Cigar talk comes with a lot of vocabulary, much of it Spanish. Here are the words you will hear most often in shops, lounges and on cigar labels, explained in plain English.
- Binder
- The leaf wrapped around the filler to hold it together, underneath the wrapper. See parts of a cigar.
- Blend
- The combination of tobaccos used in a cigar's filler, binder and wrapper. The blend decides its flavor and strength.
- Body
- How full and rich the flavor feels, from light to full. Related to, but not the same as, strength.
- Box-pressed
- A cigar with squared-off sides, from being packed tightly in its box.
- Canoeing
- When one side of a cigar burns much faster than the other, leaving a long "canoe" of unburnt wrapper. Fix it with a quick touch-up from your lighter.
- Cap
- The small piece of wrapper leaf glued to the head to seal the cigar. You cut into it before smoking.
- Cello
- The cellophane sleeve some cigars come in.
- Draw
- How easily smoke flows when you puff. Too tight is like sucking through a coffee stirrer; too loose and the cigar burns hot.
- Figurado
- Any cigar that is not straight-sided, such as a torpedo or perfecto.
- Filler
- The tobacco leaves inside the cigar, which provide most of its strength and flavor.
- Foot
- The open end of the cigar that you light.
- Head
- The closed end of the cigar that you cut and put in your mouth.
- Humidor
- A box or cabinet that keeps cigars at the right humidity. See how to store cigars.
- Hygrometer
- A gauge that shows the humidity inside a humidor.
- Ligero
- Leaves from the top of the tobacco plant. Thick, oily and the strongest part of a blend.
- Long filler
- Whole tobacco leaves that run the full length of the cigar. The mark of a premium, hand-rolled cigar.
- Maduro
- Spanish for "ripe." A dark wrapper fermented longer than usual, giving a sweeter, richer flavor.
- Plume (or bloom)
- A fine white dust of crystallized oils on well-aged cigars. It wipes right off and is harmless — unlike mold, which is fuzzy and stains.
- Puro
- A cigar whose filler, binder and wrapper all come from the same country.
- Retrohale
- Gently letting some smoke out through your nose to pick up more of the cigar's aroma.
- Ring gauge
- A cigar's diameter in 64ths of an inch. A 50 ring gauge cigar is 50/64 of an inch across. See cigar sizes and shapes.
- Seco
- Leaves from the middle of the tobacco plant, adding flavor and aroma to the filler.
- Short filler
- Chopped tobacco pieces used in cheaper, often machine-made cigars.
- Strength
- How much nicotine a cigar delivers, usually rated from mild to full. Beginners should start mild.
- Toasting
- Warming the foot of a cigar over a flame, without touching it, before lighting.
- Torcedor
- A skilled cigar roller.
- Tunneling
- When the inside of a cigar burns faster than the wrapper, leaving a hollow center. Often caused by puffing too slowly or a cigar that is too humid.
- Volado
- Leaves from the bottom of the plant. Mild, and they help the cigar burn.
- Wrapper
- The outermost leaf, which gives a cigar its looks and much of its flavor. See cigar wrapper colors.
Keep learning
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Parts of a Cigar: Wrapper, Binder, Filler and Cap
Head, cap, foot, wrapper, binder and filler: the parts of a cigar explained simply, and why long filler matters.
Read lesson
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How to Cut a Cigar
Where to cut a cigar, how much to take off, and when to use a guillotine, punch or V-cutter. Step by step for beginners.
Read lesson
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How to Light a Cigar
Toast the foot, then light with a gentle draw. What to use, what to avoid, and how to fix an uneven burn or relight.
Read lesson