5 vegas

TheTraveler · 09-26-2009, 04:52 PM

I spoke to a customer service rep at CI about the 5 Vegas Gold ... he said that the original blender was Kiki Barber. He said the brand was bought 5 to 8 years ago and that, while the blend may have changed slightly over time (tobacco crops being dynamic things, not static) it hasn't actually ever been re-blended. That's his story anyway.

He also said that CI holds that brand and any you see in B&Ms were purchased from CI then put on the shelves. Has anyone heard that before? I had never heard that before.

Just my two cents.

(Yes, I did call the customer service rep JUST for the purpose of answering this question. I'm a trivia nut and the question intrigued me, plus I'm a little OCD. *shrug* )

EDIT:

800 posts! I'm catching up, icehog3!

Starscream · 09-26-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheTraveler

EDIT:

800 posts! I'm catching up, icehog3!

You'll never make it.

BigCat · 09-27-2009, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheTraveler

I spoke to a customer service rep at CI about the 5 Vegas Gold ... he said that the original blender was Kiki Barber. He said the brand was bought 5 to 8 years ago and that, while the blend may have changed slightly over time (tobacco crops being dynamic things, not static) it hasn't actually ever been re-blended. That's his story anyway.

He also said that CI holds that brand and any you see in B&Ms were purchased from CI then put on the shelves. Has anyone heard that before? I had never heard that before.

Just my two cents.

(Yes, I did call the customer service rep JUST for the purpose of answering this question. I'm a trivia nut and the question intrigued me, plus I'm a little OCD. *shrug* )

EDIT:

800 posts! I'm catching up, icehog3!

I sit corrected, I think...the information I referenced with regard to the thread on CBid came from SteveR, another CI customer service rep. Maybe it isn't inconsisten - the guy you spoke to referred to the "original" blender after all. Also, check out http://www.cigar.com/newsletter/archive.asp?a=062007 for the article about visiting with Nestor Placencia, which references his making the 5 vegas gold.

Sometimes I think customer service reps make things up when they don't know the answer to a question...

TheTraveler · 09-27-2009, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigCat

Sometimes I think customer service reps make things up when they don't know the answer to a question...

I wholeheartedly agree!

I certainly can't vouch for the knowledge of the guy I talked to.

Just passing along his info. Besides, I've never heard that CI owned the 5 Vegas brand ... anyone know if that's true?

BigCat · 09-27-2009, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheTraveler

I wholeheartedly agree!

I certainly can't vouch for the knowledge of the guy I talked to.

Just passing along his info. Besides, I've never heard that CI owned the 5 Vegas brand ... anyone know if that's true?

I believe that to be true - but my sources are the same as referenced above with regard to the blending, so take it for what it's worth

T.G · 09-27-2009, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheTraveler

I spoke to a customer service rep at CI about the 5 Vegas Gold ... he said that the original blender was Kiki Barber. He said the brand was bought 5 to 8 years ago and that, while the blend may have changed slightly over time (tobacco crops being dynamic things, not static) it hasn't actually ever been re-blended. That's his story anyway.

He also said that CI holds that brand and any you see in B&Ms were purchased from CI then put on the shelves. Has anyone heard that before? I had never heard that before.

Just my two cents.

(Yes, I did call the customer service rep JUST for the purpose of answering this question. I'm a trivia nut and the question intrigued me, plus I'm a little OCD. *shrug* )

EDIT:

800 posts! I'm catching up, icehog3!

Whomever you talked to was slightly confused and mixing up cigars.

Kiki Berger / World Tobacco originally blended the Classic. Then World Tobacco went bellyup and CI picked up the brand about 8-10 years ago.

Nestor Plasencia now makes the 5 Vegas Classic in Nicaragua for CI.

Nestor Plasencia blended and manufactures the 5 Vegas Gold (SteveR almost got arrested in the Honduras airport taking back a bundle of samples from Nestor). The 5 Vegas Gold didn't come out until about 5 years ago.

Torano makes the 5 Vegas "A" in Honduras.

5 Vegas Miami is Pepin. Manufactured mostly in his Nicaraguan factory, and there is one that is made in Miami.

Limitada '05, '06, '07 & '08 were blended by Jose Blanco of La Aurora and manufactured by La Aurora in the DR.

The original Cask Strength was also Jose Blanco & La Aurora.

Limitada '09, Cask-II, and Relic were blended by Mauel Quesada of MATASA and manufactured by MATASA.

I can't recall offhand who did the 5 Vegas Shorts. I think it might have been Nestor.

TheTraveler · 09-27-2009, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T.G

Whomever you talked to was slightly confused and mixing up cigars.

Kiki Berger / World Tobacco originally blended the Classic. Then World Tobacco went bellyup and CI picked up the brand about 8 years ago.

Nestor Plasencia now makes the 5 Vegas Classic in Nicaragua for CI.

Nestor Plasencia blended and manufactures the 5 Vegas Gold (SteveR almost got arrested in the Honduras airport taking back a bundle of samples from Nestor). The 5 Vegas Gold didn't come out until about 5 years ago.

Torano makes the 5 Vegas "A" in Honduras.

5 Vegas Miami is Pepin. Manufactured mostly in his Nicaraguan factory, and there is one that is made in Miami.

Limitada '05, '06, '07 & '08 were blended by Jose Blanco of La Aurora and manufactured by La Aurora in the DR.

The original Cask Strength was also Jose Blanco & La Aurora.

Limitada '09, Cask-II, and Relic were blended by Mauel Quesada of MATASA and manufactured by MATASA.

I can't recall offhand who did the 5 Vegas Shorts. I think it might have been Nestor.

Now that's pretty informative. Thanks for digging up the info.

BigCat · 09-28-2009, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheTraveler

Now that's pretty informative. Thanks for digging up the info.

+1...that settles it. Thanks!

Starscream · 09-27-2009, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T.G

Whomever you talked to was slightly confused and mixing up cigars.

Kiki Berger / World Tobacco originally blended the Classic. Then World Tobacco went bellyup and CI picked up the brand about 8-10 years ago.

Nestor Plasencia now makes the 5 Vegas Classic in Nicaragua for CI.

Nestor Plasencia blended and manufactures the 5 Vegas Gold (SteveR almost got arrested in the Honduras airport taking back a bundle of samples from Nestor). The 5 Vegas Gold didn't come out until about 5 years ago.

Torano makes the 5 Vegas "A" in Honduras.

5 Vegas Miami is Pepin. Manufactured mostly in his Nicaraguan factory, and there is one that is made in Miami.

Limitada '05, '06, '07 & '08 were blended by Jose Blanco of La Aurora and manufactured by La Aurora in the DR.

The original Cask Strength was also Jose Blanco & La Aurora.

Limitada '09, Cask-II, and Relic were blended by Mauel Quesada of MATASA and manufactured by MATASA.

I can't recall offhand who did the 5 Vegas Shorts. I think it might have been Nestor.

You must spread some reputation around before giving it to T.G again.

TheTraveler · 09-27-2009, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andysutherland

You must spread some reputation around before giving it to T.G again.

Gotcha covered.

Smokin Gator · 09-28-2009, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andysutherland

You must spread some reputation around before giving it to T.G again.

+1^^^ Thanks for the info T.G.

09-26-2009, 04:52 PM	#1
TheTraveler giggity giggitty Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Jonathan Location: Near a Walmart Posts: 1,813 Trading: (12)	Re: 5 vegas I spoke to a customer service rep at CI about the 5 Vegas Gold ... he said that the original blender was Kiki Barber. He said the brand was bought 5 to 8 years ago and that, while the blend may have changed slightly over time (tobacco crops being dynamic things, not static) it hasn't actually ever been re-blended. That's his story anyway. He also said that CI holds that brand and any you see in B&Ms were purchased from CI then put on the shelves. Has anyone heard that before? I had never heard that before. Just my two cents. (Yes, I did call the customer service rep JUST for the purpose of answering this question. I'm a trivia nut and the question intrigued me, plus I'm a little OCD. shrug ) EDIT: 800 posts! I'm catching up, icehog3! __________________ "My life is my own."