8-9-8 Box
Culture & Collecting
Definition
A packing format of twenty-five cigars arranged in three rows of eight, nine, and eight, usually in a curved or bowed box. The arrangement lets round cigars nest without pressing each other flat.
Why it matters
The format is associated with certain traditional Cuban marcas and is prized by collectors both for the presentation and for the gentler packing pressure.
In context
"The 8-9-8 sits differently in the hand than a flat-packed twenty-five."