Box Press

Stay tuned for the big take down! Rocky Patel got way more than he bargained for while debuting his new cigars, Conviction and Dark Star to Boveda's founders, Sean Knutsen and Tim Swail and company sensei, Drew Emmer. Rocky explains why he uses Boveda to preserve the flavor and character of his cigars. Just to clarify, Boveda was indeed developed in Minnesota, the land of sky blue water, but here'...

Winner, winner, chicken dinner. In a Premium Cigar Retailers Association auction, Nico Sanders was victorious in earning a guest role on Boveda's cigar podcast, Box Press. "Sharing cigars with people and learning more about them and their experiences is the greatest thing," the long-time cigar smoker told hosts Nate Beck and Rob Gagner. Nico, a lover of anything Fuente, heads up Community Housing...

Listen for the hilarious father-son story that taught Tim Ozgener the importance of knowing your customer via adult-themed pipes! Previously, Tim owned and ran CAO with his father Cano Aret Ozgener and his sister Aylin. After a 12-year hiatus, Tim found his way back to the cigar business. Learn from the exercises that helped him pinpoint where to go next and how to design a brand like Nike does. I...

Don't get mired in the flavors you're tasting in a cigar—or not tasting, for that matter. Just smoke a cigar to enjoy it, said Dion Giolito, founder of Illusione Cigars. This from the guy with an exacting palate and a rep for creative tobacco blending in cigars like the Singularé, Fume d'Amour, Ultra and Garagiste. Before making cigars, Giolito launched Fumare, a Nevada smoke shop specializing in...

Get out your handkerchiefs! A cigar talk to share with your dad or other influential man in your life. In November 2003, Jeremiah Meerapfel's father Richard died suddenly of a heart attack. Richard was heralded with saving Cameroon/Central African wrapper tobacco from extinction in the early 1990s. Jeremiah and his brother Joshua carried on their father's work. In honor of their father, the Meerap...

How do you pick a cigar that's right for you, especially if you're new to cigar smoking? Learn the top things to know before you shop for cigars. Includes helpful questions what to say when the humidor manager asks, "May I help you." Hosted by Boveda's Nate Beck and Rob Gagner. Pick up a Boveda Humidor Bag to store those cigars you pick up at the smoke shop. A Boveda Humidor Bag makes a great firs...

Instead of chasing the next best boutique cigar, why not go back to the classics? Join Boveda's Rob Ganger and Nate Beck as they compare 2 sticks from Altadis U.S.A.—Henry Clay War Hawk is up against the Montecristo Classic. What’s the difference between these two cigars? Find out in this next round of "Big Brother Versus Little Brother," the cigar showdown of a budget-friendly cigar (War Hawk) an...

What cigar punches way above its price point? Find out in this next round of "Big Brother Versus Little Brother" cigar showdown! Join Boveda's Rob Ganger and Nate Beck as they compare 4 sticks from Robert Caldwell. Lost & Found started as a line of "abandoned" cigars. Since those are now few and far between, Lost & Found now blends small-batch cigars from rare, aged tobaccos. Hence the nam...

"We don't make cigars, we make reasons to enjoy life," said Nirka Reyes, president of De Los Reyes, a cigar factory in the Dominican Republic. De Los Reyes is home to the Saga line of cigars and a portfolio of third-party brands. Nirka was also a pandemic bride who's planning a fifth anniversary reception to celebrate the big event that never was. Hear how Box Press host, Rob Gagner weasels his wa...

Good burn. Great taste. Just what you'd expect from a retired Chicago firefighter turned cigar maker. Aric Bey is a model on how to pivot if early retirement derails your career. The Black boutique cigar brand founder sits down with Boveda's Rob Gagner to talk about the Black Star Line Cigars' blends. The brand name is a fist up to civil rights leader, Marcus Garvey. You might remember that Black...

Is one cigar worth twice as much as another in the same cigar brand? It's a "Big Brother Versus Little Brother" showdown! Join Boveda's Rob Ganger and Nate Beck as they compare 2 sticks from Arturo Fuente. And hear how to correctly pronounce Boveda. About Boveda for Cigars: Boveda are those brown 2-way humidity packs you put in a humidor to preserve cigars. When you own a humidor, you need to make...

Wheels of a suitcase that can charge your devices? Luggage for a cigar smoker? Diamond detailing? A carry-on to match your lipstick color? Peek into the world of how the rich and famous travel with Heiko Poerz, the founder of bespoke luggage company HENK. For the rest of us—enjoy the affordable luxury of a HENK cigar. The first vitola was christened on a private island ringed by white sandy beache...

This episode gets real—men open up about mental health, fatherhood and self-imposed expectations. So, does cigar smoking help you cope with what life throws at you? Solo, cigar time is meditative. Surrounded by friends (or soon-to-be friends at the lounge), cigars create connection that's so lacking in today's frenetic world. And what a connection was made winter camping in Northern Minnesota. (Ye...

Small-batch chasers and SOTL, it's time to give a woop woop to Drunk Chicken Cigars. This woman-owned, Black-owned boutique cigar company is headquartered in the District of Columbia. Hear how business professor Dr. Desiree Sylver turned a limited-run cigar hobby into a growing cigar business. The founder and CEO sat down with Boveda's Rob Gagner at PCA. Perfectly aged cigars. Guaranteed. Use Bove...

Is one cigar worth 2X the other? It's a "Big Brother Versus Little Brother" showdown! Join Boveda's Rob Ganger and Nate Beck as they compare 2 sticks from United Cigars' storied line of cigars. Boveda are those brown 2-way humidity packs you put in a humidor to preserve cigars. When you own a humidor, you need to make sure the cigars inside stay well-humidified or they can be hard to light, burn t...

Join Boveda's Rob Ganger for a chat with Dissident Cigars. Boveda are those brown 2-way humidity packs you put in a humidor to preserve cigars. When you own a humidor, you need to make sure the cigars inside stay well-humidified or they can be hard to light, burn to too fast or get moldy. With Boveda in your humidor, you'll get better flavor from a cigar. Boveda has been keeping cigars tasting gre...

Boveda are those brown 2-way humidity packs you put in a humidor to preserve cigars. When you own a humidor, you need to make sure the cigars inside stay well-humidified or they can be hard to light, burn to too fast or get moldy. With Boveda in your humidor, you'll get better flavor from a cigar. Boveda has been keeping cigars tasting great for more than 25 years. Facebook: https://www.facebook.c...

You gotta hear this story to believe it. Great factoid to share at the cigar lounge—"hey, did you know that the founder of Serino Cigars started in..." Listen and find out! Who's On this Box Press Cigar Podcast: Patriarch Tony Serino (founder) and his son, Carson (vice president and creative director) of Serino Cigars, a small batch cigar maker and private label cigar manufacturer. Interviewed by...

Challenge accepted! https://cigarsforwarriors.org/donate/ Boveda's Rob Ganger challenges cigar lovers to donate 10 million cigars by 2027, to the non-profit organization, Cigars for Warriors. CFW sends cigar care packages filled with donated cigars and cigar accessories to troops who are in active war zones. Each care package is protected by Boveda, the brown 2-way humidity packs you put in a humi...

The holy trinity of a cigar is its filler, binder and wrapper. All parts of a cigar work together to create handmade art that cigar smokers love. Hear how master blenders combine tobacco and techniques to make premium cigars taste so good. Guest: Altadis Cigars’ National Education Manager and Smoke Tester, Travis Pappenheim Boveda Box Hosts: Rob Gagner and Nate Beck More with cigar smokers, Travis...

If you love cigars, please don't be intimidated by your local cigar lounge. Many cigar shops also feature conversation spots where you can light up your purchase and chat with other patrons. Some questions to break the ice with cigar smokers: What are you smoking? Would you buy that cigar again? What cigar would you recommend I try next? Guest: Altadis Cigars’ National Education Manager and Smoke...

The nose knows! Learn why people smell cigar smoke. Hear how smoking experts judge the aroma of a cigar. Try this new cigar smoking technique to appreciate your next smoke even more. Guest: Altadis Cigars’ National Education Manager and Smoke Tester, Travis Pappenheim Boveda Box Hosts: Rob Gagner and Nate Beck More with cigar smokers, Travis, Rob and Nate here: What Are You Tasting in a Cigar? htt...

A real-life cigar experiment you SHOULD try at home! See for yourself why tasting cigars involves both your sense of smell and your taste buds. Create your own palate training kit using everyday items from your pantry, spice rack, mudroom, humidor, etc. Learn how to use those sense stimulators to identify and define a cigar’s flavor.  Hear how professional smoke testers develop flavor notes f...

Want to get better at identifying the flavors of a cigar? (And we're not talking flavor infused cigars.) You can learn how to build associations between your senses and what you’re tasting in premium tobacco. Join these cigar aficionados for a smoke as they reveal cigar flavors, how that flavor changes throughout a premium handmade cigar and how the tobacco leaves origins dictate what you taste. G...

Cigar smokers wanna know what the best cigar flavors are. Even if you smoke the #1 cigar, you might never experience its full flavor if you smoke a cigar too fast, judge a cigar when you first light it or try to set the record for the biggest ash. You might be surprised to hear the way you smoke cigars may impact their flavors. Correct these 3 mistakes cigar smokers make and your next cigar might...