Just as Handbags we classify wines according to color — red or white — and flavor — sweet or dry — a true cigar aficionado can distinguish one cigar from another according to a set of standard classifications. To tell one cigar from another, or to inquire about the difference between two cigars, you typically look at three things: the ring gauge, the size, and the shape.Ring gauge is an industry standard measurement for the diameter of a cigar, measured in 64ths of an inch. Therefore, a cigar with a 42 ring gauge measures 42/64ths of an inch in diameter. However, because a cigar may be tapered at its “head” or its “foot,” you will sometimes see a ring gauge cited as 46/49, for example. This is a sure indicator of a tapered cigar. Ring gauge, of the three types of classification, has the most effect on flavor and fullness. Generally speaking, the higher the gauge, the more robust and full the flavor will be, because you will get more smoke per pull. And while these are all useful measurements, true cigar connoisseurs will often refer to cigar types by name and discuss variations within these categories then in terms of these measurements.Another factor that is used to classify cigars, perhaps the most important of all is the color of the tobacco. The color can vary from light blonde to deep black and is dependent upon when the leaves are clipped and how and when they are dried, as well as what part of the tobacco plant the leaves are taken from. Blonde tobacco, called “double claro,” is made from leaves clipped before they are matured and dried specially to bring out the pale color. Often with claro tobacco, curers will hasten the drying process using special candles or wood fires to prevent the color from darkening. Claro tobacco is a little darker in color, more of a brown yellow, and is cut much the same way but dried very quickly to yield a very light flavor. Colorado claro leans more toward the medium brown side and utilizes leaves from the top part of plant, which are exposed to more sunlight. These leaves take longer to mature and have a bit richer scent and flavor. Brown tobacco with reddish hues is called “colorado” and is taken from the same part of the plant but allowed to mature just a little bit longer. The longer maturing period makes for smoke of moderate strength with deep undertones of rich flavor.Maduro Colorado is true brown, taken from the very top of the plant, allowed to grow almost to full maturation and have a full-bodied smoke with a very marked flavor.Maduro tobacco is darker brown, leaning more towards black and has a thick smoke and full-bodied flavor. Maduro tobacco is for true cigar-lovers and is often found in Cuesta Rey, Ashton Maduro, and Griffin’s Maduro type cigars.The darkest, “oscuro,” “negro,” or “black” tobacco comes from the very, very top of the tobacco plant, with direct exposure to sunlight, is fully matured — almost to the point of being over-matured — is cured slowly, and is not for the faint of heart. This is a full-bodied, full-flavored smoke with very strong, woody aromas. The most common types are the Corona Gorda, Lonsdale, Panetela, Petit Corona, Robusto, Corona, Churchill (named for the prime minister renowned for his cigar smoking and brandy drinking), Toro, Perfecto, Belicoso, Torpedo/Pyramid, and the Double Corona. While any of these cigars can be rolled with any of the types of the tobacco, these names refer to the shape, size, and typical gauge of the cigar.Most notably, Perfecto, Belicoso, and Torpedo/Pyramid cigars are tapered, while the rest are straight cigars with parallel sides, and are normally pressed.In terms of length, Pantella cigars are usually the shortest, clocking in at between 4.5-4.875 inches and a 26 ring gauge, while Double Coronas are usually the biggest at roughly 7.625 inches with a 49 ring gauge.However, it’s important to note that length has very little effect on flavor, except insofar as a longer cigar will smoke slightly “cooler,” which means Replica Dior Handbags that it burns slower and at a much lower temperature. “Hot” smoke is caused by pulling hard on the cigar and smoking it too quickly. This will burn the cigar much faster and cause it to taste bitter.Lastly, to really appreciate a cigar you want to inquire as to where the tobacco is grown. Just as wine from the west coast of Australia has a distinct flavor due to the limestone rich soil in which the grapes are grown, tobacco as well takes on characteristics of the soil from which it originates. Brazil, the Potomac riverbed, Honduras, Greece, Turkey, and, of course, Cuba, tend to have the highest quality tobaccos. When choosing a cigar, consider how
Thomas Wylde Handbags thick you wish the smoke to be, how rich and what type of flavor you are looking for, if you are a hot or cool smoker, and, most certainly, what you will be drinking with your cigar. Of the latter, white wines will be well complemented by light cigars of blonde claro or
Balenciaga Handbags claro tobacco, brandy’s and medium-bodied whiskies by a medium-bodied tobacco, and red wines are hard whiskey by a tobacco deep in color.
