This is the Standard & Twain Blind Cigar Tasting 4 Pack, as the name suggests it’s a pack of four selected cigars that have had their original labels removed. This allows cigar smokers to try them without any preconceived biases, and perhaps discover some new favorite brands along the way.
Cigars are a thoroughly American invention, tobacco is native to the Americas after all, and native Americans from North, South, and Central America used the plant extensively. Today they’re more of an occasional luxury, like a single malt whisky or a nice armagnac.
Each cigar has the original label removed and replaced with a new label which has a number and a QR code, this code allows the smoker to discover what cigar it actually is – though it’s recommended that you only do this after you have finished or nearly finished and already formed your (blind) opinion on the cigar in question.
Tobacco use dates back thousands of years, originating with indigenous peoples of the Americas who used the leaves for medicinal, ceremonial, and recreational purposes. When Christopher Columbus and other European explorers arrived in the late 15th century, they encountered tobacco and brought it back to Europe, where its use quickly spread.
Cigar smoking is believed to have developed from the smoking traditions of the Taíno people in the Caribbean. Spanish explorers observed indigenous people rolling and smoking dried tobacco leaves, which inspired the development of the modern cigar. By the 16th century, Spain established cigar production in its colonies, particularly in Cuba, which became the world’s premier cigar producer.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, cigars became a status symbol, particularly in Europe and the United States. Factories in Cuba and the Dominican Republic became famous for their high-quality cigars.
The 20th century saw fluctuating popularity due to health concerns and changing smoking habits, but premium cigars remain a luxury product today, with Cuban cigars still regarded by many as the finest in the world.
The Standard & Twain Blind Cigar Tasting 4 Pack
The Standard & Twain Blind Cigar Tasting 4 Pack includes four cigars each now fitted with a numbered blind tasting label rather than the original branded label.
Each pack comes in a waxed paper envelope sealed with string, a small package that wouldn’t have looked a whisker out of place on the desk of Hemmingway.
The new label also has a QR code, which allows the smoker to discover what cigar it actually is – though it’s recommended that you only do this after you have finished or nearly finished and already formed your (blind) opinion on the cigar in question.
These packs are now available to buy for $55 USD apiece on Huckberry, and each comes with a tasting card to keep track of the flavor profiles and your overall enjoyment. If you’d like to order one for yourself you can visit the store listing here.
Images courtesy of Huckberry
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
