How to Choose Your Cigar:

Define Class from Crass

Mark Twain probably never guessed that his famous line “If I can’t smoke in heaven, then I’m not going” would become the motto of sorts of many cigar-loving folks today.

There is something to be said of cigars. They evoke images of black and white films, of three o’clock shadows and leathery, weathered skin, high fashion tuxedo parties and champagne on ice, sultry jazz music and smoky voices, five-inch stilettos, red lipstick, jaunty top hats and scruffy, dancing shoes. Depending on your taste in cigars, it speaks of class, and at the same time, it speaks of the ordinary.

Cigars come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They come in various colors, too. In fact, they are so diverse that neophyte cigar smokers may have a tad bit of difficulty trying to understand how all these different characteristics factor in to define that unique taste of cigar smoke.

Does it have to do with shape? Size? Is bigger…better? Or is it the other way around? How does color affect the taste? Or does it even?

So many questions, all of which are relevant in your quest to find the perfect cigar that matches your personality, style, and tastes.

In this article, we will delve into the nuances of cigar and the art of cigar-smoking (because really, it is more of an art than a pastime), with a few tips on how to choose the best cigar for purchase.

Size and Shape

It is difficult to judge a cigar simply by its size and shape alone. One thing is certain, however: size does matter.

The world’s finest cigars vary in size, ranging from slim 4 x 30 to humongous 9 x 64. The first number refers to its length, measured in inches. The second, its ring gauge – that is, the thickness or diameter of the cigar, which is measured in units of 1/64^th of an inch.

So if you chose a 9 x 64 cigar, be prepared for a nine-inch long, an-inch wide cigar. (It’s like smoking a ruler!)

Experienced cigar smokers tend to stick to one size of cigar. Thus, when judging the quality and character of a particular cigar, how they like the cigar vary according to the shape and size they are accustomed to. This is also precisely the reason why it is hard to judge the taste of one cigar unless it is of the size you are used to.

Cigars of a brand, quality, and size may differ, taste-wise, from cigars of the same brand and quality as the former but of a different size. For example, you may like your Cohiba 9 x 64 cigar. But when asked to smoke the same Cohiba cigar but this time in a different size, like say, 48 x 19.05, then you are going to feel confused because it’s different; it tastes different.

How is this so?

The reason is that cigars with a wider ring gauge tend to produce more smoke. Now, of course, if you are used to cigars with a narrow ring gauge and then you suddenly smoke this 50-wide cigar, you are going to feel displaced. This is true even if both cigars are of the same brand, blend, and made by the same manufacturer.

Moreover, the width or girth of the cigar is indicative of how much of the cigar’s burning tip is exposed to the air. Thus, the fatter the cigar, the cooler and slower a cigar smokes. This is because more of the filler is exposed to the air.

The following are the standard ring gauge of the ever popular Havana cigars (from widest to narrowest):

• 52 x 20.64
• 50 x 19.84
• 49 x 19.45
• 48 x 19.05
• 47 x 18.65
• 46 x 18.26
• 43 x 17.07
• 42 x 16.67
• 40 x 15.87
• 38 x 15.08
• 36 x 14.29
• 34 x 13.49
• 33 x 13.10
• 30 x 11.91
• 26 x 10.32

And here are the common shapes of cigars:

• Belvedere
• Ascot
• Demitasse
• Petite Corona
• Robusto or Rothschild
• Corona
• Corona Extra or Corona Royale
• Panatela
• Lonsdale
• Corona Grandes
• Churchill
• Double Corona
• Long Pamatela
• Gigante
• Presidente
• Immensa

Strength

The strength of the cigar determines its taste. Strong cigars tend to have full flavors, while mild cigars have a gentler, milder-tasting smoke. Moreover, the strength of a cigar is highly indicative of how the cigar was blended and where the tobaccos were grown. Like wine, cigar blends are often unique to a particular region.

For example, Cuban cigars are unique to the extent that all Havanas are blended from tobaccos that grow on the island. Their blends usually range from medium to full flavors.

Other tobacco-producing countries such as the Dominican Republic and Honduras get their tobaccos from several countries. That is why, brands from these countries are highly varied and difficult to ascertain its flavors.

Below is a short guide of cigar strength based on common brands:

• Mild

Baccarat, Canaria D’Oro, Dominique, Dunhill Aged, Fonseca, La Fontana, La Unica Bundles, Macanudo, Mexican Bundles, National Brand Bundles, Villiger, Shimmelpennick, Panter, Temple Hall, Pleiades

• Medium

Andros Bundles, La Hoja Selecta, Olor Vintage, Arturo Fuente Sun Grown, Hamiltons House, Punch Gran Cru, Astral, H Upmann Chrmns Rsrv, Pargas Ltd Reserve, Creme de Jamaica, La Insular Bundles, Primo del Cristo, Don Diego, Las Cabrillas, Quintero, El Credito, Montecristo, Tamboril Sumatra, Famous Private Select, Montecruz

• Full

Avo XO, Don Mateo Bundles, Matacan, Bahia Gold, Don Tomas, Olor Cuadrado, Bahia Maduro, F D Grave, Padron, Bances, Henry Clay, Punch, Bering, Hoyo de Monterrey, Puros Indios, Cabanas, Joya de Nicaragua, Rafael Gonzalez, Di Nobili, La Gloria Cubana, Te Amo, Fuente Don Carlos, La Primadora

Wrapper Color

It’s called the “capa” – the cigar wrapper. The color of cigar wrappers is as variable as human skin tones. Just as a rainbow has seven basic colors, cigar wrappers have seven basic color descriptions as well. However, there are also subtle hues in between these colors, plus more shades that cigar merchants often tout.

Next to strength, the color of the cigar wrapper is the most indicative of how the cigar tastes like. It tells you how the wrapper leaf was processed, what type of tobacco, and the amount of sunlight that the leaf was exposed to.

Here is a list of seven of the most commonly used wrapper colors:

• Double Claro

Sometimes called “Candela,” the double claro cigar wrapper is light green to yellow in shade with a slightly sweet taste. The greenish shade is made possible because of the chlorophyll content retained in the leaves, possible through a heat-assisted quick-drying process.

• Claro

The light tan color is achieved by growing the tobacco under shade tents. The leaves are picked before they mature and air-dried to ensure that the light shade is maintained. Relatively neutral in flavor, claro wrappers are perfect for those who prefer the flavor of the bunch – the tobacco inside.

• Colorado Claro

Light brown in color, Colorado claro wrappers are made from the leaves of sun-grown tobacco.

• Colorado

Slightly darker in shade than the Colorado claro, this particular wrapper ranges in shade from medium-brown to reddish-brown. As opposed to the Colorado claro, Colorado wrappers are grown in the shade. They are rich in flavor and have a subtle aroma.

• Colorado Maduro

This is one of those in-between cigar wrappers. The Colorado maduro is lighter than maduro but darker than Colorado.

• Maduro

Maduro means “ripe” in Spanish and it’s aptly named. This particular shade varies from a very dark reddish-brown to almost black, achieved by a long process of “cooking” the leaves in a pressure chamber. Another method of achieving this color is fermentation for a long period of time under hot conditions. Characteristic of maduro wrappers is its distinct aroma and strong, slightly sweet taste.

• Oscuro

Darker than even maduro wrappers, oscuros are produced by leaving the wrapper leaf on the plant for a very long time. Only the leaves found at the top of the plant, the ones that receive the most sunlight, are picked. After they are gathered, they undergo a process of fermentation, sometimes termed as “sweating.” Mexican and Brazilian cigars often have oscuro wrappers. Sometimes, they are also called “negro” or “black” because of their characteristically dark shade.

And these are the three important factors to look into when choosing the cigar that suits your taste. Remember that cigars are extremely varied. Any combination of these factors may well produce a different-tasting cigar than other combinations. Moreover, the factors are only indicative of how a cigar should taste like but they are by no means guarantees that you are going to like that particular cigar just because the description says so.

So for a more accurate test of identifying classy cigars from the rest, you need only yourself.