The sheer number of box-pressed premium cigar blends on the market today tells us everything we need to know: Smokers like blocky stogies. 

Traditionally constructed by purposefully under-filling the cigar, and then moistening the wrapper so that it does not crack under pressure, this square-shaped style of cigar undergoes a self-explanatory process to achieve its unique shape. This requires the use of either mechanized presses or old fashioned man power, and take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to reach the optimum shape. By combining pressure, time, some block-shaped confines, and/or a group pressing inside of a dressing box, cigar makers are able to shape what would normally be rotund into an almost rectangle profile.

And while sharply creased cigars are technically "trunk-pressed," and rely upon a different compression procedure than traditional box-pressing, the lines between these two production styles has become increasingly blurry over the years. In fact, it has become so commonplace for cigar makers and retailers to lump both forms of square cigar under a single blanket term, that you will often see blends being marketed as box-pressed, when in actuality they are trunk-pressed. 

Either way, we love us some "square stogies" here at Klaro, which is precisely why we have put together our first-ever blocky cigar bundle. All of the blends inside have received some form of pressing to achieve that signature angular look, and like every other bundle we stock, each one comes Klaro tested, reviewed, and approved. Additionally, each of these squared smokes has received glowing reviews from you, our Klaro Crew, making them all the more collectible and shareable.

Espinosa 601 Blue Label Maduro 

The Espinosa 601 Blue Label Maduro is another one of those smokes that took me a bit by surprise. Not just by its cigar flavor profiles and impressive build and burn qualities, but by what it does not do. Some of ya'll may dig the whole manure and barnyard funk mixture,

This blend brings out just the right amount of funk and full-powered maduro meatiness that Espinosa Cigars have become synonymous with, while not going too far one direction or another. What results is a dark cigar with some classic maduro moments, but also a fair deal of backyard barbecue flavors and aromas. Oh, and we probably should not overlook the fact that the box-pressed torpedo version looks, feels, and burns like a total badass. 

Plasencia Alma del Fuego 

There's a damn good reason why everyone has offered their opinion on this blend too. It's really freakin' fantastic. 

Not because it tastes brilliant, and balances lively flavors with near full-strength Nicaraguan puro power. Not because it burns with the best of them and brings Plasencia-grade levels of box-pressed perfection and that signature triple-band approach to packaging. Not even the fact that it has not one, but two binders inside.

No, my friends. What matters the most is that the recipe for this cigar requires the use of no less than 75% tobacco pulled straight from the island of Ometepe down in Nicaragua. A freshwater isle known for having not one, but two volcanoes, and a volcanic soil substrate unlike anything else on the planet. 

Bold and smooth, Alma del Fuego delivers an eruption of flavors and aromas to you in near-perfect quantities every time and burns with the very best of them. Another outstanding cigar option from the Plasencia family that does not disappoint, and remains on our list as one of the best box-pressed short smokes of all time.

Casa Carrillo Allegiance

Instead of producing a cigar in the Dominican Republic out of locally sourced tobacco like he normally would, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo tapped Oliva Cigars down in Nicaragua to produce the contents and then roll up a cigar for him. 

Although the formulation of the blend was a joint effort between the two companies, EP Carrillo (EPC) gives full credit to Oliva for the tobacco used within the blend, as well as its box-pressed production. However, the idea of this "allegiance" and its roster of ingredients was all EP Carrillo from day one, and not the other way around, hence the cigar bearing Ernesto's banding and branding. 

Sumatran wrapper fans will fall hard for the center and final sections of EP Carrillo's Allegiance. Spicy, sweet, and stuffed with medium-strength sun-grown Oliva leaf, the majority of this cigar's flavor wheel hits you with one winning spin after another in the second half. Darker, stronger earth flavors and black chocolate notes are detected at times, which in my review cigar came and went unexpectedly, only to return once more for a second serving.  

The intoxicating aroma of gingerbread, dried cashew and almond nuts, raw bread dough, and a tingle of Sumatran spice all make delectable top notes. This is one satiny, smooth cigar. A mellow premium cigar blend that makes you feel like you are smoking something stronger than what is in your hand. 

Dapper El Borracho San Andrés Natural 

When Dapper Cigar Co. founder Ian Reith first began blending the El Borracho Natural, it was intended purely for his own personal smoking pleasure. Like many of us, the man had developed an affinity for the utterly divine Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series, and was struggling to justify his pricey preferences. 

The cigar returns to a mixture of red and black licorice, the dried tannin taste of charred hardwood, and that familiar herbal flavor of the world's favorite Swiss cough drop. Mixing milky, mellow coconut cream and cashews with full-flavored Nicaraguan force, and then dumping it over a bowl of cinnamon cereal (sans sugar).

Creamy Mexican horchata, complete with a shot of rum and an extra stick of cinnamon, stumbles pint-first into the drunken fiesta, leaving behind a finish that grows gradually more milky and longer with each puff. 

Esteban Carreras Chupacabra Hellcat

Unlike the classic Chupacabra blend we offer, this Hellcat version skips the habano oscuro outer leaf for a lighter Mexican San Andrés wrapper and takes box-pressing to a whole new level. So much so that I cannot help but think of a tongue suppressor or an oversized popsicle stick every time I hold one.

There's also a little bit of intrigue with this one. Those rum-soaked raisin notes really do make me wonder if Esteban Carreras took the liberty of stuffing some leaf inside Flor de Caña casks,

I found the wafer-thin vitola to be quite comfortable clenched between my teeth once my mouth became accustomed to its oblong ½″ thick by ¾″ across dimensions. Having a blend that sits in the neutral area between maduro and natural San Andrés cigar flavor profiles is always a treat to me, and that is one of the main reasons why this blend delivers. A lighter-bodied, yet medium-full flavored jetpack of a cigar with a surprisingly lengthy finish and just enough twists along the way to keep you guessing. 

GPC 1502 Ruby 

Not much is disclosed about this blend, beyond the fact that it is built upon a 100% Nicaraguan filler and binder combo, where you will find all viso leaves, zero seco, and a single ligero leaf. That Colorado Rosado-colored wrapper is an Ecuador-grown habano leaf from the Oliva family. Produced by Plasencia and sporting GPC's patented "foot lock," this medium-full stick looks like it has all of the right minerals.

Sweet upon the lips and longing to be tasted, the "everyman's cigar" from GPC truly does achieve its goal of offering medium-full amounts of everything. Fruity, spiced, leather-like, soil-strong, and undeniably sun-grown, this box-pressed gem is a real delight for anyone.

Even when I was feeling that the cigar was shying away from its goal of going harder than before, it managed to do so without compromising smoothness or balance in the process. 

AJ Fernandez New World Dorado

This blend was formulated with an almost completely single-source approach to cultivation. Outside of a sprinkling within the filler blend being pulled from a couple of AJ's other fields, the entirety of this premium cigar blend comes straight out of one farm plot: The AJ Fernandez "Dorado" farm in Estelí, Nicaragua. 

That means the sun-grown habano wrapper, along with the Criollo '98 binder, and a fat bunch of the long-filler inside are exposed to the exact same climate, weather changes, watering routines, soil quality, and so forth on a daily basis. 

Strong and smooth, ultra-creamy, yet somehow dark and complex, AJ Fernandez's New World Dorado is a cigar filled with compliments and contrasts. There may not be much about it that is mild, but somehow it feels like even fans of lower-power medium cigar blends could stomach this one. 

All told , this is a super smooth burner with balance and bright flavors offsetting darker Nicaraguan puro-powered profiles. Whatever was grown on that farm plot prior to tobacco must have been magnificent, because this blend is pure gold.

Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa

I genuinely believe that the BII Viso Jalapa by Cavalier Genève is one of the greatest tea-time cigars ever rolled. What's so special about this Nicaraguan puro beyond its edible 24-karat gold embellishments, oily, viso Jalapa wrapper, and all habano internals? How about equal amounts of herbal, sweet, tannin-strong, wood-oriented, and moderately spicy primary components sprinkled throughout?

The cigar also looks outstanding, smells superlative, and never goes too heavy on you with flavor, body, or strength. So whether you are into oolong, enjoy a spot of Earl Grey, relish a cup of rooibos, or merely want an ice-cold mug of sweet tea with a sprig of mint, the BII Viso Jalapa is here to complement and contrast with your afternoon sipping session.