A___________________________________________________________

AMATISTA - Jar filled with cigars of 50 or 25.

AROMA - The smell of a burning cigar.

 

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BAND - Paper placed around the cigar, usually near the head, originally used to protect white gloves from tobacco stains. Merchants quickly seized the idea and began using it as a place to put their brand name. Allowing them to differentiate their cigars from their competitors.

BARREL - The body of the cigar.

BINDER - A single leaf of tobacco wrapped around the filler to hold it together.

BLEND - The mixture of tobaccos used in the cigar that provides each cigar with its unique character.

BLOOM - A harmless white film or spots on the wrapper caused by oils in the tobacco rising to the surface. This also indicates a stronger smoke. Also, called Plume.

BODY - The main or middle part of the cigar.

BOUQUET - The smell of an unlit cigar.

BOX - The container used to package cigars. Traditional styles include:

BULK - The large piles of tobacco leaves as they undergo fermentation.

BUNCH - Refers to the cigar when it consists of the filler and the binder, before the application of the wrapper leaf.

BUNDLE - Packaging method which uses cellophane overwrap on 25 or 50 cigars traditionally without bands. Bundles are usually cheaper than boxed cigars, and contain seconds of premium cigars.

 

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CAP - The circular piece of wrapper leaf placed at the head of the cigar to secure the wrapper.

CATADOR - Professional cigar taster who determines a cigar’s qualities of aroma, taste and texture.

CHAVETA - The knife used in a cigar factory for cutting the wrapper leaf.

CHURCHILL - A large corona format cigar, usually 7 inches long with a 48 ring gauge named after Winston Churchill who liked large cigars.

CORONA - A traditionally-proportioned cigar measuring 5 1/2 to 6 inches by 42 to 44 ring gauge.

CORONA GORDA - A long robusto format 5 1/2 inches with a 46 ring gauge.

CULEBRA - An exotic cigar consisting of three panatelas that are braided together to form one cigar.

CURING - The process of removing moisture from freshly harvested tobacco.

CUT FILLER - Filler tobacco consisting of chopped pieces most common in machine-made cigars.

CUTTER - A device for clipping the end off a cigar. Some resemble scissors with curved blades; others look like small guillotines for making a straight or V-shaped notch. In addition one variety looks like a bullet and another a fountain pen, they pull apart to reveal a punch that cuts a round hole in the end of the cigar.

 

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DEMITASSE - A small cigar around 4 inches by a 30 ring gauge.

DOUBLE CORONA - Cigar with dimensions of 7 1/2 to 8 inches by a large gauge of 49 to 52.

DRAW - The flow of smoke from a cigar. It can be too easy (hot) or too tight (plugged)

 

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el Lector- The reader to the cigar rollers.

    

 

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FERMENTATION - Sweating of the leaves as they release impurities such as ammonia, nicotine etc.

FILLER - The tobacco that makes up the center of the cigar. There are two main types of filler, short and long.

FIGURADO - A Spanish term that refers to cigars with exotic sizes, such as torpedos, pyramids, perfectos and culebras.

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 that it secures the wrapper. Sometimes, it is tied off in a pigtail or curly head.

FOOT - Also called the “tuck,” it’s the part of the cigar that is lit.

 

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GALERA - The room in which cigars are rolled at the factory.

GUM - A vegetable adhesive used to secure the head of the wrapper leaf around the finished bunch.

 

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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.

HANDMADE - A cigar that is bunched, bound and wrapped entirely by hand.

HAND-ROLLED - A cigar made entirely by hand with high quality wrapper and long filler.

HEAD - The end of the cigar that is placed in the mouth.

HOT - A cigar which has a quick, loose draw. This is caused by the cigar being underfilled. It is usually accompanied by harsh flavors.

HUMIDOR - A box (but actually an environment) used to store or age cigars. Like a wine cellar, the box is fitted with devices to control temperature and humidity. The ideal environment should be 21C and 70% relative humidity.

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L___________________________________________________________

LIGERO - One of three types of filler tobacco. This aromatic tobacco adds body to a cigar blend. Ligero means light in Spanish.

LONG FILLER - Whole leaves selected and rolled by hand to create a looser and easier draw of smoke.

LONSDALE - A cigar typically 6 1/4 inches by a 42 or 44 ring gauge.

 

M__________________________________________________________

MACHINE MADE - Cigars made entirely by machine. Heavier weight binders and wrappers are generally used and cut filler is used in place of long filler.

MOLD - The device used in making cigars that gives shape to a finished bunch. Also, a fungis, which is potentially damaging, that forms on cigars when they are stored at too high a temperature.

 

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OLEORESINS - Oils and resins found in tobacco that give it its smoking qualities.

 

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PANATELA - A widely-varying cigar format ranging from 5 to 7 inches with a gauge from 34 to 38.

PERFECTO - A cigar with a rounded head and a closed foot.

PETIT CORONA - A short corona format usually 4 1/2 inches by a 40 ring gauge.

PLUG - A tight spot in a cigar that prevents a proper draw.

PREMIUM CIGAR - A high grade cigar made by hand from 100% tobacco long leaf filler.

PURO - A cigar whose filler, binder and wrapper come from the same country.

PYRAMID - A cigar with an open foot and a tapered head.

 

R___________________________________________________________

RING GAUGE - The diameter of a cigar is referred to as the ring gauge. It is a measurement equal to 1/64 of an inch. A 64 ring gauge would be one inch in thickness and a 32 ring gauge would be 1/2 inch thick.

ROBUSTO - A short churchill format typically 5 to 5 1/2 inches by a ring gauge of 50.

ROLLER - Highly skilled artisans who apply the wrapper to the bunch.

 

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SECO - Spanish meaning “dry”. This filler contributes aroma and is of medium-body.

SHADE GROWN - Tobacco, usually the wrapper leaf of a cigar. For mildness, the wrapper is grown under tents and is not exposed to sunlight.

SHADE LEAF - Tobacco grown under a canopy or tent producing a thinner, more elastic leaf used in the wrapper.

SHORT FILLER - Chopped scraps of leaves hand-rolled, but more likely machine-rolled, to create a tight hard draw of smoke.

SMOKING TIME - 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 double corona, a 7 1/2-inch cigar with a 50 ring gauge, may give over an hour’s worth of smoking time. A thinner cigar, such as a lonsdale, smokes in less time than a cigar with a 50 ring gauge.

SUN GROWN - Tobacco which is grown in direct sunlight. This creates thicker veins and a thicker leaf.

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TOOTH - Small bumps which texture the wrapper on a cigar.

TORCEDOR -Title earned by the master cigar rollers.

TORPEDO - A cigar with a closed head and a closed foot.

TUBO - A cigar that is placed in a tube. Most tubes are aluminum while some are glass.

TUBIDOR - A sturdy plastic cigar tube that will screw closed and safely hold your cigar when heading out for the night or weekend.

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V___________________________________________________________

VEINED - The rib of the tobacco leaf. A quality cigar should not be too veined.

VOLADO - A type of filler tobacco chosen for its burning qualities.

 

 

W__________________________________________________________

WRAPPER - The outermost tobacco leaf of the cigar.

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