Favorite "Unsuccessful" Cigars
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 11:11 am
Kip's post in Today's Smokes made me curious about this. What have you smoked that has never become popular en mass? There can be loads of reasons for this to happen, and I'm interested in them, but at the very least, what inexplicably never caught on?
I used the example earlier of Padilla. Early on (2002-03 ish) he offered three cigars, I believe; Natural, Maduro & "Hybrid". He was all over Cigar Aficionado's forums giving away samples and repping his brand. Then disaster struck. IIRC, his tobacco & potentially even some of his stock was heavily damaged by a series of hurricaines. He was hung up in damage control for some time. When he reemerged people were dogging his "Hybrid", the previously most enjoyed of his offerings, as having been tweaked because of the storm damage. He never recovered. New offerings were not loved to the same extent. People got pissed that he promised offerings and then never sent them (I was in this camp). He bounced from mfg to mfg over the next few years and was rumored to have mucked things up there as well (unsubstantiated). He had some terrific cigars in this time but I think a mix of his impatience & attitude coupled with no stable foundation led the name Padilla to forever be associated with a level less than "Premium". It's unjust but not necessarily unfair. He never really seemed to make the correct decisions after a rocky start.
FWIW, the Pepin made cigars presented by year (1932 and 1963, If I remember correctly) were stellar. Some of the best cigars produced in the aughts, in my opinion.
I used the example earlier of Padilla. Early on (2002-03 ish) he offered three cigars, I believe; Natural, Maduro & "Hybrid". He was all over Cigar Aficionado's forums giving away samples and repping his brand. Then disaster struck. IIRC, his tobacco & potentially even some of his stock was heavily damaged by a series of hurricaines. He was hung up in damage control for some time. When he reemerged people were dogging his "Hybrid", the previously most enjoyed of his offerings, as having been tweaked because of the storm damage. He never recovered. New offerings were not loved to the same extent. People got pissed that he promised offerings and then never sent them (I was in this camp). He bounced from mfg to mfg over the next few years and was rumored to have mucked things up there as well (unsubstantiated). He had some terrific cigars in this time but I think a mix of his impatience & attitude coupled with no stable foundation led the name Padilla to forever be associated with a level less than "Premium". It's unjust but not necessarily unfair. He never really seemed to make the correct decisions after a rocky start.
FWIW, the Pepin made cigars presented by year (1932 and 1963, If I remember correctly) were stellar. Some of the best cigars produced in the aughts, in my opinion.
