Cigar 101 - Wrappers, Fillers and Binders
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    First, let me say I am no expert so the info I am writing here is gleaned from different web-sites.

    Wrappers - The outermost part of the cigar it essentially holds the whole cigar together. It will give the cigar a certain color, taste and feel. It's the first thing you see and feel and sense.

    Fillers - This is the inside of the cigar it's made of small leaves, wrapep, etc. Fillers are blended together to give the cigar it's aroma and flavor.

    Binder - The tobacco that holds the fillers together. Binders are may times the same as the wrapper.

    All three of these give the cigar the aroma and taste you experience while smoking a cigar.

    Types of Wrappers:
    Double Claro - The lightest, slightly green wrapper, it is often grown in Connecticut and the style is achieved by picking before maturity.
    Claro - This wrapper is yellowish or light tan and usualy indicates shade-grown tobacco.
    Colorado Claro - Normaly associated with Cuban or Dominican grown tobacco it has a mid-brown colour.
    Colorado Manduro - Normaly associated with Cuban or Honduran grown tobacco it has a dark-brown colour.
    Natural - This is sun-grown and is light brown to brown.
    Maduro - This is dark brown to very dark brown.
    Oscuro - Often referred to as "Double Manduro" this wrapper has a black oily appearance and is usually grown in Cuba, Connecticut, Brazil, Mexico and Nicaragua.

    Types of Fillers:
    Corojo- One of the Cuban strains, it can vary from smooth and creamy to very spicy and full bodied. It is grown in most cigar tobacco growing regions, and is a highly sought after leaf at its best.
    Criollo- Another of the Cuban strains, it also can be quite different depending upon the country of origin. It can be flavorful, but smooth (as in the CAO Criollo), or very powerful (as in the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño).
    Connecticut Shade- A light-colored, delicate but flavorful leaf, grown in the Connecticut Valley, but also Ecuador. It’s very expensive and highly sought-after, and is usually used in milder cigars.
    Connecticut Broadleaf- A thicker, more earthy tobacco than its shade-grown cousin, it is typically turned into Maduro for use as a wrapper, but is also used as binder and filler.
    Costa Rican Maron- This is mostly used as a wrapper leaf, and has a unique “toasty” flavor about it.
    San Andres- Frequently made into Maduro and used as a wrapper, it is very flavorful, but can range from chocolaty smooth to somewhat peppery.
    Sumatra- Another chameleon. Sumatra can be sweet to tangy, again depending upon where it’s grown.
    Brazilian Mata Fina- Rich, woody, sweet and flavorful, this and its cousin Ariparaca are being used in more and more excellent cigars.
    Piloto Cubano, San Vincente and Olor- These are mostly used for filler, and can vary widely. These are only a few of many, but will give you a bit of insight to the names you’re likely to hear in the descriptions of today’s premium cigars.
    Also, where the tobacco is located on the plant will have a bearing on the size and strength. There are three categories:
    Volado- These are lowest leaves of the plant and tend to be milder and larger, as they get the least sunlight and nutrients; mostly used for filler
    Seco- These leaves come from the middle of the plant and get more light and nourishment, so they will be more flavorful. May be used in any part of the cigar.
    Ligero- The top leaves of the plant, they get the most sunlight, and since leaves are harvested from the bottom up, they get more nutrients than the rest of the leaves. Used most frequently in filler and, in more recent times, wrapper.

    http://www.pipesandcigars.com/citoty.html



  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,777
    that's some great info. thanks jlw.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,569
    now, if i can remember half of that, i'll sound like i know something about cigars!
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    I would use it as a reference guide. Maybe with your favorite cigars learn what they are made of, shape, size, etc.

    I will be posting some more cigar 101 guides for size and shapes.
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,777
    jlw said:

    I would use it as a reference guide. Maybe with your favorite cigars learn what they are made of, shape, size, etc.

    I will be posting some more cigar 101 guides for size and shapes.



    definitely. speaking of, i know each cigar has it's own name/info, but is there a way to easily identify what a cigar is? obviously the brand is on the ring, but apart from that, most of the ones i remember buying didn't say: padron maduro #44 special or whatever the individual cigar happened to be.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,777
    to clarify my muddled question: would i be able to find out what wrapper/filler/binder is from a cigar if i knew the brand name, ring size, length, and color?
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    I think you could google it. Although specifics may be secret since their blends are probably specific.

    For example here the particulars about the Padrone I posted about.
    Origin: Nicaragua
    Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
    Binder: Nicaragua
    Filler: Nicaragua

  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,777
    will do. i was hoping there was a cigar database out there. :-??
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,777

    will do. i was hoping there was a cigar database out there. :-??



    ok, i did. and there is!

    http://www.cigargeeks.com/cigardb/default.asp

    you can search by brand and it comes up with a chart of the info.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454

    will do. i was hoping there was a cigar database out there. :-??



    ok, i did. and there is!

    http://www.cigargeeks.com/cigardb/default.asp

    you can search by brand and it comes up with a chart of the info.


    very cool. I'll use this site to better tell me whats in my cigar