The Next Step on Your Cigar Journey

Now that you’ve got the basics down, let’s continue to light up the trail to cigar enjoyment: developing your taste. Ultimately, your experiences and enjoyment of cigars will be unique to you. No two people pull the same aromas and flavors from the same stick – everyone’s palate is sensitive to different cigar taste profiles.

It’s key to remember the enjoyment of a cigar goes beyond your taste buds. A cigar is a full sensory experience. Feeling the consistent firmness of a well-rolled cigar and the way the shape of one fits in your hand. Hearing how the wrapper that’s been exposed to the right humidity sounds as you gently roll it between your fingers. Savoring the aromas of an unlit cigar and the various nuances showing up in the smoke. And, of course, the flavor. As you embrace the cigar lifestyle you’ll form preferences for each sense helping you know when you’ve discovered your ideal cigar.

But how to get there?

• Experiment

  Start with your sense of smell. Does the aroma call to mind your favorite flavors, such as vanilla, almonds, cocoa or citrus? Chances are, if the aroma appeals to you, the taste of the cigar will as well. Consider starting with a light or medium cigar to get good flavor without being overwhelmed by the power of a full-bodied cigar. Also, consider how much time you have to smoke. Forty-five minutes? Two hours? The time you can carve out to enjoy your cigar can help determine the size and shape of cigar to pick.

• Keep Track of What You Smoke

  Make notes about what you like, or don’t like, about the cigars you smoke. Record the nuances and dominant characteristics of each cigar. Perhaps you discover you like the leathery notes of a particular cigar but you don’t care for the earthy overtones. Even if you can’t yet decipher the individual flavors, knowing the names of which cigars you’ve enjoyed is important. Understanding those preferences will help you and your tobacconist choose other cigars better suited to you.

• Don’t Judge Too Quickly

  Cigars are meant to be smoked from beginning to end. That’s because the flavors will evolve depending on the different tobaccos used for the filler and how they are arranged within the cigar. Take your time smoking the cigar because a slow burn will allow the sugars and essential oils in the tobacco to caramelize, and produce more  subtle flavors. If a cigar burns too quickly, those oils evaporate, and may remove some of those subtle nuances. Also, the smoke from a rapidly and hot-burning cigar can turn bitter and unpleasant.

Top Cigar Producing Countries

Cuban cigars continue to enjoy a fine reputation. The island nation has always been known for having the ideal tobacco growing soil and weather conditions for making the best premium handmade cigars. However, with the Cuban Revolution having nationalized the farms in 1959 and the impact of the U.S. Trade Embargo of 1961, the Cuban cigar industry changed dramatically as many tobacco-growing families and cigar makers fled to other countries like Honduras and the Dominican Republic. Since then, a lot of cigar smokers in the U.S. have been denied the pleasure of experiencing an authentic Cuban cigar.

During that same time period, the tobacco industry in other countries has exploded. Those master growers and blenders who fled Cuba took their knowledge – and in most cases, Cuban seeds – creating a comparable industry in other countries. Moreover, some would argue the quality of cigars from places like the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua surpasses that of Cuba.

Since different cigar makers create different flavor combinations for their blends, here’s a guide to what flavors you can expect from some of the top cigar-producing countries.

Top Cigar Producing Countries

Mexico

Honduras

Nicaragua

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Mexico

Mexico has growing regions mainly along the Gulf of Mexico and in the North, with the most popular being the San Andres region. Tobacco grown here is often overlooked, yet the soils and sunny climate can produce a spicy, earthy flavor with creamy notes, creating many hidden gems in the cigar world. Mexican cigars once had a reputation for being cheap, but that is certainly not the case any longer: a lot of world-class tobacco is grown here, especially the highly popular San Andres natural and San Andres Negro wrapper leaf. Their distinct flavors are why many cigars made in other countries use Mexican filler, binder and wrapper leaves today.

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Honduras

Honduran cigars are not made in the same quantities as cigars from the Dominican Republic or Nicaragua, yet they are some of the best handmade cigars in the world. This country is blessed with fertile soil and excellent weather conditions allowing many varieties of tobacco to grow there. It is slightly drier in Honduras, which tends to produce dark tobacco with exotic, dark, earthy and spicy notes. You can expect woody, nutty flavors with some malty and occasionally citrusy sweetness from Honduran cigars.

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Nicaragua

The country has rich soil, much of it volcanic, and similar growing conditions to Cuba leading many to claim Nicaraguan cigars rival Cubans in flavor. Depending on where in the four growing regions the tobacco is raised, Estelí, Condega, Jalapa, or Ometepe, the flavors can range from strong, to spicy, to sweet. Cigars made with Nicaraguan tobacco tend to have powerful, bold and spicy/peppery flavors with a bit of earth and leather. Nicaraguan cigars can be made from 100% domestically-grown tobacco or from a blend of both domestic and imported tobaccos.

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Cuba

Cuba’s rich soil produces a truly unique tobacco. Cuban cigars are made from only Cuban tobacco - filler, binder and wrapper - and generally have a redolent aroma and rich taste that reflects the soil in which the plants were grown. Cigars are available along the spectrum from light, to medium, to full-bodied. A light-bodied cigar can produce floral or fruity aromas. Medium-bodied cigars can deliver spice, wood and leather aromas, whereas a full-bodied cigar can have intense, even harsh flavors of wood, earth and spice. There is some debate that the various Cuban brands have developed a homogenized flavor as a result of the nationalization of the industry, although many aficionados insist this is not true.

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Dominican Republic

Some of the best cigars are produced in the Dominican Republic, which is also one of the world’s largest exporters of tobacco. The cigars produced here were once considered mild and light, but the flavor profile has evolved and the country produces excellent cigars across the whole spectrum. Expect complex flavors along with spice, leather, coffee and chocolate aromas, depending on the blend. Few cigars are 100% Dominican Republic tobacco - most include tobaccos from other regions to create specific flavor profiles.

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