If you're like most cigar smokers, you must have paced back and forth in front of the display at your local tobacconist, scratching your head, trying to make sense of the cigars there. The names and the numbers for many brands seem designed to confuse buyers, and one company's Churchill size is another company's double corona.

There is no real mystery, once you accept the reality that the cigar lexicon is confusing. There are, however, certain basic criteria that can be used as guidelines to decipher the origin of almost any hand-rolled cigar. The parameters are fairly simple: brand, color and size or shape.

Let's start with the brand name. The brand is the designation the manufacturer gives to a particular line of cigars. Punch, Partagas, Macanudo, Montecristo and Davidoff are just a few well-known names. You'll find these names on the cigar band, which is generally wrapped around the "head," or the closed end, of the cigar.

However, depending on which country you're in, even those well-known names can be a source of confusion. Some brands were first produced in Cuba. After Castro's Revolution in 1959, many cigar manufacturers fled and believed they could take their brands with them. The Cubans argued that the brands belonged to the country. So today, you have a Punch made in Cuba and one made in Honduras. The dual origin problem also affects Hoyo de Monterrey, Ramon Allones, Por Larrañaga, Romeo y Julieta, Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Fonseca, H. Upmann and El Rey del Mundo and, this year, there also will be a non-Cuban Montecristo. You can usually determine which is which by a small Habano or Havana inscribed on the band.

Color refers to the shade of the outer wrapper leaf. In the past, manufacturers used dozens of terms for the wrapper leaves which were grown in Cuba, Sumatra, Brazil and the United States; U.S. cigar makers often described eight to ten different shades.

Today, there are six major color grades in use. And wrapper is grown today not only in the countries mentioned above, but Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras and Cameroon as well. Here are the six basic shades:

-- Claro claro: light green and often called candela. The leaves are cured with heat to fix the chlorophyll in the leaf. They often taste slightly sweet. Claro claro is not as popular today, although at one time a majority of American market cigars came with a light-green wrapper.

-- Claro: a light tan color, usually grown under shade tents. Prized for its neutral flavor qualities.

-- Natural: light brown to brown. It is most often shade-grown.

-- Colorado: brown to reddish-brown. It is also usually shade-grown and has rich flavor and a subtle aroma.

-- Maduro: From the Spanish word for "ripe," it refers to the extra length of time needed to produce a rich, dark-brown wrapper. A maduro should be silky and oily, with a rich, strong flavor and mild aroma.

-- Oscuro: Meaning dark, it is also called negro or black in tobacco producing countries. It usually is left on the plant the longest, and it is matured, or sweated the longest.

So, you've seen the brand you're looking for, you spotted the color wrapper you like to smoke, now it's time to get down to choosing a size and shape. In Spanish, the word vitola conveniently covers both words, but in English we're left describing both size (girth and length) and shape. Most cigars come in boxes with a front mark which tells you the shape of the cigar, such as Punch Double Corona, H. Upmann Lonsdales or Partagas 8-9-8. As you come to know shapes, you also can make some assumptions about size, such as knowing that a double corona is not a short cigar.

It's unfortunate that there is so much confusion about size and shape, when there needn't be. But after several generations of every manufacturer independently deciding which size name went with which length and girth, there is no simple logic to the definitions. In fact, the haphazard naming conventions have resulted in the same word, such as Churchill, being used by different manufacturers for cigars of different sizes. If any single statement can be made about the standards of different countries, it is that Cuban standards tend to be more uniform. But then, there is one body governing the state-owned tobacco company in Cuba, and it oversees the entire industry there.

The basic measurement standard, however, is the same; the only variations are whether it is expressed in metric or U.S. customary systems. Length, therefore, is listed in inches or centimeters; and girth or diameter, or ring gauge as it is commonly known, is in 64ths of an inch or millimeters. So, a classic corona size is 6 by 42, which means it is six inches long and 42/64ths of an inch thick, but many manufacturers today produce their coronas with a 44 ring gauge, as opposed to a 42.

If you're searching for common denominators to use as a starting point for shape, it helps to know that all cigars can be divided into two categories: parejos, or straight sides, and figurados, the irregular shapes.

Simply, parejos are straight-sided cigars, the kind with which most smokers are familiar. There are three basic groups in this category: coronas, panetelas and lonsdales.

A corona (the classic size is 6 inches by 42 ring gauge) has traditionally been the manufacturers' benchmark against which all other cigars are measured. Coronas have an open "foot" (the end you light) and a closed "head" (the end you smoke); the head is most often rounded. A Churchill measures 7 inches by 47 ring gauge. A robusto is 5 inches by 50 ring gauge. A double corona is 7 1/2 inches by 49 ring gauge. Panetelas (a standard size is usually 7 inches by 38 ring gauge) are usually longer than coronas, but they are dramatically thinner. They also have an open foot and closed head.

Lonsdales (6 3/4 inches by 42 ring gauge) are thicker than panetelas, but slimmer and longer than coronas. The irregular shapes, or figurados, encompass every out-of-the ordinary shaped cigar. The following list comprises the major types:

Remember, even with these "classic" irregular shapes, there are variations among manufacturers. Some cigars called belicosos look like pyramids, and some called torpedos look like pyramids because they do not have a perfecto tip. Confusing? Yes, it is.

Unfortunately, it really is self-defeating to try to talk about "classic" or "normal" ranges for any cigars on the market today. The basic shape designations can vary so greatly from company to company that they make little sense. Don't assume because you like a Churchill from one company that you're going to get the same-sized cigar with that name from another manufacturer.

There are some other designations that are worth knowing because they refer to the style of packing. An 8-9-8 designation, for instance, simply means that the cigars are stacked in three rows inside the box, eight on the bottom, nine in the middle and eight on top. It usually comes in a distinctive rounded side box. Amatista refers to a glass jar of 50 cigars, originally packaged by H. Upmann, that was developed for smokers who wanted a "factory fresh" smoke. Finally, there are tubos, cigars that are packed in aluminum, glass or even wooden tubes; a tightly sealed tube will keep cigars fresh for a long period of time.

This information will help you to navigate the aisles of your cigar shop. And it may make you more open to trying out different wrapper colors, different sizes and even different shapes.

In many ways, fine cigars are like wine, orchids or humans traveling in space. They are natural, organic and sensitive to their environment. They are the mature products of a carefully controlled combination of temperature and moisture.

The first thing to know is that cigars should stay in a humidor (the first syllable rhymes with "you," as in the word "humid") until they're ready to be smoked. When necessary, you can get away with keeping properly humidified cigars in a sealed plastic bag with a small, damp paper towel for a day or so. But, if you want to become a true aficionado, a humidor is an essential piece of equipment.

A humidor is an elegantly simple device that keeps cigars at their best by maintaining them in conditions similar to those in which their tobacco grew, fermented and was rolled.

Left out in a heated or air-conditioned room, a cigar can dry out and die as quickly as the most delicate flower--in less than an hour. In a properly maintained humidor, the atmosphere inside of which closely mimics that of a tropical isle, cigars can be kept for years.

Dedicated aficionados often have more than one humidor. Perhaps a large one that stays at home, and a smaller, more portable one that holds a day's or two's supply. Some aficionados even keep different humidors for different brands of cigars. Within a humidor, the scents from various cigars mingle or "marry," and subtle shifts in flavor can result from cigars of one sort being stored adjacent to very different ones.

WHAT IS A HUMIDOR?
A humidor is, quite simply, a storage container designed to allow controlled air flow and equipped with a device that maintains the internal humidity in the range of 70 to 75 percent; its internal temperature should be maintained in a narrow range of about 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. (Without something to maintain the internal humidity, it's not a humidor; it's just a box.) Humidors come in all sizes. Travel-sized humidors hold just a few cigars; room-sized humidors hold thousands of boxes of cigars.

Note that a humidor is not a sealed environment. Inside an airtight moisturized container, cigars are likely to become moldy. For that reason, it's better to have air circulating between the cigars in your humidor than it is to squish them in too tightly.

While a humidor needs a device that maintains moisture levels, it does not necessarily need a gauge. Some humidors, however, come with hygrometers, which indicate the interior humidity. While the analog models (the round gauges with a needle inside) often have the appealing style of a dial on a sports car's dashboard, they are frequently inaccurate. Digital hygrometers, on the other hand, are usually reliable to a level of plus or minus 2 percent.

No matter what a thermometer or hygrometer says, the true measure of your humidor's performance will be the condition of the cigars inside. If the cigars are exuding a little oil, the conditions are perfect. If they seem too dry, you add more water. If they turn moldy, you have to throw out the cigars (probably with a tear or two in your eye), no matter what the hygrometer says. There's even a species of beetle, called a tobacco beetle, which can quickly bore holes through the contents of humidors. This will sometimes occur when the humidor maintains a temperature above 75 degrees for more than 24 hours. If your humidor becomes afflicted with these insects, freeze the contaminated cigars for 48 hours, then transfer them to the refrigerator for an additional 24 hours before returning them to your humidor. The beetles and their larvae will not survive. Be sure to wipe down your humidor with a damp cloth (using only distilled water) before returning the cigars.

MAINTAINING A HUMIDOR
Humidors are much simpler to maintain than other balanced environments, such as tropical fish tanks. All you have to do is keep the lid or door shut and periodically add distilled water to the humidifying device. (If you use regular tap water, the minerals in it are likely to collect on the humidifier and diminish its ability to emit and absorb moisture.)

A little common sense helps, too. Exposing a humidor to temperature extremes such as in direct sunlight or on top of an air conditioner or radiator is bad for the humidor--and your cigars.

SELECTING YOUR HUMIDOR
Investing in a humidor is a big decision. Good humidors aren't cheap, but there's no point in having a bad humidor. A humidor that does not maintain a constant desired level of humidity, no matter how pretty it is, is a waste of money and cigars. Consider how wine lovers store their wine. They're protecting an investment. Your cigars are equally valuable, and deserve a similar level of care.

The first step is to decide what size humidor you want. A good guide is to buy a humidor that's a little bigger than what you think you need. At the same time, you might want to investigate whether your local cigar retailer or cigar club has rental facilities that will let you store the bulk of your stock, so that you'll only need room for a few days' reserve at home or at work.

Just as if you were buying a new car, you'll want to look carefully at the construction and performance features of a humidor, as well as at its finish. If the seams aren't perfect, or if the corners aren't square, skip that humidor.

Pay particular attention to the rim and the lid, and how they fit together. The lid should shut tightly. For the record, a humidor lid should not "seal" completely; it should allow a minute amount of air to circulate in and out of the box. But any visible warping will mean that too much air gets in and too much moisture gets out, even if there's a "lip" that fits inside the lid.

A heavy lid is generally an advantage. Many humidors, even those with locks, rely on the weight of the lid to keep them tightly shut. This, however, creates a challenge. A humidor should be designed to be in balance, whether open or shut. If the lid opens too far, its weight can cause the humidor to flip up or fall over. If the lid doesn't open far enough to stay balanced in a upright position, it might come crashing back down on your fingers.

Locks aren't a bad idea. Consider the value--both emotional and financial--of the collection that you are going to keep in the humidor. Then consider the damage that could be done by curious prying fingers, by pilfering or even by vandalism (we could tell you stories...). You are likely to want a lock. Just be sure to have a duplicate key tucked away in a safe place. Nothing is more heartbreaking than to have to tamper with the perfectly fitted and carefully finished edges of a finely crafted box.

The first thing to notice on the inside of a humidor is the humidification device. Most humidification devices are simple--little more than a sponge material or a bottle that slowly emits moisture. (Simple as they are, these devices are still light-years ahead of one old-fashioned humidification device: apple cores.) The biggest variable in proper humidification, after good construction, is not the type of humidification system you have, but whether or not you remember to add the needed water or chemicals at regular intervals.

Look for a humidor lined with a fairly nonaromatic cedar, such as Spanish cedar. Cedar absorbs and re-emits moisture in a way that helps the tobaccos that are blended into a fine cigar to age and mature. (If you are ambitious and handy enough and decide to build your own humidor, be aware that you can't use just any cedar. The highly aromatic cedar used to line closets and wool chests would do disastrous things to the flavor of your cigars.)

Humidor trays make it easy for you to organize, and occasionally rotate, your collection. The inside of a humidor has variations in humidity, despite the various slots that promote internal air circulation and reduce the likelihood that the base woods and the veneer will warp or separate. Within this microclimate, you should introduce your driest cigars as far away as possible from the humidification device so that they re-attain proper hydration as slowly and evenly as possible.

Handles can he helpful on larger humidors, particularly if you will be moving the humidor around a room while offering cigars. If you are planning to put the humidor on a table or sideboard, a felt bottom will help protect the humidor and the furniture.

Some humidors have magnets set into the underside of the lid, so you can store a cigar cutter there. This is good if it keeps you from misplacing an expensive cutter, and bad if it leads you to opening the humidor more often or leaving it open for longer periods of time. Before you get excited about a lid magnet, be sure to find out what the cutter that it's supposed to hold will cost you. If you have scissors or a more expensive guillotine cutter, consider anchoring it to your humidor with an elegant chain, which will guarantee that the cutter will be available whenever you want it.

Finding a humidor with good construction and features isn't as hard as it sounds. Better humidor manufacturers are fanatical about quality control. Moreover, reputable tobacconists will reject humidors with even tiny functional defects.

Once you have decided on all of the basics and accessories, you might as well let yourself be dazzled by the designs and finishes. Admire the gleaming rare wood surfaces, catch the highlights dancing in a deep rich lacquer finish, or study the intricate marquetry picture. Marvel at some of the more curved and sculptural shapes. You are buying a work of art. Be sure you love it: it's likely to be an important part of your home or office for many years to come.

THINGS NOT TO DO
Most of the time, if you let cigars dry out, you have to write off your investment as a learning experience, albeit sometimes an expensive one. In some cases, cigars can be reconditioned through weeks in a good humidor, but it's a tricky business, and best left to someone with great patience and experience. If you insist on trying to do it yourself, proceed slowly. Over a period of several weeks, gradually move the cigars from the outer corners into the center of your humidor.

All of the other myths about how to restore dried-out cigars are just that--myths. Remember that a cigar has many layers of tobacco. It's disastrous for the various layers to become moist or dry out at different rates. For example, if a cigar is placed in a hyper-moist environment, and then taken out of that moist environment, the outside dries and shrinks while the inside is still swollen, and the cigar splits open. (Not a pretty sight.)

Here are some of the odder suggestions we've heard. Don't try them. EVER.
* Put your cigars in the bathroom and run the shower until the hot water gives out.
* Steam them in the upper rack of a dishwasher.
* Sneak them into the steam room at the health club.

HOW TO CARRY CIGARS
When you take cigars with you on your travels, you need to protect them from physical damage, as well as from drying. Travel humidors are an ideal solution. Many are compact enough to easily slip into your briefcase or the small bag you take onboard aircraft (not that it's likely that you'll be allowed to smoke there).

When buying a travel humidor, first make sure that it will accommodate cigars of the size and shape you prefer. Then check it for durability. No matter how careful you are, your travel humidor will get jostled quite a bit. Make sure that it has a hinge that will stand up to a bit of abuse and repeated openings. (If you're a frequent international flyer, you'll find yourself constantly opening the case for customs inspectors who are hunting for Cuban cigars.) One long "piano" hinge that runs the length of the humidor is generally better than two or more hinges. Also, check to be sure that the humidification unit will stay in place as you sprint for a taxi or jam your bag into an overhead compartment.

Even if you don't travel a lot, you may still want a travel humidor. They are extremely convenient for setting up a temporary depot of cigars in another part of your home. They are also perfect for keeping a few cigars humidified during the transition from a store's humidor to your own.

Sometimes, however, even a travel humidor is too much. Then you may want to rely on tubos and cigar cases. Tubos--cigars that come packed in tubes, which help them stay properly humidified after they are taken out of a humidor--are a good one-at-a-time solution.

You can also purchase elegant silver or wooden tubes that will keep individual cigars properly moisturized for up to 72 hours. The drawback is that you will need several such tubes to carry a day's supply. On top of that, your tailor will hate them: they tend to be bulky and heavy and, when placed in a pocket, they ruin the "drape" of a garment.

Often the answer is to carry an elegant leather cigar case, loaded with the cigars you hope to smoke that day, and return any that you don't smoke that day to the humidor each evening. If you always smoke the same kind of cigar, you can get a case that fits your cigars exactly--with "fingers" of the right diameter, and with the ability to telescope, if you favor long cigars. Fingered cases offer the best protection because even a single cigar is held firmly in place and does not roll and bounce around within. If you smoke a varied selection, however, you will probably want to get an "open" case--one without dividers or molded fingers--which will accommodate a variety of sizes.

When you buy a cigar case, wear the coat or jacket that has the smallest pockets of all the garments in your wardrobe. Make sure that the case fits, and that you can live with the resulting bulge. Conversely, next time you go to have a suit, jacket or coat fitted, be sure to bring your cigar case. A good tailor will be able to adapt the garment so you can carry the case without looking as if you're packing a pistol.

Also, when shopping for a case bring several cigars. (Or use the occasion as an excuse to buy a few.) The first test of any case is how well it fits your cigars. Load the case and see if the you can slip the cigars in and out with reasonable ease. Close the case, to make sure that it is not too short for your cigars.

You'll want the case to be lined, so your cigars won't take on a leathery taste, and to prevent the tragedy of a fine cigar's wrapper snagging on rough, less-finished leather. The thickness of the leather is a matter of personal preference. The thicker the leather, the greater the protection. But thicker leather also adds weight and bulk.

Selecting the right cigar case can take a bit of time; there are more variables than you would expect. Cigar cases are made with the same craftsmanship as fine footwear, and they come in almost as many styles. Choose carefully. A fine cigar case is not only extremely functional, it is also an accessory that will distinguish you as a person of taste.

You discover a box of your favorite cigars that you left in a closet for six months, and the cigars are as dry as a bone. What do you do?

First, have patience. Put the cigars in a humidor that hasn't been charged in the previous week. Let them rest in the slightly dry humidor for a few days so the cigars absorb some humidity. Then, partially fill the humidification system, letting the cigars rest for another week before fully charging the humidity regulator. This process will ensure a slow absorption of moisture, preventing the cigars from getting too much humidity too soon. If you shock the cigars from too much moisture, they may burst.

If you have a cabinet-style humidor, first place the cigars as far from the humidification device as possible, moving them closer to the humidification device little by little over a period of six weeks.

In any case, do not light up until the cigars are supple to the touch. A dry cigar will burn too hotly, and the flavor will seem burned or carbonized.

The same principle applies to cold cigars or ones that have been stored frozen, a method some people use. (There's nothing wrong with this method except that the cigars don't age.) You must allow the cigars to return to normal temperature slowly. If you light them too soon, the abrupt change in temperature may cause them to crack open or explode. Give chilled cigars at least two or three days at the proper temperature in a humidified environment before lighting them up.

Spirits and wine provide an ideal marriage with a premium hand-rolled cigar. Your choice of beverage depends on personal taste, but it can vary according to the occasion. Sometimes what you want with your after-dinner cigar is the full-bodied, slightly sweet taste of a vintage Port; or maybe you want the palate-cleansing sharpness of an aged Cognac.

Port
Port is a traditional partner for a great cigar. The sweetness and alcoholic power of vintage Port blends perfectly with a full-bodied smoke; even younger vintage Ports are appropriate because their strong tannins stand up to a spicy smoke. Nonvintage styles such as tawny Port also complement a cigar nicely because of the woody characteristics they acquire during long barrel aging.

Cognac
The most popular traditional drink with fine cigars is Cognac or brandy. French Cognacs have solid cores of vanilla and sweet flavors derived from long years of oak-barrel aging. The crisp, clean flavors of the distilled wine keep the palate alive for the smooth, spicy flavors of a hand-rolled cigar. American brandies are often slightly fruitier, but display the same complex flavors that come with barrel aging. Spanish brandies are usually deeper in color and often have a sweet, smoky component that enhances a cigar.

Bourbon/Scotch
In the world of spirits, small batch and single barrel Bourbons and single malt Scotches are superpremium products that have the complexity and depth of flavor to stand up to a cigar. The smoky quality of a fine single malt, derived from the smoked peat used to filter the spirit, marries perfectly with a good cigar. The small batch Bourbons are bottled at a higher proof level, which gives them a backbone of strong flavors, and they marry well with medium- and full-bodied cigars. Kentucky straight Bourbons and Tennessee whisky, although often a bit lighter, also mix well with cigars because of the charred wood flavors that turn the liquors dark brown. Aged rums, with their slightly sweet profile and burned molasses flavors, can smooth out a cigar.

Wine
Complementary wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, both from California and Bordeaux, and Rhône varieties such as Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. The latter have spicy flavors, including pepper.

Amarillo-- A yellow wrapper leaf grown under shade.

Amatista-- A glass jar containing 50 cigars (occasionally 25), sealed to be sold "factory fresh."

Band-- A ring of paper wrapped around the closed head of most cigars. Legend says that cigar bands were invented by Catherine the Great or by Spanish nobles to keep their gloves from being stained. Others credit this invention to a Dutch advertising and promotion genius named Gustave Bock, who stated that the band helped keep the cigar wrapper together. Cigar bands are often printed with the name of the brand, country of origin, and/or indication that the cigar is hand-rolled. They also often have colorful graphics, which have made them popular collectors' items. In many folk tales, a cigar band served as a wedding band in impromptu ceremonies. For the record, it is equally appropriate to leave the band on while smoking a cigar or to remove it, as long as the cigar's wrapper leaf is not torn when the band is removed.

Belicoso-- Traditionally a short, pyramid-shaped cigar, 5 or 5 1/2 inches in length with a shorter, more rounded taper at the head and a ring gauge generally of 50 or less. Today, belicoso is frequently used to describe coronas or corona gordas with a tapered head.

Binder-- The portion of a tobacco leaf used to hold together the blend of filler leaves called the bunch; with the wrapper and filler, it is one of three main components in a cigar.

Blend-- The mixture of different types of tobacco in a cigar, including up to five types of filler leaves, a binder leaf and an outer wrapper.

Bloom (also called Plume)-- A naturally occurring phenomenon in the cigar aging process, also called plume, caused by the oils that exude from the tobacco. It appears as a fine white powder and can be brushed off. Not to be confused with mold, which is bluish and stains the wrapper.

Blue Mold-- Peronospara tabacina is a fast moving, airborne fungus that can ruin a tobacco field in just a few days. It flourishes in cool, cloudy weather with light rain and riddles tobacco leaves with small round blemishes.

Boite Nature-- The cedar box in which many cigars are sold.

Book Style (also, Booking)-- A rolling method by which the cigarmaker lays the filler leaves atop one another, then rolls them up like a scroll. Book style, or booking, is common in Honduras. The alternate style is based on the old Cuban method called entubar (see entry).

Bouquet-- The smell, or "nose," of a fine cigar. Badly stored cigars lose their bouquet.

Box-- The container used to package cigars. There are several traditional styles:
-- cabinet selection refers to wood boxes with a sliding top, designed to hold 25 or 50 cigars.
-- 8-9-8 refers to a round-sided box specifically designed to accommodate three rows of cigars-- eight on top, nine in the middle, eight on the bottom.
-- flat top, or 13-topper, is the flat rectangular box most popular today, with 13 cigars on top and 12 on the bottom. divided by a spacer.

Box-pressed-- The slightly squarish appearance taken on by cigars packed tightly in a box.

Bull's-Eye Piercer-- A device for opening the closed head of a cigar before smoking. It creates a circular opening like a target's bull's eye.

Bulk-- A large pile of tobacco leaves in which fermentation occurs.

Bunch-- Up to four different types of filler tobacco that are blended to create the body of the cigar. The bunch is held together by the binder.

Bundle-- A packaging method, designed with economy in mind, that uses a cellophane overwrap. It usually contains 25 or 50 cigars, traditionally without bands. Bundles, oftentimes seconds of premium brands, are usually less expensive than boxed cigars.

Burros-- The piles, or bulks, in which cigar tobacco is fermented. They can be as tall as a person and are carefully monitored. If the heat level inside them gets too high (over 110°F), the burro is taken apart to slow the fermentation.

Cabinet Selection-- Cigars packed in a wooden box rather than the standard cardboard or paper-covered cigar boxes. These are preferable when buying cigars for aging.

Candela-- A bright green shade of wrapper, achieved by a heat-curing process that fixes the chlorophyll content of the wrapper while it's still in the barn. Also referred to as double claro.

Cap-- A circular piece of wrapper leaf placed at the head of the cigar to secure the wrapper.

Capa-- The cigar's wrapper.

Carotene-- A naturally occurring compound found in aged cigars.

Case-- In the cigar production process, workers "case," or slightly moisten, aged tobacco so that it will be easy for hand rollers to work with.

Cedar-- The kind of wood that is used to make most cigar boxes and humidors.

Chaveta (roller's knife)-- The knife used in a cigar factory for cutting the wrapper leaf.

Churchill-- 1. A large corona-format cigar, traditionally 7 inches by a 47 ring gauge but often a 48 ring gauge today. 2. Sir Winston Churchill, who was famous for almost never being seen without a cigar.

Cigarillos-- Favored by some aficionados and scorned by others, these thin, three-inch cigars, popular in Europe, are generally machine-made, and many brands use homogenized wrappers or binders.

Claro-- A pale-green to light-brown wrapper, usually shade-grown.

Clear Havana-- A cigar made in the United States prior to the embargo with Cuban tobacco.

Colorado-- A medium-brown to brownish-red shade of wrapper tobacco.

Corojos-- Plants that are chosen to provide wrapper leaves and are grown under a gauze sunscreen.

Corona-- The most familiar size and shape for premium cigars: generally straight-sided with an open foot and a closed, rounded head.

Cuban Seed-- Usually refers to plants grown in non-Cuban countries with seeds from Cuba.

Cubatabaco-- Formerly the worldwide distribution company for Cuban cigars; now called Habanos S.A.

Culebra-- A cigar made of three panetelas braided and banded together; usually 5 to 6 inches in length, most often with a 38 ring gauge.

Diademas-- A big cigar with a closed and tapered head. Generally about 8 inches long; the foot may be open, or closed like a perfecto.

Double Claro-- (See Candela)

Double Corona, also called prominente-- A big cigar, generally 7 1/2 to 8 inches by a 49 to 52 ring gauge.

Draw-- The amount of air that gets pulled through a lit cigar. It can be too easy (hot) or too tight (plugged).

Entubar-- A rolling method that originated in Cuba. Rather than booking (see entry above) the filler leaves, the roller folds each individual filler leaf back on itself, then bunches the leaves together. Proponents of this method say it creates superior air flow through the cigar, which results in an even draw and burn.

Escaparates-- Cooling cabinets in which cigars are kept at the factory for a few weeks after they have been rolled.

Fermentation-- After harvest, workers gather the tobacco leaves in large bulks (or piles), moistening the leaves and allowing them to ferment. Temperatures may reach 140°F before the bulk is broken down and restacked until fermentation stops naturally. This process, called working the bulk, releases ammonia from the tobacco.

Figurado-- A Spanish term that refers to cigars with shapes sizes, such as belicosos, torpedos, pyramids, perfectos and culebras.

Filler Leaves-- The individual tobacco leaves used in the body of the cigar. A fine cigar usually contains between two and five different types of filler tobacco.

Finish-- A tasting term. It refers to the taste that lingers on your palate after a puff. Mild cigars do not have much finish, either in terms of length or complexity. But stronger, more full-bodied cigars have distinctive flavors that linger for a while.

Flag Leaves-- An extension of the wrapper leaf shaped to finish the head of a cigar; used instead of a cap. Flags are sometimes tied off in a pigtail or a curly head.

Foot-- The end of the cigar you light. Most often it is pre-cut, except in the case of torpedos and perfectos.

Gran Corona-- A very big cigar; generally 9 1/4 inches by 47 ring gauge.

Gum-- A vegetable adhesive used to secure the head of the wrapper leaf around the finished bunch.

Habano-- A designation which, when inscribed on a cigar band, indicates that a cigar is Cuban. (Note: not all Cuban cigars are marked with "Habano" or "Havana.")

Habanos S.A.-- the worldwide distribution company for Cuban cigars; formerly called Cubatabaco.

Half-wheel (media ruedas)-- A bundle of 50 cigars. Cigar rollers usually use ribbon to tie the cigars they produce into half-wheels.

Hand-- Individual leaves of tobacco that are hung together after harvest and tied at the top. These hands are piled together to make a bulk for fermentation.

Handmade-- A cigar made entirely by hand with high-quality wrapper and long filler. All premium cigars are handmade. Hand-rollers can generally use more delicate wrapper leaves than machines.

Hand-rolled-- A cigar made entirely by hand with high-quality wrapper and long filler.

Havana-- Capital of Cuba. The traditional center of manufacturing of Cuban cigars for export, and a term widely used to designate Cuban cigars. Also refers to the tobacco types grown from Cuban seed in the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Head-- The closed end of the cigar; the end you smoke.

Holder-- Cigar holders are an interesting affectation and collectible, but true aficionados let nothing come between their lips and the head of a cigar they're smoking.

Homogenized Binder-- Binder made of chopped tobacco leaf and cellulose. Scorned by purists, it facilitates machine production and can facilitate the burn of certain products.

Hot-- Describes a cigar that is underfilled and has a quick, loose draw. Can cause harsh flavors.

Humidor-- A room, or a box, of varying sizes, designed to preserve or promote the proper storage and aging of cigars by maintaining a relative humidity level of 70 percent and a temperature of approximately 65°F to 70°F.

Hygrometer-- A device that indicates the humidity, or percentage of moisture in the air; used to monitor humidor conditions.

Inhale-- What you don't do with cigar smoke.

Lance-- A cutter used to pierce a small hole in the closed end of a cigar. Also called a piercer.

Lector-- Traditionally, the person who reads to the cigar rollers while they work.

Ligero-- One of the three basic types of filler tobacco. The name means light in Spanish, but this aromatic tobacco lends body to a blend.

Long Filler-- Filler tobacco that runs the length of the body of the cigar, rather than chopped pieces found in machine-made cigars.

Lonsdale-- A long cigar; generally 6 to 6 3/4 inches by a 42 to 44 ring gauge, but there are many variations.

Machine-made-- Cigars made entirely by machine, using heavier-weight wrappers and binders and, frequently, cut filler in place of long filler.

Maduro-- A wrapper shade from a very dark reddish-brown to almost black. The word means ripe in Spanish. The color can be achieved by sun exposure, a cooking process or a prolonged fermentation.

Media Ruedas-- See Half-wheels

Mini Cigarillo-- Another term for cigarillo.

Mold-- 1. The wooden form used in cigar making to give shape to a finished bunch. It has two parts, which, when assembled, are placed in a press. 2. A potentially damaging fungus that forms on a cigar when it is stored at too high a temperature.

Oil-- The mark of a well-humidified cigar. Even well-aged cigars secrete oil at 70 to 72 percent relative humidity, the level at which they should be stored.

Oscuro-- A black shade of wrapper, darker than maduro, most often Brazilian or Mexican in origin.

Panetela-- A long, thin cigar shape.

Parejos-- Straight-sided cigars, such as coronas, panetelas and lonsdales.

Partido-- A prime tobacco growing area in Cuba.

Perfecto-- A distinctive cigar shape that is closed at both ends, with a rounded head; usually with a bulge in the middle.

Piercer-- A cutter used to pierce a small hole in the closed end of a cigar. Also called a lance.

Planchas-- Boards on which tobacco leaves are spread before fermentation.

Plug-- A blockage that sometimes occurs in the tobacco that can prevent a cigar from drawing properly. A plug can sometimes be alleviated by gently massaging the cigar.

Plume (also called Bloom)-- A naturally occurring phenomenon in the cigar aging process, also called plume, caused by the oils that exude from the tobacco. It appears as a fine white powder and can be brushed off. Not to be confused with mold, which is bluish and stains the wrapper.

Pre-Castro Cigar-- A Cuban cigar made before Fidel Castro's rise to power in January 1959.

Pre-embargo Cigar-- A Cuban cigar made before President Kennedy enacted the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba in 1962.

Primings-- The rows of leaves on a tobacco plant. The number of primings varies, but six is average. The first priming is closest to the ground, the sixth is near the top. The higher the, priming the stronger the tobacco.

Puro-- A Spanish term used to distinguish a cigar from a cigarette. Modern usage refers to a cigar blended with tobaccos from a single country. (All Cuban cigars use 100 percent Cuban tobacco, so all Cuban cigars, according to modern usage, are puros.)

Pyramid-- A sharply tapered cigar with a wide, open foot and a closed head.

Ring Gauge-- A measurement for the diameter of a cigar, based on 64ths of an inch. A 40 ring gauge cigar is 40/64ths of an inch thick.

Robusto-- A substantial, but short cigar; traditionally 5 to 5 1/2 inches by a 50 ring gauge.

Rosado-- A Spanish term that means "rose-colored." It is used to describe the reddish tint of some Cuban-seed wrapper.

Seco-- The Spanish word for dry, seco is a type of filler tobacco. It often contributes aroma and is usually medium-bodied.

Shade-grown-- Wrapper leaves that have been grown under a cheesecloth tent, called a tapado. The filtered sunlight creates a thinner, more elastic leaf.

Smoking Time-- A 5-inch cigar with a 50 ring gauge, such as a robusto, should provide anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes of smoking pleasure. A double corona, a 7 1/2-inch cigar with a 50 ring gauge, may give over an hour's worth of smoking time. A thinner cigar, such as a lonsdale, smokes in less time than a cigar with a 50 ring gauge.

Shoulder-- The area of a cigar where the cap meets the body. If you cut into the shoulder, the cigar will begin to unravel.

Short Filler-- Used mainly in machine-made cigars, it consists of chopped scraps of leaf. Short filler burns quicker and hotter than long filler.

Special Solution-- A solution of 50 percent water, 50 percent propylene glycol. Added to your humidification device every three to six months, its presence will keep water from evaporating beyond 70 percent relative humidity.

Spill-- A strip of cedar used to light a cigar when using a candle or a fluid lighter, both of which can alter the taste of the cigar.

Sugar-- Sugars occur naturally in tobacco. Darker wrappers, such as maduros, contain more sugar, making them sweeter.

Sun-grown-- Tobacco grown in direct sunlight, which creates a thicker leaf with thicker veins.

Tapado-- A cheesecloth tent under which shade-grown wrapper leaf is cultivated.

Tercios-- The large, palm bark-wrapped bales in which fermented tobacco is shipped to cigar factories.

Tooth-- The grain pattern characteristic of less smooth wrapper leaf, such as leaf from Cameroon.

Torcedores-- Cigar rollers.

Torpedo-- A cigar shape that features a closed foot, a pointed head and a bulge in the middle.

Totalamente a Mano-- Made totally by hand; a description found on cigar boxes. Much better than "Hecho a Mano" (made by hand, which can mean it is filled with machine-bunched filler), or "Envuelto a Mano" (packed by hand).

Tubos-- Cigars packed in individual wood, metal or glass tubes to keep them fresh.

Tunneling-- The unwelcome phenomenon of having your cigar burn unevenly. To prevent it, rotate your cigar now and then.

Vega-- A tobacco plantation.

Vein-- A structural part of a leaf; prominent veins can be a defect in wrappers.

Vintage-- When a vintage is used for a cigar, it usually refers to the year the tobacco was harvested, not the year the cigar was made.

Viso-- A glossy wrapper leaf grown under cover.

Vuelta Abajo-- The valley in Cuba that many believe produces the best cigar tobacco in the world.

Volado-- A type of filler tobacco chosen for its burning qualities.

Wrapper-- A high-quality tobacco leaf wrapped around the finished bunch and binder. It is very elastic and, at its best, unblemished.

Wedge Cut-- A V-shaped cut made in the closed end of a cigar