Cigars 101

About the book

Cigars 101 is a guide to premium cigars for new and experienced smokers, in 33 chapters and 10 parts. It explains what makes a cigar premium, how a handmade cigar is built from wrapper, binder, and filler, and how tobacco goes from seed to box. It covers the common shapes and sizes, from robusto to Churchill, and how to choose, cut, light, smoke, and store a cigar, including humidors, cutters, lighters, and travel cases. It also has a short history of the cigar, a chapter on Winston Churchill and cigars, 44 brand, people, and factory profiles arranged by country (Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Cuba), each country chapter opening with a map of the towns where its cigars are made, and an A–Z glossary of 113 terms.

What’s inside

• Part 1: What a Cigar IsWhat is a premium cigar? Anatomy of a handmade cigar; Wrapper, Binder, and Filler: What each leaf does
• Part 2: How Cigars Are MadeHow cigars are made: seed to box; Growing cigar tobacco: seedbeds, fields, shade-grown vs sun-grown; Bunching and rolling by hand: torcedores at the table; Handmade vs machine-made cigars
• Part 3: Tobacco: Wrappers and RegionsWrapper types and colors: from Connecticut shade to oscuro; Cuban vs New World
• Part 4: Shapes and SizesRing gauge and length cheat-sheet; Robusto guide; Corona and petit corona guide; Churchill guide; Lancero guide; Torpedo and belicoso guide; Perfecto and figurado guide
• Part 5: Buying and ChoosingStrength, body, and flavor: what the words mean; Choosing a first premium cigar
• Part 6: Cutting, Lighting, and SmokingHow to cut and light a cigar; How to smoke a cigar: pace, puffs, ash, and when to stop
• Part 7: Storage and HumidorsHumidors and storage; First humidor setup; Humidor buying guide; How to season a humidor; Spanish cedar: why it matters
• Part 8: AccessoriesCutter types: guillotine, V-cut, and punch; Lighters: Torch vs soft flame; Travel humidors and cases
• Part 9: History, Culture, and TravelThe cigar: a short history; Winston Churchill and the cigar
• Part 10: Premium Cigar Brand Profiles by CountryNicaragua: the brands; Dominican Republic: the brands; Honduras: the brands; Cuba: the brands
• Appendix: Cigar glossary, terms A–Z113 terms, one line each

Look inside