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DEATH OF THE LOVE GOD

Top-rated Cupido brand no longer made by Tabacalera Esteli

Los Angeles, December 17 – The long-rumored death of the much-admired Cupido brand, ranked no. 1 in our survey of the top medium-bodied brands available in the U.S., may be at hand.

The newest catalog from the Tabacalera Esteli, which had helped to develop Cupido and then made the cigars, contained the public confirmation that “CUPIDO CIGARS are no longer being made at the Tabacalera Esteli. Tabacalera Esteli’s latest cigar creation LA CAROLINA are (sic) made with the same great blend of fine tobaccos that earned Cupido the #1 rated (sic) medium-bodied cigar in America.

“This blend offers the deepest complex flavors of fruit, with a sweet smelling floral aroma. LA CAROLINA cigars have been rolled by the same Master Rollers which made Cupido and the cigars have been aging for years. They will be available for your smoking pleasure after January of 2005.”

Thus ends the partnership which created this unique cigar, and a unique taste whose intensity was continuous throughout the original production of 66,000 boxes of a single size: a 7-inch by 47-ring Churchill. If you can find a box from the original production, it’s a keeper.

Why the Cupido brand as we knew it has ceased to exist is more complex. It was introduced in 1996 and gained immediate notoriety – even at the height of the Cigar Boom – for its fabulous, rich flavor. Initially distributed by BGD Global, the company which created the brand and handled its importation from Nicaragua, the brand expanded slowly from the single size in 1996 to several sizes by 2000 and new versions, the Cupido Criollo, was introduced in 2001 and the Cupido Tuxedo in 2002.

From there, sources differ on what happened next. While the original blend did well, the Criollo and Tuxedo brands did not generate as much enthusiasm. Regional distributors were added to further the reach of the brand through 2002 and an alliance was formed with West Coast distribution giant Phillips & King. However, as that company went through a restructuring following its purchase by Kretek International (which owns it today), the effort behind Cupido (and other brands) was not as intense.

So, BGD Global was back to handling distribution itself by the end of 2003. Sources we spoke with from the Nicaraguan side say that orders dropped off and amounts were still owed that led to a fracturing of the relationship with BGD Global. Sources in the U.S. say that orders placed for Cupido in the 2002-2003 timeframe were not filled promptly, leading to a loss of retail shelf space that diminished interest in the brand.

Eventually, the remaining cigars – including what was left of the original 66,000-box run of the Churchill size – were sold for salvage, primarily to Keith Meier and his Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based Cigars International. There, he sold them all.

In the meantime, there was continuing discussions and lots of rumors about the sale of the Cupido trademark and whether the brand would continue to be made at all. At one time, it appeared that the Tabacalera Esteli would buy the mark, or try to grab it in a legal action for monies it claims it is owed for cigars produced, but not paid for. It still might. Others have turned it down.

Our experience in the cigar trade has been that “companies die but brands never do.” Take Cigar International’s “5 Vegas” brand. It was created during the Cigar Boom by a company called World Cigars, did well for a while and in the aftermath of the Boom, it died. However, Meier bought the remaining inventory and the trademark from the successor owner of the mark to World Cigars and it’s doing better than ever. Made now in Nicaragua just as it was in the 1990s by Nestor Plasencia, it’s among CI’s top-three sellers and is beginning to be distributed on a national basis once again.

The Tabacalera Esteli is selling off its Cupido stocks, with the Churchills priced at $69 for a box of 25. There will likely be a new Cupido at sometime in the future, but one not made at the Tabacalera Esteli where it was born. Stay tuned to this column for more on where Cupido ends up.

Steals and Deals:
Our favorite mad scientist of the pricing computer, Famous Smoke Shop’s Arthur Zaretsky, is at it again. In addition to his normal raft of specials, we found three of special note:

• Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Corona
One of our favorite blends, ranked in a tie for 16th in our roster of the top full-bodied blends available in the U.S., is on sale in the Corona size (5 1/4 x 43) for just $34.95 in boxes of 25, down from the normal $49.95 level. The initial sweetness of the maduro wrapper is underscored by a rich, fruit-like that is easy to enjoy.

• The Punch Bobblehead and the 54s
This combination pack offers the specially-created Punch Bobblehead from General Cigar and a selection of top 54-ring brands from five top General brands: Macanudo Gold (our No. 2-ranked mild-bodied brand), Punch Gran Puro (no. 7-ranked in medium-bodied), Hoyo Dark Sumatra, Partagas Spanish Rosado and El Rico Habano. The six-item pack is now on sale for $15 off at just $26.95, about what the bobblehead is worth alone!

• Famous Holiday Delights
The push toward sampling has sent merchants to create all-star samplers of multiple brands to get customers to try new brands. The Famous Holiday Delights sampler might be the best yet for sheer breadth of quality in one package. It offers, in one order, a 12-cigar assortment which includes no less than seven brands which made our rankings of the top cigars available in the U.S. Among the dozen are:

> Avo Classic (no. 8 in medium-bodied);
> Arturo Fuente (no. 4 in full-bodied);
> Arturo Fuente Hemingway (no. 3 in medium-bodied);
> C.A.O. Gold (no. 20 in medium-bodied);
> Carlos Torano Exodus 1959 (no. 16 in medium-bodied);
> Padron (no. 17 in medium-bodied), and
> Romeo y Julieta 1875 (no. 4 in medium-bodied).

Plus there’s a shiny aluminum travel humidor and cutter; it’s $44.95, only $3.74 a stick with the humidor and cutter thrown in for free.

Coming Monday:
Smoke-ing with “American Wedding” beauty Nikki Ziering. Hoo-weee!
~ Rich Perelman

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