Connecticut Valley, U.S.A.
Tobacco has been cultivated in the U.S. since before the first European settlers set foot on New World soil. Sometime after the Civil War, cigar smoking became more popular than pipe smoking, and the unique climate and topsoil of the Connecticut River Valley began to produce a highly sought-after crop.
Today, Connecticut Shade Grown tobacco is some of the most prized wrap leaves on the market. When grabbing one of these sticks, you can expect a beautiful, seamless leaf with a light, sweet flavor like a roasted nut. It’s also described as having a silky texture to the lips.
The Anatomy of a Good Cigar
Understanding the parts of a stogie is key to pinning down your preferences. If you want to get better at picking out the “perfect cigar,” know where your spicey Nicaraguan mixes with your nutty Dominican. “You will never know what you like until you go out there and try as many cigars as you can,” Zimmermann says. Here are the most basic parts of a luxury cigar and how they factor into the smoking experience.
Filler
This is where the bulk of a cigar’s tobacco ends up, and the master blender gets to play chef. The filler is almost always a blend of different tobaccos from different regions. But some of the most celebrated sticks on the market, like the Arturo Fuente Opus X, are seeded, grown, harvested, aged, and rolled, all within the same family farm. The best cigars are filled with longleaf tobacco, which burns much more slowly and offers a more savory smoking experience.
Binder
A Binder is made up of the strongest leaves on the tobacco plant. The binder tobacco is most commonly associated with the cigar’s construction and shape. However, you can guarantee that the region of growth and treatment of the leaf will influence the taste, especially on the initial light and first third of the cigar’s smoke.
Wrapper
Arguably the most important piece of a cigar’s construction, the wrapper is where the bulk of a cigar’s flavor comes from. When done right, the wrap is a single leaf wrapped around the binder with minimal seams, veins, or color blemishes. Focusing on the wrap first is the best place for new smokers to find their favorite and build their preferences.
The Cut
“I’m going to say a very controversial opinion in the cigar community,” Zimmermann whispers over the smoke of a Tatuaje Skinny Monster (a fantastic cigar). “There is no ‘correct way’ to smoke a cigar — but there is a wrong way. The reason I say that is the cut.” And I could not agree with him more. We both blame Hollywood for popularizing the straight cut, much to a new cigar smoker’s disadvantage.
Pulling off the perfectly accentuated chop of a stogie’s cap right as you say your Die Hard tagline and kicking the villain off the ledge is every ’90s kid’s dream. But save your taste buds and enhance the experience with this basic breakdown of each cut and how it contributes to the smoke:
Gotham Cigars
