Cigar Basics
The anatomy of a cigar:
The anatomy of a cigar:| cap/head/flag | ||
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| | - body /filler, binder, wrapper/ | |
| | - foot/tuck | |
Cap/Head/Flag – A loose piece of tobacco applied with natural glue as the finishing touch to the cigar; gives a nice appearance and, if applied properly, feels good in the mouth and prevents the wrapper from unravelling; part where cigar gets cut;
Body – main portion of cigar consists of Filler /long or short/, Binder, and Wrapper.
1. Filler – long leaves of tobacco (Long filler) or cut up pieces of tobacco (Short filler) that compromise the bulk of the cigar and deliver most of the flavour;
a. Long filler – filled with long leaves of tobacco deftly gathered together by a roller. A long-filler cigar is almost always handmade, and all premium handmade cigars are long-filler cigars.
b. Short Filler – the middle of a short-filler cigar is filled with leaves, stems, and other scraps of tobacco chopped up by a machine, in a machine made cigar.
2. Binder – tough, coarse tobacco that holds the whole thing together in hand made cigars or ground up tobacco bits that are held together by natural glue in machine made cigars.
3. Wrapper – A silky leaf of tobacco that makes the cigar look and feel attractive.
Foot or Tuck – The business end of the cigar – the end that you light.
How are cigars made?
Cigars are made either by hand or by a machine. A handmade cigar is where the tobacco leaves were picked, sorted, and bundled by an individual, not a machine. The cigar itself was fashioned by a skilled cigar roller using a few simple tools. A machine made cigar is where most or all of the cigar was made from a machine, and many of the processing stages such as picking the leaves, grinding up the filler tobacco, and rolling the cigar were completed by machine.
What is a premium cigar?
A premium or super-premium cigar is a cigar made by hand and should be consistent from one cigar to the next.
Premium cigars are constructed from three parts - the filler, the binder, and the wrapper. The filler is the interior of the cigar. When the term "long filler" is used, it means that the filler was constructed from full leaves. These leaves are picked, stored, and aged intact, and are obviously handled with great care. Rolling long filler cigars takes great skill to insure that it burns evenly and smoothly. The second type of filler is short filler. Short filler consists of loose clippings of leaves that are leftover from the long filler production. The next part of the cigar is the binder that consists of several layers of leaves that encircle the spirals of filler. As the name implies, it forms the filler into a circular shape, so that the next and final component, the wrapper, can be applied.
Drugstore cigars vs. premium cigars?
Most packaged “drug store” cigars are machine made and include non-tobacco ingredients such as paper, saltpetre (for burning) and PG of Glycerine (to prevent them from drying out).
Drugstore cigars vs. premium cigars?
Most packaged “drug store” cigars are machine made and include non-tobacco ingredients such as paper, saltpetre (for burning) and PG of Glycerine (to prevent them from drying out).
Premium cigars are hand made and contain only tobacco.
In the glossary under “filler” learn more about the tobacco within cigars.
Classifying Cigars
by shape:cigar shapes, common names for the cigar shapes, cigar sizes
by wrapper:
wrapper colours; Ligero, Seco, and Volado, “shade grown” or “sungrown”
why are wrapper leaves so special, how is tobacco cured? what does Corojo mean? Tobacco leaves grown in Connecticut;
by country:
where cigar is from, how to tell strength of a cigar
by brand:
By Shape
How to understand cigar shapes?
A cigar is measured by length and ring gauge (diameter). The length is measured in inches. The ring gauge is measured in units of 1/64th of an inch. A 64-ring cigar would be one inch in diameter. Most cigars are between 32 and 52-ring size. For example, a cigar that is called "8 x 48" is 8 inches long and 48/64ths of an inch in diameter. The girth determines how much of the cigar’s burning tip is exposed to air. The fatter the cigar, the slower and cooler a cigar smokes because more of the filler is exposed to air. The shape is the length balanced with a particular ring gauge.
How to understand cigar shapes?
A cigar is measured by length and ring gauge (diameter). The length is measured in inches. The ring gauge is measured in units of 1/64th of an inch. A 64-ring cigar would be one inch in diameter. Most cigars are between 32 and 52-ring size. For example, a cigar that is called "8 x 48" is 8 inches long and 48/64ths of an inch in diameter. The girth determines how much of the cigar’s burning tip is exposed to air. The fatter the cigar, the slower and cooler a cigar smokes because more of the filler is exposed to air. The shape is the length balanced with a particular ring gauge.
Common names for the cigar shapes:
There are some basic shapes that that share common names. These shapes are given names, so that there is some degree of universality in the industry. These descriptive dimensions are approximate, but here are some guidelines:
Short is less than 5.5 inches. Long is greater than 6.5 inches. Thin is less than 42 ring size. Thick is greater than 47 ring size.
Manufacturers also add common adjectives to the shape name. Gorda, Grande, gran, large, extra, double, or double means they are adding on to the size. Petite, slim, finos, or demi means some sort of reduction to the size.
Common Shapes of Cigars
Belvedere, Ascot, Demitasse – about 3 to 5 inches long with a ring gauge between 30 and 36 (~1/2 inch). Smoking time 15-20 minutes.
Petite Corona – about 4 1/2 to 5 inches long and a ring gauge between 40 and 42 (~6/10 inch). Smoking time 25 minutes.
Robusto or Rothschild – about 4 1/2 inches in length and a ring gauge of about 48 (~3/4 inch). Smoking time 25-40 minutes.
Corona – about 5 1/2 inches long and a ring gauge of 42 (~7/10 inch). Smoking time 30-45 minutes.
Corona Extra or Corona Royale - about 5 3/4 inches long and a ring gauge between 44 and 46 (~7/10 inch). Smoking time 40 minutes.
Panatela – about 6 to 6 1/2 inches long with a ring gauge between 34 and 39 (~1/2 inch). Smoking time 35-45 minutes.
Lonsdale - about 6 inches long and a ring gauge of about 43 (~7/10 inch). Smoking time 45-50 minutes.
Corona Grandes - about 6 to 6 ½ inches long and a ring gauge between 44 and 46 (~7/10 inch). Smoking time 45 minutes.
Churchill - about 7 inches long with a ring gauge of 47 to 48 (~3/4 inch). Smoking time 45-60 minutes.
Double Corona, Long Panatela - about 7 1/2 to 8 inches long and a ring gauge of 49 to 52 (~8/10 inch). Smoking time 45-60 minutes.
Gigante, Presidente, or Immensa - about 8 1/2 inches long and a ring gauge of 52 (~8/10 inch). Smoking time 60-90 minutes.
Uncommon Cigar Shapes
Belicoso - about 6 inches long and a ring gauge of 48 (~3/4 inch) with a pointed cone shaped head.
Petite Belicoso - about 5 inches long and a ring gauge of 40 (~6/10 inch) with a pointed cone shaped head.
Pyramid - about 6 to 7 inches long and tapers down from a ring gauge of 52 (~8/10 inch) at the foot and 42 (~7/10 inch) at the head with a pointed, cone shaped head. Smoking time 45-60 minutes.
Torpedo – varies in length and ring gauge. Has a pointed cone shaped head, bulge in the body, and a relatively flat foot.
Culebra – Three cigars each 5 to 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 34 (~1/2 inch) that are intertwined. The cigars have to be unwound to be smoked. In order to avoid breakage, cigars must be very well humidified.
Shape Chart
| Petit Corona | |  |
| Robusto | |  |
| Torpedo | |  |
| Corona | |  |
| Belicoso | |  |
| Corona Gorda | |  |
| Lonsdale | |  |
| Perfecto | |  |
| Toro | |  |
| Churchill | |  |
| Panatela | |  |
How do I know what size is right for guest/situation?
Suggest a cigar for the amount of time available to smoke. If it is for a sporting event or any event lasting more than an hour, choose a large cigar that will last for a long time. In a cigar friendly restaurant to have a nice after dinner smoke, choose one that will last about 30-40 minutes.
By Wrapper
How many wrapper colours are there?
There are about a dozen, all variations of these basic ones, listed from lightest to darkest: Candela, Double Claro, Claro, Colorado, Colorado Maduro, Colorado Rosado, Maduro, and Oscuro.
The shade of the leaf used to wrap your cigar (wrapper), which can range from light green to almost jet-black, accounts for less than 20% of a cigar’s flavour. The wrapper does not necessarily indicate the kind of tobacco leaf used, and it doesn’t indicate whether the cigar is mild or full bodied.
Suggest a cigar for the amount of time available to smoke. If it is for a sporting event or any event lasting more than an hour, choose a large cigar that will last for a long time. In a cigar friendly restaurant to have a nice after dinner smoke, choose one that will last about 30-40 minutes.
By Wrapper
How many wrapper colours are there?
There are about a dozen, all variations of these basic ones, listed from lightest to darkest: Candela, Double Claro, Claro, Colorado, Colorado Maduro, Colorado Rosado, Maduro, and Oscuro.
The shade of the leaf used to wrap your cigar (wrapper), which can range from light green to almost jet-black, accounts for less than 20% of a cigar’s flavour. The wrapper does not necessarily indicate the kind of tobacco leaf used, and it doesn’t indicate whether the cigar is mild or full bodied.
The Six Common Colours of Cigars Wrapper
Double claro, candela, jade, or American Market Selection (AMS) – after leaf is picked in the field it is artificially heated creating a light green hue. They are generally flavourless and bland wrappers.
Natural or claro – to protect the leaves from sunlight, which would cause a darkening of the leaf, the tobacco is grown under cheesecloth. Once fully matured, it is allowed to dry naturally and slowly, creating a light brown colour. These leaves create a silky, tan wrapper with a light, delicate, and distinctly smooth taste.
Colorado claro or English Market Selection (EMS) – a slightly darker wrapper than a natural with a slight dark reddish hue. Has more flavour than a natural cigar, with a slightly spiced or nut-like taste.
Colorado – this is not a special variety of tobacco, it is usually grown in Connecticut, but the leaf has an oily reddish leaf with exceptional colour and flavour.
Maduro or Spanish Market Selection – a very dark brown, oily leaf with a sweet pronounced taste known for its fullness and richness. Darkness is caused by leaving the leaf on the tobacco plant as long as possible and left to air-dry naturally. After dried it goes through a process in which it is treated with heat to draw out the oils and cook the tobacco. The oils are then allowed to retreat back into the cigar. Each time this process is repeated the leaf becomes darker and darker. The wrapper sometimes has small veins and bumps on the wrapper because of the type of tobacco used.
Double maduro, oscuro, or maduro maduro – an almost jet-black wrapper with a very rich, pronounced, spicy flavour. The leaves go through an even more extensive processing than Maduro. Expect a bumpy somewhat vein appearance.
What does Ligero, Seco, and Volado mean?
These are the classifications of leaf types that a single plant, regardless of its variety, will yield. Every tobacco plant for cigar applications has these three leaf types. Each is from a different part of the plant. Every cigar should have some combination of these leaves to burn correctly. The "ligero" leaves (pronounced lee-hair-oh) are taken from the top third of the plant. These offer the strength to the cigar's flavour. The leaves from the middle third of the plant are called "seco" (pronounced say-ko). These have a mild flavour, and contribute to overall aroma. Finally, at the bottom third of the plant, are the "volado" leaves. These have little flavour, but are a necessary part of the blend due to their excellent burning characteristics. Ligero and seco leaves do not burn very well and need the help of the volado leaf to keep the cigar lit and burning smoothly. When a manufacturer is creating a blend, they will take some combination of these classifications, from various strains of plants, to produce the flavour they prefer.
What does “shade grown” or “sun grown” mean?
These are terms applied to the growing style of wrapper leaves. Shade grown means that tapadas, which are large white fabric sheets, similar to cheesecloth, are suspended 6-10 feet above the entire crop to shield the leaves from direct exposure to sunlight. The opposite of this is to allow the leaves to grow without any protection, directly in the sunlight. The implementation of either procedure will yield completely different wrappers, as the exposure to the sun will affect the amount of sugars and oils the plant produces, the thickness of the veins in the leaf, and ultimately, its colour. A common shade grown wrapper colour is of a "Claro" colour. This has a pale "coffee with cream" colour. Many companies will often alternatively refer to this shade as "natural". A common sun grown wrapper colour is "Maduro", which has a hue of dark or black coffee.
Why are the wrapper leaves so special?
The wrapper is a very delicate leaf, and is only one layer thick around the cigar. It contributes a large percentage to the overall flavour of the cigar. Wrapper leaves can be grown in many places on the globe, and each variety contributes its own characteristics towards the cigar's flavour. A wrapper leaf is evaluated on the thinness of its veins, its oily sheen, its even colouring, and most importantly, its unblemished appearance. In order to achieve and maintain these desired characteristics, the leaves are often carefully and skilfully handled several hundred times from picking, curing, stripping, aging, and rolling.
How is tobacco cured?
Curing tobacco is a sensitive process that depends on techniques and traditions that are hundreds of years old. Following the harvest, tobacco is removed from the fields and placed in large bulk piles within a curing shed. This shed will have several barn doors in the front and rear, and many doorways running along the sides. There are also vents on the upper portions of the structure. The purpose of all these openings is to control the interior temperature and humidity. By opening or closing the apertures, workers are able to counterbalance the effect of wind and sun exposure on the structure. Each bulk is about the size of a large haystack. Inside these piles, heat is created as a by-product of the chemical reactions taking place. The core temperature is monitored daily and the piles are rotated inside out frequently to prevent the raw tobacco from cooking. This part of the fermentation is referred to as "sweating". These bulks may be turned many times during the following months until this stage is complete. It is during this sweating process that the tobacco releases ammonia and other undesirable elements. The tobacco is then put into rectangular bails, each about 150 pounds, and stored for a minimum of one year. Many producers will store it for much longer periods of 3-5 years.
What does Corojo mean?
Corojo (pronounced: kawr-oh-ho) is the name given to a specific variety of tobacco plant that was originally developed in the Vuelta Abajo Valley in Cuba. It is named after the plantation that first grew it, called El Corojo Vega. The leaf's thin, oily texture, along with its small thin veins, make it the pinnacle for a wrapper leaf on the highest rated of the Cuban brands. This farm had a unique combination of mineral content in the soil, irrigation, drainage, and exposure that allowed the plant to thrive. The plant is very temperamental and delicate, and only survived when planted in the valley of its origin. Most attempts to relocate the seeds to other tobacco growing regions in both Cuba and other Caribbean nations are met with crop failure. Within the last 5 or 6 years, there have been only two growers, both in a valley in Bonao, Dominican Republic, who have been able to harvest successful crops of the Corojo variety. The characteristics of this valley duplicate those of the original Cuban plantation. The wrappers cultivated from this plant are often designated as "rosado" shade, which is a very rare, reddish tint.
Are the leaves really grown in Connecticut?
Absolutely. The Connecticut River Valley region, located in the northeast corner of the state, and extending into lower Massachusetts, grows a good portion of the "Claro" wrappers. Another type of Connecticut wrapper is the Broadleaf variety. This will have a darker, maduro shade to it.
By Country
How do you know where a cigar is from?
A cigar's country of origin is classified by where it was rolled, regardless of where the wrapper, binder, or filler is from. Typically, the filler tobacco is usually grown in the same country as where the cigar is made. This is not an absolute rule, as cigars rolled in the US, (typically, Miami or Tampa regions) must import all of their filler. Another exception is Honduran and Nicaraguan cigars, as their native grown fillers are often too harsh to be used exclusively, and are typically blended with Dominican filler in order to produce an acceptable smoke.
Dominican Republic
In the last 20 years, the quality and variety of cigar tobacco from the Dominican Republic has greatly improved. Near the city of Santiago, live the majority of Dominican cigar makers. This area is the primary agricultural region in the northern half of the country. Since most Dominican tobacco is derived from Cuban seed varieties, it is quite full flavoured and lends itself to the creation of unusually complex blends.
Ecuador
Ecuador produces high quality Connecticut and Sumatra seed varieties of tobacco. They produce both shade and sun grown tobacco leaves for both filler and wrappers. The tobacco is milder and less robust in strength and flavour that the original. The wrapper’s silky texture has a colour similar to Connecticut and Cameroon.
Honduras/Nicaragua
A 10-year civil war and blue mould infestations have slowed the production of the high quality Cuban and Connecticut varieties of tobacco grown in these two counties. Both countries produce a full-bodied tobacco with strong spicy flavours.
Mexico
Mexican leaves are widely used as binders and filler in cigars. A variant of the Sumatra seed tobacco, Mexican tobacco is often used as a maduro wrapper because it can stand up to the cooking and sweating process that creates the darker leaf colors. Mexico is well known for its sun grown tobacco especially tobacco grown in the San Andres Valley. Mexican cigars are usually made with 100% local tobacco.
United States
The Connecticut River Valley produces some of the finest wrapper leaf tobacco in the world. This leaf called, the Connecticut Shade, is grown just north of Hartford. It has a fine brown to brownish yellow and very elastic leaf that creates a mild to medium bodied smoke. It is widely used on premium cigars. Connecticut Broadleaf, a dark almost black leaf that is used on maduro cigars, is another type of tobacco produced in the region.
Cameroon/Central African Republic
This area of West Africa is known for a high quality wrapper leaf, which is famous for its completely neutral flavour. This makes it an ideal tobacco for cigars with full flavoured fillers. Cameroon wrappers are greenish brown to dark brown, with a distinct grain called “tooth”. Unfortunately, production has suffered from management changes and bad weather in recent years.
Indonesia
Tobaccos from the islands of Indonesia are known as Java or Sumatra. Sumatra wrapper leaves are often dark brown and have neutral flavours; these leaves are usually used in the manufacturing of small cigars.
What is a good way to tell the strength of a cigar?
In the past, tobacco plants of different islands and regions had their own distinctive strength and taste, but recently manufactures have imported different types of tobaccos and blended them with their native plants to create new tastes and strengths. Typically, the different sizes and styles of cigars within a specific brand share the same general taste and strength. This makes choosing cigars by brand as the best way to choose a general taste or strength. The strength of the cigar can vary from country to country. Below is a general guideline for cigars grown in the most popular regions of the Caribbean Basin.
| MILD Jamaica | MILD TO MEDIUM Dominican Republic | MEDIUM TO FULL Mexico Honduras Nicaragua |
MILD
| Baccarat Canaria D'Oro Dominique Dunhill Aged Fonseca | La Fontana La Unica Bundles Macanudo Mexican Bundles National Brand Bundles | Panter Pleiades Shimmelpenninck Temple Hall Villiger |
MILD - MEDIUM
| Arturo Fuente Ashton Caridad Bundles Cariños Dannemann La Aurora | La Flor Dominicana Macanudo Vintage Montecruz Natural Claro Montesino Onyx Olor | Playboy by Don Diego Primo Del Rey Santa Damiana Santa Rosa Tesoro Connecticut |
MEDIUM
| Andros Bundles Arturo Fuente Sun Grown Astral Creme de Jamaica Don Diego El Credito Famous Private Select | H Upmann Chrmns Rsrv Hamiltons House La Hoja Selecta La Insular Bundles Las Cabrillas Montecristo Montecruz | Olor Vintage Punch Gran Cru Partagas Ltd Reserve Primo del Cristo Quintero Tamboril Sumatra |
MEDIUM - FULL
| Astral Gran Reserve Avo Bahia Red Pack Bahia Tesoro Bundles Bahia Tesoro Trinidad Bayamo Superiores CAO Gold | CAO L'Anniversaire CAO Millennium Cohiba Excalibur Fuente Hemingway H Upmann Macanudo Robust | Montecristo Cig des Arts Muniemaker Nicaraguan Bundles Padron Partagas Punch Deluxe Tesoro Maduro |
FULL
| Avo XO Bahia Gold Bahia Maduro Bances Bering Cabanas Di Nobili Fuente Don Carlos | Don Mateo Bundles Don Tomas F D Grave Henry Clay Hoyo de Monterrey Joya de Nicaragua La Gloria Cubana La Primadora | Matacan Olor Cuadrado Padron Punch Puros Indios Rafael Gonzalez Te Amo |
Accessories
Cigar Cutter
A cigar cutters is a tool used to open the cigar just enough to create a thick and satisfying puff, or draw, but also to leave the cigar intact as much as possible. There are a few different tools to accomplish this task, but they all have the same basic function - to puncture or remove a portion of the cap.
Cigar Cutter
A cigar cutters is a tool used to open the cigar just enough to create a thick and satisfying puff, or draw, but also to leave the cigar intact as much as possible. There are a few different tools to accomplish this task, but they all have the same basic function - to puncture or remove a portion of the cap.
Types of Cutters
V-Cutter
Creates a top-to-bottom slice that creates a v-shaped wedge through the head of the cigar. Pros: Allows you to keep the cap of the cigar intact. Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Cons: Difficult to use properly. Needs extremely sharp blades. Blades hard to replace
Cigar Drill
Used to drill a tiny hole about a half an inch into the head of the cigar. Pros: Allows you to keep the cap of the cigar intact. Cons: Creates a hole which is sometimes inadequate for drawing smoke through difficult to use properly.
Creates a top-to-bottom slice that creates a v-shaped wedge through the head of the cigar. Pros: Allows you to keep the cap of the cigar intact. Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Cons: Difficult to use properly. Needs extremely sharp blades. Blades hard to replace
Cigar Drill
Used to drill a tiny hole about a half an inch into the head of the cigar. Pros: Allows you to keep the cap of the cigar intact. Cons: Creates a hole which is sometimes inadequate for drawing smoke through difficult to use properly.
Puncture Cutter/Bullet
Removes a plug approximately ¼ inch across from the cigar's head. Pros: Relatively easy to use. Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Allows you to keep the cap of cigar intact. Cons: Can cause improperly humidified cigars to split. Doesn't work on cigars with pointed ends.
Single Bladed Guillotine
A blade slides up and down in a track through a hole in which you insert the head of the cigar removing the tip of the cap. Pros: Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Easy to use. Cons: May make a rough cut across cap. Needs extremely sharp blades. Blades hard to replace.
Double Bladed Guillotine
Two blades sliding in opposite directions up and down in their tracks through a hole in which you insert the head of the cigar removing the tip of the cap. Pros: Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Easy to use. Cons: Inexpensive dual blades can be out of line with each other. Needs extremely sharp blades. Blades hard to replace. May make a rough cut across cap.
Scissor Cutter
The cutter looks like a normal pair of scissors except it has rounded edge blades especially made for cutting off the tip of the cigar. Pros: Can cut any size and shape cigar. Cons: Hard to judge the amount being cut off. Needs extremely sharp blades.
Removes a plug approximately ¼ inch across from the cigar's head. Pros: Relatively easy to use. Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Allows you to keep the cap of cigar intact. Cons: Can cause improperly humidified cigars to split. Doesn't work on cigars with pointed ends.
Single Bladed Guillotine
A blade slides up and down in a track through a hole in which you insert the head of the cigar removing the tip of the cap. Pros: Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Easy to use. Cons: May make a rough cut across cap. Needs extremely sharp blades. Blades hard to replace.
Double Bladed Guillotine
Two blades sliding in opposite directions up and down in their tracks through a hole in which you insert the head of the cigar removing the tip of the cap. Pros: Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Easy to use. Cons: Inexpensive dual blades can be out of line with each other. Needs extremely sharp blades. Blades hard to replace. May make a rough cut across cap.
Scissor Cutter
The cutter looks like a normal pair of scissors except it has rounded edge blades especially made for cutting off the tip of the cigar. Pros: Can cut any size and shape cigar. Cons: Hard to judge the amount being cut off. Needs extremely sharp blades.
Cigar lighter
There are two features to pay attention to – the fuel and the flame. The fuel must be a clean burning fuel such as butane. Most other lighter fuels give off a chemical or kerosene-like odour that will alter the taste of your cigar. The lighter must also provide a large enough flame to light the whole cigar. The flame from a disposable lighter is typically too small. The "blowtorch" style lighters are great because they burn at an extremely high temperature and stay lit even in strong winds.
The correct humidity of the humidor
The standard for cigar storage is 70% relative humidity ("RH") but only at 21°C. At temperatures below 21°C, Relative Humidity (RH) readings must be greater than 70% to give the same humidification as 70 to 21°. At temperatures above 21°, RH readings must be less than 70% for proper results. Refer to the table bellow to find the correct RH:
There are two features to pay attention to – the fuel and the flame. The fuel must be a clean burning fuel such as butane. Most other lighter fuels give off a chemical or kerosene-like odour that will alter the taste of your cigar. The lighter must also provide a large enough flame to light the whole cigar. The flame from a disposable lighter is typically too small. The "blowtorch" style lighters are great because they burn at an extremely high temperature and stay lit even in strong winds.
The correct humidity of the humidor
The standard for cigar storage is 70% relative humidity ("RH") but only at 21°C. At temperatures below 21°C, Relative Humidity (RH) readings must be greater than 70% to give the same humidification as 70 to 21°. At temperatures above 21°, RH readings must be less than 70% for proper results. Refer to the table bellow to find the correct RH:
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Should I take the cellophane off the cigars?
When cigars are stored in a humidor they start "marrying". If your humidor is filled with the same or very similar types of smokes, the tobaccos will blend and absorb each other's oils, flavours and aromas. This is a good thing and you do not need cellophane. However, if you mix cigars of very different strengths or blends, you will create one blend amongst all of your cigars. This is usually not so good and you should use cellophane to separate the different brands as much as possible.
Why isn’t my humidor holding 70% humidity?
Remove your cigars and using a soft cloth, wipe down the inside of your humidor with distilled water. Close the box and leave it overnight. Next day, place your cigars in your humidor and check your hygrometer for improvement. Repeat this process for a few days. Most likely, the wood needs to be prepared more than just once. Also, check the seal to make sure it is tight. Keep your humidor away from direct sunlight or anywhere where it might be subject to unnecessary heat.
What should I do if I find a tobacco beetle?
If you find cigars with holes in them, you have tobacco beetles. Throw away the affected cigars. Put the rest of your cigars in a sealed plastic bag and freeze them for three days. That will kill any beetles or larvae that might be alive. After the three days in the freezer, move the cigars to your fridge for at least two days to defrost. Make sure you wipe down your humidor with distilled water and a soft cloth before returning your cigars.
Use distilled water in the humidification element
Tap water and bottled spring water contain minerals that will clog the humidification device and the interior of the humidor. Additionally, some tap waters often have a slight odour that will taint the aroma of the cigars when compounded over months or years.
How to save a dried out cigar?
A cigar that has dried out will never be the same as one that has remained properly kept, but it can be re-humidified slowly and will most likely regain most of its taste and body.
reference books: Perelman’s Pocket Cyclopaedia of Cigars
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Cigars
Glossary
Band – the ring of paper with the name of the cigar brand printed on it fastened around the body of the cigar.
Band – the ring of paper with the name of the cigar brand printed on it fastened around the body of the cigar.
Binder – the portion of a tobacco leaf used to hold together the blend of tobacco leaves used as the filler.
Blend – a mixture of different types of tobaccos intended to give the cigar special body and flavor.
Bloom – also known as plume, this is a naturally occurring phenomenon in which a fine white powder appears on the cigar. This is common in the cigar aging process of cigars. The oils that exude from the tobacco cause the bloom. It is sometime confused with mould, which is blue and cannot be wiped away from the cigar. Some consider bloom a sign of a well-aged cigar.
Box – the container used to package cigars.
Bulk – a large pile of leaves that are being fermented. See Fermentation.
Bunch – up to four different types of filler tobacco that are blended to create the body of the cigar and are held together by the binder.
Bundle – a less expensive method of packaging than boxes in which cigars are wrapped in cellophane.
Candela – a bright green wrapper also known as double claro. Heating the leaves during the drying process creates this colour.
Cap – a circular piece of tobacco placed at the head of the cigar to secure the wrapper and the filler inside the cigar while smoking.
Chaveta – a knife used to cut the wrapper in a cigar factory.
Claro – A pale green to light brown wrapper, usually grown under shade.
Colorado – a medium brown to brownish red tobacco used as a wrapper
Double Claro - a bright green wrapper also known as candela. Heating the leaves during the drying process creates this color.
Draw – the amount of air that gets pulled through the cigar.
Fermentation – Workers gather the tobacco leaves in large piles (bulk) after the harvest. The leaves are moistened and allowed to ferment. Temperatures may reach 140° inside the bulk before it is taken apart and restacked, temporarily halting the fermentation process. This process, called working the bulk, releases the ammonia from tobacco.
Figurado – A Spanish term that refers to cigars with exotic sizes, such as torpedos, pyramids, perfectos, and culebras.
Filler – the individual tobacco leaves used in the body of a cigar, a pile of such tobacco would be called a bunch.
Flag – an alternative to a cap. The flag method of finishing a cigar involves shaping the wrapper leaf at the head of the cigar so it secures the wrapper. Sometimes it is tied off in a pigtail or a curly head.
Foot – the end of the cigar you light. Most often it is pre-cut, except in the case of torpedos and perfectos.
Gum – A vegetable adhesive used to secure the head of the wrapper leaf around the finished bunch.
Hand – Individual leaves of tobacco that are hung together after harvest and tied at the top. These hands are piled together to make a bulk for fermentation.
Hand-Rolled – A cigar made entirely by hand with a high quality wrapper and long filler.
Havana – capital of Cuba. The traditional centre of manufacturing of Cuban cigars for export, and a term widely used to designate Cuban cigars. Also refers to the tobacco types grown from Cuban seed in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Head – The closed end of the cigar; the end you smoke.
Hot – A term used to describe a cigar that is under filled and has a quick, loose draw. Can cause harsh flavours.
Humidor – A room, or box, of varying sizes, designed to preserve and promote the proper aging of cigars by maintaining a humidity level of 70% and a temperature of approximately 18-21°C.
Ligero – one of the three basic types of filler tobacco. The name means, “light” in Spanish, but this aromatic tobacco lends body to a blend
Long Filler – A term used to designate filler tobaccos that run the length of the body of the cigar, rather than chopped pieces found in machine-made cigars.
Machine-made – A term that refers to cigars made entirely by machine, using heavier weight wrappers and binds, and usually short filler in place of long filler.
Maduro – A term used for a wrapper shade varying from a very dark reddish-brown to almost black. The word means “ripe” in Spanish. Sun exposure, a cooking process, or a prolonged fermentation can achieve this color.
Mixed Filler – Some hand-made cigars use long filler as well as short filler in the same cigar. The long filler is used to create the length of the cigar while the short filler is used to build the shape and body.
Mold – A potentially damaging fungus that forms on a cigar when it is stored at too high a temperature.
Oscuro – A black shade of wrapper, darker than Maduro, most often Brazilian or Mexican in origin.
Puro – A Spanish term used to distinguish a cigar from a cigarette. Modern usage refers to a blend of tobaccos from one country.
Ring – Gauge – a measurement for the diameter of a cigar, based on increments of one 64ths of an inch.
Seco – The Spanish word for “dry,” seco is a type of filler tobacco. It often contributes aroma and is usually medium bodied.
Shade-Grown – Wrapper leaves that have been grown under a cheesecloth tent, called a tapado. The filtered sunlight creates a thinner, more elastic leaf.
Smoking time – The smoking time for a cigar is based upon the size of the cigar and therefore how much tobacco is available for smoking. A 5-inch cigar with a 50 ring gauge, such as a robusto, should provide anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes of smoking pleasure. A 7-½ inch cigar with a 50 ring gauge, such as a Churchill or double-corona may give over an hour’s worth of smoking time. See Common Shapes of Cigar for more information.
Sun Grown –tobacco grown in direct sunlight, which creates a thicker leaf with thicker veins.
Volado – A type of filler tobacco chosen for its burning qualities.
Wrapper – a high quality tobacco leaf wrapped around the finished bunch and binder. It is very elastic and at it best unblemished.
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