Have you ever walked into a local shop or ordered a random cigar online and find that it was an excellent match for your personal taste? I know I have and I’m sure most of you have had the same thing happen. The next step for me was to look up the cigar online to learn a little about it. I like to know what the tobacco composition is, most of all, followed by some basic information on how the cigar came to be.
So what do you do, you log onto the manufacturers website for more info. And what do you find on the website, most times incomplete information or missing cigars from the lineup. Its no secret that many manufacturers are behind the curve when it comes to providing their customers with an abundance of information. I personally want to know as much as possible about a cigar, not just as a reviewer, but as a consumer in general.
So how can we change this? I recently received an email from our good friend Doc Stogiefresh. The email contained a petition which I was asked to sign and pass along. The idea is to get as many signatures as possible and present it to manufacturers with the hope that they will open up and provide the information that we are so desperately seeking in order to become educated consumers.
Take a minute to look over the small excerpt below. If you like what you see, head over to the petition page and drop your name on the list.
Quoted from Stogie Fresh:
BACKGROUND: As serious cigar smokers, we want more information about the cigars we enjoy. The wine industry has excelled in providing information to its customers, both on their wine labels and on their websites, which has helped consumers become more educated and more motivated about their hobby.
PETITION: We the undersigned, are asking cigar manufacturers to follow the wine industry’s lead, where appropriate, and provide cigar smokers, hobbyists, and collectors with more detailed information so we can better understand and appreciate premium cigars. We are asking all cigar manufacturers to adhere to the following standards for Cigar Information, Box Information and Website Information.* And, we intend to reward those manufacturers that adhere to these standards by giving their products special preference when we purchase cigars.
This is a great idea and I hope the manufacturers take this to heart! Thanks for passing this on to us Walt!!
I think this is an excellent idea. As someone who is not only a cigar smoker but vegan, I spend a lot of time reading labels to determine the contents of something. It’d be nice to know about the contents of any cigar to get a better understanding as to what goes into making one or a bunch of them.
Excellent idea and thanks for the linkage.
I think that the petition should include lists and/or info regarding past lines of cigars. For example, I would like CAO to include the Extreme and the 65th Anniversary cigars. They should just be sure to state clearly that they are no longer in production.
I also think companies like Rocky Patel should list information regarding their budget smokes, such all of the special blends you find on CI and Famous. ie, honduran blend, cuban blend, etc.
Everything on their is also a good idea.
And maybe not list all of the info ON the boxes, but on the inside of the lid, since I know a lot of companies stick with pretty minimal box details on the outside.
i also meant that everything on their LIST is a good idea.
It’s a nice thought, but it will never happen. Ever.
They should all take a look at this:
the cluetrain manifesto
“A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter—and getting smarter faster than most companies.”
You can read the whole statement here:
http://www.cluetrain.com/
I think this is what you’re really asking for — a better conversation between us (the cigar smoker) and the cigar makers.
The answer to BobB is that it will happen and the market will force it. Get on the cluetrain or be run over by it!
thanks L2H!