Cigar Full Bodied Strong - Fine Cigars
Cigars are tobacco products that, like cigarettes, are lit and smoked in order to inhale the taste and effects of the burned tobacco. Unlike cigarettes, however, cigar smoke is usually inhaled less deeply, as the smoke from these tobacco-intense products can be extremely strong and concentrated.
Cigars maintain a certain air of sophistication among aficionados, and are often purchased and smoked to celebrate special occasions and events. Traditionally, for instance, new fathers share cigars with male friends and family to celebrate the birth of a child. Cigars are frequently referenced in pop culture, and smoking cigars is usually regarded as a masculine activity and means of relaxation.
A Brief History of Cigars
Evidence of cigars has been found that dates the product to the 10th century or
before in areas around the Caribbean Sea. During his travels through the area
centuries later, Christopher Columbus and his crew encountered early derivatives
of cigars, and are usually noted as being the first Europeans to smoke the
cigars.
Today, while machines are able to mass-produce cigars, many luxury cigars are
still made and rolled by hand. These are usually marked by a notation on the
outside of the cigar box as being made “totally by hand.”
Major Components of Cigars
There are three layers to a cigar, all of which are derived from various types
and areas of a tobacco plant. The majority of the cigar is comprised of the
filler, which are leaves of tobacco that are wrapped up in the middle of the
cigar. The quality of the cigar can largely be attributed to the filler.
High-quality cigars often include whole leaves of one tobacco plant as the
filler product, while less expensive cigars may have filler that is made up of
chopped leaves of a mixed variety of tobacco plants. These mixed fillers also
often contain stems and small pieces from the tobacco plant, making the cigar
burn and smoke less smoothly than those cigars with long tobacco pieces.
The visible part of the cigar is the wrapper. The wrapper is taken from the
largest part of the tobacco plant, and is a part of what gives the cigar its
distinctive tastes and flavors (although the majority of the flavor comes from
the filler). Cigars are often described and categorized by the color of their
wrapper, which range from a light tan or green to very dark black wrappers. The
third feature of the cigar is the binder, which is an elastic banding that holds
the cigar pieces together.
Basic Cigar Shapes
While there are many different cigar shapes, there are two basic terms to
describe the shape of a cigar – parejo and figurado. Parejo cigars are the most
basic and common cigar shape. They are simple in shape, and feature a
rectangular shape with the exception of one end, which is slightly rounded.
Parejo cigars can be either coronas, which are somewhat shorter and wider, or
panatela cigars, which are often longer and thinner in shape. Parejo cigars are
usually less expensive than figurado cigars since they are basic and easier to
design and create.
Figurado cigars essentially describe all other shapes. In most cases, figurado
cigars are more desirable – and as such, are more expensive – than parejo
cigars. Although similar to parejo cigars, torpedo cigars are technically
figurado cigars as they have a pointed cap instead of one that is rounded. Other
common types of figurado cigars include pyramid cigars, which, as their name
suggests, gradually narrows to a pointed end, and presidente, which are also
similar to parejo cigars in shape but are often much larger. Others include
perfecto, culebras, and Tuscanian cigars.
Cuban Cigars
Cigars are by notation almost synonymous with Cuba, and Cuban cigars are widely
regarded as among the world’s finest. The Cuban weather is ideal for growing
tobacco, and the country is filled with fields of tobacco as part of this
industry. Cuban cigars may feature tobacco from different parts of Cuba in the
wrapper, filler, and binders. Many Cuban cigars are still hand made, which
continue to add to their luster and prestige. Some popular Cuban cigar brands
include Trinidad, Bolivar, Quintero, Fonseca, Partagas, Cohiba, Punch, Cuaba,
and many others.
For Americans, it is currently against federal law to purchase or import cigars
from Cuba. This prohibition stems from a 1967 embargo in which trade with the
communist Cuba was suspended. Perhaps because it is illegal for Americans to
purchase and import Cuban cigars, it has made them even more desirable to many
United States residents. Cuban cigars are available through additional means,
including “black market” sales, and retailers in Canada. Many Americans purchase
the cigars in Canada and return to the United States with their tobacco
treasures.
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