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Got my Pilon "gse" sticks yesterday and thought I would compare them to a "standard" Pilon from the local shop. The "gse" sticks from Cbid were listed as 5x50. The closest size at the shop (and also online at this point btw) is 5x52 so I bought a couple of them to compare with the "gse. The "gse" sicks are thinner than the one from the shop, but it is not a huge difference.

Here you can see the two side by side, the "gse" on the left.


http://picpaste.com/20160818_130932-GDYILwSD.jpg

Right away you can see the "gse" version looks noticeably darker. This is the same when comparing all of the gse sticks in my shipment and the two from the shop. There are also several minor, small, lightish spots on the gse sticks that you don't see on the standard version. Veining and construction seems pretty much the same, but the "gse" vesion seems to be packed just a bit tighter. This could be because the shop-sticks have been sitting for a while, or perhaps its the same amount of tobacco that usually goes into the 52 size squeezed into a 50.

As you can see, the bands are also different. On the standard one from the shop, it has the violta (Robusto) and the size (5 x 52) as well as the blend (Nicaraguan binder and filler and Habano Ecuador wrapper) right on the band. This info is missing from the "gse"

[Something interesting - which I wonder if it was the case with the other "gse" offerings - the blurb for the cbid "gse" version did NOT talk about or list the tobacco blend or origin. While there is info on the blend on the Pilon sticks on the Mothership right now, when the gse version was for sale here, there was no information at all as to where these cigars were made or where they were from. Makes you suspicions that there might be a blend difference especially considering the info is missing from the band or that they may want to CLAIM there is a difference between the two at some point...]

The "standard" Pilon band is sort of a very light tan color, while the "gse" band has a pinkish hue to it. (While the ones from the shop may have discolored some, I still think the hue is different between the two bands). The bands on the "gse" version also appear more glossy.

Once you turn it around you notice that on the "gse" version, the band does not quite fit all the way around the cigar while on the standard (and slightly thicker) sticks the band fits much better with the proper amount of overlap. Both of the versions have the extra tobacco leaf round sticker (glossier on the gse). Again this was the same for all of them. As you can see, the "gse" band was also put on a bit unevenly while the standard ones are perfect.

http://picpaste.com/20160818_130954-q7zKv8By.jpg

Certainly looks like the "gse" version of the band was printed and slapped together quickly with none of the normal information on the band and it being applied hastily. Perhaps they came up with a generic band that they could slap on all these Pilon "gse's" with it sometimes being too big and sometimes too small.

I did try one of the gse's right off the trunk last night and it tasted wonderful and burned great. Going to do a back-to-back comparison this afternoon and see what differences, if any, I can detect.

So, at first glance, there are definite differences between the two. If others could post similar "gse" vs. "standard" comparisons, that would be interesting

DP Newell said something like that once................long ago.........

Thanks for update for a fraction of normal price I take them I think this must have had something to do with new TAXES that took effect the 9th as they shipped my order the the 8th instead of 10th, I have enough smoke for life!! Yes I was told General Select Edition. Hey if they smoke good that's fine.

]

Here is a blurb summarizing the relevant part of the FDA decision:

Cigars introduced after Feb. 2007, but before 8/8/16: these cigars will be allowed to remain on the market for another two years, but the cigar manufacturer will need to submit the blend for SE approval before 2018.

After 8/8/16: any cigar maker who wants to bring a new smoke to market will first need to submit his cigar for Pre-Market Tobacco Application (PMTA) testing; it cannot be sold while any approval is pending. If the cigar is eventually approved, it will be brought to market; if it isn’t, you’ll likely never see it.

Of course most of these "GSE" cigars showed up out of nowhere on the 7th and have not been seen since. It is quite possible that The General, was looking to slap some label onto any stick they had in the pipeline, perhaps even if they were not originally destined for that brand.

"Oh, this one looks sort of like a Macanudo, this one will fit with the LGC line pretty good...etc., etc." Then they printed or grabbed what labels they could and started slapping them on things.

May also have been a memo from General HQ to all of their facilities: "Check your stock! Call your neighbors!! Look for any blend variations that you can push out before the 8th!!! Hurry!!!!"

With the CAO Pilon, they might have already been planning a maduro version of it at some point, but there probably just as good of a chance that they had a good supply of filler and binder lying around in one warehouse and slapped a different tobacco wrapper over it that was sitting in another warehouse next door after they got the memo.

Yes it was very much a small fraction of what they would/may someday sell for! Wish I had bought more (and I bought a bunch).

I went into the purchase knowing there was likely something strange afoot and not just from the "gse" designation. While the photo of the cigars and box and description of the "pilon" manufacturing process was the same as the Pilon's I have purchased, the blurb had been awkwardly edited down, deleting the tobacco description. Major red flag!

I consider myself lucky that the cigars I received are as good as they are and that I wandered by here to check things out last week.

I was asked in a pm which ones I liked better. Well, they are both very good and would likely make a different choice depending on time of day or what eating/drinking. Did have another GSE late last night with a glass of Cab and, as predicted, it was a great pairing. But, overall, the way my palate is currently, I like the tangy/savory/slightly spicy and salty profile of the original Pilon better for most occasions. Also, there are a lot of cigars out there that are very similar in taste to the GSE with its cocoa/coffee profile but a lot fewer that hit the same mark as the original Pilon.

Ya, know, its probably all over the place with the "GSE's." Some were probable first runs like you said, some probably ones they did a test run on to see if any good and still had them lying around, some might they might have been thinking about doing at some point but rushed to get out in time, some probably created expressly to beat the deadline and maybe even some that were mistakes and rejects that would have been destined for those "Nicaraguan/Honduran/Dominican Seconds" bundles you see at General owned sites (I did note t there were flaws in the wrapper of my GSE sticks!)

In any case its been fun. Perhaps the only fun thing about the FDA decision so far.