Do you buy into the "back story" of certain cigars?

[Diplomatico]

Seems like these days a lot of cigars promote a "story" of their origin.  Some examples off the top of my head:

- Liga Privada 9 were Steve Saka's "private blend" that proved so popular when he handed them out that DE produced them as regular production.

- Similarly, Undercrowns were created because the rollers at the DE factory were smoking too many LP9s.  So they created their own blend.

- Caldwell "Lost and Found" cigars.  Apparently, Robert Caldwell, the cigar industry equivalent of [i]Seinfeld's[/i] J. Peterman, scours the world for cigars that have been "forgotten" and are purchased and re-branded for sale.

- Privada Cigar Club offers "The Tehran Banker" and "The Kuwait Diplomat", cigars that were purportedly made for foreign VIPs but, due to distribution issues, could not be delivered.  Now available for you!

 Most of these (to me) are marketing bs.  I do tend to buy into the LP9 legend since Saka was a member of the JR BB in the late 90s and the JR Ultimate Padrons (later re-named the Principale due to legal branding issues) were all the rage - the LP9 is very similar to that cigar.

 The rest of the stories....well, I like a good story.

  Edit to add:  Caldwell's Lost and Found cigars are borrowing heavily from the marijuana industry's marketing by naming the cigars after sweet treats.  Hence the "Pepper Cream Soda" cigar, the "Cookie Monster" cigar (tastes just like cookie dough!), etc.
 

[Hoppedelic]

Yeah the stories are amusing. One of the worst offenders is Ezra Zion/ Cigar Federation. I’m subscribed to their email lists so I read that bs on the daily haha. As long as you know better than to buy the cigars the sales pitch stories are entertaining.

[canadianbeaver]

Great read. Thanks!

[DBNInc]

I feel like most of them have at least a shred of truth to their stories, then marketing fills in the rest.

[H Upmann]

Caldwell's a joke. Takes turds that were "lost"  on purpose and renames them and suckers grab them up. Those cigars get sold to him for pennies on the dollar and he's laughing all the way to the bank.

[Hoppedelic]

Here’s an example of an Ezra Zion email I got today. They release a couple cigars every week and every email sounds like this haha.

MACHINE GUN is one of the most sought after Ezra Zion Unicorn series of all time!

They’re INSANELY popular! We got so much amazing feedback for the previous MG releases! ...many were saying that it was even on the level of the illustrious Brass Knuckles!

BUT...The problem is what it always is...the tobaccos are so limited that we just can’t make very much! So MACHINE GUN truly is the king of the EZ Unicorn cigars!

But...you know us. We always gotta keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible...and make each cigar better than the one before it!

So...after years of painstaking work...we’re finally ready to release the next generation of MACHINE GUN! It’s got...More RICHNESS! More FLAVOR! More COMPLEXITY! It’s superior to previous MG releases in every way!

And so we named it....MACHINE GUN SUPERIOR FIREPOWER LIMITED EDITION!

MACHINE GUN SUPERIOR FIREPOWER L.E. features some of the richest and  most luxurious tobaccos from the EZHQ aging vault! We had to reach deep into our tobacco arsenal. This stuff has been aging and aging at the perfect humidity and temp for years! (And, yes, before you email us...it does have tons of Medio Tiempo ligero!)

MACHINE GUN SUPERIOR FIREPOWER L.E. is a full-bodied, med/full-strength box-pressed 6x52 prensado toro. The wrapper is a 10-year-aged San Andres maduro leaf. Binder and filler tobaccos will remain a closely guarded secret....but they are all 7-11 years-aged. 

First light is a tidal wave of complex flavors! Dark chocolate, white peppercorn, and caramel blast across the palate. Red oak, cashews, raw leather, and port wine immediately follow. Hints of clove, Irish cream, and butter linger long on the finish. The retrohale adds a warming cinnamon burn.

(I'm actually getting "sensory overload" from this cigar. Absolutely magnificent...just from the first half inch!)

As it progresses, the blend grows even more sophisticated. Milk chocolate, dark roasted coffee bean, and cashew emerge. Hints of whiskey barrel and cayenne pepper.

Halfway, the complexity continues to build. Cocoa, whipped cream, red pepper, and walnut appear. Blasts of nougat, earth, and malt on the finish. Amazing!

Last third, everything intensifies! Bold notes of maple wood, cake frosting, brown sugar, and dark beer. Vanilla bean and all-spice. The burn is perfect and the cigar stays cool all the way to the lip-burning nub!

MACHINE GUN SUPERIOR FIREPOWER L.E. is a complete phenom! I can't even bring myself to pair this cigar with anything because I don't want to interrupt the symphony of flavors from the tobaccos.

MACHINE GUN SUPERIOR FIREPOWER L.E. will be SOLD OUT very fast! Probably minutes. Apologies to those who miss it...We try to let everyone know ASAP whenever there's a new release. (Make sure to join our text notifications by texting EzraZion to 817-424-4777.)

I'm tellin' ya...Whatever you're gonna get...triple it! YOU’RE GONNA LOVE IT!

Getcha Some NOW!

[Brlesq]

[quote author=Hoppedelic link=topic=51477.msg199511#msg199511 date=1605294792]
Here’s an example of an Ezra Zion email I got today . . .
[/quote]

Every Ezra Zion release brags that "this one" is the best cigar ever made.  Yeah, they've had a few good ones, but most of the time its FAKE NEWS.  But there are enough gullible people out there buying the BS, so EZ has been able to keep raising their prices on these "exclusives".  This current batch will cost you $13/cigar. Its always a crap shoot, so I stopped buying from them a few years ago.

[Diplomatico]

[quote author=Hoppedelic link=topic=51477.msg199511#msg199511 date=1605294792]


First light is a tidal wave of complex flavors! Dark chocolate, white peppercorn, and caramel blast across the palate. Red oak, cashews, raw leather, and port wine immediately follow. Hints of clove, Irish cream, and butter linger long on the finish. The retrohale adds a warming cinnamon burn.


[/quote]

It sounds like this cigar may cause serious weight gain and, quite possibly, lead to diabetes.

[DBNInc]

[quote author=Hoppedelic link=topic=51477.msg199511#msg199511 date=1605294792]
Here’s an example of an Ezra Zion email I got today. They release a couple cigars every week and every email sounds like this haha.

MACHINE GUN is one of the most sought after Ezra Zion Unicorn series of all time!
[/quote]

That email is amazing, a marketing work of art!  I can’t knock the hustle; and in general I enjoy great advertising; but I refuse to be sucked in!  Being a sucker is a choice Lol

[Hoppedelic]

Here’s another good one I got in my inbox this morning lol.

Clear some space off on your top humidor shelf...because this baby is taking the #1 spot!

Now...you know I wouldn’t just go running my mouth off like that if I didn’t have the goods to back it up!

I can tell you with 100% certainty that the new BRASS KNUCKLES MADURO LTD. is the best Brass Knuckles release yet!

BRASS KNUCKLES MADURO LTD. is an absolute game changer! The rare San Andres wrapper is "specially fermented" with a years long proprietary process that brings out it's oils and fragrance. (Seriously, you can smell the age in the leaf!)

Plus...BRASS KNUCKLES MADURO LTD. features the absolute BEST rare ligero tobaccos that we've ever found! (This stuff is literally prized beyond any other tobacco on Planet Earth)

But don’t just take our word for it....The richness and flavor complexity absolutely astounded our tasting panel! (Who happen to have some of the best palates in the cigar industry!) They couldn’t believe the amazing flavors and ultra-rich body. It’s utterly indescribable! (For once they were speechless. Lol)

BOTTOM LINE...Only the ABSOLUTE BEST blends we create get to be a BRASS KNUCKLES!

BRASS KNUCKLES MADURO LTD. is a full-bodied, full-strength 6x52 classic toro. The wrapper is an oily 10-year-aged San Andres maduro leaf. Binder and filler tobaccos will remain a closely guarded secret. But...all tobacco is aged between 8-13 years!

First light is a tidal wave of flavor! Dark chocolate candy bar, brown sugar, red pepper, raw leather, and almond rush over the palate. (The complexity is almost overwhelming) Espresso with cream, raw cane sugar, and marshmallow follow. The retrohale is strong adding a cayenne pepper burn.

As it progresses, heavy whipping cream and toffee appear. Cinnamon and black pepper emerge along with French oak wood and nutmeg.

Halfway, the richness and body grows even more. Waves of caramel and Tootsie Roll emerge. Bourbon whiskey, cashew, coffee beans, and hint of sweet cloves join the mix. The complexity is almost to much to describe! Amazing!

Last third everything crescendos! Huge blasts of dark chocolate, spiced rum, buttercream, and cedar wood are added to the mix. Chocolate frosting, molasses, and toasted nuts. The cigar stays perfectly cool and the burn is a razor's edge all the way to the nub!

This is Ezra at it's absolute best!

BRASS KNUCKLES MADURO LTD. is by far our favorite Brass Knuckles release so far! In fact, it may be our favorite Ezra release so far! (But, i gotta tell you...this is not for a novice smoker. This is a seriously sophisticated and deeply rich smoke.)

BRASS KNUCKLES MADURO LTD. will be SOLD OUT REALLY fast! Our sincerest apologies if you miss it...We try to let everyone know ASAP whenever there's a new release. (Join our text notifications by texting EzraZion to 817-242-4777.)

This cigar is an instant unicorn! (You just know people will be bootlegging these for triple the price by month’s end!)

Getcha Some NOW!

Total Production: 680