Cigar Terminology

  • Amarillo

    • A shade grown wrapper leaf with a yellow hue.

  • Amatista

    • A factory-sealed glass jar containing 50 cigars.

  • Band

    • The ring of paper around the head end of a cigar. The band generally indicates the brand and series of the cigar.

  • Belicoso

    • A type of cigar that is essentially a shorter version of a Pyramid.

  • Binder

    • A type of tobacco leaf that holds a cigar together. The binder contributes very little to the flavor of a cigar.

  • Blend

    • The mixture of tobacco contained in a cigar.

  • Body

    • The strength or intensity of the smoke of a cigar.

  • Box Pressed

    • The rectangular shape (as opposed to cylindrical) that a cigar takes when it is packed tightly in a box.

  • Candela

    • A type of cigar wrapper characterized by its light green color and mild flavor.

  • Cigar

    • A cylindrical roll of tobacco cured for smoking. Comes in any number of various lengths, thicknesses, or degrees of straightness. Usually wrapped in a tobacco leaf.

  • Cigar Cutter

    • A tool used for cutting the head of a cigar.

  • Churchill

    • A corona-shaped cigar that includes the following measurements: Length = 6 ¾” -7 7/8″ and a Ring Gauge = 46-48.

  • Claro

    • A type of cigar wrapper characterized by its light tan color, typically consisting of shade-grown tobacco.

  • Colorado

    • A type of cigar wrapper characterized by its reddish, dark brown color and robust flavor.

  • Colorado Claro

    • A type of cigar wrapper characterized by its medium brown color. Cigars with this wrapper are often referred to as “Naturals.”

  • Colorado Maduro

    • A type of cigar wrapper characterized by its medium to dark brown color, and medium strength. It is slightly darker than the Colorado Claro.

  • Corona

    • A type of cigar with straight sides, one open end for lighting and one closed, rounded end to cut before smoking. This is the most popular cigar shape.

  • Corona Gorda

    • A variation of the Corona cigar which is longer than a Robusto, but shorter than a Churchill.

  • Culebra

    • Spanish for “snake”, a type of cigar that is made up of three small cigars twisted together.

  • Double Claro

    • Also known as a Candela, this is a type of cigar wrapper characterized by its light green color and mild flavor.

  • Draw

    • A characteristic of a cigar that describes how difficult or easy a cigar is to smoke.

  • Filler

    • The tobacco that constitutes the bulk of the inside of a cigar. Handmade cigars use blends of long filler, while machine made cigars use blends of short filler. Filler contributes most of the flavor to the cigar.

  • Foot

    • The end of the cigar that you light.

  • Head

    • The end of the cigar that you put into your mouth, which is usually capped.

  • Homogenized Leaf Tobacco (HLT)

    • A type of binder that is made from tobacco scraps that are ground up with combustible agents (like adhesives) and water, then stretched and rolled into a large paper-like sheet. Typically found in machine-made cigars.

  • Humidor

    • A storage case for cigars that regulates temperature and humidity to ensure cigars remain in good smoking condition.

  • Hygrometer

    • An instrument used to measure relative humidity, which is crucial to keeping your cigars fresh.

  • Lighter

    • A device that creates a flame which ignites a cigar for smoking.

  • Long filler

    • Filler which consists of tobacco leaves that run the whole length of the cigar.

  • Lonsdale

    • A variation of the Corona cigar shape that is thicker than a Panatela, yet longer than a Corona.

  • Maduro

    • A type of cigar wrapper characterized by its very dark brown color, and sweet, full flavored taste.

  • Oscuro

    • A type of cigar wrapper characterized by its extremely dark brown, almost black wrapper, and very strong flavor.

  • Panatella

    • Long, thin variation of the Corona cigar.

  • Perfecto

    • A type of cigar that is a essentially a torpedo, except that one end is rounded.

  • Petiti Corona

    • Smaller version of the Corona shaped cigar.

  • Pyramid

    • A type of cigar that has a closed, pointed head and a wide, open foot. The difference between a pyramid and a torpedo is that a torpedo is closed on both ends.

  • Ring Gauge

    • The diameter of the cigar and is measured as “ring gauge”/64 of an inch. For example, if a cigar has a ring gauge of 31, it has a diameter of 31/64 of an inch.

  • Robusto

    • Shorter version of the Churchill shaped cigar.

  • Short Filler

    • Filler which consists of stems, chopped leaves, and other scrap pieces of tobacco. Short filler tobacco burns faster, unevenly, and makes a good draw almost impossible.

  • Torpedo

    • A type of cigar that has a closed, pointed foot, a bulge in the middle, and a closed, pointed head.

  • Wrapper

    • The outer layer of a cigar that encases the filler and binder. Wrappers are generally made from tobacco leaves, and come in many varieties and colors.