Annual Limited
Chef's Special
ALL LINESChef’s Special is an annual, ten‑count limited from Knuckle Sandwich that changes wrapper and vitola each year but keeps a Nicaraguan binder and filler core, producing medium‑full to full, AJ Fernandez‑influenced flavor.
Sizes
- 6 1/2 x 52 box-pressed perfecto (figurado) — 2022/2023 editions (6 1/2" x 52)
- 6 x 54 oval press — 2024 edition (6.0" x 54)
- 6 x 55 box-pressed toro — 2025 edition (6.0" x 55)
Strength
Medium-Full to Full
Binder
Nicaraguan
Filler
Nicaraguan
Chef’s Special is a yearly remix: same team, different wrapper and press. Rolled at AJ Fernández’s San Lotano facility, the releases consistently use Nicaraguan binder and filler and sit in the medium‑full to full strength lane. Flavor leans on cocoa, coffee and cedar with a peppered spine—darker wrappers push espresso and molasses; rosado or Sumatra versions open floral or dried‑fruit notes. Construction tends to be solid and chewy, delivering thick smoke and a robust mouthfeel; the yearly changes make each edition a distinct expression rather than a repeat of a house standard.
Image Gallery
Articles & Reviews
Knuckle Sandwich Chef’s Special
halfwheel’s 2022 piece walks through the Chef’s Special debut: a 6½×52 box‑pressed figurado using an Ecuadorian habano rosado over Nicaraguan binder and filler, rolled at San Lotano. The write‑up focuses on construction and flavor — cedar, cocoa, pecan and black pepper — and places the cigar within Knuckle Sandwich’s limited‑edition strategy.
Knuckle Sandwich Chef Special 2024 Review
Cigar Coop’s review of the 2024 Chef Special covers the 6×54 oval‑pressed release with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, describing wrapper characteristics, construction and a flavor arc that leans toward cocoa and wood with a peppered finish. The piece includes production details and a score range useful for comparing this installment to other years.
Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Chef’s Special - Quick Cigar Review
This quick review details a hands‑on smoke of the 2022 box‑pressed figurado, noting pre‑light pecan, an initially closed draw that opens up, and early flavors of charred oak, black pepper and leather. The reviewer calls out minor touch‑ups early on and tracks how the cigar opens into more textural, peppery smoke.
Video Gallery
Still a Top Contender in 2025? Knuckle Sandwich Chef’s Special 2024 Review
Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Chef Special 2025 Cigar Review
Espinosa's Knuckle Sandwich Chef's Special | Ash Or Trash
Knuckle Sandwich Chef’s Special 2025 Overview



















