Anybody ever heard of these ?

[smithrob75]

A guy gave these to me to make room in his humidor. I think they're from the cigar boom era. I'm not familiar with the brands.

 

[Ginseng]

Dude,

Please scale down your photo. Some of us still access CP via dialup. 720 pixels wide and about 350K is sufficient for most purposes.

Yeah, they do look like boom era junk. I recognize the Don Tomas and Hugo Cassar.

Wilkey

 

[davidr2340]

The one on the far right is a good smoke IMO! It's a Tampa Sweethearts (Fuente) brand.

*EDIT - Added link

 

[Razorback]

The Don Tomas is a decent stick... nothing to get excited about. Also the Havana Sun Grown is supposedly a pretty good inexpensive smoke, the same on the Flor De Ybor City.


Nick

 

[stevehawk]

I smoked my first Flor de Ybor City cigar last week and am smoking my second one as I write this. Both were gifted and they are good (IMO) as well as inexpensive sticks. I believe they are Fuente seconds - can anyone confirm that?

I've never tried any of the others.

 

[Ginseng]

I smoked my first Flor de Ybor City cigar last week and am smoking my second one as I write this. Both were gifted and they are good (IMO) as well as inexpensive sticks. I believe they are Fuente seconds - can anyone confirm that?

I've never tried any of the others.

Dang! Learn something new every day. I defintely recall the Don Tomas of yesteryear as not among the nest of smokes though.

Thanks for the schooling, David and Steve.

Wilkey

 

[Herfin Bigdog]

All things being subjective, if the Don Tomas Classic is the same as the original Don Tomas from a few years ago, it should be pretty good.

 

[stevehawk]

Did a little research on the Flor de Ybor cigars. They are indeed AF seconds. Here is an excerpt from "The Seconds List", a very handy document that discusses seconds for numerous brands.

Flor de Ybor City (Arturo Fuente)
TampaSweetheart.com offers a line that are Arturo Fuente Seconds. The line is not complete and so far only green band lines have been identified. Pricing is around 1/2 of MSRP.

Flor de Ybor Arturo Fuente

Toro 4 ½ x 50 - Rothchild or Chateau Fuente
Corona 5 ¼ x 45 - Cuban Corona
#4 5 ½ x 43 - ?
Belicoso 5 ½ x 49 - ?
#1 6 ½ x 43 - Curly Head Deluxe
#85 6 x 47 - Flor Fina 8-5-8
#80 6 x 50 - (shortened Dbl. Chateau)
#270 6 ¾ x 44 - Seleccion Privada #1
#75 7 x 36 - ?
Pierce 7 ¼ x 48 - Churchill
Presidente 8 ½ x 52 - Canones

They also have a line called “Tampa Sweetheart Bundles” which are trainer cigars from the Fuente factory. The full line has not been identified and no black band items are known.

CP member jus10 sent the doc to me as a .pdf file a while back. I don't know if it has been updated recently, the one I have is dated 2004. If anyone has a more recent copy, please let me know. If anyone wants a copy of the one I have just send me a PM with your email addy.

 

[moki]

Did a little research on the Flor de Ybor cigars. They are indeed AF seconds. Here is an excerpt from "The Seconds List", a very handy document that discusses seconds for numerous brands.

Flor de Ybor City (Arturo Fuente)
TampaSweetheart.com offers a line that are Arturo Fuente Seconds. The line is not complete and so far only green band lines have been identified. Pricing is around 1/2 of MSRP.

from: http://www.cigarfamily.com/newsstand.cfm?documentID=68

April 6, 2000

Dear Tobacconist Friends:

We are sure you are aware that we do not offer "Arturo Fuente" Seconds for sale. If any Arturo Fuente cigar we produce is not up to our rigid Fuente standards, that cigar is either destroyed at our factories or it is given to our employees for their personal consumption.

I am taking this opportunity to remind you of this fact, because it has come to our attention that some retailers are offering to sell to their customers supposed "Arturo Fuente" Seconds, especially Hemingway Seconds. We assure you that if anyone offer to sell you "Arturo Fuente" Seconds whether they be Hemingway or any other Arturo Fuente cigars, the products are counterfeits, not Arturo Fuente cigars.

These phony cigars can easily defame the reputation of our handmade cigars which we cannot allow to happen. We have achieved the recognition of producing the Number One sought after cigars in America, because of our diligence and passionate dedication to quality, and we shall not allow unscrupulous merchants to besmirch our reputation. Therefore, to maintain our good name and in order to protect the loyal consumers of the cigars that bear our family name, we are undertaking, as of today, the following policy:

ANY TOBACCONIST WHO WE DISCOVER IS MISLEADING HIS/HER CUSTOMERS BY OFFERING ANY CIGAR THAT HE/SHE CLAIMS TO BE AN "ARTURO FUENTE" SECOND OR ANY OTHER COUNTERFEIT ARTURO FUENTE CIGAR, WILL IMMEDIATELY BE ELIMINATED AS AN AUTHORIZED ARTURO FUENTE RETAILER AND WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO PURCHASE ANY ARTURO FUENTE CIGARS IN THE FUTURE.

Unfortunately, we have to establish this policy due to the severity of this widespread problem. As an honest, scrupulous tobacconist, we are sure you understand why we are initiating this new policy. If anyone offers you "Arturo Fuente" Seconds or any other counterfeit Arturo Fuente cigar, please bring this matter to our attention as soon as possible.

We look forward to maintaining our mutually beneficial relationship with you now and in the future.

Cordially,

Carlos Fuente, Sr. and Carlos Fuente, Jr.

 

[Fatken]

After searching Tampasweetheart.com for "seconds" and found nothing, the paragraph below is what they say about Flor de Ybor City Cigars. So if they are by chance as seconds, the letter that Moki referenced is keeping them from saying so.

Flor de Ybor City Cigars are hand-rolled of the best imported tobaccos manufactured with skilled painstaking workmanship by Tabacalera A. Fuente y Compania. Master craftsmen with a lifetime of experience in the blending of the finest tobacco give these cigars a mild, rich, satisfying, full flavored taste for those who care to achieve a new plateau in cigar smoking pleasure. All cigars are bundled in packs of 20 cigars, except for the sampler pack. Flor de Ybor cigars come with a Connecticut Shade natural wrapper or Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. Our specially made Belicoso and No. 85 are available with an Ecuadorian Sun Grown natural wrapper.

Ken

 

[BlindedByScience]

I smoked my first Flor de Ybor City cigar last week and am smoking my second one as I write this. Both were gifted and they are good (IMO) as well as inexpensive sticks. I believe they are Fuente seconds - can anyone confirm that?

It's my understanding that there is no such thing as a "Fuente second". Several of the cigars you can buy from Tampa Sweethearts are noted as being "apprentice rolled". There used to be a statement to this fact on the web page at Tampa Sweethearts but I can't seem to find it now. If I do I'll link it.

The "Don Felo" smokes are cheap stuff; seen them at a local B&M and they were the "cheapest of the cheap". Probably "yard gar" or below catagory....

Regards - B.B.S.

 

[stevehawk]

Did a little research on the Flor de Ybor cigars. They are indeed AF seconds. Here is an excerpt from "The Seconds List", a very handy document that discusses seconds for numerous brands.

Flor de Ybor City (Arturo Fuente)
TampaSweetheart.com offers a line that are Arturo Fuente Seconds. The line is not complete and so far only green band lines have been identified. Pricing is around 1/2 of MSRP.

from: http://www.cigarfamily.com/newsstand.cfm?documentID=68

April 6, 2000

Dear Tobacconist Friends:

We are sure you are aware that we do not offer "Arturo Fuente" Seconds for sale. If any Arturo Fuente cigar we produce is not up to our rigid Fuente standards, that cigar is either destroyed at our factories or it is given to our employees for their personal consumption.

Interesting... I thought it was a fairly common knowledge that these were AF seconds. Perhaps it is just a fairly common misperception. The document I referenced above certainly claims they are seconds, but it could be in error as it is only as reliable as its author.

I'd be curious to know if any of the other seconds it identifies are correct? A few others listed include LCG, Zino, Macanudo, Punch, Partagas, RyJ, and ERDM.

 

[vortex]

Once again a difference of semantics. How you define seconds may be different from someone else's criteria. I think the most widely used definition is "cigars that failed quality control inspections". By this definition all cigars rolled in "Practice" are not seconds. Nor are copies or knock-offs. It could be that "Tampa Sweethearts" brand is where Fuente rollers learn their craft. Or it could be a Fuente brand designed for the bundle market.

My .02 cts.

 

[BlindedByScience]

It could be that "Tampa Sweethearts" brand is where Fuente rollers learn their craft. Or it could be a Fuente brand designed for the bundle market.

My .02 cts.

This is my understanding as well, but the tobacco used is of course different than the other Fuente cigars. To me a "second" would use be a cigar that didn't meet QC for some reason, rather than one made from different tobaccos by an apprentice.

Regards - B.B.S.