Cigar Bands

[CitizenZero]

I'm not 100% in agreement here Josh. There are quite a few very good cigars with large, even obnoxious bands. La Serena, Chilling Moose, Obsidian and I'm sure if I went thru my humis I could probably come up with a few more.
I don't agree that a large obnoxious band = bad cigar.

I understand Josh’s point, or at least I hope I do, and I agree with the meat and potatoes of his thesis. Slap a fancy band on a turd and people will buy it and unfortunately end up smoking but I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the visual aesthetic and what an important role it plays in our decision making. Sight is the very first sense that is introduced to a new cigar, before we ever hold it or smell it, let alone taste it, we take it in through our eyes. I’m certainly not here to defend or condemn ornate banding, just to highlight that for better or worse, it plays a part to varying degrees in the decision making process. If you were to present me with identical cigars without knowing anything about the brand, blend, or origin, the only difference being how visually appealing I found the band, I’ll probably take the “prettier” one every time. I just find the psychology behind it fascinating...


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[Tombstone]

Josh is spot on with my love of a good band. I have on a few rare occasions purchased a box of cigars just for the box. First cigar I ever bought was because I liked the band. Had if for several weeks before I was asked if I was going to smoke it. Up until that point the thought had no crossed my mind. It turned out to be one of my go to and with out a doubt most smoked cigars till this day.

[chain_gang]

I love bands - it's kinda a souvenir, something worth collecting, and a cool way to have proof or rememberance of smoking the cigar. I cannot think of any sticks I bought because of the band alone. However, there are some, like Ezra Zions, where the band is awesome artwork, which I think is both very cool and respectable. I've seen some cool CAO Xmas LEs that I'd buy in a heartbeat, but I'm not a huge CAO fan. If there were more monster or creature related bands, I'd definitely buy to both out of curiosity and to collect the band, since I'm a big horror fan - that's part of my interest with the Monster series, especially the Krueger (shout-out to Josh). I do not like tough-guy or manly bands like with skulls, but have been humbled by the actual cigar (Asylum). So I guess the marketing goes both ways with me - most of the time I'm not buying for the band, amd sometimes the band intrigues me to want to try the cigar and to have a cool new collectable.

[Emperor Zurg]

The band is a nice thing to hold a cigar by when you are smoking with wet or oily fingers. It also tastes like schyt when it starts burning along with the wrapper. All bands go in the trash or fire while still on the butt. If a cigar is really good, I might tear the band off and throw it away a little early so I can smoke the nub without tasting burning band. They're like a candy wrapper to me.

[SoCal gunner]

The most beautiful/elegant bands are the NC San Cristobal line - The colors in the Macaw, the embossing, the gold... just a work of (imo) . The sombremesa I had this AM is sweet and I've always liked the similar La Imperiosa band as well. Love some of the artwork on the EZ/CFed stuff too.
@Tombstone is the king of finding badass bands - from Valkyrie to Machine-gun toting chicks!

[WNYTONY]

Well I can't recall ever specifically buying a cigar just because the band or box looked pretty - I don't save or do anything fancy with either of those after the cigars are burned. (Other than toss the bands into the nice shadow box that my Secret Santa @cheaphumidors sent me last Xmas) I have heard interviews and podcasts where they discuss what goes in to designing and making the bands and it's actually something they give quite a bit of thought to. Right down to color, which to include and which to avoid.

That said I have to agree with @SoCal gunner that the San Cristobal are among the most elegant looking cigar bands out there, and that @Tombstone is a band whore with @SoCal gunner a close second (all those Ezra Zion with the machetes and hand grenades on them, come on man) Oh and while I'm at it.... that while Ave Maria bands are very beautiful the cigars don't do it for me. Not Gurkha level bad, but just not for me. Tried them because AJ but nope. Sorry Ryan

But the name on the band means a great deal and I've listened to and done for myself the blind smokes and that band does make a great difference. Without the band there is no reluctance to say a stick is not that good. But when you can see the Opus band on it you tend to give it more of a chance because they are supposed to be good. If you've never done this I encourage you to give it a try. We tested it at the Orgy and it worked to perfection, slapped an Opus band on a Bahia and Colin wouldn't put it down even though it was bad !

It's that name on the band that means everything. Tatuaje bands are small, dull and boring yet their sticks fly off the shelves. The Padron bands are nothing exciting but the Padron name itself that carries the reputation. It's almost as if you see a pretty band what are they trying to hide with it. I'm sure there are guys that go into cigar shops and see a cool band and just buy it, but at our level we're asking about the brand, who makes it, what county of origin, etc... I'd be willing to bet that even @Tombstone doesn't just grab cigars based solely on the band alone, that he looks a little deeper and then says "I'll put anything in my mouth once" LOL.

The top spot in my stash goes to Crowned Heads - love pretty much everything they have put out. And they have earned my trust so much that I've automatically bought two boxes, usually robusto and corona, of all the new releases without having tried one first. I think everyone probably has a brand or maker that they trust and can say "never had a bad stick from them".

There are also guys (and even one Southern Belle) I tend to follow and trust that if they liked a particular cigar chances are that I will too. Every once in a while they can get off track, cough, gurkha, cough, but for the most part you'll find your tastes will align with someone else out there. And the same with the shop. Typically the workers smoke cigars too, so they are a wealth of knowledge to find out what is actually good and help find the hidden gems out there.

Trades and things like the MAW here on the Bum help out as well - you don't just have to judge based on the band alone

[Tombstone]

Well I can't recall ever specifically buying a cigar just because the band or box looked pretty - I don't save or do anything fancy with either of those after the cigars are burned. (Other than toss the bands into the nice shadow box that my Secret Santa @cheaphumidors sent me last Xmas) I have heard interviews and podcasts where they discuss what goes in to designing and making the bands and it's actually something they give quite a bit of thought to. Right down to color, which to include and which to avoid.

That said I have to agree with @SoCal gunner that the San Cristobal are among the most elegant looking cigar bands out there, and that @Tombstone is a band whore with @SoCal gunner a close second (all those Ezra Zion with the machetes and hand grenades on them, come on man) Oh and while I'm at it.... that while Ave Maria bands are very beautiful the cigars don't do it for me. Not Gurkha level bad, but just not for me. Tried them because AJ but nope. Sorry Ryan

But the name on the band means a great deal and I've listened to and done for myself the blind smokes and that band does make a great difference. Without the band there is no reluctance to say a stick is not that good. But when you can see the Opus band on it you tend to give it more of a chance because they are supposed to be good. If you've never done this I encourage you to give it a try. We tested it at the Orgy and it worked to perfection, slapped an Opus band on a Bahia and Colin wouldn't put it down even though it was bad !

It's that name on the band that means everything. Tatuaje bands are small, dull and boring yet their sticks fly off the shelves. The Padron bands are nothing exciting but the Padron name itself that carries the reputation. It's almost as if you see a pretty band what are they trying to hide with it. I'm sure there are guys that go into cigar shops and see a cool band and just buy it, but at our level we're asking about the brand, who makes it, what county of origin, etc... I'd be willing to bet that even @Tombstone doesn't just grab cigars based solely on the band alone, that he looks a little deeper and then says "I'll put anything in my mouth once" LOL.

The top spot in my stash goes to Crowned Heads - love pretty much everything they have put out. And they have earned my trust so much that I've automatically bought two boxes, usually robusto and corona, of all the new releases without having tried one first. I think everyone probably has a brand or maker that they trust and can say "never had a bad stick from them".

There are also guys (and even one Southern Belle) I tend to follow and trust that if they liked a particular cigar chances are that I will too. Every once in a while they can get off track, cough, gurkha, cough, but for the most part you'll find your tastes will align with someone else out there. And the same with the shop. Typically the workers smoke cigars too, so they are a wealth of knowledge to find out what is actually good and help find the hidden gems out there.

Trades and things like the MAW here on the Bum help out as well - you don't just have to judge based on the band alone

I will totally buy a cigar no questions asked if the band is cool enough but I have said after smoking several that the band was the best part. Its a risk I am willing to take.

[WNYTONY]

I will totally buy a cigar no questions asked if the band is cool enough but I have said after smoking several that the band was the best part. Its a risk I am willing to take.

I was thinking that you also see the box on display so you have other information from the box, like country if origin. But I forgot you live near those huge barrels at CI and now I see it's not only possible but probable that you would come across a cigar in the bin with a shiny label and know nothing else. Safe to assume you'd assume the same risk with booze ? Lol - no need to answer that !

[Tombstone]

I was thinking that you also see the box on display so you have other information from the box, like country if origin. But I forgot you live near those huge barrels at CI and now I see it's not only possible but probable that you would come across a cigar in the bin with a shiny label and know nothing else. Safe to assume you'd assume the same risk with booze ? Lol - no need to answer that !

I live life on the edge my friend. I have a few bottle of what I like to call basement liquor. I found them in the basement of a house that my mom and dad live in before their divorce in 1994. The labels have fallen off most of them, there is one or two with a little grit in in and one that smells and taste like turpentine. I also have a jar of Rock & Rye from my great granddads basement that I have to open with pliers since its rusted shut. I have some tales of drinking those. One ended with my waking up to my dad hitting me with a door a few times. I am like what the fuck Dad I am sleeping, leave me be. At that point he pointed out I was sleeping in the bathroom and he was just trying to get in and did not know what was blocking the door. I used the open toilet seat as a pillow and my beard was soaking in the grilled cheese that came back up and toilet water. Basement liquor is always a good time.

[WNYTONY]

Edit: I hit submit and realized it's a damn novel. Apologies for the long-windedness