Canada plain packaging

[Dude]

Monte 4s

Bar code authentication works.

no box date

no original bands

 

[topdiesel]

Wow, that sucks.  I guess trusting your vendor is even more important in Canada.  Thanks for sharing pics showing the future direction of the cigar world.  I guess the outright ban is next in Canada.

[Bijan]

No box code is rough.

Do these still have original bands under the plain or was that just transitional?

I also saw a plain box of cedros de luxe no 2 or 3 and they still had some branding on the cedar.

[Jimmy_jack]

also, damn those look rough. Im not even sure they are from the same original box, colors are very different. Hope you actually got what you paid for. 

[Chibearsv]

I assumed the original cedar boxes were going to be covered in plain packaging and the cigars inside would be the same.  I had no idea the bands would be replaced and that there'd be no cedar boxes.  That's brutal. 

[garbandz]

seriously. ugly. cigars.

 

packaging is depressing too.

[Hammer Smokin']

and the box likely cost more than $500 CAD

[Tdm_86]

Ouch, that’s horrible 

[Sandman]

Those wrappers are no bueno. Overall, pathetic. 

[Bijan]

3 minutes ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

and the box likely cost more than $500 CAD

Just under $500 if from our native friends

 

[Hammer Smokin']

that's what I figured. Add in the tax and duty and you are probably closer to $600 CAD for that box of turds.

[Bijan]

2 minutes ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

that's what I figured. Add in the tax and duty and you are probably closer to $600 CAD for that box of turds.

Actually I think regular B&M price would be north of $800.

[Hammer Smokin']

bloody hell.

[Shrimpchips]

That’s some Cuban missile crisis going on - those look like dog rockets. 

[Dude]

Hilarious how everyone is compelled to shit on the packaging AND the cigars.
 

the cigars are fine, they actually have a nice sheen, construction looks good. Must be the pic.

[Bijan]

11 minutes ago, Dude said:

Hilarious how everyone is compelled to shit on the cigars AND the packaging. 
 

the cigars are fine, they actually have a nice sheen, construction looks good. Must be the pic.

Could definitely be the pic. Lighting can have a huge influence.

But sometimes cigars just look ugly. I have a PSP box of Monte 4, that looks super ugly to me, but somehow got that PSP sticker

[Hammer Smokin']

the packaging is acceptable...if there was the inclusion of the date/factory stamp. I don't buy cubans for the packaging. 

maybe it was just the lighting. But they sure look a lot different than the 2016 Monte 4's that arrived from last Novembers aged PCC sale on here. 

As long as they smoke ok, and are acceptably priced (which everyone has a different idea of acceptable - as evident by BR pricing ), that's all you can ask for. 

[Dude]

14 minutes ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

the packaging is acceptable...if there was the inclusion of the date/factory stamp. I don't buy cubans for the packaging. 

maybe it was just the lighting. But they sure look a lot different than the 2016 Monte 4's that arrived from last Novembers aged PCC sale on here. 

As long as they smoke ok, and are acceptably priced (which everyone has a different idea of acceptable - as evident by BR pricing ), that's all you can ask for. 
 

I agree with you about not buying cigars for the packaging. But I’m much more comfortable with the sturdy wooden Cuban factory box thank the flimsy cardboard used here. And I want my cigars coming directly from the factory. I don’t like them handled and re-boxed by god knows who.
Boy I sure am happy for you that your 2016 Montes look so much better than mine! Thank for sharing.

 

[djrey]

What a shame. It certainly is mostly about the cigars but packaging certainly helps. We taste with our eyes before the box lid is even opened. The same cigars would taste better if they were in their original box, the mind is powerful. 

[99call]

The flimsy thin cardboard is a complete piss take.

It's one thing for the fun nazi's to insist on plain packaging,  thats bad enough.   But I do think there is credible grounds for someone to insist to the government, that cedar boxes are 100% necessary to ensure both the safe transit of the cigars, but also to ensure their moisture and aroma is preserved. 

I rather be given my cigars in a ziplock plastic bag. 

This is soooo much worse than I had in my minds eye, when I first heard about the plain packaging,   it's just and out and out spitting in the face of the consumer. 

[Bijan]

2 hours ago, djrey said:

What a shame. It certainly is mostly about the cigars but packaging certainly helps. We taste with our eyes before the box lid is even opened. The same cigars would taste better if they were in their original box, the mind is powerful. 

Might help in some cases. I've always been turned off by Vegas Robaina due to my dislike of the band design and to a lesser extent same thing with San Cristobal.

On the opposite hoyo band probably makes me like it more than I should.

Wonder what the effect of plain packaging would be on my tastes...

 

2 hours ago, 99call said:

that cedar boxes are 100% necessary to ensure both the safe transit of the cigars, but also to ensure their moisture and aroma is preserved. 

I could be wrong but I think the boxes haven't been made of solid cedar in a long time (CCW says mid 1970s for dress boxes, 1997 for slide lid boxes and semi boite nature, I think full boite nature and 898 are still cedar though).

Edit: link

https://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/packaging/information#Packaging_Types

[99call]

1 minute ago, Bijan said:

I could be wrong but I think the boxes haven't been made of solid cedar in a long time (CCW says mid 1970s for dress boxes, 1997 for slide lid boxes and semi boite nature, I think full boite nature and 898 are still cedar though).

Edit: link

https://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/packaging/information#Packaging_Types

Solid cedar, redwood ply, whatever it is under the paper covering, is rigid, and can take the bumps and scrapes.     That cardboard looks very puny, in boxes sit on shelves for any period of time, the cigars inside are going to get smashed to bits.   How are sellers supposed to stack these boxes. 

This has been very, very poorly thought out. 

[Bijan]

10 minutes ago, 99call said:

Solid cedar, redwood ply, whatever it is under the paper covering, is rigid, and can take the bumps and scrapes.     That cardboard looks very puny, in boxes sit on shelves for any period of time, the cigars inside are going to get smashed to bits.   How are sellers supposed to stack these boxes. 

This has been very, very poorly thought out. 

Oh yes agreed terrible flimsy boxes. And I worry about cardboard taste over the long haul too as I've had with cardboard packs.

On the crappy materials front this is Havana house's choice (the Canadian importer of Cuban cigars). Government regulations don't dictate a material but a color and design, font elements, etc. They could sell cigars in ceramic jars if they were that color. So it's the importer cutting corners.

[Elvis]

Wow. 

[tigger]

11 minutes ago, 99call said:

This has been very, very poorly thought out. 

It's sad to see and poorly done from our viewpoint, but considering the motivation for the law, it may actually be very well thought out.