Today, we are reviewing the Hallowed Hands Box Pressed Robusto size. Andrew Considine and Dave West founded Avowed Cigars, and both have long-standing connections to Small Batch Cigars, an online retailer based in California. Drawing from their retail experience, they decided to venture into manufacturing. In February 2025, they officially launched Avowed Cigars. To produce their cigars, Avowed collaborated with Klaas Kelner, the son of the legendary blender Henke Kelner. In 2023, Klaas opened his own factory, Kelner Cigars S.A.S.
Fast-forward one year, and Avowed added a new ongoing production to its lineup with Hallowed Hands. The release of Hallowed Hands was meant to coincide with the one-year anniversary. As for the name, it pays homage to the tireless efforts of the individuals and families that have perfected the craft of cigar making over the years.
Hallowed Hands marked several firsts for Avowed. First, it was the company’s first use of Ecuadorian Corojo as a wrapper leaf. For Avowed, it’s also the first line to debut with three vitolas. Finally, the Robusto size (one of the three) features Avowed’s first box-pressed vitola.
Without further ado, let’s break down the Hallowed Hands Box Pressed Robusto and see what this cigar brings to the table.
SPECIFICATIONS
Blend and Origin
In addition to the Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper, the Hallowed Hands also uses a Habano leaf from Ecuador. The fillers are a combination of Corojo ’99, San Vicente, Piloto Cubano, Criollo ’98, and Pennsylvania Broadleaf. As mentioned, Kelner Cigars S.A.S. in the Dominican Republic produces it.
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
- Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
- Filler: Corojo ’99, San Vicente, Piloto Cubano, Criollo ’98, Pennsylvania Broadleaf
- Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
- Factory: Kelner Cigars S.A.S.
Vitolas Offered
Hallowed Hands comes in three sizes. Each comes in 15-count boxes. As mentioned, the Box Pressed Robusto is Avowed’s first box-pressed cigar. The Corona Gorda and Toro sizes are parejos.
- Corona Gorda: 5 3/4 x 46
- Box Pressed Robusto: 5 3/4 x 50
- Toro: 6 x 52
APPEARANCE (*)
The Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper on the Hallowed Hands Box Pressed Robusto was medium brown with a slight rosado tint. The wrapper had a slight coat of oil. The veins on the wrapper were on the thin side. There were also some thinly visible wrapper seams. The box press on this cigar was on the firm side, meaning it was rectangular/squared.
Pre-Light Draw (*)
Before lighting up the Hallowed Hands Box Pressed Robusto, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. Once the cap was removed from the cigar, it was time to commence with the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered a mix of vanilla sweetness and cedar. Overall, this was a satisfactory pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to toast up the footer of the Hallowed Hands Box Pressed Robusto and see what the smoking phase would have in store.
Tasting Notes
The Hallowed Hands Box Pressed Robusto opened up with notes of vanilla and cedar. These notes were also joined by some earth notes. As the cigar progressed through the first third, the vanilla notes became primary. Meanwhile, the cedar and earth notes settled into the background. Meanwhile, the retro-hale added another layer of cedar.
Shortly after the Hallowed Hands Box Pressed Robusto entered the second third, the cedar notes joined the vanilla in the forefront. Around the same point, black pepper notes surfaced on the tongue. The black pepper also mixed with the layer of cedar on the retro-hale. Throughout the second third, the cedar and vanilla notes remained in the forefront, but their intensity varied. A slight creamy note also appeared from time to time in the background.
By the final third, the cedar notes took control on the tongue as the primary note. The vanilla joined the earth and cedar notes in the background. The cream notes had dissipated. This is the way the Hallowed Hands Box Pressed Robusto came to a close. The resulting nubs were soft to the touch and cool in temperature.
Burn
While the Hallowed Hands Box Pressed Robusto was able to keep a straight burn path, it did have a slightly uneven burn line. At the same time, to maintain that straight burn path, it required touchups. While the touchups did the trick, the cigar did require more touchups than I prefer. Meanwhile, the cigar itself had a light gray ash. The ash was skewed toward the looser side. There was some occasional flowering from time to time. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.
Draw
The draw of the Hallowed Hands Box Pressed Robusto had what Ben Lee of The Smoking Syndicate terms a “milkshake draw” – namely, it had a touch of resistance – which is something that I like. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.
Strength and Body
The Hallowed Hands Box Pressed Robusto started out with medium strength and medium-bodied flavors. I didn’t find much of an increase in strength during the smoking experience. Meanwhile, the body did have a slight increase in intensity, and by the second third, the flavors moved into medium to full-bodied territory. There wasn’t much of an increase in body after this point.
In terms of strength versus body, the body stayed consistent from start to finish.
BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)
The Hallowed Hands had my favorite packaging from Avowed to date. For starters, I really like the cardboard outer box. It makes for a nice presentation. I also like how the outer box protects the inner box.
The stained wooden box is also quite nice. The beveled edges on top of the box create an elegant presentation. As for the bands, they are a variant of some of the other bands from Avowed. The “H” replaces the “A” found on those. I also liked the use of blue with gold.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
I really liked the way the Hallowed Hands Box-Pressed Robusto started off. During this segment of the smoking experience, I really liked the sweet vanilla notes delivered. As the cedar notes increased, I found that by the second half, they became the dominant flavor and threw off the balance. While many do like cedar, I am not a fan of a cedar-centric profile. In the end, this might simply be the case of a flavor profile not being in my wheelhouse. At $18.00, the best I can recommend here is trying a sample and deciding for yourself.
Summary
- Key Flavors: Vanilla, Cedar, Earth, Pepper
- Burn: Very Good
- Draw: Excellent
- Complexity: Medium Minus
- Strength: Medium
- Body: Medium (1st Third), Medium to Full (Remainder)
- Finish: Very Good
Rating
Value: Try a Sample
Score: 87
REFERENCES
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted
(*) Indicates this is not factored into the score or value rating
