For the second year in a row, a Cohiba Spectre will take our top spot.
Cohiba is General Cigar Co.’s flagship brand and the Spectre is the halo release for the brand. While it’s never been explicitly stated, the project very much feels like it’s a no expense spared effort, which makes sense given the cigars once again retail for $90 each.
As for the packaging, if 2018 was great, 2019 is spectacular.
Last year’s packaging was a big red dot; this year there are far more elements. A high-gloss black box opens first with two panels, one each on the left and right side. Then the top piece opens to reveal a row of 10 coffins.
The coffins are unlike anything I’ve ever seen for a cigar. It’s an elongated D-shape, meaning that one side is round while the other flat. The plastic itself is translucent and the lid fits snugly on the top.
Spectre once again pushes the boundaries of how to package a cigar, but where 2019 excels is the execution. The 2018 version was cool, but the tubos weren’t great. This year the flaws have been fixed. — Charlie Minato.
