Top 10 Box-Pressed Cigars
Box-pressed cigars represent some of the highest-rated and most sought-after cigars ever made. Box-pressed cigars are distinct due to the squared-off shapes they’re pressed in. Not all cigar lovers prefer box-pressed formats, but it’s foolish not to give them a try based on the sheer volume of accolades they receive from critics and consumers. The practice of box-pressing cigars has been around for many decades, though the exact origins are tough to pinpoint. Here are ten amazing box-pressed cigars that belong on your radar.
1. La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso (5.5 x 54)
A 95-point rating and a ranking as the ‘#2 Cigar of the Year’ in Cigar Aficionado followed the debut of La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor. The box-pressed collection includes a gently tapering Belicoso that reveals succulent tasting notes of almonds, dark cocoa, espresso beans, and black pepper. The medium to full-bodied profile resonates with versatile flavor in a sweet finish.
2. Ashton VSG Spellbound (7.5 x 54)
A bold and luscious Double Corona is pressed in perfectly block-like dimensions in a 94-rated ‘Top 10’ masterpiece blended by legendary cigar-maker Carlito Fuente. Ashton VSG Spellbound is considered a classic cigar thanks to a spectacular full-bodied blend of premium Dominican binder and filler tobaccos tucked beneath a shimmering Ecuador Sumatra wrapper leaf. Tasting notes of cedar, leather, fresh espresso, and earth layer the palate from beginning to end in an extended shape that burns for over an hour.
3. Padrón 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo (5.5 x 50)
A medium to full-bodied profile of cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and baking spices culminates with marvelous aroma in a world-renowned blend, rated 97 points and ranked as the ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ in Cigar Aficionado in 2021. Padrón 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo is a meticulously box-pressed smoke drawn entirely from premium aged Nicaraguan tobaccos, including its oily, brown wrapper leaf. This lauded blend is a top choice among connoisseurs around the world.
4. Arturo Fuente Anejo No. 77 Shark (5.875 x 64)
Among the most sought-after Fuente cigars ever created is the Arturo Fuente Anejo No. 77 Shark. The chunky Torpedo tapers from its 64 ring-gauge foot to a perfectly sharp point at the head. A premium Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is patiently aged in a cognac barrel before it’s draped over an ultra-rare interior of select binder and filler tobaccos grown on the legendary Chateau de la Fuente estates in the Dominican Republic. Mouthwatering notes of dark chocolate, cognac, wood, and pepper meld with succulent Dominican spices from beginning to end.
5. Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado (6.5 x 52)
In 2014, Oliva Serie V Melanio scored 96 points and the ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title in an elegantly box-pressed Figurado format. A medium-bodied profile of pepper, caramel, cedar, and earth emerges in an artfully crafted box-pressed shape that tapers on both ends. The highest-rated cigar to date from Oliva is an excellent addition to your collection.
6. San Cristobal Revelation Legend (6.25 x 52)
Celebrated cigar-maker Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia blends an exquisite 92-rated gem from a milk-chocolate-hued Ecuador Sumatra wrapper leaf and a premium aged core of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. San Cristobal Revelation exhibits flawless construction and creamy aroma in a medium-bodied profile of nuts, cedar, and cocoa with signature Nicaraguan spices.
7. Flor de las Antillas Toro (6 x 52)
Flor de las Antillas Toro was the first ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ awarded by Cigar Aficionado to father-and-son cigar-makers Pepin Garcia and Jaime Garcia. The 96-rated blend is drafted in a cool-burning Toro from an all-Nicaraguan recipe of binder and filler tobaccos, including a glistening Sun Grown wrapper leaf.
8. My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Press (6.125 x 52)
My Father Le Bijou 1922 is a 97-rated masterpiece and former ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ titleholder blended by Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia in an intense and tapered box-pressed Torpedo. An oily and jet-black Nicaraguan Oscuro wrapper leaf harbors a robust blend of beefy Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos grown on select Garcia family estates. Powerful notes of black pepper, earth, mesquite, and fresh-ground espresso beans concentrate directly on the palate with a plethora of sharp Nicaraguan spices.
9. AJ Fernandez New World Toro (6.5 x 55)
All of the tobaccos in the 92-rated AJ Fernandez New World are aged to achieve optimal taste. A rich and savory profile of espresso bean, dark chocolate, earth, and pepper culminates in medium to full-bodied finish with tremendous aroma. This bestselling Toro is drawn from tobaccos in three different growing regions in Nicaragua, leading to its complex taste. Indulge in a dark and decadent box-pressed classic.
10. Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill (7 x 48)
Not surprisingly, we wrap up our list with another former ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ titleholder with the 96-rated Alec Bradley Prensado. The blend hit the top of the charts in 2011 with a well-blended box-pressed Churchill. An oily Honduran Corojo wrapper leaf hugs a chewy recipe of premium Nicaraguan and Honduran long-fillers in a medium to full-bodied profile. Notes of leather, red peppers, cocoa, and spices meld with a touch of molasses.
