Cigar Dictionary

Glossary of cigar terms. Learn the lingo of the leaf with this dictionary of cigar terms that covers everything from cigar shapes, to cigar heritage, to cigar slang.

A – B – C – D – E – F – G – H – I – J – K – L – M – N – O – P – Q – R – S – T – U – V – W – X – Y – Z

A

• Accordion
  A more complex technique of rolling cigars by folding the leaves like an accordion known also as the Entubar method in Cuba.
• Ageing Room
  A specific location in a cigar factory where rolled cigars are aged properly.
• Amatista
  Rarely seen today, amatistas are sealed glass jars that contain 25 to 50 cigars.
• American Market Selection
  Originally an importer of Cuban cigars until the embargo, AMS is often used as a synonym for Candela or Double Claro cigar wrappers.
• Ammonia
  A byproduct from tobacco fermentation. In large quantities the chemical is undesirable as it taints the flavour with an overwhelming unpleasant and bitter taste.
• Aroma
  A term often used to describe the specific smells or even tastes in a cigar.

B

• Bale
  An unstandardised unit of measurement for fermented tobacco.
• Band
  A paper ring that wraps around the cigar. They often feature the brand and are largely decorative. However, it has been suggested that they were introduced to hold the cigar together or even to prevent nicotine stains when holding the cigar.
• Banda
  Spanish for “Binder”.
• Belicoso
  A specific Figurado vitola with a short taper.
• Binder
  A tough and elastic tobacco leaf that holds the filler tobacco in place.
  Learn More: Parts Of A Cigar [Binder]
• Blending
  The process of mixing various types of tobacco leaves in order to create a distinctive taste.
• Bloom
  A common misspelling of Plume.
• Booking
  A method of rolling cigars where the leaves are laid one on top of another.
• Bouquet
  The odor produced by a collection of aromas.
• Box Pressed Cigars
  These are cigars that are tightly packed into a box, which causes them to develop a square shape.
• Brother Of The Leaf (BOTL)
  Internet slang for a cigar enthusiast often employed in forums and social networks.
• Bundle
  An alternative to wooden boxes where cigars are distributed in cellophane wrapping in order to reduce costs.

C

• Cameroon
  A type of tobacco grown in West Africa with a renowned dark colour and toothy flavour.
• Candela
  A green-coloured cigar wrapper produced by quick fermentation and heat-curing.
  Learn More: Cigar Wrappers [Candela]
• Canoeing
  A faulty cigar where one side burns faster than the other. The resulting shape resembles a canoe.
• Cap
  A small piece of wrapper leaf stuck over the cigar’s head to secure it, which is clipped before smoking.
• Capote
  Spanish for Binder sometimes referred to as the Capa.
• Cedar
  An aromatic wood from Spain or Asia often used for making and lining cigar boxes due to its ability to absorb moisture.
• Cedar Spill
  A strip of cedar that is formally used for lighting a cigar.
• Cervantes
  See Lonsdale.
• Cheesecloth
  Used to cover fields of tobacco in order to produce shade-grown wrapper leaf such as Connecticut.
• Cheroot
  A cheaply-made cigar.
• Churchill
  A cigar vitola that is around 7 inches long named after the famous British Prime Minister.
  Learn More: Cigar Shapes & Sizes [Churchill]
• Cigarillo
  A short and thin machine-made cigar.
• Claro
  A particularly pale cigar wrapper often grown in the shade.
  Learn More: Cigar Wrapper Colours [Claro]
• Coffin
  A small wooden box made to carry a single cigar.
• Colorado
  A medium-brown coloured cigar, which is among the most common.
• Connecticut
  The Connecticut River Valley is a tobacco growing region in Northeastern USA famed for its shade-grown broadleaf and pale, aromatic wrappers.
• Corojo
  A Cuban seed mostly made famous by the Camacho brand.
• Corona
  The most classic cigar vitola that is just over 5 inches long.
  Learn More: Cigar Sizes [Corona]
• Corona Gorda
  See Toro.
• Criollo
  A native Cuban seed that is often shade-grown to produce light and aromatic wrappers.
• Culebra
  Three Panatela cigars braided together, which is named after the Spanish word for “Snake”.
• Curing
  A process that takes place directly after cultivation where leaves are hung in a barn to remove moisture before fermentation. Depending on the time allocated, the leaves will change colour from greens and yellow to darker hues of brown.
• Cutter
  A tool for removing a cigar cap.

D

• Diadema(s)
  A very large Perfecto-shaped type of Figurado cigar.
• Double Claro
  See Candela.
• Double Corona
  A very large cigar vitola also known as the Prominente in Cuba. Favoured by Winston Churchill, they are larger than Coronas but not twice as much.
• Draw
  The process of sucking smoke through a lit cigar. The draw can vary in handmade cigars and can risk being too tight or too loose, which affects the burning temperature.
• Dry Draw
  A process where the air is sucked through an unlit cigar after cutting in order to taste its aromas.

E

• English Market Selection
  A medium-brown coloured cigar also known as the Colorado Claro. The term EMS is often employed when the cigar inventory had been vetted by British distributors, Hunters & Frankau.

F

• Fermentation
  After curing, tobacco is moistened and left under pressure and heat. This process removes ammonia from tobacco and causes chemical changes that reveal its flavours and aromas.
• Figurado
  Any cigar shape or vitola that isn’t a straight Parejo such as a Torpedo or Perfecto.
• Filler
  The tobacco leaves inside a cigar that produces the smoke and majority of the cigar’s flavours.
• Flag Leaf
  Wrapper leaf that is used for capping cigars. A small piece of flag leaf should be kept on a cigar when cutting to prevent it from unraveling during the smoke.
• Foot
  The lighting end of a cigar.

G

• Gordo
  Also known as the Double Toro, Gordos are large and thick cigars whose name means “Fat” in Spanish.
• Gordito
  Diminutive of “Gordo”, Gorditos are short and thick cigars with a 60 ring gauge.
• Gran Corona
  One of the largest cigar sizes also known as the “Presidente” in Cuba. They come in over a whopping 9 inches with around a 47 ring gauge.
• Guillotine
  A flat-bladed cigar cutter with a hole for inserting the cap. It’s the most common cutter style and can come with either one or two blades.

H

• Habano
  A term used to signify a cigar made solely from Cuban tobacco.
• Habanos S.A.
  The Cuban state-owned distributor of their native cigars.
• Head
  The end of the cigar that’s put in the mouth. It is often capped and requires clipping before doing so.
• Hecho A Mano
  Spanish for “made by hand” often labelled on hand-rolled cigars.
• Homogenised Tobacco
  Scraps of tobacco that have been bound together into a sheet using cellulose.
• Honduras
  The Republic of Honduras is among the leading so-called “New World” cigar-growing nations. It shares its borders with Nicaragua, which produces comparable quality cigars.
• Humidor
  A container or entire room dedicated to preserving cigars in ideal conditions.
• Hygrometer
  A device that detects the level of humidity, which is important when storing cigars.

I

• ISOM
  An online acronym for “Island South of Miami”, which refers to Cuba.

J

• Jalapa
  A major Nicaraguan tobacco-growing region renowned for its red clay soil and refined leaves as a result.
• Jamastran
  A South-Honduran tobacco-growing valley near Danlí that is close to the Nicaraguan border.

K

• Any suggestions or requests for words starting with this letter? Leave a comment below!

L

• La Casa del Habano
  A cigar store that is part-owned by Habanos S.A. and an officially-recognised producer.
• Lance
  A type of cigar cutter, which pierces the cap rather than cutting a hole.
• Lancero
  A cigar size that is similar to a Panatela but somewhat longer.
  Learn More: Cigar Sizes [Lancero]
• Lector
  Someone who would read to the other cigar rollers in the factory. Although a dying practice, it can still be found in some locations.
• Ligero
  The strongest basic priming from a tobacco plant, which is found at the highest point.
• Long Filler
  Filler tobacco made from whole leaves or larger pieces that run through its entire length. The presence of long filler often suggests that the cigar was handmade.
• Lonsdale
  Also known as the Cervantes in Cuba, the Lonsdale was named after an English lord. It is slightly longer and thicker than a Panatela.

M

• Machine-Made
  When a cigar is referred to as “machine-made” it means that it was rolled using a device rather than by hand.
• Maduro
  One of the most famous wrapper hues that is obtained by a long fermentation and ageing process to produce a very dark and flavoursome leaf.
• Medio Tiempo
  The smallest and most potent leaves found at the top of the tobacco plant’s Ligero.
• Mould
  When a cigar is stored in an environment that’s too humid, it will develop mould, which will ruin the tobacco.
• Mousehole Burn
  Small burning holes that appear under the cigar’s ember along the wrapper.

N

• Nicaragua
  Famed for its potent tobacco in Estelí, Nicaragua is a New-World cigar country in Central America similar to its neighbouring Honduras.

O

• Oils
  A well-cured and aged cigar stored in prime conditions will feature a glistening sheen on the wrapper. These natural oils produce the best flavours and is a highly-desirable trait.
• Oscuro
  A dark wrapper shade that is a step above Maduro. Almost black in appearance, it’s a potent and rare wrapper.

P

• Panatela
  A long and thin vitola that was often considered a cigar ideal for women. Although its popularity waned, it has experienced a resurgence of late.
• Parejo
  The most classic cigar shape featuring a straight side and slightly rounded cap. Anything that differs from this design is referred to as a Figurado.
• Perfecto
  A type of Figurado vitola that features a bulge in the centre and is pointed on each end.
• Petit Corona
  One of the smallest cigar vitolas that is around 5 inches long. For those seeking a more affordable yet premium cigar, it’s an ideal option.
• Pirámede
  The Spanish term for a “pyramid” cigar. This is a type of Figurado that tapers all the way down the body.
• Plume
  Easily mistaken for mould, plume appears as a white powder on the surface of a cigar. This desirable trait is caused by tobacco oils crystallising on the surface of a cigar during a long ageing process.
• Priming
  A tobacco plant features several layers that are cultivated one after another from the bottom upwards. These are known as “primings”.
• Prominente
  See Double Corona.
• Propylene Glycol
  A special liquid used as an alternative to water for maintaining the humidity in a humidor.
• Punch
  A type of cutter that makes a small hole in the cigar’s head by twisting a cigar blade into the cap.
• Puro
  A Spanish term used to suggest a cigar has only been made using the tobacco of a single country. For example, all Cuban cigars are traditionally Puros.
• Pyramid
  See Pirámede.

Q

• Quisqueya
  A type of curing barn used in the Dominican Republic with open walls that expose the contents to the elements.

R

• Ring Gauge
  A cigar’s diameter measured by 64ths of an inch or millimetres.
• Robusto
  Now perceived as the most popular cigar size, a Robusto is typically a 5×50 cigar that provides a short but full smoke.
• Rolling
  The art of assembling a cigar by bunching and rolling the tobacco leaves together.
• Runners
  An unpleasant phenomenon where small parts of the wrapper burn unevenly during smoking.

S

• Salomon
  A Perfecto-shaped cigar that is particularly large.
• Sand Leaf
  Small leaves found at the base of the tobacco plant. They’re rarely used and often discarded to improve growth.
• Scissors
  Cigar scissors are a particular type of cutter that although hard to master, offer more precision than a typical guillotine.
• Seco
  The layer of leaves just above the Volado on the tobacco plant. They’re thin and large with little strength but with some intoxicating aromas.
• Shade Grown
  Some tobacco leaves are grown under cheesecloth tents, which makes them thinner and less potent in flavour. Connecticut shade is one of the most famous examples of this technique.
• Short Filler
  This consists of small pieces of tobacco used to fill a machine-made cigar.
• Shoulder
  The curved area on a cigar’s head where the wrapper ends and the cap starts.
• Sister Of The Leaf [SOTL]
  The feminine variant of Brother Of The Leaf [BOTL] that’s growing in popularity and employed on social networks and forums.
• Spill
  Small strips of cedar used to light a cigar, which can be scavenged from boxes. It is said that cedar spills offer a more aromatic and purer cigar experience.
• Splitting Ash
  An annoying occurrence when the cigar’s ash begins to split on the stack.
• Stack
  Ash that remains at the end of the cigar when burning rather than falling off. A stack is a desirable aspect that improve the smoking temperature and indicates a quality-made cigar.
• Stacking
  The act of trying to keep a long ash, or “stack,” on your cigar for as long as possible. Some smokers will compete by trying to smoke an entire cigar without losing any ash.
• Sun Grown
  Unlike shade grown, sun grown tobacco consists of leaves exposed to direct sunlight. They’re often somewhat thicker with pronounced veins, which also provides a more potent flavour.

T

• Tapado
  The Spanish name given to cheesecloth tents for growing tobacco in the shade.
• Tobacco Beetle
  Small beetles that can burrow inside cigars and leaf holes and traces in their wake. A single beetle can ruin the entire contents of a humidor.
• Toro
  A relatively chunky cigar vitola that’s gaining popularity as an alternative to Coronas. Toros are similar in size to Gordos except that their ring gauge is 50 rather than 60.
• Torpedo
  A cigar vitola with a pointed head and a member of the Figurado family.
• Triple Cap
  A Cuban practice of applying three caps on a cigar’s head. It is a secure approach, which makes unraveling less likely.
• Tubo
  Cigars that are supplied in metallic tubes for safe transport and easy storage.
• Tunnelling
  A type of burning issue where the interior of the cigar burns faster than the outside.

U

• Underfilled
  Poorly-filled cigars that feel either soft or hollow to the touch. These may likely suffer from burn issues such as runners.

V

• V-Cut
  A particular style of cigar cut where a v-shaped chunk is removed from the head of the cigar.
• Vein
  A part of the tobacco leaf that is sometimes visible in cigars. Traditionally, pronounced veins are seen as unattractive and indicative of rushed curing. However, it is sometimes an intentional feature of some cigars.
• Vitola
  A term which refers to different cigar shapes and sizes. For instance, Perfectos, Coronas, Torpedos and Parejos are all examples of vitolas.
• Volado
  One of the lowest cultivated layers on the tobacco plant. These particular leaves are large and thin. However, they are almost flavourless whilst offering excellent combustion.

W

• Wedge
  An alternative name for the V-Cut.
• Wrapper
  The outermost leaf of a cigar that covers the binder and provides an aesthetically pleasing finish. Some cigars also feature flavoursome wrappers that contribute to the blend’s taste.

X

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Y

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Z

• Zafadores
  A Spanish word that refers to Cuban workers who sort tobacco leaves.