Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca, Chairman of Joya de Nicaragua, has been a fan of the game Shut the Box since 2012. He learned of the game at a cigar shop, Havana Mix Shop in Memphis, TN, and was challenged to a game. Cuenca has a PhD in Economics and has always been fascinated with numbers and games with numbers. With this in mind, Joya de Nicaragua is releasing a box of Antaño cigars, designed to play this game, AntañoShut the BoxLimited Edition.
“I never thought that day I would discover one of my now favorite pastimes, and moreover, that 8 years after, my team would come up with the idea of making a cigar box that transforms into it. The best of all is that now I'll find it in cigar lounges across America when I visit,” says Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca, Chairman of the Board.
AntañoShut the BoxLimited Edition is designed for loyal fans of Joya de Nicaragua. 500 of the Special Edition boxes have been made in two vitolas, for a total of 1000 boxes. The sizes are the company's signature size, Gran Cónsul which measures 4 ¾ x 60 with boxes selling for $182 and Robusto Grande which measures 5 ½ x 52 and boxes sell for $169. Each box contains 20 cigars, the required pieces to play the game and the instructions to play the game. AntañoShut the Box goes on sale June 2020. The blend for Antaño uses a Nicaraguan Habano Wrapper and Nicaraguan Binder and Fillers.
“For many years we have been thinking about ideas on how to make our empty boxes be useful after all cigars are smoked, and this is how we decided to let people have some fun. At the moment, we didn't know we were going to be bringing to smokers a special game so useful these days that we have to stay longer at home,” said Juan Ignacio Martínez, Executive President.
