs and boxes of 50
Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo du Roi, five-packs
Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas, three-packs
Partagas Habaneros, five-pack
Punch Churchills, boxes of 25
Saint Luis Rey Churchills, boxes of 25
Saint Luis Rey Petit Coronas, five-packs and boxes of 25
Sancho Panza Belicosos, boxes of 25
Trinidad Fundadores, boxes of 50
Its another indication of how Habanos has become more sensitive to market conditions as it tries to concentrate on what is selling. Its good business, but for those who remember the shapes and sizes being eliminated, theres a little less romance to the Havana cigar line today.
