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The Parts of a Cigar
Wrappers
The wrapper is the outside layer of tobacco on a cigar. It gives a cigar one of its primary flavor components. Wrappers
are usually very high quality leaves, and are available in colors ranging from double claro, the lightest to Oscuro, the darkest.
Wrappers are very important to the fine taste of a cigar.
Binders
Binder leaves are the intermediate leaf used to hold the bunch of filler tobacco together. These vary considerably from
one manufacturer to the next.
Filler
Filler is the bunch of tobacco found at the center of the cigar. Generally the filler is responsible for determining how
strong a cigar will smoke. There are two types of filler: long filler, which contains the whole leaf running from the head
to the foot of the cigar, and short filler, comprised of scraps of tobacco (often the trimmed ends of long fillers).
The blending of wrappers, fillers and binders determines the overall flavor of a cigar. There is an art to blending tobaccos
and as you smoke different cigars, you will notice how the various tobaccos interplay with one another.
Expert Advice
Here is where the expert advice comes in, as to "how to actually light it":
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Preheat the foot (the open end) by slowly rolling the cigar above the
flame at an angle allowing a tiny black ring forms all the way around the wrapper. Don't allow the flame to touch the cigar.
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Place the cigar in your mouth, and draw in as you repeat the process,
slowly rolling the cigar at an angle above the flame, but never letting the lighter flame actually touch the cigar (about
a 1/2 inch or so away). Remember to slowly spin the cigar to establish an even burn.
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Once you think you have it lit, pull it from your mouth and actually
look at the glowing foot to see if you did your job properly. Now if the burn is really uneven, repeat the previous step on
the appropriate side to even the burn. If it is just a bit uneven, gently blow on the end in the appropriate place to intensify
the heat there, and then take a couple steady draws, then wait a minute before continuing to puff. This short delay seems
to allow the cigar a chance to stabilize and self-correct the burn.
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Then sit back and relax and smoke to your heart's content!
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| Nice ash, Norm! |
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ASHES
Your cigar ashes are a tell-tale sign about some of the characteristics
of your cigar. A cigar that is well rolled (packed), can burn slowly and create a stiff ash up to two to three inches in length
without bending or breaking. It merely looks like the cigar itself, except it's grey.
Should your ash break up quickly, or burn in a less than tightly contained
manner, or expend, it is probably not packed well and its smoking characteristics are probably below par. If the ash color
begins to vary into the darker tones the leaf mix was not up to standard either.
The quality of the smoke is not affected by the length of the ash. Hot
or bitter smoking taste, or any other kinds of less tham smooth variations that occur WHILE smoking the cigar, are other indications
of poorer quality, either in the leaf mix or the rolling .
A great quality cigar can usually be smoked down to the nub (way past the
Band). Sometimes, as you smoke a great or good one down, the taste will change from "lovely smooth", to beginning to be "bitter"
or have a distinct "after taste". Most experts suggests tossing it, but I practice more patience. I simply put it down and
let it burn itself gently in the "proper ashtray". A good cigar can maintain its slow burning qualities from 3 to 5 minutes
without being puffed. Quite often it will burn itself past a "tar" spot easily and a resumption of your smoking it (without
it going out) will confirm its return to its original wonderful flavor. Give it a chance to re-prove itself. I find the last
two inches really satisfying and "Hard to put down"! It's almost like a love affair, when it's that good!
How to light a Cigar
Is there an etiquette for lighting a cigar? Everyone seems to have
their own opinion on this, so what I am going to do is pass on the advice of another aficionado who has been
doing this a lot longer than I have. The objective is to provide an even burn from the start, prevent any bitter taste
during the lighting process, and enjoy the lightning process.
If you use a match, wait till the sulphur burns off before using it to light you
cigar. Also if you can find those fancy long cedar matches all the better.
If you use a lighter, use a butane one. The gasoline based ones impart a foul flavor
to your smoke.
Some people claim that the only proper implement for lighting up is a cedar spill.
A cedar spill is a long thin strip of spanish cedar which is lit first and then used in turn to light your cigar. You will
typically see these in use at fancy cigar dinners, rather elegant way to light your stogie, but not all that practical in
the car.
If you are outside, and it is windy, and shelter is not accessible, then throw decorum
out the window, and flame-torch the end, and put up with the initial bitterness to ensure a fast even light.
If your smoke happens to go out, just knock off the ash, gently blow through the
cigar to clear out the old smoke, then jump right to the drawing while rolling part of the light-up sequence.
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