Banded 2nds ?!

Rhamlin

I was reading a review of Gurkhas Cellar reserve and one guy said he didn't buy Gurkhas because they allow the online retailers to sell "counterfeits or 2nds" banded as the same cigars sold in B&M's. Now I've never heard this before but I've often wondered how they could sell cigars that sell in shops for 10$ and up as cheap as they do. That being said if one maker is doing it then is this true of the rest? Are we just buying 2nd's thinking we're getting such great deals? Surely the guy is just speaking out of his butt, but it did get me curious. I'm sure some of the more experienced guys here who've actually spent time with the cigar Gods would know. And I doubt they would still be buying online if this was the case.

kuzi16

if that were true then it would explain all the issues that so many gurkhas have....

but seriously folks...
what he probably was talking about is something similar to what many manufacturers do. it is not a second but it isnt exactly a first. AJ doe it as "overruns" and Rocky Patel does it as his countless inexpensive short runs. the goal with those cigars isnt to sell them as a premium first, but to make money off of tobacco that isnt bad but isnt good enough

most of this extra tobacco is not in the premium blends in, but is actually tobacco that is purchased as part of a lot that includes a specific tobacco they want.
for example, Lets say AJ wants to buy some Dominican sun-grown Ligero. that specific leaf may be bundled in with less desirable leaf because the farmers are not going to waste what they have. therefor that lot will include the Dominican sun-grown Ligero they are looking for, Dominican Seco (a binder they may or may not need), and some very mild aged Volado. since they are only looking for the Ligero all the other stuff is extra. AJ isnt wasting that. blend it up, make a short run. it cant really be sold as true premium firsts, but they are not actually seconds.

Rhamlin

Hmm we'll that's pretty interesting to. I've never heard that before either. I always just thought the manufacturers just bought only the tobacco they wanted. But it makes sense especially from a farmers point of view. He doesn't just want to sell the tobacco that turned out great he wants to sell it all. I just assumed the less desirable stuff was left for the guys who specialize in bundles.

perkinke

On the blog page in one of the videos of the visit to the Drew Estate factory Jonathon Drew mentions the fact that they can't just purchase the leaves they want so they have at times worked on blends for the tobacco they didn't initially want or have sold those pieces to other factories, if I recall correctly. I originally assumed the same, they just picked what they wanted until I watched that.

kuzi16

perkinke:

On the blog page in one of the videos of the visit to the Drew Estate factory Jonathon Drew mentions the fact that they can't just purchase the leaves they want so they have at times worked on blends for the tobacco they didn't initially want or have sold those pieces to other factories, if I recall correctly. I originally assumed the same, they just picked what they wanted until I watched that.

exactly. in recent years all the manufacturers want ligero, ligero and more ligero. since ligero is only a small part of the plant and the demand is high the price has gone through the roof. all of that other tobacco needs to be sold so it is bundled into one lot with the ligero.