One of two different samplers to make this year’s list, the JR 50th Anniversary Sampler was created to commemorate the famous retailer’s 50th year in business.
Carrying an MSRP of $250, each sampler is filled with 12 JR exclusive cigars that were released by different companies during 2021. The list of companies includes:
- AGANORSA Leaf
- Aging Room
- Alec Bradley
- Altadis U.S.A.
- Crowned Heads
- Davidoff
- Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
- Drew Estate
- Foundation Cigar Co.
- Oliva
- Rocky Patel
Visually, the box’s high-gloss blue exterior and thin window showing the included cigars make quite the initial impression. However, the entire product is instantly elevated when you realize that the solid piece of metal located in the middle of the box and engraved with the JR 50th anniversary logo not only keeps the three box lids closed magnetically, but also doubles as a stand alone cigar accessory when you turn it around. In fact, it is actually a solid piece of metal that features a concave cut-out on the backside which is specifically designed to function as a cigar stand.
Once you remove the magnet, the box opens in three different directions: a flap opens to both the left and the right, while a third—which includes the aforementioned window—opens upward. Inside, you will find that each of the cigars not only feature a secondary band with the JR 50th anniversary logo printed on them, but that the cutouts in the box that hold the cigars are also labeled with the name and size of each release. In addition, the box includes a branded gold flat flame lighter and a Boveda pack to keep the cigars at the optimum relatively humidity.
Cigar samplers can sometimes get a bad rap for any number of reasons, but the inclusion of exclusive creations from some of the top cigar brands, the excellent overall design and the fact that the package includes everything—sans cutter—you need to actually smoke and enjoy those cigars all combined to give the JR 50th Anniversary Sampler the seventh spot on this year’s list. — Brooks Whittington.
