Band – the ring of paper located near the head of the cigar that has the manufacturer's name and country of origin printed on. In the late 17th century, cigars were dipped in a fine powder made from pulverized tobacco leaf and water to protect it from impurities, discoloration or other irregularities in the cigar wrappers. The powder would stain hands and gloves that were worn in that time. Paper bands were then placed on the cigars to give someplace to hold them without staining their hands or gloves. Shortly after, a cigar manufacturer discovered that the band was a great place to put the brand of his cigar and to let it stand out among his competitors. That is how the cigar band came about and continues to carry on.

Barrel – the body or the portion in between the head and the foot of the cigar.

Belicoso – a particular cigar shape that resembles a missile with a pointy, cone-like head that flares out to reach the sides of the barrel with a consistent ring-gauge from the shoulder (where the head meets the barrel) to the foot. Also called a Torpedo.
 

Blend – the blend refers to the different kinds of tobacco leaves used to create the filler. Blends may vary to up to five kinds of tobacco, mostly mixed together from different crops, plantations and vintages to give the preferred flavor of the smoker.

Bloom – These are the tiny, white crystals that will occasionally appear on well-aged cigars that can be easily brushed or wiped off. Bloom is an indication that the essential oils located in the cigar’s tobacco has reached the surface of the cigar and the different flavors from the wrapper, binder and filler has blended through age making the cigar a stronger tasting one. Also referred as “plume.”

Bouquet – the smell and aroma of the cigar while still unlit.

Box – handmade wooden boxes are the basic packaging of premium cigars. The three standard categories are broken down as a cabinet selection box, 8-9-8 box and the dress box. The cabinet selection box has a sliding top and can hold up to either 20 or 25 cigars. An 8-9-8 box has rounded sides and is made to hold three rows of cigars – 8 on the top row, 9 in the middle and 8 on the bottom. The dress box is covered in paper that features the brand’s logo and colors. It is a rectangular box that carries 13 cigars on the top row and 12 cigars on the bottom row. The boxes are mostly made of mahogany or cedar wood.

Box-pressed – These are cigars that are packed so tightly that the pressure causes them to take on a square-shape.

Bulk – the large piles of tobacco that is stacked for the initial fermentation process after harvesting and curing.

Bunch – a term used to describe the different kinds of tobaccos used to create the filler. It is the innermost portion of the cigar that is held together by the binder leaf.
 

Bundle – Plastic-wrapped cigar packages that are mostly used for less expensive cigars or “factory-seconds” instead of wooden boxes. This is an effective method when the company tries to save money.

Candela - See Double Claro.

Cap – the circular piece of wrapper leaf affixed on the head of the cigar.

Catador – a professional cigar taster with many years of experience and a refined palate. He is responsible for tasting cigars during the different stages of their making to make sure whether the taste, aroma and body have reached the desired levels. He also decides when it is time for the cigars to be sold.

Chaveta – a flat, semi-circle metal knife used by the cigar-roller in making a cigar.

Cheroot – a small, cigarillo type of cigar with an unfinished appearance having uncut ends.

Churchill – a cigar that is 7 inches long with a standard ring-gauge of 48. Named after Sir Winston Churchill, this cigar size is probably available by every brand of cigar in the world.

Cigarillo – a cigar that is sized like a cigarette with a length of 6 inches or less and a ring-gauge of 29 or less. These are often made without a binder and the filler is chopped for a more even burn. They are not as big or rich as full-sized cigars but are excellent when you don’t have time to smoke a larger cigar or when you find yourself in a bar that prohibits cigar smoking.

Claro – pale leaves that are picked prematurely that undergo a natural curing process rather than heat curing to lock the chlorophyll in. They are renowned for their mild, mellow flavor and their smooth, silky feel.

Colorado – one of the most flavorful wrapper types that are light brown with a subtle reddish tinge. They have a higher oil content that gives off a smooth, spicy taste and exudes a rich aroma.

Double Claro – Also known as Candela, these leaves have a light blond to pale green color. They are picked prematurely and the chlorophyll content is fixed as they are dried by wood heat. They are listed as “American Market Selection” or AMS.

Double Corona – A cigar size with a length of 7 ½ to 8 inches long with a ring-gauge of 49 to 52.

Draw – refers to the quality or quantity of air that gets pulled through a cigar while smoked.
 

Fermentation – After curing, the leaves are stacked into large piles or bulks to begin the initial fermentation. Each bulk weighing 8,000 to 10,000 pounds a piece, will be carefully observed to make sure they are evenly fermented. The temperature is measured with long, thin thermometers and the leaves are constantly rotated from the inside out. As the leaves are sweating, they will begin to darken in color as the starches in them slowly turn into sugar. The higher the temperature, the sweeter the leaves become. Once the leaves have fermented enough, they are removed from the bulks and taken to a sorting house where they are sorted according to color, texture and size. After the leaves have been divided, they will be placed in smaller bulks to start the second fermentation. The ammonia that naturally exists within the tobacco is released in the air in this secondary process.

Figurado – a cigar shape that flares out in the middle while having a normal head and a tapered foot.

Filler – these are the bunched leaves found in the center of the cigar. It can be made up of five different kinds of tobaccos from different crops, countries, regions and vintages that can be either long or short. Long fillers are from whole leaves that run from continuously from one end of the cigar to another while the short filler, mostly trimmed scraps of long filler leaves, do not

Flag – a cut portion of the wrapper at the head of the cigar that allows the cigar’s cap to be a continuous part of the wrapper. It serves the same purpose as a cap and is sometimes called a fancy tail or curly head when it is twisted closed at the end.

Foot – this is the end of the cigar that is lit. Most cigars are cut straight across at the foot except for the Perfectos which are tapered on both ends.

Galera – the large room where the Torcedores work on rolling cigars.

Giant – also known as Gigante, Presidente and Immenso, it is the largest cigar size with a length of 8 to 9 inches and a ring gauge of 50 or more. These are usually made as a collectors item or to commemorate a special event or occasion. This cigar is smokeable and quite enjoyable if you have 1 ½ to 6 hours to spare.

Grand Corona – a cigar size sharing the same ring gauge as a corona with a length of 6 to 6 ½ inches long.

Gum – the vegetable-based adhesive used to secure the wrapper, affix the cap and apply the band. It is tasteless, colorless and odorless when applied and when smoked.

Hand – tobacco leaves that are tied together at their stems and hung in curing barns.

Handmade – refers to any cigar that is assembled entirely by hand. “Hecho a Mano” is stamped on any cigar that is handmade.

Head – the end of the cigar that you put in the mouth and which requires cutting. Most heads are rounded in shape except for the pyramids, belicosos and perfectos which all have a pointed-shape head.

Homogenized Wrapper – this is made from pulverized and reconstituted tobacco leaves that are blended together with natural binders. Usually from the scrap of high quality tobacco leaves, they are used in mass-produced, machine-made cigars and most dry-cured and flavored cigarillos.

Hot – the temperature of the smoke that is drawn through the cigar.

Humidor – any environment that mimics the tropical climate all fine cigars are made in for preserving and to properly age. Ideal relative humidity is 70% and temperature of 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidors may come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Hygrometer – a device used to measure the humidity levels within an enclosed space.
Lacioderma serricorne - the scientific name for the dreaded tobacco beetle. Also known as buk-buk.

Ligero – leaves that come from the top of a tobacco plant. They have greater exposure to the sun which makes them the darkest, oiliest and most flavorful leaves. They have to be aged three years before made into cigars.

Long Corona – a cigar size measuring one half to 5/8ths longer than a regular corona and having a slightly smaller ring gauge of 40 to 44.
Long Filler – a cigar that has filler leaves that run the entire length of the cigar from head to foot. All premium cigars are made with a long filler.

Long Panatela – a cigar size with a length of 7 inches and a ring gauge of 34 to 36.
Lonsdale – a cigar size with a length of 6 ½ inches long and a ring gauge of 42. This was created by Cuba’s Rafael Gonzalez at the behest of England’s Earl of Longsdale. A very popular cigar size.

Machine-made – cigars that are usually made with short or chopped fillers and homogenized wrappers. These cigars are machine-made, inexpensive and mass-produced.

Maduro – meaning ripe or mature in Spanish, the Maduro wrappers are made by applying steam with tremendous amounts of pressure to the leaves that create a darker, sweeter and fuller flavor. The steam and pressure applied to the leaves will cause the oils within them to draw out and then slowly retreat back into them.

Mold – this is the wooden cylindrical mold that holds the desired shape of the cigar until the wrapper leaf can be applied.

Oleoresins – the oils and resins found in tobacco that affects the taste, texture and burn when rolled into a cigar. Higher densities of oleoresins will result to a full bodied and flavorful smoke.

Oscuro – these leaves are jet-black, the darkest in color. With a rich, spicy flavor, they are grown in direct sunlight for a longer period than any other leaf.

Panatela – a cigar size that averages anywhere from 5/8 to 7 inches in length and have ring gauges in between 35 to 39. This is a popular size with smokers who can’t or don’t want to commit a lot of time to their cigar.

Perfectos – a cigar with a cone-shaped head and foot.

Petit Corona – a cigar size measuring 4 ½ to 5 inches in length with a ring gauge of 40 to 42.

Plug – a tight spot in a cigar that prevents it from drawing it properly.

Puro – a cigar with its wrapper, binder and filler all coming from the same country.

Pyramid – a cigar that continuously flares out from head to foot with a ring gauge of 50 to 52 at the foot and a pointed head with a ring gauge of 40 to 42. Pyramids were made to give the smoker a full-flavored smoke with a manageable head that doesn’t require you to open your jaw too much in order to fit in your mouth. They are difficult to make and requires experienced rollers to create them. This results to the higher price they are sold at.

Relative Humidity – the amount of moisture in the atmosphere compared with that of complete saturation at a given temperature.

Ring-gauge – the measure of the cigar’s diameter.

Robusto – a cigar size having a large ring-gauge that allows a big draw and hearty flavor. It is 5 inches in length and with a 50 or greater ring gauge.

Seco – the middle portion of the tobacco plant. Lighter in color and less spicy than the Ligero leaves.

Shade grown – tobacco leaves grown under enormous sheets of fine gauze that are hung over the plants to keep direct sunlight from hitting the plants. The sheet also protects the plants from the wind and allows them to grow and develop more slowly. These leaves are thinner, more elastic and less oily producing smooth and attractive wrappers.

Short-filler – the bunched filler of the cigar that is made from the trimmed ends or scrap of the long filer tobacco.

Short panatela – a cigar size with a length of 4 to 5 inches long and a ring gauge of 35 to 39. A shorter and stubbier version of the standard panatela.

Shoulder – the part of the cigar where the head meets the barrel.

Slim Panatelas – a cigar size with a length exceeding 5 inches and a ring gauge of 30 to 34.

Sun-grown – tobacco that is grown in an open field in direct sunlight. The extra exposure of the sun causes the leaves to become thicker and oilier. The harvest time is carefully done to avoid getting the leaves damaged or burnt.

Tobacco Beetle – a tiny pest that attacks tobacco only after it has been dried. They can eat through cigars, cellophane and wood wrappers. They can do tremendous damage before they are even noticed.

Torcedor – the master roller who makes the final product—your cigar.

Toro – a cigar size measuring anywhere from 5 5/8 to nearly 7 inches in length with a ring-gauge of around 50.

Torpedo - See Belicoso
 

Tubo – a cigar packaged in a aluminum or glass tube. Tubes enhance the presentation and protect the cigars while in your pocket or bag.

Tupperdor – an airtight container to temporarily store cigars.

Volado – the lowest portion of the tobacco plant and the mildest in flavor. It receives the least amount of sunlight and is mostly used as binders since they have low oil content that results to a consistent burn.

Wrapper – the leaf that wraps the entire cigar. It has most of the flavor and gives the overall look to the cigar.