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A simple breakdown of cigar history, sizes, construction, flavor, and accessories
By Eric Capozzoli | No Hype Hockey
For adults 21+ only. Cigars are tobacco products and carry health risks. This article is intended as general educational information for adults of legal age.
Cigars can feel intimidating when you first start looking into them.
There are different sizes, shapes, wrappers, cutters, lighters, humidors, flavor notes, strength levels, and more opinions than anyone asked for.
Some people make cigars sound way more complicated than they need to be.
But at the basic level?
A cigar is a rolled tobacco product made from cured and fermented tobacco leaves. The difference between one cigar and another comes down to the tobacco, the construction, the size, the aging, the shape, and how it is blended.
This is a beginner-friendly No Hype Hockey breakdown.
No snobbery.
No fake expertise.
Just the basics.
Where Cigars Came From
Cigars have deep roots in the Americas.
Long before cigars became associated with lounges, humidors, and special occasions, Indigenous people in the Caribbean and Central America were already using tobacco. The word “cigar” is commonly traced through the Spanish word cigarro, which Britannica notes may have come from the Mayan word sik’ar, meaning smoking. Cigars were introduced to Spain by around 1600 and later spread through Europe.
Over time, cigars became especially associated with places like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras, and other tobacco-growing regions known for rich soil, warm climates, and generations of cigar-making skill.
Today, cigars are made all over the world, but the basic idea is still the same:
Grow good tobacco. Cure it. Ferment it. Age it. Blend it. Roll it. Enjoy it slowly.
How Cigars Are Made
A premium cigar takes time.
A lot of time.
The process usually looks something like this:
- Tobacco is grown
- Leaves are harvested
- Leaves are cured
- Leaves are fermented
- Tobacco is aged
- Leaves are sorted and selected
- The blend is created
- The cigar is rolled
- The cigar rests again before being boxed
A cigar is not just random tobacco rolled together.
The blender chooses different leaves for different reasons:
- burn quality
- flavor
- aroma
- strength
- balance
- appearance
That is why two cigars can look similar but smoke completely differently.
The Three Main Parts of a Cigar
Most premium cigars have three main parts:
1. Filler
The filler is the tobacco inside the cigar.
This is where much of the body, strength, and complexity comes from. Filler tobacco is usually a blend of different leaves from different parts of the plant or even different regions.
2. Binder
The binder holds the filler together.
It sits between the filler and the wrapper. It helps with construction, burn, and structure.
3. Wrapper
The wrapper is the outside leaf.
This is the part you see first. It affects appearance, aroma, burn, and flavor. A good wrapper leaf needs to be attractive, flexible, and strong enough to hold the cigar together.
The wrapper gets a lot of attention because it is visible, but the full cigar experience comes from all three parts working together.
The Tobacco Plant: Why Leaf Position Matters
Not all tobacco leaves are the same.
Where the leaf grows on the plant affects how it behaves in a cigar.
Volado
Volado leaves usually come from the lower part of the plant.
They tend to be milder and are often valued because they help the cigar burn well. Cigar Aficionado describes volado as a lower-priming leaf that burns well and is often used to help combustion.
Seco / Viso
Seco and viso leaves are generally middle-plant leaves.
They often help bring aroma, balance, and flavor. Depending on the country and terminology, these terms can vary slightly, but they are commonly associated with the middle sections of the tobacco plant.
Ligero
Ligero leaves grow higher on the plant and receive more sunlight.
They are usually thicker, stronger, and more powerful. Cigar Aficionado describes ligero as one of the strongest grades of filler tobacco and notes that it comes from the top section of the plant.
A good cigar is usually about balance.
Too much strong tobacco can overpower the smoke.
Too little body can make it feel flat.
The blend matters.
Cigar Sizes: What Length and Ring Gauge Mean
Cigar size is usually described by two measurements:
- Length in inches
- Ring gauge, which measures diameter in 64ths of an inch
For example, a cigar listed as 6 x 50 is six inches long with a 50 ring gauge. Cigar Aficionado explains that ring gauge is based on 64ths of an inch, so a 40 ring gauge cigar is 40/64ths of an inch thick.
Common cigar sizes include:
Robusto
Usually shorter and thicker.
A very popular size because it gives a solid smoking experience without taking all night.
Toro
A little longer than a robusto.
Often a good middle-ground cigar for people who want more time and more development in flavor.
Churchill
Longer cigar.
Usually a longer smoke and often better suited for when you have time to sit and relax.
Corona
A more traditional, slimmer format.
Can offer a more focused wrapper-to-filler ratio.
Lancero
Long and thin.
Often appreciated by experienced cigar smokers because the wrapper can play a bigger role in the flavor.
Torpedo
Tapered head.
The pointed cap can affect the draw and how the smoke hits the palate, depending on how it is cut.
Bigger does not automatically mean better.
Smaller does not automatically mean weaker.
Size affects:
- smoking time
- burn temperature
- draw
- flavor concentration
- how much wrapper you taste compared to filler
Hand-Rolled vs. Box-Pressed Cigars
This part can get confusing because these are not exact opposites.
Hand-Rolled
A hand-rolled cigar is made by a person rolling the filler, binder, and wrapper by hand.
This is the traditional method for premium cigars.
Hand-rolled cigars are usually valued for craftsmanship, construction, and attention to detail.
Box-Pressed
A box-pressed cigar is about shape, not necessarily how the cigar was originally rolled.
Many box-pressed cigars are still hand-rolled first. Then they are pressed into a squared-off shape. Cigar Aficionado explains that standard box-pressing is often done by packing round cigars tightly into boxes and applying pressure so they take on a shape somewhere between round and square.
Box-pressed cigars can feel different in the hand and mouth.
Some people like them because:
- they do not roll off the table
- they feel comfortable to hold
- they may burn a little differently
- they have a unique look
But box-pressed does not automatically mean better.
It is just a different style.
Basic Cigar Accessories and What They Do
You do not need a massive cigar setup to enjoy a cigar.
But a few basic accessories help.
Cutter
A cutter opens the cap of the cigar so air can draw through it.
Common cutter types include:
- Straight cutter — clean, simple cut across the cap
- V-cutter — creates a wedge-shaped cut
- Punch cutter — makes a small round hole in the cap
The goal is simple:
Open the cigar without destroying the cap.
Lighter
Most cigar smokers prefer butane lighters or long wooden matches.
Avoid anything that leaves a chemical taste.
The goal is to toast the foot of the cigar evenly and light it slowly.
Humidor
A humidor helps keep cigars stored at proper humidity.
If cigars get too dry, they can crack and burn hot.
If they get too wet, they can burn poorly and draw too tightly.
Hygrometer
A hygrometer measures humidity inside the humidor.
This helps you know whether your cigars are being stored properly.
Ashtray
A good cigar ashtray gives the cigar enough space to rest without rolling around.
Travel Case
A travel case protects cigars when you are going to an event, golf outing, tailgate, or weekend away.
Simple setup.
Better experience.
Why Cigars Taste Different
Cigar flavor can come from a lot of places.
The biggest factors include:
- tobacco variety
- country or region
- soil
- climate
- wrapper leaf
- filler blend
- fermentation
- aging
- construction
- humidity
- how fast you smoke
Common cigar flavor notes include:
- cedar
- pepper
- earth
- coffee
- cocoa
- leather
- cream
- nuts
- spice
- sweetness
These flavors are not usually added in traditional cigars.
They are natural tasting notes people notice from the tobacco, much like coffee, bourbon, or wine tasting notes.
That does not mean every person tastes the same thing.
One person may notice cocoa.
Another may just say, “This one is smooth.”
Both are fine.
No hype.
Infused Cigars vs. Standard Cigars
There is a difference between traditional cigars and infused cigars.
Standard Cigars
A standard premium cigar gets its flavor from the tobacco itself.
That includes:
- wrapper
- binder
- filler
- fermentation
- aging
- blending
The flavor is natural to the cigar-making process.
Infused Cigars
Infused cigars are cigars that have added flavor or aroma.
They may include flavors like:
- coffee
- vanilla
- bourbon-style notes
- cherry
- chocolate
- sweet spice
Some people love infused cigars.
Some traditional cigar smokers avoid them.
Neither side needs to be dramatic about it.
If you like it, you like it.
If you do not, smoke something else.
That is the No Hype answer.
Beginner Tips Before Smoking a Cigar
If you are newer to cigars, keep it simple.
Start Mild or Medium
Do not jump straight into the strongest cigar you can find.
Start with something approachable.
Do Not Inhale
Cigars are generally puffed and tasted, not inhaled like cigarettes.
Smoke Slowly
Smoking too fast can make a cigar burn hot and taste harsh.
Take your time.
Pair It With Something Simple
Water, coffee, iced tea, or a simple drink can work fine.
You do not need to overthink pairings.
Do Not Chase Expensive First
Price does not guarantee that you will enjoy it.
Start with well-made beginner-friendly cigars before chasing rare or expensive sticks.
No Hype Hockey Takeaway
Cigars have history, craft, tradition, and a lot of terminology around them.
But they do not need to be complicated.
At the end of the day, a cigar is about slowing down.
Maybe it is after a tournament weekend.
Maybe it is during a summer night outside.
Maybe it is with friends, after a long week, or while watching a game.
Learn the basics.
Respect the craft.
Smoke what you enjoy.
And remember:
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
No hype. Just real life.
Sources & References
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Cigar history and origin.
- CDC — General cigar definition and tobacco health information.
- FDA — Cigar product information and tobacco warning requirements.
- Cigar Aficionado — Ring gauge, cigar shapes, primings, ligero, volado, and box-pressed cigar information.