CHOOSING A CIGAR
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At Jernigan's, we can help. Our most senior tobacconist Ric has over 25 years of experience assisting patrons such as you. Not far behind with 17 years is Lou. Next is Bernie, who has been in the business for 11 years, followed by David and Jason, with 4 and 2 years respectively. Yes, we do indeed believe that we can be of service.
The selection of a special cigar is an art and a science. It is comparable to selecting a premium spirit or fine wine. If you are just getting started, we can lead you through the wide variety of options, and in the process, educate you about the characteristics and tastes offered by individual brands of cigars. As you gain experience a new world of options will become available to you. Typically, one gravitates from a mild cigar with very subtle differences in taste and aroma, to cigars exhibiting more robust flavors and style. For the connoisseur, the range of options is equally challenging, but our experienced staff will be of assistance here as well.
We are very proud of our walk-in Humidor where hundreds of cigars are on display. It has been organized with care and will present you with a range of great choices. Your eyes will roam over the sizes, shapes and colors of leaf so important to the selection process. There simply can be no substitute for a personal tour of the Humidor while in the company of an exceptionally qualified tobacconist.
For those of you who are looking for a gift for others, we will ask the questions important to making a reasoned selection. The gift's recipient will appreciate the extra effort expended by you in speaking with one of our experienced tobacconists and making the perfect choice.
Cigars can be a very complex topic, but here are some of the fundamentals.
Hand Rolled or Machine Punched. Mass market cigars are generally machine made, but aficionados generally prefer hand rolled cigars. The greatest majority of premium cigars will be completely handmade, and will come either from the Dominican Republic or Honduras. Cubans are very popular in Europe but are not available in the United States. Super premium cigars are an important segment of the market, mostly differentiated by specially selected tobaccos, usually in the filler blend and especially in the wrapper, where it is visually more apparent. As with spirits and wines, aging can be a factor. The unique character of a super premium can be attributed to fact that the cigar it is made with all or part of a tobacco crop that came from an especially good year. (See the Connoisseur's Cabinet section of our Jernigan's website.)
Size, Shape and Color. The size of a cigar is measured by its length and ring gauge (diameter). One ring is equivalent to 1/64 of an inch. The size of a cigar appears as LXRG, in which L stands for the length of the cigar in inches, and RG is the ring gauge. Specialty cigars range from 9X64 (which is 9 inches long and 1 inch wide), to 4X30. Ring gauge for the figurados shaped cigar may be written as 46/49, as it is not straight-sided, or with a tapered head or foot. In Europe, cigar sizes are measured in millimeters. Thus, a 5X34 cigar in the United States would equate to a 127X13.3 in Europe.
The most common ring sizes are these:
There are no set standards used among manufacturers to designate common shapes. Thus, descriptors of the shape of cigars represent areas of significant confusion in the marketplace. That said, the following depictions may be helpful in a general sense:
Panetela
| LENGTH | DIAMETER | HEAD | BODY | ||
| Inches | cm | Ring Gauge | mm | Rounded and closed | Straight, parallel sides and usually pressed |
| 4 1/2 - 4 7/8 | 11.5 -12.4 | 26 | 10.3 | ||
Petit Corona
| LENGTH | DIAMETER | HEAD | BODY | ||
| Inches | cm | Ring Gauge | mm | Rounded and closed | Straight, parallel sides and usually pressed |
| 5 | 12.9 | 42 | 16.7 | ||
Magnum, Rothschild and Robusto
| LENGTH | DIAMETER | HEAD | BODY | ||
| Inches | cm | Ring Gauge | mm | Rounded and closed | Straight, parallel sides and usually pressed |
| 4 7/8 - 5 | 12.4 - 12.7 | 48 - 50 | 19 - 20 | ||
Corona
| LENGTH | DIAMETER | HEAD | BODY | ||
| Inches | cm | Ring Gauge | mm | Rounded and closed | Straight, parallel sides and usually pressed |
| 5 1/2 | 14.2 | 42 | 16.7 | ||
Torpedo and Belicoso
| LENGTH | DIAMETER | HEAD | BODY | ||
| Inches | cm | Ring Gauge | mm | Rounded and closed | Straight, parallel sides and usually pressed |
| 5 1/2 - 6 1/8 | 14.2 - 15.6 | 52 | 20.6 | ||
Corona Gorda and Corona Extra
| LENGTH | DIAMETER | HEAD | BODY | ||
| Inches | cm | Ring Gauge | mm | Rounded and closed | Straight, parallel sides and usually pressed |
| 5 5/8 | 14.3 | 44 - 46 | 17.5 - 18.25 | ||
Lonsdale and Coronas Grandes
| LENGTH | DIAMETER | HEAD | BODY | ||
| Inches | cm | Ring Gauge | mm | Rounded and closed | Straight, parallel sides and usually pressed |
| 6 - 6 3/4 | 15.5 - 17.0 | 42 - 43 | 17 | ||
Churchill
| LENGTH | DIAMETER | HEAD | BODY | ||
| Inches | cm | Ring Gauge | mm | Rounded and closed | Straight, parallel sides and usually pressed |
| 7 | 17.8 | 47 | 18.7 | ||
Toro
| LENGTH | DIAMETER | HEAD | BODY | ||
| Inches | cm | Ring Gauge | mm | Rounded and closed | Straight, parallel sides and usually pressed |
| 6 | 15.5 | 50 | 20 | ||
Double Corona
| LENGTH | DIAMETER | HEAD | BODY | ||
| Inches | cm | Ring Gauge | mm | Rounded and closed | Straight, parallel sides and usually pressed |
| 7 5/8 | 19.4 | 49 | 19.4 | ||
Wrapper colors are an integral part of the cigar's persona. However, the world of wrapper differentiation is a nightmare of confusion. Seemingly each producer has created unique terms to describe just about every possible shade or type of tobacco used in the cigar's wrapper. Relative color however is important in selecting one's special cigar. Generally speaking, the darker the wrapper, the more robust the cigar, and conversely, the lighter the wrapper, the more mild the cigar. Experts in the field have attempted to offer a minimal level of clarification, as reflected in the categorizations that follow:
Color of Tobacco
| NAME | COLOR | FEATURES |
| Double claro / claro claro | Blonde | To achieve this color, the leaves are cut before they are matured fully on the plant and are dried to emphasize the pale color. The drying process is often accelerated by using wood fires or candles to avoid the color from darkening. |
| Claro | Brownish-yellow | Tobaccos are cut before mature and are dried rapidly. Claros are light cigars, e.g. Henry Clay. |
| Colorado claro | Light brown | Leaves from the top of the plant are used to make this kind of cigar. Because of more sunlight and longer time of maturation, it enables the leaves to attain stronger color. This is a medium brown tobacco, with lots of flavors and aromas, e.g. Davidoff, Cuesta Rey. |
| Colorado | Brownish-red | Mid-brown and deeper in color with medium strength smoke because of the long maturing period. They are rich-flavored and well-matured cigars, e.g. Ashton VSG series. |
| Maduro colorado | Brown | Leaves are more matured and are selected from the top of the plant. This kind of cigars usually gives a rich flavor. |
| Maduro | Brownish-black | Leaves from the top of the plant are used and are matured for as long as possible. Due to long exposure to the sunlight, they are very dark and rich brown. Maduro are definitely for experienced smokers, e.g. Cuesta Rey, Ashton Maduro & Griffin's Maduro. |
| Oscuro or negro or black | Black | Leaves come from the very top of the plant, having most sunlight, the longest maturing period and are the strongest. |
The Humidor. Like fine wines, the environment within which cigars are stored is critical to maintaining the unique character of a premium product. At Jernigan's, our walk-in, climate controlled Humidor ensures freshness and preservation of quality. We guarantee that our cigars will meet your highest expectations. A well-constructed cigar should be spongy to the touch, yet resilient enough to hold its shape where you have placed your fingers. We want and expect you to hold us to this test of freshness.
The Wrap-up. Jernigan's has put it all together — an exceptionally qualified staff, a wide selection of quality products and a climate controlled Humidor. We are committed to meeting and exceeding your highest expectations.
