Complete Cigar Glossary: ​​All the Essential Terms

All the terms to understand the world of Havana cigars

Discover here the essential vocabulary for any cigar lover, from manufacturing terms to sizes and accessories. This comprehensive glossary helps you better understand, choose, and appreciate your cigars, whether Cuban, Dominican, or Nicaraguan. Keep it safe for every tasting or purchase.

HAS

• Accordion : Z-shaped tobacco rolling technique, used for optimal draw, particularly in figurado cigars .
• Aficionado : Spanish term for a cigar enthusiast.
• Match : traditional method of lighting preferred by purists.
• Amarillo : Means "yellow" in Spanish; describes the color of an aged tobacco leaf.
• Ammonia : gas resulting from poor fermentation, associated with a pungent odor.
• Anilla : Spanish name for the ring surrounding a cigar.
• Aroma : all the smells and flavors perceived when lighting and during tasting.

B

• Ring : paper (or metal) ring indicating the brand.
• Belicoso : short conical shape, intermediate between torpedo and parejo .
• Blend : assembly of tobacco leaves from different terroirs.
• Wood : material of humidors and cigar boxes, most often cedar.
• Box : Rigid container used to protect and present cigars.
• Bouquet : the set of aromas in a cigar.
• Torch lighter : lighter with a powerful flame, ideal for quick and even lighting.
• Storm lighter : lighter designed to withstand wind.

C

• Caliber : diameter of the cigar, expressed in 64ths of an inch.
• Candela : Green cape, dried quickly for a light burn.
• Cape : outer leaf that gives the appearance and influences the taste.
• Cap : closed end of the cigar, to be cut before tasting.
• Cigar humidor : airtight container made of cedar wood that maintains humidity (find our selection of cigar humidors ).
• Cedar : aromatic wood used in cigar humidors.
• Ash : gray residue left by burning the cigar.
• Cepo : measurement of caliber, equal to 1/64th of an inch.
• Churchill : long and elegant format, popularized by Winston Churchill.
• Cigar : product made from fermented and rolled tobacco leaves.
• Cigarillo : small cigar for short consumption.
• Civette : shop specializing in the sale of cigars.
• Claro : clear cape, mild taste.
• Cap : rounded end covered with the cap .
• Colorado / Colorado Claro / Colorado Maduro : intermediate shades of brown on the wrapper.
• Corojo : Cuban tobacco variety with a spicy taste.
• Corona : classic format, long and thin.
• Body : perceived intensity of the cigar.
• Cigar cutter : a sharp tool used to cut the head of a cigar.
• Cuba : birthplace of the high-end cigar.
• Culebra : cigar in the shape of a braid made up of three panetelas.

D

• Diadema : figurado cigar in the shape of an elongated cone.
• Divine : second third of the tasting, when the aromas are most balanced.
• Double Corona : large cylindrical format, ideal for long tasting.
• Double Ligero : strong tobacco leaves from the upper part of the plant.
• Mild : refers to a cigar with a light taste, perfect for beginners.

E

• Cigar case : essential accessory to protect your cigars when traveling (see our cigar cases ).

F

• Leaf : basic element of the cigar, classified according to its location on the plant.
• Figurado : cigar with a non-cylindrical shape: pyramid, torpedo, perfecto.
• Finish : final evaluation of the cigar: lingering aromas, mouthfeel.
• Hay : Term used to refer to the first light notes of a cigar.
• Format : refers to the size and shape of the cigar.
• Cigar smoker : an amateur who appreciates the complex aromas of well-crafted tobacco.

G

• Guillotine : cigar cutter with straight or double blade.
• Grand Corona : long and thin format, offering a tasting experience of more than an hour.

H

• Habano : authentic Cuban cigar.
• Habano SA : company distributing Cuban cigars internationally.
• Honduras : a country renowned for its quality tobacco growing areas.
• Humidor : storage box with integrated humidifier.
• Humidity : Ideal level between 65% and 72% for storing cigars.
• Hygrometer : device for measuring humidity in the cellar.

I

• Intensity : Refers to the perceived strength of a cigar. It varies depending on the leaves used and their fermentation.

I

• Jalapa : A region of Nicaragua known for producing a mild, aromatic tobacco, often used in wrappers.
• Jet flame : concentrated and intense flame from torch lighters, ideal for lighting cigars.

K

• Kenya : African country where some of the tobacco plantations used in experimental blends are found.

L

• Ligero : leaves from the upper part of the tobacco plant, rich in oils, powerful in aromas.
• Lonsdale : long and relatively thin cigar format (approx. 165 mm x 42 ring).

M

• Maduro : dark, long-aged cape, offering sweet, spicy or earthy notes.
• Mareva : classic Cuban format (approx. 129 mm x 42 ring), also called Petit Corona .
• Mezcla : blend of tobaccos from different origins to create a balanced blend.
• Module : French term equivalent to cigar format.

N

• Nicaragua : Central American country known for its rich volcanic terroirs, producing powerful and complex cigars.
• Nicotine : alkaloid present in tobacco, responsible for the "hit" sensation when smoking.

O

• Olor : A mild, mild tobacco variety grown in the Dominican Republic.
• Oscuro : very dark, almost black cape, with intense and robust flavors.
• Gold : Reference to the light, golden color of some Connecticut Shade capes.
• P
• Parejo : classic cigar shape, cylindrical, with straight ends.
• Cigar piercer : A perforating tool that creates a circular hole in the head of the cigar.
• Perfecto : cigar shape closed on both sides, often thick in the center.
• Small : module less than 120 mm, ideal for short breaks.
• Foot : the lighting end of the cigar.
• Puro : cigar 100% from the same country (e.g. Cuban Puro).
• Pyramid : conical figure with pointed head, wide foot.

Q

• Quai d'Orsay : French brand of Cuban cigars created for the French market.

R

• Reserva : cigar made with long-aged tobacco leaves.
• Robusto : popular format (approx. 124 mm x 50 ring), balanced and aromatic.
• Rosado : cape with pink highlights, often a sign of moderate aging.
• Rolling : the action of manually rolling tobacco leaves to form a cigar.

S

• Seco : middle leaf of the plant, used for intermediate flavors in the tripe.
• Wrapper : leaf that wraps the filler inside the cigar.
• Sumatra : Asian tobacco renowned for its fine, spicy wrappers.
• Sweet Cap : cigar whose end has been lightly sweetened.

T

• Tobacco : plant cultivated for its leaves, the basis of the cigar.
• Head : the end of the cigar that is cut and brought to the mouth.
• Draw : resistance felt when sucking; can be smooth, tight or perfect.
• Toro : intermediate format between Robusto and Churchill (approx. 152 mm x 50 ring).
• Torpedo : cigar pointed at one end, similar to a pyramid.
• Filler : A mixture of slow-burning leaves placed in the heart of the cigar.
• Triple cap : traditional Cuban finish made up of three layers on the head.
• Tubo : protective metal or aluminum case used to preserve a cigar.

U

• Machining : refers to mechanical rolling, as opposed to manual rolling.

V

• V-cut : V-shaped cut allowing good ventilation without risk of bursting.
• Aging : a crucial stage allowing the development of tobacco aromas.
• Viso : leaf between Seco and Ligero in the plant, balanced and aromatic.
• Vitola de galera : name used by manufacturers to designate a format.
• Output vitola : commercial name affixed by the brand (e.g. Montecristo n°4).
• Vitola : Generic term for the size and shape of a cigar.
• Volado : leaf located at the bottom of the plant, easy to burn, used to improve draft.
• Volute : spirals of smoke visible when the cigar is emitted.
• Vuelta Abajo : a legendary region of Cuba where the best tobacco in the world grows.
• Vuelta Arriba : central region of Cuba, producing lighter tobacco.

W

• Wrapper : English word for the cape, the outer leaf of a cigar.

X

• Xikar : renowned brand of high-end cigar accessories (cigar cutters, lighters).

Y

• Yamasá : Region of the Dominican Republic known for its complex terroir.

Z

• Zafra : tobacco harvest period.
• Zino : a premium brand from the Davidoff group, renowned for its modern and aromatic cigars.