Cigar terminology can feel like a private language. Words like ligero, vitola and ring gauge appear on every box and in every review. Yet nobody explains them on the cigar. This glossary does. It covers more than 150 terms in plain English, from the parts of a cigar to Cuban factory slang, storage words and Malaysian law.
How to use this cigar terminology guide
Jump to a letter with the A–Z bar, or search the page in your browser. Each entry is short, and many link to a deeper guide when you want more detail. Our other pages also link here the first time they use a technical word. So if a term puzzles you mid-article, one click brings you to this page and back.
If you are new to cigars, a few words matter more than the rest. Start with wrapper, binder, filler, ring gauge and vitola. After that, our guide to cigars for beginners puts them in context. Next, the overview of types of cigars explains the shapes and sizes behind names such as robusto and torpedo.
Storage terms deserve special attention in Malaysia. Our climate is warm and humid outdoors, while air-conditioned rooms dry things out fast. Words like relative humidity, seasoning, tupperdor and tobacco beetle all come up often. For the full picture, read how to store cigars.
0-9
- 70/70 rule
- An old rule of thumb that cigars keep best at 70°F (about 21°C) and 70% relative humidity. Most smokers now aim a little lower, around 65–69% RH, and in Malaysia keeping the temperature down is the harder part. See cigar humidity.
- 8-9-8
- A Cuban packing style in which 25 cigars sit in three layers of eight, nine and eight in a box with a rounded profile. Because the cigars are not squeezed into a square box, they keep their round shape.
A
- Act 852
- Malaysia’s Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024, in force since 1 October 2024. It is the main law on the sale, advertising and use of tobacco and other smoking products, and it sets the rules on smoke-free places, age limits, packaging and promotion. See our explainer on cigar laws in Malaysia.
- Aficionado
- A keen and knowledgeable cigar enthusiast. The Spanish word means a fan or devotee of any pastime.
- Ageing
- Resting tobacco or finished cigars for months or years so harsh notes fade and flavours blend. Leaf is aged before rolling, and many smokers also age boxes at home in a stable humidor. Read more in how long do cigars last.
- Air-cured
- Tobacco dried slowly by natural air in a curing barn over several weeks. Almost all premium cigar leaf is air-cured, unlike cigarette tobacco, which is usually flue-cured with heat.
- American Market Selection (AMS)
- An old trade name for green candela wrappers, once popular in the United States. It contrasts with the browner English Market Selection.
- Ammonia
- A sharp, acrid compound that tobacco releases during fermentation. Leaf that has not been fermented long enough, or a cigar that is too young, can taste or smell of it.
- Anilla
- Spanish for the cigar band, the paper ring printed with the brand name.
- Ash
- The burnt tobacco that builds up at the lit end. A firm, evenly coloured ash usually points to good construction and well-grown leaf. Tap it off gently into an ashtray before it falls.
- Añejado
- Spanish for aged. Habanos uses Añejados as the name of a line of Cuban cigars that are aged in their boxes for several years before release.
B
- Band
- The printed paper ring around a cigar that shows the brand and sometimes the line. You can leave it on or take it off once the cigar warms up and the glue loosens.
- Barber pole
- A cigar rolled with two wrapper leaves of different colours spiralled together, so it looks like a striped barber’s pole. It is mainly a visual effect, though the two leaves do add their own flavours.
- Belicoso
- A short figurado with a tapered, rounded head, usually shorter than a torpedo. Cuban factories call the shape Campanas. See cigar sizes.
- Besuki
- A tobacco-growing area in East Java, Indonesia, known for leaf used mainly in machine-made cigars and as wrapper and binder. It is one of Southeast Asia’s main sources of cigar tobacco. See other origins.
- Binder
- The leaf that holds the filler together under the wrapper. It is usually a sturdy, less attractive leaf chosen for strength and good burning. See cigar anatomy.
- Bloom
- A fine, white, powdery dusting that some say forms when oils rise to the surface of aged cigars. It wipes off cleanly and leaves no stain. Many experts think true bloom is rare and that most white fuzz is mould, so check carefully.
- Body
- How full and heavy the smoke feels in your mouth, from light to full. Body is not the same as strength, which describes nicotine. See our cigar strength guide.
- Boutique cigar
- A cigar from a small brand or factory that makes limited quantities. The label says nothing certain about quality, but these makers often focus on unusual blends.
- Boveda
- A brand of two-way humidity control pack that releases or absorbs moisture to hold a set relative humidity. Packs come in fixed levels, such as 65% and 69%. See Boveda packs.
- Box code
- A stamped code on the bottom of a Cuban cigar box that shows the factory and the month and year of packing. Collectors use it to judge age, and it can help spot fakes. See fake Cuban cigars.
- Box-pressed
- A cigar pressed into a square or rounded-square shape, either by tight packing in the box or in a special press. Many smokers find it sits comfortably in the mouth and burns slightly cooler.
- Broadleaf
- A sun-grown tobacco with large, thick leaves, grown mainly in Connecticut and Pennsylvania. It is often fermented dark and used for sweet, rustic maduro wrappers.
- Bunch
- The filler leaves gathered and wrapped in the binder, before the wrapper goes on. A well-made bunch is even from end to end, which gives a smooth draw.
- Bunching
- The step in rolling where the maker arranges the filler leaves and wraps them in the binder. Methods include folding (book style), accordion folding and the Cuban entubado method.
- Bundle
- Cigars sold tied together, often in cellophane, with plain or no bands. Bundles usually carry little packaging cost, so they are often simpler blends.
- Burn
- How the cigar combusts along its length. An even burn keeps a straight line all round, while problems include canoeing and tunnelling. See how to smoke a cigar.
- Butane
- The odourless fuel used in most cigar lighters. Unlike petrol lighters, it does not leave a chemical taste on the foot. See cigar lighters.
C
- Cabinet selection
- Cigars packed loose, often in a bundle tied with silk ribbon, inside an unvarnished cedar cabinet box. Because they are not pressed, they stay round, and the cedar can help them age.
- Cameroon
- A thin, toothy wrapper leaf from Central Africa, known for a sweet, slightly spicy flavour. It is fragile and difficult to roll, so it appears on a fairly small number of cigars.
- Candela
- A bright green wrapper, also called double claro, made by drying the leaf quickly with heat so it keeps its chlorophyll. It tastes grassy and mild. See cigar wrappers.
- Canoeing
- When one side of a cigar burns faster than the other, leaving a long, boat-shaped strip of unburnt wrapper. A quick touch-up with a lighter on the slow side usually fixes it.
- Cap
- The small round piece of wrapper glued over the head to close it. You cut the cap, not the body, before smoking. See how to cut a cigar.
- Cap line
- The faint seam where the cap meets the wrapper. Cut above it, or the wrapper may unravel.
- Capa
- Spanish for the wrapper leaf, the outer layer of a cigar.
- Capote
- Spanish for the binder leaf.
- Cedar spill
- A thin strip of Spanish cedar lit from a match or candle and used to light a cigar. It gives a gentle, wide flame with no fuel taste. See how to light a cigar.
- Cellophane (cello)
- The thin clear sleeve some cigars come in. It protects the wrapper during handling but slows ageing. Over time it can turn yellow-amber, which hints at a cigar’s age.
- Cerut
- The Malay word for cigar, taken from the English word cheroot. Malaysians also say rokok cerut. Read our guide in Malay, panduan cerut.
- Char line
- The thin dark ring between the burnt ash and the unburnt tobacco. A thin, even char line suggests a cigar burning at the right pace and humidity.
- Chaveta
- The flat, rounded blade a torcedor uses to trim wrapper leaf and shape the cap. It is the roller’s main tool.
- Cheroot
- A small cigar with both ends cut open and no cap, traditionally made in India and Myanmar. The word is the root of the Malay cerut. See cigars in Southeast Asia.
- Churchill
- A long, elegant size named after Winston Churchill. The Cuban version measures 178 mm with a 47 ring gauge, and the factory calls it Julieta No. 2.
- Cibao Valley
- The fertile valley around Santiago in the Dominican Republic where most Dominican cigar tobacco grows. See Dominican cigars.
- Cigar
- A roll of cured, fermented tobacco leaf wrapped in a tobacco leaf. Premium cigars are hand-made from whole leaves, while machine-made ones often use chopped tobacco. Start with our cigars for beginners guide.
- Cigarillo
- A small, thin cigar, usually machine-made and often flavoured or tipped. Many of the cigars sold in Malaysian convenience stores fall into this group. See cigarillos.
- Claro
- A light tan wrapper shade, usually shade-grown, with a mild and smooth taste. See the colour scale in cigar wrappers.
- Cold draw
- Drawing air through a cut but unlit cigar to test the airflow and preview the flavours. It is a useful check before you light up.
- Colorado
- A medium reddish-brown wrapper shade between claro and maduro. It often brings richer, slightly sweet and spicy notes.
- Colorado claro
- A light-to-medium brown wrapper, a shade darker than claro. Many traditional Cuban cigars sit in this range.
- Colorado maduro
- A dark brown wrapper between colorado and maduro, often with notes of cocoa and dried fruit.
- Complexity
- How many distinct flavours a cigar shows and how they change as it burns. A complex cigar keeps you interested from start to finish. See how to taste a cigar.
- Coning
- When the wrapper burns faster than the filler, leaving a cone of filler sticking out of the ash. It is the opposite of tunnelling.
- Connecticut shade
- A pale golden wrapper grown under cloth in the Connecticut River Valley in the United States. The same seed is also grown in Ecuador, and it gives a creamy, mild smoke.
- Coolidor
- A picnic cooler or ice chest used as a large, airtight humidor, usually with humidity packs inside. It holds many boxes for little cost, but it needs cedar or packs to keep conditions steady.
- Corojo
- A Cuban tobacco variety first developed for wrapper at the El Corojo farm in the Vuelta Abajo. Today the name also covers related seeds grown in Honduras and Nicaragua, known for spice and pepper.
- Corona
- The classic benchmark size. The Cuban corona measures 142 mm with a 42 ring gauge. See cigar sizes.
- Corona gorda
- A thicker corona, about 143 mm with a 46 ring gauge in Cuba, where the factory name is Hermosos No. 4. It offers a fuller smoke than a standard corona.
- Criollo
- Meaning native, the traditional Cuban tobacco variety used mostly for filler and binder. Modern Cuban strains include Criollo 98, and growers elsewhere also plant Criollo-type seed.
- Cuban seed
- Tobacco grown outside Cuba from seed with Cuban ancestry. The label describes the plant line, not the place, so a Cuban-seed cigar is not a Cuban cigar.
- Culebra
- Three thin panatelas braided together and tied with a ribbon. You untie them and smoke them one by one. The name is Spanish for snake.
- Curing
- Drying harvested leaves so they lose moisture and chlorophyll and turn from green to brown. Cigar leaf is usually air-cured in barns.
D
- Despalillo
- The stage, and the room, where workers strip the tough central vein from each leaf. Stripping leaves two halves ready for rolling.
- Double claro
- Another name for the green candela wrapper.
- Double corona
- A long, large cigar, often around 190 mm with a 49–52 ring gauge. In Cuba the factory size Prominentes measures 194 mm with a 49 ring gauge. Expect a smoke of two hours or more.
- Draw
- How easily air and smoke pass through a cigar. A good draw feels like sipping through a straw, while a tight draw suggests a plug.
- Draw poker
- A thin metal rod you push into the head to loosen a tight cigar and open the draw. Use it gently, since forcing it can split the wrapper.
- Dress box
- A cigar box covered in printed paper and decorations rather than left as plain cedar. The style is traditional for many Cuban brands.
- Dry boxing
- Resting a cigar for a few hours or a day in a closed box with no humidifier, so it loses a little moisture. It helps cigars that feel spongy in Malaysia’s damp air burn better.
- Duty-free island
- A Malaysian island, such as Langkawi, Labuan or Tioman, where many goods are free of certain taxes. Since 1 January 2021, however, tobacco products on these islands carry duty. See our guides to Langkawi and bringing cigars into Malaysia.
E
- Edición Limitada
- Habanos’ annual limited-edition releases, usually made with darker wrapper and extra-aged leaf. Each year brings new sizes from several Cuban brands.
- English Market Selection (EMS)
- A trade term for natural brown wrappers, historically preferred by British smokers. It contrasts with the green American Market Selection.
- Entubado
- A Cuban bunching method in which each filler leaf is rolled into a tube before the leaves are gathered. The tubes create air channels, which helps the draw and the burn.
- Escaparate
- A cool, cedar-lined room or cabinet where fresh cigars rest after rolling. They lose excess moisture there before sorting and boxing.
- Escogida
- The sorting of tobacco leaves by size, colour and quality, and also the building where it happens. Careful escogida is key to consistent cigars.
- Estelí
- A city in northern Nicaragua that is the centre of the country’s cigar industry. Its volcanic soil gives bold, peppery tobacco. See Nicaraguan cigars.
F
- Fermentation
- A controlled process in which cured leaves sit in large piles that heat up naturally. It breaks down ammonia, starch and harshness, and it develops flavour.
- Figurado
- Any cigar that is not a straight cylinder, such as a torpedo, belicoso, perfecto or salomón. See types of cigars.
- Filler
- The leaves inside a cigar that provide most of its flavour and strength. Filler can be long, short or mixed.
- Finish
- The flavours that stay on your palate after you let the smoke go. A long, clean finish is a sign of good tobacco.
- Flag cap
- A cap finished with a small strip of wrapper twisted or folded over the head, like a tiny flag. It is a sign of skilled rolling.
- Flor de
- Spanish for flower of. It appears in many old brand names to suggest the finest tobacco of a maker or place.
- Foot
- The open end of a cigar, where you light it. You can see the filler leaves there.
G
- Galera
- The rolling room of a Cuban cigar factory, where rows of torcedores work at their benches.
- Gordo
- A very thick cigar, usually with a ring gauge of 60 or more. Gordos burn cool, though the wrapper plays a smaller part in the overall flavour.
- Gran Reserva
- A rare Cuban release made from leaf aged for at least five years before rolling. It sits above the Reserva tier.
- Grand cru
- A wine term some makers borrow for their top leaf or premium lines. In cigars it has no legal or official meaning.
- Guillotine
- A cutter with one or two blades that slices the cap off straight. A double-blade model is the most forgiving choice. See cigar cutters.
H
- Habano
- The official name for a Cuban premium cigar, protected as a designation of origin. Outside Cuba, habano also names a wrapper grown from Cuban-type seed, known for spice.
- Habanos S.A.
- The company, founded in 1994, that markets and distributes all Cuban premium cigars worldwide. It also franchises the La Casa del Habano shops. See Cuban cigars.
- Half corona
- A short, slim size of roughly 90 mm with a 44 ring gauge. It gives a 20 to 30 minute smoke.
- Hand-made
- A cigar bunched and rolled by people rather than machines. Some hand-made cigars use simple tools such as moulds. See hand-rolled vs machine-made.
- Head
- The closed end of a cigar that goes in your mouth. You cut the head and light the foot.
- Hecho en Cuba
- Spanish for made in Cuba, printed on Cuban boxes and bands. Its presence alone does not prove a box is genuine.
- Herf
- Slang for an informal gathering of cigar smokers. To herf is to smoke cigars together.
- Hologram
- A security sticker on many Cuban boxes and warranty seals, meant to make copying harder. Even so, good fakes can copy it, so check other details too.
- Homogenised tobacco leaf (HTL)
- A sheet made from ground tobacco and binding agents, used as binder or wrapper on many machine-made cigars. It is cheaper and more uniform than whole leaf.
- Humidification device
- Anything that releases moisture inside a humidor, such as foam, crystal gel beads, two-way packs or an electronic unit. Choose by the size of your humidor and your local climate.
- Humidor
- A box, cabinet or room that keeps cigars at steady humidity and temperature. Most are lined with Spanish cedar. See our humidor guide.
- Hygrometer
- A gauge that measures relative humidity inside a humidor. Digital models are usually more accurate than analogue dials. See hygrometers.
I
- Infused cigar
- A cigar treated with flavourings such as vanilla, coffee or rum. Many convenience-store cigarillos in Malaysia are infused.
J
- Jalapa
- A valley in northern Nicaragua near the Honduran border, prized for silky, elegant wrapper and filler leaf.
- Julieta
- Short for Julieta No. 2, the Cuban factory name for the Churchill size of 178 mm by 47. It refers to Romeo y Julieta, a brand linked to Winston Churchill.
L
- La Casa del Habano (LCDH)
- A worldwide network of franchised shops and lounges approved by Habanos S.A. to sell Cuban cigars. The name points to official supply rather than a single owner.
- Lancero
- A long, thin cigar, about 192 mm with a 38 ring gauge in Cuba, where the factory calls it Laguito No. 1. Its slim shape puts the wrapper at the centre of the flavour.
- Lector
- A reader who reads newspapers and novels aloud to cigar rollers as they work. The tradition began in 19th-century Cuba and still continues in some factories. See Cuban cigar history.
- Ligero
- The thick, oily leaves from the top of the plant. They give strength and slow-burning body, so blenders place them in the centre of the bunch.
- Long filler
- Filler made of whole leaves that run the full length of the cigar. It is the mark of most premium cigars and gives a cooler, steadier burn.
- Lonsdale
- A long, slim size of about 165 mm with a 42 ring gauge, named after the Earl of Lonsdale. The Cuban factory name is Cervantes.
M
- Machine-made
- A cigar made fully or partly by machine, often with short filler or homogenised leaf. Most cigarillos are machine-made.
- Maduro
- A dark brown wrapper that has had longer or hotter fermentation, giving sweet notes of cocoa and coffee. Maduro describes colour, not strength, and a maduro can be mild. See cigar wrappers.
- Media rueda
- Spanish for half wheel, a bundle of 50 cigars tied together. Factories group cigars this way after rolling, and some cabinet boxes hold them like this.
- Medio tiempo
- A rare grade of leaf from the very top of the plant, even richer than ligero. Not every plant produces it.
- Mixed filler
- Filler combining long leaves with chopped scraps, sometimes called a sandwich. It costs less than long filler but can burn less evenly.
- Mould
- A fungus that grows on cigars kept too humid, often blue, green or fuzzy white. It can stain the wrapper and spread through a humidor. See mould, plume and beetles.
- Mouthfeel
- The texture of the smoke on your palate, such as creamy, dry, oily or thin. It is part of a cigar’s body.
N
- Natural
- A loose term for a light to medium brown wrapper. Natural sits between claro and colorado on most colour charts.
- New World
- Cigars made outside Cuba, mainly in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras. The term contrasts them with traditional Cuban cigars.
- Nicotine
- The addictive chemical in tobacco. Cigar smokers absorb it through the lining of the mouth even without inhaling. See cigar health risks.
- Nub
- The short end of a cigar left after you finish smoking. Some smokers put a cigar down once it reaches the band, while others smoke it to the nub.
O
- Oscuro
- The darkest wrapper shade, nearly black, made with long fermentation. It often tastes earthy and sweet.
P
- Panatela
- A long, thin cigar, usually with a ring gauge in the mid-30s. It offers a quick, wrapper-forward smoke.
- Parejo
- A straight-sided cigar with a rounded head and open foot, such as a robusto or corona. Most cigars are parejos. See types of cigars.
- Partido
- A Cuban growing area near Havana, known mainly for shade-grown wrapper leaf.
- Perfecto
- A figurado that tapers at both ends with a bulge in the middle. The closed foot makes lighting slower at first.
- Petit corona
- A short corona of about 129 mm with a 42 ring gauge, known in Cuban factories as Mareva. It is a classic 30 to 45 minute smoke.
- Pigtail
- A small twisted curl of wrapper at the head of a cigar. You cut or twist it off before smoking.
- Piloto Cubano
- A Cuban-seed tobacco widely grown in the Dominican Republic, used mainly for filler. It brings strength and depth to many blends.
- Pilón
- A large fermentation pile of tobacco leaves. Workers turn and rebuild the pile to control its temperature.
- Pinar del Río
- The western Cuban province that includes the Vuelta Abajo, the island’s most famous tobacco region. See Cuban cigars.
- Pirámide
- A figurado with a long, pointed taper to the head, about 156 mm with a 52 ring gauge in Cuba. Many people use the word interchangeably with torpedo.
- Plug
- A tight spot inside a cigar where the filler is too dense, blocking the draw. A draw poker can sometimes clear it.
- Plume
- Another name for bloom, the harmless white dusting on some aged cigars. It differs from mould, which is fuzzy and stains.
- Primings
- The levels of leaves on a tobacco plant, harvested a few at a time from the bottom up. Each priming has its own strength and flavour.
- Propylene glycol solution
- A mix of propylene glycol and distilled water used in some humidifiers to hold humidity near 70%. Two-way packs have largely replaced it.
- Punch cut
- A cut that removes a small round plug from the cap with a circular blade. It suits large rounded heads but not pointed ones. See how to cut a cigar.
- Purging
- Blowing gently out through a lit cigar to clear stale smoke and cool it. It helps after a relight.
- Puro
- A cigar whose wrapper, binder and filler all come from one country. In Spain and Latin America the word also simply means cigar.
R
- Regional Edition
- A Cuban cigar made in limited numbers for one market or region, such as Asia-Pacific. Habanos approves each release.
- Relative humidity (RH)
- How much moisture the air holds compared with the most it can hold at that temperature. Cigars usually prefer 62–70% RH. See cigar humidity.
- Relight
- Lighting a cigar again after it goes out. Purge it first, then toast and relight it, and smoke it within an hour or two.
- Remedios
- A tobacco region in central Cuba, also called Vuelta Arriba, mainly growing leaf for local and machine-made cigars.
- Reserva
- A Cuban release made from leaf aged for at least three years before rolling. Outside Cuba, makers use reserva freely, with no fixed meaning.
- Retrohale
- Passing some smoke out through your nose to pick up more aroma. Start with a tiny amount, since strong smoke can sting. See how to taste a cigar.
- Ring gauge
- A cigar’s diameter measured in 64ths of an inch. A 50 ring gauge cigar is 50/64 of an inch, or about 20 mm, across. See cigar sizes.
- Robusto
- A short, thick size, about 124 mm with a 50 ring gauge in Cuba. It is one of the most popular sizes and smokes for about 45 to 60 minutes.
- Rokok cerut
- A common Malay phrase for cigars, used in shops and everyday talk. See cerut.
- Rolling mould
- A wooden or plastic press with cigar-shaped slots that holds bunches in shape before wrapping. Most hand-made cigars rest in moulds for a time.
- Rosado
- A reddish-brown wrapper with a rosy sheen, often from Cuban-seed tobacco. It tends to give sweet spice.
- Rothschild
- A short, thick size close to a robusto, around 115 mm with a 50 ring gauge. It is named after Leopold de Rothschild, who asked for a quick smoke.
S
- Salomón
- A large figurado with a tapered head and a small pointed foot above a bulge. It takes great skill to roll.
- San Andrés
- A valley in Veracruz, Mexico, known for dark, earthy maduro wrapper called Negro San Andrés.
- Seasoning
- Preparing a new wooden humidor by letting its cedar absorb moisture before cigars go in. Skip it and the dry wood pulls moisture from your cigars. See humidor seasoning.
- Seco
- Leaves from the middle of the plant that add aroma and balance. They sit between volado and ligero in strength.
- Second third
- The middle section of a cigar, between the first and final thirds. Many cigars change most here, as flavours deepen. See how to taste a cigar.
- Shade-grown
- Tobacco grown under cloth that filters sunlight. The leaves grow thin, smooth and even, which suits wrappers.
- Short filler
- Filler made of chopped scraps of leaf. It is common in machine-made cigars and burns hotter and faster.
- Shoulder
- The point where the rounded head curves into the straight body of a cigar.
- Sick cigar
- A cigar going through a sick period, a phase after rolling or shipping when it tastes harsh or flat. Resting it in a humidor for some weeks usually helps.
- Slide-lid box
- A cigar box with a lid that slides in a groove rather than opening on hinges. It is common on cedar cabinet boxes.
- Smoking time
- How long a cigar takes to smoke, roughly 30 minutes for a petit corona and two hours for a double corona. It depends on size, construction and pace. See cigar sizes.
- Spanish cedar
- The wood that lines most humidors and boxes. Despite the name, it is not a true cedar but a tropical tree related to mahogany. It holds moisture and resists tobacco beetles.
- Strength
- How much nicotine a cigar delivers and how much it affects you. It differs from body. See our cigar strength guide.
- Sumatra
- A wrapper type first grown on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, now also grown from the same seed in Ecuador. It tends to taste sweet and lightly spicy.
- Sun-grown
- Tobacco grown in full sun. The leaves grow thicker, darker and more flavourful than shade-grown leaves.
T
- Tabaco negro
- Dark, air-cured and fermented tobacco, the traditional style of Cuba and the base of most cigars.
- Tapado
- Spanish for covered, the cloth tents that shade wrapper plants in Cuba. Shade gives the thin, even leaf wrappers need.
- Tasting notes
- Written descriptions of the flavours and aromas in a cigar, such as cedar, cocoa or pepper. See how to taste a cigar.
- Tercio
- A bale wrapped in palm bark, used in Cuba to age and store tobacco leaves. The bark lets the leaf breathe while keeping it protected.
- Toasting
- Warming the foot over a flame before you draw on the cigar, so it lights evenly. See how to light a cigar.
- Tobacco beetle
- A tiny pest whose eggs can hatch in warm conditions, usually above about 24°C, leaving pinholes in cigars. Malaysia’s heat makes them a real risk. See mould, plume and beetles.
- Topping
- Removing the flower bud from a tobacco plant so its energy goes into the leaves. It makes the upper leaves thicker and stronger.
- Torcedor
- A skilled cigar roller. A woman roller is a torcedora, and today many Cuban rollers are women.
- Torch lighter
- A butane lighter with a hot, wind-resistant jet flame. It lights quickly but can scorch the foot if held too close.
- Toro
- A popular size of about 152 mm with a 50 to 52 ring gauge. It offers a long, steady smoke of about an hour or more.
- Torpedo
- A figurado with a pointed, tapered head. Many people use the word interchangeably with pirámide. See how to cut a cigar for cutting one.
- Totalmente a mano
- Spanish for totally by hand, the stamp on Cuban boxes for cigars made entirely by hand. The looser phrase hecho a mano can allow some machine help.
- Tripa
- Spanish for filler.
- Triple cap
- A cap built from three layers of wrapper leaf, a hallmark of traditional Cuban rolling. It lets you cut through one layer and keep the rest.
- Tubo
- A cigar packed in a metal, glass or wooden tube. Tubes protect cigars on the move, but they are not humidors.
- Tunnelling
- When the centre of a cigar burns faster than the wrapper, forming a hollow tunnel. It often means the cigar is too damp.
- Tupperdor
- An airtight plastic food container used as a simple humidor with humidity packs. It suits Malaysia well. See our tupperdor guide.
V
- V-cut
- A cut that carves a wedge-shaped notch across the cap. It concentrates the smoke. See cigar cutters.
- Vega
- A tobacco farm or field, especially in Cuba. A vegero is a tobacco farmer.
- Viso
- In Cuban grading, a glossy, fairly oily leaf from the upper-middle part of the plant, sitting between seco and ligero in strength.
- Vitola
- A cigar’s size and shape, defined by its length, ring gauge and form. See cigar sizes.
- Vitola de galera
- The factory name for a size, such as Mareva for a petit corona. The same vitola de galera can appear under several brands.
- Vitola de salida
- The market name printed on the box, such as Montecristo No. 4. It is the name smokers actually see.
- Volado
- The mild leaves from the bottom of the plant. They burn well and help the cigar stay lit.
- Vuelta Abajo
- The area of Pinar del Río in western Cuba widely seen as the world’s finest tobacco land. See Cuban cigars.
W
- Warranty seal
- The green-and-white Cuban government seal on every box of genuine Cuban cigars. Modern seals carry security features, but fakes copy them, so check other details too. See fake Cuban cigars.
- Wedge cut
- Another name for the V-cut.
- Wrapper
- The outer leaf of a cigar. It drives the look and much of the flavour. See cigar wrappers.