At Gotham Cigars we have a massive inventory of every kind of cigar. Our goal is to present as many different options to you, our customers, as possible.
The cigar industry has so much to offer. If you are used to box cigars or maybe samplers, the variety of cigar options out here will blow your mind.
In this particular article, we’ll be arraying top premium cigars by package type. By the time we’re done here, you’ll have developed new interests in other types of cigars aside from your usual.
Cigar Package Types
Cigars are packaged in different ways including boxes, tins, samplers, 5 packs, and bundles. We’ll be discussing each package with a few examples to get you started.
Box Cigars
Boxes are the choice packaging for most premium smokes. All the top cigar manufacturers prefer these simple cedar plywood boxes to package their cigars.
The history of box packaging began in the 1800s with H. Upmann. Back then, H. Upmann was not a cigar conglomerate; it was a bank! Yea, you read that right. H. Upmann began to send their clients cigars in sealed cedar boxes. It turned out that cedar was perfect for keeping the cigars from drying out as well as absorbing excess moisture.
Since the 1900s cigars have been stored and transported in cedar boxes.
The reasons for preferring cedar boxes to any other material have evolved some more. As it turns out, cedar keeps cigar beetles at bay and also nurtures the flavour profile of cigars.
This is not the only use of cedar. Some manufactures wrap individual smokes in a cedar sheet to preserve it and positively impact the flavour profile. For instance, Ashton Double Magnum comes wrapped in a cedar sheet that you can go ahead and use to light your cigar.
Now cigar boxes are beautifully branded and colourfully geared towards grabbing the attention of the buyer. Depending on how premium the cigars are, you’ll find pure cedar boxes, cedar plywood boxes or cardboard boxes. There’s even ultra-premium smokes packed in mahogany boxes.
Did you know the numbers “898” in Ashton 898actually allude to the three-layer cigar arrangement in the box? It means the box of 25 cigars has 8 cigars as the bottom layer, 9 cigars as the mid layer, and 8 cigars on the top layer.
Interestingly also, La Finca Ammo Box - 91 Countis a collector-worthy tin box with a cedar lining.
Five Pack Cigars
Whenever you want to approach a new cigar brand, a five pack is the smart way to do it. Just because a certain stogie comes highly recommended, taste is very relative. You may or may not end up liking the flavour profile.
So, getting a five pack means you can try one, or two or three to be sure. If you like it, then you can buy a box. In case you don’t you can chug or gift someone the remaining sticks without feeling too much pain.
Further, five pack cigars are a quick and affordable way to stock your humidor with ultra-premium smokes. You can get a five cigar pack for almost any premium smoke since most premium smokes manufacturers offer five pack cigars.
Top five pack cigars include Gotham Connecticut Toro 5 Pack, Acid Kuba Kuba 5 Pack Natural, and Montecristo White Rothchilde 5 Pack.
Bundle Cigars
Bundle cigars cannot really be categorized as packaged cigars because all that happens is a bunching together. These types of cigars are widely popular and sold in batches of 10 to 50 sticks.
For the most part, bundle cigars are not considered premium because they are cheaper than their boxed counterparts. However, the price reduction is because the cost of packaging isn’t factored into the pricing.
Thinking bundle cigars aren’t quality satisfying smokes is a huge misconception. The truth is, bundle cigars have been around for decades and are considered high quality value smokes as evidenced by their popularity.
Examples of top-notch bundle cigars include La Finca Cazadores, Villa Dominicana White Toro, and Casa de Garcia Connecticut Robusto
Cigar Samplers
I consider cigar samplers the best way to gift cigars. Samplers can contain cigars from different manufacturers, like our Gotham Summer Sampler. This is a great way to try cigars you’ve never tried before just because they are in there.
Equally interesting are cigar samplers from a single manufacturer. This is more like an insight into the brand and the best way to discern the delicate flavours resident in a particular brand.
Some outstanding cigar samplers include Gurkha Toro Fresh Pack 6 Cigar Sampler, My Father Selection Sampler, and Altadis Iconic Brand Assortment
Cigar Tins
Cigar tins mainly contain little cigars or cigarillos. The main purpose of cigar tins is to offer the convenience of a short smoke for time-constrained smokers.
Little cigars are usually smaller versions of full-sized premium smokes. So, you can still have your favourite smoke in a fraction of the time.
Additionally, tins are easy to carry around. You can have them in your car, jacket pocket or even briefcase.
However, remember that if you leave your cigars in the tin for too long they will dry out. So, only take what you need out of the humidor and whatever you did not smoke return to the humidor.
Some amazing cigars in tins include Romeo y Julieta 1875 Mini Blue, Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Miniatures, and Macanudo Ascots.
