It is an axiom of cigar smoking that there is no perfect cigar. There is only the right cigar for you, the one that gratifies your taste buds and sense of smell. The joy of searching for the best cigar is in the journey itself- one smoke at a time. The devilish number of different cigars makes choosing one seem like picking a winning number, but with a little knowledge and curiosity, you can embark on a quest that is its own reward.
The information you need begins with the brands, some of which have a problem of double identity that stems from the Cuban revolution in 1959. When Castro came to power and nationalized the tobacco industry, many of the manufacture fled-and believed they could take their brand names with them. The Cubans who remained disagreed, and continued to produce cigars with the original names. Today, there are still brands such as Romeo y Julieta, Montecristo, Partagas, Punch, and others that are actually made by two different companies, one in Cuba and the other elsewhere in the Caribbean. The mark of a Cuban brand is on the band, where "Havana" is written in miniature.
The battalions of cigars lined up on tobacconists shelves speak first with the color of their wrappers. Growers perceive over sixty hues, but smokers limit the confusion to about seven. In general, the lighter the color, the milder the taste; the darker the shade, the sweeter and more full-bodied the flavor. The following is a list that nature does not strictly adhere to:
CLARO CLARO : This greenish-tinted wrapper also goes by the names of double claro, candela, jade, and A.M.S. for "American Market Selection". Because of its former popularity in the United States. It produces a very mild, even bland taste.
CLARO: A light, yellowish tan leaf preferred for its neutral flavor.
COLORADO CLARO: A tawny, light brown with a light flavor.
COLORADO: A reddish-brown to brown hue. With its rich flavor and subtle aroma, this wrapper is called E.M.S. for "English Market Selection" because it was previously prized in Europe, but is now equally desirable in the United States.
COLORADO MADURO: Medium brown in color and medium strength.
MADURO: Black coffee describes this wrapper and gives a good indication of strength of its flavor. It is also known as S.M.S. for "Spanish Market Selection."
OSCURO: The nearly black color of this leaf is darker than any other, because it is left the longest to mature on the tobacco plant and undergoes a lengthier curing period.
THE ORIGIN OF THE TOBACCO
How much of the cigar's total character is affected by the wrapper is a matter of opinion, but there is no question that the impact is considerable. Still, the bulk of a cigar is in its body, the filler, and the blend of tobaccos in the filler should be considered when choosing a cigar. The filler's character depends upon the tobacco's country of origin. The major premium tobacco/cigar producing locations are: Cuba, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Jamaica, Sumatra, the Philippines, the Canary Islands, Cameroon, Ecuador, Holland, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the United States, where Connecticut shade-wrapper leaf, the finest in the world, is grown. The following list, with accounting for the vagaries of particular weather conditions and crops, offers a very general impression of what the different growing venues might contribute to the overall taste:
DOMINICAN Republic: By far the most popular cigars in the United States, these tend to be mild, with a sweet, nut-like taste. Earthy and floral tones are common.
HONDURAS: Cigars that are more robust and spicier than Dominicans. Nearly as rich as tobacco from Cuba.
HAVANA: Considered the best in the world, Havana cigars are medium to full-bodied, with earthy, coffee, and honeyed tones. Havana is also used as part of the blend in European dry cigars.
JAMAICA: Jamaican cigars, of which the most famous is Macanudo, are a bit milder than Dominicans.
NICARAGUA: Nicaraguans, which are improving, are medium sweet, full-bodied and aromatic.
ECUADOR: Ecuadorian cigars are mild and flavorful.
CAMEROON: A leaf, not a cigar, this wrapper imparts a spicy taste and a sharp aroma.
SUMATRA: Also a tobacco, not a cigar, but one with an unpredictable spectrum from mild to heavy.
MEXICO: Still a premium cigar, but one with an unpredictable spectrum from mild to heavy.
BRAZIL: Tobacco and cigars from Brazil tend to be dark, rich, and smooth with a slightly sweet flavor.
Filled, wrapped, and rolled, a cigar presents itself in an array of bodies whose differences are defined by fractions of inches. There are so many different sizes and shapes of cigars now that, stood on end, they would resemble a miniature jungle of short, tall irregular, and stately trees.
Like the natural world, the products of the cigar industry are not much given to uniformity. At one time, cigars of a given name such as a Churchill were a standard size. No longer. Today, a "Churchill" can range anywhere from 6" to 8 inches and the same loose association between name and dimensions occurs in all sizes.
Cigars are described by their length in inches and their diameter, called the "ring gauge," which is measures in 64ths of an inch. So a cigar designated 6.5 x 46 is six-and-a-half inches long and just under three-quarters of an inch (48/64) in diameter. The Europeans use millimeters and measure the circumference of the cigar rather than the diameter. Thus the 6.5 x 46 becomes 165mm x 18.26mm. Because names and dimensions do not coincide uniformly, it is best to explore a preferred size no matter what the manufacturer chooses to call it. Regardless of length and girth, there are two basic types of cigars, the parejos, cigars with straight sides, and the figuardos, those with irregular shapes.
Although the distinctions can be finer than those on the following list, the straight-sided cigars fall into these categories:
CORONA: This cigar, with its aristocratic title (Spanish for crown), is the traditional benchmark by which all other sizes are measured. Its medium size, 5.5 to 6 inches by 42 or 44 is adaptable to most occasions and offers at least 45 minutes of pleasurable smoking. Like most straight-sided cigars, the corona has an open foot and a closed head.
CHURCHILL: At least 7 x 47, the Churchill is a strong, full-bodied cigar that takes its character from it namesake, Winston Churchill, who probably smoked more of them in a single lifetime than anyone else on the planet.
DOUBLE CORONA: From the more-is-better school of thought, this cigar, at approximately 6.5 x 48, offers ample girth for well-blended tobaccos and full flavor.
PETIT CORONA: As its name implies, this is a smaller cigar, ranging from 5" to 5 1/3" with ring gauges of 38-44, ideal for a briefer smoke.
PANATELA: These cigars are generally longer and thinner than coronas. The slenderness offers less space for tobacco and a coinciding drop in complexity of flavors. In addition, a smaller ring gauge burns hotter than a larger one.
LONSDALE: These are the One-From-Column-A-and-One-From-Column-B cigars. They are thicker than panatelas and longer than coronas.
ROTHSCHILD: Here is a cigar with heft and brevity. Short but with a capacious 50 ring gauge, a Rothschild is a very substantial smoke.
The irregular figuardos are the stand-out personalities in the tobacco trade. Each has idiosyncrasies that add a particular quality to the smoking experience. The foot or head on these cigars may be open or closed, pointed or rounded. They may look amusing but they are found in the humidors of serious smokers. Some of the major shapes of figuardos, which may occur with variations, are as follows:
PERFECTO: Once more popular, now almost a caricature, the perfecto is tapered at both ends with a bulge at its midsection.
TORPEDO: A cigar with the name and shape of a weapon, the torpedo has a pointed head, closed foot, and middle bulge.
PYRAMID: This cigar has a pointed closed head and an open, widened foot which makes for a memorable first puff.
DIADEMA: A grandiose 8 inches or larger with a ring gauge of at least 60, this monster is straight-walled with a rounded head and, most often, an open foot.
CULEBRA: "Snake" in Spanish, the culebra is a triple threat, three long, thin cigars braided together. The pointed heads are separate and they are meant to be smoked individually.
BELLICOSO: At 5.5 inches with a ring gauge of 52, this cigar has comparative girth and a shaped neck that is easy to clip.
THE DRY
To add another dimension, think small and dry, two attributes that none of the above cigars offer and might seem undesirable. But the diminutive European "Dutch-type" cigars are another interesting variety of smoke with some advantages. Sold in packs of several sizes, they are portable and easy to stash in a pocket or drawer. Because they require no humidification, they can go on the road for any period of time. Ideal for brief interludes, these "dry" cigars are available in a wide range of blends from light and mild to dark and rich.
THE BEST
Of course, in all these types and shapes, there are some cigars considered to be better quality than others. In general, the most popular cigars among serious smokers are premium cigars, made with long leaf filler tobacco. These are mostly handmade, but they can also be machining bunched and hand-rolled. Stepping up a grade, there are also upper-premium cigars, which are distinguished by specially selected tobaccos in the filler blend, and the wrapper, and additional aging. Moving into an even more rarefied realm, there are vintage cigars which, like wine, are made exclusively from a single year's outstanding tobacco crop. With their own bands and boxes, vintage cigars are marketed with all the cachet of exclusivity.
Armed in your quest for the right cigar with some knowledge about the color, filler, and shape, you are prepared to take a cigar in hand and inspect it carefully. Appearance and condition count. You may never be Sherlock Holmes, who could identify a cigar by its ash, but you can consider the clues the wrapper offers. A worm hole, of course, eliminates any candidate. The color should be even, without blotches, but sunspots are permissible. Although a cigar should not be heavily veined, veins in the leaf are part of tobacco's distinct character and often announce its origin. Cameroon wrapper, for example, has more evident veins than Connecticut leaf. To the touch, Cameroon wrapper feels bumpy, but this texture, called "tooth," is, in this leaf, a harbinger of a good-tasting cigar. On the other hand, fine Connecticut wrapper has a smoother surface texture and less tooth. Any wrapper with an oily sheen is announcing that it has been properly cured and humidified. At seventy- percent humidity, tobacco secretes oil and may feel almost silky to the touch. A cigar that is dry or brittle, or shows cracks along the wrapper, is unacceptable. How a cigar feels is part of its resume, so do take it in hand, tenderly (by the foot, not the head, so as not to injure the cap), and check for any hard or soft spots that might be evidence of a poorly constructed filler that would influence the draw, which is a matter of personal choice. Since test tasting is not part of the negotiation in buying a cigar, your search has, at this point, reached the point of purchase. Take the plunge. Buying cigars is an adventure no matter how experienced you are, but even in the beginning you may want to buy more than one. An opportunity for acquiring several at a better price is the "bundle," usually five cigars packaged together. Although you cannot inspect each individually, the better-quality bundles are, indeed, very good. Cigars are also sold in boxes, of twenty or twenty-five, and can be less expensive in that form.
Check the box carefully to make sure that all the members are the same color, a sign of attention on the part of the manufacturer. Some styles of packaging are indicated by a cigar's name. For example, and "8-9-8" moniker means that the cigars are arranged in a rounded-sided box in three rows, eight on the bottom, nine in the middle and eight on top.
Amatista is a term that refers to a glass jar with fifty cigars. Then there are the tubes; individual cigars packed in tightly sealed aluminum, glass, or wooden tubes. While the search for the perfect cigar is a lifelong treasure quest, these easy-to-carry singles are perfect in their own way, ever ready for any time that might be the right moment for a cigar.