A Tubular List of Tubos
Transporting your precious cigars can be an anxiety-inducing task at times, especially during extended travel, when you don’t have a small enough humidor to fit in your carry-on, or if you just need your smoke to remain intact long enough to light up after a day of golf. Some cigars come packed in sturdy tubos, the small aluminum tubes meant to conveniently hold and protect your cigar. They’re one of the safer (and simpler) means to keep your smokes undamaged for a short time. Plus, with all the bright colors that tubos come in these days, they can almost serve as a fashion accessory of sorts, as they peek out of your jacket like a pocket square. We at Cigar Aficionado took a look at the cigar market to bring you a small sampling of great cigars that come in tubos.
Arturo Fuente Chateau King T (Tubo)
Most cigars that are packed in tubos come in one color or style, but these tubos are presented in a creative, alternating pattern of tubes, one with a white top and black body, the next a black top and white body to create an almost piano keyboard-like effect when the box is opened. At the foot of each tube is the image of tobacco leaves and at the top is a picture of the Chateau de la Fuente farm. Inside is a delicious smoke made by the Fuentes.
Bolivar Royal Corona (Tubo)
Bolivar is a brand that (somehow) remains a little under the radar but is prized among aficionados looking for a fuller-bodied Cuban cigar. The Bolivar Royal Corona even was the No. 1 Cigar of 2006. For fans of history, these red tubos are adorned with an image of Simón Bolivar, known as Latin America’s liberator from Spain, and the namesake of this high-performing cigar brand.
Cohiba Siglo VI (Tubo)
Cuba’s Cohiba Línea 1492 brand (also known as the Siglo Series) does not often get new sizes and the Siglo VI was the first addition to the line when it came out in 2002. It was also the first Cohiba to come in a tubo, but Habanos didn’t want to use the old screw-cap tubo design. Rather, the company opted for the far more vibrant “lipstick” style tube with a pull-off top. The distinctive and eye-popping black, gold and white colors of Cohiba emblazon this tubo, which has a stellar cigar inside that gets one high rating after another.
H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez Toro (Tubo)
The H. Upmann brand was given a remix of sorts when Altadis U.S.A., who produces the non-Cuban version of the cigar, approached A.J. Fernandez to make this Nicaraguan line in 2017. This Toro size is contained in a somewhat unexpected color pattern from the world of cigars, an eye-catching turquoise and cream-colored tubo.
La Aurora Preferidos 1903 Edition Platinum No. 2 (Tubo)
Dominican-based La Aurora upped the ante when it released the Preferidos 1903 Edition line, a series of football-shaped perfectos that bring back the bomb-shaped perfecto size that this company first crafted more than 100 years ago. Making a tube to fit this unusual cigar shape required something unique, and as Preferidos now come in a host of wrapper styles, the color-coded tubes allow consumers to know the exact blend they are reaching for. The Platinum version (shown here) contains cigars wrapped in a Cameroon leaf.
La Flor Dominicana Oro Chisel
These gold-colored tubos (oro is Spanish for gold) were released in 2012 as a homage to brand owner Litto Gomez’s previous job as a jeweler, which he did before entering the cigar business. The cigars inside are similar to the blend for the Coronado line, but use higher-priming leaves for added strength.
Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Soberano
Padrón is a company that is known for its box-pressed cigars, and its reluctance to release new sizes. The Soberano is one of the more recent releases from the company, created in 2017. The Soberano stands out in the tubo world because its tube is square, rather than rounded, making it a rarity in the cigar industry.
Partagás Serie P No. 2 (Tubo)
Part of the Partagás Alphabet Series, the Partagás Serie P No. 2 debuted in 2005 and the tubo came a few years later. The P here stands for “Pirámide,” and the softly tapered tubes have a sleek black matte-finish with a red stripe mimicking the red band of the cigar inside.
Romeo y Julieta Churchill (Tubo)
We have a bit of a “before and after” with these two images. Years ago, tubos for Cuban cigars were merely functional (if rather plain) aluminum tubes that gave little indication of the treasure inside. Instead of vibrant color, they all had the look of a gray battleship, and one of the cigars found most often in a tubo was the Romeo y Julieta Churchill. Habanos S.A. has been stepping up its game, shipping cigars in colorful tubos with a host of styles. The new and improved Romeo y Julieta Churchill tubo has considerable pop, and a look that more accurately evokes the luxury their cigars offer within.
