Varieties Of Cigars: A Brief Guide

By Author: Meggan
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Naturally, not every cigar you smoke will give you the same familiar sensation. There are many different varieties, and it takes time to develop your cigar palate. Cigars vary, just like anything else, but it is the unique cigar construction that sets it apart and gives it a distinct flavor and aroma.

First, cigars are assembled with three different components — the wrapper, the filler and the tobacco.

The wrapper is the outside layer of the cigar. As its name implies, it contains the contents of the cigar in a tight womb, binding it together. The wrapper is usually made of the larger and lower pieces of the tobacco plant. There are different kinds of wrappers, each with unique traits. This is the part of the cigar that will determine the taste and flavor of your smoke, depending on what color its exterior is.

The main colors of a wrapper range from Double Claro, Claro, Colorado Claro, and Colorado Manduro, Natural, Maduro, and Oscuro.

Double Claro is the lightest of the wrappers. It is usually a slightly green color and is often times grown in Connecticut and picked before it reaches full ...
... potential. Claro is a yellowish or beige tan, which indicates the tobacco has been shade-grown. Shade-grown means that the tobacco has been grown under a shelter of muslin nets that protect the plant from direct sunlight.

Colorado Claro is a mid-brown color. Often times, this color wrapper indicates a relation with Cuban and Dominican Republic-grown tobacco. Natural is just that — natural. The tobacco has been sun-grown and is a light brown shade. On the other hand, Maduro-shaded wrappers are usually a dark brown to a very dark brown color.

The darkest shade, Oscuro, is often dubbed as Double Maduro. Oscuro wrappers have a black, oily appearance and usually originate from Cuba, Connecticut, Mexico, Nicaragua and Brazil.

The filler describes the inner contents of a cigar. The contents include small bunches of leaves. The last piece of the puzzle is the binder, the leaves that are used to wrap the fillers together. These leaves usually have holes or a discolored hue to them and are made of the same leaves as the wrappers.

Aside from a cigar's contents, they also differ in size and shape. Depending on what kind of cigars you enjoy, you may prefer a large ring gauge over the skinnier gauge. A cigar's size is represented by its ring gauge, which is its diameter in 64th of an inch, or by its length in inches. The reason the gauge size matters is because it will often times considerably affect the cigar's flavor and richness. However, even though the length of a cigar will not dictate its taste, the more lengthy your cigar is, the cooler and more relaxing your smoke will be.

Lastly, cigars are categorized by their shape. The shape of a cigar varies, considerably as they are constructed in different regions all over the world with distinct rolling methods. As important as the shape of a cigar is, it does not predict the taste of the cigar. The different cigar shapes include parejo, pyramid, torpedo, perfecto, and presidente. Pyramid, torpedo, perfecto and presidente are considered irregular shapes, which are referred to as Figurados. A figurado is a cigar of higher quality and worth because it is harder to create.

Parejo is the most popular and common cigar shape. It is a straight cigar with a round cap. The pyramid shape has a wide foot with a narrow body and a softer, pointy cap. The torpedo has a shape most like a bullet or an arrow. Its foot starts off narrow, with a thicker body and pointy cap.

The perfecto shape has a very narrow foot with a pear-shape body and pointy cap.
Presidente shapes feature a fancy foot, where a thin piece sticks out farther than the rest of the cigar. The rest of the shape looks similar to the Torpedo, only a little smaller.

Culebras and Tuscanians are other Figurados. The Culebras consists of three straight and long cigars that are mutually braided. The Tuscanian is an Italian cigar is has a long and thin body that usually has a wider body. Another variety of a cigar is the Little Cigar, which look similar to cigarettes and include filters.

Cigars vary just like many other things in life. A cigar's interior is just as important as its exterior. There are so many different kinds of cigars, with each differing in size and shape to gauge and filler. It is a treasure with the possibility to be vintage or mainstream, depending on which cigar is best for you. Take the time to explore your many cigar options.

Meggan Werkheiser is a freelance writer who writes about luxury items such cigars.