To someone who has never seen a box-pressed cigar before, a lot of questions will come up. The most obvious question is, “why?” When we think of fine, high-end cigars, we picture perfectly round cylinders containing decadent tobaccos. Box-pressed cigars, therefore, evoke feelings of confusion, and this can lead many of us to completely disregard them as either gimmicky, or a sign of cheap manufacturing processes.
But you’d be wrong.
Box-pressed cigars aren’t just equally capable of being tremendously high in quality, but they have, in fact, been around for much longer than you may think. This is not some new fleeting trend introduced to the industry, but in fact a long-standing tradition that’s absolutely worth exploring.
Their History
Box-pressed cigars date back to the earliest days of cigar-making in Cuba. In short, they’re cigars that are square in shape rather than circular. They have clear angles and edges. We know that you’re dying to know the origin of this practice, but you might be disappointed, because no one really knows for certain. The two theories that persist today are as follows: one is that box-pressed cigars originated as a way to fit more cigars into a single container, and the other is that manufacturers chose this shape to prevent piles of cigars from rolling off tables while they worked.
Box-pressed cigars have been in circulation ever since, but you probably haven’t noticed them either because you weren’t looking for them, or because they’re simply not as prevalent as standard, round cigars.
How are Box-pressed Cigars Made?
Well, all cigars are shaped using a mold. Otherwise, they would not be uniform, and would also produce the risk of not providing a good smoke due to uneven distribution of the tobacco. Box-pressed cigars are simply pressed into shape using a differently shaped mold. The thing to note is that they require that the wrapper is stronger structurally than the typical wrappers used in standard cigars, because if the wrapper is not strong enough, it won’t be able to handle the pressure of box-pressing. There are different methods for box-pressing today, but all of them accomplish the same thing, which is ensuring the perfectly square shape while preserving the structural integrity of the cigar itself.
It’s also worth noting that box-pressed cigars have less tobacco in them, but the tobacco may have a unique flavor profile because of how this process really squeezes away those air pockets.
Because of the unique qualities of box-pressed cigars, more and more of today’s smokers are giving them a try. Without a doubt, you’ll have a unique smoking experience with them, which is why we encourage customers to grab some and see how they like them. The results may be surprising.
Try One to Experience What it Has to Offer
At the end of the day, we think that you should try box-pressed cigars before brushing them off. You’ll be surprised by just how much they satisfy your cravings and preferences just like the more standard cigars that you’re used to.