Cigar types
The taste of a cigar is not only determined by the tobacco blend used, another factor for different tastes is also the format of the cigar. The format is defined by length and ring gauges. Also, the format gives some indication of a cigar's smoking time.
Even though some cigars share the exact same tobacco blend:
The bigger the ring gauges, the richer the flavour and the longer the cigar, the cooler the smoke.
Formats for cigars do not underly any strict regulation and therefor can differ depending on the manufacturer. Just give the different formats a try to find out which one you prefer, because smoking cigars is about your individual taste.
Cigarillo
Length: 80-130
Gauge: up to 11,5
Small Panatela
Length: 102-127
Gauge: 11,5-13,5
Short Panatela
Length: 110-120
Gauge: 11,9-13,5
Petit Corona
Length: 102-129
Gauge: 15,9-18,0
Robusto
Length: 114-140
Gauge: 19,1-21,4
Corona
Length: 130-170
Gauge: 15,0-18,5
Slim Panatela
Length: 127-170
Gauge: 11,9-13,5
Toro
Length: 143-168
Gauge: 19,1-21,4
Panatela
Length: 145-175
Gauge: 13,9-15,5
Torpedo, Pyramide, Belicoso, Figurado
Length: 140-170
Gauge: 19,4-21,5
Long Corona
Length: 149-162
Gauge: 15,9-17,5
Lonsdale
Length: 165-184
Gauge: 15,9-17,5
Grand Corona
Length: 143-168
Gauge: 17,9-18,7
Churchill
Length: 171-200
Gauge: 17,5-20,0
Long Panatela
Length: 170-195
Gauge: 13,9-15,5
Double Corona
Length: 171-197
Gauge: 19,5-21,4
Giant
Length: 203 and more
Gauge: 18,5 and more
The Bunch
There are two different kinds of fillers. "Longfiller" – tobacco leaves with a special folding that run through the whole length of the cigar (mostly used for hand-rolled cigars) and "Shortfiller" – tobacco leaves that are divided into shorter pieces (primarily used for mechanically produced cigars). Most blenders use two to five different tobaccos for their fillers. These different tobaccos determine first and foremost the taste and the aroma of a cigar.
The Binder
The binder, consisting of the two halves of a leaf, is used to restrain the filler in the cigar. Its flavour has to harmonise with the one of the wrapper and the fller. The in the binder enfolded rolled filler is called "Bunch".
The Wrapper
A wrapper has to meet many criteria concerning look, structure, consistency and colour. It defines the appearance of the cigar and should act as a flavur carrier.
It must not burn up faster than the bunch or the binder. Also it should be relatively thin and flexible, for the bunch to be enclosed tightly. The wrapper majorly contributes to the taste of the cigar, while also releasing the favours of both binder and bunch.
Claro Claro
Colour: light green
Aroma: very light
Claro
Colour: light yellow-brown
Aroma: light
Colorado Claro
Colour: light brown
Aroma: mild
Colorado
Colour: reddish to brown
Aroma: mild to aromatic
Colorado Maduro
Colour: middle-brown
Aroma: aromatic
Maduro
Colour: rich dark-brown
Aroma: aromatic
Oscuro
Colour: black brown
Aroma: rich aromatic
The successfully introduced cigar band can be traced back to the inventive dutch distributor Gustav Bock. To set his cigars apart from those of his competitors he started putting simple white cigar bands on his cigars in 1850. Many manufacturers followed his example.
With the popularity of lithography many artists devoted their time with designing cigar bands and severl monarchs, politicians and later on even celebrities had their portrait made into a cigar band.
Today a world without the artistic cigar bands on handmade cigars is unimaginable, since they have become coveted collector's pieces.
Differences of opinion are only stated when asking the question whether cigar bands should be removed for smoking or not. In the end, everyone has to find their own way of smoking a cigar.
Attention: In order to not damage the wrapper, the band should only be removed after the cigar has been lit and has warmed up. Then the cigar band, which is glued to the wrapper by means of natural adhesive, should be easy to remove.
Handmade
In a handmade cigar every step, starting with the bedding-out of the samplings up to the distribution is done by hand. handmade cigars fall in the most expensive category of cigars. They contain longfillers that stretch out over the whole length of the cigar.
Machine-made and Hand-rolled
With these cigars the bunch can be either longfiller- or shortfiller-tobacco, which are mixed by hand and then placed inside the machine. The binder is affixed mechanically. Then, the bunch (filler and binder) is processed like a handmade cigar. Sometimes the wrapper, too, is affixed mechanically. They are titeld "100% Tobacco" or "all-natural" and the only difference to handmade cigars is their price.
Machine-made
Here we usually have mechanically mass-produced products. Mechanically produced cigars often don't have a head.
The Dutch Type
The "Dutch", "European" or "Dry" type describes shortfiller-cigars that are mainly made mechanically from Indonesian tobacco. Filler, binder and wrapper consist of natural tobaccos, assembled partly by hand and machines or assembled completely mechanically - a common work method used by European manufacturers.
At first, the names "Dutch" or "European" type do not say anything about the quality of a cigar, since the European tobacco industry can draw on a century-long tradition and even produces high quality shortfiller-cigars made from 100% tobacco.
Cigars made mainly from Indonesian tobacco not only distinguish themselves from their Caribian competitors, they also bring the advantage that they do not need to be stored in a Humidor for a remarkable amount of time.