What is a cigar?

Some Basic Cigar Information

There are a lot of choices when it comes to cigars. Here is a little guide to help you out:

What is a cigar made of:

Tobacco, of course. But, the main components are: #1Filler tobacco, which is usually the whole leaf, or long filler, or shorter pieces, known as short filler. #2 Binder. This is either a leaf or a paper/tobacco sheet binder. #3 Wrapper. Leaf. These vary in color. A candela wrapper is more of a greenish shade than a natural or English Market wrapper, which are a brown color. Maduro and Oscuro, are dark, to black in color wrappers. Each has its own taste.

Handrolled vs. Machine Made.

Typically, handrolled cigars contain long filler, and a leaf binder and wrapper. Many machine mades contain short filler. Be wary of the paper/tobacco binder that is found on cheap cigars. If you are going to buy machine made, look for 100% tobacco.

Countries of Origin:

There are alot of countries that produce cigars. Of course, Cubans are illegal in the U.S., so the following countries are known for their cigars: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaraugua, Jamaica, Brazil, and the Phillippines to name a few. My taste is that Dominicans are mild, yet flavorful. Hondurans are stronger and more full flavored. Nicarauguan cigars are good, but don't seem to have the punch of a Honduran or the flavor of a Dominican, but are pretty good nonetheless. Jamaican cigars are mild. Cigars from Brazil and the Phillippines are decent, but are not of the quality (yet) as those from the other countries.