Best and worst cigar bands

[ckay]

I like the detail of the HdM bands.

[investandprosper]

I actually like the Montecristo band. Bolivar is up there for me too. Upmann and Partagas are classics.

[CanuckSARTech]

Obviously, some classic and well designed bands out there.

My favs are the newer Trinidad (smart design aspects and layout), and the Cohiba BHK ones (cool holograms and sharp, crisp layout). My neutral / needs-some-improvement band is the Diplomaticos - simple and classy, yes, but almost too simple, and kind of cheap looking. Ugliest overall goes to Sancho Panza, especially the box art too - looks like a retarded cartoon.

I think the most unique potential future band would be one that uses a nice shade of blue - I can't recollect seeing it as a primary colour anywhere on standard Cuban bands.

[Rehman]

It has to be in packaging that non-Cubans do their best to outdo Habanos. Arturo Fuente's Opus X must have a claim to the most elaborate and gorgeous band of any cigar. Their Ashtons and Alec Bradley's lines also rank highly in the decorative stakes. At the other end of the scale, Montecristo bands are, to my eyes, the dullest.

Good job they have nothing to do with a cigar's quality, or absence thereof.

[tmac77]

I think the most unique potential future band would be one that uses a nice shade of blue -

Would that be the same shade of blue as your nice blue blouse and heels Keith?

[Lotusguy]

At least we haven't reached the level of sillyness of NCs yet - have you guys seen the My Father LE sticks? There is no room to light them without taking off a band first!

[CanuckSARTech]

Would that be the same shade of blue as your nice blue blouse and heels Keith?

No, like my truck instead....

I'll show you skirt, mother f-er!!!!!

[Michel1968]

Let the cigar do the talking! So the absolute non-flashy ones for me. Quai d'Orsay, Montecristo, Sancho Panza (esp. the regional edition), Rafael González, old Upmann. And really looking forward to see the retro bands on the Allones EL 2011 in real live!

Behind those Fonseca, Punch, Juan Lopez, Diplomaticos, Saint Luis Rey

Bottom end is Cohiba BHK, too much a gimmick (upon gimmick) for my personal taste...

[CanuckSARTech]

....Bottom end is Cohiba BHK, too much a gimmick (upon gimmick) for my personal taste...

You know what? This is a great point.

For me, I really like these bands, but it's sort of different, I guess. I like the bands - they're high-tech, with the holograms and whatnot, they have a great colour scheme, a great overall design, they're not multi-banded like some of the recent releases, etc. But, the idea of the cigar itself - I hate. I hate that they're making a huge commercial revamp of the very unique and limited Behikes from a few years ago, and just using that fame to hype these up, and trumpet up the price too. For these reasons, I haven't bought a box nor a single. I do have a single of a BHK 52 from a gracious trade from another member, since these are so bloody overpriced and exaggeratingly expensive, IMO. But I haven't smoked it (been sitting in my humi for almost a year), and while I do enjoy seeing the band, I despise the business plan behind the cigar that it rests on.

[Smallclub]

Let the cigar do the talking! So the absolute non-flashy ones for me. Quai d'Orsay, Montecristo, Sancho Panza (esp. the regional edition), Rafael González, old Upmann.

+1. And I like the UK Regional LGC band too.

The worst is the Vegas Robaina - ugly brown mixed with gold, bleh!

[FrankBlack87]

At least we haven't reached the level of sillyness of NCs yet - have you guys seen the My Father LE sticks? There is no room to light them without taking off a band first!

bro this **** made me laugh. my father le hahaha. seriously its tru tho.....

[Michel1968]

@Canuck,

Nothing more personal than taste... The design itself is not that bad. For me a design is not something of a sole entity, it has a context, a perspective and surroundings to show itself, communicate at the right frequency and ultimately validate itself. From that p.o.v. the design is even very good, yet adding the band to the cigar, the hype and everything well, it just brakes bad. (Without going too much OT or to derail this topic I think the BHK-line is disappointing, the 52 I like but the 54 and 56 just don't do it for me. I was at a party few weeks ago where the very, very generous organiser had a 56 available for all attendees. In all honesty this was the first cigar I smoked that made thinking about what cigar to smoke next. Might very well have been a dud but at this price range it's a bit hard to keep confidence. Also the 'wait until a few years old' argument is something that doesn't seem to fit in BHK's overall concept...)

Anyway, it might be a dull show but to me the looks of i.e. a Monte #1 is just great and distinctive (this might be influenced by the Calvinistic culture I sprout from...)

[FrankBlack87]

love the Ramon Allones vintage white on white embossed band for the 2011 LE's. tru dat

[CaptainQuintero]

Thinking about it, there must some some expectation based from bands. Eg I have never had the opportunity to try QDO , but from their bands I imagine them to taste of caramel and maybe a hint of lemon grass. Even if they don't that band has made me want to try the marka.

[Black Plague]

Love the old Montecristo and brown Upmann bands....but then again, I really like simplicity. Also miss the old classic RyJ Churchill bands. Also dig the Diplomatics and Cohiba bands too. If you think of the times when they came out, the Cohiba and Monte bands were pretty radically different from any other other band designs. Most every other band was just the same cookie-cutter red and gold with medals and laurel wreaths (and many still are today). Trinidad is also very nice and stylish.

As far as hate...don't much care for the new RyJ band, but it's kinda growing on me. I too detest all the double bands on standard line stuff, like RyJ Churchills and Mag46s. Have hated the Monte band since they changed it back in 2003 (and still laugh when I remember how everyone was worried they'd gotten counterfeits when they saw it!)

[jedipastor]

I like Bolivar, VR, and HU a lot. Cohiba is great too, but I think that's more subliminal messaging and hype, lol. I think the Dip bands are hideous.

There are a lot of NC bands I like too: Opus X, My Father, Padilla Dominus, Liga Privada (simpler, but elegant). I like the Padron bands, but that might also be the iconic/hype talking (and I love Padrons). But I also like the simplicity (and more old-school Cuban nature) of the Tatuaje and Illusione bands. A pet peeve is a cigar with a gaudy band but lack-luster flavor.

[Wil]

A pet peeve is a cigar with a gaudy band but lack-luster flavor.

X2. A lot of the NC bands look ridiculous. So many silly marketing gimmicks. Check this out: Laser etching of wrappers!