Cigar Cylindrical Roll of Tobacco for Smoking

A cigar is a cylindrical roll of tobacco for smoking, consisting of cut tobacco filler in a binder leaf with a wrapper leaf rolled spirally around the bunch.

The wrapper leaf must be strong, elastic, silky in texture, and even in color with pleasant flavor and good burning properties. It is the most important element determining a cigar's character.

Columbus and subsequent explorers encountered Indigenous peoples smoking tobacco in palm leaves or corn husks in Cuba, Mexico, Central America, and Brazil. Archaeological evidence from a 10th-century pottery vessel from Uaxactún, Guatemala depicts Maya smoking rolled tobacco leaves.

The word ‘cigarro’ likely derives from the Mayan term ‘sik’ar,’ meaning smoking. By 1600, cigars had reached Spain as a symbol of wealth, and New England adoption followed Connecticut’s 1633 settlement.

Modern cigars are classified by size and shape: Corona, petit corona, Lonsdale, ideales, panatela, cheroot, and whiff varieties each have specific dimensions and characteristics.

Color classifications range from Claro (light) through Maduro (exceptionally dark), with detailed quality sorting standards determining the grade and price of each cigar.