A Cigar Term Crash Course
Delving into the world of cigars can be as intimidating as it is exciting. Sure, you want to get right out there and start enjoying the finest cigars on the planet, but for the beginner it can often be difficult to understand certain terminology that is used in describing cigars.
Nobody wants to be embarrassed, and there is nothing worse than trying to talk about something that you have no idea about. True cigar aficionados will see right through your ruse.
So before you go out that and start puffing away with the pros, you are going to want to brush up on your cigar lingo. Here is a quick and handy reference guide to get you started.
Belicoso
A belicoso is a type of cigar that is defined by its pyramid shape and average length of about five inches. La Floridita offers fine examples of belicosos that come in either Maduro or Natural styles.
Binder
The binder of a cigar is one of the three main parts of most every cigar. It holds the filler leaves together, but lies between them and the outer wrapper. There are many different types of binders. Casa De Oro's Toro cigars use a mild leaf binder that is transported all the way from Indonesia. Different cigars use different binders from all over the world.
Blend
Not all cigars use filler tobacco from the same places. Many brands will use a mixture of tobaccos from several different countries. This is called a blend. Hoyo de Monterrey's Excalibur Legend Conqueror cigars actually use a blend of tobaccos that come from four separate countries.
Cuban Seed
As we all know, it is still illegal to transport Cuban cigars into the United States. However, many cigar companies will still get a little bit of that Cuban flavor by growing plants in other countries using seeds that came from Cuba. For example, the Cuban Bullet 2.0 Churchill cigars use filler that is grown entirely in Nicaragua with seeds from Cuba.
Filler
As was briefly mentioned above, the filler is one of the three main parts of the cigar. These are the tobacco leaves that are bound up in the binder and then wrapped in the wrapper. Fillers can come from just about anywhere and oftentimes are made from a blend of different tobaccos. CAO Gold Robustos use a blend of Nicaraguan long fillers.
Head
This is the end of the cigar that you smoke.
Humidor
Once you have decided to become a collector of fine cigars, you are going to need to take good care of them. By keeping your cigars stored in a controlled environment, they will not only maintain their flexibility and flavor, but the taste will actually age, mellow, and improve.
The general rule of humidors is to keep the atmosphere at 70 percent humidity and between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The Milano Humidor is a Spanish cedar-lined box that can hold up to 100 cigars. It includes a cedar tray, humidifying system, dividers, and a lock and key.
Hygrometer
This is the device in your humidor that will measure the humidity in the air. Humidors like the Xikar Artisan 75 Count Ebony come with a built-in hygrometer.
Long Filler
When a machine makes a cigar, they often use chopped up little bits of tobacco. But quality cigars traditionally use what are called long fillers. This is filler tobacco that runs the entire length of the cigar. Rocky Patel Junior's Sumatra cigars use a long filler that comes from long-aged Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco leaf.
Maduro
A maduro is a shade of wrapper that can appear anywhere from a dark red/brown to just about black. In Spanish, the word maduro means ripe. Sancho Panza's Double Maduro Escudero Cigars use a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper that has been aged for four whole years before they are rolled. These wrappers have an incredibly rich and oily quality, distinctive of the maduro style
Ring Gauge
The ring gauge is how you measure the diameter of a cigar. It is all based on 64ths of an inch. So if you had a 35-ring gauge cigar that means it is 35/64ths of an inch in diameter.
Shade-grown
To create a thin and elastic leaf, some cigar makers will grow their wrappers under the shade of a tapado, which is a cheesecloth tent. Many cigars use a Connecticut shade-grown wrapper. Romeo Y Julieta's Churchill Cigars mix it up by using a wrapper that is shade-grown in Indonesia.
Wrapper
The wrapper is the third and final component of a standard cigar. It is a fine tobacco leaf that surrounds the binder and the fillers. Wrappers come in all different shades and styles. The Ashton Prime Minister features the aforementioned Connecticut Shade wrapper. This gives the cigar a smooth and silky smoke.
Of course, this is just a rough overview of the wide world of cigars. But it should be enough to get you off and running. With the knowledge of these few simple terms you will at least by able to keep up with the conversation even if you are surrounded by the classiest and most experienced cigar smokers.
Kieth Lewis is a freelance writer who writes about shopping for a variety of products including premium cigars
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
