Although square, box-pressed cigars are less popular than their cylindrical counterparts, they remain the favorites of many cigar aficionados. According to proponents of box-pressed cigars, the square shape superbly enhances and amplifies tobacco flavors. This packaging technique uses light pressure to compact the tobacco leaves, resulting in a cigar with a better draw and smoother burn.
Some cigar enthusiasts also believe that they go out less often and burn more evenly. The shape of box-pressed cigars allows the smoker to take in more air with each draw, which cools the temperature of the smoke and makes it easier to taste the flavours. Other enthusiasts say that box-pressed cigars work better with certain tobacco blends. After all, in the world of cigars, you've always got to try and make up your own mind.
The mythology of box-pressed cigars
The origins of box-pressed cigars are disputed. Apparently, the tradition dates back to the early twentieth century, in Cuba of course! In order to pack more cigars in each box and save money on transport, tobacco producers began to pack their cigars very tightly. Newly-rolled cigars are slightly moist and malleable, so if tightly packed, they gently take on a new shape.
According to other hypotheses, this packaging method evolved to prevent cigars from rolling around in their boxes during transport, as they were delivered by ship at the time. In any case, once out of their boxes, cigars had a squarer shape that some experts would have appreciated. As a result, manufacturers began to produce cigars with right angles. A final hypothesis suggests that the square shape was only devised to prevent the cigar from rolling and falling off the table between puffs.
The box-pressed cigar manufacturing process
Box-pressed cigars, whatever their origin, are made by firmly placing freshly-rolled cigars in a box. The box must be tight enough to allow the cigars to take on the shape of a square without damaging the delicate tobacco leaves that make up the cigar's wrapper. The boxes are then stacked on top of each other and placed on a manual press with just enough pressure to seal them firmly.
For the record, the term "box-pressed" refers to round cigars firmly packed in their final box to achieve a square shape. However, some use the term to refer to any square cigar, including those that have been shaped before being packed, i.e., pressing takes place outside the cigar box.
Reasons to discover box-pressed cigars
1-Slow combustion
If you like smoking, you appreciate cigars that last a long time, don't you? Cigar compression slows down the combustion process, giving you more satisfaction over a longer period.
2-Improved taste and smell
We don't really know why, but that's simply the case. Box-pressed cigars have a stronger flavor. If you want a cigar that's been somewhat enhanced, a box-pressed cigar may be just what you're looking for.
3-A new experience
Experiment to see if you can find the same blend in a round cigar versus a box-pressed cigar. Does the shape make a difference in the smoke for you? Experts and novices alike agree (and disagree) that shape makes a huge difference (or no difference at all) in thesmoking experience. But why should we believe what others say? Make your own decision! Either way, you'll learn something new.
4-One possibility of reversing
If a box-pressed cigar is stored in a humidor for an extended period, it may return to a more circular shape. If you don't like them square, wait a while and they may even out. They will then taste like the cigars you're used to, and the shape if that makes you feel better.
5-Foolproof stability
Aren't those traditional round cigars fantastic? But if you put one on the sloping stone wall in your garden for a second, you're going to have to pick it up off the ground. A square cigar, on the other hand, doesn't move - it stays exactly where you put it. It's an obedient cigar!
Where can I buy box-pressed cigars?
Where can you buy a good box-pressed cigar? It's simple, they're available in several notes and flavours from La Couronne S.A.
Romeo y Julieta were among the first cigar makers to produce them, and today they continue to offer a wide range of variants. Ernesto Perez Carrillo makes several excellent ones, such as the Encore Majestic or even the Pledge Prequel which was voted Cigar of the Year in 2020. Plasencia, for their part, have produced an exceptional box-pressed cigar with a hexagonal design. the Plasencia Alma Fuerte Sixto I. Discover also the exceptional cigars Herrera Esteli Norteño.
Try box-pressed cigars; they're interesting, different and you just might like them!
