The term "Boutique" describes a good construted cigar

[Lilo Segar]

Ha Ha!

MORE FLAVOR LESS POWER! I like this quote..

 

[Craig Mac]

To your questions, I would consider it to be a "boutique brand" as long as cigars are made in small quantities to ensure perfection.
Also ensuring that the best premium tobacco is being used.
At the factory each roller is limited to 100-125 cigars per day to maintain quality. Each days work is inspected by a Master Roller. After that cigars aged then boxed and dated to ensure the highest standard.

So Padron would be considered boutique by that definition then? They fit that same description and guys at many other big factories like La Flor Dominicana, Drew Estate and My Father would say they do as well for the most part.

They all use the best tobacco (Padron and LFD grow their own), have set production numbers, have a rigorous inspection process and aged cigars (or in Padrons case, aged tobacco).

 

[Lilo Segar]

I LOVE Padrons, LFD, & Drew Estate...the "best of the best"! however due to the amount of volume they produce, their rollers work in pairs.
Our rollers are "Level 9" Cuban Rollers (the highest level roller) and they work individually. Each roller is held accountable for their production.
If you appreciate Cuban Cigars you will learn to appreciate ours. Thanks

 

[BrittS88]

Guess the end result is "Boutique" has many definitions and I need to try Cremo cigars. Lol

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

[James]

I agree with both Stockton John and Lilo, The Original would make an amazing lancero! The Corona Is my favorite Cremo original Vitola, had all three, however I think it would only be better in a 7 x 38 format. We are somewhat Lance Whores on this site though and our opinions don't always crossover to mainstream so well!

 

[James]

Had to look it up, just had to. . .

Full Definition of BOUTIQUE

1
a : a small fashionable shop
b : a small shop within a large department store
2
: a small company that offers highly specialized services or products <boutique wineries> <an independent investment boutique>

Guess everyone is right :dunno:

 

[ar2381]

IMO, "boutique" is just a word used to market your cigar. People like the idea of smoking a cigar that is harder to find. Cigars also attract people who enjoy supporting the mom and pop companies against big corporations. IMO, being boutique doesn't equate to quality. If a cigar is good than it's good, regardless the size of production or company.

 

[Hoshneer]

It's just another word that gets muddled with time unfortunately. Just like the words craft beer and microbrewery. What it comes down to is how good it is when it's smoked....

I am sure these words mean something but in today's market you have to sift through a ton of crap to find the one item that is fantastic. The good news I am slightly curious now.

 

[bigbill72]

Me too and I ordered a sampler, I have loved everthing I have smoked out of El Titan De bronze so needless to say I have high hopes lol.

It's just another word that gets muddled with time unfortunately. Just like the words craft beer and microbrewery. What it comes down to is how good it is when it's smoked....

I am sure these words mean something but in today's market you have to sift through a ton of crap to find the one item that is fantastic. The good news I am slightly curious now.

 

[inspector]

I doubt the term "Boutique Cigar" guarantees any level of quality. It just ensures the cigars were produced in small batches. I would agree that if qualified buyers review the Boutique Cigars, then the odds of getting a good constructed cigar increase.

I think of Boutique Cigars in the same light as microbrewery beers. Some are sensational, some are average, and some of those microbrews are downright nasty. I will watch for reviews on BOTL, Cigar Inspector, and P&C before I leap to buy the cigars. I agree with Anthony_Joseph, if you want some quick action on the site, give samples to a couple BOTL members and let them review your smokes.

 

[CWS]

When I first read this I basically saw a commercial for a new cigar company. Nothing wrong with that as long as we understand what it is; a biased commercial versus an independent review by a third party. I like to hear about new cigars and it is great when a manufacturer tells us about them. It would be cool to remember to be polite and not go blindly asking for free samples to encourage information flow. The more the merrier. Welcome

 

[bigbill72]

I agree

When I first read this I basically saw a commercial for a new cigar company. Nothing wrong with that as long as we understand what it is; a biased commercial versus an independent review by a third party. I like to hear about new cigars and it is great when a manufacturer tells us about them. It would be cool to remember to be polite and not go blindly asking for free samples to encourage information flow. The more the merrier. Welcome

 

[danthebugman]

I LOVE Padrons, LFD, & Drew Estate...the "best of the best"! however due to the amount of volume they produce, their rollers work in pairs.
Our rollers are "Level 9" Cuban Rollers (the highest level roller) and they work individually. Each roller is held accountable for their production.
If you appreciate Cuban Cigars you will learn to appreciate ours. Thanks

Whether they're level 9 cuban rollers or not and whether they work in pairs versus single rollers Padron, LFD, and DE all produce excellently constructed cigars. I don't think that you can make a successful argument that "boutique" manufacturers are doing anything better or different than the big boys based on this alone.

Dan

 

[ar2381]

I LOVE Padrons, LFD, & Drew Estate...the "best of the best"! however due to the amount of volume they produce, their rollers work in pairs.
Our rollers are "Level 9" Cuban Rollers (the highest level roller) and they work individually. Each roller is held accountable for their production.
If you appreciate Cuban Cigars you will learn to appreciate ours. Thanks

Whether they're level 9 cuban rollers or not and whether they work in pairs versus single rollers Padron, LFD, and DE all produce excellently constructed cigars. I don't think that you can make a successful argument that "boutique" manufacturers are doing anything better or different than the big boys based on this alone.

Dan

I concur

 

[Angry Bill]

And you can have the best rollers in the world, but if your tobacco is garbage or the blend is off, your cigars will still taste like garbage, although they will be perfectly rolled.

 

[Cigary43]

unfortunately we are driven by brand recognition (mainstream) among other things. No mater how good or bad the cigar is, some folks want to be seen smoking certain brands as status symbol.

I agree and disagree. Some people want to be seen smoking certain brands so they can associate themselves as being some kind of authority or because that seems to be what everyone else is smoking. There's also fanboys out there that only smoke this because it's the best and everything else is sub-par. That's their problem. I don't think that by labelling yourself as a boutique or ultra-boutique or producing super rare or ultra high end products is doing anything but perpetuating that to some degree. I smoke cigars because I like cigars. And ultimately I smoke cigars I like to smoke, so I may like stuff other people don't and I might hate what other people really like. Everyone's tastes are different. Those brands that have recognition got that recognition for a reason. That reason is that people like what they have to offer.

We are also driven by "ratings" which are political and overrated...however we will continue to deliver a great product.

I think a lot of people here would agree with you about ratings. Especially when the CA list comes out. And cigars isn't the only hobby that ratings is an issue for. Beer too has problems with trying to assign a number to something as personal and subjective as taste. I don't know how many "Top (insert any number you'd like, but it's usually 5 or 10) Beers of (the month, year, decade, all time, etc)" I've seen. Usually I haven't even been able to try them all or if I've tried a good deal of them and don't agree with some because they weren't my thing. The same with cigars. I'll see a certain cigar will have a 93 rating by such and such magazine. So what. If it seems like it's something I'd like I'll get around to trying it.

I can appreciate the topic if boutique vs mass produced cigars however this seems to be an advertisement from a cigar company to Botl, which I think should be reserved for the sponsors since they pay to have that right. Now some are going to say Jd and Pete post here how is that different, the difference is they are not advertising their cigars.

Agreed.

Dan

A lot of wisdom here in that the debate between "boutique" and manufactured cigars from the Big Box Manufacturers seems to always incite more debate than there needs to be. Marketing/Advertising always loves to use descriptive words to bring in consumers and the term boutique seems to say to consumers that they are different and better in quality...which isn't true at all and I have a lot of good friends who sell "boutique" cigars. I agree with Angry Bill 100% in that just about any product sold has a marketing brand that pushes their sales.

Boutique brands depend on the concept that the word itself is a description of a "better" product because of the word itself....it is supposed to separate itself from the common so that tends to make people think it's better. For a lot of consumers it's the flavor profile that sells us...not the advertising and if anything I tend to judge cigars more harshly when I think they are trying to use hyperbole and smooth advertising to sell a product.

For this particular brand I do have my curiosity peaked but I also tend to worry when somebody calls their product something better than what is already out there w/o ever having proved it...esp. when it is being marketed to the "High End Luxury Smokers" which we all know means higher prices. Let's hope the hype matches the reality. I've seen the website and while there is a description of the cigar there are no prices...why? That usually throws up a red flag that a lot of boutique brands will do...sell the consumer on just the description alone but you have to understand that Cigars are a price motivated market...don't hide pricing and don't act like any of those companies that go on and on about the product and never answer the questions about price...it is a factor no matter how good the product.

 

[YodisMatt]

And you can have the best rollers in the world, but if your tobacco is garbage or the blend is off, your cigars will still taste like garbage, although they will be perfectly rolled.

Agreed, if Gurkha hired level 9 rollers and rolled them between the thighs of virgins, I don't think that would change the minds of most on here and how they feel about their sticks.

 

[sofc]

I honestly do not understand this discussion. But I'm a simple man. If I like a cigar, I smoke it (don't care who makes it, rolls it or whether I like the owners or the rep.) If I don't like a cigar, I do not smoke it.

 

[jdwaynes1980]

bou·tique

bo&#862;o&#712;t&#275;k

noun

1. Not Rocky Patel

 

[danthebugman]

I honestly do not understand this discussion. But I'm a simple man. If it's a T52, I smoke it (don't care who makes it, rolls it or whether I like the owners or the rep.) If it's not a T52, I do not smoke it.

Fixed it for ya :wink:.

Dan