So I've fallen victim to CigarFed's "factory direct" hype machine lately. They keep pumping out these unique limited blends and I've watched them keep selling out, reminiscent of the Ezra Zion hype machine only not quite as bad, you can actually think about it for a week before you buy.
I've bought three varieties in the last month or so (Naughty List Maduro, Whipped Cream, and GreenGo) and am letting them rest. I notice that there hasn't been much said on CigarFed's labels in general in the database. I'm curious to hear if there are general opinions on reality versus the hype machine on their stuff. Are the "factory direct boutique" blends just relabeled 2nds or are they really a unique cigar that is somewhat close to the claims of greatness they make?
And if you've tried any of the three I bought I'm curious to hear what you thought of those specifically...
Yeah easy to do, but it seems every week they claim they found the greatest cigar ever! Have had a few of them and found them good but rarely box or bulk worthy IMHO, but priced fairly. There are a few of the Color Projects i liked (Ligero by Morning, and Tiger Kitty Sharp Claws)
What Chuck said^^^^^^^^
More Sales Hype than anything in my opinion.
CigarFed is now owned by Ezra Zion, so its the same over-inflated hype . . . every cigar is announced as "the best f'ing cigar that was ever made! Buy them quick before they are all gone!" These guys are really full of themselves.
I used to be a regular customer of both companies before they merged. As Chuck stated, the old CF Color Projects were good, but that was a long time ago. But now I notice that CF's prices are higher and I haven't found any great deals, even at Christmas. And EZ cigar releases have gone up in price as well. Not knocking their product . . . most have been good/great cigars, but for $12-13 per stick I can buy cigars that I already know I will enjoy and its not a leap of faith.
What Bruce said...I loved Ezra Zion, still smoke some, but haven't bought any new stuff for some time.
They don't grow anything, they find tobacco, and make a cigar out of this limited stock of leftovers. I believe they would be great at promoting boxing matches, but their cigars...eh, I pass... :angel:
Great feedback everyone, thanks.
QuoteBrlesq - 1/15/2019 10:58 PM
CigarFed is now owned by Ezra Zion, so its the same over-inflated hype . . . every cigar is announced as "the best f'ing cigar that was ever made! Buy them quick before they are all gone!" These guys are really full of themselves.
I used to be a regular customer of both companies before they merged. As Chuck stated, the old CF Color Projects were good, but that was a long time ago. But now I notice that CF's prices are higher and I haven't found any great deals, even at Christmas. And EZ cigar releases have gone up in price as well. Not knocking their product . . . most have been good/great cigars, but for $12-13 per stick I can buy cigars that I already know I will enjoy and its not a leap of faith.
Man you hit the nail on the head....Every flipping thing is the best that they have made.
History: 3 Friends formed Cigar Federation as a place for cigar lovers to go and talk about cigars. They were successful, and went on to form Ezra Zion as a vehicle to sell cigars. leaving Cigar Federation to be run by the marketing and web folks. See http://cigarfederation.com/page/history-of-cigarfederation. So the 3 friends (Kyle, Chris, and Alan) run Ezra Zion now, and eventually Cigar Federation gets sold to their old website/marketing manager, Logan. See http://cigarfederation.com/profiles/blogs/news-cigar-federation-now-under-new-ownership. Now, Logan jumps into the retail business with the Cigar Federation store, and soon begins to release their own boutique blends, much like Ezra Zion's been doing. (Trivia: The Ezra Zion name honors children the founders have lost at a young age.)
I too find Cigar Federation's ads way over the top, and that turns me off, primarily because their advertising too general; you know, the "Best in the World" phrase and all- totally unsubstantiatable (is that even a word?). However, though Ezra Zion marketing is almost equally exuberant, at least they give far more useful details into the flavor profiles of their cigars. I'll get the ad, then look up the cigar. If I find "Notes of coffee, dark chocolate, cinnamon, hazelnut, bourbon, oak, and butter in the second third..." I may spring for a 10-er. If I find instead "Leather, brown sugar, and cedar in the first third followed with a blast of peat moss..." I may pass. Their flavor profiles are pretty accurate (or should I say my taste buds and theirs line up pretty good) so I use that as my guideline.
Sure, sure, there's still the "These ain't gonna last long, so getcha some now!" which is an age-old "sense-of-urgency" sales trick, but unfortunately it's true: 2 years ago, you could ponder a new release for a couple 4-5 days. 1 year ago, you had to jump on it within 24-36 hours of release. Now, we're literally down to about 2 hours before a new release is sold out. Soon, it will be 5 minutes. I don't know if that's popularity, or that more people simply know about them, or faster technology, but it IS getting insane, and I unfortunately often miss new releases just because I'm not married to my god--mn computer.
Anyway... I've rambled on a bit. I love Ezra Zion cigars, and I spring for a new release once in a while when the stars align, but I tend to avoid Cigar Federation except for cigars I can't get anywhere else (e.g. The Collective).
Good rambling, good to know the history. I tried the all my ex's maduro and was really disappointed so I haven't really been tempted by EZ given the steeper prices and the ridiculous timeframe to pull the trigger.