Considering all of the cigar boxes and humidors I have seen in my life, there are relatively very few that I would describe as “stunning,” but one of those rare instances would have to be the first time I viewed the Romeo y Julieta Grand Churchills humidor nearly two years ago. The humidor was designed by Elie Bleu and Jean-Philippe Martin, who also designed the Cohiba 50 Aniversario Humidor that won top honors in our 2016 Packaging Awards.
Yes, it is expensive—at least $50,000, although to be fair, that price does include 100 of the Romeo y Julieta Grand Churchills, a massive 7 1/2 x 56 vitola. It is also limited to just 450 humidors worldwide, but what instantly drew me to it was how the cigars were presented inside.
The top line of gold foil-wrapped cigars are displayed on a curved tray, which gives the impression that the Grand Churchills are floating above the humidor itself in a sort of cigar rainbow. It includes an internal system of hollow trays that allows the even circulation of humidity inside the interior, the first time that it has been used in a humidor.
The vast majority of people reading this website right now will most likely never get the chance to view one of the Romeo y Julieta Grand Churchills humidors in person, but if you do, you will see firsthand why it tied for first place on this year’s list. — Brooks Whittington.
