When delving into the world of cigars, you encounter a rich tapestry of tradition, culture, and, of course, language. Cigar aficionados often use a unique set of terms and slang that can be bewildering to newcomers. Understanding this lingo can enhance your enjoyment and appreciation of cigars.
Why Should Cigar Enthusiasts Know Certain Cigar Slang?
In order to get the most out of your cigar smoking experience, learning certain cigar slang can be important for cigar for several reasons:
- Community and Culture: Knowing cigar slang helps you connect with other enthusiasts and participate in discussions more fluently. It's like speaking the language of a specific community or culture.
- Understanding Quality and Characteristics: Slang terms often describe specific qualities or characteristics of cigars that regular descriptors might not capture. This can include nuances in flavor, construction, aging, and more.
- Navigating Purchases: When buying cigars, understanding slang can help you communicate your preferences more clearly to tobacconists or when reading reviews. It ensures you get cigars that align with your tastes.
- Appreciation of Heritage: Many slang terms have historical or regional roots, reflecting the rich history and tradition of cigar-making. Understanding these terms adds depth to your appreciation of cigars as a cultural artifact.
- Education and Learning: Learning slang expands your knowledge base. It encourages exploration and understanding of different cigar types, brands, and their unique attributes.
Getting Down to the Cigar Terms You Should Know Here in 2024
Now that you know why it is important to have some sort of general knowledge as it pertains to learning cigar slang terminologies, let’s get down to the cigar slang you should know, broken down into sections for better reference.
1. Basic Cigar Anatomy:
- Stogie: Just another name for a cigar.
- Stick: In cigar lingo, a "stick" simply refers to a single cigar.
- Wrapper: The outermost leaf of the cigar, which influences much of the flavor.
- Binder: The leaf that holds the filler together inside the cigar.
- Filler: The blend of tobacco leaves inside the cigar.
- Cap: The small piece of tobacco that closes the head of the cigar.
- Foot: The end of the cigar that you light.
- Head: The end of the cigar that you cut and put in your mouth.
- Ring Gauge: The diameter of a cigar, measured in 64ths of an inch.
2. Cigar Types and Shapes:
- Parejo: A straight-sided cigar, typically with a rounded head.
- Figurado: A cigar with a shape other than straight-sided, such as torpedoes or pyramids.
- Robusto: A short, thick cigar.
- Corona: A traditional size, often around 5.5 inches long with a 42 ring gauge.
- Churchill: Named after Winston Churchill, typically 7 inches long with a 47 ring gauge.
- Toro: A larger cigar, usually around 6 inches long with a 50 ring gauge.
- Lancero: A long, slender cigar, typically measuring around 7.5 inches in length with a ring gauge of 38 to 40.
- Panatela: A long, thin cigar.
- Lonsdale: Similar to a Corona but longer.
- Perfecto: A cigar with both ends tapered.
- Torpedo: A cigar with a pointed head.
- Belicoso: Similar to a Torpedo but usually shorter and with a less pronounced taper.
- Filtered Cigars: Are small, machine-made cigars typically wrapped in tobacco leaf instead of paper. They often come with a filter, which helps reduce the amount of tar and nicotine that the smoker inhales compared to traditional cigars.
- Machine-Made Cigars: Manufactured entirely or predominantly by machines, as opposed to being hand-rolled by skilled cigar rollers (torcedores). These cigars are produced in large quantities using automated processes for tasks like bunching, wrapping, and cutting the tobacco leaves.
- Premium Cigars: Hand-crafted cigars made from high-quality tobacco leaves, rolled entirely by skilled artisans known as torcedores. These cigars are typically considered to be of superior quality compared to machine-made or mass-produced cigars.
3. Cigar Terms Related to Smoking Experience:
- Draw: The amount of air flow through a cigar when puffed. A good draw is essential for an enjoyable smoking experience.
- Burn: How evenly the cigar burns. An uneven burn can affect the flavor and smoking experience.
- Ash: The gray or white residue left after tobacco is burned. A good cigar will hold a long, firm ash.
- Relight: When a cigar goes out, it needs to be lit again.
- Retrohale: Exhaling smoke through the nose to experience the full range of flavors.
- Canoeing: Occurs when one side of the cigar burns faster than the other, creating an uneven burn.
- Tunneling: Happens when the filler burns faster than the wrapper, creating a hollow tunnel through the center of the cigar.
- Nubbing: Refers to smoking a cigar down to the very end, or nub.
- Plug: An obstruction in the cigar that makes the draw difficult or impossible
4. Cigar Storage and Maintenance:
- Humidor: A storage container designed to keep cigars at the proper humidity.
- Hygrometer: A device that measures the humidity level inside a humidor.
- Seasoning: The process of preparing a new humidor by stabilizing the humidity.
- Cellophane: A protective plastic wrapper on individual cigars.
- Dry Box: A smaller, less humid container used to store cigars temporarily before smoking to improve their burn and flavor.
- Resting: The practice of allowing cigars to acclimate in a humidor after purchase. This helps the cigars stabilize at the proper humidity and can improve their smoking quality
- Aging: Involves storing them for an extended period, allowing the tobacco to mature and the flavors to meld and mellow.
5. Cigar Wrappers and Their Characteristics:
- Claro: A light-colored wrapper.
- Colorado: A medium-brown wrapper.
- Maduro: A dark brown or black wrapper, often sweeter and more complex.
- Oscuro: An even darker wrapper than Maduro, often black.
- Candela: A green wrapper, usually mild in flavor.
- Double Claro: Also known as Candela, is a type of wrapper that is light green in color due to a unique curing process.
6. Cigar Production and Industry Terms:
- Tobacconist: A retailer who specializes in cigars and other tobacco products.
- Boutique Cigar: A cigar produced in small quantities, often by newer or smaller companies.
- Puro: A cigar made entirely from tobacco grown in a single country.
- Vintage: Cigars made from aged tobacco.
- Box-Pressed: A square-shaped cigar due to being pressed in a box mold.
7. Describing Cigar Flavors and Strength:
- Body: The overall strength or intensity of the cigar's flavor.
- Full-bodied: A cigar with strong, intense flavors.
- Medium-bodied: A cigar with balanced, moderate flavors.
- Mild: A cigar with light, subtle flavors.
- Complexity: The range and depth of flavors in a cigar.
- Finish: The lingering taste after exhaling.
8. Cigar Smoking Etiquette and Culture:
- Herf: A gathering or event where cigar enthusiasts come together to smoke and socialize.
- Cigar Lounge: A designated space, often within a tobacconist shop, where patrons can smoke cigars.
- Cut: The act of removing the cap from a cigar before smoking. Common types include straight cut, V-cut, and punch cut.
- Nubbing: Smoking a cigar down to a very small end piece, or nub.
9. Cigar Accessories and Tools:
- Cutter: A tool used to cut the cap off a cigar.
- Lighter: Specifically, a butane lighter or a wooden match, preferred for lighting cigars to avoid altering the taste.
- Punch: A type of cutter that punches a small hole in the cap.
- Cigar Stand: A small rest to hold a cigar while it is not being smoked.
- Cigar Case: A portable container to protect cigars while traveling.
10. Advanced Cigar Terminology:
- Ligero: The strongest, most flavorful leaves from the top of the tobacco plant.
- Seco: Milder leaves from the middle of the plant.
- Volado: The mildest leaves from the bottom of the plant, often used for binder.
- Chaveta: The rounded knife used by cigar rollers.
- Entubar: A traditional Cuban method of rolling cigars to enhance draw and combustion.
- Purging: The act of blowing out through the cigar to expel stale smoke and impurities that can build up during smoking.
- Wrapper Cracking: Refers to the splitting or breaking of the cigar's outer leaf, often caused by dryness or improper handling.
- Toothy: When someone describes a cigar as “toothy”, they’re referring to the texture of the cigar's wrapper.
- Herf: A gathering of cigar smokers who come together to enjoy cigars, share stories, and bask in the camaraderie that cigars often foster.
Bottom Line: Knowing Cigar Slang Enhances Your Enjoyment and Appreciation of Cigars
Understanding cigar slang is an integral part of becoming a knowledgeable and appreciative cigar smoker. This rich lexicon not only enhances communication within the cigar community but also deepens one's connection to the history, culture, and craftsmanship of cigars. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned aficionado, familiarizing yourself with these terms will enrich your cigar smoking experience and help you navigate the world of cigars with confidence and ease. So, light up a robusto, savor the retrohale, and join in on the herf with your newfound cigar knowledge.