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Cigar
A cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaf, rolled in a series of types
and sizes that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth.
The origins of cigar smoking are still unknown. A Guatemalan (Guatemala is a country in
Central America) ceramic pot dating back to the tenth century features Mayan smoking tobacco
leaves tied together with a string. The Mayan term for smoking was “Sikar” which has probably
given rise to the name cigar.

In olden days, cigars used to be made by hands & were straight in shape. With the introduction
of a wooden mould in which the leaves could be pressed into any desired form. It is tubular in
shape.
Torpedor: Cigar produced with the help of this mould.

Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon(Central Africa), Cuba, the
Dominican Republic (Caribbean island), Honduras (Central America), Indonesia, Mexico,
Ecuador (South America), Nicaragua(Central America), the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Canary
Islands (Spain), Italy and the Eastern United States.

Cigar smoke is more alkaline than cigarettes smoke & is absorbed more readily by the mucous
membrane of the mouth, making it easier for the smoker to absorb nicotine without having to
inhale. Three quarters of cigar smoker smoke only occasionally & majority do not inhale.
Smoking cigar is as bad as smoking cigarettes. It can cause cancer of the oral cavity, lung, and
pancreas cancer especially to daily cigar smoker.

Cigars contain up to 70 times more nicotine than cigarettes. Burning a cigar emits up to 25 times
the amount of carbon monoxide than the emission of just one cigarette.

 Composition of Cigars
 Filler- 85%
 Binder- 10%
 Wrapper- 5%

 Filler
 It is the inner core of the cigar.
 It forms the centre of the cigar.
 Made up of different blends of imperfect leaves of different varieties of tobacco that are
broken or crushed up.
 The strength (i.e., flavor & smoking quality) of the cigar depends on the filler.
 Long fillers are made up of whole leaves which are made up of better quality.
 Short fillers are made up of chopped leaves, which are inferior.
 If a cigar is completely constructed (filler, binder, and wrapper) of tobacco produced in
only one country, it is referred to in the cigar industry as a "puro," from the Spanish
word for "pure."
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 Binder
 Beneath the wrapper is a small bunch of "filler" leaves bound together inside of a leaf
called a "binder“
 Made up of a good quality single strong leaf which is small in size & are bound around
the filler to hold it together.
 Bunch- The filler & Binder together are called Bunch.
 Binder leaf is typically sun grown leaf from the top part of a tobacco plant and is
selected for its elasticity and durability in the rolling process. 
 Binder leaf is generally considerably thicker and hardier than the wrapper leaf
surrounding it

 Wrapper
 It is the outer covering of the cigar i.e., outermost layer.
 It is made from the whole tobacco leaf of the finest quality, which are quite soft & elastic
in nature.
 The most expensive component of a cigar.
 Wrapper color is often used to describe the cigar as a whole.
 Wrappers (tobacco leaf) are frequently grown underneath huge canopies made of gauze
so as to diffuse direct sunlight and are fermented separately.
 The wrapper is then wrapped carefully around the binder & stuck with vegetable gum,
forming the rounded close head & then cut at the other end to the length required.
 Cigars are made both by hand & machine & handmade cigars are always expensive.

 Wrapper color shades

Color Description
Candela ("Double Claro") Light Green
Claro Very light tan or yellowish
Colorado Claro Medium brown
Colorado ("Rosado") Reddish-brown
Colorado Maduro Darker brown
Maduro Very dark brown
Oscuro ("Double Maduro") Black

Alternate wrapper shades

Designation Description
American Market Selection (AMS) synonymous with Candela ("Double Claro")
English Market Selection (EMS) any natural colored wrapper which is darker
than Candela but lighter than Maduro
Spanish Market Selection (SMS) one of the two darkest colors, Maduro or
Oscuro

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 Strength of Cigar
The strength of a cigar depends on the filler & the wrapper as well as the curing & fermentation
methods employed in making it.

Code Full Name Description

C Colorado Dark & Strong
CC Colorado Claro Medium
CCC Claro Light/Mild
CM Colorado Maduro Very Strong
M Maduro Dark & Strong

 Structure of Cigar
 Cigar has two ends i.e., “Head” & “Foot”
 Cigar has a paper band with its brand name printed on it.
 Head- It is the end closer to the band & has a leaf cap.
 Foot- Opposite end to the head.
 While smoking, foot end of the cigar is lit as well as head is used for drawing smoke.

 Cigar shapes & sizes

Note: Shapes & sizes of cigar are together known as Vitola.

Cigar Shapes
According to shape, cigars are classified mainly into two groups.
1. Parejo
2. Figurado

 Parejo
 Most common shape.
 Also known as “Coronas”.
 They have a cylindrical body, straight sides, one end open, and a round tobacco-leaf
"cap" on the other end.
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 Traditionally it has been the benchmark against which all the cigar formats are measured.
 Parejo can also have pigtail cap & fan tail cap (flag style cap). Twist & pull the cap or
cut to your preference
 Ex: Cigarillo, Rothschild, Robolo, Corona, Petit Corona, Robusto, Panatella, Double
Corona, Churchill, Toro, Ascot etc.,

 Figurado
 These Cigars come in irregular shapes.
 Sometimes consider of higher quality because they are more difficult to make.
 During the 19th century, it was more popular but by 1930s they had fallen out of fashion.
 However recently receive the small popularity; the Cuban brand “Cuaba” has only
figurado in their range.

Different types of Figurado

Figurado Description
Torpedo Like Parejo but the cap is pointed
Cheroot Like Parejo but there is no cap, i.e. both ends are open.
Inexpensive makes them popular.
Traditional in Burma (Burma literature) & India.
Popular among the British during the days of British Empire.
Pyramid Broad(thicker) foot and narrows to a pointed cap
Perfecto Narrow at both ends and bulged in the middle
Culebras Three long, pointed cigars braided together

 Other types of cigar:

 Presidente/Diadema:
 Shaped like Parejo but considered as a Figurado because of its enormous size.
 Slightly longer & thinner.

 Belicoso
 A figurado shaped cigar that tapers sharply at the head (i.e., close to the head).

 Chisel
 It is similar to Torpedo, but instead of coming to a rounded point, comes to a flatter,
broader edge, much like an actual chisel.
 Shape was patented & can only be found as LFD brand (La Flor Dominicana).

 Cigarillo
 It is a short, narrow or miniature cigar.
 Most cigarillos are machine-made, which is cheaper than hand-rolling.
 Cigarillos are informally called as small cigars, Mini cigars & Club cigars.
 Cigarillos are smaller than regular cigars but usually larger than little cigar, filtered cigars
& cigarettes, thus similar in size and composition to small panatela sized cigars, cheroots
and traditional blunt cigars (marijuana cigars).

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 Cigarillos are usually made without filters, and are meant to be smoked like a cigar & not
inhaled.
 Generally, a cigarillo contains about 3 grams of tobacco (comparatively a cigarette
contains less than 1 gram of cigar), the length varies from 3 to 4 inches and the diameter
is about 6 to 9 mm, usually 8 mm.
 It is unusual to store them in humidors, partly because they are smoked in large quantities
and so have a short shelf-life.
 It is sold in varying quantities: singles, 2 packs, 3 packs & 5 packs. Cigarillos are
wrapped in tobacco or brown tobacco based paper.
 Cigarillos are very inexpensive, usually sold for less than a dollar.
Cigarillo brands
Country Brands
United Kingdom Henri Wintermans Café Crème and Hamlets
Europe Dannemann Moods, Candlelight, Agio Panters and Mehari's,
Clubmaster and Handelsgold
United States Al Capone, Black & Mild, Backwoods, Dutch Masters, Garcia Y
Vega, Game, Splitarillos, Good Times, Swisher Sweets and Phillies.

Note: Some famous cigar brands, such as Cohiba or Davidoff, also make cigarillos - Cohiba
Mini and Davidoff Club Cigarillos.

 Humidor
 A wooden box used for the storage of cigars & tobacco.
 Spanish Cedar (Cedrela Odarata) wood is preferred to any kind of box as:

 It holds more moisture than most woods, so it helps in maintaining humidity.

 It is not prone to "warping" or "cupping" in high humidity.
 It imparts its aroma to cigars before they are sold.
 It can repel tobacco beetles, pinhead-sized pests which can ruin entire stocks of cigars by
eating the tobacco and laying eggs, causing further infestation.

Temperature: 18 °C
Relative Humidity: 68-72%
Note:
 Humidity should not go higher than 75% as well as temperature 20 °C, as chances of
hatching beetle egg will be more.
 Humidor should never be exposed to direct sunlight. At temperature below 12° C, the
desired ageing process of the cigar is impaired
 Other materials used for construction of humidor is carbon fibre, silicon carbide,
polyethylene
 The tobacco bettles eggs usually hatch at around 25° C, so the humidor temperature
should not get over 20° C.

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 Humidor should not be overcrowded as it obstruct air circulation & hence humidity.
General rule of thumb says humidor should be filled up to three quarter i.e., 75%
capacity.

Types of Humidor:
1. Walk in: most common in cigar bars or stores. One room is built as or converted to a
humidor where all the cigars are stored.
2. Cabinet: usually placed on the floor as a piece of furniture. Typically hold 1000-5000
cigars
3. Desktop: most common type of humidor. Typically box sized with lid on top. Vary in
size from 25-500 cigars capacity
4. Portable: usually holding 2 to 20 cigars.

Note: Humidor comes with Hygrometer (equipment used for measuring water vapour in the
atmosphere)

Seasoning of cigar humidor

 Wet a new scented sponge with distilled water; wipe down the interior, including any
trays, divider & lids. Do not use a towel or cloth they will leave a paper trail on the wood.
 Squirt the sponge with more distilled water & place it inside a plastic bag (to avoid direct
contact with the wood) before leaving it inside the humidor. Close the lid & leave the
damp sponge inside the over night.
 Check the sponge on the second day. It is fairly dry, add more distilled water; otherwise,
just leave it alone for another night.
 On the 3rd day remove the sponge & plastic bag. The wood of the humidor have now been
moistened to the desired level & is ready to safely store the cigars.
 Most humidifying agents used for cigar humidor is propylene glycol & distilled water.

 Judging the quality of a good cigar

 Reputation of the company & goodwill and not an attractive box or packaging.
 A cigar should be smooth, firm & even to touch.
 Odour, flavour, Aroma can be checked by smelling & smoking.
 Colour of the Ash: It should be dark greyish, firm and should not fall on its own. The
longer it stays the better its quality is.

 Service of cigars
1. Place a clean ashtray on the table.
2. Present the humidor to the guest in order to select his/her cigar.
3. Remove the selected cigar carefully making sure your finger nail does not touch the
wrapper of any of the cigars.
4. Advisable to place the cigar in such a way that it is easy for the guest to pick up without
touching any of the other cigars.
5. Ask the guest if the band of the cigar may be removed & what type of cut he/she prefers
before taking it to the side board.
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6. Take the cigar to the sideboard to prepare according to the guest’s request.
7. If the guest wants the band to be removed, gently apply pressure below the band &
remove it without damaging the wrapper.
8. Keep the cut cigar over the side plate to remove any unwanted/extra tiny particles.
9. Present the prepared cigar along with the cigar smoker’s matches on a quarter plate.
10. A cigar should not be pierced with match or cocktail stick as it block the flow of air &
the smoke gets a tar smell.
11. A cigar should be lit by a match only, as fumes of the cigarette lighter may affect its taste.
12. If the band is not removed before lighting the cigar the guest will remove it during the
course of smoking.
13. Removal of band is easier after smoking for a while, as the cigar has warmed up a little.
14. The cigar should be rotated during lighting to achieve an even burn.

 Cigar cutters
 A cigar cutter is a mechanical device designed to cut on end off a cigar so that it may
be properly smoked. Some cigars are cut on both ends or twirled at both ends.
 Most quality handmade cigars, regardless of shape will have a cap which is one or
more small pieces of a wrapper pasted on to one end of the cigar with either a natural
tobacco paste or with a mixture of flour & water.
 The cap end of a cigar is the rounded end without the tobacco exposed & this is the
end one should always cut.

There are three basic types of cigar cutters:

a) Guillotine (straight cut):
 Most common cut
 Usually used on a cigar with a smaller ring gauge
 Cigar scissors are also used to make straight cuts & may be the best choice for
cutting the cigar with exactness.
 The Guillotines are usually the most practical, the least expensive & can be easily
& safely carried in shirt or trouser pockets.
 The double blade Guillotine is preferred by many cigar smokers over the single
blade because it usually makes a cleaner cut.

b) Punch cut (hole cut): there are basically three types of punch cutter or cigar punches.
 Bullet punch
 Havana punch
 Multi punch (different sized punch holes)

c) V-cut (notch cut, cat's eye, wedge cut, English cut):

 V cutters look like guillotine cutters but cut a wedge into the cigar cap rather than
completely removing it.
 Good v cutters penetrate deeper into the filler than straight cutters & some
smokers prefer them for thicker gauge cigars.
 Cheap v cutters can result in sloppy cuts too deep into the cigar, which result in an
uneven burn
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Cigar Brands
Country Brands
India Bengal Tiger
Mexico Olmecas, Oktoberfest, Ornelas, Puro Puro, Revolution,
Ricardo Turrent, Serena, Tampanillas, valdez, van Cleef,
Veracruz, xtabay, yerberito.
Argentina Captaris
Nicargua A.fernandez, Ambrosia, Casa Magna, Mobacho, My Father,
Nub, Padron, Quorum, Tatuaje
USA Robert Burns, Corona, Phillies, Villiger
Dominican Republic and Honduras Gurkha, Macanudo
Switzerland Davidoff
U.K Dunhill, Regius
Denmark Ducados
Jamaican Corona delux, Diplomat (delux)

Havana (Capital of Cuba) Cigars

Romeo Y Julieta Montecristo H.Upmann Ramon Allones
Punch Partagas Rafael Gonzalez Bolivar
Cohiba Cuaba Vegueros Sancho Panza
Fonseca Saint Luis Rey La Gloria Cubana Vegas Robaina

Size of famous cigar

Name Length in inches Girth ,64th of an inch (mm)
Corona 5½ 42 (17)
Robusto 4⅞ 50 (20)
Petit Corona 5⅛ 42 (17)
Double Corona 7⅝ 49 (19)
Gran Corona 9¼ 47 (19)
Toro 6 50 (20)
Panatella 6 38 (15)
Churchill 7 47-50 (19-20)
Carlota 5⅝ 35 (14)
Lonsdale 6½ 42 (17)
Presidente 8 50 (20)

Note: Girth (circumference) of a cigar is measured by a ring gauge which is calculated in

multiples of 64th of an inch. One ring gauge is equal to 1/64th of an inch.

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