More newbie questions

[CaptainK]

Forgive my newbiness, but I was wondering a couple things about cigars:

1) Fillers: I've also heard "long-filler" referred to as "whole leaf." I always thought that "long-filler" was still thinly cut strips, but they just go the entire length of the cigar. Is that a correct interpretation, or are long-fillers actually rolled up whole leaves?

2) Machine vs. hand-made: do machine-made and short-filler always go together, while hand-made and long-filler do, too? Or, is there such a thing as a "machine-made, long-filler" cigar, or a "hand-made short-filler" cigar?

 

[Commander Quan]

Long filler cigars are cigars that are made by taking a cigar leaves that is cut in half vertically, to remove the main vein and then hand formed into what is called The Bunch. After the bunches are made they are then wrapped with half leaves, again split vertically, these leaves are called the binder, and hold the bunch together. After being wrapped with the binder the cigars are put into a mold and pressed with a vice, to keep the cigars tight, and to give the cigars a specific shape. After pressing the cigars are then rolled with one more leaf, usually the same type as the binder, but with no imperfections that last leaf is called the wrapper.

As far as I know there is no such thing as a machine made long filler cigar. There are also various levels of short filler cigar. There are cigars that are made out of homogenized tobacco, these are your White Owl's and other gas station cigars, and do not need to be kept in a humidor. There are short filler cigars that are bunched on a machine and made out of chopped up bits of scraps felt over from the making of handmade cigars and then wrapped by hand. There are "Sandwich Filler" cigars that have a mix of short chopped up bits and some longer scraps, sometimes made by hand and sometimes made on a machine, and then finished by hand.

 

[xmacro]

To add to what Commander said, long-filler cigars are typically higher quality - you'll never find a premium short-filler cigar. That said, there are some very nice short-filler cigars out there, but they're all hand-made. Stay away from machine-made cigars if you really wanna know what a real cigar tastes like; machine-made cigars are to tobacco what Bic-razors/can of foam are to wet shaving

 

[Commander Quan]

While you'll never find a "premeum" short filler you can get some short filled cigars that are excellent for their pricepoint if you know where to look.

 

[CaptainK]

There are short filler cigars that are bunched on a machine ... and then wrapped by hand.

there are some very nice short-filler cigars out there, but they're all hand-made.
...
machine-made cigars are to tobacco what Bic-razors/can of foam are to wet shaving

Thank you for the education, gentlemen ... tis much appreciated.

you can get some short filled cigars that are excellent for their pricepoint if you know where to look.

OK, I'll bite: where do I look?

 

[K Baz]

Cuba - I like the José L. Piedra Petit Cazadores. Tasty Cheap short filler hand made and easily found.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Cuba - I like the José L. Piedra Petit Cazadores. Tasty Cheap short filler hand made and easily found.

K Baz:
+ 1 and the other Cuban (Habanos S.A), short-filler cigars are;

1. La Flor de Cano (hand-made - Petit Coronas & Selectos [long corona...my 'everyday' cigar]).

2. Troya (machine made - Coronas Club [short panetela...hard to find on the www]).

3. Belinda (machine made - Coronas [long corona...hard to find on the www]).

3. Guantanamera (machine-made...and in my opinion are the worst [yuck

] Cuban cigar on the planet).

Christopher

"Those who Smoke Havana’s will never die of Cancer...but those who don't...will die of Envy". Cuban Cigar Slogan