Cigar and Tobacco Buying Guide

Tobacco has always been a very relaxing hobby for many. It comes in different varieties and can be enjoyed in many different forms. One of the most luxurious ways to enjoy tobacco is smoking a cigar. A cigar is considered to be a trendy and classic gift as well as a rite of passage for young men. Therefore, it it important to make your cigar and general tobacco experience, as pleasant as possible. And it all starts with buying the right stuff.

What to Consider

* Quality cigars have a sheen to them and a slightly oily texture. Pinch the cigar: it should be tender. Improperly stored cigars will be be dry and cracked. * Look at the colour of all the cigars. They should be the same. Any discolouration is a sign of a bad cigar or "stogie". * Buy from speciality stores with walk-in humidors which recreate the temperature and conditions of the cigar's native country. * Buy late, especially if you are giving it as a gift. A cigar should normally be smoked 1-2 days after it was bought, unless you have a humidor at hand.

Types of Tobacco and Ways of Consumption

Tobacco comes from either Nicotiana tabacum or Nicotiana rustica, the two types of tobacco leaves with the highest concentration of nicotine. They are cured and have different scents and oils, making different tobacco forms taste differently. * '''Beedi''' is a thin, flavoured South Asian cigarette made from tobacco wrapped in tendu leaf and secured with a coloured thread at the end. These contain higher levels of carbon monoxide, nicotine, and tar than regular cigarettes. * '''Cigars''' are dried tobacco leaves that are rightly rolled to allow the smoker to take the smoke in the mouth. The smoke has a high level of alkalinity and is therefore not inhaled. * '''Cigarettes '''are manufactured rolls of finely cut tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, and other additives. There is a cellulose acetate filter at the end to make the smoking experience smoother. *'''hookah''' is a glassfruits'>herbal fruits and molasses as well as tobacco. * '''Kreteks''' are better known as clove cigarettes, in which the tobacco is mixed with cloves and a flavouring "sauce." * '''Pipe''' smoking uses shredded tobacco that can be mixed with flavourings not normally found in tobacco. * The '''rolltobacco'>rolling tobacco separately. * '''Vaporisers''' heat the tobacco instead of burning it, thereby allowing the smoker to enjoy the vapours of the plant rather than smoking the harsh and toxic carcinogens.

Cigar Composition

Wrappers

The outermost leaves of the tobacco gives a hint to the cigar's taste and flavour. * '''Double''' '''claro''' is slightly green and a result of picking the leaf before maturity. Commonly grown in Connecticut. * '''Claro''' is light tan or yellowish, and is the result of shade-grown tobacco. * '''Colorado''' is reddish brown. * '''Colorado''' '''Claro''' is mid-brown and associated with Dominican or Cuban tobacco. * '''Colorado''' '''Maduro''' is dark brown and associated with Honduran or Cuban tobacco. * '''Natural''' is light brown to sun brown. It is sun grown. * '''Maduro''' is dark brown to very brown. * '''Oscuro''' is black and oily, mainly grown in Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil, Mexico, and Connecticut.

Fillers

* Different strength fillers are blended inside a cigar to created different flavours. These are called blends. * The more oils present in the tobacco leaf, the stronger the blend. The Volado is the lightest flavour because it is taken from the bottom of the plant; the Seco is taken from the middle part and more flavourful,. Ligero is the strongest for it is taken from the top of the plant and thus has the most exposure to the sun. * The fatter the cigar, the more filler can be held, and therefore the more complex the flavour. * Long fillers use long leaves and, short fillers use chopped leaves and stems. Long fillers are better for they burn slower and have an even taste. Short fillers make the cigar very hot and smokers often breathe in leaves. * "Sandwiches" are made by putting short fillers inside long fillers. * Pure fillers consist of tobacco from one country.

Binders

The elastic leaves that hold the fillers together are called binders. These are wrappers that have been rejected due to damage or blemishes.

Cigar Shapes and Size

Cigars are categorised by the size and shape, otherwise known as vitola. It is measured by its ring gauge and length.

Parejo

* Parejo is the most common shape and is also known as a corona. They have a cylindrical body, straight sides, one open end, and a rounded capped off end that must be sliced off with a cigar cutter. * The Rothschild is the smallest, at 4 1/2 inches, and the Gran Corona is the largest, at 9 1/4 inches.

Figurado

* These are irregularly shaped cigars that are considered higher quality because they are harder to make. * The '''torpedo''' is like a parejo but the end is pointed. * The '''pyramid''' has a broad foot and evenly narrows to a point. * A '''perfecto''' narrows at both ends and bulges in the middle. * The '''presidente''' is similar to a parejo but is very large and has a point. * A '''culebras''' is three narrow pointed cigars braided together. * A '''Tuscanian''' is long, slim, thick in the middle, and tapered off at the end.

Little Cigars

* Little cigars weigh less than cigars and cigarillos. * They resemble cigarettes in shape, size, packaging, and filters.

Cigar Flavours

* Each cigar has a different taste. The dark the wrapper, the sweeter the taste. The lighter the wrapper, the drier the taste. * Because cigar smoke is not inhaled, the taste left in the mouth can be strong and is a combination of many things, such as tobacco type, quality of the cigar, added flavours, age, humidity, and production methods.

How to Smoke a Cigar

* Cut the cap of the cigar with a single guillotine cigar cutter. Cutting too little can make the cigar hard to smoke. Cutting too much makes the wrapper unwind. Cigar caps can also be punctured using special tools. * Never use gas burning lighters or paper matches for they give cigars a bad taste. Use wooden matches or a butane lighter. * Smoke the cigar slowly and do not inhale. This will avoid tar build-up.