Cigar Anatomy: Final Exam Review

Premium cigars are composed of long filler, binder, and a wrapper. They are made exclusively by hand, although the bunch (binder+fillers) can be created using a Lieberman machine which assists the roller. In general, bunchers place 3 to 5 filler leaves* together and wrap them with a binder leaf, then place them in a mold and press.  The bunched cigars are rotated in the mold several times, about every 30 to 45 minutes, in order to create an even compression without a seam.  After the bunch is removed from the mold and press the wrapper leaf will be applied.  Wrapper leaves have their entire stem removed and each half of the leaf will be used on separate cigars.  These wrapper leaf halves are mirror images of each other so one will be applied right-to-left and the other left-to-right.  It is important to note that wrapper leaves are prized for their elasticity, tensile strength, consistent color and texture.

*Important Note: filler leaves have only half of their stem removed.  The half closest to the tip of the leaf is the thinnest part and it will remain; the thicker bottom half will be discarded. 

 

 

Figurado Geometry

  

Figurados come in a variety of lengths and shapes. Some taper at the Head, some taper at the Foot, and others taper at both ends. Furthermore, the taper, Ring Gauge (rg), and shape of the cigar can also vary. This is why Figurados can be some of the most difficult cigars to roll. And, in the end, each Figurado Vitola will smoke, feel, and taste differently, depending on its construction, composition, and geometry.

  

In particular, Figurados with a tapered Foot, such as Perfectos and Salomones, tend to have the most flavor changes – as their Ring Gauge (rg) expands. In general, the smaller rg towards the Foot pronounces the Wrapper and Binder flavors more; while the Filler flavors begin to express themselves as the cigar is smoked and the rg expands. These Figurados ‘start slow’ but enable the smoker to isolate the Wrapper and Binder flavors towards the beginning.

Watch the video below to see how extraordinary Figurados get rolled.