This is part two of a series of articles, in no particular order, discussing the basics of cigars. In this article is a brief interpretation of the ‘anatomy’ of a cigar; in other words, the basic parts of a cigar. The first of which can be found here Hand-rolled cigars
When first introduced to the world of cigars it’s very easy to become confused as to what is what. Common questions that arise from the ‘new’ cigar smoker are, in no particular order:
‘Binder’?
Why does it matter if the ‘filler’ is, say, Ecuadorian?
Some cigar lingo is self-explanatory while others not-so-much.
Cigars, like the human body, come in many shapes and sizes (which will be discussed in a later article) and all have the same basic primary structure. Consistent with its nature; based on country of origin taste, strength, mixture and texture can be reasonably predicted.
From the outside in:
The first thing to notice about the anatomy of a cigar is the ‘wrapper’. The wrapper is a single delicate, flavorful leaf that completes or ‘finishes’ the cigar. It is the tobacco leaf you come in contact with while holding your cigar, puffing your cigar, and is the leaf that you inspect when studying your cigar. Being the single, delicate, flavorful finish on the cigar, most afcianados say this leaf makes up 70-80% of the flavor. Therefore, knowing the country of origin makes it easier for the cigar smoker to know what initial flavors can be expected.
The binder is what holds the tobacco together within the cigar. In other words, it’s the second layer that holds it all together. The ‘binder’ is a leaf of tobacco that is rolled around the filer producing and reinforcing the makers’ desired shape. Binders also contribute to the cigar's flavor. Moreover, certain binders are used specifically from line to line to replicate the ‘recipe’ or ‘blend’ over and over. Binders are almost always stronger, thicker tobacco leaf than the wrapper, which is a thinner, delicate, flavorful leaf.
The ‘filler’ – ‘what’s under the hood’? The filler is the tobacco you would see were you to look directly at the ‘foot’ of the cigar (the end that you light!). The tobacco that is contained within the ‘wrapper’ is called ‘filler’. This tobacco is blended in a special way, when married creates its own unique ‘flavor recipe’.
Note: When shopping for a cigar, ‘long’ filler tobacco is preferred over ‘short filler’ tobacco. Machine made cigars will oftentimes use ‘short’ filler tobacco indicating that the tobacco has been ground or sifted into finer tobacco. A glaring example of ‘short’ filler tobacco can be found in a cigarette (which has no binder). If you remove the outer paper you will see a pile of sometimes ground, consistently sifted tobacco.
Smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em!
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