I went to the ol' mailbox today and found a new Mike's Cigar catalog. On the back cover I see the new "Siglo Limited Reserve" by Altadis. Is it just me or did ALtadis go out of their way to make this fancy new cigar look as close to a box of Cohiba's as possible. Not to mention calling it a "Siglo."

I don't know about the rest of you, but this kind of marketing completely turns me off to a cigar. I can pretty safely say I will never smoke one just because of its marketing.
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I noticed that as well. Not a cigar I'd buy anyway.
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ok that's pretty funny.

We all know that several NC cigar companies are making lots of dough selling cigars simply because the share the names of their famous Cuban counterparts, and I was thinking of what might unfold if Cubans became legal. I assume those companies could make a good case that they have the legal rights in the US to certain brand names and such.

nevertheless, wouldn't it be counterproductive of these companies to force Habanos to change the names of their most famous brands? considering they make their money selling red dot "Cohibos" etc...?
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In some cases, the same company owns both names. It's the other ones where the legal battles should be fun to watch.

Saw these sticks prominently in my regulary B&M last week. Did a double-take, and then kept walking on by.
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I've read that the American companies that have trademarked Cuban brands will be the ones who have the rights to sell the genuine CC's in the US.
I don't mind someone selling the same brands in America that they lost in Cuba when nationalization occurred. But it does bug me when companies go out of their way to market look a like cigars. I don't think they're fooling many people, especially people on this board.

Siglo was a brand out during the boom and it failed. I can't understand why so many old failed brands make a comeback. Tamborils are out again, Free Cuba, Fighting ****, Aristoff, there seems to be no end of recycled brands. Are new brands so unaccepted by cigar smokers that manufacturers are better off selling an old failed brand? I just can't imagine that's a good marketing idea.
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Now don't get me wrong I'm nor a huge fan of altidis, there are some I do like but I do love tatuaje cigars which I'm sure one or two other guys on here like also but I've seen guys complain (maybe complain is a strong word but at the least have something to say about these smokes) the siglos but never have I seen a thread complainig pete j. is using a Cuban brand name or copying a label. Like I said I do love Pete's cigars there some of my favorites it's just funny the double standard in the cigar industry.
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I understand the NC market using the same name and very similar bands as its CC counterparts. That doesn't bother me because legally there's two specific market areas for the past 47 years.

The Siglos remind me of the cheap knock off crap you find being peddled on the streets of most of the big cities. Sort of like Oakey glasses or daiads shoes. I'm sure it doesn't fool anyone but it's still obvious the effect they are going for.
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Pete Johnson is notorious for doing everything he can to follow in line with HSA, but this is unbelievable.

Image
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:-)
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Beware of counterfeit Siglo's!!!!
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I saw these a couple weeks ago too.

The guys at the shop said they are just ok.

An ok stick at that price is not on my radar.
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I am not the the type of person to judge a book by it cover, but that is a pretty bad cover... To me a "poser" is a person who tries to look like someone they are not, this product, to me, is trying to look like something it is not...
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I just wanted some clarification on your statement. Siglo IS NOT a Pete Johnson/Tatuaje brand cigar. It is made by Altadis (who also has Montecristo, Romey y Julieta, Onyx, etc...).
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Good call Mike.. I don't see Pete doing something like this. I've met Pete, and he seems way too cool to do something this dumb :-)
Scott
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I can't speak for Clamp but I am pretty sure he was commenting on Pete after someone else did as a continuation of the prior post...

I don't think Pete would do something as stupid as the siglo cigars, but without a doubt he tries to perpetrate his cigars as made in the Cuban tradition, packages them like Cuban cigars and then make's claims that the Cubans are using the same blend for every marca... So, like I said he isn't a stupid as the siglo people he's very smart essentially passing his cigars off as Cuban or better...
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I think thats the truth with all of DPG's cigars. I don't think he knows any other way to do it. I'd consider it cheesy if the cigars weren't so damn good!
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Agreed, and I think that is a bit of a double standard. If you do it and your cigars suck then you suck too... If you do it and your cigars are great then you cool...
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Come up with your own name and let the cigar speak for itself. :-)
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Thats pretty much what I was trying to say in a much shorter clearer statement.
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Imperial Tobacco owns many of the Cuban brand names as well as the non-Cuban brand names. General Cigar owns the rest. Imperial Tobacco > General Cigar. It won't be much of an ordeal; General will make some kind of financial settlement and that's that; nobody's going to change names.

As for the Pete Johnson discussion...is it really a double standard? He is blending, rolling and packaging his cigars in the Cuban style, but what's wrong with that? That's the original, old way to do it regardless of where it came from. He's not copying any brands with the same packaging, art, bands, vitola names, etc. or claiming to have 150 years of history that he doesn't like Altadis and General do. He's not copying anything of theirs really, he's just doing it in their style. The closest thing Pete does to that is La Riqueza, but that's not a current Cuban brand anyway.
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