Outstanding/Unique Packaging in the cigar world

[El Presidente]

I am old school when it comes to packaging......I love nothing more than farmies rolled in Granma newspaper 

You may have seen at this years Habanos Festival, the efforts HSA is going to in relation to the packaging for the 2019 LE's. 

Do you wonder why the change in direction?

NC cigar packaging can be quite brilliant and until now the Cubans have not really bothered to go head to head.  I suspect however that the inroads NC cigars have been making in China has been a wake up call. 

It doesn't bother me. I still think a box of El Rey Del Mundo is the most beautiful packaging in the world 

Whether you like the trend or not, can you post up on this thread examples of the most unique/best/most different/most garish    .......you get the idea, cigar packaging out there. 

 

[nKostyan]

It is difficult to come up with something new for packaging... But I have an idea for ER Rusia. It is an ancient craft - production of packing from bark of a birch.

[Stump89]

Saw these while perusing a few weeks ago. Oscar Vallardes AltarQ. Box is based on ancient Mayan tablets. Not an Oscar fan, but that box is cool as hell.

[99call]

"The Punch Palm Leaf"

[BoliDan]

I've always found Gurkha to be over the top with their chests. I've never smoked a Guhrka and probably never will because of this kind of gimmicky crap. I think a simple all wood cab with a nice ribbon is perfect packaging.

[Colt45]

Not quite on topic, but interesting / timely (to me anyway)... This past weekend, I unexpectedly found myself at one of my favorite cigar shops / bars - they are fairly well stocked with a good variety. The topic of this thread reminded me that as I walked through the shop to select a cigar, most of the boxes / packaging were fairly simple - some big / fancy bands, but nothing really over the top. I enjoyed a Tatuaje SW at their bar.

Hansotia has surely marketed some ostentatious packaging, but I guess not much different than some of the Habanos festival humidors...

 

[Philc2001]

I'm not a big fan of garrish cigar boxes, but I don't mind cigar boxes with a little bit of artistic design as long as they are tastefully done, like these: 

 

 

Of course, there is a cost to making boxes like these, so there is a tradeoff. Shelf appeal may be a key marketing factor in various markets where CCs and NCs compete for buyers. If it was strictly up to me I'd be fine with cardboard, or very plain and simple packaging. But for those that like to display their wares in their walk-in humidor, or in a nice cabinet, then I guess you may be willing to pay the extra cost of production. 

 

 

[tigger]

I thought adding bands to cigars in Cabs was pretty garish, so I probably shouldn't be involved in this conversation. ?

[wineguy]

43 minutes ago, tigger said:

I thought adding bands to cigars in Cabs was pretty garish, so I probably shouldn't be involved in this conversation. ?

I'm with you!

 

[MD Puffer]

Whether it’s a Monte A, Partagas Culebra, or an Opus X, I always found cigars presented in individual coffins appealing. 

[mpq]

Selected tobacco has by far the best packaging. The Byron humidor boxes, Atabey humitube, etc. all class and great cigars.

[Philc2001]

1 hour ago, tigger said:

I thought adding bands to cigars in Cabs was pretty garish, so I probably shouldn't be involved in this conversation. ?

I could do without bands all together, or without fancy packaging at all. I'd love nothing better than SLB 50 cabs with nothing more than a firebrand marker of the vitola on the outside. But in a competitive market, and especially for the casual and vacationing cigar smokers, the alluring packaging is eye candy that translates into $$.  Cigar shops also need an identifying band on the cigars to help check-out the single cigar buyers, otherwise they may charge PSD4 pricing for a CoRo ?

[CaptainQuintero]

36 minutes ago, MD Puffer said:

Whether it’s a Monte A, Partagas Culebra, or an Opus X, I always found cigars presented in individual coffins appealing. 

I always said doctors were a morbid bunch 

[Philc2001]

Now, if you want garish, try these:

 

 

 

 

 

[Cazador]

I love the look of these:

 

[MD Puffer]

2 hours ago, CaptainQuintero said:

I always said doctors were a morbid bunch 

That didn't even cross my mind...time to do some soul searching.

[Andy04]

So much gimmicky crap around.

 

Basic, practical and simple is best.

[Lotusguy]

I once had a box... still some of the tackiest packaging around.

[SOFLO88]

On 3/21/2019 at 3:47 PM, Stump89 said:

Saw these while perusing a few weeks ago. Oscar Vallardes AltarQ. Box is based on ancient Mayan tablets. Not an Oscar fan, but that box is cool as hell.

These are actually one of my favorite non CC and on rotation. They are definitely worth a try besides the decorative box.

[Drguano]

On 4/1/2019 at 8:43 PM, Cazador said:

I love the look of these:

 

I’ve been looking for these ever since I met Island Jim in Havana. He is rather proud of them. Have you had one?

[Cazador]

6 minutes ago, Drguano said:

I’ve been looking for these ever since I met Island Jim in Havana. He is rather proud of them. Have you had one?

I have. The Sumatra one is decent!

[Drguano]

So I found some Leaf By Oscar cigars at my least favorite local shop. If Island Jim himself had not steered me towards them, I would not have selected them in a million years. They look like the remains of Groot. I will give a report after burning at least one this weekend.

God they look like shite. And I know to unwrap them before lighting up...

[Boogeyman81]

There's definitely a style I like, kind of a classic Vegas flair. My favorite packing are My Father Le Bijou and the black Partagas jar. Just love the colors and certain amount of highfalutin it suggests. I think it's the gold that pops I like. The rest if my life is pretty normal, so my cigars at least need to make me feel rich!

[cookj1]

On 3/21/2019 at 12:30 PM, El Presidente said:

I am old school when it comes to packaging......I love nothing more than farmies rolled in Granma newspaper 

 

Ha! Do you remember those old days when you could get your taxi driver to buy the local bundles for 1 CUC!?!  They were never for sale for tourists...always the locals.  But damn they were fine for a CUC! At the end of the day, it was still Cuban tobacco.

[BuzzArd]

On 4/2/2019 at 7:28 PM, Drguano said:

I’ve been looking for these ever since I met Island Jim in Havana. He is rather proud of them. Have you had one?

I’ve had all of them.  I favor the corojo. They’re really good smokes for NC.  And I think wrapping them in a leaf was bloody brilliant.