BINDER - for a high grade cigar, it is a single leaf of tobacco which holds or "binds" the filter leaves together. For a low end cigar, the binder usually a sheet of Homogenized Tobacco Leaf (H.T.L.), no more than a paper-like matarial made of scrap tobacco.

BODY - the part of the cigar between the foot and the head.

BOITE NATURE (BN) - a natural wooden box for the high quality cigars.

BUNCH - constructing the binder around the filler leaves.

BUNDLE (BND) - term derived from the cigar wrapper.

CAFE - a medium brown color wrapper.

CANDELA - a light green wrapper leaf.

CLARO - a green wrapper color; it can range from green to light golden brown, depending on the manufactures' definition.

COLORADO - a wrapper reddish brown in color.

COLORADO CLARO - a somewhat darker wrap, suggestive of a cameroon.

COLORADO MADURO - dark brown in color; a Honduran wrapper.

CURING - the process of drying tobacco.

DOUBLE CLARO - a green color which is the result of picking tobacco leaves before they reach maturity.

E.M.S. ENGLISH MARKET SELECTION - a medium brown color with more taste, and slower burning than claro.

FILLER - the blended tobaccos which form the inner core of the cigar. It is very important since most of the flavor and quality comes from the filler. High grade cigars are made with long fillers and whole leaves, which are hand rolled. Short fillers are used in low-end cigars, lesser quality tobaccos which are fed into a machine.

FOOT - the end of the cigar which is lit; sometimes called a "tuck".

HEAD - the end of the cigar which goes in the mouth.

H.H.S. - another manufacturers' term for defining a natural wrapper.

JADE - a claro wrapper; a color designated by a manufacturer.

MADURO - a Spanish term given to a dark brown wrapper; almost black in color. The maduro wrapper has the most taste and burns slower than any other wrapper.

NATURAL E.M.S. - a medium brown wrapper; often reffered to as colorado, cafe or Sun Grown.

OLOR - a natural filler tobacco.

RING GAUGE - the measurement of the circumference of a cigar, represented in millimeters; from a jewelers' term for ring size. The diamter of a cigar is measured in 64ths of a inch.

SHAPES - many variations; here are the basics;

Corona - probably the most popular; averaging 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 inches in length, and fairly thick.

Panatela - thin and 6 1/2 to 7 inches long.

Breva - known more commonly as a Rothchild and in today's market, Robusto. It is a short stubby cigar, average length being 4 1/2 to 5 1/5 inches, and quite thick.

Cigarillo - a short, thin cigarette sized cigar, perhaps more familiar in the European Market.

Churchill - a big cigar; a huge cigar! It is very thick with a average length of 7 inches or more.

SPANISH MARKET SELECTION - yet another manuafacturer's term for a natural wrapper.

SUN GROWN E.M.S. - a natural (colorado) wrapper.

WRAPPER - the outer leaf or covering of the cigar. It is important in flavor and smoking quality.