A
8-9-8
A form of packaging in which there are three layers of eight, nine and eight cigars, respectively, layered with in a box.
Cutter
A device used to cut off a small portion of the closed end of a cigar; a guillotine cutter is preferable
Burn
Description for the burning characteristics of a cigar.
Vein
Description of structure of a wrapper leaf; the vein should run parallel to the cigar in order to ensure a good burn.
Aficionado
A cigar lover and connoisseur of cigars.
Air-cured
Tobacco which has been air-dried and used especially to manufacture cigars.
Amatista
Hermetically sealed glass container which holds 50 or 25 cigars, which is sealed and sold factory-fresh. Also used to age cigars.
AMS
Abbreviation for "American Market Selection", i.e. for cigars with particularly light wrappers which the American market preferred at
Anillo
Spanish description for the cigar band.
Arapiraca
A type of tobacco grown in Northeastern Brazil
After-fermentation
Cigars continue their maturing process after being rolled. On some wrappers this can result is a fine white, powder-like film on your cigars. This is completely natural, the white film consists of mineral salt, and can be easily brushed away with a soft brush. This film is NOT mold.
B
Belicoso
A form of cigar: a short pyramid (140 mm) with a rounded head, and as rule has a 20 mm foot. Examples: Romeo y Julieta Belicosos, Bolivar Belicosos Finos, Sancho Panza Belicosos.
Besuki
A famous tobacco cultivation district on Java.
Biddies
The name of a small cigar from East India; the Agio Company produces small machine-made cigarillos under this name.
Binder
The tobacco leaf which holds the aromatic blend of filler leaves together.
Blend
Mixture of tobacco which makes up the filler and gives each cigar it's signature taste.
Bouquet
The flavors experienced by the cigar smoker while enjoying a cigar.
Box-pressed
A form of packaging in which there are two layers of cigars in a box, as opposed to a Cabinet or a 8-9-8 box.The cigars take on a slightly square shape.
Brasil
A synonym for dark cigars, for example the C.A.O. Brazil. It also indicates a taste preference.
Bunch
Name for the filler of the cigar.
Bundle
An economical form of packaging, whereby the cigars are wrapped in cellophane
Burros
Also called bulks. A Cuban term for the mounds of tobacco leaves which have been piled up in order to ferment.
C
Cabinet
Packaging form where raw or lacquered boxes hold 50 cigars; more advantageous because the cigars maintain their round shape better than box-pressed cigars. Some examples: the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2, Bolivar Belicosos Finos SLB, Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2, Hoyo de Monterrey Epicures Especiales, Hoyo de Monterrey Petit Robustos
Candela
In America, an especially popular bright green wrapper color; by smoke-curing the leaves immediately after harvesting the chlorophyll remains in the leaves; fermentation is no longer possible due to this process.
Capa
Spanish term for the wrapper leaf.
Capote
Spanish term for the binder leaf.
Carmen
Tobacco from Columbia.
Chaveta
A flat, crescent-shaped blade, which is employed by the Torcedores to cut the tobacco leaves into the correct form for rolling and, after manufacture to model a cigar's beautiful round form.
Churchill
A large corona format, 178mm by 18-20mm. Best examples are the Romeo y Julieta Churchill, as well as the Punch Churchill, Hoyo de Monterrey Churchill and many more.
Cigarillo
A small cigar, conical at it's head and cut straight at the foot; in Spanish also called Cigaritto or Chico. Examples: the Cohiba Minis, Montecristo Minis, Paragas Minis, Hoyo de Monterrey Minis, H. Upmann Minis.
Claro
Spanish designation of the lightest colored cigars.
Colorado
The Spanish name for darker colored cigars.
Connecticut Broadleaf
A dark-brown wrapper from the US State of Connecticut, preferably for Maduro cigars; i.e. the Macanudo Maduro Hyde Park.
Connecticut Seed
A wrapper variation grown in the US State of Connecticut from a Cuban seed.
Connecticut Shade
A wrapper leaf grown in Connecticut River Valley in the USA, under cheesecloth. Examples include Laura Chavin, Santa Damiana, Leon Jimenes, The Griffins, AVO XO, Juan Clemente, etc.
Connecticut Wrapper
A wrapper leaf grown in Connecticut, USA.
Corojos
Wrapper leaves which are primarily grown under cheesecloth in the Vuelta Abajo; a brand of seeds which has been named after the famous plantation "El Corojo".
Corona
A familiar size and shape for premium cigars with straight sides with an open foot and a closed, rounded head. L 142 mm x 17 mm. Some examples: Hoyo de Monterrey Hoyo you roi. Somewhat longer and fatter, the Corona Gorda, e.g. H. Upmann Magnum 46.
Cuba
An island in the Caribbean, famous for it tobacco and cigar culture, where the perfect soil and climate provide the ideal conditions to cultivate the tobacco seed.
Cuban Seed
The use of Cuban seed to cultivate tobacco in other countries, e.g. Arturo Fuente Cuban Coronas, Brick House, Cain, Oliva.
Culebra
The Spanish term for serpent; three cigars braided together while moist. Any cigar which the Torcedores wanted to take home for their own personal use had to leave the factory in this form, in order that any resale would be prevented. A famous example is the Partagas Culebras.
Cutter
A device used to cut off a small portion of the closed end of a cigar; a guillotine cutter is preferable.
D
Delgado
Spanish description for a thin format.
Diademas
Large format (200 mm) with a closed, tapered head and an open or closed closed foot. Example: The Paratagas Diademas.
Dominican Republic
An important tobacco producing nation for tobacco and premium cigars ( half of the Caribbean Island of Hispanola). Famous labels include: Davidoff, La Flor Dominicana, Laura Chavin, Patoro, Zino, Arturo Fuente, Ashton, The Griffin's, Asthon, Juan Clemente, Aging Room, AVO, Bock y Ca., Dunhill Aged Cigars, La Aurora, Macanudo, Leon Jimenes.
Double Corona
A large format with the dimensions L 194mm x 19.5 - 20 mm. Examples includ: Montecristo Double Corona Ed Limitada 2001 and the Punch Double Corona.
E
Ecuador
A country located on the Pacific coast of South America which is known for it's cultivation of wrapper leaves and premium cigars.
Edmundo
A new format of Montecristo - L 135 x 21 mm
EMS
Abbreviation for "English Market Selection", a description of cigars which have deep brown wrappers, which have been popular in Great Britain for a long time. Meanwhile, these cigars have also become more popular than the AMS cigars in North America.
Filler
The core of the cigar; a blend of various tobacco leaves which gives a cigar it's signature taste.
Escaparates
Special cabinets to cool and store freshly rolled cigars for a few weeks
Especial
A format displaying the dimensions L 235-240 mm x 19-22 mm. Examples include: Montecristo A and Sancho Panza Sanchos.
F
Façon
The French term for format.
Fermentation
A natural process which breaks down the protein, nicotine and sugar in tobacco, and which encourages the enhancement of the flavor of the tobacco.
Figurado
A form of cigar which is other than cylindrical; a generic term for cigar shapes such as torpedo, Culebra, Belicoso, Torpedo and Perfecto. Examples: all Cuaba cigars, Montecristo No. 2, Davidoff Special T, The Griffin's Perfecto, La Flor de Selva Barroco.
Filler
The core of the cigar; a blend of various tobacco leaves which gives a cigar it's signature taste.
Format
The shape or form of a cigar. Besides the particular blend of tobacco employed, the length (L) and diameter (x) have a direct influence on the taste of a cigar.
Foot
The end of the cigar that is ignited.
G
H
Habano
Registered trademark for cigars made in Cuba.
Handmade
Cigars that are completely manufactured by hand.
Hand-rolled
Cigars that have a hand-rolled wrapper.
Havana
The English name for the Capitol city of Cuba; the registered trademark for Cuban cigars.
Havana Seed
A variety of tobacco grown in the Nicaragua, Honduras and other tobacco countries which is derived from Corojos tobacco seeds.
Hecho a Mano
The Spanish term for cigars which are handmade.
Homogenized tobacco
Artificially manufactured tobacco from scraps and cellulose for wrappers and binders, found in many cheap, machine-made cigars. When a cigar or cigarillo contains such tobacco, it is no longer permitted to be labeled "100% tobacco".
Honduras
A country in Middle America which cultivates tobacco and produces premium cigars.
Humidor
A room or container in which the atmospheric conditions are controlled to provide optimal storage.
I
J
L
M
N
P
Panetela / Panatela
Measures L 100 - 170 mm x 10 - 15.5 mm. An example: Montecristo Especial No. 2.
Parejos
A cigar shape with a cylindrical body (straight cigar form).
Partido
An exceptional Cuban region of tobacco cultivation.
Petaca
A small case used for packaging Habanos.
Perfecto
A shape with a round head and a pointed foot, belonging to the group of Figurados. Example: Cuaba Distinguidos, Cuaba Salomones.
Petit Corona
The format L 129 mm x 17 mm. Example: Cohiba Siglo II or Bolivar Petit Corona.
Picadura
Short-filler; chopped tobacco leaves uised in the production of machine-made cigars.
Piloto Cubano
Type of seed cultivated in the Dominican Republic, which is derived from Havana.
Pyramid
A conical cigar. Example: Leon Jimenes Piramide.
Premium Cigars
The highest quality in cigars: the generally recognized criteria: 100% tobacco, entirely hand-made containing exclusively long-filler tobacco.
Puppet / Cocoon
Description of a half-finished cigar, consisting of the filler and binder.
Purito
The Spanish designation for a Cigarillo or a Cigaritto.
Puro
Spanish word for cigar, a designation for a cigar which has been made from tobacco from a specific region; meanwhile, however, used mainly to describe those manufactured only in Cuba (puro=pure).
R
Ring Gauge
A measure of the diameter of a cigar, expressed in 1/64 of an inch. ( 1 inch = 25.4 mm) For example: Ring 40=25.4/64x40=15.9 mm (rounded out).
Remedios
Cigar region in central Cuba.
Rib
The veins of the tobacco leaf.
Robusto
Definition of the format L 127 mm x 19 mm. An example: Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2, Bolivar Royal Corona, Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2, Cohiba Robusto, Partagas Serie D no. 4, Ramon Allones Specially Selected, Davidoff 6000, AVO XO Intermezzo, Davidoff Special R, Montecristo Open Master.
S
Short-Filler
Used mainly in machine-made cigars; same as scrap filler.
Storage
Providing the proper conditions for optimal storage of cigars: a constant 18°-20°C at 65-75% relative humidity.
Sumatra
Synonym for a light-colored cigar. An Indonesian island which produces expensive wrapper leaves.
Sun-cured
Tobacco dried directly in the sun. The opposite of air-cured.
T
Shoulder
The area of a cigar where the head joins the body.
Shade-grown
Tobacco leaves grown under a gauze or cheesecloth shade.
Scrap-Filler
The same as short filler, consists of chopped tobacco leaves.
Shape
The form of a cigar
Taino
The Native American tribe that Christopher Columbus encountered when he landed on North American shores and was noted to observe "their burning bundles", whereby they inhaled smoke in order to intoxicate themselves. The term "Cohiba" meant cigar in their language.
Torcedor
Spanish for a person who rolls cigars.
Torpedo
A shape which is defined on both sides by a conical form. Examples: Montecristo No. 2, Vegas Robaina Unicos, Diplomaticos No. 2, Partagas Serie P No. 2, Laura Chavin No. 44.
Totalmente a mano
Spanish for 'totally by hand'. A description created in Cuba to differentiate between the Cuban method of making cigars by hand and the semi-mechanised techniques used elsewhere that can legally be described as 'Hecho a mano' or 'Hand-Made'.
Tragant
A vegetable-based adhesive used to secure tobacco wrapper leaves, or to attach a separate cap onto the mouth end of a cigar.
Très Petit Corona
Format L 110 mm x 17 mm. Example: Romeo y Julieta Très Petit Corona.
Tripa
Spanish term for Filler.
V
Vega
The Spanish term for a tobacco plantation; thus the designation "Vegas Robaina" means "the Tobacco fields of the Family Robaina".
Vintage
Designation of the tobacco harvest year, not of the a year of production.
Virginia
A slim cigar popular in Alpine countries maufactured from strong tobacco.
Vitola
The Spanish term for the decorative band which identifies the brand of a cigar, also describes the format, also see Anillo.
Volado
The very bottom leaves on the Criollo tobacco plant (the "sand leaves").
Vorstenlanden
The tobacco cultivation regions of Java and Indonesia.
Vuelta Abajo
The most famous tobacco cultivation area on Cuba, which produces the best tobacco.