Abrignac wrote:Open mouth insert foot. Allow me to clarify.
Forgive me but, I don't get the Nassau Graycliffs reference. But, then again sarcasm usually escapes me.
I've seen mention of a certain internet retailer which sells quite a number of cigars. That vendor has been alleged, rumored, etc. to buy branding rights and then have cigars rolled in some factory other than where the “actual” cigar is rolled using tobacco that may not be the of the same quality or from the same growing region as is used in the "actual" blend then brand the resulting product as the original when it is not. Sort of labeling a Yugo a Toyota.
I posed the questions above because I desire to stay away from such products. If say I choose to buy a Camacho Corjo Churchill, I wish to buy a cigar that was rolled with a Corojo wrapper, binder and filler all of which was grown in the Jamastran Valley of Honduras. It is in this regard that I posed my original question.
As far as the inferior labor is concerned, it is not directed at any culture. I was referring to the abilities of the rollers in terms of experience levels. It is known that certain cigar sizes within certain brands are only rolled by the "most experienced" rollers. I could care less it the roller is American, Chinese, Cuban, Nicaraguan or for that matter a Martian as long as the cigar that he/she/it rolled draws well.
Perhaps inferior was as much a poor choice of words, as was your sarcastic answer. A wise man once said, "If you have nothing good to say, then anything else is best left unsaid."
Yes I do know what I enjoy. As above I just want to make sure that if I attempt to purchase something I enjoy, that purchase is in fact going to be what I do enjoy and not some knock off.
You seem to be implying that I had nothing good to say. Matter of opinion, I suppose.
You just happened to hit upon a couple of recurring, if not 'controversial' topics:
1. An assertion by some here long ago that 'internet cigars are inferior to those found in a brick and mortar shop'.
2. That some believe there is a concious effort to deceive the cigar buying public - because much information about many non-Cuban cigars is VERY difficult to come by:
-origin of all of the tobacco use in a blend
-location(s) and owner(s) factory or factories where rolled
-date harvested, length of time cured, date rolled, date baled, date boxed, etc
-name of person responsible for blend
-"cigar" mega-corporation actuall pulling the strings on the brand
-whether blend has been changed - if so, was change intentional? forced by crop quality? incompetence?
Anyway, there are many (minotaurs included) that will tell you that none of the above matter - smoke what you like.....and leave the rest to Rah
