CIGAR FAQ
- GENERAL CIGAR TIPS
-- A Plugged Cigar --
Plugged cigars are a fact of life, and most are not salvageable. Because they are made by hand, there will be inherent imperfections. The source of such plugs is usually along the cigar where the band is. The roller usually adds extra leaf to the filler near this area to support the smoker's grip. Also, some are not necessarily plugged but just seem to have a tougher draw - this sometimes happens with "well-filled" cigars and overly moist cigars.
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-- Cellophane on Your Cigars - To Remove or Not? --
Some cigars arrive individually cellophaned, while others are "naked." Here's the scoop on removing the cellophane - it's up to you. The argument against: if you have several brands in your humidor, the flavor of each brand will intermingle and "marry," and the uniqueness of the cigar will be diminished over time. The cellophane will also help trap in moisture to a certain degree for shorter storage periods. The argument for: if it's the only brand you plan to store in your humidor and you feel like it, then go ahead, because they will age better in the cedar-lined environment if left naked.
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-- Storing Your Cigars --
The only way to preserve your fine handmade cigars is to maintain the proper moisture content and temperature. Dry cigars burn hot and harsh, and you'll feel like you're smoking a bundle of hay. On the other hand, overly moist cigars will give you a migraine while you draw and taste like a sour lemon! If you don't have one, you need a humidor. When I first started, I used a tupperware container, and left a moist hand towel inside but not touching the cigars - something like this will work fine as a makeshift but sooner or later, you'll need to upgrade.
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-- Countries of Origin --
Every cigar has its own taste regardless of origin. Cigars are made in a number of different countries, from tobacco grown in various soils and rolled using different techniques. However, there are general rules. Here are a few characteristics of each of the best-known cigar countries:
Jamaica - Mild
Dom Rep - Mild to Medium
Honduras - Medium to Full
Nicaragua - Full and Rich
Cuba - Rich and Creamy
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-- Construction of Cigars --
There is an art to blending cigars, so the interplay of the various types of tobacco and the quality of the leaves from different regions will determine the taste and flavor of your cigar. Cigars have 3 basic components which affect the cigar's taste: binder, filler and wrapper. The binder is the intermediate layer which holds the "bunch" of filler leaves together, and is usually a slightly lower quality leaf. The filler is the bunch at the center of the cigar, and determines the strength of the smoke. Long-filler refers to whole leaf filler, which runs head to foot in the cigar, and these are premium cigars. Lower quality, "short-filler" cigars use scraps of tobacco (the hot dogs of cigars) pressed together, and chemicals and additives are added to these. The wrapper is the outside layer and provides the primary flavor elements. These are the highest quality leaves and range in color from claro (light) to maduro (dark). Wrappers come from Connecticut, Indonesia, Central America, Caribbean, and Africa.
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-- Properly Aging Cigars --
You know the taste of a well-aged cigar: that subtle complexity, that certain :"Je ne c'est quois," that light kiss of tobacco flavor left gently lingering. Aging is often what makes a good cigar a great one. Cigars change as they age. Some prefer cigars young and fresh while others appreciate a mellower, more experienced cigar. To those who prefer the flavor of aged cigars but don't want to choke up the duckets for aged Vintage cigars, your next question is probably "How can I age my own cigars properly?" The amount of time you age your cigars is a matter of personal preference. In general, age them at least a year for optimum effect. Of course, some low-quality cigars won't see much improvement with aging - remember "garbage in, garbage out." However, keep in mind that some cigars, after aging will have pleasantly rich flavors, even though now they smell like a dumpster.
It is much the same way that good wines for aging are too tannic to drink when young. But certain cigars are just naturally better.
Some, but not all, Maduro-wrapped cigars are artificially "cooked" or "cured" to achieve the dark coloration of the wrapper and the distinctively strong, sweet flavor. Due to such curing, they have essentially been "fixed," and thus any further benefits of aging have been stunted for many Maduros. Therefore, because the wrapper provides the lion's share of the cigar's taste, aging will not significantly affect the taste of such Maduros.
Another example is larger ring gauge cigars. The thicker the cigar, the greater the variety of tobacco leaves and hence, the more complex the final flavor of the aged cigar will be. The insides of larger cigars tend to be somewhat shielded from the outside environment, less apt to be affected by fluctuations in
humidity and temperature. This added stability that larger cigars provide is highly desirable for long-term aging.
Of course, the environment in which they are stored is crucial. Follow the usual 70-70 rule for temperature and humidity. Any more and your cigars will get moldy; any less and the aging process begins to be stunted. Maintaining a stable environment for your cigars is key - a constantly fluctuation enviromnent can be disastrous. Swings in temperature and humidity cause cigars to expand and contract, cracking their wrappers and it may disrupt the aging process. Ideally, the space in the humidor should be about twice the volume of cigars. The lining should be cedar - cedar wood is highly aromatic wood, full of its own oils. With the passage
of time, the interaction of the tobacco oils amongst themselves, and with the cedar oil of the wood it leads to a mellowing and blending of flavors resulting in that subtle complexity you can only get from proper aging.
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