[mjp28]

One more for now.....

Just a quick review, remember the "3s".

To be a premium a cigar must have 3 things:
1. 100% tobacco, no junk added
2. Long leaf filler, not "cuts" which are cut up stems and pieces (like cigarettes)
3. Hand made.....NOT just hand rolled over machine packed junk.

If your cigar has a hole already in the bottom it's NOT a priemum, it's machine made. Geezzz, I know this stuff by heart.

Next "3s":

1. Wrapper Leaf
The wrapper is the most important and expensive part of a cigar. Typically grown under a gauze tent (shade) to prevent the leaf from growing too thick, the wrapper must be smooth and have very few veins. The majority of a cigar's flavor is derived from the wrapper.

2. Binder Tobacco
Binders usually come from the bottom part of the plant, where the leaves are thicker and have more strength. Usually, these leaves have little or no flavor.

3. Filler
The filler can be from any part of the tobacco plant. The top of the plant usually produces the strongest flavor, while the bottom produces the tobacco with the best burning properties. Most cigars have blended fillers (fillers from varying parts of the plant and varying sources) to achieve the correct taste and burning qualities.

-------> Now the wrappers, easy version:

The wrapper, generally just go as (G) Green, (N) Natural, (EMS) English Market Selection, generally darker brown, (M) Maduro, my favorite!! Dark and medium to full flavor, (O) Oscuro or black, dark and generally full flavor.

-------->Here's the real CigarAficionado version

The wrapper color of a cigar is as important as the brand or shape of a cigar in terms of enjoyment. People recognize slight changes in the wrapper color of their favorite cigars. Color changes and changes in the country where the wrapper was grown and can dramatically change the taste of a cigar. Wrapper colors are generally graded from the lightest to the darkest color as follows:

Claro Claro or Double Claro: A light green fire-cured wrapper.
Claro: A very light brown with a greenish cast.
Colorado Claro or Natural: A light brown.
Colorado or EMS: A medium brown.
Colorado Maduro or Maduro: A dark brown.......MY FAVORITE!!
Maduro or Double Maduro: A very rich dark brown or black......also a FAVORITE!!
Oscuro: A very dark brown or black.

Variations in wrapper colors within these seven groups produce the possibility of 32 wrapper colors. A wrapper that is almost double maduro, but not quite, is classified as maduro. The possible 32 wrapper colors have been lumped into five basic color categories. Each category has a variety of names but all have the same meaning.