JC Newman

July 11, 2020

Dissident Bloc Box Pressed Toro (6 1/4 x 52)











Video review HERE.


(Description taken from Cigar-coop.com website)
At the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show, Dissident Cigars returned to the market under the stewardship of new owner Benjamin Holt. As a part of the return, Dissident will be re-launching one of its core lines, the Dissident Bloc.

There are several changes with the relaunch of Bloc. First up, the video game theme that was present with the line has been changed and replaced by a theme that resembles the “bloc” that was presented in Eastern Europe three decades ago.

Secondly, the cigars will have a different blend than the original. The line features an Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper, Ecuadorian binder, and a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. While the line remains box-pressed, gone are the old names of video game references and now are replaced by more traditional names Box Press Robusto, Box Press Toro, and Box Press Lonsdale.

Production for Dissident is being handled from James Brown‘s Fabrica Oveja Negra, and distribution under Boutiques Unified.



Blend and Origin
Wrapper: Ecuador Maduro
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Fabrica Oveja Negra


Vitolas Offered
Box Press Robusto: 5 5/8 x 46 (SRP $10.25)
Box Press Toro: 6 1/4 x 52 (SRP $10.50) REVIEWED TODAY
Box Press Lonsdale: 7 x 42 (SRP $10.00)




The cigar is very dark and has a nice feel in the hand. It is box pressed.






The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. The initial flavors at light up were light cedar, anise, touch of brown sugar, light nutmeg, semi-sweet dark chocolate, and black coffee. There was a nice amount of black pepper rated at an 8. There are a lot of dark notes in this cigar. 





At the first third (32 minutes) the cedar and brown sugar are light. There are more anise notes than those. There is a little nutmeg. The chocolate notes are now more of an unsweetened dark chocolate. There is a good bit of black coffee at the base. The black pepper remains very good. The finish has hints of anise, nutmeg, and black coffee with a nice amount of lingering black pepper. There are some nice dark notes in this cigar. This is a very different animal from the Soapbox. I rated the first third of the Bloc 92.






As I moved through the second third (1 hour) the cigar improved somewhat. The cedar notes became more prominent, along with the brown sugar. The nutmeg is much more prominent and it's very smooth and somewhat creamy. I no longer have the anise notes. The dark chocolate is still there but more in the lower levels. The black coffee remains nice. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is now dark chocolate, nutmeg, and black coffee. The lingering black pepper is still pretty good. The cigar got smoother in the second third. To me it got better. I rated the second third 93.






The cigar lasted 1 hour 28 minutes. In the final third the cigar still had the nice smoothness but it lost some of the sweeter notes. The cedar and brown sugar dropped. The cigar is still medium to full bodied. The finish is unchanged. The cigar is quite dark with minimal sweetness. Still, very enjoyable. I rated the final third 92.





Overall Score: 92.33

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