Cigar 101

Restoring Dry Cigars - Refrigerating Cigars - Cigar Terminology - Cigar Wrapper Colors - FAQ's

If a cigar has become dry and the wrapper has not cracked and unraveled, then it can be restored.
If the wrapper has actually broken then the cigar should be discarded.

Although dry cigars could be brought back to an acceptable smoking condition, they will probably never be as good as they originally were.

Remove from any cellophane wrappers, cedar or aluminum tubes before any restoration process. If they are not excessively dry, the box with its lid open should be placed inside a large walk-in humidor or, if one is not available, in a cellar or similar dampish location, where they can be exposed slowly to dampness, as close to 70 percent humidity as possible.

After two or three days the top and bottom rows should be interchanged and should remain in that position for another two or three days.

If you do not have a walk-in humidor or cellar then you can probably undertake a similar process using two zip-lock plastic bags. Firstly, puncture the smaller bag with many little holes and then insert the open box and close the bag. Place that bag, now containing the cigars, into a larger zip-lock bag containing a wrung out slightly damp sponge. Seal the second bag. This method of using zip-lock bags has been suggested by Lew Rothman, owner of

JR Cigars of America, one of the world's largest retailers.

After four to six days the cigars should be removed from their box and exposed to the full humidity. Sometimes small water bubbles may appear under the wrapper, but there is nothing to fear as long as you give the cigars a 25 percent rotation every two or three, days.

At the end of the treatment the wrappers will again look and feel smooth with only the normal gentle crackling sound when the cigars are pressed between fingers. They can then be returned to their original box. If you use the zip-lock bags, ensure the wrung-out sponge is just damp, not excessively wet.

When the cigars are not too dry they can sometimes be restored by simply wrapping the closed box in a damp (not wet) towel for about two weeks.

After treatment it is best to leave cigars for six to 12 months for the three components (filler, binder and wrapper) again to equilibrate before smoking. Just check on their condition every three months.

This is an extract from Rudman's Complete Pocket Guide To Cigars - 4th Edition

Refrigerating Cigars

If cigars are to be stored in a refrigerator, they must be put inside a sealed plastic zip-lock bag, otherwise they will absorb adjacent food flavors.

The average temperature in a normal household refrigerator is about 35°F – far too cold, inhibiting any maturing or development of the tobacco and resulting in a slow deterioration.

Cigar Terminology

Band The ring of paper with the name of the cigar brand, wrapped near the closed head of the cigar and usually held on with a vegetable based glue.

Binder The portion of a tobacco leaf that is rolled around the filler to hold it together.

Blend A mixture of different types of cigar leaf tobacco, including up to four types of filler leaves, a binder and an outer wrapper.

Bloom A fine white powder that forms on the wrapper of the cigar caused by the oils that exude from the tobacco. It can be gently brushed off with a small camel hair brush, though there is no need to do this. Bloom indicates the cigar is alive, maturing as it should inside a well maintained humidor. Bloom should not be confused with mold. Mold is a bluish-green and stains the wrapper. Mold usually indicates a humidor is too warm or has excessive levels of humidity.

Blue mold Blue mold is a damaging fungus that forms on the tobacco leaf and can ruin the crop. Blue mold is a big problem when there's a lot of dampness or rain.

Bunch The mix of filler and binder leaves before they are rolled into a wrapper.

Bundle A method of packaging cigars using cellophane as opposed to a box. A bundle usually contains from 25 to 50 cigars and is less expensive than boxed cigars.

Cap
A circular piece of wrapper leaf cigar tobacco that is placed at the head of the cigar to secure the wrapper. Cuban cigar caps have a distinctive three to four-layer circular look.

Cutter An instrument with a razor sharp blade used to remove the cap or flag from both machine made and hand made cigars.

Draw The amount of air that gets pulled through a lighted cigar. It can be too easy (hot) or too tight (plugged).

Filler The leaves of tobacco at the core of the cigar that provide a significant portion of its taste.

Flag An alternative to a cap that involves shaping the wrapper leaf at the head of the cigar so that it secures the wrapper in place. Sometimes a flag can be tied off in a pig-tail or curly head.

Foot The open end of the cigar you light.

Hand-rolled A cigar made entirely by hand, usually constructed with a high quality wrapper and long filler and binder as opposed to cut filler used in machine made and cigar seconds.

Head the closed end of the cigar, or the end you cut and smoke.

Humidor An entire room, or a box, that's designed to preserve and promote the proper storing of fragile cigars. An optimum humidity and temperature level in a humidor is 70/70, or 70 percent humidity and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius).

Ligero One of the three basic types of filler tobacco. The name means "light" in Spanish.

Long filler A term used to designate filler tobacco that runs the length of the body of the cigar, as opposed chopped up pieces know as "cut-filler."

Machine made A term that refers to cigars made entirely by machine and less expensive cigar tobacco.

Mold The wooden form used by cigar rollers to give shape to a finished bunch of cigar tobacco. Some molds have two parts which are then placed in a press.

Ring gauge A standard industry measurement for the diameter of a cigar in 64ths of an inch. A 50 ring gauge cigar is 50/64ths of an inch thick.

Seco One of three basic types of filler tobacco. The name means "dry" in Spanish.

Shade grown Prime tobacco leaf grown under cheesecloth tenting called a "tapado" to produce a thin, elastic tobacco leaf that is most often used in premium cigars.

Sun grown Tobacco grown in direct sunlight that creates a thicker veins that's often used in more hearty tasting cigars like Maduros.

Volando One of three types of filler tobacco.

Wrapper A tobacco leaf of varying quality that's wrapped around the finished bunch and binder to complete the cigar.

Cigar wrapper colors

Cigar wrappers come in various shades as follows:

Candela: a green color that was first popularized in the U.S. in the 1800's and early 1900's.

Claro: Pale to light brown. The Classic color of Connecticut shade grown tobacco wrapper. This color can also be referred to as natural

Colorado Claro: Darker brown in color and similar to a Cameroon wrapper from West Africa.

Colorado: A reddish brown wrapper most often seen in well aged and mature cigars.

Colorado Maduro - A dark brown wrapper, usually seen on cigars produced in Honduras, Nicaragua and sometimes in Cuba.

Double Claro: A greenish-brown wrapper that produces a somewhat light and bland taste.

Maduro: A dark, almost coffee like color associated with full flavored and slightly sweet tasting cigars.

Oscuro: Strong flavored wrapper tobacco produced in Mexico, Brazil and Nicaragua.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can cigars be stored?

Indefinitely. Some cigars have been maintained in perfect condition for 50 or 100 years.

What is a Cigar Punch?

A cigar punch is a device used to make a small hole in the end of a cigar prior to smoking.

What is a Cigar Bullet?

A cigar bullet, like the name implies, resembles a bullet casing. The open end of the casing is used to cut a small diameter hole in the end of the cigar prior to smoking.

How do cigars from different countries taste?

Cigars from Jamaica are considered mild. Cigars from the Dominican Republic are medium in strength, and cigars from Honduras and Nicaragua have a stronger taste.

How does size affect cigar taste?

Generally, larger ring size diameter cigars are more flavorful. Longer cigars smoke cooler.

What is the difference between "drug store" cigars, and fine quality cigars? "Drug store" cigars, like cigarettes contain additives such as salt peter to promote even burning. Fine cigars are made with Tobacco only.