Cigar spotting - which cigars are these?

[planetary]

Was just relaxing and watching the wonderful Sherlock Holmes stories starring Jeremy Brett, and saw the following:

Can anyone make out which cigars these are meant to be?

This is taken from The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans. The original Conan Doyle story was published in 1908, and this video production was done in 1988. I don't know if they would have gone to the trouble of creating a replica box from the period. Of course, perhaps they did...

Any guesses or thoughts?

[Stevieboy]

Juan Lopez Panatelas de Luxe ?

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk

[JohnS]

So far, from what I've researched, they are definitely Juan Lopez cigars, established in the 1870s. I need to research further to work out the exact vitola. It important to note that they are unbanded.

Edit...well done, Stevieboy! (Posted at the same time!)

[Phinz]

My guess: Juan Lopez Coronas with the bands removed. BTW: Brett is the picture I have in my head when reading Holmes, he just "is" Sherlock for me.

[planetary]

Thank you, gentlemen! In this episode, Holmes recommends the cigars to Watson saying, "they are not as poisonous as one would suspect". High praise from the consulting detective, given his fondness for nearly any other nicotine vehicle.

[irratebass]

Nicely done gentlemen, but what's with the red on the side of the box.....none of the pics from CCW show any red on the side, am I missing something?

[planetary]

The box in the video looks not wholly dissimilar to this vintage 1970s box:

http://www.cigarauctions.co.uk/juan-lopez-tres-petit-corona-p-9250.html

As the cigar used on the program is longer, that might explain the added detail toward the front of the side of the box.

[planetary]

Given the two lines of writing in Gothic lettering under the image on the inner lid ("Made Exclusively / by hand in Cuba"), we may have a pre-embargo JL box. ...Not that the embargo is relevant to the UK, but useful for our dating purposes.

Here's a pre-Embargo box of JL Coronas, for reference:

[NSXCIGAR]

This is very interesting. Definitely JL, the likely pre-revolution gothic lettering, the unbanded cigars in a dress box and since no models similar in size were produced by JL after the 1970s and this was filmed in 1988, I'd say it's very possible that this is, in fact, a pre-revolution box.

The Grenada production company was famously fastidious in their accurate recreations of Victorian England for this series. Getting a box of Havanas consistent with this era is truly impressive attention to detail. Kudos to the art department on that.

I'd like to think acquiring such a box in England in the late 1980s was much, much easier that it is now, for obvious reasons. Dunhill's storage lockers were bursting at the time and likely full of pre-embargo stuff. Not to mention the dozen other high-profile tobacconists on the scene at that time.

For the record, this Grenada Holmes series is just terrific, some of the best TV ever put to film. The stories are about 90% as written by Doyle, and watching it is truly a step back in time. You really feel you're in Victorian England. And Brett is, for my money, the best Holmes portrayal ever. He was a very loved actor and person, and it's a shame he died young. Brett and Hardwicke (Watson) were great friends in real life, and the chemistry between them is wonderful.

Holmes smoked a pipe in the stories, but Brett was a heavy cigarette smoker, and the producers just let him run with it. He loved being able to essentially chain-smoke on-set all day as Holmes. He does smoke the pipe occasionally in his office with the tobacco kept in the Persian slipper hanging from the fireplace mantle.

[planetary]

Here's another one. This time from The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, episode 5, "The Illustrious Client".

I'm at a bit of a loss here, as well...

[Akela3rd]

I haven't got a clue (appropriately enough) but I'm really looking forward to the responses. Crack on boys, find that box!

[tcampbel]

Carlos V is listed as a discontinued brand on cuban cigar website. Looks a lot like this recent released label.

[treberty]

Here's another one. This time from The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, episode 5, "The Illustrious Client".

I'm at a bit of a loss here, as well...

holmes2.png

That's a box of Calixto Lopez - which are rolled in the Philippines. I used to sell them at the shop where I worked during my studies 15 years ago. Really mild and bland. I don't even know if they are still produced.

[JohnS]

That's a box of Calixto Lopez - which are rolled in the Philippines. I used to sell them at the shop where I worked during my studies 15 years ago. Really mild and bland. I don't even know if they are still produced.

Well spotted!

Then again, after a second viewing, it could be Carlos V!