Have you ever wondered what the different parts of a cigar were named? Surprisingly, many long time cigar aficionados don’t bother to learn what the basic parts of their favorite stogies are named. Of course, you can throughly enjoy a cigar without really knowing its parts or how it was put together. However, I think that you will find that learning what the basic parts of a cigar are and the rationale behind the names can help you properly select the best quality cigars and understand exactly what you are buying.
The outside of the cigar is called the wrapper. It is a layer of tobacco and is often the first thing many smokers notice about a cigar. The cigar’s wrapper provides much of the flavor of the cigar. This is because only best quality tobacco leaves are employed to create the wrapper in a quality cigar. Wrapper leaves are graded by color going from from very clear (claro) to very dark (oscuro).
The part of the cigar that holds the tobacco filler together is know as the Binders. Sometimes these are referred to as the intermediate leaves. The binders can vary a lot from cigar to cigar and especially from brand to brand.
The last part of the cigar is the filler. This is, of course, the tobacco found in the center of the cigar. The filler can be long or short. A long filler is made up of whole tobacco leaves. Some consider this way to be best. A short filler consists of tobacco scraps. This can be OK although you can tell it when a maker skimps on the filler.
As for the other parts of a cigar, the head is the end of the cigar that is closed. This is the part you clip. The foot is the opposite end of the cigar. This is the end that you light. On the head, you will see the cap. This is where a tobacco leaf was used to close the cigar.