Basics
What is a box-pressed cigar?
A box-pressed cigar is a round cigar squeezed into a rounded square while its leaf is still pliable. Same tobacco, same construction. Different shape in your hand.
Square cigars start out round
Box pressing happens after rolling, while the cigar still holds enough moisture from the rolling table to take a new shape without cracking.
The name tells the history. Round cigars packed tight into a box, usually in two layers, press against each other and the walls. Their sides flatten. The box can be a little narrower and still hold the same count. Wikipedia's entry on the shape describes exactly that: gently pressed sides, squarer cigars, a smaller box.
Today many factories do it on purpose. Freshly rolled cigars go between flat boards in a press and rest there for a while, then come out square. The box just keeps them that way.
Soft press, hard press and round compared
A soft press only flattens the sides a little and keeps rounded corners, while a hard press leaves nearly flat faces and sharp edges.
| Shape | In the hand | Burn tendency | On a table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Familiar, rolls between fingers | Even all the way round if well made | Rolls off the edge |
| Soft press | Flat sides, comfortable grip | Close to a round cigar | Stays put |
| Hard press | Distinctly square, sharp edges | Corners can lag or run; watch them | Stays put |
The burn column is our observation from smoking them, not a measured result.
Why press a cigar at all?
Makers press cigars for packing, for grip and for looks; any effect on flavor is a bonus at most.
Packing came first. Flat sides nest together, so a box holds the same count in less space. Grip came next. A square cigar sits steady between two fingers and won't roll when you set it down on a table, a deck rail or the edge of an ashtray.
Looks matter too. A sharp hard press reads as a statement on a shelf, and some lines are pressed simply because the blender likes how it feels in the mouth. None of that changes the leaf inside. A pressed cigar from a well-kept box should smoke like the round version of the same blend, give or take the draw.
One practical upside: a pressed cigar stacks flat in a humidor tray, which helps in a small box. Run your box through the capacity calculator for a starting count.
Does a box press change the smoke?
Some smokers say a box-pressed cigar draws more easily and burns cooler, but that evidence is anecdotal.
There's a fair argument either way. Pressing packs the filler a touch tighter on one axis and looser at the corners. Could help the draw. Could knot it. Nobody we know of has run a controlled test.
What you will notice is the feel on your lips: flatter, firmer, different. Some people love it. Some don't. Smoke a pressed and a round version of the same blend and decide for yourself. Log both in the tasting journal if you want an honest comparison.
How do you measure ring gauge on a pressed cigar?
A box-pressed cigar has no single diameter, so the fairest number is the ring of a round cigar with the same distance around.
Wrap a thin strip of paper around the middle. Mark the overlap. Measure it in millimeters. Put that into the circumference box of our ring gauge converter and read the ring.
The listed ring on the box may not match what you measure. Some makers list the round size before pressing. Some measure across a flat. Treat any listed ring on a pressed cigar as nominal. The size chart lists common sizes as round figures for the same reason.
Cutting and lighting a square cigar
Cut and light a box-pressed cigar the same way as a round one, then pay a little extra attention to the corners.
The cap is still round-ish, so a straight cut or punch works as normal. When toasting, rotate slowly and give each corner its turn over the flame. Corners hold extra leaf and lag behind if you rush. A careful toast heads that off.
Carrying one? A hard press may not slide into a round tube or a tight case. Check the fit at home.
Box-press questions
Is a box-pressed cigar better than a round one?
Neither shape is better. Pressing changes the feel in your hand and, some smokers say, the draw, but a well-made round cigar and a well-made pressed one can smoke equally well.
Are box-pressed cigars rolled differently?
Mostly no. They are usually rolled round like any other straight-sided cigar, then pressed while the leaf still holds enough moisture to bend without cracking.
Can you box-press a cigar at home?
Not well. A finished, rested cigar is too dry to reshape, and squeezing it cracks the wrapper and can crush the air channels that give it a draw.
Why is it also called square-pressed?
Because the result is close to a square in cross-section. Square-pressed and box-pressed name the same shape; a very flat, sharp-cornered version is often called a hard press.
Where the box-press history comes from
- Box-pressed, Wikipedia
- Cigar: rolling and wooden forms, Wikipedia