How to Select a Premium Handmade Cigar

What is a handmade cigar?
It is a cigar that is bunched, rolled and trimmed by a skilled individual worker. This worker can either be one person who works alone on a single cigar, or the labor can be divided between a buncher and a roller who works on the same cigar. The point is that the entire cigar is completely made by hand from start to finish.

How do I find a handmade cigar that is just right for me?
Consider your own personal preferences for taste, first. There are mild cigars, medium cigars, and full-bodied cigars. You can usually tell the difference by the color of the wrapper. Normally, the darker the wrapper, the more full-bodied the cigar’s flavor will be.

A handmade cigar should have a mild sheen to its appearance. There should be no veins in it. There are, of course, different colors of wrappers. There are candela, which is greenish in color, natural, which is light brown in color, Colorado and Rosado, which is red in color, and Habano, Maduro, and Oscuro, which are all dark brown.

What causes wrappers to have different colors?
The way tobacco is grown changes the color of its leaves. The more direct sunlight the plants receive, the darker they are.

How should a fine handmade cigar feel when I hold it?
A fine cigar should also feel smooth when you hold it, and it should be firm with no soft spots. Soft spots are bad because they make cigars burn unevenly. The cigar should not be too tight, either. If it is, the draw will be very difficult.

How is a cigar handmade?
There are three parts to a handmade cigar—the filler, the binder, and the wrapper. Every one of these parts has a specific purpose.

The most distinguishing characteristic of truly good cigars is that they all have long filler. This means that the tobacco leaf inside the binder spans the entire length of the cigar. Every one of these leaves is one half of an entire tobacco leaf. The vein that runs down the middle of the leaf is taken out, and both halves are then used to make cigars.

The binder is used to contain the filler. It is pliable and silky, and actually rougher than the wrapper. It has no flavor, but it is very important because it helps give the cigar its shape and firmness by containing the filler at just the right density.

The wrapper on a handmade cigar is made from very high quality tobacco. It has a smooth texture and is slightly oily to the touch. It is made to burn steady and contribute to flavor.

Are handmade cigars more expensive?
Yes. They are usually priced higher and are often classified as premium or super premium cigars.

Can I be guaranteed I am getting a premium cigar?
Unfortunately, this is not the case. Purchasing a handmade cigar will not guarantee a premium cigar. Although premium cigars are all handmade, there are always individual cigars that are flawed, and there are cheap imitations everywhere. Inspect what you buy and ask questions before you spend your money on something that is less than the best.