American Market Selection (AMS)
Characterized by a green-colored wrapper.
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Binder
That which holds, or binds, the filler leaves together. With high-grade cigars, the binder is usually a single leaf of tobacco. With low-grade cigars, the binder is usually a sheet of Homogenized Tobacco Leaf (HTL), a paper-like material made with scrap tobacco.
Body
The part of the cigar between the foot and the head.
Boite Nature (BN)
A natural wooden box for high quality cigars.
Breva
A type of Corona. It is known more commonly as a Rothchild in today’s market.
Bunch
To construct the binder around the filler leaves.
Bundle (BND)
A term derived from the cigar wrapper.
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Café
A medium-brown colored wrapper.
Candle
A light-green wrapper leaf.
Churchill
A type of Corona. It is very thick, and has an average length of seven inches.
Cigarillo
a short, thin cigarette-sized cigar, most common in the European market.
Claro
A wrapper that can range from green to light golden brown, depending on the manufacturer’s definition.
Colorado
A reddish-brown wrapper.
Colorado Claro
A darker wrapper than the standard Claro, suggestive of a Cameroon.
Colorado Maduro
A dark brown wrapper, also known as a Honduran wrapper.
Corona
A sub-category of Parejos cigars that have an open foot and rounded head. Coronas include Double Coronas, Presidentes, Robustos, and Churchills.
Curing
The process of drying tobacco.
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Double Claro
The lightest of wrappers: a green-colored wrapper that results from picking the tobacco leaves before they reach maturity.
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English Market Selection (EMS)
Characterized by a medium-brown colored wrapper, with more taste, and slower burning than a Claro.
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Filler
The blended tobaccos that form the inner core of the cigar. The filler accounts for most of the flavor and quality of the cigar. High-grade cigars are made with long fillers, or whole leaves running the length of the cigar, which are hand-rolled. Low-grade cigars use short fillers, or scraps of lesser quality tobaccos, which are fed into a machine
Foot
The end of the cigar that is lit; sometimes also called a tuck.
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Head
The end of the cigar that goes in the mouth.
HHS
A manufacturing term describing a natural wrapper.
Havana Cigar
All of the great Havana marques to which these cigars belong are unique, distinguished from one another by their flavor and character. Each has its devotees, to whom the inimitable flavor of their favorite brand is a constant sort of pleasure. Using the savour – faire accumulated over generations, the master blenders of Cuba are dedicated to safe guarding this pleasure. They perpetuate the individual styles of flavour upon which the reputations of these great names have been built.
= Cohiba – Medium to full flavour
Cohiba was created in 1966 as Havana’s premier marque for diplomatic
use only. From 1982 it was offered to the public in three sizes: Lanceros, Coronas Especiales and Panatelas. Three more sizes- Esplinidos, Robustos, and Exquisitos- were added in 1989 to complete La Linea Classica.
= Partagas – Full flavour
In 1845 Don Jaime Partagas opened the doors for the first time. His cigars have been much there ever since, except that is between 1987 and 1990 when it was closed for restoration. His much-respected brand retains its rich blend of tobaccos.
= Montechristo – Medium to full flavour
Introduced in 1935 by the H Upmann factory, Montechristo appeared first in just five sizes described by numbers and not names.
The other sizes like the “A” and Espiciales were added in the early 1970’s. Montechristo’s distinct flavour delighted cigar smokers so much that it has reigned as the most popular Havana for over two decades.
= Romeo y Julieta – Medium flavour
Founded by Alvarez y Garcia in 1875 Romeo y Julieta came into its own from 1903. when it was purchased by “ Pepin”, Fernadez Rodriguez.
He traveled widely, raced his horse Julieta all over Europe and produced the wildest selection of personalised cigar brands
for the celebrities of his day.
= Hoyo de Monterey – Medium flavour
In the Vuelta Abajo village of san Juan y Martinez there stands a plantation gate inscribed “Hoyo de Monterrey Jose Gener.1860”, which reveals that Sr. Gener grew tobacco before founding his brand in 1865.
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Jade
A Claro wrapper, as described by a specific manufacturer.
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Lonsdale
A sub-category of Parejos cigars that are in-between Coronas and Panatelas in length and thickness.
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Maduro
A Spanish term given to a dark brown, almost black, wrapper. The Maduro wrapper has the most taste and burns slower than any other wrapper.
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Natural EMS
A medium brown wrapper; often reffered to as Colorado, Cafe or Sun Grown.
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Olor
a natural filler tobacco.
Oscuro
The darkest brown-black wrapper.
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Panatela
A sub-category of Parejos cigars that are usually longer and thinner than Coronas.
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Ring Gauge
The measurement of the circumference of a cigar represented in millimeters; from a jewelers’ term for ring size. The diameter of a cigar is measured in 64ths of a inch.
Robusto
A type of Corona that is short and thick.
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Shapes
Although there are many variations, there are two basic cigar shapes: Parejos (cigars with straight sides) and Figurados (cigars of irregular shape). Parejos are further divided into three sub-categories: Coronas, Panetelas, and Lonsdales. Figurados are further divided into four subcategories: Belicosos, Pyramids, Perfectos, and Diademas.
Spanish Market Selection
A manuafacturing term for a natural wrapper.
Sun-Grown EMS
A natural (Colorado) wrapper.
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Wrapper
The outside leaf covering of the cigar. It is important in flavor and smoking quality
