Cigar FAQs

Short answers, in plain language, to the questions that come up most often in our newsletter and our app’s support channel. The longer treatments live in the blog; if you want the full why, follow the link at the bottom of each answer.

What is a Cameroon wrapper?

The African wrapper with a tooth-like texture, why supply has always been narrow, and the cigar lines built around it.

What is a Habano wrapper?

The wrapper that gave Cuban cigars their character, what changed when the seed travelled, and what to expect from a habano-wrapped smoke.

What is a Corojo wrapper?

The Cuban-seed wrapper that left the island and made a second career in Honduras, what it tastes like, and which cigars show it best.

What is a Connecticut wrapper?

The pale, mild wrapper that defined the American cigar palate, where it grows, and which cigars showcase it best.

What is the difference between a parejo and a figurado?

The two great families of cigar shapes, how to tell them apart, and which one most premium cigars belong to.

What is a box-pressed cigar?

How box-pressing happens, what the flat cross-section changes about the burn, and the brands that built their reputation on the style.

What does ring gauge mean?

How the trade measures cigar diameter, what changes as the ring gauge widens, and why thicker is not always better.

What is a perfecto cigar?

The figurado shape that tapers at both ends, why it is harder to roll, and what the bulge changes about the smoke.

What is a torpedo cigar?

The figurado shape with a pointed head, what the taper does to the smoke, and how to cut one properly.

What is a corona cigar?

The historical reference vitola, why thin ring gauges show a blend more honestly, and which Coronas to seek out.