Cigars come in many colours. From green to midnight black, cigar colour is the result of fermentation or so we are led to believe. In order to fully understand how a maduro wrapper is made, we have to look into the dark side of cigar making. Although it is generally true that fermentation determines tobacco…
Ashes to Ashes
At first sight merely the waste after enjoyment, ash performs an important function and reveals a lot about the cigar. The most important function of ash is its influence on the burn temperature. The longer the ash, the less oxygen reaches the burning end of the cigar, which in turn reduces the burning temperature and…
Cohiba—15 Fascinating Facts About Cuba’s Most Famous Cigar Brand
In a few decades Cohiba went from a private-label brand for Fidel Castro to becoming the most recognizable, sought-after cigar in the world. Up there with Dom Pérignon vintage Champagne, Rolls Royces and Patek Philippe watches, the Cohiba name is now synonymous with luxury goods, and for the most part, they live up to the…
Why choose cigars for a Christmas gift?
Why choose cigars for a Christmas gift? No, this is not a trick question! If you know someone who loves the occasional or frequent cigar, you just can’t go wrong with cigars as a Christmas gift. Any cigar lover will tell you there is no such thing as too many cigars; provided they have somewhere…
WHO ARE THE BUYERS OF HIGH-PRICED VINTAGE CIGARS?
As we’ve discovered, the world of vintage cigars is poorly defined, and even less understood. With some information from a few specialists, I found out that vintage buyers can be divided into two distinct groups. Dr. Maximilian Herzog, owner of three cigar specialist stores in Berlin, is regarded as a shrewd broker on the vintage…
Pipe Smoking for Beginners: How to Pack, Light, and Enjoy a Tobacco Pipe
For many societies throughout history, pipe smoking was (and is) a sacred ritual. Men would light their tobacco for various ceremonies including weddings, funerals, and the signing of treaties (hence the term “peace pipe”). It was an important part of their traditions and cultural heritage. In more modern times, gentlemen would smoke a pipe as…
The new vogue for cigar smoking cuts across boundaries of class, nationality, political affiliation and gender.
Despite the draconian smoking bans which have come in across Europe over the last decade or so, cigar smoking is in rude health. In London, many cigar terraces have been introduced since the 2007 ban prohibited smoking in enclosed public spaces. There are now no shortage of places where you can light up a Hoyo…
Cigarillos: Short and Small
In Europe, the Cigarillos, or Short, Dry-Cured Cigar, Sells. In America, it Has Never Caught On. The meal is over. The plates that once held veal marsala and other Italian delights have been cleared, and small cups of dark, froth-topped espresso are being wheeled to the table. The perfect time for a cigar, decides Max…
Why bother ageing cigars? Smoke and live for the day.
Most Cubans get pretty excited when they have the opportunity to smoke an aged cigar—even the tobacco experts. It just isn’t something that most of them get to do, even if they grow tobacco or work in a cigar factory or shop. It’s understandable. They live for current production cigars. They have to focus on…
Principal Cigar Shapes and Sizes
One of the glories of Habanos is the sheer choice – 27 brands with more than 250 different cigars between them. Here are the main cigar sizes and shapes that it is useful to know about. Habanos come in lengths from under 4 inches (100mm) to over 9 inches (230mm). The industry standard measure for…
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