The Case of the Expanding Ring Gauge

[Mr. Ed]

So, I walked into a local B&M yesterday and saw an article in CA online about a 64 RG cigar by E.P. Carillo.

64!!!!

That's one inch!!!! Now, I know it's been a trend for a while now, but why? Most connoisseurs, manufacturers, B&M owners (and more generally "people in the know") seem to prefer thinner RG cigars. Even Cooba is riding this wave of bigger/thicker sticks.

Do you think this is a passing fad? Will we have novelty cigars be the norm (anyone remember those Fuente football cigar pictures?)? How big is too big?

More importantly, why is this trend happening? I mean, the cigar boom days of fly-by-night smokers are over, right? What's driving this?

Sorry for all the questions. Too much time to think.

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfe.../show/id/16515

[T.G]

Originally Posted by Mr. Ed

Most connoisseurs, manufacturers, B&M owners (and more generally "people in the know") seem to prefer thinner RG cigars.

These people are the in the minority when it comes to purchasing.

The people who buy a few cigars at a time, and typically consume them as they purchase, comprise a much larger percentage of the market, and they're buying larger RGs right now, so as long as they keep buying the larger RGs, manufacturers will keep making them.

[Mr. Ed]

Originally Posted by T.G

These people are the in the minority when it comes to purchasing.

I'm aware. What I find interesting (and this is a purely anecdotal observation) is that the boutique guys seemed to be really into making thinner RG cigars, but not so much anymore. I don't know. Has anyone else noticed this?

[pektel]

I certainly hope it is a passing trend. I'm not a fan of large rg cigars at all.

Typically 46 rg or less, with a few exceptions. For example, the Sig VI with some age is amazing. But for the most part, I find it also takes more skill to blend and roll a smaller rg cigar.

[The Poet]

"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." - Sigmund Freud (attributed).

"And sometimes it's a honkin' fat phallus." - The Poet (just now).

[htown]

Originally Posted by The Poet

"And sometimes it's a honkin' fat phallus." - The Poet (just now).

Interesting- what does that mean? (sarcasm- no answer needed)

[Commander Quan]

I think there is a financial advantage to making cigars larger as well. The cost of the extra tobacco in a 60RG cigar is minimal over what it would take to make a 45rg but the cost of rolling, packaging, and shipping is exactly the same, and a box of large cigars takes up almost the same amount of space on a B&Ms shelf. Larger RG cigars sell for more than smaller sized ones, so if an extra $20 can be made on a box of large cigars it's in the manufacturers, and retailers advantage to produce and sell products that that maximize their resources.

[Mr. Ed]

Originally Posted by Commander Quan

I think there is a financial advantage to making cigars larger as well. The cost of the extra tobacco in a 60RG cigar is minimal over what it would take to make a 45rg but the cost of rolling, packaging, and shipping is exactly the same, and a box of large cigars takes up almost the same amount of space on a B&Ms shelf. Larger RG cigars sell for more than smaller sized ones, so if an extra $20 can be made on a box of large cigars it's in the manufacturers, and retailers advantage to produce and sell products that that maximize their resources.

That's definitely an interesting take. I guess tradition can be ignored for some extra bucks.

[CRIMPS]

Four of my Non-Cigar smoking friends go to a B&M and buy cigars to smoke that night at a party. They all walk our with 55+RG sized churchill cigars. They had no idea what they bought, but they sure looked cool.

This is your majority.

[Mr. Ed]

Originally Posted by CRIMPS

Four of my Non-Cigar smoking friends go to a B&M and buy cigars to smoke that night at a party. They all walk our with 55+RG sized churchill cigars. They had no idea what they bought, but they sure looked cool.

This is your majority.

Yea, I've definitely seen that before. I always figure the B&M owner would gently guide them in the other direction hehehe.

Maybe it's an advertising thing to challenge our machismo? I don't know, just trying to figure out why.

[T.G]

Originally Posted by Mr. Ed

Yea, I've definitely seen that before. I always figure the B&M owner would gently guide them in the other direction hehehe.

Maybe it's an advertising thing to challenge our machismo? I don't know, just trying to figure out why.

Over the past 7-8 months I've turned a few of the "big cigar, big ring" less experienced smokers (in other words, members of the majority) into people who now prefer smaller ring gauge cigars. Funny, one of them is totally hooked on lanceros and coronas now - won't smoke anything else.

One of them was into the larger RG cigars because of the "better tobacco to dollar ratio". That was his primary reason for the 54-56RG toro sized cigars that he smoked - he hadn't even really tried the smaller cigars, he just went right for that extra $1 for the supersized McCigar.

Another was just basing it off what smoked on the golf course where a big cigar will last the better part of 9 holes.

Another reason I've often heard is that they prefer how the big cigars smoke cooler. Ok, makes sense if you aren't going to slow down when you smoke a thinner RG.

In all the cases, it was they simply didn't know any better - no one ever explained it to them. They just walked into a shop and bought what made sense to them.

[lenguamor]

Originally Posted by CRIMPS

Four of my Non-Cigar smoking friends go to a B&M and buy cigars to smoke that night at a party. They all walk our with 55+RG sized churchill cigars. They had no idea what they bought, but they sure looked cool.

This is your majority.

This. Been saying it for a while, but we're in a new boom. A lot of guys who never smoked before and won't after the novelty wears off in a while, following the credo of "bigger is better."

The pendulum will swing back, but it'll be a while.

[ApexAZ]

Originally Posted by CRIMPS

Four of my Non-Cigar smoking friends go to a B&M and buy cigars to smoke that night at a party. They all walk our with 55+RG sized churchill cigars. They had no idea what they bought, but they sure looked cool.

This is your majority.

This.

[Brutus2600]

Brooks and I were at a B&M the other day and a guy walked up to us with a LFD Digger. Brooks asked him how he liked the cigar and he said it was "It's cool, what I like about this is that I can light it up at the beginning of a football game and smoke the cigar for three hours. If I bought two smaller cigars at $8 a pop I'd be paying $16 for the same amount of smoking time that I get from the Digger for $11."

Didn't say anything about the flavor or how good the cigar was, just that he liked the value.

So, people like big honking cigars. I'm not a fan of them, at all. Anything over 58RG is just uncomfortable for me to smoke, honestly. But cigar smokers as a whole prefer them, whether it's a "bargain" (as the guy stated above), because it's cool, or because they just honestly prefer a huge-ass cigar.

There have been quite a few 64 RG cigars coming out recently though, so is 64RG a new trend or have we just slowly ramped up to this size over the last decade? That's the question we'll have to wait and see answered.

[Mr. Ed]

Originally Posted by Brutus2600

"It's cool, what I like about this is that I can light it up at the beginning of a football game and smoke the cigar for three hours. If I bought two smaller cigars at $8 a pop I'd be paying $16 for the same amount of smoking time that I get from the Digger for $11."

That's some wonderful insight. Never thought about it from that perspective. My line of thinking in that situation would be along the lines of let me start off with something mild and light and move onto something full bodied and and spicy.

[Brutus2600]

Originally Posted by Mr. Ed

That's some wonderful insight. Never thought about it from that perspective. My line of thinking in that situation would be along the lines of let me start off with something mild and light and move onto something full bodied and and spicy.

The problem is we're looking at it from the wrong angle. We love cigars and our hobby is to find that perfect cigar to smoke. The average cigar smoker is a lot less discerning that we are. I'll gladly pay another $5 to have two good cigars over saving $5 and smoking one mediocre cigar. Or I'll buy a small, dainty looking cigar knowing it's going to be a great little flavor bomb, because I don't care how I look smoking it.

[bobarian]

I think you will find many more large RG introductions at IPCPR(sp?) this fall.

[Brooks W]

Originally Posted by bobarian

I think you will find many more large RG introductions at IPCPR(sp?) this fall.

Yep.

In fact, if you would like, you can see a list of all of the cigars that have been or will be released in 2012 (over 750 of them!) here:

http://www.halfwheel.com/2012newcigars/

Most have links to info about what the RGs are...here is a hint: LOTS of cigars over 56 RG.

[Dunkel]

Victor Sinclair has a few out that are 70 ring. I have smoked 60 ring cigars and enjoyed them, but I don't prefer them.

[Commander Quan]

I actually have a couple of those Big Surs. They've been sitting in the humi for about 7 years waiting for the right time.