| Choosing Your Cigar |
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There are several ways to buy cigars. They can be purchased individually, in boxes, bundles, or in sampler packs of deferent sizes or brands. Also when selecting cigars you have a wide variety of lengths, thickness and shapes to choose from. The most popular size over the years has been the corona, which is traditionally 5 9/16 inches long with a ring gauge of 42, but this varies by brand. There are those who say that one should match their cigar size with that of their own. That is, a large man should smoke a large cigar and a small man smaller cigars. In public it might indeed look funny to see a very small man smoking a very long, fat cigar, or a large man smoking a very short thin cigar. And if you care what people think, then maybe you should follow this rule in public. But I say, smoke what you like.
On average, thicker cigars have smoother draws than thinner ones, and therefore are cooler and slower burning. That is why I prefer lengths of 6 1/2 inches or longer, with a ring size of 44 or thicker, with my favorite size being about 7 inches with a ring of 48 or 49, the traditional Churchill size. But you should experiment to find what is preferable for you.
Depending on the cigar, you normally only smoke two-thirds to three-quarters, as after that the build up of tars and juices can make the remainder somewhat bitter.
Stength & Taste:
Of course, in choosing
a cigar you want one which will satisfy your taste. Cigars can be very mild,
mild, mild to medium, medium, medium to strong, or strong to very strong. In
addition, they can be spicy, or flavored with such tastes as rum or vanilla.
You can experiment with all of these strengths, but it is best to begin with
milder cigars and work your way to stronger ones and then decide what pleases
you best, and at what times. You may prefer a milder cigar during the day and a
stronger one in the evening, or visa versa. Or you may find a strength that you
wish to smoke at all times.
Tobacco, even tobacco from the same seed, have different flavors and strengths when grown in different countires or regions. In general, tobacco from the following countires have these various characteristics:
Brazil:
Tend to be dark, rich, and smooth with a slightly seet flavor.
Cameroon:
Wrapper tobacco only, which has a spicy taste and a sharp aroma.
Cuba:
Cuban, or better known as Havana, cigars are medium to full-strength, and have earthy, coffee and honeyed flavors.
Dominican Republic:
These tend to be mild to medium, with a sweet, nutty taste, and sometimes with floral and earthy tones.
Ecuador:
Mostly mild and flavorful.
Honduras:
Stronger and spicier than those from Dominica, and are considered nearly as rich as those from Cuba.
Indonesia:
Mostly wrappers from Sumatra and Java, these tend to be mild with a spicy flavor.
Jamaica:
Jamaican tobacco is normally milder than Dominican.
Mexico:
Mexico grows tobacco along the entire spectrum, from mild to full-bodied.
Nicaragua:
Have a medium sweet taste and full-bodied with a lot of aroma.
Construction & Color:
Besides strength,
size and shape, one should also consider the construction of a cigar. A premium
cigar's tobacco is not "rolled," but folded, life a fan, which gives
it a good draw and consistant taste. Looking at the foot, the tobacco should
flow in curves rather than in straight lines. One that has straight lines is
known as "booked" because the tobacco has been folded like a book and
the draw will not be smooth.
A cigar should also be pleasing to the sight. The cigar should be evenly colored and smoothly wrapped. Small blemishes or spots are normal, but if the cigar has discoloration it should not be chosen. It should also not be dry to the touch, but have an oily sheen to it, especially on darker wrappers. You should be able to notice the veins on the wrapper, but they should not be heavily pronounced. The finer, the better. Do not chose cigars who's wrappers are torn or cracked.
Also, you shouldn't choose a cigar simply because of its color. There are several wrapper colors and these are not simply for looks, but also determine a large percentage of the cigars flavor. Although an expert can recognize many wrapper colors, there are seven main color categories which these fall under:
Claro Claro:
This is a greenish-tinted wrapper and is also known as A.M.S. for "American Market Selection," and is also known as Double Claro, Candela, and Jade. These wrappers have reduced natural oils and flavors, and sometimes can have a slightly sweet taste.
Claro:
A light, yellowish tan leaf common of Connecticut-Shade wrappers and some Cuban cigars, and is a color of the classic mild cigar.
Colorado Claro:
It is also widely known simply as "Natural." It has a light tawny brown color.
Colorado:
Reddish-brown to brown color. This color is also widely known as E.M.S. for "English Market Selection," because of its original popularity in Europe. It's color normally signifies well-matured cigars.
Colorado Maduro:
Medium brown in color and medium in strength. This wrapper is common among the medium strength premium Honduaran cigars.
Maduro:
In Spanish, maduro means "ripe." Coffee brown in color, this dark brown wrapper should be oily and silky. It normally has a strong taste and mild aroma. It is sometimes also known as S.M.S. for "Spanish Market Selection."
Oscuro:
Nearly black in color. These are strong wrappers with little aroma.