This
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I roll the ball with a Teryllium Newport II....:-)
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Thanks for a different POV, Adam. This is the approximate point I was thinking of making. I, and many of you, have met Pete in person. I don't think everything he does is great, or that he's some rock star, but he's a pretty cool guy and not a douche as some make him out to be. I've watched a few videos of him, spoke to him once in person, and I can honestly say that I believe he does this kind of stuff mostly out of enjoyment. I'm sure there will be a nice little package given out for signing up. I, for one, will likely be doing so.

It's kind of unnerving to see some of the animosity around here that goes on around here towards Pete Johnson and some others in the cigar industry. If somebody doesn't like a product or idea, it makes sense to discuss it. Do we really need to attack the character of the person?:-)
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Originally signed up, but never got the e-mail.

I may pass on this though. Sounds like a way for Patel Johnson to pad his bottom line and push whatever tobacco he wants to get rid of or whatever trademark name he needs released.
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Fixed for accuracy :-)

Not a Pete Johnson hater but there are plenty of botl's that can't afford his cigars as it is.
I'd think he should make his fan club inclusive rather than exclusive.
But that's just my worthless opinion.
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I'm with you Mario...while I am actually kind of burned out on chasing the LE's that he releases, having met him and chatted for awhile, in no way do I think he needs insulted for the what he's doing with his product.

So I get it if you're burned out on chasing LE's, and if it's not your thing, why waste energy posting insults? :-) It seems that every Tat thread goes from a couple of interested Tat-Whores posting a few messages then it deteriorates into a PJ insult thread.
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See Dave...that's actually a good post that has a constructive opinion :-) While I might not agree, I can still respect it! :-)
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More secrecy from my brother in law Pete.
Man I am pissed to be the last to know.

(Some of you will get it.)
(Some of you won't.)
(One of you for sure won't even be able to read this.)
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Pete is your BIL? You lucky son of a beech!
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And can you believe Carlos still chooses to either smoke Padrons or tent pegs?
Is there no sanity in this world??!
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Pass. Do you know much Kool-aid I can buy with $150.00? :-)

Probably not as much as Pete serves.
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I'm not sure he's that much of a genius. In fact it sounds a lot like the marketing done by some high end craft breweries like The Bruery's Reserve Society or the quandom Lost Abby Saints & Sinners Club (sound familiar?)
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Wow.... Lots of hostility. Pete isn't making anyone join.
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thanks for post
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I'm in!!!


:-)


Chris.....
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It's funny how when Tats are brought up you have some folks that jump at any chance to get any swag or LE's that comes out. On the other side of the coin are people who are tired of the endless gimmicks. Those that jump always say those that are tired of the endless gimmicks are hostile or hateful. I have enjoyed a few Tats that I've smoked and a few have disappointed. What it really comes down to is Pete doesn't make any cigars, Don Pepin Garcia makes them. When the cigar is great (Pork Tenderloin, Barclay Rex etc.) Pete is the hot cheerleader the fans of the game are glad to see. When the cigars are pretty bad (Drac, The Face etc.) Pete is the beer swillin' fat guy who cheers for his team no matter how bad they are doing.
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Well, no one said he made these things up. The La Verite futures project was taken from the wine industry, that is said right up front.

He is just good at taking these things and applying them in this market with success.

I haven't smoked all of his LE's, and some of those I did smoke were dissappointing.

But others are so good I almost don't want to smoke the few I have as I know I can't get any more.

Luckily my favorite is still the original Brown label.

And yes, Pepin is the real maker behind Pete. But short of maybe the My Father Le B, there isn't a Pepin stick available that I enjoy as much as the Tats I smoke.
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Wow, what a spectrum of thoughts, attitudes, and moods in this thread. It made me laugh just to read the diversity and the dramatic shifts of them.

I have liked a few Tats. I haven't been able to try a few I'd like to try because I don't have the coin when the are available, and when I do have some extra capital, they aren't accessible anymore. Some were great, some OK, a couple were seriously disappointing. Oh well. I do know that I certainly don't have $150 to toss at this membership.

I also know the boat I'd like to have for fishing, sweet rig, but $18K I don't have. So, I putter around in my $600 boat, glad to have that, and enjoy time with my boys (and some friends) fishing.

Could some of the vitriol sent Pete's way be anger about the fact that someone cannot get or afford another cigar he's made? Or that they feel they "have to have" something new that he's produced? Could be!

In the end, all I have to say is... More power to Pete to be able to do this - I hope it flies.

Will I be joining? Not until my tomato plants starts producing $50 bills on a regular basis. Untill then, I'm going to use the money I could spend on this for gas money to take my sons out in the boat - that $150 will get us fishing almost through the season. Oh, and I have a few cigars to take with me. I don't know how many will be Pete's, but I'll enjoy every single one of them in the company of whoever is in the boat with me. And if we're lucky, the fish will bite - making that day complete.

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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I have to say as a totally external player here, that this thread is most useful as a in or out thread.
I take pride in this forum for what it is, and that is better than every other single forum I have ever
looked at much less joined. I understand that there are opinons on all sides of the spectrum,
but I can't see bashing a person for being a good businessman who also makes good products.
If this industry was filled with Rocky Patels, there'd be something to holler about. Rocky started
out so pure and then became the CLASSIC case of Cigar Ahole. 50 different useless cigar blends, all of them
suffering from too much $hi+ to control syndrome. The industry needs Pete and Orlando and Pepin and Drew.
They TRY. Again, I will try after this to stay out of it, because I was sitting down with Croatan and Beagleone
in Dallas and they started talking about Pete Johnson and I said "Who?" and they both laughed and told me
he was the Tatuaje guy, and I said "Tatoowhat?" Actually the second part I knew. I made that up just now.
But I think we are better than this as a group. I understand all of the opinions, but on the whole again, I think
he is much better for the industry than most, and for as many idiot's hands as he has to shake a year, he still
manages to get out there and rub elbows with the roundheads and keep a smile on his face. I don't hate Bill
Gates for being a billionaire. I respect him for inventing $hit+ that allows me to make a living in my pajamas if
I want to.
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Funny, breweries have been doing this for some time.

Lost Abbey Brewery's exclusive club(s) are even called "Sinners and Saints" (since 2006) :-)

Just addressing the "genius" comments, he's doing a good job obviously, but copying what others are doing years later is not genius to me. Just very smart.

All that to say, I have no problem with this. :-)

If you like his products and want access to exclusive stuff it's the only way. Same with the breweries, they make small batch stuff for their clubs and no one else can get it (except second hand). Those interested participate, and are usually happy (at least in the beer world). Those not interested do not participate.
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