Why are Puros Indios and Aliados so cheap

[mannish]

I have had draw problems a lot in the past but when they smoke they have been decent

PI especial #2 6 x 46 is 6.95 a 6 pack at holts - I bought a few

[bsk]

I was wondering that myself. Every catalog or email special I get seems to be a blow-out of the PI's or Aliados. Apparently unloading A LOT of inventory.

And you're right, the PI #2 is a decent smoke when they draw ok.

[gui_tarzan]

They're not all that great so no one buys them? That's my guess, I don't like either of them.

[grtrx]

they used to have quite a following, and they sure as heck butted heads with JR. I liked them but didn't like the prices, and didn't much like that the ash seemed to flake off a lot.

WHy discounted? Have they been sold? have they changed who is distributing them? are they having a cash flow problem? did someone big get sideways with them and decide to cut the price to hurt them?

[Briandg]

They've always been pretty cheap. They are an independent, so corporate profits aren't included in overhead.

Kick around this scenario. This factory, like every other, is going to produce it's own name brand, and they will also try to sell as much generic product, short filler fumas, store brands, and other second and third and fourth line products as they possibly can. If you sell enough 50 cent fumas,dollar store brands, buck-fifty don fingerling bundles, and so forth, you can sell your top line smokes for a reasonable price.

They have no stellar reputation like CAO or Torano to gather unrealistic prices, and they can afford to sell cheaper since they don't have an entire corporate structure riding on their backs, like macanudo or punch. Essentially, they are the rolling rock brewing company who can make a better than average beer at a price below michelob.

Sort of like LGC. for decades, an LGC cigar cost a lot less than a macanudo.

[Rob G]

I've never been a fan.

[SmoKerch]

I gave up on them. Seemed like I had draw problems about 75% of the time.

[Castanza]

the cuba aliados anniversary is one hell of a great cigar. I cannot
comment on the others, but as far as draw/taste & burn its on
top of my list.

[Briandg]

got a lot of people here who really love the products. They've got to have some sort of merit.

I've just never had one that I really, liked, to be honest. some of them were just plain horrible.

[Mad Dawg]

PI Viejos and Cuba Aliados Anniversarys have a permanent place in my rotation. The CA Anni Diademas #3 in particular are just freakin' killer smokes.

That said, I've never gone for the "satchels" of green band PIs or CAs that you're talking about.

I know that they bundled a HUGE amount of inventory and shipped it to the States under the SCHIP wire. That's probably the source of the bounty that CI et al. are still unloading.